G.W. Bill Elliott, Jr once noted;
Guns don't kill people; acting on hate, anger, and revenge kills people - not the tools themselves. Just control the hate, anger or revenge!
Week:
7
Discernment and Guarding Influence
Protecting mind, attention, sources, and speech. Participants learn to steward attention and to evaluate influences—media, relationships, and internal narratives—that shape belief and behavior. The week offers tools for discernment, boundaries for healthy consumption, and practices for truthful, life-giving speech. The aim is a guarded openness: receptive to God while wise about what shapes us.
Objectives
Test impressions against Scripture and wise counsel.
Practice discernment in media, relationships, and habits.
Identify sources that shape thinking and behavior.
Reflections
What boundary will I set this week?
How do I test what I hear or feel?
What source most shapes my thinking?
NowTo the HowTo
Accountability/Tracking
Use a shared spreadsheet to track sources audited and one action taken for each.
Community Action
Share one media or habit you’ve changed and why; invite feedback and alternatives.
Creative Project
Build a “Source Control” checklist card with three questions to ask before consuming content.
Leader Prompt
Teach a simple discernment rule set (Scripture, peace, wise counsel) and run a short case study.
Personal Practice
Do a 48 hour “source audit” and remove or mute one recurring negative input.
Devotionals
Pay Attention, Here's Your Change
To my knowledge, I've never been in a coma. I have be so focused and attentive to something at times that I miss many other things going on right around me, be it; a crash or accident, the sudden death of a loved one, or even something as simple stopping a sudden plumbing leak. We have an innate ability to deal with more than one thing at a time. A coma however, is our body's way of isolating any/all distractions so it can protect life, heal itself, focus. Our devotional today is a reminder...
The Letter "R"
Our devotional today ends up showing us how one little letter, the letter 'R', can make such a difference in our lives and in our walk with the Lord. First, we read in Isaiah 61:10, " I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. " I love the "... with garments of...
Wordsmithing
Of all the beings God created, mankind is the only one to use words and language to communicate with each other. There are so many languages and so many inflections, tones, and contexts, even moods that can impact how these words are received by others. Of late, it seems as though the only time I open my mouth is to change feet! I end up using inappropriate words, or biting/divisive words, and even worse, insensitive and thoughtless words to communicate my feelings, my opinion, and my...