WEBVTT 00:00:11.369 --> 00:00:14.330 Today, from guest teacher Kyle Eidelman. The 00:00:14.330 --> 00:00:17.649 law of cognition. The law of cognition basically 00:00:17.649 --> 00:00:21.410 says that your life is shaped by your thoughts. 00:00:21.789 --> 00:00:26.269 Our brains are constantly, constantly being molded 00:00:26.269 --> 00:00:29.710 by what we experience and what we're exposed 00:00:29.710 --> 00:00:34.509 to. Proverbs chapter 4, verse 23 says, be careful 00:00:34.509 --> 00:00:37.530 how you think, and here's why. Your life is shaped 00:00:37.530 --> 00:00:41.590 by your thoughts. You're listening to Living 00:00:41.590 --> 00:00:44.509 on the Edge with Chip Ingram. Today we're continuing 00:00:44.509 --> 00:00:47.609 a message titled Mind Mold with guest teacher 00:00:47.609 --> 00:00:50.950 Kyle Eidelman. Here's a question. When was the 00:00:50.950 --> 00:00:53.770 last time you sat in silence with no screen, 00:00:53.950 --> 00:00:57.590 no scroll, no noise? In a world of constant distraction, 00:00:57.950 --> 00:01:01.390 real transformation requires space. And today 00:01:01.390 --> 00:01:03.590 you'll see that God is waiting patiently for 00:01:03.590 --> 00:01:06.069 you to find it and ready to help you discover 00:01:06.069 --> 00:01:09.209 it. Now here's Chip Ingram to introduce today's 00:01:09.209 --> 00:01:11.390 guest teacher. You know, I've taught the Bible 00:01:11.390 --> 00:01:14.329 for a number of years, and over and over I've 00:01:14.329 --> 00:01:16.909 tried to help people, beginning with me. Life 00:01:16.909 --> 00:01:19.290 change doesn't happen simply by trying harder. 00:01:19.750 --> 00:01:22.290 The key, according to Romans chapter 12, too, 00:01:22.469 --> 00:01:25.909 is renewing our mind. And I have a special guest. 00:01:26.049 --> 00:01:28.090 His name is Kyle Ottoman, pastor of Southeast 00:01:28.090 --> 00:01:30.930 Christian Church. He's written a book, but he 00:01:30.930 --> 00:01:32.750 has a series that he's going to share with us 00:01:32.750 --> 00:01:36.150 called Every... Thought Captive. It comes out 00:01:36.150 --> 00:01:39.530 of 2 Corinthians 10, verse 5, where we're commanded 00:01:39.530 --> 00:01:42.489 to take every thought captive. You're going to 00:01:42.489 --> 00:01:44.870 learn the power of thoughts, not only from Scripture, 00:01:44.989 --> 00:01:48.269 but Kyle uses some great information from neuroscience. 00:01:48.810 --> 00:01:51.629 I am privileged today to introduce my friend, 00:01:51.769 --> 00:01:53.569 and then I'll be back at the end of the program 00:01:53.569 --> 00:01:55.969 to share a few final thoughts. Now, here's our 00:01:55.969 --> 00:01:58.230 guest teacher, Kyle Eidelman, with a message 00:01:58.230 --> 00:02:01.519 titled Mind Mold. I want us to spend a few minutes 00:02:01.519 --> 00:02:03.980 just unpacking this connection, this biblical 00:02:03.980 --> 00:02:07.060 truth of our life being shaped by our thoughts. 00:02:08.400 --> 00:02:10.639 First, let's recognize that our thoughts establish 00:02:10.639 --> 00:02:12.780 our emotions. Now, that doesn't mean our thoughts 00:02:12.780 --> 00:02:14.860 are exclusively responsible for our feelings. 00:02:14.960 --> 00:02:16.599 There are a lot of factors that could be at play. 00:02:17.699 --> 00:02:22.620 But more than we recognize, our thoughts establish 00:02:22.620 --> 00:02:24.800 our emotions. We tend to talk about our emotions 00:02:24.800 --> 00:02:27.520 as feelings that we don't have any control over. 00:02:27.560 --> 00:02:31.199 I can't help the way I feel. or we look at circumstances, 00:02:31.520 --> 00:02:34.060 situations, we look at people and we say, well, 00:02:34.080 --> 00:02:37.099 if this circumstance changed, if this person 00:02:37.099 --> 00:02:40.379 didn't do what they did, then I'd feel differently 00:02:40.379 --> 00:02:44.500 than I do right now. But what we find is that 00:02:44.500 --> 00:02:46.759 there's this intricate relationship between how 00:02:46.759 --> 00:02:49.780 we think about things happening and the feelings 00:02:49.780 --> 00:02:53.120 we have about those things. So our thoughts establish 00:02:53.120 --> 00:02:54.939 our emotions. Secondly, our thoughts direct our 00:02:54.939 --> 00:02:58.900 decisions. Turns out that just like our emotions, 00:02:58.960 --> 00:03:01.039 our decisions are largely determined by what 00:03:01.039 --> 00:03:04.199 happens in our prefrontal cortex, which is sometimes 00:03:04.199 --> 00:03:06.560 called the executive center because it's where 00:03:06.560 --> 00:03:10.199 decisions get made. Our thoughts being molded 00:03:10.199 --> 00:03:12.139 by the patterns of this world are constantly 00:03:12.139 --> 00:03:15.000 assigning, subconsciously assigning benefits 00:03:15.000 --> 00:03:18.479 and consequences to different actions. And whether 00:03:18.479 --> 00:03:20.819 or not you value like the immediate pleasure 00:03:20.819 --> 00:03:23.759 and satisfaction or whether you're consciously 00:03:23.759 --> 00:03:26.740 thinking about something that will come in the 00:03:26.740 --> 00:03:29.180 future because of a decision you make. But we 00:03:29.180 --> 00:03:32.259 all have these neural pathways that much more 00:03:32.259 --> 00:03:35.419 so than we realize are making certain decisions 00:03:35.419 --> 00:03:39.400 for us or taking us in the direction that we're 00:03:39.400 --> 00:03:42.280 going. Thirdly, our thoughts regulate our relationships. 