Thinking Clearly Part 1
Gathering Data
This class is a prerequisite for all the other 100 level classes.
Across the diversity of the Christian community, it is generally agreed that loving God more, is a good thing.
It is also widely known that many people find it very difficult to emotionally love Him, or feel loved by Him.
This course addresses one key facet of that problem: your thalamus.
The thalamus is the part of your brain that edits almost all incoming data, and decides WHETHER OR NOT to let you know it!
Really, truly. It edits out most of what you see and hear, so the data never gets to the processing centers of your brain.
Who controls the settings on your thalamus? Life. Your parents, your teachers, your pastors, your friends. And the devil.
The devil is most vested in keeping you from loving God, so he edits what you can absorb from Scripture, so you see truth about God, but not the truth that will set your heart on fire.
This class starts with three lessons designed to loosen up the thalamus. Then in lesson four, we do a deep dive into the important information, to be sure it arrives in your head and heart in a bigger way than you have ever seen.
Lessons five and six are follow up, building on the momentum of lesson four.
It is fantastically exciting to watch people who have been running hard after God for decades, find a whole new connection with Him in lesson four.
This is a self-paced course. You watch videos then work on assignments with as much time as you need to go as deeply as you wish on each assignment.
Arthur will review your homework for each of the 52 lessons.
You will have an opportunity to join a small study group, if you want, and those groups will have occasional Zoom calls with Arthur.
You have access to the course for 18 months.
The cost is $250.
Course Outline
Must be enrolled to see content
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Course Information
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1.0 Introduction - Video
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1.1 A Paradigm Shift - Video
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1.0 Introduction - Assignment
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1.0 Nuances in Your Design - Assignment
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2.1 Who Was Present? - Video
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2.1 Who Was Present? - Assignment
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2.2 List Social Status Groups - Video
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2.2 List Social Status Groups - Assignment
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2.3 Who Was Supportive vs. Adversarial? - Video
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2.3 Who Was Supportive vs. Adversarial? - Assignment
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2.4 Who Was Changed vs. Unchanged? - Video
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2.4 Who Was Changed vs. Unchanged? - Assignment
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2.0 Design, Woundedness or Journey - Assignment
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3.1 Match People to 10 Emotions - Video
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3.1 Match People to 10 Emotions - Assignment
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3.2 Match People to 20 Emotions - Video
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3.2 Match People to 20 Emotions - Lists
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3.2 Match People to 20 Emotions - Assignment
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3.3 Identify Before and After Emotions - Video
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3.3 Identify Before and After Emotions - Assignment
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3.4 Find Your Emotions in Scripture - Video
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3.4 Find Your Emotions in Scripture - Assignment
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About this course
- $250.00
- 58 lessons
- 2.5 hours of video content
What People are Saying
Thinking Clearly, Loving Wholly
"One of the key gifts of the thalamus is to flood our being with the memories of God’s faithfulness, both in scripture, and also in our personal life. Typically, this gets blocked or scrambled. It was an astonishing thing to suddenly have my thalamus flooding me with the memories and emotional experiences of God’s unbroken chain of faithfulness from the moment I was conceived until the present. My trust level in God has deeper, stronger roots as a result.
And one of Arthur’s key points for us has been that to “love the Lord your God with all your heart . . . “ requires trust. This trust should flow naturally out of all the memories that have accrued in your brain, of God’s faithfulness to us personally, and to His people corporately. Without a doubt, loving God with my whole heart has become a more natural and effortless response, with the way cleared to see His faithfulness, allowing trust to take root at a deep, deep place. I recommend this class very highly. Everyone needs it."
And one of Arthur’s key points for us has been that to “love the Lord your God with all your heart . . . “ requires trust. This trust should flow naturally out of all the memories that have accrued in your brain, of God’s faithfulness to us personally, and to His people corporately. Without a doubt, loving God with my whole heart has become a more natural and effortless response, with the way cleared to see His faithfulness, allowing trust to take root at a deep, deep place. I recommend this class very highly. Everyone needs it."
