TAME

YOUR
THOUGHTS
THREE TOOLS TO RENEW YOUR MIND
AND TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE

BIBLE STUDY GUIDE | SIX SESSIONS

MAX LUCADO
WITH SAM O’NEAL
Tame Your Thoughts Bible Study Guide
©2025by MaxLucado
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 CONTENTS
A Note from Max ........................................................................................ v
How to Use This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii

SESSION1:THEPOWER OF YOUR THOUGHTS

Group Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Personal Study. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Study 1: ConformedLikeClay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Study 2: MightyMetamorphosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Study 3: God’sThinkingCap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Catch Up andReadAhead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

SESSION2:THREETOOLS FOR THOUGHT MANAGEMENT

Group Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Personal Study. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Study 1: PracticePickyThinking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Study 2: IdentifyUFOs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Study 3: UprootandReplant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Catch Up andReadAhead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

SESSION3:GETTING UNSTUCK FROM ANXIETY AND GUILT

Group Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Personal Study. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Study 1: TrustGod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Study 2: TellGod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Study 3: ConfesstoGod(andOthers) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
.
Catch Up andReadAhead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
.

SESSION4:FINDING JOY AND AVOIDING THE LURE OF LUST

Group Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Personal Study. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Study 1: TheDangersofContingentJoy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
Study 2: TheABCsofJoy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
Study 3: TheDevastationofLust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80
Catch Up andReadAhead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83
SESSION5:NAVIGATING OVERWHELMING SITUATIONS AND PAIN
Group Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Personal Study. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Study 1: TAPintoVictory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Study 2: ThreeMomentsintheDay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Study 3: GripGod’sGoodness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100
Catch UpandReadAhead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103

SESSION6:FACING REJECTION AND DISSATISFACTION

Group Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Personal Study. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Study 1: God’sGotYou . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Study 2: SeekingContentment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Study 3: ANewWayofThinking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121
Wrap It Up ................................................................................... 125

Leader’s Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
About Max Lucado. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
A NOTE FROM MAX
“You are whatyoueat” is a scary sloganfor most of us. We like the idea of chowing
down on a cheeseburger with all the fixings, but we’re less thrilled about those fixings
forming the foundation of our physical health. Seeing ourselves as a cheeseburger
is not a pleasant image, which is why we need to eat the right kinds of food.

However, as unsettling as this image might be, “you are what you think” is an even
scarier slogan for those of us on a typical diet of worldly thoughts. This is because
most of us savor what we think about in secret—the angry accusations, the extrav-
agant excuses, the furtive fantasies, and so on. The notion of our private notions
being made public for all to see? Terrifying. The idea that those inner thoughts go a
long way toward shaping who we are at the very core of our being? Horrifying.

Even so, it’s true. We are the sum of our thoughts. So it’s no wonder God urges us,
“Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts” (Proverbs 4:23 gNt).

Maybe this is why so many of us today are in such dire straits. Filling our bodies with
harmful food leads to heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and more. Like-
wise, filling our minds with harmful thoughts leads to anxiety, addiction, despair, and
more. Toxic thoughts affect every aspect of who we are, including our mental health,
our relationships with others, and our relationship with God.

Thankfully, we don’t have to stay stuck in the rut of toxic thoughts. We can do a
better job of managing our lives when we do a better job of managing our
thoughts. And we have the opportunity to better manage our thoughts because
we don’t have to do it alone. God is with us! He designed our brains, and he has
equipped us with everything we need to stop being conformed to the world and
start being transformed by his way of thinking.

Sound good? Then get ready to get serious about what you think about. It’s time to
learn how to truly tame your thoughts.

— MAX LUCADO

v
HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE
Do you control your thoughts, ordo your thoughts control you? It’s not an easy
question to answer, largelybecause the answerseems to change from day to day or
even moment to moment. Sometimes, it seems as if we have control over what
goes in and out of our minds. Other times, we feel like a wind sock being thrown
about by a cavalcade of contemplations.