00:03:43.719 --> 00:03:47.039 There's a term for how our minds interpret what 00:03:47.039 --> 00:03:50.060 other people say and do. It's called cognitive 00:03:50.060 --> 00:03:53.759 interpretation. That if you come and you say 00:03:53.759 --> 00:03:56.300 something to me, No matter what you meant by 00:03:56.300 --> 00:03:58.259 what you said, no matter what tone you think 00:03:58.259 --> 00:04:01.639 you had, how I think about what you said is gonna 00:04:01.639 --> 00:04:05.099 determine our relationship. And we all have like 00:04:05.099 --> 00:04:08.419 this constantly happening in our minds where 00:04:08.419 --> 00:04:10.979 our cognitive interpretation might be constantly 00:04:10.979 --> 00:04:14.020 negative, in which case we're gonna react in 00:04:14.020 --> 00:04:16.439 a way that's defensive or sensitive or antagonistic, 00:04:16.459 --> 00:04:19.800 or we might pull away and withdraw. But our thoughts 00:04:19.800 --> 00:04:22.519 are constantly filtering what other people say 00:04:22.519 --> 00:04:25.509 and do. A few years ago, I was having some challenges 00:04:25.509 --> 00:04:29.430 with some relationships in my life. And I was 00:04:29.430 --> 00:04:32.470 talking to a friend about it. And he just really 00:04:32.470 --> 00:04:36.449 challenged my thinking specifically. And he explained 00:04:36.449 --> 00:04:40.189 to me that this concept of filling in the gaps. 00:04:40.370 --> 00:04:43.610 And he basically said, look, any interaction 00:04:43.610 --> 00:04:46.649 you have with someone, your mind is going to 00:04:46.649 --> 00:04:49.180 fill in some gaps. Things that you don't really 00:04:49.180 --> 00:04:51.800 know, but your thoughts will interpret what they 00:04:51.800 --> 00:04:54.660 say and do and how your thoughts interpret that, 00:04:54.680 --> 00:04:56.339 it's filling in the gap. So let's say somebody 00:04:56.339 --> 00:04:59.120 says something, you're offended by it, but let's 00:04:59.120 --> 00:05:01.639 say there's a context gap. Like you don't know 00:05:01.639 --> 00:05:03.379 what led up to that. You don't know what they 00:05:03.379 --> 00:05:04.959 might've heard. You don't know what's happened 00:05:04.959 --> 00:05:08.959 during their day. You don't know a lot. And so 00:05:08.959 --> 00:05:11.920 how you fill in that context gap is gonna determine 00:05:11.920 --> 00:05:15.040 how that relationship goes. Or maybe there's 00:05:15.040 --> 00:05:17.600 an information gap. Like what you're hearing, 00:05:18.440 --> 00:05:22.579 is missing some important pieces. And how you 00:05:22.579 --> 00:05:24.759 fill in that information gap is gonna have a 00:05:24.759 --> 00:05:28.699 lot to do with the direction of that relationship. 00:05:28.899 --> 00:05:31.660 So our thoughts are constantly filling in gaps. 00:05:32.540 --> 00:05:35.120 Do we presume the worst or do we assume the best? 00:05:35.339 --> 00:05:37.560 Do we give a cynical explanation or a generous 00:05:37.560 --> 00:05:40.339 explanation? If I pull in the driveway and I 00:05:40.339 --> 00:05:43.759 see my wife has ordered something else off Amazon 00:05:43.759 --> 00:05:46.579 that's been delivered to the house, I see a box. 00:05:48.619 --> 00:05:51.360 my thoughts fill in the gap. I can think to myself, 00:05:51.480 --> 00:05:54.639 what could possibly be in that box that we need? 00:05:55.060 --> 00:05:56.819 Like there've already been a few deliveries this 00:05:56.819 --> 00:05:59.459 week. Doesn't she care about how we're spending 00:05:59.459 --> 00:06:01.660 money? Like I could think those thoughts. I don't 00:06:01.660 --> 00:06:03.459 know what's in the box, but my mind could fill 00:06:03.459 --> 00:06:06.560 in the gaps. Or I can think something different. 00:06:06.620 --> 00:06:09.360 I can say, well, you know, I never have to wonder 00:06:09.360 --> 00:06:10.959 if we're gonna have what we need around the house. 00:06:11.000 --> 00:06:13.620 My wife is much more intentional and thoughtful. 