WEBVTT 00:00:11.529 --> 00:00:14.369 Today, from guest teacher Kyle Eidelman, the 00:00:14.369 --> 00:00:16.670 most important question that you can ask yourself 00:00:16.670 --> 00:00:20.129 is, what do I think about? Paul seems to understand 00:00:20.129 --> 00:00:22.570 just how significant this issue is in Romans 00:00:22.570 --> 00:00:25.510 12, verse 2. He says, do not be conformed to 00:00:25.510 --> 00:00:27.690 this world, but be transformed by the renewing 00:00:27.690 --> 00:00:29.890 of your mind. J .B. Phillips, in his translation, 00:00:29.969 --> 00:00:32.570 says, don't be squeezed into the mold of this 00:00:32.570 --> 00:00:36.640 world without even thinking about it. Did you 00:00:36.640 --> 00:00:39.619 know that 95 % of your thoughts happen below 00:00:39.619 --> 00:00:42.119 the level of consciousness? Right now, you're 00:00:42.119 --> 00:00:44.740 being shaped by thousands of thoughts you don't 00:00:44.740 --> 00:00:47.119 even know you're thinking. Your emotions, your 00:00:47.119 --> 00:00:49.700 decisions, your relationships, all of it flows 00:00:49.700 --> 00:00:52.600 from your mind. Today on Living on the Edge, 00:00:52.619 --> 00:00:55.359 our regular Bible teacher, Chip Ingram, is turning 00:00:55.359 --> 00:00:57.719 the mic over to guest teacher, Kyle Eidelman, 00:00:57.820 --> 00:01:00.479 for an important lesson about renewing your mind. 00:01:00.990 --> 00:01:03.149 To get us started, Chip, why don't you give us 00:01:03.149 --> 00:01:05.510 a little setup for today's lesson? Well, I'm 00:01:05.510 --> 00:01:08.370 super excited today to welcome a special guest 00:01:08.370 --> 00:01:11.310 to Living on the Edge. He's a friend, and I could 00:01:11.310 --> 00:01:13.849 introduce him in a lot of ways, like, you know, 00:01:13.849 --> 00:01:16.750 a famous author that wrote Not a Fan, sold over 00:01:16.750 --> 00:01:19.730 a million copies, or he leads a big church called 00:01:19.730 --> 00:01:22.670 Southeast Christian. And those are nice things, 00:01:22.790 --> 00:01:25.689 but I want to introduce my friend, Kyle Eidelman, 00:01:25.829 --> 00:01:29.620 the lead pastor at Southeast Christian. And he 00:01:29.620 --> 00:01:33.920 has a series called Every Thought Captive. And 00:01:33.920 --> 00:01:37.579 Kyle and I have both passionately wanted to learn 00:01:37.579 --> 00:01:41.159 and pass on how does Jesus really change our 00:01:41.159 --> 00:01:43.980 lives. And in this series, I've asked Kyle to 00:01:43.980 --> 00:01:46.879 step in, be our guest teacher, and you're going 00:01:46.879 --> 00:01:49.519 to love what he has to share. Thanks, Chip. Now 00:01:49.519 --> 00:01:51.659 here's Kyle Eidelman with his message titled 00:01:51.659 --> 00:01:56.140 Mind Mold. I am overwhelmed and really excited 00:01:56.140 --> 00:02:00.959 to share with you that Last weekend, across all 00:02:00.959 --> 00:02:08.280 of our campuses, we baptized 839 people. 839. 00:02:11.719 --> 00:02:13.680 Now, listen, you know this, but what we are clapping 00:02:13.680 --> 00:02:15.800 for and what we're celebrating is not a statistic. 00:02:15.939 --> 00:02:18.740 It's a story. It's not a number. It's a name. 00:02:18.840 --> 00:02:22.439 We are celebrating one life at a time, encountering 00:02:22.439 --> 00:02:24.560 Jesus and discovering the difference that Jesus 00:02:24.560 --> 00:02:27.319 makes, that he forgives our sins, that he doesn't 00:02:27.319 --> 00:02:29.039 just forgive our sins. He forgives the guilt 00:02:29.039 --> 00:02:31.129 of our sins. that you don't have to be weighed 00:02:31.129 --> 00:02:33.969 down by shame anymore. You don't have to be weighed 00:02:33.969 --> 00:02:37.409 down by guilt of the past, that he sets you free. 00:02:37.569 --> 00:02:40.550 And I told so many people in the water last Sunday, 00:02:40.669 --> 00:02:42.569 like there's things we're leaving in the water. 00:02:42.610 --> 00:02:44.930 We're not carrying it out with us. Like shame 00:02:44.930 --> 00:02:47.490 and guilt stay here. And so when we celebrate 00:02:47.490 --> 00:02:50.030 these numbers, we're celebrating that one person 00:02:50.030 --> 00:02:52.729 at a time is experiencing the difference that 00:02:52.729 --> 00:02:55.270 Jesus makes. And every life change story has 00:02:55.270 --> 00:02:58.509 one thing in common, and that is a change of 00:02:58.509 --> 00:03:02.050 thinking. A change of thinking. Take the prodigal 00:03:02.050 --> 00:03:05.509 son, Luke 15, says he came to his senses. What's 00:03:05.509 --> 00:03:08.389 that mean? It means that he was thinking about 00:03:08.389 --> 00:03:11.210 his life one way and then there was an awakening 00:03:11.210 --> 00:03:13.669 and he started thinking about things differently. 