Part 1 - “A Healthy Mind”

Psalm 23 “A Psalm of David. 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Title: A Healthy Mind

Prayer:

***

I love the weather. I love being outside, i love being in the wind and the waves & whenever there is a storm happening outside i am the first one to go outside and be in the weather and feel the energy and the excitement of an afternoon storm. I think if i wasnt married to a very good wife and her reminding me of my patriachial duties i would probably get into situations with big waves, or big storms that i shouldnt be in. I love adventure. I love to get out there - and i love to get amongst it.

But i also get overwhelmed. I am i guess a part-time extrovert if you want a label. I love to get amongst it, but also need a retreat. I get away. a time

ive come to learn that the pressures of life, family, ministry can get to me AND I HAVE HAD TO ADAPT and give my mind a rest. a break.

.... Today.. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH… or a HEALTHY MIND.

There are Four tanks of our lives:

The Body Tank - The physical body needs rest. It needs to sleep.

The Heart Tank - This is the emotional side of our lives. our hearts and our emotions.

The Soul Tank - The spiritual side to our lives. Connecting BODY, SOUL and SPIRIT is important.

The Mind Tank: the MENTAL TANK is also a TANK that can be depleted. We can take a hold of our lives in a way where we can RECOGNIZE and We can do what we can to use but then re-fill the tank of the mind. Just like fuel tanks is depleted with USE… so does our minds usefulness WANE when we use it.. and when we OVERUSE it then it can come dangerously low and can become harmful.

overview of where mental health is at right now.....

it seemed like 50 years ago no one was talking about mental health. stress was emerging as new..... but what wasn’t STRESS had on the mind but the major outlier in our study or appreciation of stress was the MENTAL side of the health aspect of our lives...

When i was growing up in the 90’s (represent) no one talked about mental issues. No one was seemed to have any handle on what that even meant. in fact i cannot remember a single person in my journey in elementary school, or high school or even business college who struggled with mental issues or anxiety or panic. It was simply not KNOWM, Talked about or

I even remember my old co-worked say this about a friend of His that had suffered a mental breakdown: “the mind is a fragile thing”.

mental illness can consist of: Anxiety Dorders, ADHD, Bipolar, Depression, Eating Disorder, Obsessive Comulsive Disorder, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Psychosis, Schizophrenia

LETS UNDERSTAND THE LANDSCAPE..... few facts 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year 1 in 20 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year 1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24 Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10-14

So its important that we are talking about this.. we are supporting each other with this.. and we are looking to God through all of this for answers.. and HELP.

There is a current CULTURE COCKTAIL.... being served up….

STRESS Stress -Fast paced living….A lack of sleep

SOCIAL MEDIA A barrage of social media (Comparison) & Screen time in General

ISOLATION. Isolationism

…. Added to the deck that already has in life .... just two examples would be Financial pressures & Relation issues

(resources here)

IF YOU ARE PRESENT HERE TODAY AND YOU ARE STRUGGLING IN THESE AREAS WITH ANY OF THIS, I WANT YOU TO KNOW SOMETHING - YOU ARE NOT ALONE. YOU HAVE JESUS BUT YOU ALSO HAVE HAVE AN ARMY OF PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE FOR YOU - DON’T FEEL ANY SHAME< DON’T FEEL PUT DOWN BUT KNOW THAT YOU ARE IN GOOD COMPANY TODAY< WILLING COMPANY TO HELP, TO LOVE TO RESTORE.. TO HELP AND BE HELPED

Thats our POSTURE and THATS OUR HOPE.

i wanna talk for a moment about mental health - the mind - which is your brain scientifically but holistically its “your ability to think”.

I WANNA TALK ABOUT WHAT COMES IN BECAUSE I THINK THIS MAY HELP… “EVER HAD A CRAZY THOUGHT....?” i know… just me

How the mind works from a biblical perspective: a quick study on how strongholds can form in our lives....