00:06:14.120 --> 00:06:15.879 than me when it comes to spending money. She 00:06:15.879 --> 00:06:18.420 takes care of so many things that I probably 00:06:18.420 --> 00:06:20.360 don't even recognize and I certainly don't always 00:06:20.360 --> 00:06:24.420 appreciate. And depending on where my thoughts 00:06:24.420 --> 00:06:26.980 go, depending on how I interpret that moment, 00:06:27.180 --> 00:06:29.959 depending on how I fill that gap will determine, 00:06:30.279 --> 00:06:32.720 will regulate my relationship. It'll determine 00:06:32.720 --> 00:06:34.819 the course of our connection for the rest of 00:06:34.819 --> 00:06:37.000 the evening. So let me just give you some questions 00:06:37.000 --> 00:06:39.180 to think about as you process this connection 00:06:39.180 --> 00:06:40.879 between your thoughts and your relationships. 00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:44.819 When I make assumptions about someone's intentions, 00:06:45.040 --> 00:06:47.540 do I assume the best or the worst? Just pay attention 00:06:47.540 --> 00:06:49.240 to that as you think about your thoughts this 00:06:49.240 --> 00:06:51.560 week. Do you assume the best or do you assume 00:06:51.560 --> 00:06:53.680 the worst? Secondly, when I think about my past 00:06:53.680 --> 00:06:57.240 with this person, what do I remember? What do 00:06:57.240 --> 00:07:00.879 I remember? When I look back on our relationship, 00:07:01.139 --> 00:07:05.120 does my mind think about the things that went 00:07:05.120 --> 00:07:07.279 wrong or the way they made mistakes or different 00:07:07.279 --> 00:07:10.360 failures or negative things? Or do I look back 00:07:10.360 --> 00:07:13.189 and, Think about things that are positive and 00:07:13.189 --> 00:07:17.170 affirming and praiseworthy. Question number three, 00:07:17.189 --> 00:07:19.329 what narrative do I tell myself about this person 00:07:19.329 --> 00:07:21.649 when I have to fill in the gaps? What's the story 00:07:21.649 --> 00:07:25.370 that I tend to tell about this person when I'm 00:07:25.370 --> 00:07:28.750 not sure exactly the context of something? How 00:07:28.750 --> 00:07:32.329 do I fill in the gaps with that story? Number 00:07:32.329 --> 00:07:35.310 four, our thoughts determine our spiritual growth. 00:07:36.490 --> 00:07:38.269 Colossians chapter three, verse two, set your 00:07:38.269 --> 00:07:41.329 mind on things above. Think about things that 00:07:41.329 --> 00:07:45.230 are eternal, not on earthly things. When we think 00:07:45.230 --> 00:07:49.790 eternal thoughts, it doesn't just shape our emotions 00:07:49.790 --> 00:07:52.189 and our decisions and our relationships, it shapes 00:07:52.189 --> 00:07:55.069 our soul. Like if I'll think about intentionally 00:07:55.069 --> 00:07:57.829 God's goodness and his promises and his character, 00:07:58.110 --> 00:08:01.790 my faith will grow. If I meditate on scripture 00:08:01.790 --> 00:08:05.930 as Psalm chapter one talks about, David says 00:08:05.930 --> 00:08:09.300 in Psalm chapter one, that we are to meditate 00:08:09.300 --> 00:08:12.519 on God and on his word. That word meditate, it's 00:08:12.519 --> 00:08:14.920 this idea of thinking about something so focused 00:08:14.920 --> 00:08:16.620 that it looks like we're talking to ourselves. 00:08:17.360 --> 00:08:22.699 If I'm doing that, it starts to bear fruit. If 00:08:22.699 --> 00:08:26.759 I am watering my thoughts with God's word, then 00:08:26.759 --> 00:08:30.259 it shapes my soul. But if I'm watering my thoughts 00:08:30.259 --> 00:08:33.940 with anxiety, then anxious things grow. If I'm 00:08:33.940 --> 00:08:37.750 watering thoughts of discontentment, then discontentment 00:08:37.750 --> 00:08:41.110 flourishes. So our thoughts, we'll talk more 00:08:41.110 --> 00:08:42.570 about this next week, determine our spiritual 00:08:42.570 --> 00:08:44.990 growth. Let's jump back into Romans 12. Look 00:08:44.990 --> 00:08:47.309 at verse two again. Don't be conformed to the 00:08:47.309 --> 00:08:50.429 patterns of this world, but be transformed by 00:08:50.429 --> 00:08:52.009 the renewing of your mind. This word transformed 00:08:52.009 --> 00:08:54.570 is the Greek word metamorpho. It's where we get 00:08:54.570 --> 00:08:57.269 our word metamorphosis, butterfly, caterpillar 00:08:57.269 --> 00:08:59.250 into a butterfly. Something crawling around in 00:08:59.250 --> 00:09:01.570 the mud is something soaring beautifully through 00:09:01.570 --> 00:09:04.169 the sky. Like this is the transformation that 00:09:04.169 --> 00:09:07.639 takes place. when we take our thoughts captive. 00:09:08.179 --> 00:09:12.720 What's interesting about this verb, be transformed, 00:09:12.940 --> 00:09:15.399 is it's in the passive imperative voice, which 00:09:15.399 --> 00:09:18.179 is kind of weird because it's passive imperative. 