Author: lamkhanh

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“Everything he does is good.”  Psalm 111:7 (NCV)

When you ask people what sin is, you’ll get a wide range of answers, from murder to forgetting to call your mom on Mother’s Day.

Most of the time, people think of sin as bad behavior. And your bad behaviors often do reveal sin. But the Bible tells us that God pays more attention to our thoughts than our behaviors—because it’s sinful thinking that leads to sinful behavior.

So what is sin? Sin is the opposite of God. The Bible says, “Everything he does is good,” “he is good to everyone and has compassion on all he made,” and “everything that God has created is good” (Psalm 111:7 NCV, Psalm 145:9 GNT, 1 Timothy 4:4 GNT).

Everything God does is good, and everything he created is good. But when we take what God created and use it in bad ways, that is sin.

For example, when you use prescription drugs the right way, they can bring helpful relief. But when you misuse and abuse drugs, something good becomes something harmful. Money is neither good nor bad. It can be used for great good, but it also can be used for incredibly bad things.

God expects you to turn from your sins and start walking faithfully toward him. Part of faith is trusting that God has your best interests in mind. You don’t have to wonder what God is like. The Bible says clearly that he is perfect and does not sin.

While you will never be perfect on earth, you can become more like Jesus. This starts by turning away from sin and making choices every day to pursue what is good and godly.

Talk It Over

• If your purpose in life is to become more like Jesus, how can you shift your priorities so that you are focusing more on that goal?
• How does knowing God’s Word better help you turn from sin?
• What are some other tools God uses to help you become more like him?

Are you ready to find rest in God? The first step toward rest is to make peace with God by accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior. You can start with this simple prayer: 

“Dear God, I don’t want my sin to separate me from you any longer. You have promised that if I believe in Jesus, you’ll forgive me for everything I’ve ever done wrong, you’ll show me the purpose of my life, and you’ll accept me into your family and bring me to heaven one day to live with you for eternity. 

“Jesus, I confess my sin, and I believe you are my Savior. I trust you when you say salvation comes by grace, through faith, and not by anything I do. I ask you to come into my life as my Lord. Today, I commit my life to you. 

“I want to live the way you created me to live—at peace and rested—and to use the remainder of my life to serve you. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.” 

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32 (NLT)

A lot of things that are true won’t set you free. You can learn how to program a computer, but that won’t set you free. You could read all the latest self-help books, but that won’t set you free either.

The only truth that sets you free is the truth of God’s Word: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32 NLT). A lot of people can quote this verse, but not everyone acknowledges that it’s talking about the Bible or is even from the Bible.

If knowing God’s Word is the only way to be free, then you’ve got to make reading and studying the Bible a priority in your life. You’ve got to feed your mind on the truth of God’s Word.

The ancient Israelite King David understood how important God’s Word is. There was a time when he had so many enemies that he was actually a fugitive. He was running for his life and hiding in caves. But no matter what happened, he fed himself with God’s truth.

Psalm 119:95 is one of the psalms he wrote during this time, and it says, “Though the wicked hide along the way to kill me, I will quietly keep my mind on your laws” (NLT).

When you look at things happening around the world, it’s easy to get discouraged. When you scroll through your news feed, listen to talk radio, or watch the news, you may start to feel down. You may start to feel hopeless. But when you fill your mind with the truth of God’s Word, then you will have more hope and a better perspective on your life—even when you’re in a crisis and running from your enemies.

The Bible says, “How I love your law! I think about it all day long” (Psalm 119:97 GNT). It might be intimidating to try to think about God’s Word all day long. That’s because it doesn’t come naturally to anyone! You might struggle to think about God’s Word even one time in your day, but you can start somewhere.

