Think on These Things: Train Your Mind to Treasure What’s True

(Based on Numbers 13:26–14:10)

Imagine standing on the edge of your promised land, just like the Israelites in Numbers 13.

You’ve seen God part the sea, send down manna, defeat armies, guide you by cloud and fire.

Now you're just one step away…
But the spies return with a report that flips the whole nation into fear.

“We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes…” (Numbers 13:33)

Their downfall didn’t begin with swords or chariots.
It began in their thoughts.

They believed the wrong story.

And that’s the focus of Chapter 10 of Every Thought Captive—how our lives follow the direction of our dominant thoughts, and why it’s vital to think on what is true.

What Story Are You Believing?

The Israelites had a choice:

Believe God’s promises.

Or believe their fears.

Ten spies chose fear. Two—Joshua and Caleb—chose faith.

Same land. Same enemies. Same facts.
But radically different mindsets.

That’s the power of thought life.
It doesn’t just describe our reality—it creates it.

As Proverbs 23:7 says, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”

What You Dwell On, You Become

One of the most overlooked spiritual disciplines is thinking—deliberate, disciplined, truth-based thinking.

Philippians 4:8 is our guide:

“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely… think about these things.”

Notice Paul doesn’t say:

“Try harder.”

“Do better.”

“Feel something more spiritual.”

He says: Think.
Because your thinking leads to believing, and believing leads to becoming.

The Thought Spiral

Most people don’t jump from joy to despair in one leap. It’s a slow spiral:

“I don’t think I can do this.”

“I’ve never been good at this.”

“People probably don’t even want me here.”

“Why do I even try?”

That’s why Paul commands us to take thoughts captive (2 Corinthians 10:5)—because if we don’t, they take us captive.

You can’t always control what thoughts pop into your mind.
But you can decide what stays, and what you meditate on.

Training the Mind

This kind of thinking takes work. It’s a training ground, not a magic switch.

Try this:

Identify your dominant negative thoughts. Write them down.

Replace them with truth. Find Scriptures that speak directly to them.

Practice focused meditation. Spend 5–10 minutes a day thinking deeply about God's truth—repeating it, praying it, letting it soak in.

You’re not just reading Scripture. You’re rewiring your mind.

And over time, those truths start to shape your reactions, emotions, decisions, and relationships.

Caleb’s Mindset: “We can certainly do it.”

When Caleb stood in front of the people, his words cut through the fear:

“We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” (Numbers 13:30)

That’s not bravado. It’s belief.
It’s the result of a mind saturated in the faithfulness of God.

Caleb didn’t pretend there weren’t giants.
He just believed God was bigger.

That’s what happens when you learn to think on what is true.
You don’t live in denial. You live in faith.

Think on these things.
Every single day, your thoughts are shaping the person you’re becoming.
So take the wheel. Choose what you meditate on.
And like Caleb, speak faith into the face of fear.

Available on Amazon or as part of the Good Questions Have Groups Talking subscription service at www.MyBibleStudyLessons.com.

Why Using Books as Curriculum Transforms Lives and Creates Disciples

I’ve been in church ministry long enough to make this observation: people don’t change much because of curriculum. But they do change because of books.

Curriculum often gives us bullet points and fill-in-the-blanks. Books tell stories. Curriculum tends to be consumable—used once, then shelved. Books become companions, mentors, and sometimes, life-changers. Curriculum offers information; books offer transformation.

When you hand someone a great book—J.I. Packer’s Knowing God, R.C. Sproul’s The Holiness of God, or Kyle Idleman’s Not a Fan—you’re not just delivering content. You’re giving them access to decades of wisdom, distilled in the voice of someone who has walked the road. These aren’t just Bible lessons; they are discipleship journeys.

Books allow for deeper reflection. They’re portable, personal, and penetrating. People can mark them up, come back to them years later, and say, “This chapter changed my life.” I’ve never heard anyone say that about a six-week DVD series.

When churches use books as curriculum—especially paired with open-ended, discussion-based questions (like the kind in Good Questions Have Groups Talking)—amazing things happen. Conversations go deeper. People become self-feeders. Discipleship becomes a lifestyle, not just a class.

Books are how God has formed many of His people. Augustine was moved by a book. Luther launched a reformation after reading Romans. C.S. Lewis, Dallas Willard, and John Ortberg have shaped generations of believers through pages, not programs.

If your goal is to check the box for another small group quarter, curriculum may do. But if your goal is to see lives changed—start handing people good books. Let them wrestle with big ideas, chew on timeless truths, and soak in the wisdom of those who’ve walked with God.

Discipleship is not about getting through a workbook. It’s about becoming someone new. And books do that best.