00:09:18.340 --> 00:09:21.980 The reason that's unusual is it's passive, meaning 00:09:21.980 --> 00:09:25.000 that it's something that's done to us. We don't 00:09:25.000 --> 00:09:28.279 transform ourselves. God transforms us, but it's 00:09:28.279 --> 00:09:30.299 also imperative. Like you have to do this. And 00:09:30.299 --> 00:09:33.779 it's just kind of weird to say, you have to do 00:09:33.779 --> 00:09:37.210 something that you can't, do. But this is the 00:09:37.210 --> 00:09:39.309 partnership that we have with the Holy Spirit, 00:09:39.389 --> 00:09:42.929 that we align our thoughts with God and with 00:09:42.929 --> 00:09:46.129 his word. And when we do, we experience his transforming 00:09:46.129 --> 00:09:49.330 work. It's also one of the reasons I love the 00:09:49.330 --> 00:09:52.929 language here is it takes this whole series and 00:09:52.929 --> 00:09:55.809 this whole conversation away from our self -help 00:09:55.809 --> 00:10:00.620 manifestation, self -improvement. mold and instead 00:10:00.620 --> 00:10:04.100 it says hey we're transformed supernaturally 00:10:04.100 --> 00:10:07.220 that's God's power that transforms us and so 00:10:07.220 --> 00:10:08.620 we're going to begin this journey over the next 00:10:08.620 --> 00:10:11.440 six weeks of taking our thoughts captive experiencing 00:10:11.440 --> 00:10:15.059 transformation that can come only from God and 00:10:15.059 --> 00:10:17.539 the way I want to challenge you as we start this 00:10:17.539 --> 00:10:20.740 series is to break the pattern of distraction 00:10:21.870 --> 00:10:24.450 If there's one mold of this world that I think 00:10:24.450 --> 00:10:26.570 keeps us from experiencing the transformation 00:10:26.570 --> 00:10:30.169 God wants in our lives, it's our constant distraction. 00:10:30.509 --> 00:10:34.149 We are constantly distracted, more so than ever. 00:10:34.429 --> 00:10:37.889 It would be fun, maybe not fun, it'd probably 00:10:37.889 --> 00:10:40.570 be discouraging to me, to just pay attention 00:10:40.570 --> 00:10:43.250 or know exactly what some of you are being distracted 00:10:43.250 --> 00:10:46.669 by right now. Like right now. Like right now, 00:10:46.669 --> 00:10:48.269 some of you are really distracted by something. 00:10:50.509 --> 00:10:52.149 I don't know what it is. Maybe you're hungry. 00:10:52.610 --> 00:10:54.950 Maybe you're watching your clock and you think, 00:10:54.970 --> 00:10:58.629 is he about done? Maybe it's the white tennis 00:10:58.629 --> 00:11:00.850 shoes. And you're like, you never trust a man 00:11:00.850 --> 00:11:02.450 with tennis shoes that white. You can't trust 00:11:02.450 --> 00:11:04.330 somebody. Like, I don't know what it is. I just 00:11:04.330 --> 00:11:07.809 know that our minds are constantly distracted. 00:11:08.169 --> 00:11:12.009 Like we have so much vying for our attention. 00:11:12.269 --> 00:11:15.610 There's 6 ,000 movies and TV shows on Netflix. 00:11:15.970 --> 00:11:18.590 That's one of 200 streaming services available. 00:11:19.419 --> 00:11:22.379 There's 5 million video games waiting to be conquered. 00:11:22.519 --> 00:11:25.139 There's 9 million apps you can download. The 00:11:25.139 --> 00:11:27.720 average person spends like six hours and 58 minutes 00:11:27.720 --> 00:11:30.740 on the screens every day. Some of you are like, 00:11:30.779 --> 00:11:33.240 there's no way. Check your screen time. And then 00:11:33.240 --> 00:11:35.220 take into consideration when you're tripling 00:11:35.220 --> 00:11:37.480 up, when you're watching TV, shopping on an iPad, 00:11:37.559 --> 00:11:39.500 and checking your text messages at the same time. 00:11:39.580 --> 00:11:41.440 You think it's 10 minutes. That's 30 minutes 00:11:41.440 --> 00:11:44.940 of time on the screen. It's constant, constant 00:11:44.940 --> 00:11:48.899 distraction. And so for us to experience this 00:11:48.899 --> 00:11:51.100 transformation in our lives, we've got to have 00:11:51.100 --> 00:11:54.100 more space, more margin to think about our thoughts. 00:11:54.820 --> 00:11:58.000 We have to have more space to listen to what 00:11:58.000 --> 00:12:00.940 the Holy Spirit is saying to us. And God often 00:12:00.940 --> 00:12:06.240 speaks in whispers. And we have so much that 00:12:06.240 --> 00:12:10.409 distracts us. You're listening to Living on the 00:12:10.409 --> 00:12:12.909 Edge with guest teacher Kyle Eidelman. There's 00:12:12.909 --> 00:12:15.950 more just ahead, so stay with us. Today we continue 00:12:15.950 --> 00:12:18.269 our journey through a fundamental series called 00:12:18.269 --> 00:12:21.110 God's Dream for Your Life. And if you've missed 00:12:21.110 --> 00:12:23.490 any part of this study or want to find more Bible 00:12:23.490 --> 00:12:27.309 lessons, just go online to livingontheedge .org. 00:12:27.549 --> 00:12:30.149 There you'll discover a wide array of teaching 00:12:30.149 --> 00:12:33.710 content, downloadable materials, and daily discipleship 00:12:33.710 --> 00:12:36.870 with Chip Ingram. Find it all at livingontheedge 00:12:36.870 --> 00:12:39.860 .org. Well, now let's get back to our lesson 00:12:39.860 --> 00:12:42.799 with guest teacher Kyle Eidelman. It's Luke chapter 00:12:42.799 --> 00:12:45.460 10 when Mary and Martha have Jesus visit their 00:12:45.460 --> 00:12:47.700 home. And the Bible says Martha was distracted 00:12:47.700 --> 00:12:50.720 by many good things. I mean, she's serving, it's 00:12:50.720 --> 00:12:52.799 hospitality, she's preparing food for Jesus. 