It’s no fun living with out-of-control thoughts. The good news is that you can tame
your thoughts. This resource will equip you with three critical tools for managing
your mind. It will also walk you through different ways to use those tools in some of
the most common battlegrounds of life—anxiety, lust, overwhelm, rejection, and
more. The goal is to help you change your thoughts so you can change your life.

Before you begin, keep in mind that there are a few ways you can go through this
material. You can experience this study with others in a group (such as a Bible study,
Sunday school class, or any other small-group gathering), or you may choose to go
through the content on your own. Either way, know that the videos for each session
are available for you to view at any time by following the instructions that are pro-
vided on the inside cover of this study guide.

GROUP STUDY
Each of the sessions in the Tame Your Thoughts Bible Study is divided into two parts:
(1) a group study section and (2) a personal study section. The group study section
provides a basic framework on how to open your time together, get the most out of
the video content, and discuss the key ideas that were presented in the teaching. Each
session includes the following:

• Welcome: A short opening note about the topicof the session

read on your own before you meet as a group.
• Connect: An icebreaker question to get you and your group
thinking about the topic or your takeaways from the previous week.

vii
 Tame Your Thoughts

• Watch: An outline of the key points covered in each video teaching along
with space for you to take notes as you watch each session.
• Discuss: Questions to help you and your group reflect on the teaching
material presented and apply it to your lives.
• Respond: A short personal exercise to help reinforce the key ideas.
• Pray: A place for you to record prayer requests and praises for the week.

If you are doing this study in a group, make sure you have your own copy of the
study guide so you can write down your thoughts, responses, and reflections—and
so you have access to the videos via streaming. You will also want to have a copy
of the book Tame Your Thoughts, as reading it alongside this guide will provide
you with deeper insights. (See the notes at the beginning of each group session
and personal study section on which chapters of the book you should read before
the next group session.)

Finally, keep these points in mind:

• Facilitation: If you are doing this study in a group,you will want

someoneto serve as a facilitator. This person will be responsible for start-
ing the video and keeping track of time during discussions and activities.
If you have been chosen for this role, there are some resources in the back
of this guide that can help you lead your group through the study.

• Faithfulness: Your group is a place where tremendous growth,

as you reflect on the Bible, ask questions, and learn what God is doing in
other people’s lives. For this reason, be fully committed and attend each
session so you can build trust and rapport with the other members.

• Friendship: The goal of any small group is to serve as a place where people
can share, learn about God, and build friendships. So seek to make
your group a safe place. Be honest about your thoughts and feelings, but
also make it a point to listen carefully to everyone else’s thoughts, feelings,
and opinions. Keep anything personal that your group members share in
confidence so that you can create a community where people can heal, be
challenged, and grow spiritually.

If you are going through this study on your own, read the opening Welcome section
and reflect on the questions in the Connect section. Watch the video and use the

viii
 How to Use This Guide

prompts provided to take notes. Finally, personalize the questions and exercises in
the Discuss and Respond sections. Close by recording any requests you want to
pray about during the week.

PERSONAL STUDY
The personal study is for you to work through on your own during the week. Each
exercise is designed to help you explore the key ideas you uncovered during your
group time and delve into passages of Scripture that will help you apply those
principles to your life. Go at your own pace, doing a little each day—or tackle the
material all at once. Remember to spend a few moments in silence to listen to
whatever God might be saying to you.

If you are doing this study as part of a group and are unable to finish (or even
start) these personal studies for the week, you should still attend the group
time. Be assured you are still wanted and welcome even if you don’t have your
“homework” done. The group studies and personal studies are intended to help
you hear what God wants you to hear and learn how to apply what he is saying
to your life. So . . . as you go through this study, be listening for him to speak
to you about the practice of managing your life by managing your thoughts.

ix
WEEK 1

BEFORE GROUP MEETING Read chapter 1 in Tame Your Thoughts

Read the Welcome section (page 3)

GROUP MEETING Discuss the Connect questions

Watch the video teaching for session 1
Discuss the questions that follow as a group
Do the closing exercise and pray (pages 3–8)

STUDY 1 Complete the personal study (pages 10–13)