Try starting your day with the Word of God. Spend 10 minutes reading the Bible in the morning, and then you can think about what you read throughout your day. And the Holy Spirit will help you recall what you’ve read when you when you need it in difficult times.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.”  Romans 8:5 (NLT)

Have you ever felt like you are a hostage to your thoughts? Maybe you just can’t get a thought out of your mind. Or you often find yourself doing things you don’t want to do. You knowingly engage in self-defeating behavior. You know something is not good for you, but you do it anyway.

Romans 7:23 says, “I see a different law at work in my body—a law that fights against the law which my mind approves of. It makes me a prisoner to the law of sin which is at work in my body” (GNT).

Because of your sinful nature, you think of yourself and your wants more than what God wants. It’s a battle in your mind, and you’re losing it. Your old nature—who  you were before Jesus changed your life—is not your friend. It is the source of all your self-defeating habits that tend to take you down.

Do you want to break those habits and have more control over the way you think?

Then you need to hear and understand this truth: You don’t have to believe everything you think.

Your mind lies to you all the time. Just because you think something is true doesn’t make it true. Just because you feel something is true doesn’t make it true. Your mind and your emotions often lie to you. Part of spiritual growth—becoming more like Jesus—is learning to know the difference between thoughts that are true and those that are not.

One of the most important disciplines you can build in life is to challenge your own thoughts. Say to yourself, “I know what I’m thinking, but is that really true?”

No matter how far you go in your spiritual walk, your old, sinful nature will keep trying to take control of your thoughts. You have to learn to question your thoughts, not just one time but throughout your day and throughout your life!

When you start to think nobody likes you, ask yourself if that’s really true. If you think it’s never going to get better, ask yourself if it’s true. When you think your life is worthless, question what Satan is trying convince you of. Then, remember what you know from God’s Word to be true.

The Bible teaches, “Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit” (Romans 8:5 NLT).

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”  Matthew 5:44 (GNT)

To think like Jesus means to be willing to forgive the people who have hurt you.

Even on the cross, Jesus forgave. In Luke 23:34 he says of the people who tortured and hung him there, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (NIV).

Who has hurt you the most in life? Who are you holding a grudge against? What pain are you holding on to because you cannot forgive?

When you hold on to hurt, you’re really only hurting yourself. You need to forgive the person, not because they deserve it but because God has forgiven you, and he expects you to do the same for others. You forgive because you don’t want your pain to turn into bitterness and resentment. Being unforgiving is like drinking poison and hoping it hurts the other person.

Jesus always forgives, but he never stops with just forgiveness. He gives a radical example when he says, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44 GNT).

It is not enough to just forgive. God wants you to learn to respond to evil with good and bless those who have hurt you. He wants you to pray for their good.

Why would you do that? Because thinking like Jesus is the healthiest, happiest, and most healing way to live.

If you have the mind of the world, you’re only going to live in the pain of past hurt.

When you have the mind of Christ, you are free to forgive and bless. You’re free to move forward with your life, secure in your salvation and hope for the future.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“No one can serve two masters.”  Luke 16:13 (NIV)

When you’re always worried about what other people think of you, you can’t be what God wants you to be. But when you learn to think like Jesus, you won’t worry about pleasing everyone. Jesus had the right focus. He was only concerned with pleasing God.

Jesus was never manipulated by crowds or by the approval or disapproval of anybody else. He lived for an audience of one: “I try to please the One who sent me” (John 5:30 NCV). When you have the mind of Christ, that’s what you do too.

Wouldn’t it simplify your life to live for an audience of one? If God likes what you’re doing, then you know you’re doing the right thing.

God says in Matthew 3:17, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (NIV). Jesus was obviously doing it right.

The truth is, you can’t please everybody. Even God can’t please everybody! When someone prays for it to be sunny, somebody else is praying for it to rain. Somebody is praying for their team to do well, and someone else wants the opposing team to win. You can’t please everybody.

Luke 16:13 says, “No one can serve two masters” (NIV).

You have to decide whose approval you’re going to seek—God’s approval or other people’s approval. Are you going to live for what other people think or what God thinks?