00:12:54.000 --> 00:12:57.940 And Jesus says, Martha, you're worried and upset 00:12:57.940 --> 00:12:59.600 about many things. You're distracted by many 00:12:59.600 --> 00:13:03.360 things. But few things are needed. Indeed, only 00:13:03.360 --> 00:13:06.730 one. And Mary has chosen what is better. And 00:13:06.730 --> 00:13:09.070 so my prayer for us as a church is that we would 00:13:09.070 --> 00:13:11.049 break this pattern of distraction so we could 00:13:11.049 --> 00:13:13.690 connect more deeply with Jesus. We could experience 00:13:13.690 --> 00:13:15.629 this transformation that we read about in Romans 00:13:15.629 --> 00:13:18.590 12. I wanna take just three minutes and I wanna 00:13:18.590 --> 00:13:20.809 show you a parable that I wrote. And the reason 00:13:20.809 --> 00:13:22.649 I wanna show you this parable is that when I'm 00:13:22.649 --> 00:13:25.590 up here just preaching or teaching, if you're 00:13:25.590 --> 00:13:27.950 like me, when I'm sitting and listening to someone, 00:13:28.009 --> 00:13:32.279 I'm in a lane of... I'm in the information lane 00:13:32.279 --> 00:13:35.840 where I'm trying to consume some content, not 00:13:35.840 --> 00:13:39.539 necessarily a thoughtful processing. I think 00:13:39.539 --> 00:13:41.559 one of the reasons Jesus told parables is that 00:13:41.559 --> 00:13:44.919 the stories invited a different kind of thinking 00:13:44.919 --> 00:13:48.299 than just receiving information. So I want to 00:13:48.299 --> 00:13:50.259 show you this parable, and then I have a challenge 00:13:50.259 --> 00:13:53.899 for you before we're dismissed. there was once 00:13:53.899 --> 00:13:56.480 a loving father who took his young daughter to 00:13:56.480 --> 00:13:59.100 a spectacular circus unlike other fathers he 00:13:59.100 --> 00:14:00.940 didn't have to save for the tickets he actually 00:14:00.940 --> 00:14:03.740 owned the circus in fact he had created everything 00:14:03.740 --> 00:14:06.159 inside of it over the years it had become much 00:14:06.159 --> 00:14:08.539 different than he had originally designed but 00:14:08.539 --> 00:14:10.620 he was sure she would have a wonderful time and 00:14:10.620 --> 00:14:12.539 couldn't wait to share the experience with her 00:14:13.230 --> 00:14:15.470 As they approached the massive tent together, 00:14:15.610 --> 00:14:19.090 neon lights flashed in hypnotic patterns. Music 00:14:19.090 --> 00:14:22.250 pulsed from a dozen different directions. Screens 00:14:22.250 --> 00:14:25.250 of all sizes displayed an endless stream of attractions. 00:14:25.730 --> 00:14:29.110 Don't miss this. Limited time only. Once in a 00:14:29.110 --> 00:14:32.269 lifetime experience, they promised. Stay close 00:14:32.269 --> 00:14:35.070 to me, the father said gently as he held tightly 00:14:35.070 --> 00:14:37.970 to her hand. But his daughter's eyes were already 00:14:37.970 --> 00:14:40.370 darting everywhere, consumed by the dazzling 00:14:40.370 --> 00:14:43.230 displays. Can I go look at that? She asked, pointing 00:14:43.230 --> 00:14:45.850 to the social media spectacular where performers 00:14:45.850 --> 00:14:48.529 were taking selfies with the visitors. Before 00:14:48.529 --> 00:14:50.269 waiting for an answer, she was already drifting 00:14:50.269 --> 00:14:52.570 toward it. The father watched as his daughter 00:14:52.570 --> 00:14:55.470 raced from attraction to attraction, barely noticing 00:14:55.470 --> 00:14:58.590 he was no longer beside her. She dove into the 00:14:58.590 --> 00:15:00.929 streaming circus where countless shows played 00:15:00.929 --> 00:15:04.110 simultaneously on countless screens. She got 00:15:04.110 --> 00:15:07.120 onto the infinite scroll. carousel, and she was 00:15:07.120 --> 00:15:10.559 spun round and round. Her phone buzzed constantly 00:15:10.559 --> 00:15:12.940 with alerts about new acts starting somewhere 00:15:12.940 --> 00:15:15.259 in the park. Each notification pulled her in 00:15:15.259 --> 00:15:17.539 a new direction, always promising something better, 00:15:17.559 --> 00:15:20.340 something more exciting from the last. In the 00:15:20.340 --> 00:15:23.539 