STUDY 2 Complete the personal study (pages 14–17)

STUDY 3 Complete the personal study (pages 18–20)

CATCH UP AND READ AHEAD Read chapters 2–4 in Tame Your Thoughts
(BEFOREWEEK2GROUPMEETING) Complete any unfinished personal studies (page 21)
 SESSION ONE

THE POWER OF
YOUR THOUGHTS
Seetoitthat noone takesyoucaptivethrough

hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends

on human tradition and the elemental spiritual
forces of this world rather than on Christ.
COLOSSIANS 2:8
 Session One: The Power of Your Thoughts

WELCOME [READ ON YOUR OWN]

Have you ever considered the power of your thoughts? It’s kind of a difficult thing
to do—to think about your thoughts. But it’s important. Why? Because everything
you have ever done was rooted in your thoughts. Every single thing. This includes
every word you’ve spoken, every step you’ve taken, and every time you stopped
yourself from speaking a word or taking a step.

All of your triumphs were preceded by thoughts. So were each of your failures. Your
entire life has been processed and prioritized by impulses racing through the
network of neurons that makes up your brain. It’s all been based on your thoughts.

Of course, you’re not the only one. Every single thing that has ever been attempted
or accomplished through human effort was preceded by human thoughts. Inventing
the wheel required thoughts. Creating works of art requires thoughts. Interpreting
the complex interactions between young women and young men requires lots and
lots of thoughts. The point is that you should never underestimate the power of your
mind, both for good and for ill. And you should never forget your mind is a potent
gift from your Creator.

In this session, you will explore what it looks like to be a good steward of that gift.
This includes identifying and rejecting the huge amounts of negative thoughts
swirl- ing around the currents of our culture. It means choosing to be transformed
by godly thinking rather than conformed to worldly thinking. And it means
equipping yourself with the helmet of salvation—a necessary protection both now
and for eternity.

CONNECT [15 MINUTES]

If you or any of your group members don’t know each other, take a few minutes to
introduce yourselves. Then discuss one or both of the following questions:

• Why did you decide to join this study? What do you hope to learn?

— or —

• On a scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high), how would you rate your ability to tame
your thoughts? Why did you rate yourself at that number?

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 Tame Your Thoughts Bible Study

WATCH [20 MINUTES]

Watch the video for this session, which you can access by playing the DVD or through
streaming (see the instructions that have been provided with this study guide).
Below is an outline of the key points covered during the teaching. Write down any
key concepts or takeaways that stand out to you.

OUTLINE

I. Our thoughts have great power in how we perceive reality and define our existence.
A. The philosopher René Descartes is best known for his statement regarding the
power of our thoughts: cogito, ergo sum (Latin for “I think, therefore I am”).
B. Modern science supports this idea with discoveries such as neuroplasticity, which
describes the brain’s ability to reshape its physical structure over time.
C. It is literally possible to change your mind . . . which is good news!
II. The negativity in our world leads to “stinking thinking” in our minds.
A. Toxic thoughts are damaging our mental health and are harming our relationships.
B. Forty-two percent of high school students experience persistent feelings of sadness
and hopelessness. Twenty-two percent have seriously considered attempting suicide.
C. Two in five adults report symptoms of anxiety and depression. We need some help!
III. God has a solution for toxic thoughts: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but
be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).
A.We are not to be conformed—to allow the world to squeeze us into its way of thinking.
B. The devil is constantly seeking to enmesh us in a web of unhealthy thoughts.
C. Satan infected the thoughts of Peter and Judas, who were among Jesus’ disciples.
IV. The alternative is to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
A. God does the work of transformation. A new mind is less the result of human effort
and more the result of divine intervention.
B. Whenever we are threatened by stinking thinking, heaven marshals its finest forces
to protect our heads.
V. God has provided us with spiritual protection to protect our minds.
A. It is dangerous for us to expose our minds to the pressures and priorities of this world
without donning spiritual protection. This comes through the “helmet of salvation.”
B. We acquire this helmet by asking for it. The gift of salvation is ours to receive.
C. No matter who you are, no matter what you have done, progress is possible when
you invite God to transform your mind and equip you with the helmet of salvation.

