Commitment to Transformation: Focusing on Faith and Renewal

Summary

In today's gathering, we celebrated the addition of new members to our church family, welcoming Amy Ledford, Jamie Knowles, and her son Oliver. This moment of joy and community reminds us of the importance of our commitment to each other and to our faith. As we continue our series "Commit the Way to a Better Life," we reflect on the significance of making commitments rather than resolutions, focusing on real change in our lives to become the disciples God calls us to be.

Our journey today takes us to Romans 12, where we are urged to offer our bodies as living sacrifices and to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. This transformation requires us to focus on our mental and spiritual well-being. We explored the importance of maintaining focus, using examples of companies that lost their way when they strayed from their core purpose. Just as these companies needed to refocus, we too must keep our minds centered on our spiritual journey.

The brain, a vital part of our body, requires care and attention. It consumes a significant portion of our energy and resources, emphasizing the need for physical renewal through sleep, exercise, and mindful consumption. By taking care of our physical health, we support our mental clarity and focus, enabling us to commit to a better life in Christ.

Moreover, we must exercise our minds by planning, reflecting, and engaging in activities that challenge our thinking. This mental exercise helps us make thoughtful decisions and strengthens our ability to focus on our spiritual goals. Engaging in brain games and taking breaks throughout the day can refresh our minds and enhance our capacity to serve God and others.

Finally, spiritual renewal is essential. By setting our minds on things above, engaging in prayer, and immersing ourselves in Scripture, we align our thoughts with God's will. This spiritual focus allows us to take captive every thought, making it obedient to Christ. As we strive to be the Christians God desires, may we focus on our spiritual journey with the same intensity and dedication as we do in other areas of our lives.

Key Takeaways:

1. Commitment Over Resolutions: Instead of fleeting resolutions, we are called to make lasting commitments to real change, grounded in faith. This commitment involves a holistic approach to our spiritual, physical, and mental well-being, ensuring we align our lives with God's purpose. [34:42]

2. The Importance of Focus: Just as companies falter when they lose focus, we too must maintain our spiritual focus. By reflecting on our purpose and keeping our minds centered on God's will, we can avoid distractions and remain steadfast in our faith journey. [41:13]

3. Physical Renewal for Mental Clarity: Our brain, a sacred part of God's temple, requires care through sleep, exercise, and mindful consumption. By prioritizing our physical health, we enhance our mental clarity and ability to focus on our spiritual commitments. [43:56]

4. Exercising the Mind: Engaging in mental exercises, such as planning and brain games, strengthens our ability to think and reflect. This practice helps us make thoughtful decisions and supports our journey toward becoming better disciples of Christ. [49:42]

5. Spiritual Renewal Through Prayer and Scripture: Setting our minds on things above and immersing ourselves in prayer and Scripture aligns our thoughts with God's will. This spiritual focus enables us to take captive every thought, making it obedient to Christ and enhancing our spiritual growth. [55:32]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [29:33] - Introduction of New Members
- [30:34] - Commitment to Faith
- [31:39] - Prayer for New Members
- [34:42] - Series Introduction: Commit the Way to a Better Life
- [36:04] - Worship and Reflection
- [37:16] - Lessons from Companies Losing Focus
- [39:14] - Importance of Focus in Faith
- [41:13] - The Brain's Role in Focus
- [43:56] - Physical Renewal: Sleep and Exercise
- [49:42] - Exercising the Mind
- [52:28] - Fun and Mental Exercises
- [55:32] - Spiritual Renewal: Prayer and Scripture
- [57:30] - The Power of Prayer
- [01:01:24] - Conclusion and Call to Focus

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Romans 12:1-2
- 1 Corinthians 3:16-17
- Colossians 3:2

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Observation Questions:

1. What does Romans 12:1-2 urge believers to do with their bodies and minds? How does this relate to the concept of true worship? [34:42]

2. According to the sermon, why is it important to maintain focus in our spiritual journey, and what examples were given to illustrate the consequences of losing focus? [37:16]

3. How does the sermon describe the role of physical health in supporting mental clarity and spiritual focus? [43:56]

4. What are some activities mentioned in the sermon that can help exercise the mind and improve focus? [49:42]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How might the idea of offering our bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1) challenge common cultural attitudes towards physical health and self-care? [34:42]

2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that mental and spiritual renewal are interconnected? How can this understanding impact a believer's daily life? [55:32]

3. How does the concept of taking every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5) relate to the sermon’s emphasis on focus and commitment? What practical steps can be taken to achieve this? [55:32]

