EP. 1 | What is a sound mind?

For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (upbeat music) Sound, mind. - Processing, sound mind. - Strauss G, 49.95, sofranis mass, sofranis mass. - Admonition, calling to soundness. - Clarity, in mind, aligned. - Locking out, free from fear's grip. - Reset, power, love, and soundness. - What is a sound mind? A mind in balance, in control. A mind capable of discerning truth amidst the noise. No longer bound by fear. Self-controlled, moderation, not the absence of emotion, but the ability to regulate, to act, not react. An operating system of strength and wisdom. This is the framework of existence. The mind, grounded, the heart, powered by love. The spirit, free from fear. (upbeat music) Sound, mind. (upbeat music) Hey, this is Jonathan. I'm a counselor at Sound Mind, a professor at the Living Faith Bible Institute and a pastor here in Kansas City at Midtown Baptist Temple. And this is the very first episode of Sound Mind, where we take a deeper look at life through a biblical lens. Okay, let's do this. Okay, so we all have felt fear at one point or another. It's a natural part of life, but let's consider what it really means when God tells us. He hasn't given us a spirit of fear. In Second Timothy 1.7, it says, "For God have not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." That's not just a reminder that fear is something we can overcome. It's a statement about what God has not given us. He hasn't given us a spirit of fear. So what does that mean exactly? Okay, let's look at it. So fear in and of itself isn't always bad. It's a natural emotional response that can alert us to danger or to help us take action. But the spirit of fear, now that's something completely different. A spirit is more than just a passing feeling. It's a controlling influence. It's a mindset that dominates the way that we think and feel and act. And when that kind of fear takes over, it paralyzes us. It causes us to bury our gifts like the servant in Matthew 25, 25 who said, "I was afraid and went and hid thy talent in the earth." That's what fear rooted in bondage really does. It makes us bury what God has given us instead of investing it for his glory. But God in his grace hasn't left us unarmed. He's given us something far better than fear. He's given us a spirit of power. That's courage, holy boldness, the kind of resilience that allows us to step forward in faith, even in the face of difficulty. And it's not from ourselves. It's from the one who said, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." Matthew 28, 18. When we speak and serve in his name and the name of Jesus, we're not operating from our own reserves. We're drawing from his limitless strength. So he's given us a spirit of power and then he gives us a spirit of love. Not the kind of love that avoids risk or provides comfort, but the kind that mirrors God's heart. A love that keeps going through hardship because it's anchored in a relationship. It's the kind of love that shows up for a friend walking through a difficult season with grief, even when you're not sure what to say. It's the kind of love that considers your neighbor over yourself. It's choosing to stay soft-hearted towards someone who's hurt you because you care more about restoration than being right. That's the kind of love that reflects God's heart. So he's given us a spirit of power and then love and then finally, a sound mind. That's not just rational thinking, it's a peaceful, stable, spiritually grounded mindset. A sound mind quiets the chaos of imagination and settles us in God's truth. It helps us discern between real threats and fears that maybe we've fabricated in our mind. Sometimes the biggest obstacles isn't even out there. It's the version we've built in our own heads. But a sound mind keeps us steady and clear-headed when fear tries to cloud our view. So when we are ruled by fear, we forfeit God's power. We shift from self-sacrificial love to self-preservation and then we trade clarity for confusion. But a sound mind is the antidote to fear. When we choose to live by the spirit God has given us, power, love, and a sound mind, we step into clarity. We step into peace. We step into the life that he designed for us. Scripture gives us a fuller look at what sound mind looks like. In Psalm 119, 80, it says, "Let my heart be sound in thy statues." That I should not be ashamed. A sound mind is a heart rooted in God's word. It produces confidence and removes shame. And then we see in Proverbs 2, 7. He layeth up a sound wisdom for the righteous. He is a buckler to them that walk up rightly. So our mind is protected by God's wisdom. It becomes a shield. From the panic of fear. And then we see in Luke 8, 35. They came to Jesus and found the man out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. See, when we come to Jesus, he restores us. Fear, it has to flee and we return to a sound mind. So maybe today you're listening and you're facing something that's making you want to retreat, to bury your gifts or even to shrink back or to stay silent. Let's not let fear write the script. You've been given a different spirit and that changes everything. So if we're being real, our minds don't always feel sound, right? It's like we're constantly hit with what I call mind sounds. Yeah, okay, so mind sounds. The noise of anxiety, fear, doubt and even condemnation. The enemy loves to press play on the old recordings in our minds. If people knew the real you, they would leave. Man, you should have known better. You should be further along by that. You'll never be good at this. Why would you even try if you're just going to fail? You're such a disappointment. If you let go now, everything will fall apart. They're just being nice. They don't really care. You can't stop until it's exactly right. Gosh, you're pathetic. But here's the truth. When we surrender those mind sounds, we unlock a sound mind. Think about the prodigal son with boldness and audacity approached his father and demanded his inheritance. Essentially saying, I wish you were dead. He took the money thinking it would bring him freedom and ran off, eager to escape. And what did he do? He wasted it all. Wild living, parties, self-indulgence, anything and everything that promised satisfaction. He chased it. But eventually the money ran out and so did the people that he bought with it. The world he thought would fulfill him left him empty. And then there was a famine. Suddenly he was stuck feeding pigs and wishing he could eat their slop. He was lost and alone. He was starving, not just physically, but spiritually. And it's here in Luke 15, 17. It says, "When he came to himself, he said, "How many hired