Set Your Mind Above

Send us a text When you become a parent, it's easy to get overstimulated by the end of the day. Constantly being asked questions, touched, etc. Same goes for teachers, btw. I saw a video where a kindergarten teacher was asked a question or had her name said by students to get her attention 627 times! What keeps them from burnout? Why do they do it? Because they love their kids, and love their students. It makes you wonder...does God get overstimulated? The short answer is no. Even though his name is envoked millions of times a day, nothing is impossible for God - nor is anything too exhausting. But why does God do it? For the same reasons a parent or teacher would: because he loves his children. So don't be afraid to go to him. Ask. Seek. Knock. #SetYourMindAbovePodcast

Send us a text This past week, everyone in my family came down with Covid one by one. Everyone, that is, except me. We seemed to be on the upswing, and I prided myself in thinking I had some kind of super immune system to not get sick. I spoke a little too soon, because by the time everyone else had recovered, I was sick. Pride comes before a fall. Often we can pride ourselves in thinking we are above some kind of temptation or sin, but that is when we will fall prey to the very things we never thought possible in our lives. Pride is a mocker, first from our heart to others, but then back upon our own heads as we fall headlong into the same traps. Let us have humility, and know that there is no temptation that is not common to humanity. In other words - we are not above anything, if we're not careful, it can happen to us too. #SetYourMindAbovePodcast

Send us a text Mumuration is an amazing spectacle where birds move in what to the naked eye looks like complete unity. They are capable of doing this because of keen senses that allow them to anticipate the movements of the rest of the flock, and they do not merely look to the bird next to them for cues - but they are in tune with a great number of others all at the same time. The body of Christ, if it is to have unity, must work in the same way. We must be in tune with the needs, wants, and work of others. When we are, then we will be able to work and move together as one. #SetYourMindAbovePodcast

Send us a text We are creatures of habit aren't we? I found myself mindlessly doing a few things this week that made no sense - but I did them anyways simply because I was in the habit of doing them. It was monotonous - harmless, but clearly old habits die hard. Well, while these are harmless - if our worship becomes so routine that it is mindless and monotonous - that is dangerous. We must not only be engaged in worship, but have a mind, heart, and will that is equally engaged in worship as well. #SetYourMindAbovePodcast

Send us a Text Message. Welcome back after an extended break from the podcast! It is crazy to think that in just a few short weeks our oldest two kids will be going to school for the first time. It's a big change. But bigger ones will come in the future, because it is our goal to prepare them to leave. While they will always be welcome in our home, we know that one day they will go off to make their own. The exact opposite is the case with our walk with our eternal Father. Rather than the goal to be his children leaving, the goal is to bring his children home with him forever. It took a lot of preparation, but through Jesus, we now all have the opportunity to go home. #SetYourMindAbovePodcast

Send us a text I know I've been gone for quite a while, and I will have an explination soon Lord willing. But in the meantime, my intern for the summer has jumped in to give you some content in the meantime! Welcome to the podcast Daniel Schoenholz. #SetYourMindAbovePodcast

Send us a text I took my young intern over to the Forks on Friday to help my uncle Kerry out on his property for just a little while, and in the meantime he got a tour of the land. The tour took us to the creek bed, where we found agate, coral, and my personal favorite - geodes. Geodes look like big potato rocks, but when you crack them open, there is a beutiful treasure on the inside. If anyone is in Christ, they are a potato rock. Outside not much has changed necessarily, but internally Christ has shone his light on our hearts and is transforming us from the inside out. No matter what happens to these bodies, or as Paul calls them these jars of clay, we have this beatiful treasure contained within us through the work of the Holy Spirit. #SetYourMindAbovePodcast

