Pastor Craig Groeschel (guest speaker at Elevation church; home church: lifechurch.tv)
"Toxic Thoughts"
- What God is doing through us is way, way, way more then what we think!
- Live the gospel!
- We are not a body with a soul, we are a soul with a body.
- Because we are believing things that are not true, thinking on things that are not true, thinking on things that are not of God we are dramatically limited and are not doing all God wants us to do.
- Because we are Christian's (if you are saved) there is an ongoing war inside of us; there is a battle the spiritual nature that is connected to God and between the fleshly nature of our body which is fallen.
- This battle is deciding in the mind.
- Stop believing in our own abilities or inabilities, and start believing in the power of God.
- Stop believing the limitations of our own life rather then the power of God.
- Toxic (definition) - anything containing poisonous material capable of causing sickness or even death.
- Stop poisoning our own soul's with toxic thoughts.
- If we think negative thoughts we are going to become a negative person.
- If we think God thoughts, we are going to become like Christ.
- It's the thought that counts!
1. Identify and reject them.
Proverbs 4:23 (CEV)
Carefully guard your thoughts because they are the source of true life.
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (ESV)
For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.
- Our weapons have the power to unlock the prisoner who is believing the lies.
- Thoughts are the source of true life.
- Stop being a prisoner of our own toxic thoughts.
- The weapons we fight with have the power to demolish strongholds.
- Any thought that is not of God, we should grab it and make it our prisoner.
- Then we shape it by the Word of God, and make it obedient to Christ.
A. Negative thoughts.
- I.E.: I don't have what it takes, I can't do anything, my life stinks, it's just too much I can't do it all, no one appreciates me.
- Consumed with negative thoughts.
B. Fearful thoughts.
- I.E.: What if...
- Irrational fear or worry.
C. Discontented thoughts.
- I don't like {fill in the blank}, I'm not happy unless {fill in the blank}, I wish {fill in the blank}, if only I had {fill in the blank}.
- Not being satisfied (with anything).
D. Critical thoughts.
- I.E.: I'd never do that, I don't like this or that, etc.
- Judgmental.
- We have got to guard our thoughts.
- We have to carefully guard our thoughts.
- If we want to find things to be negative about, fearful about, discontented about, or critical about we can do it very, very easily.
- It's a choice, we choose what we think about.
- We can find what we're looking for.
- The battle is fought in the mind, and it's a choice.
- We're going to find what we're looking for.
- If we want to look for something bad we can find it.
- If we want to look for something good we can find it.
- If we want to see God working, we can find it.
- It's all in the mind.
- Identify and reject toxic thoughts!
But you, O Lord, know me; you see me, and test my heart toward you. Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and set them apart for the day of slaughter.
- If there's anything inconsistent with You Father, drag them off to the slaughter house!
- Don't let the toxic thoughts live!
- Identify the toxic thoughts, and then replace them with God's truth!
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts an dyour minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worth of praise, think about these things.
- When we first start to do battle with the toxic thoughts we are going to have to work at it a bit.
- Anytime we think a negative thought we are going have to realize it's bad, and start thinking about God thoughts.
- But then the switch is going happen and we are going to start thinking and living God's Word, and then the battle is gone.
- Because we are led by the Spirit of God.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
- "Be transformed by the renewing of our mind."
- We change by His renewing of the mind.
- As we feed on His Word, it renews our mind.
- We stop thinking the lies of the world and we start believing what He says about us, and we can do what He says needs to be done.
- Renewing is Anakainosis in Greek. Anakainosis means a renewal, a renovation, to make better than new.
- God wants to make us better than new, through the renewing of our minds.
- Identify toxic thoughts, reject them, and replace them with the truth.
- How can we be living in the stupid closet when God has already opened the door?!
- Open up the door and do what God has called us to do!
- ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE WITH GOD!
- Open the door and walk through it!
- Stop letting the lies of the spiritual enemy limit the potential we have through God.
- Do not be conformed by the patterns of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind!
- We can handle everything with the power of Christ.
- We have been created and chosen, called by God!
- We are the light of the world and we are God's secret agents.
- Because Christ is in us, we will be a blessing.
- We have everything we need for life and godliness.
- We have everything we need to do everything God has called us to do and wants us to do.
- Don't you dare stay locked up in the closet when Jesus opened the door!!
- Identify the lie and replace it with the truth!!
- Think of things that are true, lovely, admirable, pure, excellent, and praisworthy!
- Open the door and do what God has called you to do!
No comments:
Post a Comment