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John Thurman's Resilient Faith Shortcast
Welcome to John Thurman's Resilient Faith Shortcast, a series of short episodes exploring biblical wisdom and real-life strategies to help you stand strong in life's storms.
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CONTACT JOHN. Email: john@covertmercy.com. Website:www.johnthurman.net
John Thurman's Resilient Faith Shortcast
Rewiring Your Brain for Growth Pt # 1
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We explore how understanding brain function can unlock a growth mindset and enhance spiritual resilience, beginning with five brain basics that affect our thinking patterns.
• Our brains are naturally negative with a "negativity bias" that makes us Velcro for bad experiences and Teflon for good ones
• The brain constantly scans for danger, which helps survival but can create unnecessary anxiety
• Worry becomes habitual when we allow our brains to amplify stress and focus on what could go wrong
• Our minds dislike uncertainty and fill in knowledge gaps with assumptions based on past experiences
• We crave predictability and need strategies to handle unexpected situations effectively
• Romans 12:2 offers a biblical framework for transforming our thinking patterns
• Philippians 4:6-9 provides practical guidance for managing anxiety and directing our thoughts positively
Link to Blog: How to Build a Growth Mindset Pt# 1
Join me next time as we continue this series on developing a growth mindset. If you'd like to learn more, visit johnthurman.net or covertmercy.com or email me at john@covertmercy.com.
Be sure to check out my website
Introduction to Growth Mindset Series
Speaker 1Resilient Solutions , Season 4 , Episode 11 , Building a Growth Mindset . Part 1 , 5 Brain Basics . Did you know that what you think will shape how your life turns out ? That's right . The scripture says as a man thinketh in his heart , so is he . Well , beginning today , we'll be doing a three a four-part podcast to help you unlock your mind Really . What I hope we'll be able to do in the next few weeks is release you to experience a growth mindset and to do that today we're going to start off by talking about five brain basics . If you will , Embarking to unlock your mind is a significant step in spiritual growth and developing resilience and developing a growth mindset .
Speaker 1Our brain is not just an organ . It's a complex system that governs our thoughts , emotions and behaviors and as you and I grow in how to understand how our mind operates , we'll experience personal growth and we'll enhance our own spiritual life and growth . We're not going to solve all the mysteries of the brain in three or four sessions , but I will give you some practical tools you can use . Hey and welcome to my podcast ,
Brain Basics: Our Natural Negativity Bias
Speaker 1John Thurman's Resilient Solutions Shortcast , where I help you become more resilient in your personal life , your relationships and in your faith . I'm so glad you joined me today . If you'd like to learn more about me , just go to CovertMercycom . Let's jump right in today . Glad you joined me . Hey , John Thurman here , I'm so glad you joined me today . We're going to have a great time as we talk about some predispositions that our brains have .
Speaker 1Part of this series is really designed to help you develop a growth mindset , a mindset that's set on opportunity , growth and really a mindset that can help you expand your faith . But we need to understand how the mind operates . So today I'm going to briefly cover five presets , if you will , to our brains . If you want to read more about this , check the show notes or check out my blog . So first of all , we have to realize that our brain is kind of like a nervous gardener , always worried about weeds growing in the flowerbed of your thoughts . Unfortunately , it often focuses on weeds or other negative thinking Instead of being positive and looking for opportunities . It tends to be more defensive . There's actually a scientific name for this and it's called negativity bias , and it's like an alarm , always looking for problems . But , like in a garden , you can grow a more positive mindset and we'll talk about how to do that , but first I want to review these five things we understand about the brain real briefly , so hold on to your seats and let's jump right in .
Speaker 1First of all , the brain is naturally negative . Our brains are designed to pay more attention to negative experience . This truth might be because it helps us to survive . We go back to the old fight or flight response that we've read about over man's experience on earth , being fearful of saber-toothed tigers , bears , fire , things like that . Dr Rick Hansen , a brain expert , says that our minds are like Velcro when it comes to bad experiences and like Teflon when it comes to good ones . His research discovered it takes just a nanosecond to imprint a negative event , but it can take up to five to ten seconds to imprint a good event . Understanding this can help us learn to control our thoughts and filter things better and make a choice to focus on the future . Thoughts and filter
Managing the Brain's Danger Scanning
Speaker 1things better and make a choice to focus on the future .
Speaker 1The second thing about our brain is that our brain is constantly , constantly scouring for danger . That helps us stay safe , but this can also make us anxious , make us to overthink and to really get fretful and worry and freak out about stuff we really don't need to freak out about . So learning how our brain works helps us actually manage , how it watches out for danger and keeps us from wasting valuable time and resources on fear and anxiety . Now , the third thing the brain loves to do is it loves to make a habit of worrying . Everyone worries , we all do it . Just think of a worried parent . Our brains can amplify stress , especially when we hear a lot of negative news , and instead of worrying about what could go wrong , we should train our minds to focus on what is going well , what is positive , so that we might can have a future , we might experience a joy-based faith and an optimistic outlook .