00:03:14.409 --> 00:03:17.629 John 4, the woman at the well meets Jesus and 00:03:17.629 --> 00:03:19.930 what changes? Well, her thinking changes. For 00:03:19.930 --> 00:03:21.909 a long time, she thought this guy will satisfy 00:03:21.909 --> 00:03:24.590 me. This guy will satisfy me. This guy will satisfy 00:03:24.590 --> 00:03:27.669 me. And now she's thinking differently and she's 00:03:27.669 --> 00:03:31.419 looking to Jesus. to be the living water. Every 00:03:31.419 --> 00:03:35.759 transformed life involves a change in thinking. 00:03:35.860 --> 00:03:37.860 And so this week, we're starting a series called 00:03:37.860 --> 00:03:41.219 Every Thought Captive. It comes from 2 Corinthians 00:03:41.219 --> 00:03:45.300 10, where Paul challenges believers to address 00:03:45.300 --> 00:03:48.460 some strongholds in their lives, some lies they've 00:03:48.460 --> 00:03:50.639 believed for a long time, maybe so long they 00:03:50.639 --> 00:03:52.520 don't even know where they came from, things 00:03:52.520 --> 00:03:55.319 that were passed down to them generationally. 00:03:56.000 --> 00:03:57.900 There's strongholds that need to be torn down 00:03:57.900 --> 00:04:00.080 in your life and in my life. How do we do that? 00:04:00.120 --> 00:04:02.879 Paul says you do that by taking every thought 00:04:02.879 --> 00:04:06.159 captive. We're gonna learn to do that together 00:04:06.159 --> 00:04:09.259 to experience the transformation God wants to 00:04:09.259 --> 00:04:11.520 see take place in our life by taking our thoughts 00:04:11.520 --> 00:04:15.620 captive. I did a little research as I was getting 00:04:15.620 --> 00:04:19.500 ready for this sermon, looking online for someone 00:04:19.500 --> 00:04:22.819 who would be considered a gravity denier, somebody 00:04:22.819 --> 00:04:25.360 who doesn't believe in the law of gravity. I 00:04:25.360 --> 00:04:28.019 had this idea that I wanted to use as an illustration, 00:04:28.220 --> 00:04:30.459 but I needed to find a person who didn't believe 00:04:30.459 --> 00:04:31.920 in the law of gravity, and I couldn't find one. 00:04:32.519 --> 00:04:36.579 And so I thought what I might just do here is 00:04:36.579 --> 00:04:39.540 imagine it. So imagine there's this guy named 00:04:39.540 --> 00:04:42.120 Jack who doesn't believe in the law of gravity. 00:04:42.279 --> 00:04:44.720 He believes in the concept of gravity, but he 00:04:44.720 --> 00:04:47.459 thinks the law of gravity is a hoax perpetrated 00:04:47.459 --> 00:04:50.860 by the scientific community. He will argue his 00:04:50.860 --> 00:04:53.199 point. He'll say it's all about density and buoyancy. 00:04:54.220 --> 00:04:56.959 There's not some invisible force out there. And 00:04:56.959 --> 00:04:58.899 his friends, they've tried to convince him. They're 00:04:58.899 --> 00:05:02.519 like, Jack, you need to accept the law of gravity, 00:05:02.660 --> 00:05:06.180 right? Like every step you take is evidence that 00:05:06.180 --> 00:05:10.240 gravity is real. And other friends just kind 00:05:10.240 --> 00:05:12.079 of accept the fact that Jack's a little bit quirky. 00:05:12.319 --> 00:05:15.060 And so Jack finally decides, you know what? I'm 00:05:15.060 --> 00:05:16.459 going to prove them all wrong. And he invites 00:05:16.459 --> 00:05:18.279 everybody over to his house to watch him jump 00:05:18.279 --> 00:05:23.329 off the top. of his two -story house. This isn't 00:05:23.329 --> 00:05:25.230 real. Remember, we're just imagining this. So 00:05:25.230 --> 00:05:29.910 don't feel sorry for Jack. He doesn't exist. 00:05:30.910 --> 00:05:32.910 So Jack gets on top of his two -story house. 00:05:33.029 --> 00:05:36.370 Everybody's watching down below. They don't want 00:05:36.370 --> 00:05:38.250 to watch because it's horrific, but you can't 00:05:38.250 --> 00:05:41.629 not watch. And so with lots of confidence, he 00:05:41.629 --> 00:05:43.670 steps off the roof of his house thinking that 00:05:43.670 --> 00:05:46.470 he's going to float, not fall. but he falls and 00:05:46.470 --> 00:05:48.629 he falls hard and he hits the grounds and he 00:05:48.629 --> 00:05:50.910 breaks a leg and he breaks some ribs and he's 00:05:50.910 --> 00:05:53.209 concussed and he's got to go to the hospital. 00:05:53.490 --> 00:05:57.930 Why? Because gravity doesn't care what Jack thinks. 00:05:59.129 --> 00:06:02.069 Gravity doesn't care. Gravity does what gravity 00:06:02.069 --> 00:06:06.050 always does. Gravity acts the way gravity always 00:06:06.050 --> 00:06:09.839 acts. And Jack can refuse to believe in it, but 00:06:09.839 --> 00:06:11.720 it doesn't mean it's not true in Jack's life. 00:06:11.860 --> 00:06:14.800 Jack can say, I don't believe in the law of gravity, 00:06:14.879 --> 00:06:17.160 but the law of gravity still applies to Jack, 00:06:17.180 --> 00:06:19.500 whether he's aware of its existence, whether 00:06:19.500 --> 00:06:22.139 he believes in its existence or not. There's 00:06:22.139 --> 00:06:24.839 another law that's both recognized in science 00:06:24.839 --> 00:06:27.879 and recognized in scripture that's called the 00:06:27.879 --> 00:06:30.920 law of cognition. The law of cognition basically 00:06:30.920 --> 00:06:34.199 says that your life is shaped by your thoughts. 