4. The sermon mentions the importance of setting our minds on things above (Colossians 3:2). How can this focus influence our decision-making and priorities? [55:32]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your current commitments. Are there areas where you have made resolutions instead of lasting commitments? How can you shift towards making commitments that align with your faith? [34:42]

2. Identify a specific area in your life where you struggle to maintain focus. What practical steps can you take this week to improve your focus in that area? [41:13]

3. Consider your physical health habits. What changes can you make to ensure your body, as God's temple, is well cared for? How might these changes enhance your mental clarity and spiritual focus? [43:56]

4. Think about your daily routine. How can you incorporate mental exercises or breaks to refresh your mind and improve your ability to focus on spiritual goals? [49:42]

5. Reflect on your prayer and Scripture reading habits. How can you deepen these practices to better align your thoughts with God's will? What specific changes can you make this week? [55:32]

6. Identify a thought or habit that you need to take captive and make obedient to Christ. What steps will you take to address this in your life? [55:32]

7. How can you set your mind on things above in your daily interactions and decisions? What specific actions can you take to prioritize spiritual growth over earthly distractions? [55:32]

Devotional

Day 1: Commitment as a Pathway to Transformation
In our spiritual journey, the concept of commitment transcends the fleeting nature of resolutions. It calls us to a deeper, more enduring change that aligns with our faith. This commitment is not just about making promises but involves a holistic approach to our spiritual, physical, and mental well-being. By dedicating ourselves to this path, we ensure that our lives are in harmony with God's purpose. This commitment requires us to be intentional in our actions, seeking real transformation that reflects our identity as disciples of Christ. [34:42]

"Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:13, ESV)

Reflection: What is one specific area in your life where you can make a lasting commitment to align more closely with God's purpose today?

Day 2: Maintaining Spiritual Focus
Just as companies can falter when they lose sight of their core mission, we too can become distracted from our spiritual journey. Maintaining focus on our faith requires us to continually reflect on our purpose and keep our minds centered on God's will. This focus helps us avoid the distractions that can lead us astray and ensures that we remain steadfast in our journey of faith. By prioritizing our spiritual focus, we can navigate the challenges of life with clarity and purpose. [41:13]

"Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." (Colossians 3:2, ESV)

Reflection: Identify a distraction in your life that often pulls you away from your spiritual focus. How can you minimize its impact today to stay centered on God's will?

Day 3: Physical Renewal for Spiritual Clarity
Our physical health plays a crucial role in supporting our mental clarity and spiritual focus. The brain, as a vital part of our body, requires care through adequate sleep, regular exercise, and mindful consumption. By prioritizing our physical well-being, we create a foundation that enhances our ability to focus on our spiritual commitments. This holistic approach to health allows us to serve God and others more effectively, as we are better equipped to engage with our faith journey. [43:56]

"Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16, ESV)

Reflection: What is one practical step you can take today to improve your physical health, thereby enhancing your mental clarity and spiritual focus?

Day 4: Exercising the Mind for Spiritual Growth
Engaging in mental exercises, such as planning and brain games, strengthens our ability to think critically and reflect deeply. This practice not only sharpens our minds but also supports our journey toward becoming better disciples of Christ. By challenging our thinking and making thoughtful decisions, we align our actions with our spiritual goals. This mental discipline is essential for maintaining focus and clarity in our faith journey, enabling us to serve God with greater intention and purpose. [49:42]

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." (Philippians 4:8, ESV)

Reflection: What is one mental exercise or activity you can incorporate into your daily routine to strengthen your ability to focus on your spiritual goals?

Day 5: Spiritual Renewal Through Prayer and Scripture
Spiritual renewal is a vital aspect of our faith journey, requiring us to set our minds on things above and immerse ourselves in prayer and Scripture. By aligning our thoughts with God's will, we can take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ. This spiritual focus not only enhances our growth but also empowers us to live out our faith with greater intensity and dedication. As we engage in prayer and Scripture, we draw closer to God and deepen our understanding of His purpose for our lives. [55:32]

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God." (Colossians 3:16, ESV)

Reflection: How can you create a dedicated time today to immerse yourself in prayer and Scripture, allowing for spiritual renewal and alignment with God's will?

