“Mind Games ”
Hillcrest Church Office
June 18, 2003

Do you know friends who would appreciate Winning Ways?  Just forward this e-mail to them!

Have you subscribed to Winning Ways?  You can subscribe by logging on to Click here.  Your e-mail address will not be sold or given away to anyone, and you can automatically change your subscription or drop it by following the easy steps provided with each e-mail.

Here is this week's WINNING WAYS . . . .

“Mind Games”
by Tom Goodman

God is in the process of freeing his people from sin’s PULL in this life and sin’s PENALTY in the next life.  Rest assured:  you can put your hope in God’s ability to bring that process to a successful end.  We can expect its completion . . . anticipate its consummation . . . confidently wait for its arrival.  The Apostle Paul says, “The hope of salvation should be our helmet.”  (1 Thessalonians 5:8).

I think it’s worth observing that Paul described this hope of salvation as a helmet.  A helmet protects the head, and when it comes to the assurance of God’s interest in our salvation, our spiritual enemy aims for the head.  He wants to play mind games with us.

When you’ve failed to be the person you want to be, have you ever heard a little voice in your head say, “Well, look what you’ve done.  And you call yourself a Christian.  I’d say this proves you’re not ready for a commitment like that.”

Or maybe you’ve heard in your head, “Man, is God ever disappointed in you.  I wouldn’t go to him in prayer about this.  You’ve failed too many times – don’t you think he’s pretty tired of you by now?”

Have you ever had thoughts like that?  The longer you let thoughts like that dominate your thinking, the harder it will be to rise above miserable living.  You need the confident hope of salvation protecting your head against those mind games of the enemy.

This Sunday we’ll continue our morning study through the pieces of armor that the Bible says we ought to put on our soul.  This week we’ll learn how to put on “the hope of salvation” like a helmet.

See you at 8:30 or 10:45!

– Tom

FRESH NEWS AT HILLCREST – UPDATED WEEKLY: www.HillcrestAustin.org

LISTEN TO RECENT SERMONS:  Click here

MANAGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTIONS TO OUR EMAIL NEWSLETTERS:  Click here

If you do not have access to the web, please send a note to newsmaster@hbcaustin.org to tell us of any changes you would like to make.