The Hindrances and Helps of a Heavenly Mind

In Scotland, there are hills full of sheep. If you watch closely, you can see sheep doing a lot of things - but there is one thing I've never seen a sheep do: look up at the sky.  You can have a brilliant sunrise in the sky, or there can be a million shining stars with a glorious full moon, but the sheep never look up - in most cases there faces are always in one position: looking down at the grass.

This is a picture of a lot of men. The Bible pulls back a curtain so that we can lift our mind to glorious realities, but so many of us never do so. We're stuffing our faces like sheep when we could be contemplating the throne of God like angels.

In this episode, Richard Baxter helps us identify the hindrances and helps of a heavenly mind.

Hindrances:

1. Living in known sin 
2. Earthly-mindedness 
3. Hanging out with ungodly 
4. Arguing too much over secondary stuff e.g. theology and politics 
5. Laziness
6. Talking about Christ instead of Delighting in Him

Helps:

1. Genuine Convictions
2. Personal Assurance
3. Proximity to heaven
4. Spiritual Friendship
5. A Sanctified Imagination
6. The Means of Grace
7. Bodily Discipline