RestoriRestoring ng Your Your MindMind

Family Worship Center Family Worship Center

Pastor Mark Schwarzbauer, Pastor Mark Schwarzbauer, Ph.D.Ph.D.

Romans 12:1-2Romans 12:1-211I beseech you therefore, I beseech you therefore,

brethren, by the mercies of brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, acceptable to God, whichwhich isis your reasonable service.your reasonable service.

Romans 12:1-2Romans 12:1-222And do not be conformed to And do not be conformed to

this world, but be this world, but be transformed by the renewing transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may of your mind, that you may prove what prove what isis that good and that good and acceptable and perfect will of acceptable and perfect will of God.God.

Part One:Part One:The Location The Location For ChangeFor Change

Proverbs 23:7Proverbs 23:7

For as he thinks in his heart so is he.

For as he thinks in his heart so is he.

The Human BrainThe Human Brain

Brain FunctionsBrain Functions

The The Reticular Reticular

Activating Activating System System

RAS from RAS from the the

Reticular Reticular FormationFormation

The brain- Mystery of matter and mind, US News Books, 1981.

"Gatekeeper to consciousness, spark of the mind, the reticular formation connects with major nerves in the spinal column and brain. It sorts the 100 million impulses that assault the brain each second, deflecting the trivial, letting the vital through to alert the mind. The mind cannot function without this catalytic bundle of cells. Damage to them results in coma - the loss of consciousness."

"Gatekeeper to consciousness, spark of the mind, the reticular formation connects with major nerves in the spinal column and brain. It sorts the 100 million impulses that assault the brain each second, deflecting the trivial, letting the vital through to alert the mind. The mind cannot function without this catalytic bundle of cells. Damage to them results in coma - the loss of consciousness."

So here is Bruner's “inhibitory system,” the centralized, indefatigable,

quintessential sentinel and manager of the brain, the Reticular Activating

System (or what theologians should recognize as the “heart”), as it says in the illustration above, “deflecting the

trivial, letting the vital through to alert the mind.”  LeDoux, Joseph, Synaptic Self: How Our

Brains Become Who We Are Penguin Books 2003

……the RAS will only allow you the RAS will only allow you to perceive accurately those to perceive accurately those things that satisfy things that satisfy ALL THREE criteria: ALL THREE criteria: 1. “Is it my responsibility?” 1. “Is it my responsibility?” 2. “Is it important?” 2. “Is it important?” 3. “Does it match my version of 3. “Does it match my version of the truth?” the truth?” God in your goals, Rick Seymour.God in your goals, Rick Seymour.

The Greek word for The Greek word for “repentance” is “repentance” is

(metanoeo), which means (metanoeo), which means to to

““change your mind.”change your mind.”

So when God tells you to So when God tells you to repent He’s telling you to repent He’s telling you to change the way you think change the way you think about something so you about something so you change the actions that change the actions that

result from your thinking.result from your thinking.

How to Change Your LifeHow to Change Your Life•Accept appropriate responsibility•Define what is important•Distinguish and deepen your beliefs

Last Last Week:Week:

Changing Changing Minds Minds

Changing Changing LivesLives

Part Two:Part Two:Restoring Restoring

Your Your MindMind

System restore screenSystem restore screen

ProgrammProgrammed in ed in

ChildhoodChildhood Your Family Picture Goes Here

The The Faith Faith FilterFilter

Hebrews Hebrews 11:111:1

faith is the faith is the substance of substance of things hoped for, things hoped for, the evidence of the evidence of things unseen.things unseen.

Proverbs Proverbs 3:5&63:5&6

Trust in the Lord with all Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; your own understanding; 66In all your ways In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.shall direct your paths.

The The ThankThank

s s FilterFilter

I I Thessalonians Thessalonians

5:185:18““in everything in everything give thanks; for give thanks; for this is the will of this is the will of God in Christ God in Christ Jesus for you.” Jesus for you.”

The The Love Love FilterFilter

The The Self Self

DeniaDenial l

FilterFilter

Luke Luke 9:23-259:23-25

Then He said to Then He said to themthem all, all, “If “If anyone desires to come after anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.follow Me. 2424“For whoever “For whoever desires to save his life will lose desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.My sake will save it. 2525“For what “For what profit is it to a man if he gains profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?destroyed or lost?

ChanginChanging your g your

life life requires requires changinchanging your g your filtersfilters