1. 3 Love God with all your Mind: Courage The most important commandment is this [quoting Deuteronomy 6] : ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ Jesus (Mark 12.29-31)

2. Recap: Loving God with all our mind means capturing our thoughts and feelings and devoting them to what is good for God. It’s amazingly difficult. 3 Love God with all your Mind: Courage

3. Recap: What you’re thinking at any given time is your ultimate freedom. A Christian must capture, clean up, tame and train her/his thoughts. 3 Love God with all your Mind: Courage

4. Your thoughts include ideas, images, info, feelings and logic (or not). Changing your ideas will rock your world. Your thoughts include ideas, images, info, feelings and logic (or not). Changing your ideas will rock your world. 3 Love God with all your Mind: Courage

5. The single most important thought you’ll have is your idea of God. God is God, I’m not. Many have an allergic reaction to the idea. The single most important thought you’ll have is your idea of God. God is God, I’m not. Many have an allergic reaction to the idea. 3 Love God with all your Mind: Courage

6. The second, Jesus is Lord means he is God, and controls the universe, and someday will control this planet. The resurrection validates this. You’re an extremist if you live out these ideas. 3 Love God with all your Mind: Courage

7. Do you believe Jesus is the only way to heaven? Extremist....Believe marriage is meant to be between one man and one woman? Extremist. Would you give up a good-paying job to do mission work? Extremist. Do you believe Christians have a responsibility to talk about Jesus with nonbelievers, even with strangers? Extremist. (fr “Good Faith”, David Kinnaman, Gabe Lyons) Do you believe Jesus is the only way to heaven? Extremist....Believe marriage is meant to be between one man and one woman? Extremist. Would you give up a good-paying job to do mission work? Extremist. Do you believe Christians have a responsibility to talk about Jesus with nonbelievers, even with strangers? Extremist. (fr “Good Faith”, David Kinnaman, Gabe Lyons) 3 Love God with all your Mind: Courage

8. It takes courage to live out these ideas, because you must reject the culture’s values. Write “Courage” with your writing hand. Now write it with your other hand It’s not easy. It’s always challenging to live God’s way. It takes courage to live out these ideas, because you must reject the culture’s values. Write “Courage” with your writing hand. Now write it with your other hand It’s not easy. It’s always challenging to live God’s way. 3 Love God with all your Mind: Courage

9. COURAGE: The attitude of mind which enables us to encounter danger of difficulty with firmness, or without fear or depression of spirits. Risking the unknown with confidence, because you know God and depend on Jesus. COURAGE: The attitude of mind which enables us to encounter danger of difficulty with firmness, or without fear or depression of spirits. Risking the unknown with confidence, because you know God and depend on Jesus. 3 Love God with all your Mind: Courage

10. You need courage: When encountering a problem every miracle begins with a problem When confronting an enemy Who is this pagan Philistine? (David) When living out a principle here I stand; I can do no other. (Martin Luther) When facing the future and your lab test results are... You need courage: When encountering a problem every miracle begins with a problem When confronting an enemy Who is this pagan Philistine? (David) When living out a principle here I stand; I can do no other. (Martin Luther) When facing the future and your lab test results are... 3 Love God with all your Mind: Courage

11. Two examples of courage. 1)The shepherd boy David facing Goliath 1 Samuel 17 An enemy warrior paralyzed the Israelite army by challenging them to a mano a mano. King Saul, who stood head and shoulders above every one, should have responded, but he didn’t. Why? ________________________ Two examples of courage. 1)The shepherd boy David facing Goliath 1 Samuel 17 An enemy warrior paralyzed the Israelite army by challenging them to a mano a mano. King Saul, who stood head and shoulders above every one, should have responded, but he didn’t. Why? ________________________ 3 Love God with all your Mind: Courage

12. Two examples of courage. 1)The shepherd boy David facing Goliath 1 Samuel 17 A mere boy, David, did. He’s all alone and proactive. Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God? (17.26b) He already had wins under his belt. The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” (17.37a) Two examples of courage. 1)The shepherd boy David facing Goliath 1 Samuel 17 A mere boy, David, did. He’s all alone and proactive. Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God? (17.26b) He already had wins under his belt. The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” (17.37a) 3 Love God with all your Mind: Courage

