Bridgeman Baptist Community Church
Sep 13, 2026 · 34 min · 10 segments
Pastor Nathan Harris shares today's message, "What is Holding you Captive?" How do our thoughts interpret reality? Are you more negative or more positive? Which do we dwell on more? What thoughts are…
Nathan HarrisHost
Back in 1980, an experiment was conducted by two researchers, Robert Kleck and Angelo Strenta, and they had a group of participants they brought together and they told these people they were studying how people respond socially to someone with a visible physical difference.
And they said, And so a makeup artist came in and applied this realistic looking scar to the participant's face.
But just before the participant went out into the situation where they were going to be meeting people, the makeup artist said, I just need to touch up your scar before you go out.
But rather than touch it up, what they actually did was remove the scar without the person knowing.
They had brief conversation with someone and the person they're talking to didn't see a scar, didn't know anything about it.
But afterwards, the participants were asked how they felt the other person had responded to them.
And even though there was no scar on their face, the participants often reported that the other person seemed uncomfortable with them, that they seemed awkward, that they seemed a bit pitying or judgmental towards them.
And they interpreted, these participants interpreted ordinary social cues like brief pauses or glances or changes in tone as evidence that the other person was reacting negatively to them because of their appearance, right? And this study showed powerfully that if someone believes that they are defective, rejected, unattractive or judged, they may begin to interpret neutral behaviour as confirmation of that belief, of what they think about themselves, even if it's not true.
If they think it and they believe it, this internal story that we carry can affect how we read the outside world around us.
And this study showed how powerfully our thoughts, the thoughts that we have about ourselves, affect deeply our behaviours and our reactions to our environment, regardless of whether that thought or that belief is true or not.
If we think it, it will impact the way we receive information, the way we interact with others around us.
And it really... showed powerfully this truth, illustrated how thoughts such as people will reject me, that thought can become a filter through which we interpret reality.
As more and more research has been done on how our minds work with modern MRI technology and neuroscience, the evidence towards the power of our thinking has only become stronger and stronger, that what we think impacts significantly how we look at the world, what we believe, what we think impacts our interactions with others around us.
It says this, Be careful how you think because your life is shaped by your thoughts.
Your inner dialogue that you have going on in your mind day by day actually has a huge impact on your life and the interactions you have, how you see the world.
What you believe impacts how you feel and how you feel then impacts how you act.
Back in 1980, an experiment was conducted by two researchers, Robert Kleck and Angelo Strenta, and they had a group of participants they brought together and they told these people they were studying how people respond socially to someone with a visible physical difference.
And they said, And so a makeup artist came in and applied this realistic looking scar to the participant's face.
But just before the participant went out into the situation where they were going to be meeting people, the makeup artist said, I just need to touch up your scar before you go out.
But rather than touch it up, what they actually did was remove the scar without the person knowing.
They had brief conversation with someone and the person they're talking to didn't see a scar, didn't know anything about it.
But afterwards, the participants were asked how they felt the other person had responded to them.
And even though there was no scar on their face, the participants often reported that the other person seemed uncomfortable with them, that they seemed awkward, that they seemed a bit pitying or judgmental towards them.
And they interpreted, these participants interpreted ordinary social cues like brief pauses or glances or changes in tone as evidence that the other person was reacting negatively to them because of their appearance, right? And this study showed powerfully that if someone believes that they are defective, rejected, unattractive or judged, they may begin to interpret neutral behaviour as confirmation of that belief, of what they think about themselves, even if it's not true.
If they think it and they believe it, this internal story that we carry can affect how we read the outside world around us.
And this study showed how powerfully our thoughts, the thoughts that we have about ourselves, affect deeply our behaviours and our reactions to our environment, regardless of whether that thought or that belief is true or not.
If we think it, it will impact the way we receive information, the way we interact with others around us.
And it really... showed powerfully this truth, illustrated how thoughts such as people will reject me, that thought can become a filter through which we interpret reality.
As more and more research has been done on how our minds work with modern MRI technology and neuroscience, the evidence towards the power of our thinking has only become stronger and stronger, that what we think impacts significantly how we look at the world, what we believe, what we think impacts our interactions with others around us.
It says this, Be careful how you think because your life is shaped by your thoughts.
Your inner dialogue that you have going on in your mind day by day actually has a huge impact on your life and the interactions you have, how you see the world.
What you believe impacts how you feel and how you feel then impacts how you act.
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