4
 Session One: The Power of Your Thoughts

NOTES

5
 Tame Your Thoughts Bible Study

DISCUSS [35 MINUTES]

Discuss what you just watched by answering the following questions.

1. The focus of this study is on our “thoughts,” but the term can be difficult to
define in a practical way. In your own words, how would you describe a
thought?

2. Our thoughts can be both helpful and harmful. What some experts call “toxic” -
refusing to trust, being negative, and so on. What are the roots of these kinds
of thoughts? Where do they originate?

Ask someone in the group to read aloud 1 John 2:15–17. The world pushes con-
3. formity to its values, priorities, and ways of thinking. What is the problem with
allowing ourselves to be conformed in this way and “love” the things of this
world? What are ways you have been pressured to not only behave in a certain
way but also think in a certain way?

Now ask someone to read Romans 12:1–2. Rather than conform to the pattern of
4. this world, God wants us to be transformed through the renewing of our minds.
Given it is God who actively does the transforming, what role do we play in the
process? In other words, what role do we play in moving from stinking thinking
to engaging in healthier kinds of thinking?

In Ephesians 6:13–17, the apostle Paul describes the armor of God—the equip-
5. ment the Lord has given us to stand strong against the attacks of the enemy.
Included in this armor is the “helmet of salvation” (verse 17). What does this
helmet do for us? How do we acquire it?

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 Session One: The Power of Your Thoughts

RESPOND [10 MINUTES]

In this session, you’ve explored the difference between being conformed to the
thinking of this world and being transformed by God as he renews your mind. In
the following passage, Paul compares minds governed by the flesh—meaning
sinful and selfish natures—and minds governed by God’s Spirit. It goes without
saying the latter is preferable to the former, for the Spirit-driven thinking
produces life while flesh- driven thinking leads to all manner of death. Take a
few minutes on your own to read this passage and then answer the questions
that follow.

5Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what
the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit
have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed
by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and
peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not
submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of
the flesh cannot please God.

ROMANS 8:5–8

How would you describe “what the flesh desires” (verse 5)? What do you begin to
pursue or focus on when your mind is controlled by your sinful nature?

How would you describe “what the Spirit desires” (verse 5)? What does Paul say you
pursue or focus on when your mind is under the influence of God’s Spirit?

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 Tame Your Thoughts Bible Study

PRAY [10 MINUTES]

When it is time to close this session, be bold in expressing your desire to be trans-
formed by the renewing of your mind. Ask God to facilitate that transformation in
your life and in the lives of your group members. Pray for specific opportunities to
identify stinking thinking in your lives and replace it with thoughts that honor God.
Finally, use the space below to write down any requests so you and your group
members can pray about them in the week ahead.

Name Request

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 SESSION ONE

PERSONAL STUDY

The goal set before you in this study is to learn how to tame your
thoughts, which means learning how to manage your life by man-
aging the way you think. The Bible is the best resource available
when it comes to understanding a healthy way of thinking—which
is to say, thinking like God thinks. For that reason, the personal
study portion of each session will offer a deeper look at several
passages and principles you touched on during the group time
that support godly thinking connected with all manner of circum-
stances. As you work through these exercises, be sure to write
down your responses to the questions. (If you are engaging this
study as part of a group, you will be given time to share your
insights at the start of the next session.) If you are reading Tame
Your Thoughts alongside this study, first review chapter 1.

9
 STUDY 1
CONFORMED LIKE CLAY
Do you remember thelasttime youplayed withmodelingclay (suchas Play-Doh or
some other similar squishable substance)? If you’re a parent or a grandparent, you
might have done so recently. Or it might have been decades now since you’ve indulged
yourself in that particular luxury—maybe all the way back to your own childhood.

Either way, chances are you can recall the sensation of making “snakes.” You start
by working a chunk of clay between your fingers to get everything smooth and
even. Then, once you’ve worked the clay into an approximation of a ball, you lay it
on the counter and begin to roll it flat with your palms. You don’t crush the clay by
pressing down so hard that it squishes into a flat plane. Instead, you apply gentle
and steady pressure as you roll up and down with your palms, gradually shaping
the clay into a longer and longer tube.

