In this session, I want us to look at Hebrews 5:13–14. You’ll see it in your worksheet. It says that we’ve been used to staying on milk as babes, but solid food is for the full-grown—those whose senses and mental faculties are trained by practice to discriminate and discern.

This is something we really have to take a look at, because many of us had our senses and mental faculties trained in childhood simply to survive. And as I’ve already said before—surviving is not the same as living.

In fact, the very things that helped you survive—things that may have brought you to where you are today—those same things are now threatening to destroy you.

It’s a strange phenomenon, isn’t it? That something can keep us alive for a time, but eventually becomes a major obstacle. It’s no longer working. But I want you to see that as a positive thing.

Let’s go a little deeper here in this introductory module.

I want you to realize that your senses, your body, and your mental faculties—which exist within your soul—have been deeply shaped by your environment and experiences. You lived through certain situations. You heard certain words repeatedly. And all of this shaped the way you respond and process today.

But we must always remember what David said in the Psalms:

“I was conceived in sin, and shaped by iniquity.”

That’s a very key distinction.

Otherwise, we risk falling into the trap of blame—pointing to our parents or our past and saying, “That’s why I’m like this.” But let’s come into agreement with David, with God, and with the truth of Scripture: our core problem is that we were conceived in sin—meaning, we were born in a state of separation from God. That’s the root.

That’s why, when we are born again—when we put our trust in Jesus Christ—we come alive again. We receive a new nature. That new nature is the one that can actually walk with God and grow into maturity.

But even though we receive a new nature, we were still shaped by iniquity—by how sin showed up in our family line, our house, our experiences.

Iniquity can be understood as the particular way sin was expressed in your world. Whether that shaping was chaotic and painful or calm and “good,” if you were still separated from God, it’s all in the same category.

You see, God didn’t save us to switch from bad behavior to good behavior. He brought us into new life in Christ.

That’s why our shaping—the training of our senses and faculties—needs to be replaced. It’s not enough to behave better; we must be retrained by the Spirit.

So yes, all of this is in the Bible. This isn’t just a counseling technique or an attempt to blame anyone. We’re not going down some rabbit hole to find the “real culprit.” God is leading you to Himself, and in doing so, He will reveal:

• What you’ve been depending on

• What lies beneath that dependency

• And how to become truly free

That’s why real discipleship takes time. And that time is one of the greatest gifts you’re giving—to God and to yourself.

If you’ve been wondering, “Really, Nancy? We’re still in the introduction?”—yes, we are. And it’s necessary.

It’s necessary to slow down and let Him reveal how your senses and mental faculties were trained. Let me give you a few examples.

Many of us were trained in childhood just to survive. So maybe:

• You developed intense radar—always reading the emotional temperature of those around you.

• You became hypervigilant—constantly scanning for danger, tension, or potential rejection.

• You felt like you were walking through a minefield—not necessarily because of physical abuse, but because of emotional instability, like constant job loss or frequent moves.

• You were the “hero child”—doing everything right, being the golden one.

But if you weren’t doing those things because of Christ, then what were you championing? A life lived independently from Him?

Some of you became perfectionists—not because you love order, but because you were trying to stay ahead of criticism. You were always thinking ahead: What will they need? What can I do to avoid being yelled at or rejected?

These are real examples of how your faculties—your thinking, your emotions, your behavior—were trained. And they may be why, no matter how many Bible studies you do, you still crumble under pressure. Why?

Because those old dynamics come surging back like submarines from deep water. Despite all the sermons you’ve heard and all the verses you’ve studied, you may still feel unloved—even though God has proven His love for you over and over.

That might be because you have a stuck “feeler”—which comes from stuck thinking.

Remember: Emotions follow thoughts. We often feel our emotions first, but behind them are thought patterns that haven’t been renewed by God.

So I want you to consider this:

• How were your senses trained?

• How was your thinking formed?

• What shaped your mental habits?

This might be why you’re still on spiritual milk—not because you’re lazy or bad, but because your faculties have not yet been retrained.

But now—it’s time to pull up your chair to the Father’s table.

He has set a table for you in the presence of your enemies—not in their absence.

And in that secure, loving environment, you’ll hear truth in a new way. Not with defensiveness. Not with shame. But with clarity and peace.

If you take your seat at His table, He will begin to train and educate you in ways no one else ever could.

And I’m so grateful that I get to walk this journey with you.

I’ll see you next time.