Renewing Your Mind (Victory Series Book #4): Become More Like Christ

© 2014 by Neil T. Anderson

Published by Bethany House Publishers

11400 Hampshire Avenue South

Bloomington, Minnesota 55438

www.bethanyhouse.com

Bethany House Publishers is a division of

Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan

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.
bakerpublishinggroup
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com

Ebook edition created 2014

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

ISBN 978-1-4412-6561-6

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations identified
NASB
are from the New American Standard Bible®, copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations identified
NKJV
are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations identified
NLT
are from the
Holy Bible
, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations identified
KJV
are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Cover design by Inside Out Design

Cover    
1

Title Page    
3

Copyright Page    
4

Introduction    
7

Session One: Being Transformed    
11

1. Renewing Our Minds (Romans 12:1–8)    
13

2. Tearing Down Mental Strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:1–5)    
17

3. Letting Christ Rule in Our Hearts (Psalm 119:1–16)    
21

4. Choosing the Truth (Philippians 4:4–9)    
25

5. Observing God’s Word (Ezra 7:8–10)    
29

Session Two: Living Under Grace    
35

1. Dead to Sin (Romans 6:1–14)    
37

2. The Christian’s Relationship to the Law (Mark 2:23–28)    
41

3. Walking with God (Matthew 11:28–30)    
45

4. Led by the Spirit (Exodus 13:17–22)    
49

5. Enduring Hardship (Hebrews 12:1–13)    
53

Session Three: Overcoming Anger    
59

1. Emotional Honesty (1 Samuel 18:1–16)    
61

2. A Humble Walk With God (Micah 6:6–8)    
65

3. Goals and Desires (Luke 12:13–21)    
69

4. A True Sense of Worth (2 Peter 1:3–11)    
73

5. Righteous Indignation (Mark 11:12–25)    
77

Session Four: Overcoming Anxiety    
83

1. Dealing With Worry (Matthew 6:19–34)    
85

2. Double-Minded Thinking (Joshua 24:14–28)    
89

3. “Plan A” Living (Mark 7:1–9)    
93

4. Knowing God’s Ways (Jeremiah 9:1–26)    
97

5. Casting Our Anxieties on Christ (1 Peter 5:6–10)    
101

Session Five: Overcoming Depression    
107

1. Diagnosing Depression (Psalm 38:1–22)    
109

2. The Basis for Our Hope (Psalm 13:1–6)    
113

3. Overcoming Hopelessness (Hebrews 6:13–19)    
117

4. The Problem of Helplessness (Exodus 6:6–12)    
121

5. Overcoming Helplessness (Numbers 13:26–14:9)    
125

Session Six: Overcoming Losses    
133

1. Reacting to Losses (Mark 10:32–34)    
135

2. Surviving the Crisis (Job 3:1–26)    
139

3. Identifying Losses (Acts 9:1–31)    
143

4. The Elijah Complex (1 Kings 19:1–18)    
147

5. Commitment to Overcome Depression (John 5:1–18)    
151

Leader’s Tips    
157

Notes    
161

Victory Series Scope and Sequence Overview    
163

Books and Resources    
167

Index    
171

About the Author    
175

Back Ad    
176

Back Cover    
177

The Victory Series

S
o then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught” (Colossians 2:6–7). Paul’s New Covenant theology is based on who we are “in Christ.” As a believer in Christ, you must first be rooted “in Him” so you can be built up “in Him.” Just as you encounter challenges as you grow physically, you will encounter hurdles as you grow spiritually. The following chart illustrates what obstacles you need to overcome and lessons you need to learn at various stages of growth spiritually, rationally, emotionally, volitionally, and relationally.

Levels of Conflict

This V
ICTORY
S
ERIES
will address these obstacles and hurdles and help you understand what it means to be firmly rooted in Christ, grow in Christ, live free in Christ, and overcome in Christ. The goal of the course is to help you attain greater levels of spiritual growth, as the following diagram illustrates:

Levels of Growth

God’s Story
for You
and
Your New Identity
, the first two studies in the V
ICTORY
S
ERIES
, focused on the issues that help the believer become firmly rooted in Christ (level one in above chart). If you have completed those studies, then you know the whole gospel, who you are in Christ, and who is your heavenly Father.
Your Foundation in Christ
, the third study in the V
ICTORY
S
ERIES
, and this study,
Renewing
Your Mind
, discuss issues that are related to your growth in Christ (level two in the above chart).

As you work through the six sessions in this Bible study, you will learn how to tear down mental strongholds that keep you in bondage, allow Christ to rule in your heart, be led by the Spirit, live under grace, and overcome anger, depression and losses. Growth requires the right foundation, which is your personal identity and security in Christ. The Steps to Freedom in Christ will be mentioned during this study. This booklet can be purchased at any Christian bookstore or from Freedom in Christ Ministries. The Steps to Freedom in Christ is a repentance process that can help you resolve your personal and spiritual conflicts. The theology and application of the Steps is explained in the book
Discipleship Counseling
.

Before starting each daily reading, review the portion of Scripture listed for that day, then complete the questions at the end of each day’s reading. These questions have been written to allow you to reflect on the material and apply to your life the ideas presented in the reading. At the end of each study, I have included a quote from a Church father illustrating the continuity of the Christian faith. Featured articles will appear in the text throughout the series, which are for the edification of the reader and not necessarily meant for discussion.

If you are part of a small group, be prepared to share your thoughts and insights with your group. You may also want to set up an accountability partnership with someone in your group to encourage you as you apply what you have learned in each session. For those of you who are leading a small group, there are leader tips at the end of this book that will help you guide your participants through the material.

As with any spiritual discipline, you will be tempted at times not to finish this study. There is a “sure reward” for those who make a “sure commitment.” The V
ICTORY
S
ERIES
is far more than an intellectual exercise. The truth will not set you free if you only acknowledge it and discuss it on an intellectual level. For the truth to transform your life, you must believe it personally and allow it to sink deep into your heart. Trust the Holy Spirit to lead you into all truth and enable you to be the person God has created you to be. Decide to live what you have chosen to believe.

Dr. Neil T. Anderson

A
lbert Einstein said, “It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.” In other words, knowledge does not equate to character, which Paul warned us about: “We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know” (1 Corinthians 8:1–2). When we make knowledge an end in itself, it undermines the very purpose for which it was intended. “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5
NASB
). Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).

The smartphone has changed the way we live. Information about almost everything is now available at our fingertips. The accumulation of knowledge is doubling every two years, but where is the personal transformation? Where has all this information led us?

Daily Readings