I’ve been talking and thinking about a spiritual growth mindset.

It’s everywhere. What we think and how we think matters. God tells us in His word we are not to be con-formed to this world, but trans-formed by the renewing of our minds. We need to leave behind the fixed mindset which is motivated by fear and doubt and live on the wild-side of faith aka Spiritual Growth Mindset.

A spiritual fixed mindset means scarcity. Same old same old.

A spiritual growth mindset is water-walking, giant-stalking, mountain-moving abundant kind of life. I want that. It’s the kind of mindset that pleases God.

The lunch boy had it.

⁵ Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” ⁶ But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.

⁷ Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.”

⁸ One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, ⁹ “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?”

¹⁰ Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. ¹¹ And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples<sup class="footnote" data-fn="#fen-NKJV-26269a" data-link="[a]”>[a] to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.

¹² So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” ¹³ Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.” John 6:5-13

The lunch boy listened.

He wandered out into the wilderness with several thousand other people to hear some preaching. There, he overheard Jesus talking to His disciples about feeding the people. The disciples were stuck in a fixed-mindset mode, so they gave nothing, not even offering the little they had.  But the lunch boy had a faith that was as big as God. Therefore, he took a risk and gave it all.

1 boy + 5 loaves + two fish + JESUS= 10,000 lunches. Talk about a spiritual growth mindset.

Spiritual fixed mindset says I can’t.

Spiritual growth mindset says God can.

What do you have that you can give to Jesus? A little money? A little learning? A little house? A little talent? Take a chance, step out in faith and exercise a spiritual growth mindset and watch what God can do.

What do you think about a spiritual growth mindset?

Leave me a comment below, I’d love to hear from you!

By Mary Kay Kane

copyright 2017. all rights reserved

To read other posts in this series, please click on the links below!

Spiritual Fixed Mindset

Spiritual Growth Minsdset (Part 1)

Fear has left its mark on  me.

It was how I did life. Most of my decisions were based on fear—not fear of God— but fear of everything. Will anyone be upset if I do this? Will so-and-so be mad at me if I do that? What will my neighbors/friends/relatives think if I do this? Worse yet, what will THEY think? THEY is a very powerful group. THEY have been making life miserable for the rest of us for many years. We need to vote THEY out of power. Why? Because THEY will  keep us from following HIM.

Peter did it.

He finally beat THEY and took back his power.

I’ve been thinking about Peter.

How did he go from a three-Pete denier to the man who stood and preached like his heart was a-fire? Poured-out, filled-up, all-in man of God. I want that.

Let’s look at what happened to Peter in the book of Acts.

Jesus and Peter are having a conversation. Peter declares he is ready to go the mat for Jesus, but Jesus knows better.

31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” 33 Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” 34 Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me. […]

58 And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” 59 And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62 And he went out and wept bitterly. Luke 22

Peter was all talk and no walk. He couldn’t deliver. I have been Peter—fired up at the conference and fast burn on the drive home. But, Peter changed.

How did it happen? How did God wreck fear?

Let’s look at God’s Peter Transformation Plan: From Fearful to Fearless

1. Spend time weeping. Go back and read Acts 3:62. Just admit it and be done with it. Tell God you have failed, and you need Him to break your heart and put it back together again so it beats only for Him. Ask Him to do whatever it takes so you will fear only Him.
2. Spend time with Jesus. A lot of time. Peter spent 3 years doing daily life with Jesus. How many hours do we spend each day with Jesus? Perhaps the more accurate question is, How many minutes do we spend each day with Jesus?  If you are serious about change, you’ll be spending serious time with Jesus. Luke 5:11
3. Spend time in prayer. In the time between the Ascension and Pentecost, Peter and the rest of Jesus’ disciples spent their time in the Upper Room in prayer. God used extended prayer to change Peter’s heart. Acts 1:14, Acts 4:31
4. Spend time in fellowship.  Peter did not become fearless by hunkering down by himself in his house.  Effective outspoken Christians are not loners. We need others to encourage, confront and hold us accountable as we walk with Jesus. Acts 1:14, Acts 4:31
5. Spend time in Scripture. Start at Acts 2:14 and read Peter’s speech to the crowd. How did he know what to say? Hours in the word of God. An Acts 2:14 kind of witness requires time, effort, perseverance and faith.

I have added one more element to this list: fasting. For this Lenten season, I have given up my favorite: Jason’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. Yep. It hurts. But God honors my sacrifice. By the way, I don’t expect to not ever feel fear again. I want to act in faith despite the fear. That’s what I’m talking about.

There we have it. The perfect recipe to wreck fear: prayer, repentance, scripture, fellowship and Jesus. Join me on this journey to wreck fear. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Leave me a comment below about your journey of faith. I’d love to chat with you.

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We need God and we need His word.

If we want to impact our world for Christ and take His to the lost of the world, we must fill our hearts and mind with God’s truths and precepts. Sometimes we need to mix it up a bit. Something new can breath new life into our relationship with God.

