Thank you for listening to the river.
Bend Church podcast Reverb in church exists to lead all people
to know love and live New Life in Jesus Christ.
We hope that you enjoy this message.
We're going into a brand new series and here's what I know
about this series already. It's for everybody sometimes.
I'll tell you you like there's something for one person in the
room or maybe for your wife today or in some of the ladies
that like, I need something for my husband.
You need to talk to him Joe. But here's what I'm going to
tell you this series is for 100% of the people in the room today.
And here's why every single person has a war going on in
your mind and see some people are winning the war.
I don't, I'm not saying everybody's losing some people
know how to win the war but then there's Some of us and because
there's debilitating anxiety, depression insecurities
destructive thought, patterns, even Suicidal Thoughts in the
deal. Is it's an, if it's not you, it
may be somebody that you love. And so if you want to know why
I'm so passionate about this, it's because so many people are
losing the battle and God says this, you can win say this, I
can win. Say it.
Listen declarations are going to be a big part of this series
because I believe it just is and changing and in fight and
changing our mindsets and win. The war.
Let me show you what Jesus says about his people here.
He says, the thieves purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy, and
in context, he's actually kind of referring to Satan.
The enemy comes, and he wants to steal kill, and destroy, and do
you know where he's succeeding in our world and in the church
in the battlefields of our mind, stealing killing destroy taking
things away. But what did Jesus say?
He says, my purpose is to give them my people a rich and
satisfying life. Do you?
You know what that requires that.
We also have a rich and healthy mind that we have a rich in
healthy ability to fight and win the war that's in our mind.
So you didn't know this up front.
Jesus says you can win and he's giving you the tools to win.
And so the cool thing about this today, when you walk out, you're
going to have some tangible tools to go start winning the
war in your mind. I'm not saying God is not a part
of it. I'm not saying the holy spirit
that you can do it without him. What I am saying is because he
wants us to win, he's going to give us everything we need to.
Walk out of here and go. I can have a healthier mind.
I can win that battle that's going on in here and let me give
you the transforming truth. That's going to kind of guide us
through this entire series here in Christ.
So if I am a follower of Jesus, if I change my thinking in
Christ, I can change my life. Literally, and you go man.
That sounds way too easy. Joe.
It's seriously straight from scripture.
Something I want to show you today.
See many people, there's a disconnect.
Do you know why we never get to the true new life change that
God. God wants us to have us because
we focus all the time on our Behavior changed.
My behavior changed my behavior. If I can, hey, don't we want our
kids to behave? Come on right now and River
kids. I guarantee send me yells kids a
little snot-nosed. I'm just kidding.
Some of those kids are back there and River kids right now
and somebody's having to say, hey don't eat that, don't do
that. Change your behavior, you know,
stop hitting him, stop doing that, and we love doing that.
We love the kids are here, but I'm just saying, don't sometimes
you just want your kids Behavior to change, right?
But if you only focus on Behavior, guess what you miss
that there's something deeper behind Behavior behind Three
crazy behavior is a broken thought, pattern is a broken way
of thinking and so here's what I'm saying in Jesus Christ, you
change your thinking and your literally change your life,
you'll be changed. All those things that God wants
new life for you to him. We have a disconnect, though.
We think it is just changing our Behavior, but truly loot
life-changing Christ, new life. It's about a mindset change as
well. And so this is it self-help
theology. Change your thinking, change
your life? You're like, man, I've heard
that somewhere before. No, it's not my idea, it's not
even a professional. Sling ideas, actually, God's
idea, first people. So let me show you what he says
here. Romans 12:2 us so, dear,
brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to
God because of all he has done for you, let them be a living
and holy sacrifice. The kind, he will find
acceptable. So in the first piece of what
we're looking at here, he says, I want you to give your life to
God. I want you to give your life,
AKA Surrender Your Life to Jesus.
There are a lot of people in the room.
You may not be there yet, that's okay.
But there are several of us here and you came To a place where
you said, you know what, I'm ready for Jesus, to surrender my
life to him. I want him to be my boss.
I want to receive him. I want to receive his new life
that he has for me. And so this is that part of it.
Give your life to God. But do you know why there's so
many Christians that have given their life to God that are still
not seeing New Life transformation?
It's because of the next first. He says that this is truly the
way we worship him. Look at verse 2 though.
Don't copy the behavior and customs of the world.
The old word is don't be conformed to the ways of the
world, but let God transform you.
Into a new person by changing the way you think, or Renewing?
Your Mind then you will learn to know, God's will, which is good
and pleasing, and perfect. See many people give their lives
to Jesus, but then they get stuck.
We get stuck. Why is that?
It's because we leave out verse 2.
Don't copy the behavior, and customs of the world, no copy
that instead, change the way, you think, let God change you
through that. You know, I find a lot of
encouragement in this this morning.
This was written 2,000 years ago, nearly Years ago, people
were struggling with broken thought patterns and don't we
know today with all the access and all the information we have
even more ability to have broken thought patterns.
