Creekside Church, Sunday, October 31, 2021
Keys to Growing a Healthy Mind
Locations & Times
Creekside Church
660 Conservation Dr, Waterloo, ON N2J 3Z4, Canada
Sunday 9:00 AM
Sunday 10:30 AM
___
Be careful what you think because your thoughts run your life.
Proverbs 4:23 NCV
Think about these axioms of truth about our brains . . . our minds.
· The law of exposure says that the mind will absorb and reflect on what it is exposed to the most intensely.
· We are constantly being shaped by the environment around us.
· How much attention are we paying to the stuff that is paying attention to us?
· Our thoughts will control us so we have to control our thoughts.
· What we think shapes who we are.
· Our lives are always directed by our strongest thoughts.
· The life we live reflects the thoughts we think.
· We are who we are today, in large part because of what we thought about yesterday.
· We will become, who we will be in the future, in large part because of what we think about today.
· Decide to change your thinking so God can change your life.
“Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Romans 12:2 NLT
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments 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 10:4-5 NIV
INSIGHTS FROM 2 CORINTHIANS 10:4-5
1. WE ARE IN A WAR . . . you are in a war . . . I am in a war
Weapons . . . demolish. . . strongholds (NASB fortresses) . . . captive
If you don’t think that you are in a war, you will lose the war you don’t think you are in.
All humanity is engaged in a war between lies and truth.
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh . . .
Ephesians 2:1-3a
Notice the three enemies . . .
the ways of this world . . . was simply shortened to “the world”
the ruler of the kingdom of the air . . . was for brevity’s sake labelled “the devil”
the cravings of our flesh was abbreviated to “the flesh”
The world is . . . a system of ideas, values, morals, practices, and social norms that are integrated into the main stream and eventually institutionalized in a culture that redefines good and evil and rebels against God.
The flesh . . . our personal, ungodly, inner drive for self-gratification/pleasure especially pertaining to sensuality (i.e. sex, food), domination and control.
The devil . . . a created spirit being, extremely intelligent, a cunning source of evil and the most powerful and influential creature on earth.
2. IT’S A DIFFERENT KIND OF WAR . . . It’s a different kind of war . . . it’s a different kind of war that requires different kinds of weapons and a different kind of thinking.
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.
2 Corinthians 10:4a
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:12
[For] Our ·fight [conflict; struggle] is not against ·people on earth [L flesh and blood] but against the rulers and authorities and the ·powers [or cosmic powers/rulers] of this ·world’s darkness [L darkness], against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly ·world [realm; places].
Ephesians 6:12 Expanded Bible
3. TO WIN THE WAR WE MUST USE DIFFERENT WEAPONS:
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments 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 10:4-5 NIV
Demolish three things:
1. we demolish strongholds or some translations use the term fortresses.
2. we demolish arguments
3. we demolish every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God
. . . we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
The battle we are in involves our thoughts, our thought life, our minds. This is where the enemy is attacking and this is where we need to focus our attention in order to win the war. If you are battling a lie that has a grip on you then . . .
HOW DO WE FIGHT ON THE OFFENSIVE? If you have a lie that has a grip on you . . .
1. Acknowledge The Problem . . . admit it to yourself, admit it to God, admit it to someone else.
2. Identify The Lie . . Pray about it. Think about it. Bring others into the conversation to help you determine the lie. You cannot defeat what you do not define.
3. Replace The Lie With The Truth . . . what is the truth, from Scripture, that kills that lie. Find it. Write it out. Make sure you understand it.
4. Reinforce The Truth . . . Write out A Declaration Of Truth that counters the lie and vocally express and regularly remind yourself of that truth.
HOW DO WE FIGHT ON THE DEFENSIVE?
1. PRACTICE PRAYING:
Prayer works. Prayer changes things. Prayer changes your brain.
And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7
2. PRACTICE PRAISING
Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice.
Philippians 4:4
Worshipping elevates God and helps us in so many ways, even with the chemistry in our brains. Gather with others and worship. Praise God on your own. Turn on the worship music and feel your brain getting healthier!
3. PRACTICE READING GOD’S WORD:
The heart is fooled more than anything else . . .