Send us a text Our summer intern Daniel was teaching the very young children last night, and they needed to get their wiggles out. So, he decided to start up a brief game of Simon Says in order to accomplish that. The kids enjoyed playing along, trying not to get tripped up and only moving when "Simon Said" to. The name of the game in our Christian walk is not Simon Says, but the Lord Says. Just as Israel only moved when the Lord directed them through a cloud by day and pillar of fire by night, so we are still directed by God through his Word. We must not go beyond what the Lord has said or take away from what he has said either. When he speaks, we listen and act. #SetYourMindAbovePodcast

Send us a text We were all outside eating when a wasp flew into our sons rainboots that we leave outside. When I went to hose it out and take care of the wasp, I was shocked to be met with not just one wasp but several more as well as a nest. I'm so glad we caught it when we did, otherwise my son would have run outside to play one of these rainy days and stepped right into an incredible amount of pain and potentially significant harm. This is exactly the way Satan works in our lives. If we are not alert and careful, Satan will come and make his home in our hearts or in our homes. As a result, we can get hurt and our children can get hurt, as we walk right into his trap. We must be alert so as to keep Satan from taking up residence. But after we evict him, we must do all we can to keep him out again - because like the wasps, he will be back. #SetYourMindAbovePodcast

Send us a text Our youngest, Finley, is 20 months and still not walking. She has struggled a lot, and after seeing an occupational therapist they have confirmed what we were seeing - that she has a prominent left side weakness. So, it's gonna take some work. But something special happened this week that's never happened before: she stood up on her own, and showed interest in trying. When she fell, she got back up, and she just kept going. We are overjoyed watching her walk, even through her struggles. Our walk of faith is much the same way. We are going to have our own weaknesses and struggles. But you know what? God is patient towards us. His grace is greater than our weaknesses, and he is there to catch us when we fall. Yes, the goal is for us to walk even better each day, but how overjoyed must our Father be just to watch his creation get up and desire to start walking closer to him. #SetYourMindAbovePodcast

Send us a text I was checking out at CVS Monday and the fellow checking out next to me had his machine in sync with my machine. It felt like a race and we joked about it. In the end I won! Nothing, of course, I won nothing. But I started thinking about how many things in our culture we have turned into a competition. But guess, what? Everything isn't a competition. Those in the church especially need to hear this. I have witnessed members competing against each other. Local churches acting as though they are in competition with another local work. Preachers shamefully chasing their own glory and ego and trying to triumph over other preachers. My friends, Kingdom work is NEVER a competition. #SetYourMindAbovePodcast

Send us a Text Message. Our dear friends and family who just moved to the area have two cemeteries on their property. The gravestones are nearly 200 years old, overgrown, neglected, and forgotten. The lives of these folks have long since been forgotten, and it brings the light the following reality: we will all be the same way too. We will be forgotten by everyone. Everyone, that is, except the Lord. While a generation comes and goes, one day we will all stand before God and give an account of our lives. Knowing this, it should remind us of this truth: it does not matter how many friends you leave behind when you die, it only matters whether or not you have a friend in Jesus. #SetYourMindAbovePodcast

Send us a Text Message. Your spine is supposed to have a 35 degree bend at the top and base, but mine is 15 and 12. While going over my x-rays with my chiropractor, I asked him what the plan was. He told me it depends a whole lot more on me than it does on him. If I'm not doing my work at home with PT and implementing the things he's equipped me to do, and I'm merely getting adjustments, we'll be figthing an uphill battle. Let me ask you this...how important is your children's spiritual development? I have many tell me very important, and it's for that reason they have found a local church with lots of opportunites for youth. But friends, your children can hear the best lessons each week - but if you are not doing the work you are called to do by God at home with your children, then you are going to be fighting an uphill battle. #SetYourMindAbovePodcast