Quotes

"Friends here at Asbury in this new year, we're going through a series entitled Commit the Way to a Better Life. And we want you to reflect, want you to think about in your life. We talked about how with resolutions that are made here in America every year. By this date, January 20th, 50 % of you that made resolutions, they're already gone. At the end of the month, 70 % of them will be gone. And only less than 9 % will actually fulfill some type of goal that they set at the beginning of the year. So we don't want to make resolutions." [00:33:41] (47 seconds)

"We want to make a commitment, a commitment to real change in our life to help be the disciples God wants us to be. We've talked about how faith is the foundation for any real change. We talked about the practical goals of taking care of God's temple physically and making sure that we're being all we can be for God physically. And with exercise and things like that. Today we turn our attention to the mind, to focus. If we're going to succeed, if we're going to commit to having a better life, we also have to be sure that we're reflecting, that we're thinking, that we're focusing." [00:34:55] (51 seconds)

"Today, as we consider committing for a better life, God wants us to think about the importance of reflecting, of thinking, of keeping our focus in our journey of life and faith. And as we do that, it's important that we consider the brain. The brain makes up 2 % of our body's weight. And yet, the brain consumes is 20 to 30 percent of the calories we ingest all right so think about that think about everything you eat you know that old phrase you are what you eat well uh your brain is truly you are what you eat right 20 to 30 percent of the calories you eat go to your brain 20 percent of your oxygen and blood flow in your whole body go to the brain and so the brain is important for us to consider as we think about the importance of focus and thinking because if we don't take care of our brain then it's going to affect our ability to think to focus and to be able to commit to a better life in jesus christ our lord and so today we're going to go back to that romans 12 that verse two and we're going to pick up with the phrase renewing of the mind god wants us to have a renewed sense of the mind and we could go many different ways with this but today we're specifically focused on thinking reflecting focus and the brain the first thing way that we can renew the mind is physically physically in first corinthians 3 16 and 17 andy mentioned it last week don't you know that you yourselves are god's temple look to your left and look to your right real quick we're all god's temple look at your feet look at your hands next time you look in the mirror you are god's temple and that god's spirit dwells in your midst if anyone destroys god's temple, God will destroy that person." [00:41:13] (139 seconds)

"Bad health, not taking care of ourselves can lead to disaster, for God's temple is sacred, and you together are that temple, right? God's temple is sacred. This body that God has given us, regardless of what you feel about it, it is sacred in God's eyes. It's a place that contains one of the greatest organs that God created, and that's the brain. That makes the brain sacred because it's a part of the temple. It's a part of the body, and so we need to consider taking care of the brain. So how do we do that? I'm going to go over four things. One is sleep. The brain needs rest. From the moment we get up, from the moment we get up, we need to take care of the brain. We need to take care of the brain. From the moment we may wake up in the middle of the night, from the moment we wake up when the alarm clock goes, the brain begins its work, and it works all day." [00:43:36] (58 seconds)

"Sometimes it's a direct line of thinking. Sometimes it's indirect, but the brain's continuously at work, and the brain, just like the human body, needs rest. The idea there is to strive for eight hours sleep. Now, I have a confession to make. It's been a long time since I've had a sleep. I've had a sleep for eight hours. I've had a long time since I could count eight hours of sleep. But what I strive is to get more than six, to strive for at least seven, to strive to get a little more than seven, because the more sleep you get, the more your body resets, and your brain is able to reset, too, and get ready for another busy day. Exercise. Oh, I want to say something about that sleep and taking care of of trying to get to sleep uh experts say that hey in the afternoon and evening no more coffee in the afternoon and evening uh no more chocolate some of you are saying well pastor quit inviting us to go to coffee right but uh it is that's true because that more caffeine can get in the way of us having good sleep uh and so we've got to be careful about what we're ingesting and how it affects our sleep uh exercise is another one uh experts would agree that hey try for at least 30 minutes of exercise you don't have to do hardcore uh you don't have to run a marathon uh you don't have to ride 30 miles like your neighbor on the bike uh you don't have to uh lift uh 300 pounds bench press uh you don't have to spend an hour and a half lifting but experts would agree you need to do 30 minutes of some type of activity right so at the very minimum 30 minutes of walking or trying if you have trouble walking stretching is a good exercise just stretching it gets the blood pumping uh gets the muscles moving uh but to try to do that for about 30 minutes exercise so important to take care of the body but also to take care of the brain neurologists that do so studies and you can look you can google things and and find different studies that say different things but they all say exercise helps the brain's function and activity and in fact they say uh the more that we grow wide here uh the smaller the brain gets okay uh and so exercise taking care of the body is so important right as we think about thinking and reflecting and focusing on who we are and who we're supposed to be uh consumption uh is another area for us to be careful of uh when you think about the food uh you go and you look up uh what affects the brain and a lot of fatty foods a lot of fried foods uh same thing for your body that you would to take care of your body and your heart uh fatty foods are bad sweets are bad those things lull the brain right they kind of lull the brain it's kind of the same thing for your body it's kind of the same thing for that comfort function that pleasure function in the brain and it kind of just puts the brain to sleep and so you have trouble processing and reflecting and thinking uh drinking uh depending on what we drink coffee i mentioned that tobacco alcohol when we consume those things remember 20 of oxygen and blood of the body goes to the brain and so as you put things into your body it is going to affect the brain and how we process and how we think and how we make good decisions and so so important to be careful about what we consume another thing is taking breaks uh this is something i don't think we we do well enough because we get uh driving we get working on a project and this thing we know we're in another project the phone rings and that leads to two more things and then we check email and that leads to four more things and we're in another project and then you get to the end of the day and you made a list of ten things and you only accomplished one, right?" [00:44:56] (0 seconds)