When you’re always looking for validation from other people, it means you don’t really realize who you are. You don’t understand what God made you to do, and you don’t believe that he is always with you.

Jesus never let someone else’s approval or a fear of rejection control him. He wasn’t out to win a popularity contest. He didn’t need other people’s opinions to validate himself.

When you have the mind of Christ, you will be so secure in your identity, your purpose, and God’s presence in your life that you won’t need to look to other people for approval.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“I am not really alone, because the Father is with me.”  John 16:32 (GNT)

Having the mind of Christ means always being aware that God is with you.

We see this in the life of Jesus. Jesus lived in the presence of God and stayed connected to the favor of God. No matter how busy he was, he stayed in tune with the Father. Jesus said, “I am not really alone, because the Father is with me” (John 16:32 GNT).

This is why the greatest antidote to loneliness is thinking like Jesus. When you have the mind of Christ, you’ll be able, like him, to say, “I’m not alone because I know the Father is always with me.” When we feel alone, it’s often the result of not living with the mind of Christ—we’re not aware of God’s constant care.

How can you always stay aware of God’s constant care? One way is through prayer. Jesus made prayer a daily habit: “Jesus would often go to some place where he could be alone and pray” (Luke 5:16 CEV).

Notice this verse says that Jesus often slipped away so he could pray. You can’t just do that every now and then if you want to have the mind of Christ. Jesus’ prayer life was continual. He made it the priority of his life to be with his Father. It was a habit.

Do you stop and pray throughout the day? Do you think your day would go better if you developed this habit? If Jesus felt the need to slip away and pray throughout his day, then think about how much more we need it!

When you don’t take the time to talk with God, you miss the gifts of God. It’s not God’s will for you to be too busy for him. In fact, you’ll get more done in every area of your life if you take the time to stop and pray.

That doesn’t seem like it should work. If you’re always stopping to pray, how are you going to get more done? When you pray, you’re taking time to let God’s Spirit remind you what your purpose is. Then you’re able to focus your mind and heart on what matters most.

Jesus Christ knew who he was and what his purpose was. He was always aware of God’s presence. When you get the mind of Christ, you’ll have those things, too, and you’ll always be aware that God is with you.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”  Acts 3:19 (NIV)

Somewhere along the way, “repent” became a negative word.

When many people hear that word, they think of a guy holding a sign on the corner telling people to “turn or burn” because the end is near.

But the world’s idea of what it means to repent is totally wrong. “Repent” is actually the most positive, transforming word in the world.

The word “repent” just means you change your mind. It’s not when you stop doing bad things—that’s the result of repentance. Repentance simply means you used to think one way and now you think another way.

You used to think guilty thoughts, and now you think forgiven thoughts. You used to think damnation and discouragement, and now you think peace. You used to think selfishness, and now you think of others first. You used to think ambitiously, and now you think about how to serve. You think about God as he really is—a kind and loving Father. You think about yourself as God sees you—with value and purpose. You think about what really has meaning in life.

Repentance is when you start rethinking your life in order to match how Jesus thinks. When you repent and turn from darkness to light, it’s not about not getting to do the things you want to do anymore. It’s about doing only the things that matter because your mind is set on what’s most important. It’s the most positive change in the world.

Do you need some refreshment? Do you need to recover from life’s hurts and be revived after loss or failure? Then you only need to repent. When you do, you’ll come into God’s presence and experience real joy and peace.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.”  John 10:28 (NIV)

When I took my kids to the Grand Canyon when they were young, my two boys were especially wiggly. I held on to their hands as we walked up to the edge. They wanted to let go—but there was no way I was letting go of their hands! As their father, I loved them too much to let them go.

After you put your hand in God’s hand, there will be times you’re going to want to let go. But no matter how your feelings or circumstances change, God is steady, sure, and faithful. When you become a Christian, he promises to keep you saved until heaven.

Jesus said, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28 NIV).