00:06:34.779 --> 00:06:37.339 To a degree that you probably don't fully realize, 00:06:37.480 --> 00:06:40.360 and I may not recognize, our lives are shaped 00:06:40.360 --> 00:06:42.740 by the way that we think. It's the law of cognition. 00:06:43.420 --> 00:06:46.519 Now, before neuroscience and psychology had firmly 00:06:46.519 --> 00:06:49.259 established this law that's built into who we 00:06:49.259 --> 00:06:52.079 are, scripture had already taught us this truth. 00:06:52.199 --> 00:06:55.699 Proverbs chapter four, verse 23 says, be careful 00:06:55.699 --> 00:06:58.560 how you think, and here's why. Because there's 00:06:58.560 --> 00:07:01.620 this law that applies to you. Your life is shaped 00:07:01.620 --> 00:07:03.930 by your thoughts. And you don't have to agree 00:07:03.930 --> 00:07:05.930 with that for it to be true. You don't have to 00:07:05.930 --> 00:07:07.910 believe this to be true for it to have the power 00:07:07.910 --> 00:07:10.430 of truth over your life. The God who created 00:07:10.430 --> 00:07:13.810 you says, this is how it works. There's this 00:07:13.810 --> 00:07:17.730 law that is built in to who you are, built into 00:07:17.730 --> 00:07:19.730 this world that says your life is shaped by your 00:07:19.730 --> 00:07:22.829 thoughts. And if that's true, the most important 00:07:22.829 --> 00:07:27.250 question that you can ask yourself is, what do 00:07:27.250 --> 00:07:31.860 I think about? What do I think about? Paul seems 00:07:31.860 --> 00:07:34.360 to understand just how significant this issue 00:07:34.360 --> 00:07:37.339 is in Romans 12, verse 2. When he writes to the 00:07:37.339 --> 00:07:40.019 church in Rome about transformation, and he says, 00:07:40.019 --> 00:07:42.800 do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed 00:07:42.800 --> 00:07:46.040 by the renewing of your mind. The Greek word 00:07:46.040 --> 00:07:49.779 here for conformed means to be molded by something 00:07:49.779 --> 00:07:55.040 external. Don't let your mind be molded by something 00:07:55.040 --> 00:07:59.430 out there. J .B. Phillips in his translation 00:07:59.430 --> 00:08:02.189 says, don't be squeezed into the mold of this 00:08:02.189 --> 00:08:05.970 world without even thinking about it. And what's 00:08:05.970 --> 00:08:08.709 interesting about this word conform is it's written 00:08:08.709 --> 00:08:11.769 for us in the present imperative tense, which 00:08:11.769 --> 00:08:14.410 means stop doing what you're already doing. Paul's 00:08:14.410 --> 00:08:16.470 not saying like, hey, there's gonna come a day 00:08:16.470 --> 00:08:17.990 where you're gonna have to decide if you're gonna 00:08:17.990 --> 00:08:20.509 be conformed or not. He's saying you are being 00:08:20.509 --> 00:08:23.389 conformed. The world you live in is squeezing 00:08:23.389 --> 00:08:26.170 you and shaping you and molding you, stop it. 00:08:26.990 --> 00:08:29.709 Stop it. It's happening right now. Stop doing 00:08:29.709 --> 00:08:32.169 what you're already doing. And modern neuroscience 00:08:32.169 --> 00:08:37.090 would underline what Paul is teaching here. Neuroplasticity 00:08:37.090 --> 00:08:39.889 shows that our brains are constantly, constantly 00:08:39.889 --> 00:08:43.470 being molded by what we experience and what we're 00:08:43.470 --> 00:08:47.789 exposed to. So every thought you think, every 00:08:47.789 --> 00:08:51.710 image you see, every conversation that you take 00:08:51.710 --> 00:08:54.889 part in, every second of your screen time, it's 00:08:54.889 --> 00:08:57.899 molding. There's a pattern that we're being squeezed 00:08:57.899 --> 00:09:02.299 into. And so Paul warns us that your thinking 00:09:02.299 --> 00:09:04.659 and my thinking is being squeezed into this pattern 00:09:04.659 --> 00:09:07.500 of this world, whether we know it or not, that's 00:09:07.500 --> 00:09:10.299 what's happening. The law of cognition is playing 00:09:10.299 --> 00:09:12.820 itself out through the thoughts that we think. 00:09:13.039 --> 00:09:15.700 And neuroscientists say that the average person 00:09:15.700 --> 00:09:19.580 has between 60 ,000 and 80 ,000 thoughts a day. 00:09:20.299 --> 00:09:22.759 60 ,000 and 80 ,000 thoughts, that's a lot of 00:09:22.759 --> 00:09:26.159 thoughts. Most of us would say, that seems a 00:09:26.159 --> 00:09:30.299 bit much. I'm not aware of thinking 60 ,000 to 00:09:30.299 --> 00:09:34.519 80 ,000 thoughts. But this is the point. 