He Tests the Mind

November 28, 2023

by Terry Wane Benton “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings” (Jeremiah 17:10). The sum of all our good and bad experiences in this testing ground called life is, in fact, a test of mindset or…

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How do we take every thought captive?

March 8, 2023

Question: Hello Mr. Hamilton, It’s me again. I hope you have been doing well, and thank you by the way for your previous response. There’s a question that’s been on my mind for a while now that I’d like to ask. Does the idea of “taking every thought captive to God”, or “thinking upon things…

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It seems impossible to perfectly control your thoughts!

November 22, 2022

Question: I suffer from OCD, anxiety, and Asperger’s (on the autism spectrum), basically it’s a high-functioning autism. I have been struggling with this issue for years. As soon as I read the verse about the unpardonable sin, I became obsessed with it. There have been times when this obsession is not as strong as it…

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Am I sinning if I’m cursing in my thoughts?

October 19, 2021

Question: My boyfriend was just baptized and he’s been struggling. He has a little bit of anxiety. He’s been trying to work on his cursing. he’s doing great. But he asked me a difficult question. He asked, “Am I still sinning if I keep the cuss words in my brain?” I said that I wasn’t…

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Changing My Mind

October 10, 2021

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Changing-My-Mind.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 7:15-20   I.         Solomon observed about the miser that it wasn’t the man’s words or his actions that made him a miser, but his thoughts – Proverbs 23:6-7             A.        People too often say things that they don’t mean             B.        Given motivation, they may do things that they would rather not do…

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How do I battle temptation?

January 5, 2021

Question: Good Day! I have been a patron and a reader of your website for about a few months now, and I have found your answers to be good and your knowledge of the Bible is great. I have to say, your website has been a great deal of help to me, in which I…

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I’m struggling with my thoughts

May 20, 2020

Question: Hey, I’m struggling with my thoughts. Satan puts sinful thoughts in my mind, then I feel like I have sinned and begin to worry about those thoughts. I worry a lot about everything. I know I haven’t sinned because I do not accept them, and I do not even want them there, but it…

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Can you pray in your mind or with your head covered?

May 5, 2020

Question: Dear Jeffrey, I have a couple of questions about prayer. Is it OK to pray in your mind if you are someplace where it is not convenient to do so by speaking the words? Is it wrong to pray with a cap on your head (if you are a man)? Answer: When dedicating the…

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Overcoming Emotional Problems

March 1, 2019

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/OvercomingEmotionalProblems.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Philippians 4:4-9   I.         It is a simple idea; so simple, you probably think it is obvious. Yet, the ramifications are far reaching.             A.        How we think influences our emotions                         1.         It is profound because the world sees it the other way around.                         2.         In the world emotions dictates behavior and thought.             B.        Anxiety…

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In Word and Deed

February 9, 2019

In Word and Deed – Part 1In Word and Deed – Part 2 Text: Colossians 3:12-17   I.         There needs to be a consistency between the things we say and the things we do             A.        “You can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?”                         1.         People understand that it is one thing to talk about something,…

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I’m not sure if my thoughts are sin

February 2, 2018

Question: I saw a website that makes going to heaven seem really difficult. I have religious OCD and I get blasphemous thoughts constantly and repent all day long. Some of the thoughts feel like I want them. What should I do? If I’m not sure if my thoughts are really sins, so I ignore them,…

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I don’t know if these thoughts are God’s or not

January 1, 2018

Question: I need an answer. I’m bipolar, and I have all kinds of thoughts and feelings. I don’t know if it’s God or not. I argue with my husband a lot about this. Answer: “”For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD” (Isaiah 55:8). Just because you…

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I see myself as someone who is fake

July 28, 2017

Question: Hi Jeffrey, I just read your answer to “I have a hard time controlling my thoughts. I’m scared I might not be saved,” and I was wondering: how do we fix the intentions of our heart, so we will have true godly intentions? Rather than OCD, I have ADHD, anxiety, and mild autism. I…

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How do I know if the thoughts I had are mine or from God?

March 17, 2014

Question: How do I know if the thoughts I had are mine or from God? How to know if God wants me to do something? Answer: “For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except…

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When does a thought become a sin?

September 16, 2011

Question: I am sorry to bother you again with another letter, but I have a lot on my mind. If you remember I had written to you a few weeks ago about a bad thought I had in a moment of frustration about selling my soul. Again I know that the thought was wrong, but I…

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How can I stop these bad thoughts?

July 18, 2011

Question: Hello, I am a Christian in my early twenties who has been raised in the faith since I was born. I have generally considered myself to be a good Christian; although, I will admit I have made many mistakes. I am getting a bit personal, but since I was a teenager I suffered from…

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I’m scared of the thoughts in my head

November 30, 2009

Question: After days of researching everywhere to know if I am truly safe because I thought I had committed the unforgivable sin, which is the sin of having blasphemed against the Holy Spirit, I found out that I did not because to truly commit that sin, you must have your heart hardened so much that…

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I’m obsessing over my sinful thoughts. What can I do?

August 26, 2009

Question: Hello. I am a member of the church of Christ and have been for a while now. However I have been plagued by many tormenting, fearful, and bad thoughts on a daily basis. I have talked to many doctors, psychiatrists and church counselors who chalk it up to anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder, which causes…

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The Importance of Thoughts

December 26, 2007

by Bill Crews If you are concerned about your character, your conduct, your life, and your destiny, then be concerned about your thoughts. “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23). The heart is the mind, and the mind is the center of thoughts. “For as…

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