"Take breaks throughout the day. A break can just be take five minutes to walk around your place of work or to go outside and walk around the outside of the building or walk around the block. You know, you work here in the church, you can just walk across to this building and just pause for a moment, reset your brain, reflect what you've got to do in the next few minutes, the next couple hours at work, and it's kind of a reset. It's a refresher. Those types of things, as we do that, can help us give our all. And so renewing your mind physically is one of the ways we can help with the brain, we can help with thinking, reflecting, and making the decisions we need to make for real change as disciples of Jesus Christ." [00:49:42] (51 seconds)

"Another way that we renew the mind, is by exercising it. Proverbs chapter 4, verse 26 says, Now I want to pause there for a moment. Give careful thought, right? That doesn't mean just a fleeting thought. That means really think about it, reflect for a moment, focus on it. To the pass for your fee and be steadfast in all your ways. Again, planning is a key ingredient of exercising the mind. Thinking about waking up in the morning or thinking before you go to bed about what you've got to do the next day. Maybe making a physical list from the mental list, right? To think about what is in store for that day and that moment for the next moments, right?" [00:49:45] (53 seconds)

"Don't get too far ahead of yourself like the next few days or the next few weeks or the next few moments because that'll just cause you to worry and have anxiety. But think about what you can do in this day and to really reflect on that. Think it out. Think on maybe steps that you would take to achieve that. Part of that is to think about the decisions we make. We've all made good decisions, but we all have made bad decisions. And if we would stop more often to think, take a break, reflect, and think about what we can do in this day and that moment and reflect on what's next. When someone does something we don't like in our presence, if we stop for a moment and think before we react or we speak, we're going to be better off. And so the same thing for every day. May we work on exercising the brain to think and reflect." [00:50:11] (55 seconds)

"Finally, under this section of exercising, to take those moments in reflection and in focusing and in thinking. And as it relates to everything we're talking about, committing to a better life, I want you to do five things, really, to think about this. When you wake up and you're like, oh man, it's time to work out. I don't feel like working out. It's cold. It's wet outside, right? Right. I don't. Oh, it's cold and wet. I don't feel like going to church today. Oh, man. I read the Bible yesterday. I read five chapters of Job. I really don't want to read today." [00:52:43] (38 seconds)

"When those things happen, think in your mind about taking care of yourself. When you go to a restaurant and you see the smorgasbord on the menu and you know that fried chicken tastes good. Right. And you know that that those chocolate chip warm cookies with the ice cream and the chocolate syrup that tastes good. Right. You see the Krispy Kreme donut sign and it says hot now. Right. They taste good. But think about. the results of all of it. What I've learned to do and what someone told me, maybe I got it from Rick Warren years ago, was to think about five things. One, my health, right? My health. If I have good health, then I can function better. I can have more energy. I can do more in life. And what that carries down to are the next four things." [00:53:22] (56 seconds)

"We can serve God longer if we're in good health, right? We can have a fuller relationship with God. We can serve our family better, help take care of our family, our children, our grandchildren, our siblings, our parents. If we have good health, we can better take care of others and support others, right? And so God families. Family, ourselves, but also we can build up the church. If we're not in good health, it's hard for us to give time to the church to help build up the church, to expand God's kingdom outside these walls, to help reach those who do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ, to help minister to those who are considered in scripture defined as the least of these, those with needs in life that are not in the church. And so I think that's one of the things that we can do. And so if we're able to think about before we act, before we do, then we can better maybe take care of ourselves and better be the disciples God wants us to be." [00:54:48] (71 seconds)

"The final thing that we can do to renew our mind is tap in spiritually. Tap in spiritually. Colossians chapter three, verse two says, Set your minds. Again, set your minds. That means lock in. That means have laser -like focus, right? Thinking, reflecting. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. So important for all of us as we strive to be the Christians, the disciples that God wants us to be, to set our mind on the things that mean something to him. And so, so important. Second Corinthians 10, verse five. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God. So we dismiss anything that would get in the way of, of God's wisdom, of our, of God's kingdom." [00:55:32] (56 seconds)

Chatbot

Transcript

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