95 % 00:09:34.519 --> 00:09:36.799 of your thoughts and my thoughts are below the 00:09:36.799 --> 00:09:39.480 level of consciousness, meaning we're not even 00:09:39.480 --> 00:09:40.860 aware that we're thinking the thoughts we're 00:09:40.860 --> 00:09:45.179 thinking. 95 % of our 60 to 80 ,000 thoughts 00:09:45.179 --> 00:09:50.220 are on repeat. They're just happening. We don't 00:09:50.220 --> 00:09:52.889 think about the thoughts we're thinking. This 00:09:52.889 --> 00:09:55.470 is why you can look back on your life and have 00:09:55.470 --> 00:09:58.789 these moments where you see something you said 00:09:58.789 --> 00:10:01.250 or did and you're like, what was I thinking? 00:10:01.710 --> 00:10:05.889 Why did I do that? I must have thought about 00:10:05.889 --> 00:10:07.929 it because I did it, but I don't remember thinking 00:10:07.929 --> 00:10:12.289 any thoughts about doing that. Ladies and gentlemen, 00:10:12.350 --> 00:10:20.289 I would like to present to you Exhibit A. This 00:10:20.289 --> 00:10:27.470 is me circa 2002 with frosted tips. I see this 00:10:27.470 --> 00:10:31.070 picture. I know it's real. Like I know that this 00:10:31.070 --> 00:10:34.529 happened. I don't remember ever thinking about 00:10:34.529 --> 00:10:37.110 this. Like I don't remember having any kind of 00:10:37.110 --> 00:10:39.909 thought process that weighed the pros and cons 00:10:39.909 --> 00:10:43.529 of having frosted tips. But at some point I clearly 00:10:43.529 --> 00:10:48.860 walked in to a salon and said, well, I'll have 00:10:48.860 --> 00:10:51.320 some frosted tips. Like at some point that decision 00:10:51.320 --> 00:10:53.120 was made. I don't remember thinking about that. 00:10:53.899 --> 00:10:56.840 Like, I don't remember a moment where I stood 00:10:56.840 --> 00:11:00.860 in front of my mirror at home and thought, you 00:11:00.860 --> 00:11:03.940 know, what my wife would be really attracted 00:11:03.940 --> 00:11:08.480 to. I don't remember that process. Like, I don't 00:11:08.480 --> 00:11:12.000 remember thinking, you know what the world needs. 00:11:13.679 --> 00:11:17.299 It's a pastor. That looks like he rated the clearance 00:11:17.299 --> 00:11:20.600 section a hot topic. That's what the world really 00:11:20.600 --> 00:11:22.860 needs. Like, I don't remember any of those thoughts. 00:11:22.980 --> 00:11:27.059 And yet clearly that happens. And all of us can 00:11:27.059 --> 00:11:30.700 have these moments where we've done something 00:11:30.700 --> 00:11:33.159 or been influenced in some way. Like, I don't 00:11:33.159 --> 00:11:35.039 know what was conformed. You know, it was a boy 00:11:35.039 --> 00:11:38.500 band era. I look like a rejected Backstreet Boy. 00:11:38.919 --> 00:11:42.000 Like, I tried but didn't make the cut. Like, 00:11:42.019 --> 00:11:43.480 I don't know what was influencing my thinking. 00:11:44.090 --> 00:11:45.889 Because I wasn't thinking about it, but clearly 00:11:45.889 --> 00:11:48.149 there were some thoughts. I was being conformed 00:11:48.149 --> 00:11:50.789 in such a way that resulted in me having frosted 00:11:50.789 --> 00:11:54.370 tips. So take your thoughts, Captain. You're 00:11:54.370 --> 00:11:56.710 listening to Living on the Edge with guest teacher 00:11:56.710 --> 00:11:59.450 Kyle Eidelman. There's more just ahead, so stay 00:11:59.450 --> 00:12:02.110 with us. Today we continue our journey through 00:12:02.110 --> 00:12:04.809 a fundamental series called God's Dream for Your 00:12:04.809 --> 00:12:07.570 Life. And if you've missed any part of this study 00:12:07.570 --> 00:12:10.389 or want to find more Bible lessons, just go online 00:12:10.389 --> 00:12:14.190 to livingontheedge .org. There you'll discover 00:12:14.190 --> 00:12:17.250 a wide array of teaching content, downloadable 00:12:17.250 --> 00:12:20.009 materials, and daily discipleship with Chip Ingram. 00:12:20.269 --> 00:12:24.350 Find it all at livingontheedge .org. Well, now 00:12:24.350 --> 00:12:26.269 let's get back to our lesson with guest teacher 00:12:26.269 --> 00:12:29.149 Kyle Eidelman. I want us to spend a few minutes 00:12:29.149 --> 00:12:31.549 just unpacking this connection, this biblical 00:12:31.549 --> 00:12:34.529 truth of our life being shaped by our thoughts. 00:12:36.140 --> 00:12:38.059 first, let's recognize that our thoughts establish 00:12:38.059 --> 00:12:40.159 our emotions. Now, that doesn't mean our thoughts 00:12:40.159 --> 00:12:42.200 are exclusively responsible for our feelings. 