So in 2023, we have thinking problems.
There's an old country song. It says, I admit that I have a
thinking problem. So y'all can't you people here
you know and talk. Sometimes you just gotta get to
the place to just say I admit it I have a thinking problem, I
have a thinking from, you know, as soon as you get there though,
you can start picking up the weapons that God has given you
to fight this. War.
Now here's the thing. I looked past couple of weeks,
just reading over some statistics and a glance that
mental illness stats. You know what?
It tells us we're struggling one in five adults right now in the
United States, experienced mental illness each year,
somebody on your row. I mean I'm not saying we're
stats. I know we all want to think not
us, not in church but that means on every single Row in here.
There's somebody wrestling with mental illness and there's no
Stigma to that. One of the things I hope to do
through this here is let's remove the stigma and get stigma
and get healing. Let's go to the counseling,
let's get involved in and pastoral counseling.
Let's get ourselves in a place to get whole again, but that's
crazy. When I look across the room, and
if you're online today sitting at Oakwood, listen, somebody on
your row, statistically at least, is wrestling one in 20
people have serious mental illness.
That means one person on every two rows in here is really
wrestling to a point of danger overwhelmed with mental illness,
fifty percent of the people in the United States.
In their Lifestyles will be diagnosed with a mental illness
or disorder. 90% of the people who commit suicide showed signs
of mental illness, and I would argue that one hundred percent
of them were in a place of mental unhealth, three-quarters
of the those who committed suicide.
Guess what we're men. So, I look around at the men in
the room and I say, are we struggling that?
That much? Can we remove the stigma you
want to know, why your pastors passionate about this?
I can't imagine one of you men whose God has called, who God
has a call on your life, in a purpose for your life to get so
low in broken in your mind that you feel You don't matter
anymore. I can't imagine a mom in the
room. I can't imagine a young adult in
this room. I can't imagine a teenager or
college student or grandparent getting to the point where they
feel so low and so worthless and so attack they go, it's not
worth being here anymore. So if I can just stand in the
Gap as a pastor and say not on my watch, that's part of this
whole series. Not on my watch.
Looking at this suicide. As the 10th leading cause of
death in the United States, every 100 minutes, a teenager
dies from suicide. No, not to mention all the
debilitating anxiety in the variety of other mental
illnesses. And so this is just me saying
again, not on our watch church. I've been praying about this for
a long time since last year about the series.
And so we will not stand by. I Can't Stand By and Watch the
church and watch people that I love and Friends lose a war that
God says, you can win because maybe a counselor told you,
that's just how you are. You never get over it.
Maybe a friend told you, that's just.
Yes, this part of your personality, you'll never be
able to win that work, as I just look at the Bible.
Go but but didn't their new life in there.
A holy spirit that raised Jesus from the dead that lives in us.
That can change how we think, change?
How we think, put us back on a healthy path, get some new
mental processes going. So let me give you the starting
point for winning today. Here it is.
I put this in your notes for taking notes.
If we really want to win, you have to start thinking about
what you're thinking about. So many times, we just think,
but we never think about what we're thinking about and I think
that's what the Apostle Paul is getting out here.
Let me show you. You what I mean?
Look at this. Verse again, don't copy the
behavior and customs of the world, but let God transform you
into a new person. There's a couple of things to
point out. Paul said, obviously our
Behavior as followers of Jesus. Our behaviors should not look
like those that don't follow. We should we should have hope
and love and joy that comes only from Christ.
Not to say there's not good people that don't follow Jesus.
Not saying that this is really con people to do a lot of good
things but it's there's a difference in being a Jesus
follower and just being a person who does get on the He says, we
should not copy the behavior and customs of the world, don't
conform yourself to that. So he acknowledged the fact that
we are tempted to conform our Behavior to other people, but he
didn't say. So instead conform your behavior
to the likeness of Jesus, what did he say?
Let God transform you, let me point this out.
The transformation were talking about, in our thought process,
it cannot happen apart from the Holy Spirit and he said that
again, it cannot happen apart from the Holy Spirit.
That's why people try and try and try.
But without the anointing And the spirit of God working.
It's impossible to truly change into this person.
God wants you to be, but God will transform you into a new
person. How by changing the way that you
think changing the way that you think see, do you know what
behavior is behavior is the outward showing of how we think?
Think about it with a child. Do you know why they're selfish?
You know, why they still toys, you know, where they bite, your
sip bite their siblings because in their mind, the thought
process that's mine. I deserve it.
It's my there's entitlement built into every one of the
little rug rats. Both of mine that were raised as
well. Every one of them, it's
entitlement. The problem is some of us never
grow out of that way of thinking.
So you have like forty two-year-old entitled people,
right? Still biting people spitting on
people cussing at people? We just learned new words when
we get older, right? But behavior is the outward
showing of wrong thinking. See, here's the other piece of
it. Changing your behavior doesn't
transform. You, it usually just makes you
frustrated. Now, I'm not saying that you
shouldn't. If you see things about
yourself, Behavior wise, you can make changes, but the Bible is
actually really clear that just deciding by coming to church.