Voila! You’ve created a snake. Or the beginnings of a rainbow. Or whatever else your
imagination can make out of a colorful clay cylinder.

In many ways, this experience demonstrates the ways the world tries to conform
you to itself. Very rarely does Satan (or society) attempt an all-at-once attack against
God’s children. You won’t typically be faced with a singular moment of choice be-
tween living a life that honors God and a life that kowtows to the values and priorities
of your culture. Instead, the process happens gradually. You feel a gentle-but-con-
sistent pressure to value what everyone else seems to value and do what everyone
else seems to be doing. Over time, that pressure works into your mind, encouraging
you to think the way everyone else thinks and believe what everyone else believes.
The process is subtle, and slow, and deliberate.

This is what Paul is talking about when he writes, “Do not conform to the pattern
of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).
When the pressure to conform is all around you, it takes an active choice to resist
—to determine to both live differently and think differently.

This is the choice that God calls you to make each day.

10
 Session One: The Power of Your Thoughts

1. How much pressure do you feel to conform to a worldly way of thinking (moving
away from a godly way of thinking) in the following spheres of life?

Pressure from your work or school:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
[a little] [a lot]

Pressure from media:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
[a little] [a lot]

Pressure from your family:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
[a little] [a lot]

Pressure from your friends:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
[a little] [a lot]

2. What are some ways lately that you have felt pressured to move away from
what God says is right and move toward what the world (or culture) says is
right? What are the issues or circumstances that create the most pressure in
your life?

11
 Tame Your Thoughts Bible Study

We were not made to be pressed, smooshed, squished, rolled, squeezed,

and shaped into the image of society. Culture prompts us to . . .

• value money over people,

• grade people by looks, awards, and bank balances,
• judge a person by the color of their skin,
• manipulate truth to fit our desires, and
• place our value in what we wear, drive, own, or achieve.

The mastermind behind these attacks? The devil. Satan has one pri-
mary aim: to entangle us in a web of unhealthy thoughts. He wants to
corrupt, contaminate, and confuse our minds with a false system.1

Paul describes Satan as “the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is
3. now at work in those who are disobedient” (Ephesians 2:2). How do you under-
stand the connection between Satan and the world? In other words, to what
degree does Satan—“the ruler of the kingdom of the air”—influence or control
people outside of God’s kingdom?

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your
gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious
about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God,
which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your
minds in Christ Jesus.8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true,
whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is
lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praisewor-
thy—think about such things.

PHILIPPIANS 4:4–8

12
 Session One: The Power of Your Thoughts

4. Paul wanted Christians to actively choose the focus of their thoughts—“don’t

think about those things, but do think about these things.” What obstacles
tend to pull you away from positive thoughts and push you toward negative
ones?

5. Look again at Philippians 4:8. Where do you see opportunities to intentionally

think about elements in your life that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admira-
ble, excellent, and praiseworthy? Write down as many examples as come to mind.

13
 STUDY 2
MIGHTY METAMORPHOSIS
When Paulurges followers of Jesus to “be transformedbythe renewing of your
mind” (Romans 12:2),the Greek word heusesfor transformed ismetamorphoō,
from which we get our English word metamorphosis.

As you might remember from science class, metamorphosis is the process many
animals undergo in their development from juvenile to adult. Caterpillars enter a
chrysalis and emerge as butterflies. Ladybugs follow a similar path. Frogs begin
as tadpoles swimming through ponds and puddles. But then their tails disappear,
their gills are replaced by lungs, and they grow limbs designed for hopping on
land.
This is metamorphosis. It is not a subtle shift but a radical change. And that is what
you are intended to experience in your journey as followers of Christ. You were once
dead but are now alive. You were buried in the kingdom of darkness but now reside
in the kingdom of light. You were a slave to sin but now are free. What a change!

Sadly, many of us think of spiritual transformation in terms of external behaviors.