00:12:42.279 --> 00:12:43.899 There are a lot of factors that could be at play. 00:12:44.980 --> 00:12:49.799 But more than we recognize, our thoughts establish 00:12:49.799 --> 00:12:51.940 our emotions. We tend to talk about our emotions 00:12:51.940 --> 00:12:54.600 as feelings that we don't have any control over. 00:12:54.639 --> 00:12:58.220 I can't help the way I feel. Or we look at circumstances, 00:12:58.539 --> 00:13:01.019 situations, we look at people, and we say, well, 00:13:01.019 --> 00:13:04.039 if this circumstance changed, if this person, 00:13:04.840 --> 00:13:07.200 didn't do what they did, then I'd feel differently 00:13:07.200 --> 00:13:11.220 than I do right now. But what we find is that 00:13:11.220 --> 00:13:13.419 there's this intricate relationship between how 00:13:13.419 --> 00:13:16.399 we think about things happening and the feelings 00:13:16.399 --> 00:13:19.279 we have about those things. God created our brains 00:13:19.279 --> 00:13:22.480 with the limbic system, specifically the amygdala, 00:13:22.600 --> 00:13:25.240 which helps us process our emotional responses. 00:13:25.379 --> 00:13:28.460 Our thoughts are connected to our feelings more 00:13:28.460 --> 00:13:31.000 than we realize. Our neurotransmitter system 00:13:31.000 --> 00:13:33.360 connects thoughts and emotions. So what we think 00:13:33.360 --> 00:13:36.309 about can Trigger the release of neurotransmitters 00:13:36.309 --> 00:13:38.929 like serotonin and dopamine that influence our 00:13:38.929 --> 00:13:41.549 emotional state. So here's how you might play 00:13:41.549 --> 00:13:45.450 this out. Let's say that you have been feeling 00:13:45.450 --> 00:13:48.929 pretty discontent lately. Spending more time 00:13:48.929 --> 00:13:53.169 thinking about your life and what you don't have 00:13:53.169 --> 00:13:55.809 or maybe you're behind on some things compared 00:13:55.809 --> 00:13:58.470 to other people and you're comparing yourself 00:13:58.470 --> 00:14:00.269 to others and your thoughts have just been very 00:14:00.269 --> 00:14:04.720 focused on that. But then you read 1 Thessalonians 00:14:04.720 --> 00:14:07.639 5 .18, which says, give thanks in all circumstances. 00:14:09.220 --> 00:14:12.039 And you think, okay, well, Paul says, give thanks 00:14:12.039 --> 00:14:13.899 in all circumstances. I should think about things 00:14:13.899 --> 00:14:16.259 that I'm grateful for. I'm going to do that. 00:14:16.259 --> 00:14:17.720 And I'm going to just start taking my mornings. 00:14:18.679 --> 00:14:21.620 This is God's will for me. And so I'm gonna give 00:14:21.620 --> 00:14:23.679 thanks. I'm gonna spend my mornings just expressing 00:14:23.679 --> 00:14:25.480 gratitude to God for some things in my life. 00:14:25.539 --> 00:14:28.620 Now, when that happens, there is a neurotransmitter 00:14:28.620 --> 00:14:30.840 effect. That practice of being intentionally 00:14:30.840 --> 00:14:33.919 grateful increases serotonin levels, which is 00:14:33.919 --> 00:14:36.299 associated with mood regulation. Then you go 00:14:36.299 --> 00:14:37.919 throughout your day and you're not just reacting 00:14:37.919 --> 00:14:40.019 to everything that's happening around you, but 00:14:40.019 --> 00:14:42.639 instead you've created a different neural pathway 00:14:42.639 --> 00:14:45.200 that responds with gratitude and thanksgiving 00:14:45.200 --> 00:14:47.519 when things don't go exactly how you thought 00:14:47.519 --> 00:14:50.029 they would. You're starting to recognize and 00:14:50.029 --> 00:14:53.129 see things to be thankful for, and it changes 00:14:53.129 --> 00:14:56.789 your emotions. It changes your feelings. So our 00:14:56.789 --> 00:14:58.450 thoughts establish our emotions. Secondly, our 00:14:58.450 --> 00:15:02.389 thoughts direct our decisions. It turns out that 00:15:02.389 --> 00:15:04.309 just like our emotions, our decisions are largely 00:15:04.309 --> 00:15:07.370 determined by what happens in our prefrontal 00:15:07.370 --> 00:15:09.850 cortex, which is sometimes called the executive 00:15:09.850 --> 00:15:12.909 center, because it's where decisions get... made 00:15:12.909 --> 00:15:15.549 our thoughts being molded by the patterns of 00:15:15.549 --> 00:15:18.509 this world are constantly assigning subconsciously 00:15:18.509 --> 00:15:21.129 assigning benefits and consequences to different 00:15:21.129 --> 00:15:24.149 actions and whether or not you value like the 00:15:24.149 --> 00:15:26.850 immediate pleasure and satisfaction or whether 00:15:26.850 --> 00:15:29.710 you're consciously thinking about something that 00:15:29.710 --> 00:15:32.190 will come in the future because of a decision 00:15:32.190 --> 00:15:34.629 you make but we all have these neural pathways 00:15:34.629 --> 00:15:38.649 that much more so than we realize are making 00:15:38.649 --> 00:15:41.600 certain decisions for us or taking us in the 00:15:41.600 --> 00:15:44.940 direction that we're going. Think of it this 00:15:44.940 --> 00:15:49.200 way. Think of a neural pathway as if you get 00:15:49.200 --> 00:15:51.539 in a car and you drive to a destination that 00:15:51.539 --> 00:15:54.039 you've never been to before, you're paying close 00:15:54.039 --> 00:15:57.500 attention. watching your GPS and you're aware 00:15:57.500 --> 00:15:59.559 of the road you need to turn on and you're paying 00:15:59.559 --> 00:16:01.700 attention to road signs. But if you've taken 00:16:01.700 --> 00:16:04.720 that path dozens of times, eventually you don't 00:16:04.720 --> 00:16:06.279 really even think about it. Like when you drive 00:16:06.279 --> 00:16:08.659 to work, just drive to work. You're not paying 00:16:08.659 --> 00:16:11.059 attention to anything because you have created 00:16:11.059 --> 00:16:13.779 this pathway from doing it so many times. And 00:16:13.779 --> 00:16:16.259 the way God has designed our brains is to have 00:16:16.259 --> 00:16:19.679 these neural pathways so that so many of the 00:16:19.679 --> 00:16:23.370 decisions we make come from The way we've been 00:16:23.370 --> 00:16:26.509 thinking over an extended period of time. This 00:16:26.509 --> 00:16:28.490 is why you can decide you're going to have a 00:16:28.490 --> 00:16:30.889 calm, rational discussion with your spouse around 00:16:30.889 --> 00:16:35.590 finances. But during the conversation, your emotions 00:16:35.590 --> 00:16:37.929 take over. You start raising your voice. You're 00:16:37.929 --> 00:16:41.210 getting sensitive and defensive. Why? Because 00:16:41.210 --> 00:16:43.190 you've got this neural pathway about talking 00:16:43.190 --> 00:16:45.870 to your spouse about finances. And even though 00:16:45.870 --> 00:16:49.799 you didn't mean for it to happen, you're... response 00:16:49.799 --> 00:16:52.159 to them, the way you talk, the way you act starts 00:16:52.159 --> 00:16:54.919 going down that pathway that's been established. 00:16:55.379 --> 00:16:58.960 So this is one of the reasons why we get in trouble 00:16:58.960 --> 00:17:01.139 by putting too much emphasis on behavior modification 00:17:01.139 --> 00:17:04.819 over thought transformation. We think the key 00:17:04.819 --> 00:17:06.579 to bringing about change is I'm just going to 00:17:06.579 --> 00:17:09.119 do things differently. I'm going to behave my 00:17:09.119 --> 00:17:12.000 way out of this. But typically that doesn't last 00:17:12.000 --> 00:17:14.460 very long. It's not sustainable. That true transformation, 00:17:14.539 --> 00:17:18.180 according to Romans 12, comes when we change 00:17:18.180 --> 00:17:21.299 the way we think. Renewing of our minds brings 00:17:21.299 --> 00:17:23.599 transformation. Thirdly, our thoughts regulate 00:17:23.599 --> 00:17:27.420 our relationships. There's a term for how our 00:17:27.420 --> 00:17:30.259 minds interpret what other people say and do. 00:17:31.000 --> 00:17:35.039 It's called cognitive interpretation. That if 00:17:35.039 --> 00:17:37.480 you come and you say something to me, no matter 00:17:37.480 --> 00:17:39.539 what you meant by what you said, no matter what 00:17:39.539 --> 00:17:42.839 tone you think you had, how I think about what 00:17:42.839 --> 00:17:44.660 you said is going to determine our relationship. 00:17:45.119 --> 00:17:48.589 And we all have like, this constantly happening 00:17:48.589 --> 00:17:51.329 in our minds where our cognitive interpretation 00:17:51.329 --> 00:17:55.029 might be constantly negative, in which case we're 00:17:55.029 --> 00:17:56.849 gonna react in a way that's defensive or sensitive 00:17:56.849 --> 00:17:59.569 or antagonistic, or we might pull away and withdraw. 00:18:00.250 --> 00:18:03.150 But our thoughts are constantly filtering what 00:18:03.150 --> 00:18:06.069 other people say and do. A few years ago, I was 00:18:06.069 --> 00:18:08.529 having some challenges with some relationships 00:18:08.529 --> 00:18:12.549 in my life. And I was talking to a friend about 00:18:12.549 --> 00:18:14.730 it and he just really challenged my thinking 00:18:14.730 --> 00:18:18.700 specifically. And he explained to me this concept 00:18:18.700 --> 00:18:22.660 of filling in the gaps. And he basically said, 00:18:22.720 --> 00:18:25.740 look, any interaction you have with someone, 00:18:25.960 --> 00:18:29.359 your mind is going to fill in some gaps. Things 00:18:29.359 --> 00:18:31.160 that you don't really know, but your thoughts 00:18:31.160 --> 00:18:34.359 will interpret what they say and do, and how 00:18:34.359 --> 00:18:35.779 your thoughts interpret that, it's filling in 00:18:35.779 --> 00:18:37.799 the gaps. So let's say somebody says something, 00:18:37.859 --> 00:18:40.000 you're offended by it, but let's say there's 00:18:40.000 --> 00:18:42.700 a context gap. Like you don't know what led up 00:18:42.700 --> 00:18:44.480 to that. You don't know what they might've heard. 