This Week’s Devotional (Mon–Fri)
Reston Bible Church | May 17, 2026
Sermon Title Rescued , Part 17: The Battle for the Mind
Speaker Pastor Jim Supp
Primary Passage Romans 12
DAY 1
What Is the Therefore There For?
Romans 12:1
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God…”
Meditation: Romans 12 begins with a significant transition. Paul says “therefore,” and that means we have to ask, “What is the therefore there for?” The first eleven chapters have shown us the gospel: our sin, God’s judgment, Christ’s payment, faith, grace, sanctification, and the mercies of God.
Now Paul turns from teaching to application. We should never seek truth simply for the sake of knowledge, or come to church only for information. In light of the gospel, the question becomes: how ought we to live?
The hope is that God does not call us to change apart from mercy. The Christian life begins with what God has already done for us in Christ. Because of His mercy, truth can become life.
💭 Where have I been hearing God’s truth without letting it reshape my life?
🙏 Father, thank You for Your Word and for the mercies You have shown me in Christ. Help me not only to understand truth, but to live in response to it. Amen.
✅ Try this today: Before one decision, pause and ask, "Lord, what would honor You here?"
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DAY 5
Practice Replacing the Falsehood with the Truth
2 Corinthians 10:5; Romans 12:2 “We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
Meditation: Renewing the mind begins with knowing and assessing our own thought patterns. What are the messages we send to ourselves about God, life, our identity, our pain, our future, or our failures? We cannot replace thoughts we have never honestly identified.
Then we practice replacing falsehood with truth. This means taking captive the thoughts that are not aligned with God’s Word and bringing in the specific Scriptures that speak to our fears, pride, shame, discouragement, or compromise. This is not vague positive thinking. It is Holy Spirit-powered, Word-shaped transformation.
As our minds are renewed, we can discern God’s will—what is good, acceptable, and perfect—and then obey even when we do not feel like it. God is the one we serve, and people become the beneficiaries of our obedience to Him.
💭 What false thought do I need to take captive and replace with God’s truth today?
🙏 Father, renew my mind. Help me recognize what is false, receive what is true, and obey You today as an act of worship. Amen.
✅ Try this today: Name one recurring false thought, then choose one Scripture to meditate on whenever that thought returns.
This is how your congregation could walk with Sunday throughout the week.