In order to help you to continue to seek God, we have provided a few resources for you—something to watch, something to read, something to listen to and something to study. Get a drink, your Bible and a journal then choose one, two or three resources and dig in!

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

1. Something to Watch: A great video from For the Life of the World about the gift of creation and how to live a thankful life.

“What is the song of all creation? What is our Salvation for? In this scene from Episode 1: Exile, Evan unpacks the essence of God and his mission in the world.” To see more, click on the play button below.

2.  Something to Read: An excellent article by Beth Moore, Because Any of Us Can be Had

“I penned the creative writing below a number of years ago as I reflected on my own miserable season of sifting by Satan. I was wrecked almost beyond repair by what I’d experienced because I’d never been taught that a believer could love Jesus deeply with a pure heart and serve Him with sincere devotion and yet be flabbergastingly seduced by the enemy. 2 Corinthians 11:3 had said it all along but I’d missed it.” To read more click on the link below.

Because Any of Us Can be Had

3. Something to Listen To: A podcast from Erik Metaxas at Break Point, When the Sky is Really Falling

“When Chicken Little said the sky is falling, we all laughed. Well, maybe it’s time we stopped laughing. It seems Chicken Little may be on to something.”  To hear more click on the link below.

When the Sky is Really Falling

4. Something to study: The Outcasts: Giving Your All.

“Rebels…backsliders…children…senior citizens…the handicapped…uneducated…homeless.

Thankfully, God looks upon the heart and sees us for what we can become; beautiful witnesses for the Gospel of Christ. It is my prayer that through these Bibles studies you will be blessed and gain a clear vision for how the God of the Universe sees you; incredibly precious and valuable.” To study more, click on the link below.

  The Outcasts: Giving Your All

Jane and I pray these resources will encourage you and strengthen your walk with Jesus! Let us know what you think in the comment section below!

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copyright 2016

Peter asked Jesus to help him do the impossible.

Peter had every reason to stay in the boat.

Any sane person would advise him to stay put. It didn’t make sense to get out of the boat.

It was night time.

He was tired.

He had already worked a full day.

Plus it was windy and wavy. Peter was a boat-rider and a fisherman not a water-walker. Water-walking was simply not his gifting—he didn’t have the skill set or the experience to be a water-walker. No one in his family was a water-walker for good reason, it was impossible. As a matter of fact, Peter didn’t know a single water-walker or anyone who had even attempted this before.

Peter, had every reason to stay in the boat accept one-Jesus called him out.

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I get Peter.

When I was about 7 or 8, my mother decided it was time for me to learn to swim. Encased in a bright pink hair-ripping rubber bathing cap  (thing of the past, thankfully) and one-piece swimsuit, I entered the guppy class at the local YMCA. Floating is easy the instructor assured me. (Note: due to my Irish heritage [the Hunger Years] I only weighed about 30 lbs wet with a pocket full of quarters. I had not a single fat cell on my entire body). This girl did not float. She sank. Always. Straight to the bottom. I NEVER passed the guppy class. For me, water-walking was impossible. I couldn’t even swim. I needed to stay in the boat.

I’ve prayed like Peter.

Longingly and sincerely, I have asked,  “Lord, use me greatly,” only to thrash and flail when He called me out of my boat. Walking turns to treading turns to sinking as I get my eyes off Jesus and onto the waves of opposition. Water-walking requires a greater level of faith than simple earth-walking. Walking by faith not by sight takes on a whole new meaning when on wavy water.

But God tells us all things are possible through Christ Jesus.

Even water-walking. What happened when Peter begins to sink? Jesus is right there with him reaching, lifting and saving. He will do the same for you.

Read the verses again. Did you notice when the wind quit? The Bible makes a point to tell us the wind ceased after Peter and Jesus got in the boat. Meditate on that for a moment.

Peter the water-walker went on to be Peter the church- builder.

And Jesus is calling you. Come, walk by faith. Water-walker. Bridge-builder. Giant-slayer. Business-starter. Church-planter. Bible-teacher. Website-blogger. College-enroller. He’s calling you. You have every reason to stay in the boat. People will tell you no one has done this before. It’s too risky, too late, too expensive, or too illogical. It’s outside of your gifting.

Cover it in prayer and fasting. And if Jesus is calling, get out of the boat. Walk by faith water-walker.

Action Points:

1. Pray like Peter. Faith stretching water-walking prayers. Ask God to give you His dream for your life.
2. Act like Peter. Get out of the boat. Take a step of faith—even if you sink. He’ll catch you. What do you need to do today to start walking out your faith and calling?
3. Cry like Peter. If you begin to drown in fear, call out to Jesus with all your heart. He is with you. He’ll help you and strengthen you.

Life is Sweet! Walk on water.