Break Narrow Thought Patterns
"Arthur Burk’s “Thinking Clearly” course at Sapphire Training Center offers practical tools to hack your thalamus and improve decision-making by shifting from convergent (single-solution) to divergent (creative, multi-solution) thinking. The course helped me break habitual narrow thought patterns and zoom out from a given situation or scenario to gain a wider perspective. More data points = better decisions. I can highly recommend this course to anyone seeking to develop clearer, more flexible thinking, learn more about themselves, and enhance personal navigation skills."
Unexpectedly Transformative
"I knew this course would be impactful, but it turned out to be unexpectedly transformative. It gave me a language for things I have lived but never quite knew how to name or understand. We examined many decisions from Scripture and from our own lives and we examined unexpected provisions, tender reminders, and perfectly timed events, pointing to something deeper. Each moment was like a stone laid gently, creating a foundation I did not even realize God was building.
Thanks to this course, I see now that trust isn’t a leap; it is a long, patient walk. And through that walk, trust quietly deepens into love. I’m grateful for the language, clarity, and invitation to see my own story through a new lens. "
Thanks to this course, I see now that trust isn’t a leap; it is a long, patient walk. And through that walk, trust quietly deepens into love. I’m grateful for the language, clarity, and invitation to see my own story through a new lens. "
Experience Wider Dimensions
"This course is key to a breakthrough, and most of it comes from the effort put into the homework. The Thinking Clearly course is well named, weaving an extraordinary tapestry of my current life experiences alongside those who dared to live their lives through the lens of God's magnificent love or disastrous decisions.
Time and again, I found myself writing from a deep well of spiritual communion, as God's life-flow carried me, often through tears of gratitude and love. My thalamus is expanding with wider dimensions and favors of wisdom, which just come rolling forward as similarities and differences revealed. Both in my resources or assets, some long forgotten, and in some new understanding gained by the twists and turns of our biblical ancestors, also took along their journeys."
Time and again, I found myself writing from a deep well of spiritual communion, as God's life-flow carried me, often through tears of gratitude and love. My thalamus is expanding with wider dimensions and favors of wisdom, which just come rolling forward as similarities and differences revealed. Both in my resources or assets, some long forgotten, and in some new understanding gained by the twists and turns of our biblical ancestors, also took along their journeys."
Know God More Deeply and Personally
"In the Thinking Clearly class, Arthur Burk is teaching us to engage with God as well as with Scripture. He wants us to see facts from new perspectives and see the heart of God, so we can know God more deeply and personally (not just academically) and follow Him more fruitfully...
Another high impact topic was the difference between forgiveness and trust. When seeking hard after God, it is helpful to language that forgiveness is an act of my will, but deep trust comes with the consistency of seeing many faithful actions over time...
The Thinking Clearly course challenged us with exercises in divergent thinking, not swallowing perspectives of over-controlling leaders imposing cookie cutter (convergent thinking) templates of required opinions and behaviors. I strongly recommend diligently working through this Thinking Clearly course."
Another high impact topic was the difference between forgiveness and trust. When seeking hard after God, it is helpful to language that forgiveness is an act of my will, but deep trust comes with the consistency of seeing many faithful actions over time...
The Thinking Clearly course challenged us with exercises in divergent thinking, not swallowing perspectives of over-controlling leaders imposing cookie cutter (convergent thinking) templates of required opinions and behaviors. I strongly recommend diligently working through this Thinking Clearly course."
See Scripture Come Alive
"The “Thinking Clearly” course has been a gift. It helped me understand not just my own choices, good and bad, but the people I’ve journeyed with. If you’ve ever felt stuck in regret or wondered why someone made that decision, this course brings clarity and grace.
When I saw it on the Sapphire site, I didn’t hesitate. The Holy Spirt nudged me, and I knew it was time. “Thinking Clearly” was exactly what my soul needed. If you’re carrying unprocessed choices or want to see Scripture come alive through real human experience, this is for you."
When I saw it on the Sapphire site, I didn’t hesitate. The Holy Spirt nudged me, and I knew it was time. “Thinking Clearly” was exactly what my soul needed. If you’re carrying unprocessed choices or want to see Scripture come alive through real human experience, this is for you."