00:18:44.579 --> 00:18:46.160 You don't know what's happened during their day. 00:18:46.240 --> 00:18:50.319 You don't know a lot. And so how you fill in 00:18:50.319 --> 00:18:53.000 that context gap is gonna determine how that 00:18:53.000 --> 00:18:55.660 relationship goes. Or maybe there's an information 00:18:55.660 --> 00:18:59.839 gap. Like what you're hearing is missing some 00:18:59.839 --> 00:19:03.500 important pieces. And how you fill in that information 00:19:03.500 --> 00:19:07.750 gap is gonna have a lot to do with the... direction 00:19:07.750 --> 00:19:10.670 of that relationship so our thoughts are constantly 00:19:10.670 --> 00:19:14.150 filling in gaps do we presume the worst or do 00:19:14.150 --> 00:19:16.450 we assume the best do we give a cynical explanation 00:19:16.450 --> 00:19:19.750 or a generous explanation if i pull in the driveway 00:19:19.750 --> 00:19:22.769 and i see my wife has ordered something else 00:19:22.769 --> 00:19:25.329 off amazon and that's been delivered to the house 00:19:25.329 --> 00:19:30.150 i see a box my thoughts fill in the gap i can 00:19:30.150 --> 00:19:32.710 think to myself What could possibly be in that 00:19:32.710 --> 00:19:35.230 box that we need? Like there've already been 00:19:35.230 --> 00:19:37.289 a few deliveries this week. Doesn't she care 00:19:37.289 --> 00:19:39.650 about how we're spending money? Like I could 00:19:39.650 --> 00:19:41.150 think those thoughts. I don't know what's in 00:19:41.150 --> 00:19:43.150 the box, but my mind could fill in the gaps. 00:19:44.069 --> 00:19:46.150 Or I can think something different. I can say, 00:19:46.170 --> 00:19:48.869 well, you know, I never have to wonder if we're 00:19:48.869 --> 00:19:50.210 gonna have what we need around the house. My 00:19:50.210 --> 00:19:52.609 wife is much more intentional and thoughtful 00:19:52.609 --> 00:19:54.829 than me when it comes to spending money. She 00:19:54.829 --> 00:19:57.329 takes care of so many things that I probably 00:19:57.329 --> 00:19:59.210 don't even recognize. And I certainly don't always 00:19:59.210 --> 00:20:03.200 appreciate. And depending on where my thoughts 00:20:03.200 --> 00:20:05.680 go, depending on how I interpret that moment, 00:20:05.819 --> 00:20:08.619 depending on how I fill that gap will determine, 00:20:08.900 --> 00:20:11.319 will regulate my relationship. It'll determine 00:20:11.319 --> 00:20:13.359 the course of our connection for the rest of 00:20:13.359 --> 00:20:15.519 the evening. So let me just give you some questions 00:20:15.519 --> 00:20:17.640 to think about as you process this connection 00:20:17.640 --> 00:20:19.339 between your thoughts and your relationships. 00:20:20.319 --> 00:20:23.140 When I make assumptions about someone's intentions, 00:20:23.359 --> 00:20:25.799 do I assume the best or the worst? Just pay attention 00:20:25.799 --> 00:20:27.480 to that as you think about your thoughts this 00:20:27.480 --> 00:20:29.759 week. Do you assume the best or do you assume 00:20:29.759 --> 00:20:31.839 the worst? Secondly, when I think about my past 00:20:31.839 --> 00:20:35.299 with this person, what do I remember? What do 00:20:35.299 --> 00:20:38.859 I remember? When I look back on our relationship, 00:20:39.079 --> 00:20:43.039 does my mind think about the things that went 00:20:43.039 --> 00:20:45.140 wrong or the way they made mistakes or different 00:20:45.140 --> 00:20:48.140 failures or negative things? Or do I look back 00:20:48.140 --> 00:20:50.940 and think about things that are positive and 00:20:50.940 --> 00:20:54.819 affirming and praiseworthy? Question number three, 00:20:54.839 --> 00:20:56.940 what narrative do I tell myself about this person 00:20:56.940 --> 00:20:59.200 when I have to fill in the gaps? What's the story 00:20:59.200 --> 00:21:02.839 that I tend to tell about this person when I'm 00:21:02.839 --> 00:21:06.160 not sure exactly the context of something? How 00:21:06.160 --> 00:21:09.660 do I fill in the gaps with that story? Number 00:21:09.660 --> 00:21:12.579 four, our thoughts determine our spiritual growth. 00:21:13.720 --> 00:21:15.460 Colossians chapter three, verse two, set your 00:21:15.460 --> 00:21:18.460 mind on things above. Think about things that 00:21:18.460 --> 00:21:22.279 are eternal, not on earthly things. When we think, 00:21:23.029 --> 00:21:26.750 eternal thoughts. It doesn't just shape our emotions 00:21:26.750 --> 00:21:29.069 and our decisions and our relationships. It shapes 00:21:29.069 --> 00:21:34.170 our soul. You're listening to Living on the Edge 00:21:34.170 --> 00:21:37.410 with special guest teacher, Kyle Eidelman. Kyle 00:21:37.410 --> 00:21:39.950 is a pastor, author, and gifted communicator, 00:21:39.990 --> 00:21:42.349 and a friend of our regular teacher, Chip Ingram. 