Before we meet God, we think, we do lots of sinful things—lie, cheat, hoard,
indulge, and so on. But when we are saved, we stop doing those bad things and
start doing good things. We go to church, read the Bible, pray, and tell others
about Jesus.
Now, to be clear, you are to “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance
and gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:11) and other godly traits. But simply changing your
behavior from “bad” to “good” isn’t metamorphosis. It doesn’t make you a new cre-
ation any more than sticking wings on a caterpillar transforms it into a butterfly.

Instead, you have to recognize that encountering Jesus changes you from the inside
out. It changes who you are, which should impact not only what you do but also how
you think. Spiritual transformation involves your mind as much as your manners.

Again, as Paul put it, spiritual transformation occurs “by the renewing of your mind”
(Romans 12:2). This why managing your thoughts is such a critical battleground. Your
thoughts directly influence your character, and your character determines your ac-
tions. The end result is a life that glorifies God and makes an impact for eternity.

14
 Session One: The Power of Your Thoughts

1. Think about the process of how a caterpillar metamorphoses into a butterfly. It

begins life as one thing but then completely changes into something else! Com-
pare this process to your own spiritual transformation. In the space below, write
down at least three things you have seen God completely transform in your life
as you have walked with him.

Old ways New ways

6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If

your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith;
7if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to en-

courage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously;

if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

ROMANS 12:6–8

15
 Tame Your Thoughts Bible Study

2. Spiritual transformation involves not only your thoughts but also your actions.
In the above passage, underline the ways Paul instructs you to use your gifts.
Which of these do you feel you have? How are you using them as a part of the
new life that God has given you?

Stuck in your head? Ticked off at the world? On edge like DEFCON 1?
There is hope! The thoughts that have characterized your past need
not characterize the rest of your life. God will move you from worm to
butterfly, from clay-like to Christlike.
The second half of the scripture, “be transformed by the renewal of
your mind,” is in the passive voice, meaning God does the work! A
new mind is less the result of human effort and more the result of
divine intervention. He renews our mind. He reroutes our thought
patterns. He rewires our synaptic circuitry. He tweaks our attitude. He
creates a new way of thinking. Heaven marshals its finest forces to
help us.2

3. How do you react to the idea that your past thoughts do not need to character-
ize the rest of your life? What are some thoughts that you definitely do not want
to characterize the rest of your life? How do you need heaven to marshal its
finest forces to help in this?

16
 Session One: The Power of Your Thoughts

4. God does the work of renewing our minds, re-routing our thoughts, and re-wir-
ing our attitudes. He changes us . . . we don’t change ourselves. Where do you
feel an internal resistance to that change? Where are you attempting to hold on
to old ways of thinking?

17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer
live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are dark-
ened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because
of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.
19Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensu-
ality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.
20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard

about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that
is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life,
to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the
new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

EPHESIANS 4:17–24

5. Paul states in this passage that our former sinful way of thinking is futile, dark-
ened, and impure, which is why we must “put off” what was old and “put on the
new self.” God is the One who makes us “new in the attitude of [our] minds,”
but what steps can we take to accept or reinforce a better way of thinking after
we are transformed?

17
 STUDY 3
GOD’S THINKING CAP
When Jesus began hisministry, hewent to the synagogue in his hometown of Naz-
areth. There, onthe Sabbath, he read from the scroll of Isaiah. In this way, he announced
what his ministry would involve: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me. . . He has sent me
to proclaim freedom for the prisoners . . . to set the oppressed free” (Luke 4:18).

Jesus came to set the oppressed free. Don’t we need that in our culture today?
Statistics keep telling us that growing numbers of people are staggering under
the weight of anxiety, depression, hopelessness, loneliness, and more—with
young people experiencing a larger percentage of these toxic thoughts.3 Then
there are the ever-widening partisan rifts that keep tearing us apart. Some days,
it seems like people will claim the sky is green if they hear someone from a
different group claim it’s blue. We are being crushed under the weight of
mental- health issues, which means we are being crushed under the weight of
stinking thinking.
The answer for these toxic thoughts is not willpower or finding a positive mental
attitude. Rather, it is found in allowing God to transform our thoughts. As this hap-
pens—as he metamorphoses us into something new through the renewing of our
minds—we are set free from our former way of life. We are no longer conformed to
the world’s way of thinking. Specifically, this comes about as we put on what the
apostle Paul describes as the “helmet of salvation” (Ephesians 6:17).