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Copyright 2016

I love to wake up early in the morning to enjoy the quiet peacefulness of a new day with my Father. After breakfast, I slip on my shoes, grab my Bible verses and take a prayer walk.

One morning the sky was filled with dark heavy clouds.

I glanced at the sky and decided to take a chance. While I was saying my verses, I kept a watchful eye on the sky. About half way through the rain began to fall. A few yards ahead, I saw a dry spot in the road; the overhanging trees offered a little protection from the rain. I hurried to the dry spot and waited. As the rain poured down I thanked God for keeping me dry in my sheltered spot.

I was tempted, as the rain became particularly heavy, to leave my dry haven and dash for home. After weighing my choices—dashing or waiting—I decided to wait. After all, I was barely even wet despite the downpour. While I was passing the time, I could sense God had a lesson for me.

“When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.”

Proverbs 10:25

As of late, my life has been a little turbulent and unpredictable. Usually my first reaction to trouble has been to run from it as quickly as possible.

I’ve spent my life running.

From conflict. From fear. From change. From criticism. I’ve been a runner.

But God wants me to stand firm, to quit running and trust He will work all things for my good. Instead of running from the storms of life, He wants me to stand firm in the shelter of His presence. When I am under His cover the only things that can come to me are things He allows. In His presence I am in the storm but protected from the storm.

As the rain poured down and I stood firm,

I heard my Father whisper in my soul,

The danger is not in the storm but in the running. Stand firm.

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“When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.” Proverbs 10:25

In the storms of life, God deals with the wicked and takes care of the righteous. Forever.

4 Ways to Stand Firm

1. Change your self-talk. Instead of rehearsing over and over how you will fail, fall or disappoint God, talk about how He is helping, strengthening, and leading you.
2. Memorize scripture. Memorizing scripture will subdue your enemies, your fears and will help you with your self-talk. Speak scripture into your circumstances. Replace the lies of your own self-talk or lies of the enemy with scripture.
3. Replace worry with prayer. Ask others to join you in prayer. Fill your prayers with God’s Word.
4. Go forward. Walk by faith. Make no decision based on fear. Think of a person whose faith you greatly admire. Ask yourself What would so-and-so do? and do it. God did not bring this challenge to you so you would fail. And if you do falter, get up and try again.

Life is sweet. Stand Firm.

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Copyright 2016.

Day 4

To Do-ers List: Walk by Faith

Learning to walk by faith is also a process.

We stumble.

We stagger.

We fall. Bumped, bruised, and hurt-yes. Vanquished-no. We are not beaten because we fall; we are only beaten if we refuse to rise. We get up and try again. We learn to walk by faith.

What does a walk of faith look like?

A walk of faith looks like a series of good decisions based on the truth of God’s Word.

• A friend invites you to a party. You know your parents would not approve. You also know they will never find out. You say no. You walk by faith. “Children, honor your parents.”
• Your co-workers are chewing up a colleague no one likes (for good reason) at the lunch table. You change the subject. You walk by faith. “Let no unwholesome talk proceed out of your mouth.”
• Your husband has asked you to make a pie for tomorrow’s work picnic after he has just delivered a five-point lecture on how to park the car. The nerve of him. You make the pie. You walk by faith. “Repay evil with good.”
• Your sister/spouse/boss/mother-in-law snaps at you during a conversation. You choose (it takes all your strength) to answer with respect. You walk by faith. “Repay no one evil for evil.”
• You KNOW God has called you to serve in the new ministry at church. It doesn’t make sense – everyone says so. Some say you aren’t qualified, skilled, or educated enough to do it. God calls you anyway. You say yes. You walk by faith. “Be on your guard before Him and obey His voice.”
  

Walking by faith is obeying God when it’s easier not to.

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Walking by faith is usually scary, uncomfortable, and involves stepping out of the usual. But I have to tell you, I have never regretted a single step of faith. How do we avoid walking by sight? By keeping our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith.

What is the outcome of walking by faith?

Our faith grows.

The faith of others grows.

Our lives produce fruit.

We are entrusted with greater work.

The greatest benefit of walking by faith is listed in verse 9 … we please our Father.

For Today:

Make decisions based on faith; not fear, not feelings, not the usual. When faced with a decision today ask yourself, What would a faithful person do? And do it.

Use the To-Doers List Study Guide or a journaling app to plan and journal  your day.

• To Do-ers List Journal Page PDF
• Days Lite: My Wonderful Life App free app from App Store.

For ideas on how to walk by faith, please check the resources below.

•  How Strong is Your Faith?
• Keeping Faith Strong Through the Summer

Please take a moment to pray and ask God for His strength to walk by faith. Don’t forget to leave a comment in the comment section below. Have a blessed day!

Missed a day? Don’t worry. Just click on the links below!

To Do-ers List, Day 1: Love God

To Do-ers List, Day 2: Love Others

To Do-ers List, Day 3: Pray ’bout Everything

by Mary Kane

Copyright 2015

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