Impact of Our Choices
"If you want to grow in understanding of God's ways with humanity, the consequences of your own choices and those of Biblical characters, and draw closer to God and jump higher in your walk with God, you should take this course.
Although I got some PTSD from realizing my bad choices, I'm in awe of how this course has changed my view of the impact our choices have on future generations. Much to ponder and to help others see so that they can make better choices. And still...God loves us ...making something good out of our bad choices..."
Although I got some PTSD from realizing my bad choices, I'm in awe of how this course has changed my view of the impact our choices have on future generations. Much to ponder and to help others see so that they can make better choices. And still...God loves us ...making something good out of our bad choices..."
Greatly Rewarded
"The STC Thinking Clearly Course is the best investment I’ve made in a while.
The participation of your intellect, as well as your spirit, soul and brain are required to truly engage with the work, and to get a satisfactory return of treasure from within yourself and from the Holy Spirit.
Willingness to go beyond where your mind has already been, as well as willingness to set aside religious idols, and the boxes in which you’ve locked up the Father’s involvement, the Son’s relevance, and the Holy Spirit’s input, are also requirements.
But be willing to be challenged – and be greatly rewarded! The growth pain is worth it in more ways than can be put into words.
However big you believe God is, and however big you think you see God already, realise that it is possible to know God in ways currently impossible to imagine – if you dare permit the hacking of your thalamus."
The participation of your intellect, as well as your spirit, soul and brain are required to truly engage with the work, and to get a satisfactory return of treasure from within yourself and from the Holy Spirit.
Willingness to go beyond where your mind has already been, as well as willingness to set aside religious idols, and the boxes in which you’ve locked up the Father’s involvement, the Son’s relevance, and the Holy Spirit’s input, are also requirements.
But be willing to be challenged – and be greatly rewarded! The growth pain is worth it in more ways than can be put into words.
However big you believe God is, and however big you think you see God already, realise that it is possible to know God in ways currently impossible to imagine – if you dare permit the hacking of your thalamus."
This Course Will Change You
"This course made me realize that God is so much bigger than I ever thought. It completely changed the way I read Scripture — everything feels deeper, more connected, more alive. And there is so much more to it than I ever noticed before.
It also changed the way I see life. I find myself looking at situations, people, and decisions through a new lens. And I trust God in ways I didn’t before — not just because of what I learned, but because of how much more clearly I now see Him.
If you’re willing to do the work, this course will change you."
It also changed the way I see life. I find myself looking at situations, people, and decisions through a new lens. And I trust God in ways I didn’t before — not just because of what I learned, but because of how much more clearly I now see Him.
If you’re willing to do the work, this course will change you."
God's Faithfulness in My Journey
"I signed up for Thinking Clearly Part 1 hoping to get more out of the Bible stories I read—and my expectations were not just met, they were exceeded. The course opened up a whole new way of thinking, allowing me to engage with Scripture more creatively and deeply. I now discover greater richness and insight in those familiar Bible stories.
It also helped me more clearly recognize where God had faithfully shown up in my own life stories. That shift allowed me to reframe difficult seasons—seeing them even more as times when God was actively working on my behalf. This deepened my relationship with Him, drawing me into greater intimacy, gratitude, and joy.
Arthur’s thoughtful teaching and well-designed curriculum, combined with the encouragement and insights of fellow classmates, made the experience both challenging and inspiring. The investment of time and energy was absolutely worth it—I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the journey. If you're looking to grow in faith, understand Scripture more deeply, and draw closer to God, I wholeheartedly recommend this course."
It also helped me more clearly recognize where God had faithfully shown up in my own life stories. That shift allowed me to reframe difficult seasons—seeing them even more as times when God was actively working on my behalf. This deepened my relationship with Him, drawing me into greater intimacy, gratitude, and joy.
Arthur’s thoughtful teaching and well-designed curriculum, combined with the encouragement and insights of fellow classmates, made the experience both challenging and inspiring. The investment of time and energy was absolutely worth it—I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the journey. If you're looking to grow in faith, understand Scripture more deeply, and draw closer to God, I wholeheartedly recommend this course."