This helmet is actually God’s Spirit surrounding our thoughts with himself. At the
moment of salvation—the moment we are changed from what we used to be into
something new—God lays claim over our thoughts and declares to the devil, “This
mind is mine. I saved it. I own it. I will make it new.” You might say the helmet of sal-
vation is God’s spiritual thinking cap. And, just like any other helmet, it is designed
to protect what it covers—in this case, our minds. The Holy Spirit not only shields us
against harm but also renews our minds. He heals us.

At the same time, the helmet of salvation is just like any other helmet in that we
need to be wearing it in order to benefit from it. God has offered salvation to all
people as a free gift—but it is a gift we must still actively receive. We must
accept it by accepting him.

18
 Session One: The Power of Your Thoughts

1. What are some of examples of stinking thinking that you have encountered this
week? How much of this came from yourself versus from other people?

2. Based on your experience, what have you found the culture teaches you to do
when you are bogged down by toxic thoughts? What is the expected
response?

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he

21

must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the el-
ders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must
be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
22Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!”
he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are

a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of

God, but merely human concerns.”
MATTHEW 16:21–23

3. The devil has one primary aim: to entangle you in a web of unhealthy thoughts.
He wants to corrupt, contaminate, and confuse your mind with a false system.
How had Satan infected Peter’s thoughts in this passage? How did Jesus recog-
nize this fact and call it out?

19
 Tame Your Thoughts Bible Study

4. When is a time that Jesus called out your stinking thinking? What did he reveal
to you about the lies from Satan that you were believing in that moment?

Once he saves you, God enrolls you in his mental training course.
Stinking thinking is a spiritual problem and requires a spiritual
solution. God provides it! If he can resurrect the dead, can he not
resurrect hope? Defy depression? Clarify confusion? Flush out
shame? Destroy doubt? Overcome insecurity? Download
discipline? Eliminate lust? Banish bitterness? Take God at his
word: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and
of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV, emphasis
added). He will perform a butterfly miracle in you. He will
renovate your thought life. No more caterpillar crawling through
the dirt—it’s time to receive your new wings.4

5. When have you felt God’s protection this week surrounding your mind, thoughts,
or beliefs—from the damage caused by Satan’s lies? Where do you need God to
continue to renovate your thoughts and help you deal with stinking thinking?

20
CATCH UP AND READ AHEAD
Connect with a fellow groupmemberand discuss some ofthe keyinsights from this
session. Use any ofthe followingprompts tohelp guide your discussion.

• What did you like best from the content in this session, includin
group study and personal study? Why?
• What are some ways you feel pressured to move away from wh
is right and move toward what the world (or culture) says is right?
• God does the work of renewing our minds. Where do you sense
to that change? Where are you trying to hold on to old ways of thinking?
• What practical examples of toxic thinking have you seen this w
has that kind of stinking thinking had an impact on you?
• What do you feel most excited to explore in the sessions ahead

Use this time to go back and complete any of the study and reflection questions
from previous days that you weren’t able to finish. Make a note below of any reve-
lations you’ve had and reflect on any growth or personal insights you’ve gained.

Read chapters 2–4 in Tame Your Thoughts before the next group gathering. Use the
space below to make note of anything that stands out to you or encourages you.

