The Christian Mind Reset copertina

The Christian Mind Reset

The Christian Mind Reset

Di: The Christian Mind Reset
Ascolta gratuitamente

Offerte di stagione | 0,99 €/mese per i primi 3 mesi

A seguire 9,99 €/mese – si applicano condizioni. Puoi disdire mensilmente.
A proposito di questo titolo
 The Christian Mind Reset blends Scripture, psychology, and neuroscience to help you renew your thoughts and break mental strongholds. Hosted by April Joy DNP, APN-C (@thechristianpsychnp), each episode explores real struggles, intrusive thoughts, anxiety, and how God’s Word rewires the brain. Learn how to feed truth instead of strongholds and walk in the peace Christ promises.

thechristianmindreset.substack.comThe Christian Mind Reset Catechesi ed evangelismo Cristianesimo Scienza Spiritualità
Episodi
  • The Neuroscience of Fasting: 3 Days With Jesus and the Feeding of the 4,000

    The Neuroscience of Fasting: 3 Days With Jesus and the Feeding of the 4,000
    Nov 8 2026
    Season 2, Episode 2Show NotesWhat happens to your brain after three days without food? Can fasting affect cellular repair, hormone production, and how your brain uses energy?In this episode of The Christian Mind Reset, Dr. April Joy explores the fascinating neuroscience of fasting, its history throughout Scripture and the early Christian church, and what researchers are discovering about the human body’s remarkable ability to adapt during prolonged periods without food.As a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, psychotherapist, Bible teacher, and student of neuroscience, Dr. April Joy examines human studies demonstrating significant physiological changes during prolonged fasting, including a thirteenfold increase in the brain’s uptake of ketones after approximately three and a half days, a fivefold increase in growth hormone production after two days, and significant changes in more than 1,000 circulating proteins during a seven-day fast.The episode also explores autophagy, cellular recycling, metabolic switching, stem-cell research, and the history of fasting from Moses and Esther to Jesus and the early Christian church.But the inspiration for this episode began while Dr. April Joy was teaching Vacation Bible School and preparing a lesson about Jesus feeding the 4,000.In Mark 8, we learn that the crowd had remained with Jesus for three days. Could some of the physiological changes researchers observe during prolonged fasting have been happening in those who went without food?Scripture doesn’t tell us how long each person had fasted, but it does tell us something remarkable about Jesus.He saw their hunger, had compassion on them, and provided for all of their needs.The episode concludes with Jesus’ declaration in John 6:35:“I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”Listeners are invited to reflect on God’s provision through Scripture, guided relaxation, biblical declarations, journaling, and prayer.In This Episode* The biblical history of fasting and the early Christian church* What happens to the brain after 48–72 hours without food* Ketones, metabolic switching, and brain energy* Autophagy and cellular maintenance* Growth hormone, stem cells, and immune-system research* The 2024 human study identifying widespread protein changes* Jesus feeding the 4,000 and His compassion for our physical needs* Jesus as the Bread of Life* Scripture-based declarations, prayer, and practical applicationConnect with Dr. April JoyIf you enjoyed today’s episode, please subscribe, leave a review, follow, like, or share it with someone who might benefit from this conversation.Find Dr. Joy on Instagram at @thechristianpsychnp and on Substack for more Scripture, neuroscience, and practical tips to renew your mind.Listen to The Christian Mind Reset on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and Substack.The companion eBook, The Christian Mind Reset: A 28-Day Psalms Guide to Biblical Meditation, Neuroscience, and Renewing Your Mind, supports Season 1 and is available in Dr. Joy’s Stan Store at https://stan.store/thechristianpsychnp and on Dr. Joy’s Instagram and Substack profile links.Scriptures ReferencedExodus 34:28Esther 4:15–162 Chronicles 20Jonah 3Isaiah 58Psalm 23:1Psalm 139:14Matthew 4:1–11Matthew 6:16–34Mark 8:1–10John 1:1–3John 6:35Acts 13:1–3Colossians 1:161 Peter 5:7ReferencesAlkurd, R., Mahrous, L., Zeb, F., Khan, M. A. B., Alhaj, H., Khraiwesh, H. M., & Faris, M. E. (2024). Effect of calorie restriction and intermittent fasting regimens on brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels and cognitive function in humans: A systematic review. Medicina, 60(1), Article 191. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina60010191Cheng, C.-W., Adams, G. B., Perin, L., Wei, M., Zhou, X., Lam, B. S., Da Sacco, S., Mirisola, M., Quinn, D. I., Dorff, T. B., Kopchick, J. J., & Longo, V. D. (2014). Prolonged fasting reduces IGF-1/PKA to promote hematopoietic stem cell-based regeneration and reverse immunosuppression. Cell Stem Cell, 14(6), 810–823. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stem.2014.04.014da Silva, J. S. V., Seres, D. S., Sabino, K., Adams, S. C., Berdahl, G. J., Citty, S. W., Cober, M. P., Evans, D. C., Greaves, J. R., Gura, K. M., Michalski, A., Plogsted, S., Sacks, G. S., Tucker, A. M., Worthington, P., Walker, R. N., & Ayers, P. (2020). ASPEN consensus recommendations for refeeding syndrome. Nutrition in Clinical Practice, 35(2), 178–195. https://doi.org/10.1002/ncp.10474de Cabo, R., & Mattson, M. P. (2019). Effects of intermittent fasting on health, aging, and disease. The New England Journal of Medicine, 381(26), 2541–2551. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMra1905136The Didache. (n.d.). Chapter 8: Concerning fasting and prayer. New Advent. https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0714.htmHartman, M. L., Veldhuis, J. D., Johnson, M. L., Lee, M. M., Alberti, K. G., Samojlik, E., & Thorner, M. O. (1992). Augmented growth hormone (GH)...
    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    38 min
  • Your Gut Is Talking To Your Brain: Why Anxiety Can Make You Feel Sick & What Psalm 23 Teaches Us About Peace

