What is holding you captive?

"Demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5)

Taking your thoughts captive simply means gaining control over what you think about yourself and life. The truth is what we put in our mind has an effect on what we think! 

I remember after watching the movie Jaws, as a kid, I was terrified that a shark would swim up the toilet. It was around the same time that there were urban legends floating around about alligators (or some reptilian) making its way up some woman’s toilet in Florida. I had nightmares not to mention the physiological discomforts. Those were very difficult days! It didn't take long to realize that the way to avoid the nightmares was to stop watching that kind of movie. 

God has provided a way to overcome unhealthy thoughts and behaviours, and gain the self-control we seek. It's a matter of reclaiming our lives - God’s way. 

Here are 3 ways to take your thoughts captive:

1. Our outward behaviours stem from inward thoughts. Allow God to transform you by the renewing of your mind (Rom. 12:2). We are called to change those behaviours that do not honour God.

2. Think through your problems rather than just react to them. When we experience difficult challenges, we can react to them and think ourselves into a state of despair every time. You don't have to get trapped by disabling thoughts. You are capable of getting out of your shame, despair, hopelessness, and anger - by taking control of your thoughts.

3. Choose to focus your thoughts on the right things. We are to think about those things that are "true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable" (Phil. 4:8). When we think about those things, God promises to give us His peace. What a contrast that is to the thoughts of millions of people today but contrary to popular opinion, we won’t find that peace in a movie, or tv show or how-to-formula. It takes personal discipline and commitment.

It is not easy, but it is possible, to retrain your thoughts or to respond in new Christ-like ways. 

It is possible to live a life aware of our thoughts and take them captive!

So take heart: as God empowers you to focus your mind on the right things, it will become easier. You can develop a new frame of reference, based on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy.

Join us this week as we continue our Sermon series entitled: 

Reclaiming our Lives!

Eyes Wide Open!

If you were with us on Sunday, you would have heard me tell a story of how I completely missed seeing something.  Something that would have created some potential problems, had someone not alerted me to it.

So, back when I was working with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship we were flown to a staff retreat just outside of Vancouver.  I had never before been to BC so the whole experience was quite exciting but the flight was long and a wee bit bumpy. I had worn my best shirt, and of course, I managed to spill food all over it during the flight.

Our hosts greeted us at the airport and we all jumped into the bus. We stopped at a shopping mall, close to the airport, so we could grab some sustenance at the food court before continuing our 2 hour journey to our Retreat Centre. I grabbed some food and took the opportunity to quickly purchase another shirt, since the one that I was wearing was no longer wear worthy.

As our host gave us the “10 min to the bus” warning— I dashed into the first clothing store I saw and quickly purchased a beautiful lightweight sweat shirt.  It really was lovely. It was black with delicate gold squiggly lines all over.  It was the right size, it was the right price …done.  Purchase made in less that 5 mins and I was on the bus with a minute to spare.

While in my seat on the bus, I pulled the sweatshirt out of the bag and proudly put my purchase on over my now filthy top.  My colleague, who was sitting beside me, watched as I brought it over my head and pulled my arms through.  I wiggled in my seat until it was properly on. Proudly, I looked over at my colleague who just began laughing.

“What?” I asked

“Did you read what was on this shirt before you bought it?”

“Read? No?”

Then I took a closer look the pretty gold squiggly lines and discovered it was not a squiggly line at all, it was writing. There were words all over the shirt that I do not feel comfortable saying, much less writing.  If you watched the Emmy’s on Sunday night, you know how they bleeped out the swear words? Well there would be a lot of bleeping going on, if you know what I mean?  There was NO way I could wear such a garment at a staff retreat for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship!  

The words were right there the whole time — hiding in plain sight.  I only saw what I wanted. 

The sweatshirt never made it off the bus.

The truth is, we don’t always see what is right there in front of us, do we?

In  2 Kings 6:8-23 Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes… (vs 17)

Elisha’s servant was looking but not seeing. Terrified, he only saw the army of Aram surrounding their town. He didn’t see the host of angels protecting God’s people. He was walking in spiritual blindness.

We can be the same way. We might see only disappointments, or discouragements, or enemies all around. We might fear the stranger, complain about the lazy, and point fingers at those who disagree. We might fear that the world has gone to hell in a hand basket, and we are the ones who suffer. We might be tempted to put God aside so that we can earn our fortune and have fun, only to experience everlasting loss.

Elisha’s prayer is a great way to address our blindness to the things of God. We too can pray, “Open our eyes, Lord, that we may see.” 

When our eyes are opened, we see sin as sin and we see God as God. And we come to see that this world is all in God’s hands. 

When the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, he could see that they were being surrounded and protected and with that the servant’s fear melted away. 

Wherever you find yourself today, may your eyes be wide open to God’s love, care, protection and hope, and like the servant may your fears and anxiety melt away!

“Open our eyes, Lord, that we may see.” 

It is good!

After 18 months out of the church building it was wonderfully weird to be back. Last Sunday we gathered in-person to worship together at Amberlea Church. We maintained social distance and even still there was a genuine joy in meeting with one another masked face to masked face.  It was good.

They say it takes 40 days to create a habit. Truthfully, I have now become very familiar and even comfortable preaching to a camera, seated, in pyjama bottoms. On Sunday I dusted off my heels and preached at the pulpit to the assembled. I stood the whole time and did not fall off the platform. It was good.

We did not gather for coffee time immediately following the service, as has been our custom, but we did gather in the parking lot for some outside conversation. It was good.

As I chatted with folks outside I heard the same things over and over again, “It is so good to be back.  It is so good to see people. It is so good to see you.  It is so good to hear the band play. It is so good!. God is good.”

Indeed it was good and yes, “God is good”.

We hear that a lot don’t we?  God is good.  But what does that really mean?

We know that God is in perfect power, wisdom, and goodness. God is worshipped as creator and ruler of the universe. But is goes further and deeper than that, doesn’t it? Because God provides for us, guides us, and watches over us. God’s goodness is who God is, and we are created in God’s image, so, therefore, we share God’s goodness.

In good times and in bad, when our eyes are open, we will see God’s goodness in our lives every single day, every hour, every minute and every second of the day.

It is good, and God is good!

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If you are comfortable and able, please consider joining us in person this coming Sunday.  Please check the website for instructions on how to register… I promise, it will be good!