Change Your Life By Changing Your Mind
Mental Health
50 Days of Transformation – Part 3
Rick Warren
February 8-9, 2014
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“Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but let God
transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.”
Romans 12:2 (NLT)
God is more concerned about changing your mind, rather than changing your circumstances.
Nothing happens in your life, no change takes place in your life until your thoughts change.
WHY I MUST MANAGE MY MIND
BECAUSE: My thoughts control my life.
“Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.”
Proverbs 4:23 (TEV)
If you don't think it, you don't do it.
We are always interested in our feelings, but feelings don't shape your life, your beliefs do.
You are taught things about yourself that is not true and you behave accordingly.
BECAUSE: My mind is the battleground for sin.
All temptation happens in your mind first before sin results.
Learn how to manage your mind, learn how to manage your life!
“I love to do God’s will so far as my new nature is concerned; but there’s
something else deep within me that is at war with my mind and wins the
fight and makes me a slave to the sin within me. In my mind I want to be
God’s servant, but instead I find myself still enslaved to sin.”
Romans 7:22-23 (LB)
It is such an intense battle, because your brain is your greatest asset.
Whatever gets your attention gets you.
The world and Satan wants to rule your mind.
BECAUSE Managing my mind is the key to peace and happiness.
An unmanaged mind leads to tension, stress, conflict, chaos, weakness.
Managed mind leads to tranquility, peace, confidence, security, serenity, strength.
“If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death.
But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace.” Romans 8:6 (NLT)
3 DAILY CHOICES FOR A HEALTHY MIND
Only you can control your thoughts!
Satan or others can't control your thoughts.
God is not going to control your thoughts.
Change the channel.
Make choices.
1. I MUST FEED MY MIND WITH TRUTH.
Good nutrition causes strength and energy and bring vitality.
This is also true with your thought life.
Feed your mind with goodness not junk.
You shall know the truth and the truth shall set your free.
“People need more than bread for their life; they must feed on every
WORD OF GOD.” Matthew 4:4 (NLT)
The best leaders make the best decisions based upon the best information.
You must have the best information to live the best life and that is God's Word.
The Bible is our soul food and manual for life.
There are over 700,000 promises in God's Word.
WHEN?All the time, Morning, Noon, and Night feed upon God's Word.
“I rise early . . . to cry out for help and to put my hope in your words.”
Psalm 119:147 (NLT)
Start each day with hope instead of despair.
“Lord, how I love your Word. I think about it all day long.” Psalm 119:97
“Even in the darkest of night, your teachings fill my mind.” Psalm 16:7 (CEV)
David was a man after God's own heart, because he sought God and His Word continually.
"When wicked people hide and seek to ambush and kill me, I quietly keep my mind on your decrees." Psalm 119:95
David kept his mind on God's truth inspite of danger.
2. I MUST FREE MY MIND FROM DESTRUCTIVE THOUGHTS.
Your mind needs to be released and delivered, because you are a prisioner of your own thoughts and what others may have told you that are not true. Because you always act according to how you perceive yourself and what you think others think about you.
This will set you free from your good intentions that are battling in your brain.
You will have to fight to free your mind.
The 3 areas that are enemies you must fight are:
1. My old sin nature.
Romans 7:23 - "I see in my body a principle at war with the law of my mind, taking me captive to the law of sin that dwells inside me."
When you find yourself doing things you really don't wish to do: self defeating behavior. This is the battle in your brain, when you have the best intentions. Your old sin nature is your old bad habits.
Wants to control your mind. He can't. He can't force you to do anything. Greater is HE who is in me than he who is in the world... But he can plant seeds of negative thoughts in your mind and use others & things (TV, PC, etc.) to pull you astray. You can't keep the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from pooping in your hair or building a nest on your head. You think a lot of thoughts that are not true. You do not have to believe everything you think. This is a liberating thought! This is the path to mental health.
“Those who are dominated by their sinful nature think about sinful things,
but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that
please the Spirit.” Romans 8:5 (NLT)
“Though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. [Our
weapons] have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish any
argument and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge
of God, and we TAKE CAPTIVE EVERY THOUGHT to make it OBEDIENT
to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
If you don't wake up and meet the devil face on, then you will just be going in the same direction. So guard your heart and mind!
When the devil gives a thought we call it temptation, when God gives a thought we call it inspiration, when we come up with our thoughts we call that stupidity.
2Corinthians 2:11 "I have forgiven that man, so Satan won't outsmart us. For we are very familiar with his evil schemes."
Satan wants to keep you in unforgiveness, bitterness and resentment.
Anytime you refuse to forgive you fall into Satan's trap.