    Your Gut Is Talking To Your Brain: Why Anxiety Can Make You Feel Sick & What Psalm 23 Teaches Us About Peace
    Sep 10 2026
    Bonus EpisodeSeason 2, Episode 1Show NotesWhy can anxiety make the stomach hurt? Why do some people feel nauseated, lose their appetite, experience digestive changes, or feel a pit in their stomach when they are stressed?In this episode of The Christian Mind Reset, Dr. April Joy explores the fascinating connection between anxiety, the gut-brain axis, the nervous system, and gastrointestinal symptoms—and brings the conversation back to one of Scripture's most familiar passages: Psalm 23.As a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, psychotherapist, Bible teacher, and student of neuroscience, Dr. April Joy explains how the brain and gut are constantly communicating through a complex bidirectional system involving the central nervous system, enteric nervous system, autonomic nervous system, stress-response pathways, immune and endocrine signaling, the vagus nerve, and the gut microbiome.She explains why anxiety is not experienced only as worried thoughts. Stress can also show up physically through nausea, appetite changes, abdominal discomfort, diarrhea, constipation, muscle tension, changes in breathing, and other bodily sensations.The episode also explores interoception, the brain’s ability to sense and interpret signals coming from inside the body, and how physical sensations can sometimes become part of an anxiety cycle. A person notices a racing heart, tight stomach, nausea, or another uncomfortable sensation, interprets it as threatening, becomes more anxious, and then experiences even stronger physical sensations.Dr. April Joy also discusses emerging research on the gut microbiome and brain, including why intriguing findings from animal studies should not automatically be interpreted as evidence that gut bacteria cause human psychiatric disorders.But the heart of this episode returns to Psalm 23:5:“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”Dr. April Joy considers this verse through the lens of anxiety and the nervous system. The table is prepared while the enemies are still present. The circumstances have not necessarily disappeared, yet David describes the Shepherd's provision and presence in the middle of them.For someone whose anxiety makes eating difficult, that image carries special meaning.The episode connects this truth with Jesus calming the storm, Isaiah 26:3, Philippians 4:6, Matthew 6:34, taking thoughts captive, biblical meditation, neuroplasticity, and prayer. It also examines an fMRI study of committed Christians that found personal, improvised prayer recruited brain regions involved in social cognition, offering an interesting neuroscientific window into the relational experience of prayer without using neuroscience to prove theological claims.Listeners will also learn about research in people with generalized anxiety disorder showing that 91.4% of the worry predictions recorded in one study did not come true, illustrating how often anxiety can pull the mind into feared futures that never arrive.In This EpisodeDr. April Joy discusses:* The gut-brain axis and anxiety* Why anxiety can cause nausea and loss of appetite* The enteric nervous system or “second brain”* The vagus nerve and parasympathetic nervous system* Stress, the HPA axis, and gastrointestinal symptoms* Interoception and the anxiety-sensation cycle* Serotonin and the gastrointestinal system* The gut microbiome and mental health research* Why animal microbiome studies require careful interpretation* Neuroplasticity and repeated patterns of thinking* What neuroscience can—and cannot—tell Christians about prayer* Psalm 23 and God’s presence during anxiety* Why worry often pulls the mind into the future* Scripture-based breath prayer using Psalm 23* Biblical declarations for anxiety, fear, and uncertaintyThe episode closes with declarations from Psalm 23, a guided prayer, and a reminder that Christians can pray, renew their minds, and trust God while also receiving appropriate medical, psychological, and pastoral support.Persistent nausea, unexplained weight loss, abdominal pain, appetite changes, changes in bowel habits, or other unresolved gastrointestinal symptoms should not automatically be attributed to anxiety. Appropriate medical evaluation is important.For more conversations at the intersection of neuroscience, psychology, mental health, Scripture, anxiety, and renewing the mind, follow The Christian Mind Reset Podcast and subscribe to Dr. April Joy’s Substack.Connect with Dr. April Joy:Substack: The Christian Mind ResetIf you liked today’s episode, please subscribe, leave a review, follow, like, or share. You can find me on Instagram at @thechristianpsychnp and on Substack at The Christian Mind Reset for more Scripture, neuroscience, and practical tips for renewing your mind.Listen to The Christian Mind Reset on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and Substack.My eBook, The Christian Mind Reset: A 28-Day Psalms Guide to Biblical Meditation, Neuroscience, and ...
    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    39 min
  • The Neuroscience of Renewal: What the “Batman Effect” Can Teach Us About Putting On the New Self