FOMO Funhouse, mirrors showed her all the other 00:15:23.539 --> 00:15:26.539 shows that she was missing. She joined the frantic 00:15:26.539 --> 00:15:29.139 crowds at the instant gratification games, competing 00:15:29.139 --> 00:15:32.679 desperately for likes and views. The father remained 00:15:32.679 --> 00:15:36.159 present, watching, waiting. Sometimes she'd catch 00:15:36.159 --> 00:15:38.100 a glimpse of him in the distance, still standing 00:15:38.100 --> 00:15:40.639 where she'd left him. But there was always another 00:15:40.639 --> 00:15:42.779 attraction calling her name, another notification 00:15:42.779 --> 00:15:46.179 demanding her attention. But as time passed, 00:15:46.299 --> 00:15:48.600 a strange emptiness began to grow inside her. 00:15:48.759 --> 00:15:51.059 Despite experiencing everything the circus had 00:15:51.059 --> 00:15:54.139 to offer, nothing seemed to satisfy. The likes 00:15:54.139 --> 00:15:56.559 and the views felt hollow. The endless streams 00:15:56.559 --> 00:15:59.340 of content left her feeling somehow less content. 00:15:59.639 --> 00:16:02.320 The constant rush for the next experience left 00:16:02.320 --> 00:16:06.149 her feeling exhausted and... alone one quiet 00:16:06.149 --> 00:16:08.950 moment between the flash and noise of attractions 00:16:08.950 --> 00:16:12.789 she heard a small voice inside her asking remember 00:16:12.789 --> 00:16:15.370 when you used to just sit with your father in 00:16:15.370 --> 00:16:18.610 the backyard she stopped moving for the first 00:16:18.610 --> 00:16:21.090 time in what felt like forever looking around 00:16:21.090 --> 00:16:23.429 at the frantic crowd she suddenly realized what 00:16:23.429 --> 00:16:26.169 she'd been missing all along She turned and walked 00:16:26.169 --> 00:16:28.529 back through the circus, past all the flashing 00:16:28.529 --> 00:16:31.289 lights and screaming at screens, until she found 00:16:31.289 --> 00:16:33.870 him. Her father was sitting on a simple bench. 00:16:34.149 --> 00:16:36.870 It seemed out of place amongst all the chaos 00:16:36.870 --> 00:16:39.789 of the circus. Most people rushed past it, too 00:16:39.789 --> 00:16:42.250 busy with their phones to notice, but he was 00:16:42.250 --> 00:16:44.889 there, just as he'd always been, waiting patiently 00:16:44.889 --> 00:16:48.830 with a gentle smile. I'm sorry. She whispered, 00:16:48.830 --> 00:16:50.909 sitting beside him, I got so caught up in everything 00:16:50.909 --> 00:16:54.570 else, I just, I just forgot. He gently put his 00:16:54.570 --> 00:16:56.950 arm around her, pulling her close to his side. 00:16:57.149 --> 00:16:59.230 For the first time since entering the circus, 00:16:59.470 --> 00:17:02.940 she felt truly at peace. Around them, the frenzy 00:17:02.940 --> 00:17:06.059 continued, lights flashing, music blaring, crowds 00:17:06.059 --> 00:17:09.700 rushing from one show to the next. But she had 00:17:09.700 --> 00:17:13.339 found something better. Later, as they walked 00:17:13.339 --> 00:17:15.720 together under the stars, she asked her father 00:17:15.720 --> 00:17:19.079 why he had let her get so lost in all the distractions. 00:17:20.319 --> 00:17:23.500 Sometimes, he explained, you have to lose yourself 00:17:23.500 --> 00:17:26.200 in everything else before you can find what truly 00:17:26.200 --> 00:17:37.549 matters. I believe that's where some of you are 00:17:37.549 --> 00:17:39.829 right now. I think that was the prodigal son 00:17:39.829 --> 00:17:42.269 story. I think that's the woman at the well story. 00:17:42.750 --> 00:17:45.650 I think that's the Acts 9 story. It's losing 00:17:45.650 --> 00:17:49.230 yourself in something that might be good, might 00:17:49.230 --> 00:17:52.990 be bad, but it's not what's best. And before 00:17:52.990 --> 00:17:55.670 long, you look up and you have scrolled away 00:17:55.670 --> 00:18:00.289 weeks, months, years of your life. But just know 00:18:00.289 --> 00:18:03.309 that your heavenly father is waiting for you. 00:18:04.109 --> 00:18:07.009 And so we want to just, over these next six weeks, 00:18:07.069 --> 00:18:09.690 make space for that. I'm going to give you some 00:18:09.690 --> 00:18:11.630 challenges, and I'd like to encourage you to 00:18:11.630 --> 00:18:16.349 pick two of these for the next six weeks. Don't 00:18:16.349 --> 00:18:18.750 think of this as punishment. Think of this as 00:18:18.750 --> 00:18:21.569 partnership with the Holy Spirit in your transformation. 