There have been times in my life when I have said, “God, it’s not convenient to be a follower of Jesus right now. I’d like to let go for a little bit.” God says, “Well, you might want to let go of me, but I’m not letting go of you. You are in my hand, and no one can snatch you out.”

How big do you think God’s hand is? Do you think it’s so small that you can get to the edge of it? His hands are bigger than the universe. You’ll never get to the edge of God’s hands. You’ll never get to the end of God’s love.

Once you are born again, you can’t be unborn. Once your name is written in the eternal book of life, it’s written in indelible ink, the blood of Christ. Once you’re saved, you are always saved.

You don’t know what your future holds or how many years you’ve got left. You might lose everything, but you will never lose your salvation. Even when the world seems to have gone mad, you have a loving Father who is working things out for good.

Be confident and rest assured that the One who holds you in his hand will never let you go.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“Letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.” Romans 8:6 (NLT)

Have you noticed your mind doesn’t always do what you tell it to do?

Sometimes your mind has a mind of its own. Sometimes your thoughts go off in directions that you don’t intend. When you need to pray, your thoughts stray. When you want to ponder God’s Word, your thoughts want to wander.

The Bible says, when this happens, you need to take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5). What does that mean? The Greek word used in that verse literally means you take thoughts prisoner. You conquer them. You bring them under control.

That’s only possible when you use the two weapons every believer has available to them: the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

First, you need to recognize the power of God’s Spirit inside you. Without him, you are defenseless. Romans 8:6 says, “Letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace” (NLT).

You need Jesus in your life because, without the Holy Spirit, your sinful nature controls your mind and will always lead you in the wrong direction. But when the Spirit controls you, you have the power you need to take every thought captive.

Second, you need the Word of God. Jesus says, “If you obey my teaching, you are really my disciples; you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32 GNT).

People like to quote the second part of that passage. In fact, it’s posted on university buildings all over the world. But very few people quote the first part, where it says you have to learn and obey God’s Word. People want the freedom without God’s truth.

In reality, there is no freedom without truth. And there is no truth without God’s Word. God has given you the direction you need for life, and you can trust every word the Bible says. The more you get to know God’s Word and fill your mind with his truth, the easier it will be to direct your thoughts where you want them to go.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.” James 1:14 (NLT)

For my dad, a day without fishing was a wasted day. He would manage, no matter what was going on, to go fishing for at least 30 minutes every day. As I watched my dad catch fish after fish (while I caught nothing), I learned really quickly that no fish will bite a bare hook.

You can’t just throw a hook out in the water and expect to catch fish. You have to put bait on the hook, and a good fisherman knows that different fish like different kinds of bait.

Just like a fisherman knows how to bait different kinds of fish, Satan knows just how to bait you. He knows your favorite flavors and what gets your attention. He knows exactly where your weak spot is—that unmet emotional need, that empty tank, that deep desire.

That’s why you’ve got to think about what you’re thinking about. The hook is sin, but the bait is whatever lie Satan wants you to believe. He knows you’re vulnerable to ideas like: If you do this, you’ll feel better. If you do this, it will be rewarding. If you do this, everything will be okay.

Even when you know there’s a hook beneath the bait, you may still keep nibbling. Why? Because you buy whatever lie Satan is feeding you. But if you think you can keep nibbling without getting hooked, you’re just fooling yourself. The idea that you won’t get hurt is another one of Satan’s lies.

One of the most common lies is this: Whenever you’re tempted, something outside of yourself has tempted you.

But here’s the truth: The real problem is not external.

James 1:14 says, “Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away” (NLT).

Temptation starts with our inner desires—those vulnerable spots Satan uses for bait. Those desires lead to sinful actions, and those actions lead to death. What you think determines how you feel, and what you feel determines how you act.

Don’t get in the habit of blaming your circumstances. When you’re tempted, you may think you can’t help it. You can help it! It starts by changing the way you think.

When you’re tempted, stop and ask the question, “What lie am I believing?”

Then replace it with God’s truth. It will always lead to life.