Breaking the Habit of Worry
Speaker 1The fourth thing the brain tends to do is it tends to jump to conclusions . That's right . Our minds do not like uncertainty , so when in doubt , they fill in the gaps with guesses based on past experiences . Now , I could spend a lot of time on that today , but it just might make you more worried . The point here is to realize that our brains just tend to do this . That's kind of how they're hotwired . Our brains just tend to
How Our Minds Fill Uncertainty
Speaker 1do this . That's kind of how they're hotwired , and you and I , once we have this awareness , can begin to do some positive , proactive things to not be so confused , scattered and worried , but instead to feel faithful , steady and strong .
Speaker 1The fifth predisposition , if you will , for our brains is that our brains need predictability . When we're under stress or in tough times or hard times , we might feel overwhelmed and confused . But by practicing this , by understanding how we need predictability and how we can kind of plan better , but also not just plan better for predictability , but also have a plan for what happens when we have some of those predictability , but also have a plan for what happens when we have some of those , shall we say , unwelcomed or surprised opportunities . By doing this we can balance out our instincts and prepare to face life's challenges more efficiently and more effectively . You haven't got to walk around all dialed up and kind of halfway crazy
Biblical Transformation of Thinking
Speaker 1and panicked . You can learn to slow your brain down , take some positive measures to be more proactive and thoughtful , living in a faith-filled environment as opposed to a reactive , fear-based environment . Well , let me just give you a couple of tips . You can try here to work on this , as you and I learned to understand how our brain works , we can have more of a positive . To understand how our brain works , we can have more of a positive , future-oriented focus that's based on faith and trusting God , as opposed to being reactive . Once you begin to understand this , you realize that you can control your thought life a whole lot better . You can really learn to live and act out scripture in a very practical way .
Speaker 1Let me just share with you one verse to think about here , and you can find more about this in the blog site , where I actually have a little Bible study tied in . But Romans 12 , 2 in the New Living Translation says don't copy the behavior and customs of this world , but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think . Did you hear that ? Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think ? Did you hear that ? Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think ? Then you will learn to know God's will for your life , which is good , pleasing and perfect . So as long as we're on the subject , let me ask you a couple of questions to think about today . What does it mean to let God transform you by changing how you think ? Have you ever thought about that ? What does it mean when you and I choose to allow God to transform our thinking ? Can you identify specific patterns or thinking styles that you have that might need some transformation .
Speaker 1Well , get into the scripture , Understand that God wants to help you transform your mind . I'd like to share something with you at this point just to kind of break things up a little bit for you and give you a point of focus , if you will . Philippians 4 , 6 through 9 , to me , is one of the best scripture passages . That deals with anxiety , our thought , life and things like that . And the Apostle Paul is writing in this book to help people kind of settle down , and I'm going to read it to you from the New Living Translations . This is Philippians 4 , 6 through 9 . Don't worry about anything . Instead , pray about everything , Tell God what you need and thank him for all he's done . Then you'll experience his peace , which exceeds anything you can understand . His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus . He further qualifies that in verse 8 , and he really steps it up here and now .
Speaker 1Dear brothers and sisters , one final thing Fix your thoughts , that is , be intentional . Focus on what is true and honorable and right and pure and lovely and admirable . Think about these things that are excellent and worthy of praise . You see that he doesn't just throw some platitude , he gives them an assignment . And so as you and I learn to develop a growth mindset , as you and I begin to understand
Practical Scripture Application & Conclusion
Speaker 1kind of how our brain is hardwired and we're grateful for that we can begin to take active , kinetic measures to change the way we think . That's right .
Speaker 1One other scripture I'd like to remind you of today , as I get ready to close up , is Ephesians 4.23 . And it basically says this Instead , let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes . You see , when you and I begin to grab a hold of the fact that we are responsible for the input that we give our brains and if we put good things in , the good things come out we can begin to manage that negativity , we can manage those depressive thoughts , we can get a handle on anxiety and we can learn to think biblically . Just to wrap things up , remember the brain has five basic presets and that it's naturally negative . It's on the lookout for danger , it tends to jump to conclusions and it needs predictability . The good news is that , with the Lord's help and with the Word of God , we can learn to manage that .
Speaker 1My name's John Thurman and you've been listening to my shortcast , or my podcast , John Thurman's Resilient Solution Shortcast , where I help you become more resilient in your personal life , your relationships . Resilient in your personal life , your relationships and in your faith . To learn more about me , go to my website , johnthermannet or covertmercycom , If you need to reach out to me . I respond to my emails and my email address is john at covertmercycom . That's J-O-H-N at C-O-V-E-R-T , M-E-R-C-Y dot com . Reminding you , this is the day that the Lord has made and I'll make a choice to rejoice and be glad in it . God bless , See you next time . Take care .