00:18:23.470 --> 00:18:25.230 A way to break this pattern of distraction would 00:18:25.230 --> 00:18:28.410 be a social media Sabbath. You delete apps, even 00:18:28.410 --> 00:18:30.730 if it's just for one week, and you replace that 00:18:30.730 --> 00:18:34.650 with time in scripture, time in prayer. And a 00:18:34.650 --> 00:18:37.089 second option would be news detox, where you 00:18:37.089 --> 00:18:41.150 limit your news to 15 minutes a day. You spend 00:18:41.150 --> 00:18:43.250 extra time meditating on God's word. 15 minutes 00:18:43.250 --> 00:18:46.369 a day, that includes like pundits talking about 00:18:46.369 --> 00:18:48.269 what's happening in the world or podcasts that 00:18:48.269 --> 00:18:53.150 are focused on current cultural dynamics. Third 00:18:53.150 --> 00:18:56.230 is an entertainment fast where you trade your 00:18:56.230 --> 00:18:59.869 streaming time for maybe some reading or some 00:18:59.869 --> 00:19:05.650 worship time or conversation with others. Another 00:19:05.650 --> 00:19:08.450 option would be phone -free mornings where the 00:19:08.450 --> 00:19:10.650 first hour of each day belongs to God, not your 00:19:10.650 --> 00:19:14.250 device. Each day, you say the first hour that 00:19:14.250 --> 00:19:17.970 belongs to God. The next option is phone -free 00:19:17.970 --> 00:19:22.150 bedrooms. I'll tell you why I'm smiling. Phone 00:19:22.150 --> 00:19:25.369 -free bedrooms. Each day, you're going to say 00:19:25.369 --> 00:19:26.890 for the next six weeks, you're not going to have 00:19:26.890 --> 00:19:28.769 a screen with you in your bedroom would be the 00:19:28.769 --> 00:19:31.710 one. And then lastly is notification silence 00:19:31.710 --> 00:19:33.029 where you're just going to turn off all your 00:19:33.029 --> 00:19:35.609 notifications that are non -essential. If you 00:19:35.609 --> 00:19:37.130 need help figuring out non -essential, ask some 00:19:37.130 --> 00:19:39.410 people in your life and they can help you recognize 00:19:39.410 --> 00:19:43.410 what's non -essential. The reason I'm smiling 00:19:43.410 --> 00:19:46.789 is because my wife hadn't heard my sermon until 00:19:46.789 --> 00:19:49.130 last hour, and then I got a text from her, and 00:19:49.130 --> 00:19:51.809 she's like, so which two are you choosing? And 00:19:51.809 --> 00:19:56.349 so I was processing that while I was going through 00:19:56.349 --> 00:19:59.369 the list with you, knowing that when I get home 00:19:59.369 --> 00:20:02.930 that I'm going to make sure to give her my two 00:20:02.930 --> 00:20:04.910 options as well. But can I just encourage you 00:20:04.910 --> 00:20:07.930 to break the pattern of this world? And you can 00:20:07.930 --> 00:20:10.990 choose something different if you want. but just 00:20:10.990 --> 00:20:14.569 intentionally pay attention to the mold and let's 00:20:14.569 --> 00:20:16.809 do some things to break free from it these next 00:20:16.809 --> 00:20:18.470 six weeks so we can take our thoughts captive, 00:20:18.650 --> 00:20:21.089 we can find freedom, we can experience the transformation 00:20:21.089 --> 00:20:24.289 that God promises us in Romans 12. Let me pray. 00:20:25.430 --> 00:20:29.029 God, thank you that you are a loving father who 00:20:29.029 --> 00:20:31.269 even in the busyness of this world and in our 00:20:31.269 --> 00:20:36.880 constant distracted state, you don't leave. and 00:20:36.880 --> 00:20:40.240 you wait for us patiently. And so I pray, God, 00:20:40.359 --> 00:20:43.259 that you would allow us the humility and the 00:20:43.259 --> 00:20:46.640 courage to recognize how some of our thinking 00:20:46.640 --> 00:20:50.440 is just really distracted these days, and that 00:20:50.440 --> 00:20:54.990 you would give us just the... intentionality 00:20:54.990 --> 00:20:57.549 to follow through on this, to break free from 00:20:57.549 --> 00:20:59.309 some of the patterns of this world, to not just 00:20:59.309 --> 00:21:01.349 say, we're just gonna do what we've always been 00:21:01.349 --> 00:21:03.150 doing. We're not gonna just follow on the path 00:21:03.150 --> 00:21:04.910 that everybody else seems to be on, but we're 00:21:04.910 --> 00:21:06.970 gonna do some things different. So would you 00:21:06.970 --> 00:21:09.069 help us do that as a church community these next 00:21:09.069 --> 00:21:11.950 six weeks, that we would learn to take every 00:21:11.950 --> 00:21:14.670 thought captive and submit them to you and find 00:21:14.670 --> 00:21:18.789 the life that you really have in mind for us. 00:21:18.890 --> 00:21:24.289 It's in Jesus' name we pray, amen. Kyle Eidelman 00:21:24.289 --> 00:21:26.690 has been our guest teacher today here on Living 00:21:26.690 --> 00:21:29.569 on the Edge with a message called Mind Bold. 00:21:30.150 --> 00:21:32.769 That parable of the father and his daughter at 00:21:32.769 --> 00:21:35.549 the circus, it's hard to shake, isn't it? Because 00:21:35.549 --> 00:21:38.089 most of us know exactly what it feels like to 00:21:38.089 --> 00:21:41.329 look up and realize we've drifted. The good news 00:21:41.329 --> 00:21:44.130 Kyle reminded us of today is what he said about 00:21:44.130 --> 00:21:46.470 that simple bench in the middle of all the chaos. 