13. Two examples of courage. 1)The shepherd boy David facing Goliath 1 Samuel 17 The idea of God permeated his mind. I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you... (vv 45-46) He is God-saturated. Two examples of courage. 1)The shepherd boy David facing Goliath 1 Samuel 17 The idea of God permeated his mind. I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you... (vv 45-46) He is God-saturated. 3 Love God with all your Mind: Courage

14. Two examples of courage. 1)The shepherd boy David facing Goliath 1 Samuel 17 Courage asks the question: What have I got to gain? Two examples of courage. 1)The shepherd boy David facing Goliath 1 Samuel 17 Courage asks the question: What have I got to gain? 3 Love God with all your Mind: Courage

15. Two examples of courage. 2) The Israelite advisors in Babylon Daniel 3 They were _________ by the dominant idea of the culture. [Nebuchadnezzar] “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up? I’ll give you one more... But if you refuse, you’ll be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?” (3.14-15) Two examples of courage. 2) The Israelite advisors in Babylon Daniel 3 They were _________ by the dominant idea of the culture. [Nebuchadnezzar] “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up? I’ll give you one more... But if you refuse, you’ll be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?” (3.14-15) 3 Love God with all your Mind: Courage

16. Two examples of courage. 2) The Israelite advisors in Babylon Daniel 3 They reacted with courteous defiance. If we’re thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we’ll never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” (3.17-18) Two examples of courage. 2) The Israelite advisors in Babylon Daniel 3 They reacted with courteous defiance. If we’re thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we’ll never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” (3.17-18) 3 Love God with all your Mind: Courage

17. Two examples of courage. 2) The Israelite advisors in Babylon Daniel 3 Courage asks the question: What have I got to lose? Two examples of courage. 2) The Israelite advisors in Babylon Daniel 3 Courage asks the question: What have I got to lose? 3 Love God with all your Mind: Courage

18. Facing situations with courage or cowardice Fear it. If God meant us to be courageous, why did he give us legs? Flee it. Nothing should ever be done for the first time. Facing situations with courage or cowardice Fear it. If God meant us to be courageous, why did he give us legs? Flee it. Nothing should ever be done for the first time. 3 Love God with all your Mind: Courage

19. Facing situations with courage or cowardice Forget it. There’s an elephant in the room. (counseling insight) Face it....keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, Jesus endured the cross, disregarding its shame. (Hebrews 12.2) Facing situations with courage or cowardice Forget it. There’s an elephant in the room. (counseling insight) Face it....keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, Jesus endured the cross, disregarding its shame. (Hebrews 12.2) 3 Love God with all your Mind: Courage

20. Ways to develop Courage Love God with all your mind. Get to know God and God-in-Christ....the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. (Daniel 11.32b KJV) This means being in the Word and prayer, turbo Devo. Ways to develop Courage Love God with all your mind. Get to know God and God-in-Christ....the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. (Daniel 11.32b KJV) This means being in the Word and prayer, turbo Devo. 3 Love God with all your Mind: Courage

21. Ways to develop Courage Get wins under your belt and review them. They’re often very private. Ways to develop Courage Get wins under your belt and review them. They’re often very private. 3 Love God with all your Mind: Courage

22. Ways to develop Courage. Hang with courageous people. Study and imitate heroes, like ________. Ways to develop Courage. Hang with courageous people. Study and imitate heroes, like ________. 3 Love God with all your Mind: Courage

23. Ways to develop Courage. Ask God to help you become courageous. Take courage... Jesus. Ways to develop Courage. Ask God to help you become courageous. Take courage... Jesus. 3 Love God with all your Mind: Courage

24. And you? Are the big ideas, God is God, Jesus is Lord, rocking your world? What are you doing to develop courage? Are you getting wins under your belt? And you? Are the big ideas, God is God, Jesus is Lord, rocking your world? What are you doing to develop courage? Are you getting wins under your belt? 3 Love God with all your Mind: Courage

25. And ROOTS? Imagine ROOTS full of courageous followers of Jesus as Lord, proactive to stand for God and courteously defiant to the culture. Yes! And ROOTS? Imagine ROOTS full of courageous followers of Jesus as Lord, proactive to stand for God and courteously defiant to the culture. Yes! 3 Love God with all your Mind: Courage