    The Neuroscience of Renewal: What the “Batman Effect” Can Teach Us About Putting On the New Self
    Sep 4 2026
    Episode 29, Season 1In the final episode of Season One of The Christian Mind Reset, Dr. April Joy brings together the neuroscience, psychology, and biblical practices explored throughout the past 28 days and looks at what it actually means to renew the mind.The brain is capable of change. What people repeatedly think about, focus on, practice, and return to can strengthen patterns in the brain and make certain responses more automatic over time. But Romans 12:2 is not simply a lesson in neuroplasticity, and Christian renewal cannot be reduced to “rewiring the brain.”So what does renewal actually look like?Dr. April Joy explores that question through Scripture and also through the life of Jesus. If Christians are called to have the mind of Christ and to walk as He walked, it matters how Jesus actually lived. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus prayed, fasted, knew and spoke Scripture, withdrew to be alone with the Father, gave thanks, gathered with others, lived in community, served, showed compassion, and remained dependent upon and obedient to the Father.This episode looks at some of those practices alongside what neuroscience and psychology have found about attention, repetition, meditation, self-talk, gratitude, emotional regulation, relationships, and repeated behavior.Dr. April Joy also returns to the biblical language of putting off the old self and putting on the new.Colossians 3 does not simply tell believers what to stop doing. It tells them what to put on instead: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, love, peace, and gratitude.This is where Batman comes in.Research sometimes referred to as the “Batman Effect” found that young children who approached a difficult task from the perspective of an exemplar character, such as Batman, showed greater perseverance and were better able to resist distraction. Researchers have studied this in the context of self-distancing, the ability to create some psychological distance from an immediate thought, feeling, or impulse.Dr. April Joy looks at what this research can teach us about pausing long enough to consider a different response and then connects it to the biblical picture of putting off and putting on.For the Christian, this is obviously not about pretending to be Batman, or even pretending to be Jesus. It is about remembering who Scripture says believers are, what they are called to put off, what they are called to put on, and then practicing a response consistent with that truth.The episode also explores why thoughts and feelings are important without automatically treating them as facts, how repeated responses can become more automatic over time, why gratitude is not the same as denying pain, the importance of Christian community, and how prayer, fasting, Scripture, meditation, and speaking truth can become regular rhythms of renewal.Neuroscience can help explain mechanisms involved in attention, learning, memory, emotional regulation, repetition, and behavior. It can study what happens in the brain during practices such as meditation and prayer. But it cannot measure the work of the Holy Spirit, tell people the meaning of their suffering, or explain away spiritual transformation as brain activity.Ultimately, Christian renewal is not about becoming better at optimizing the brain.It is about becoming more like Christ.And that brings the episode back to one of the most important practices of renewal: abiding.Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing.”The goal is not to manufacture renewal or the fruit of the Spirit by trying harder. Fruit grows from connection to the source. Christians participate through obedience, practice, prayer, Scripture, community, and continually bringing the mind back to truth, but Jesus remains the source.Connect with Dr. April Joy:Substack: The Christian Mind ResetIf you liked today’s episode, please subscribe, leave a review, follow, like, or share. You can find me on Instagram at @thechristianpsychnp and on Substack at The Christian Mind Reset for more Scripture, neuroscience, and practical tips for renewing your mind.Listen to The Christian Mind Reset on Apple, Spotify, and Substack.My eBook, The Christian Mind Reset: A 28-Day Psalms Guide to Biblical Meditation, Neuroscience, and Renewing Your Mind, is available in my Stan Store at https://stan.store/thechristianpsychnp and on my Substack.In this episode:* What neuroplasticity can, and cannot, tell us about renewing the mind* How attention, repetition, and practice shape patterns in the brain* Why thoughts and feelings are important but are not automatically facts* Biblical meditation and repeatedly returning attention to God’s Word* Self-talk and speaking truth rather than simply repeating positive affirmations* Gratitude and the brain* Prayer, fasting, solitude, and community* Looking at the practices and rhythms seen throughout the life of Jesus* Identity in Christ and why the past does not have to become identity* Putting...
    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    1 ora e 26 min
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
Ancora nessuna recensione