21
WEEK 2

BEFORE GROUP MEETING Read chapters 2–4 in Tame Your Thoughts

Read the Welcome section (page 25)

GROUP MEETING Discuss the Connect questions

Watch the video teaching for session 2
Discuss the questions that follow as a group
Do the closing exercise and pray (pages 25–30)

STUDY 1 Complete the personal study (pages 32–35)

STUDY 2 Complete the personal study (pages 36–39)

STUDY 3 Complete the personal study (pages 40–42)

CATCH UP AND READ AHEAD Read chapters 5–6 in Tame Your Thoughts
(BEFOREWEEK3GROUPMEETING) Complete any unfinished personal studies (page 43)
 NOTES
1. Max Lucado, Tame Your Thoughts:ThreeToolstoRenewYourMind and Transform Your Life (Nel-

son Books, 2025), chapter 1.

2. Lucado, Tame Your Thoughts, chapter 1.
3. Thomas Insel, MD, “America’s Mental Health Crisis,” Trend Magazine, December 8, 2023, https://
pew.org/3R3ugL0.
4. Lucado, Tame Your Thoughts, chapter 1.
5. Lucado, Tame Your Thoughts, chapter 2.
6. Henry Cloud, PhD, “The Psychology Behind Overreacting: What It Really Means,” Boundaries,
March 18, 2021, https://www.boundaries.me/blog/the-psychology-behind-overreacting.
7. Lucado, Tame Your Thoughts, chapter 4.
8. “Understanding the Stress Response,” Harvard Health Publishing, April 3, 2024, https://www.
health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-the-stress-response.
9. Lucado, Tame Your Thoughts, chapter 5.
10. Lucado, Tame Your Thoughts, chapter 5.
11. Lucado, Tame Your Thoughts, chapter 6.
12. William Barclay, The Gospel of John, Volume Two (Saint Andrew Press, 2017), 177.
13. Lucado, Tame Your Thoughts, chapter 7.
14. Mathew A. Killingsworth and Daniel T. Gilbert, “A Wandering Mind Is an Unhappy Mind,” Science
330, no. 6006 (November 12, 2010): 932, https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1192439.
15. Lucado, Tame Your Thoughts, chapter 7.
16. Lucado, Tame Your Thoughts, chapter 8.
17. Habib Yaribeygi, Yunes Panahi, Hedayat Sahraei, et al, “The Impact of Stress on Body Function:
A Review,” EXCLI Journal (July 21, 2017), no. 16, 1057, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/
PMC5579396/.
18. Lucado, Tame Your Thoughts, chapter 9.
19. Lucado, Tame Your Thoughts, chapter 9.
20. Lucado, Tame Your Thoughts, chapter 10.
21. Lucado, Tame Your Thoughts, chapter 11.
22. D. A. Carson, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew (Zondervan Academic, 2010), 318.
23. “Slideshow: Look Younger Secrets that Work,” WebMD, February 15, 2025, https://www.webmd.
com/beauty/ss/slideshow-look-younger-secrets.
24. “Unlocking the Secrets to Hitting a Golf Ball Farther with 6-Time World Champion Jason Zubak,”
The Measured Golf Podcast, September 18, 2024, https://www.buzzsprout.com/1601314/
episodes/15743369-unlocking-the-secrets-to-hitting-a-golf-ball-farther-with-6-time-world-
champion-jason-zubak.
25. Erika Penney, “Why Household Mess Triggers Stress and Anxiety,” Neuroscience News, September
4, 2023, https://neurosciencenews.com/anxiety-stress-messy-home-23874/.
26. Lucado, Tame Your Thoughts, chapter 12.
27. Lucado, Tame Your Thoughts, epilogue.

131
 Also available from

Max Lucado

AVAILABLE WHEREVER BOOKS ARE SOLD.

 ABOUT MAX LUCADO

Photography by Amanda Mae Steele

Since entering the ministry in 1978, Max Lucado has served churches in Miami, Florida;
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and San Antonio, Texas. He currently serves as the teaching
minister of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio. He is the recipient of the 2021 ECPA Pin-
nacle Award for his outstanding contribution to the publishing industry and society at
large. He is America’s best-selling inspirational author with more than 150 million
products in print. Visit his website at MaxLucado.com.

Join the Max Lucado Community:

Facebook.com/MaxLucado
Instagram.com/MaxLucado
X.com/MaxLucado
YouTube.com/MaxLucadoOfficial

133
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