Study starts here….you’re welcome to join…

Yep and i’m posting the whole thing on here as a review for me….anyway i’ll be quoting all this stuff from a book…and a brief discussion after…hope i can stay committed to this 🙂 it’s a good read

IDEAS

"IDEAS HAVE CONSEQUENCES"

Peter commands Christians to know and use apologetics: "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have" (1 Peter 3:15).  Obedience to this spirit-inspired directive requires thinking.  One of God’s greatest gifts to manking is the human mind–our capacity to think and communicate ideas.  Thinking drives life.  Our ideas result in consequences in our lives and others’ lives.  The apostle Paul realized that ideas could revolutionize our lives:  "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2).

The Bible connects thoughts and actions.  Consequences result from actions, but they germinate in our thoughts.  Choices and actions don’t just spring into the external world from a vacuum.  They originate from ideas in the mind.  Jesus said our evil deeds come from inside:  "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander" (Matthew 15:19).

Ideas bear observable consequences in the real world.  A person who believes that gravity doesn’t apply to him may jump off a building.  Someone who believes moving vehicles can’t hurt him may step in front of one.  Some people who follow deranged cult leaders like Jim Jones commit suicide.  On the positive side, ideas in the field of biochemistry lead to cures for diseases.  Ideas about God lead to worship.

Ideas shape history.  Charles darwin’s theory of evolution affected not only the biological sciences, but the social sciences.  Fredrich Nietzsche’s nihilistic philosophy formed part of the seedbed of the Nazi regime.  Comparing the two sides of Berlin before the Wall fell reveals the consequences of economic ideas from Karl Marx and capitalism.  God’s grand idea of the gospel has the greatest effect of all, shaping history and eternity.

Our idea of God has the greatest consequence in our life.  A. W. Tozer said, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us."  Ideas of God range from an impersonal cosmic force to a cruel taskmaster or cosmic Santa Claus to a loving heavenly Father.  Each of those theological ideas leads to a different way of life, affecting everything, including the thoughts we think, the choices we make, and the actions we take.

What we believe about the Bible affects daily life in a profound way.  People who believe God wrote it order their lives by it.  Those who consider it only a collection of nice but nonbinding moral suggestions, or regard it as nonsense, seek guidance elsewhere.

God’s Word lists what we should think about and be influenced by:  "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–ifanything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things"  (Philippians 4:8).  Those ideas will reap good consequences, just as bad ideas lead to bad consequences.  But let us never say that ideas have no consequences.

I was talking to our door-greeter today, while at work.  She began to tell me of her kids, grand-kids, and great grand-kids.  But, one of her Grand-kids kind of intrigued me to question.  She was telling me about how she had 2 kids out of wedlock with this guy and how screwy her life was….then she proceeded to tell me that the real shame was…that she wasn’t raised that way….first thing that came out of her mouth after that….was "she was raised in the church"….My first thought was "Does the older generation really think (raising in the church) is just a key to a successful life"….i’d sure hope not….Last sunday i got to hear Mels preacher preach on the family as a unit…and how God is so much more than just church…and how God should be taught in the home…it was good stuff…but anyway…i need to get some sleep i got work tomorrow…happy reading 🙂