ne of the unseen battles in the life of a Christian is the struggle in our thought life. Colossians chapter three begins by urging us to stay focused on Christ. Paul, in this section reminds us to seek the things above and set our minds on the Savior. The purpose of this mental discipline is to make Christ our life and ensure our place with Him in glory.

At Hillside Christian Church last Sunday we talked about the fascinations people have in their lives. We demonstrate what we are fascinated with in the choices we make and the priorities we express because of them. Our faces light up when we get on the subject of our favorite sports team. We follow our children across the country for all sorts of reasons. We rise early and plan for weeks for a hunting or fishing trip. We search catalogs and advertisements for the absolute best buy. We clip coupons and save stamps to save a little money. We get riled over political issues whether we vote or not. We're sure the other guy is wrong when he tells us something we don't like about this or that.

Some may have fascinations they hide from nearly everybody, even themselves. People get "hooked" on ideas and behaviors they wouldn't want to share with their children or their mate. Our Savior knows how important our private thoughts are. He knows what makes us really tick. The good front we may put up doesn't fool Him at all. That is why scriptures like this one are so important in our walk with Him. They help us get to the truth about our most basic selves. We have to ask ourselves what we really dwell on and why.

Living out our fascinations is what we do in life. Our deepest thoughts do bring results. The key is to get to the basis of our thoughts and turn it over to Jesus Christ. The result of this kind of surrender is a life that becomes more and more like Christ and an eternity that is securely in His hands. We need to be fascinated with Christ, not the things of the world.

Our monthly men's breakfast fellowship will be this Saturday morning at 7:30 am. This event is open to any men and boys who are ready for good food and a great time in the Lord. One of the men will bring a brief devotional thought from God's Word. There is no charge.

Plans for the Children's Fall Festival are well under way. It promises to be an exciting evening of games, prizes, and good supervised fun. There should also be plenty of candy to go around. The Festival will be October 31st from 6:00-8:00 pm for children through 6th grade.

You are always invited to join us at any service.