(the enemy ha s field day with an biblically untrained mind......) - here is why

We think / We have thoughts / Those thoughts make us FEEL a certain way… and our feelings cause us to have certain emotions and our emotions and our hearts become activated and we can become entrenched in an attached way from the heart = all from a thought that was allowed to go..... TO BECOME A DEEP CONVICTION OF THE HEART

the way we think… can become a view… and a view can become a conviction or a deeply held MIND-SET which becomes the way in which we view the world and shape the way we treat everything because of our mindset.

THOUGHT..... FEELING.... EMOTION.... HEART...... CONVICTION Deep level of belief. “i believe it deep down”

I want you to think about this for a minite: MIND=SET

Colossians 3:2 “2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

Your mind is SET.....SET on how your mind… your thoughts are about a thing, a person, a place and idea… etc

the devil gets a stronghold in our lives through our words… and our minds. our thoughts.

its why in the church - the early church was INSTRUCTED to have UNITY specifically to how they thought:

1 Cor 1:10 “10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.”

Phil 2:2 “2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.”

Why???, because its even possible to think like Jesus did! talk about connected in the body and mind:

1 Corinthians 2:16 “16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”

We have the mind of Christ.. which we have certain authorities like Christ did in controlling the thoughts that come in which is why Paul said this:

2 Corinthians 10:5 ESV

5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

MY FEELINGS SHOULDN’T LEAD ME, GODS SPIRIT IN ME SHOULD

Write this down: Thoughts & Feelings come and Go, but Gods spirit always leads me HIGHER.

***** GOAL IS THIS: Take that thing before it becomes an emotion - and apply that THOUGHT to the truth of the word, CROSS and the BLOOD of JESUS OOURED OUT - Line it up with his thoughts, His words, His Grace - His forgiveness.... and SEE the WAY your life is FREE from being LED emotionally

OK SO OUR POINTS TODAY:

strategies for better mental health: these are just strategies.. these aren't the be all and the end all. they are just some helpful ways we can move in the direction of better mental health;

one caveat to all of this is that its going to take some willingness to seek these strategies out. which is why i have started all of these with “seek” and as a SEEKER… you will become a FINDER. People who SEEK.. eventually FIND.

so these are handles but in grabbing the handle there will need to be some energy applied in the form of study, a call, a text, an appointment… all in the aim of finding HEALTH in the area of the mind.

Strategies for a healthy MIND. (all these are seeking items - to get you to seek out some mental health).

........

SEEK GOD.

Pray, Read the Word. Be in Church. Find a dinner party. Choose today to seek God on a consistent regular basis. You know why spending time with the Lord first in the morning is so powerful? its because it SETS the tone for the entire day....

Who is your shepherd? Maybe you’ve lost sight of your shepherd: remember who He is, and what He does?

Its the green pastures he walks you down

Its the quiet waters he puts you beside

Its the presence of GOD. Which IS OUR HELP

Psalm 61:2–4 “2 from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, 3 for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy. 4 Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah”

Q: hows your seeking going?

Here is my question.....You are “stayed” on HIM. every day - Because this will fill your TANK.

Are your eyes on him? (part of the toxic mix could be that your eyes..... are not on him)

SEEK OUT PEOPLE.

I heard one person say this to a person who was struggling “you dont need counseling, you need community”. What people do is help us along the way with our mind and our thinking and our thoughts. Community is needed aspect of our journey in life. There were twelve tribes - We are part of a community here at colonial and we would be LOST without it.

you need people around you / The enemy will attack you if you are isolated

people provide support, They provide words of life, They point you to Christ, people DO SO MUCH. Its the MJOR REASON that Marriage was created because God saw man that he created but he said this Genesis 2:18 “18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.””

We often ask in a crisis situation “who is there for them” Who is in their world”. who have they got around them?

Dinner Parties are your community - You need it - You need to INVEST in it now, to reap the rewards of it later on.