Send us a Text Message. On my way home from Georgetown, KY the other night, I ran into a bit of trouble...literally. My trip was going off without a hitch, until there was one...literally. Someone had dropped a hitch with a massive drill bit being used as a pin on it in the middle of the road, and didn't see it in time with it being so dark and I hit it. Shredded my tired two minutes from home. That figures. We have to be careful because we could do the same to others, and I don't mean leaving things in the middle of the road. I mean leaving a stumbling block for others. Our actions do not only impact us, they impact others as well. Before we do the things that we do, even if we know they are pleasing to God, we should first consider the impact they might have on others coming up behind us. #SetYourMindAbovePodcast

Send us a text My son went flying past me with a piece of paper he looked proud of. When I asked him what he had there, he said it was a drawing for Jesus that he planned to give to him when he saw him in heaven. Doesn't that just melt your heart? It's not about the picture (which was amazing by the way, it was a bunch of crowns) - it's about the heart behind it. Before the throne of God in John's Revelation, the 24 elders cast down their very crowns at the foot of the Almighty. But in reality, they presented the same gift to God as my son: they gave their everything. The question that remains for us is this: are we willing and ready to do the same? Because that's all God truly wants from us, the only gift that matters, our heart. #SetYourMindAbovePodcast

Send us a text We bought our son who just turned 4 a trampoline for his birthday! It wasn't that hard to put together, but it didn't come with anchors. So, we ordered some online. I delayed putting them on because of how busy our week was, thinking I would just do it this upcoming weekend. Well, I wasn't anticipating a huge thunderstorm last night with big wind gusts. Thankfully, we still have a trampoline, but we got lucky. Well, what happens when storms come if we are not properly anchored in Christ? We will end up flying far away from where we once stood spiritually. So when is the best time to make sure your faith is grounded? That your children are grounded? Don't wait until things get hard - don't delay. Do it now. You never know when things are going to get more difficult. #SetYourMindAbovePodcast

Send us a text My youngest daughter loves watching the birds, so my inlaws purchased us a clear birdhouse that mounts to our window for her to watch them eat and nest. As the kids waited for a bird to arrive, they asked what would happen if we ran out of seeds. I told them God would feed them like he does every day, and they responded, "Just like you feed us?" That's right kiddos. We need childlike faith. Yes this economy is tough right now, but we should be as free from anxiety as my children are when it comes to what they eat and wear each day. God tells us that if we seek his kingdom first, he will provide for us the things that we need. And to teach that lesson, Jesus also goes to the birds. #SetYourMindAbovePodcast

Send us a Text Message. I came home for lunch expecting to hear my children greet me at the door, but had forgotten they were on a play date. So I sat there eaching lunch in silence, which is very rare. You would think I would enjoy it, but actually, I missed them. Sure our house is chaotic more often than not, but it's where we all belong: together. In the same way, children belong together with us in worship. Can they be loud? Yes. Distracting? Sure! But Jesus said "let the little children come to me." You don't want to wait until you're sitting in silence in an empty church with no children before you realize that lesson. #SetYourMindAbovePodcast

Send us a text I was driving around Danville with a friend who had never been to my little town before when he said, "Danville: quite simply the nicest town." I asked why he said that, and he pointed to the water tower. Friends, I have driven past this tower a thousand times and never seen that. He noticed it after seeing it once with fresh eyes. That is often how scripture discovery goes. We might have read something a thousand times and still not noticed something, but then someone brings something to our attention that we just have never seen. When you think you've got something down, go back and look at it again. #SetYourMindAbovePodcast

Send us a text Children's television programs are not what they used to be more often than not. Rather than promoting what is good and right, imorrality and godlessness are promoted and packaged as something that is "good" in the form of a cartoon. If we're not careful, we'll teach our children to accept the lies of Satan because they were packaged in the fun form of a fire truck or a dinosaur. Isn't that one of the greatest tactics of Satan? To disguise himself as an angel of light? He is the master of deceit. He's so good at it, we can even start to beleive that which is good is really evil, and that which is evil is really good. We must be aware, and we must not allow ourselves to be fooled. Let's listen to the voice of Truth. #SetYourMindAbovePodcast