The Sword – 5/23/22

Arrived at Ingel’s on looked like everyone was already out on the routes. YHC had to look at watch to make sure wasn’t late. Then Mayor, Stripper, and Titman  got of their cars. Time to get to work!

We ran and some walked (YHC ended up walking due to jacked up Achilles from the crazy CSAUP on Saturday)

Back at COT, YHC gave a short devotion on Mental and Emotional Health.

My Journey Through by Dr. Rob Carman

We all have different journeys we take in life, through bad times and good, but one thing is sure – if the Lord Jesus Christ is with us through the journey, we will make it through. I want to share with you my journey through depression. For many years, I suffered with what is known today as clinical depression. Throughout this, I struggled to understand what was going on and why this had happened to me. When I analyzed each of my steps, cause and effect, throughout this journey, what the Lord highlighted for me was the area of my thought life. I had much to learn about the power of thoughts, and how thoughts can transform your life. Like it says in the foundational Bible verse for this series, Proverbs 23:7, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

The Bible makes this concept of the power of our thoughts plain and simple: as a person thinks on the inside, this is who they will become on the outside. Our character becomes the complete sum of all of our thoughts. As the plant springs from and could not exist without the seed, so every act of a person springs from the hidden seeds of thought. A thought is a seed; this seed grows not only into an action but also into an emotion. In fact, if you are in emotional turmoil this can be a great thermometer to indicate that your predominant way of thinking is off center and that negative, harmful thoughts are influencing your life. The soul attracts those desires which it secretly harbors, those things which it loves, and that which it fears. We do not attract the life that we want, but rather that which we are. The soul attracts that which it secretly harbors.

We think that our thoughts can be kept in the secret cave of our mind, but they cannot. We believe, “These are just thoughts, how can they affect my life?” The thoughts of our lives become the habitual patterns of our lives. I encourage you to decide today to do as Paul encourages us in Philippians 4:8, when he tells the Philippians to “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Decide today to live free from negative and harmful thoughts and to replace them with God thoughts.

We all experience some kind of mental or emotional issues, but remember to fight off the negative and harmful thoughts that lead us down the wrong path and replace them with God thoughts! Remember this, “always be on your guard, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong, and do everything in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

COT

The Pledge

Announcements

Prayer Requests – there were many!

YHC closed us out in prayer.

Breaker Breaker