Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. Colossians 2:8 (NLT) Your world view determines everything you do. This filter through which you interpret life determines what you’re like in the morning, how you treat your family, how you look at the world, and how you walk out your time here. It determines how you live your life. Some world views clash. We’ve been cultured to be tolerant, but there are times when your world view will be in strong opposition to someone else’s world view. Paul, in Colossians 2:8, warned us not to be deceived by philosophies that depend on human tradition and the …

Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. John 17:17 (NLT) What is your source of truth? We can pick up beliefs from many sources, but the only true source is God’s Word. Imagine that you strapped on a pair of blue-tinted sunglasses when you were a very small child, and you’ve never taken them off since. The world, as you see it, is tinted blue, and you assume everyone sees things the same way. One day you overhear someone talking about the pure white snow that fell the night before. They go into great detail about the brightness of it; how it glistens and sparkles in the sunlight. Puzzled, you wonder what they’re talking about. To you, white doesn’t …

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Hebrews 4:16 (NLT) Do you often feel unworthy to approach God? If you’ve given your life to Christ, you have the nature of God inside you. This empowers you to make great choices, but you’re not perfect. Like the rest of us, you sometimes make wrong choices. When you do, you need to know that your relationship with God is secure. The reason your relationship with God is secure despite your mess-ups is because Jesus has secured it. You didn’t earn this relationship, so you can’t un-earn it. Jesus fulfilled every requirement, and accepting …

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1 (NLT) Do you ever get down on yourself for what you seem to keep doing wrong? Maybe you feel like you’ll never measure up to some sort of impossible standard. It may be a self-imposed standard or one you feel has been forced upon you. Either way, focusing on this unrealistic set of expectations and your failure to meet them isn’t helping you. First of all, focusing on everything you’re doing wrong doesn’t help you to do right. Christians often think that beating themselves up for their wrong-doing helps prevent them from doing it again. But it’s simply not true. In fact, focusing on what not to do only makes …

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2 (NLT) Do you keep attracting what you don’t want in life? You hold beliefs deep inside you that influence how you feel about yourself and what you think you’re capable of doing in life. If certain negative circumstances seem to follow you wherever you go, it may be time to plant some new heart beliefs. I’m not saying that every negative circumstance that happens to you is a result of your beliefs. Some things just happen in this imperfect world. But… if …