Jeremiah 17:9 NLV
There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.
Proverbs 14:12 NLT
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.
Hebrews 4:12 NRSV
Be careful what you think because your thoughts run your life.
Proverbs 4:23 NCV
Think about these axioms of truth about our brains . . . our minds.
· The law of exposure says that the mind will absorb and reflect on what it is exposed to the most intensely.
· We are constantly being shaped by the environment around us.
· How much attention are we paying to the stuff that is paying attention to us?
· Our thoughts will control us so we have to control our thoughts.
· What we think shapes who we are.
· Our lives are always directed by our strongest thoughts.
· The life we live reflects the thoughts we think.
· We are who we are today, in large part because of what we thought about yesterday.
· We will become, who we will be in the future, in large part because of what we think about today.
· Decide to change your thinking so God can change your life.
“Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Romans 12:2 NLT
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments 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 10:4-5 NIV
INSIGHTS FROM 2 CORINTHIANS 10:4-5
1. WE ARE IN A WAR . . . you are in a war . . . I am in a war
Weapons . . . demolish. . . strongholds (NASB fortresses) . . . captive
If you don’t think that you are in a war, you will lose the war you don’t think you are in.
All humanity is engaged in a war between lies and truth.
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh . . .
Ephesians 2:1-3a
Notice the three enemies . . .
the ways of this world . . . was simply shortened to “the world”
the ruler of the kingdom of the air . . . was for brevity’s sake labelled “the devil”
the cravings of our flesh was abbreviated to “the flesh”
The world is . . . a system of ideas, values, morals, practices, and social norms that are integrated into the main stream and eventually institutionalized in a culture that redefines good and evil and rebels against God.
The flesh . . . our personal, ungodly, inner drive for self-gratification/pleasure especially pertaining to sensuality (i.e. sex, food), domination and control.
The devil . . . a created spirit being, extremely intelligent, a cunning source of evil and the most powerful and influential creature on earth.
2. IT’S A DIFFERENT KIND OF WAR . . . It’s a different kind of war . . . it’s a different kind of war that requires different kinds of weapons and a different kind of thinking.
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.
2 Corinthians 10:4a
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:12
[For] Our ·fight [conflict; struggle] is not against ·people on earth [L flesh and blood] but against the rulers and authorities and the ·powers [or cosmic powers/rulers] of this ·world’s darkness [L darkness], against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly ·world [realm; places].
Ephesians 6:12 Expanded Bible
3. TO WIN THE WAR WE MUST USE DIFFERENT WEAPONS:
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments 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 10:4-5 NIV
Demolish three things:
1. we demolish strongholds or some translations use the term fortresses.
2. we demolish arguments
3. we demolish every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God
. . . we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
The battle we are in involves our thoughts, our thought life, our minds. This is where the enemy is attacking and this is where we need to focus our attention in order to win the war. If you are battling a lie that has a grip on you then . . .
HOW DO WE FIGHT ON THE OFFENSIVE? If you have a lie that has a grip on you . . .
1. Acknowledge The Problem . . . admit it to yourself, admit it to God, admit it to someone else.
2. Identify The Lie . . Pray about it. Think about it. Bring others into the conversation to help you determine the lie. You cannot defeat what you do not define.
3. Replace The Lie With The Truth . . . what is the truth, from Scripture, that kills that lie. Find it. Write it out. Make sure you understand it.
4. Reinforce The Truth . . . Write out A Declaration Of Truth that counters the lie and vocally express and regularly remind yourself of that truth.
HOW DO WE FIGHT ON THE DEFENSIVE?
1. PRACTICE PRAYING:
Prayer works. Prayer changes things. Prayer changes your brain.
And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7
2. PRACTICE PRAISING
Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice.
Philippians 4:4
Worshipping elevates God and helps us in so many ways, even with the chemistry in our brains. Gather with others and worship. Praise God on your own. Turn on the worship music and feel your brain getting healthier!
3. PRACTICE READING GOD’S WORD:
The heart is fooled more than anything else . . .
Jeremiah 17:9 NLV
There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.
Proverbs 14:12 NLT
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.
Hebrews 4:12 NRSV