3. THE WORLD's VALUE SYSTEM
All that is in the world, passion, possession, position, lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, the pride of life (money, sex, power) is not of the Father, it is of the world.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
"Though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not weapons of the world. Our weapons have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish any argument and every pretensions that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
Spiritual Strongholds are lies we believe.
Examples:
God doesn't really love me.
I know better than God what will make me happy.
False value systems such as hedonism: pleasure, materialism: things/money.
Attitudes - unforgiveness, depression, self pity, etc.
If you want to be mentally healthy you must demolish every stronghold.
Jesus wants us to know the way, the truth and life and be set free.
Satan wants to destroy us with lies.
We take captive and conquer every thought and make it obedient.
Bring into submission every thought to Christ.
When I need to pray, my mind drifts away.
When I need to ponder, my mind will wonder.
How do you make your mind - mind you?
You must use your will to bring your mind into order.
The reason most people fail and do not enjoy life is because they never learned to win the battle of their mind.
HOW TEMPTATION WORKS
“Temptation comes from the lure of OUR OWN evil desires.
These evil desires lead to evil actions, and then the evil actions lead to death.”
James 1:14-15 (NLT)
Step 1: Desire -
It always begins in your mind with a natural desire.
It becomes more important anything else and uncontrolled.
If you don't have a desire, it is not a temptation.
Smoking won't send you to hell, but it will make you smell like you have been there.
All misused and abused desires will become destructive.
Step 2: Doubt – “Did God really say...?”
What tend to always doubt 2 things: God's love and God's Word.
Adam and Eve are in perfect paradise, no clothes and no kids... but they believed the lies of Satan and doubted God's love and word.
Everytime you get into a temptation you believe you know better and doubt God.
Step 3: Deception – Believing a lie of Satan
Satan replaces God's truth with his lie.
Satan lures us with our own evil desires.... bait depends upon the fish's attraction.
Ask yourself: "What kind of bait would Satan use on you to hook you?"
We know there is a hook, yet we still keep nibbling. Flirting with temptation is foolish.
Lures are flashy, sparkles, appealing - but it is deceptive and leads to destruction.
Las Vegas should be called "Lost Wages".
Step 4: Disobedience & Defeat: Sin
My intention becomes my attitude which becomes my action begins in the battle of my mind.
What I flirt with I will fall for.
It could be simply a cupcake.
The moment you make the choice to misbehave you will suffer the consequences.
The best time to win the battle is beforehand.
“I have made up my mind to obey your laws forever, no matter what.”
Psalm 119:112 (CEV)
I must feed my mind constantly on truth not garbage.
I must free my mind from lies.
I must focus my mind on the right things.
I MUST THINK ABOUT JESUS
“Keep your mind on Jesus Christ . . .” 2 Timothy 2:8 (CEV)
“Think about Jesus’ example. He held on while wicked people were doing
evil things to him. So do not get tired and stop trying.” Hebrews 12:3 (NCV)
THINK ABOUT OTHERS
“Don’t just think about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too,
and in what they are doing.” Philippians 2:4 (LB)
“Let us think about each other and help each other to show love and do
good deeds.” Hebrews 10:24 (NCV)
This is counter culture. The world teaches to focus on yourself.
Look out for number one. It's all about me.
It is not about you!
It is only when you give your life away will you realize your purpose.
Small groups are the place to begin to learn to become unselfish.
THINK ABOUT ETERNITY
“Let heaven fill your thoughts.
Do not think only about things down here
on earth.” Colossians 3:2 (NLT)
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what
God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 (NLT)
Look at all the nit picky insignificant problems that take up so much of attention and ruin our lives in comparison to all the pleasant things God has prepared for us to enjoy now and forever.
"He is so heavenly minded he is no earthly good"... is not true.
Those who are most heavenly minded throughout history
have done the most good on earth for good.
I must feed my mind on truth daily.
I must free my mind from destructive thoughts, choose not to think them and change my mind.
I must focus on the right thing so I don't have time to pay attention to wrong.
Change your attention - you are no longer tempted.
PRAYER
Father,
You gave us our minds.
You made us in your image.
The greatest gift you have given to us is the gift of intellect.
We realize it is our greatest asset and yet the greatest battleground.
The world, the flesh, the devil all team up to thwart our best intentions.
God, help me to put into practice what I just learned.
Help me to make these healthy choices daily.
I want to feed my mind the truth all the time.
I want to free my mind from destructive thoughts.
Take every thought captive, obey Christ and not run wild.
Help me to be wise to temptations realize when desires turn into doubt, deception and disobedience.
God, today I will make up my mind to obey your Word no matter what.
Help me to think about Jesus, others and eternity everyday.
In Your name I pray. Amen.
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