servants of my father "have bred enough and to spare? "And I perish with hunger." He'd been lost, overwhelmed by the noise of bad decisions. But when he came to his senses, when his mind cleared and he turned back to truth, he found restoration. That's what a sound mind does. It clears the noise and it restores. When I was a kid, I was afraid of the dark. I mean, terrified. You're probably thinking, yeah, me too, but I don't think you fully understand. We're talking full-on, clutch the sheets, stare at the dark corner of the room, kind of terrified. It wasn't just the normal fear of the dark where you sleep with a nightlight. Oh no, I was on a whole another level. I'm talking, ah, real monsters under the bed fear, like bebop and rocksteady from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hiding in the closet kind of fear. I couldn't even watch the intro to are you afraid of the dark on Nickelodeon without covering my eyes. Because if I didn't, I knew I was gonna have a nightmare. I'm talking about the kind of fear where you end up sleeping under your parents bed way too late in life, that kind of fear. I was afraid of the dark in a way that it consumed my thoughts. The fear felt so vivid and tangible that it became my own reality. You get the picture right. I was living in constant dread of what might be in the dark. And let me tell you, it wasn't just about the absence of light. It was about the stories I made up in my mind, the monsters I imagined, the fear that took hold of me. The longer I lived in that fear, the harder it was to see clearly, to separate fact from fiction. And that's exactly how fear works, isn't it? It distorts the truth, clouds our minds, and it paralyzes us from moving forward. And you know, our lives can feel the same way. The fear of the unknown, fear of failure, or fear of rejection, or even fear of what God's calling might cost us. These kinds of fears can dominate our thoughts and dictate our actions. And just like I had to muster up all of my strength to jump from my bed to the little bit of square light on the floor of my room to make it out of the darkness, we too have to step into the light and face our fears head on. You know, when we live in fear, we forfeit power, love, and a sound mind, fear distorts our perceptions. And we begin to live in a place where we feel paralyzed and powerless. But if we let fear rule our lives, we miss out on everything God has for us. We miss out on the freedom, the peace, and the confidence that comes when we step into his truth. Okay, so let's end today with a simple but powerful idea. God hasn't given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind. And sometimes that first step out of fear is the hardest one to take. Because fear, it feels real. It has a voice. It whispers worst case scenarios and fills in the blanks with doubt. If we believe those voices, if we believe in the monsters under the bed, then they'll haunt us. But when we believe on truth, we're set free. What we believe matters. This is what having a sound mind really means. When we surrender fear, we are given a sound mind. We receive clarity and peace and spiritual alignment. It's here in this space that we begin to live with purpose and passion. We see the fruit of the spirit in our life, love, joy, peace, lawns suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. And it's here where fear loses its grip and faith, it takes hold. Here, there is no noise or chaos. Here, it is focused, still, spirit led. The place where we walk with God, not run from fear. Living with a sound mind isn't about being perfect. It's about abiding. Jesus said it like this in John 15.5. I am the vine. Ye are the branches. He that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit. For without me, ye can do nothing. See, to abide in this place means staying connected to him. It means resting in his presence, trusting his purpose, even when life doesn't make sense. And when we live from that place, we stop striving for external validation and start living in truth, as Paul the apostle says in Colossians 3.15. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts. See, we live empowered, not panicked. We live with peace, not pressure. This is where we belong, where peace rules and truth leads. So sound mind is more than a podcast. It's a posture. It's a picture of life between fear and faith. Not just a concept, but a way of living. A way of abiding and communing with God. A way of leaving behind chaos and stepping into calling. This is a sound mind. I wanna leave you with a challenge. Take a moment to quiet your mind and in that stillness, share your fears with your Heavenly Father. He's listening and he cares. Whatever you're facing, he's there and he's ready to give you peace and clarity. If you're feeling like you need more guidance, maybe you're walking through a tough season or you're unsure of what's next. Consider talking to a friend, a disciple or a pastor or you can find me at soundmind.live. If you're looking to dive deeper into what the Bible says about living out God's purpose for your life, I also wanna encourage you to consider checking out the Living Faith Bible Institute. It's an incredible resource for understanding God's word and to learn how to apply it in real life. It's accessible, affordable and applicable to life and ministry. You can find more details at LFBI.org. And if you're looking for more conversations like this one, check out the PostScript Podcast, Pastor and Provost of the Living Faith Bible Institute, Brandon Briscoe, interviews pastors, professors and missionaries on a wide array of topics. You can find the PostScript wherever you listen to podcasts. And hey, if you liked today's show, if it helped you, encouraged you or made you think, follow the show, share it with someone or rate and review it. It really does help others find their way here. You can also follow us on Instagram @soundmind.live. That's where we post throughout the week, short reflections, quotes and reminders that God's word really does speak into real life. And if you're just joining us for our premiere week, we actually release two full episodes to get things started. So if you're ready, the next one is already waiting for you. We'll be talking about anxiety, not as something to hide, but as something that might be trying to tell you something. So what if your fear isn't a failure, but a signal pointing you towards peace? If your mind feels loud, if peace feels fragile or if faith feels like a fight, you're not alone. Just hit play and I'll meet you there. Thanks for spending time with me today. Until next time, take care. 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