Introduction: How We See Shapes How We Live
Last week we talked about resetting the heart —
placing Jesus back at the centre of who we are.
But what flows out of the heart quickly shapes the mind.
If the heart is the centre,
the mind is the lens.
And how we think determines how we:
• see ourselves
• see others
• see God
• see the future
The Bible takes our thinking seriously — because God knows that transformed lives begin with transformed minds.
That’s why today’s reset is not about positive thinking,
but about Christ-centred thinking.
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Visual Aid: The Glasses
These are ordinary glasses — but they make a huge difference.
When you put them on, nothing in the room changes…
but everything looks different.
That’s what our minds do.
We don’t just experience life —
we interpret it.
And our thoughts quietly shape our reality.
If our mind drifts from Christ, our whole perspective drifts with it.
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1. The Problem Isn’t Lack of Effort — It’s the Wrong Lens
Romans 12:2 says:
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
Paul doesn’t say:
• try harder
• think nicer thoughts
• be more disciplined
He says be transformed — by renewal.
See, the problem isn’t that we don’t think enough.
It’s that we often think uncritically.
The world constantly offers us lenses:
• “You’re only as good as your success.”
• “You should have more by now.”
• “You’re on your own.”
• “God is not there for you.”
And without noticing, we put those lenses on.
No wonder we feel anxious, exhausted, and discouraged.
Resetting the mind begins when we recognise:
Not every thought deserves our agreement.
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2. Drift Happens in the Mind First
Just as the heart drifts quietly,
the mind drifts subtly.
Do you recognise any of these:
We begin rehearsing worries.
We replay old failures.
We assume the worst.
We accept lies as truth.
And slowly, our thinking becomes off-centre.
The enemy doesn’t need to destroy us —
he just needs to distort our thinking.
That’s why Scripture speaks so clearly about the mind.
2 Corinthians 10 says:
“We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
Notice the language:
• take captive
• make obedient
That’s intentional.
That’s active.
That’s a reset.
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3. Resetting the Mind Means Re-Centring on Christ
(Put the glasses on, then take them off.)
When you wear the wrong lenses, everything feels heavier:
• problems feel bigger
• hope feels smaller
• faith feels fragile
But when Christ is at the centre of our thinking, the lens changes.
Resetting the mind doesn’t mean:
• ignoring reality
• pretending life is easy
• suppressing emotion
It means choosing to interpret reality through Jesus –
Who He is.
What He has done.
What He says is true.
Jesus doesn’t deny hardship —
He reframes it with hope.
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4. The Battle Is Often Internal
Many of us spend a lot of energy trying to fix external circumstances:
o “If this changes, I’ll be okay.”
o “If they change, I’ll have peace.”
o “If life slows down, I’ll feel better.”
But Scripture consistently brings us back to inside. (internal)
Peace doesn’t begin when everything around us settles.
Peace begins when our mind is anchored in Christ.
That’s why Isaiah says:
“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You.” (Isaiah 26:3)
A reset of the mind is a return to trust.
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5. Practising a Daily Mind Reset
And again, this reset isn’t a one-off moment.
It’s a daily practice.
A simple rhythm might look like this:
• Pause
• Notice what you’re thinking
• Ask: Is this thought drawing me closer to Christ — or further away?
Then gently replace it with truth.
Not willpower.
Not self-criticism.
-That’s hard work
Replace the wayward thought with Truth anchored in Jesus.
A simple prayer might be:
“Jesus, help me to see today through the lens of Your truth.”
That’s discipleship – daily taking the messed up negative thoughts in our head, and seeking to replace them what we believe to be the Truth.
Too many of our thoughts are “fake news”.
There’s only ONE True news source – that’s from the One who is Good News!
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6. Intentional Living Requires Intentional Thinking
This is where the series continues to build.
Last week: Who is at the centre of my heart?
This week: Who is shaping my thinking?
An intentional life doesn’t let thoughts run unchecked.
It learns to pause, reflect, and re-centre.
And the good news is this:
God is not impatient with our minds.
He renews them gently.
Repeatedly.
Faithfully.
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Conclusion: Choosing the Right Lens
(Hold the glasses one final time.)
Life will always give us lenses to look through.
God offers us a lens too
The question is which ones we choose to wear.
Today isn’t about mental perfection.
It’s about direction.
So today, we choose again:
to see ourselves through grace,
to see others through compassion,
to see the future through hope, and
to see everything through Jesus Christ.
This is the reset of the mind.
Next week, we’ll look at Resetting Our Priorities —
because what fills our thoughts eventually shapes how we live.
But today, let’s begin here:
Not by trying harder —
but by placing Jesus back at the centre of how we think.
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Listen to song: Reset my mind (found on YouTube on our channel "Highfield Community Baptist")