00:21:46.809 --> 00:21:49.869 The father is still there, waiting, patient, 00:21:50.089 --> 00:21:53.740 and he hasn't moved. For 30 years, Living on 00:21:53.740 --> 00:21:56.619 the Edge has existed for that very moment. The 00:21:56.619 --> 00:21:58.799 moment when a listener stops drifting and starts 00:21:58.799 --> 00:22:01.559 turning back. 30 years of biblical teaching. 00:22:01.930 --> 00:22:04.930 delivered daily into homes and cars and workplaces 00:22:04.930 --> 00:22:07.769 across America and around the world. None of 00:22:07.769 --> 00:22:10.289 it happens without the faithful generosity of 00:22:10.289 --> 00:22:13.069 friends who believe this mission matters. If 00:22:13.069 --> 00:22:15.390 Living on the Edge has ever been that voice that 00:22:15.390 --> 00:22:17.930 helped you find your way back, would you consider 00:22:17.930 --> 00:22:20.609 giving a gift today to help us do the same for 00:22:20.609 --> 00:22:23.450 someone else? Your support reaches people you'll 00:22:23.450 --> 00:22:25.990 never meet this side of heaven, and your prayers 00:22:25.990 --> 00:22:28.589 sustain this work in ways that go far beyond 00:22:28.589 --> 00:22:32.039 what any of us can measure. Pray for the listeners 00:22:32.039 --> 00:22:34.400 who are hearing Kyle's message right now and 00:22:34.400 --> 00:22:37.380 recognizing themselves in that story. Pray that 00:22:37.380 --> 00:22:39.900 God would use this broadcast to call the distracted 00:22:39.900 --> 00:22:43.920 home. To give to this ministry, visit livingontheedge 00:22:43.920 --> 00:22:48.700 .org or write to Living on the Edge, PO Box 3007, 00:22:48.839 --> 00:22:53.460 Atlanta, Georgia, 30024. You can also call us 00:22:53.460 --> 00:22:59.089 at 888 -333 -6003. Now here's Chip Ingram with 00:22:59.089 --> 00:23:01.849 some final thoughts for today's lesson. You know, 00:23:01.890 --> 00:23:04.369 Kyle's parable of the circus really captures 00:23:04.369 --> 00:23:07.230 where so many of us are right now. And you know, 00:23:07.250 --> 00:23:10.089 I see this constantly in my own life. You know, 00:23:10.130 --> 00:23:12.950 we're distracted, overwhelmed, scrolling away, 00:23:13.049 --> 00:23:15.930 precious time, while the Father is patiently 00:23:15.930 --> 00:23:19.569 waiting on us. And here's the tragedy. Our thoughts 00:23:19.569 --> 00:23:23.200 don't just impact us personally. They regulate 00:23:23.200 --> 00:23:26.220 our relationships. And spiritually, Colossians 00:23:26.220 --> 00:23:30.079 3 .2, listen to this, set your mind on the things 00:23:30.079 --> 00:23:33.339 that are above. You see, what we meditate on 00:23:33.339 --> 00:23:37.099 little by little is shaping not just your mind, 00:23:37.119 --> 00:23:40.920 it's shaping your soul. Kyle challenged us today 00:23:40.920 --> 00:23:44.019 to break the pattern of distraction. Pick two 00:23:44.019 --> 00:23:47.200 practices for the next couple weeks that you're 00:23:47.200 --> 00:23:49.200 going to address the thought patterns in your 00:23:49.200 --> 00:23:51.539 life. Maybe you're going to detox from the news. 00:23:51.740 --> 00:23:54.359 Maybe every morning, no phone until you read 00:23:54.359 --> 00:23:58.920 the Bible. Whatever helps you create space where 00:23:58.920 --> 00:24:02.880 you can start to hear the whisper from God. You're 00:24:02.880 --> 00:24:06.039 being molded and discipled every single day. 00:24:06.279 --> 00:24:11.460 The question and the real issue is by whom? Transformation 00:24:11.460 --> 00:24:13.740 isn't something that you can do on your own. 00:24:14.039 --> 00:24:17.400 It's the Spirit of God with the Word of God where 00:24:17.400 --> 00:24:20.700 you align your thoughts with His thoughts so 00:24:20.700 --> 00:24:24.160 He changes you from the inside out. Don't just 00:24:24.160 --> 00:24:26.400 consume the information that you're hearing from 00:24:26.400 --> 00:24:29.299 Kyle. I want to encourage you to meditate on 00:24:29.299 --> 00:24:33.039 it. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you. Make space. 00:24:33.420 --> 00:24:36.779 Take every thought captive. That's where real 00:24:36.779 --> 00:24:40.380 transformation begins. I'm Dave Drewy. Tomorrow, 00:24:40.579 --> 00:24:43.339 Kyle Eidelman takes on the mental strongholds 00:24:43.339 --> 00:24:45.980 that keep so many believers stuck and shows us 00:24:45.980 --> 00:24:48.619 from Scripture how they can finally come down. 00:24:48.900 --> 00:24:55.579 Join us next time for Living on the Edge. Today's 00:24:55.579 --> 00:24:58.140 program is produced and sponsored by Living on 00:24:58.140 --> 00:24:58.640 the Edge.