To this end we always pray for you, that our God…
May fulfill every resolve for good…by His power.

What does this mean? He has called us to move from darkness to light, from worldly-conformity to holy-transformation, from our most-base selves to the image of Christ. He has called us to move closer to Him. That’s a journey from here to holy.

For five weeks now we’ve been exploring Gospel-born New Minds. We began by proposing the Gospel as an alternative to the insanity of the world: “…

Where do we need the Gospel? Romans 12:2 says that, first, we need our minds to be transformed, made-new, by the Gospel. Paul uses chapters 1-6 to lay new mental-footings and notice new info, using Scripture. Then, in Romans 6:11, Paul shifts; he gives the first of the conclusions from which we then live new lives. Here is the first description of what new-minds mind: “You must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

Jesus tells the story of a couple of new-home builders. One finds a lovely ocean-front location and builds. But they didn’t attend to their foundation, so when the ocean storms rolled in, they were swept away. The other builders found a spot where they were able to bolt onto bedrock. Storm after storm came; they were unmoved. (Mt 7:24-27)

New lives—transformed lives—begin with made-new minds. New Minds: a new view of the world—ourselves and other included—based on different premises, making different observations, drawing different conclusions—the basis for differently motivated actions.

What is a “renewed mind”? It’s a new mind, a different mind, a mind made new. It’s an outlook you’ve never had, a perspective you’ve never shared. It’s a view of the world based on different premises, making different observations, drawing different conclusions.

“Blessed are those whose strength is in You, in whose hearts are the highways to Zion. As they go through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.” -Psalm 84:5-7

Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth." (Hos 6:1-3)

Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. (Jeremiah 17:7)

You and I look at the past in order to predict the future. We see past successes and say, “That’s a sure thing!” We look at present opportunities and read our lives like tea-leaves, “The future looks bright!” Past success and present opportunities are the best predictors of future fruitfulness, right?

Judges 5:31, “So may all your enemies perish, O LORD! But may your friends be like the sun as he shines in his might.”

In Philippians 2:25-30 Paul talks about his “brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister,” Epaphroditus. He says that Epaphroditus “nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.”

God invites Jeremiah (and by extension of an extension, us too) to be His mouth. To speak the Words of God. To deliver to the people in our lives the Voice of the Almighty.

This is the third of a series of devotionals discussing counseling in the local church. Dr. Timothy Lane of The Christian Counseling and Education Foundation (CCEF) teaches that there are “Six Unavoidable Facts.”

This is the first of a series of devotionals discussing counseling in the local church. Dr. Timothy Lane of The Christian Counseling and Education F”

This is the second of a series of devotionals discussing counseling in the local church. Dr. Timothy Lane of The Christian Counseling and Education Foundation (CCEF) teaches that there are “Six Unavoidable Facts.”

This is the first of a series of devotionals discussing counseling in the local church. Dr. Timothy Lane of The Christian Counseling and Education Foundation (CCEF) teaches that there are “Six Unavoidable Facts.”

No pastor or elder can read your Bible for you. And if you don't read the Bible for yourself your faith will stagnate and destabilize.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. (Psa 51:12-13)