A New Beginning: Starting Fresh Sample

New Mind, Part 1 This new beginning in your life is an opportunity to reset and refocus on the most influential part of your life--your mind. Your mind is like the CPU, the central processing unit, for your life. All of our decisions are made in our minds. How we perceive the world is through the lens of our mind. Mostly everything you actively do, you thought about first. You thought, “I need coffee,” and you go get yourself coffee. You thought “I’m bored,” and you go find something to do. What we create and the work we do all starts in our mind. Our mind is like a muscle. It can be strengthened and made more effective. In fact, the Bible speaks to this in Romans 12:2 where we are warned to not copy the behavior and customs of the world, but instead let God transform us into a new person by changing the way we think. It’s when we renew our minds that we receive clarity about who God is and what He wants--a new perspective on what is in front of us. The story of Joshua breaks down a way to refocus our minds on Jesus. In it, God tells Joshua not to be afraid. Now Joshua has plenty of reasons to be afraid. He’s never led the people of God without Moses. He’s never conquered the promised land. He’s never tried to establish a nation. God knew exactly what Joshua needed to discover the leader within him and overcome FEAR, so God spoke three WORDS of encouragement over him -- a word of purpose, a word of promise, and a word of presence. Look what Joshua 1, verse 6 says: “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them.” The same power of God’s spoken word over Joshua’s life can impact your life this year. When we are in the Word of God, it has the power to speak to our purpose for life. Reflection Questions: 1. What can you do this year to renew your mind? 2. Do you know the purpose God has for you? If not, ask Him. 3. Have you recognized times in your life that you know God was with you even in your fear?