00:21:42.670 --> 00:21:45.150 Well, this week, Kyle is walking us through a 00:21:45.150 --> 00:21:48.049 mini -series called Every Thought Captive, a 00:21:48.049 --> 00:21:50.470 message the world desperately needs to hear right 00:21:50.470 --> 00:21:53.630 now. Kyle reminded us today that our minds are 00:21:53.630 --> 00:21:57.130 being molded constantly, quietly, by the culture 00:21:57.130 --> 00:22:00.490 around us. Paul called it in Romans 12, don't 00:22:00.490 --> 00:22:03.390 be squeezed into the pattern of this world. The 00:22:03.390 --> 00:22:05.849 remedy isn't willpower, it's transformation. 00:22:06.309 --> 00:22:08.910 And it starts with taking every thought captive 00:22:08.910 --> 00:22:11.970 to the obedience of Christ. That's the mission 00:22:11.970 --> 00:22:14.490 of Living on the Edge, to help Christians actually 00:22:14.490 --> 00:22:17.450 live like Christians, day after day, in real 00:22:17.450 --> 00:22:19.970 life. And it's made possible because of friends 00:22:19.970 --> 00:22:22.779 just like you. Would you consider standing with 00:22:22.779 --> 00:22:25.380 us through a financial gift today? When you give 00:22:25.380 --> 00:22:27.579 to Living on the Edge, you're not just keeping 00:22:27.579 --> 00:22:30.039 a radio program on the air, you're helping a 00:22:30.039 --> 00:22:32.440 father break a cycle of anger that shaped his 00:22:32.440 --> 00:22:34.819 thinking for decades. You're coming alongside 00:22:34.819 --> 00:22:37.240 a college student who's hearing biblical truth, 00:22:37.380 --> 00:22:39.880 maybe for the first time, and discovering that 00:22:39.880 --> 00:22:42.940 God's Word changes everything. And we're also 00:22:42.940 --> 00:22:45.569 asking you to partner with us in prayer. Pray 00:22:45.569 --> 00:22:47.490 that the teaching you hear on this broadcast 00:22:47.490 --> 00:22:50.349 would take root in your own heart and in the 00:22:50.349 --> 00:22:53.230 hearts of listeners around the world. Your prayers 00:22:53.230 --> 00:22:55.730 matter more than you know. To connect with us 00:22:55.730 --> 00:22:59.049 and give your gift of any amount, visit livingontheedge 00:22:59.049 --> 00:23:02.549 .org or write to us at Living on the Edge, P 00:23:02.549 --> 00:23:07.970 .O. Box 3007, Atlanta, Georgia 30024. You can 00:23:07.970 --> 00:23:14.130 also call us at 888 -333 -6003. Well now, here's 00:23:14.130 --> 00:23:16.660 Chip Ingram. Thanks, Dave. You know, I've been 00:23:16.660 --> 00:23:19.000 teaching about renewing your mind for decades, 00:23:19.240 --> 00:23:23.039 but Kyle brought such a fresh insight today about 00:23:23.039 --> 00:23:25.720 something that few people, at least I've never 00:23:25.720 --> 00:23:28.519 heard of it, the law of cognition, that your 00:23:28.519 --> 00:23:31.839 life is shaped by your thoughts. You know, scripture 00:23:31.839 --> 00:23:34.720 taught this way before neuroscience got in on 00:23:34.720 --> 00:23:39.220 it. Proverbs 4 .23 says, be careful how you think 00:23:39.220 --> 00:23:42.960 because your thoughts shape everything. Here's 00:23:42.960 --> 00:23:45.380 what's sobering. I mean, think about this. We 00:23:45.380 --> 00:23:49.039 think 60 ,000 to 80 ,000 thoughts a day, and 00:23:49.039 --> 00:23:53.099 95 % of them are subconscious. You know, you 00:23:53.099 --> 00:23:55.079 and I aren't even aware of what we're thinking 00:23:55.079 --> 00:23:57.559 the great majority of the time. And that's why 00:23:57.559 --> 00:24:02.140 Romans 12, verse 2 warns us, don't be conformed 00:24:02.140 --> 00:24:05.779 to this world, but be transformed. How? By the 00:24:05.779 --> 00:24:08.259 renewing of your mind. You see, it's happening 00:24:08.259 --> 00:24:10.940 all the time. My mind, your mind's being renewed. 00:24:11.240 --> 00:24:15.180 The good news is this. transformation comes not 00:24:15.180 --> 00:24:18.140 by trying harder or more religious services or 00:24:18.140 --> 00:24:20.779 beating yourself up. It comes by renewing your 00:24:20.779 --> 00:24:24.019 mind. When you and I align our thoughts with 00:24:24.019 --> 00:24:27.339 God's truth, he does the transformation. Let 00:24:27.339 --> 00:24:29.799 me encourage you. This week, pay attention to 00:24:29.799 --> 00:24:32.019 your thought patterns because those thoughts 00:24:32.019 --> 00:24:35.059 are shaping your emotions, your decisions, and 00:24:35.059 --> 00:24:38.039 ultimately your life. Choose what thoughts you 00:24:38.039 --> 00:24:40.960 hold on to and what thoughts you want to fold. 00:24:41.500 --> 00:24:44.559 I'm Dave Drury. Join us tomorrow as Kyle Eidelman 00:24:44.559 --> 00:24:47.019 shows us what it looks like to stop letting the 00:24:47.019 --> 00:24:49.779 world write the script for how you think. That's 00:24:49.779 --> 00:24:55.839 next time on Living on the Edge. Today's program 00:24:55.839 --> 00:24:58.619 is produced and sponsored by Living on the Edge.