Are you isolated? Isolation is where the enemy wins. In Community is where we all WIN. because were together

Through our app. you can seek to be part of community - but also - you can request prayer.

SEEK OUT NATURE.

In the tension and the stress.....Nature is one of the best way to re-fill the tanks of the mind. “getting away” is a real thing.

You know why people move here? to where we live? because of the weather, the natural elements - The nature we have. The beaches, the rivers, the springs, the climate.

Why do people go on vacation “away” to places that are beautiful?

Because it does something TO US.

Getting outside and doing something you enjoy helps you take pressure away from what your feeling mentally.

Are you on screens? Scientists claim the scent released from the grass works directly on the brain, specially affecting the emotional and memory parts of the brain!

SEEK OUT MOVEMENT.

If you don’t feel like doing anything thats OK. just dont stay there for very long

Seek activity in the the life you lead.

You cant do NOTHING. You have o do something. and if its paralyzing fear thats gripping you today and right now ALL you can do is just MAKE it church on a Sunday then we will celebrate that with you

Physical exercise has an incredible ability to affect us SPIRITUALLY, EMOTIONALLY - But also MENTALLY.

Our mental state can become better because we have used and excerzoed the BODY.

Here is my recommendation for movement and mental health: Do something every day: but here is my baseline recommendation: A walk, Down a trail, down to the beach, walk the loop in your neighbourhood, Just a walk outside - brisk - get the heart rate

Breathing Teachniques - You can learn these.

Meditating on scripture -

Pray and walk the beach: Walk and pray

Join a Gym or a run club!

If you feel the tank being depleted.... Are you doing something? (even if you need to try a few things, try a few things. if it isnt the perfect thing straight away then lets believe that you will find that thing

SEEK OUT NEED.

one of the most amazing things about the study of depression and mental illness is some of the ways that science is discovering how care for others helps you

Yes you have a NEED, but there is something happen when we shift our focus and attention to SOMEONE ELSES need.

Research shows that acts of kindness are linked to increased feelings of well-being. Helping others can also improve our support networks and encourage us to be more active. This, in turn, can improve our self-esteem.

are you focused on YOU? Thats OK - But what if your healing is interlocked into the healing and the blessing of other people?

(i was recently a the dream center.)

SEEK OUT HELP.

I want to be the encouraging VOICE today - Seek help if you need it - We grabbed a hold of a saying Go and visit a therapist or counselor. the only condition i want to put on this is please try to see soeone who is a Christian and will walk you through this biblically.

Seek help from a doctor, Seek help from a Friend, Seek help from a mentor,

seek help if there is hereditary issues at play

Seek help if there is chemical issues at play

Seek help to overcome.. not to check a box.

Seek God, Seek out people

Nature, Movement, need, Help

***** Lastly - Seek out JESUS.

SEEK JESUS.

Because HE KNOWS your pain. “

The GETHSEMENE story is a story of a garden and a story of sorrow & anxiety. But its a story about JESUS - our savior. Painful crushing thoughts. A story of a struggle of the mind will and emotions....

Matt 26:38 “38 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.””

We know this story but its interesting to me how PACKED with emotion JESUS is here. And we see in a sense the humanity of JESUS.

The bible says that JESUS, our suffering servant, is WELL Acquainted with our grief.

With our anxious thoughts

Philippians 4:4–7 ESV

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The phillipian city was guarded by a high wall around the citues, which was common at that time, and whats interesting is that it was round the clock.

and Paul uses this to tell a fearful, anxious, persecuted church

that when you go to live your life

that when you go to sleep

remember that guard - that constant fixture of protection and safety

…. that can be yours in CHRIST JESUS

Philippians 4:7 “7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

But i want to speak this… i want to prophesy this into your life today - this verse

Isaiah 26:3 ESV

3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

MINISTRY TIME:

Seek Jesus & The power of His spirit to get healing - to get free.