You know what, I'm going to change how I'm acting.
That's actually falls into the devil's trap of thinking.
You gotta check boxes and do enough good to get to heaven.
Owen see transformation comes how surrender to Jesus Christ in
Christ. Then we can change our thinking
and change our lives. We can bring he'll bring new
life but you have to focus on our minds and our hearts and let
God work there. If you ever want to truly be
transformed from the inside, out that new life version of you.
Now another way to translate this change the way you think an
older version says, Renewing Your Mind and this is really
interesting. Renewing Your Mind is a few
things about it. I want to point out first, it's
an ongoing process. SS.
You cannot come to church. Today, listen to one.
Message you go, I renewed my mind and now I'm good forever
whenever Paul was preaching this to the church, the Apostle Paul
he was saying, renew your mind, constantly constantly being
God's work. Constantly look at, think about
what you're thinking about constantly.
Make sure that you got the right, thought process is going
on in your head but also it not only means change the way you
think. It means change the way that you
perceive things in life. Change the lens that you view
your life through whenever things happen in your life.
Whenever thoughts come what lens?
Are you viewing? Those sure.
That's what it means. To renew your mind would be to
take God's truth. His word and allow that to be
the lens that you filter. I don't filter it through my
feelings. I don't filter through what
other people say, not first. I filter it through.
God, what do you say? What is your spirit leading
here? So, as you surrender to Christ,
as Lord changing your thinking becomes a choice that is within
your power, but here's another deal.
Well, I got to point out, you will never defeat what you
refuse to Define. There are some people that are
in denial. I don't have a problem.
I don't have an anger problem. Joe.
It's just, it's just my wiring. I don't have a drinking problem.
I just like, you know, I just like to get relaxed, you know, I
don't have a drug problem, I've just got pain in my life.
There's thing I'm not knocking when you have to use something,
what I am saying, if you will never Define the problem, you
will stay stuck in the pattern that you're in right now.
The bit destructive Behavior cycle that's over and over.
If you're unwilling to stop and Define it, why don't people do
this? Why don't we stop?
And Define the problems in our life is because it's painful,
it's because it's painful. See many people walk around
missing, God's best for our lives, living in the feet,
simply because we're not picking up the tools.
We won't diagnose the problem. Pick up the tools and start
fighting How many have you drove here?
Don't raise your hand with a check engine car, light on in
your car. This one don't raise your hand.
See when it comes on for most of us, what we do is we get a
little picture of our family and slide it over that little area
in the car and you just keep driving.
You know what? Check engine light, baby, I'm
good. But the thing is, when the check
engine light comes on, guess what?
There's a problem somewhere, it may be very minor at that point,
but once the light comes on, if you go, hey, I needed.
I didn't go get this thing plugged in maybe something
really small plugged in. They can diagnose it and say,
oh, you just need, you know, this small little part here
that'll be seven thousand dollars.
Here you go. Right, it's the same way in our
lives. You know why we're doing this
series? Because I think there's some men
and women of God, her driving around with the check engine
light on in their heart and in their mind and then their family
and in their life and in their dorm room, the check engine
light is on the check, thought life is, you know, light is on
right now and you haven't slowed down to Define it.
Why did, why is it this way? What's going on in my heart?
Why do I feel this way? What what's happening?
But as soon as you're willing to let the Holy Spirit, do the hard
work of searching you and going wide at why is this true?
Formation is right around the corner.
I really believe transformation is right around the corner for
people in the house today, but you gotta get your mind right?
And so we invite the spirit of God today to search our hearts
to search our mind so that he can bring change thinking and
transformation. Listen, there's a war going on
in our minds and this verse that Paul wrote.
It's not just about the war in our minds, but I think it
defines it because you did. You know that that mental
unhealth and spiritual battle, actually go hand in hand because
where does the enemy attack you? You, you could argue that.
He may seem to throw things that you physically, but it's when
you're laying in bed at night and your mind won't shut off and
anxiety starts revving up and you either got to grab a drink
or grab a pill or go smoke. Or you got to lay there and be
miss. You gotta do something like all
of that is just going on inside of your head right there.
In that moment. Let me tell you what happens,
the enemy capitalizes on that he comes along and he presses and
says. That's right, you're not good
enough. That's right.
You should be scared. That's right.
That you really are wrong in this situation, you really may
lose everything and he starts putting He starts in your head
and it just ramps up. But look what Paul says.
It's just a reminder of what I think goes on.
In our head, we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies.
Wouldn't be great if we just put on the boxing gloves and just
battle it out physically for our mind, I would love that like
beat me up but like, I want to know I've been in the fight
physically but the harder part is it's not flesh and blood.
He said this against evil rulers and authorities, let me
translate demons in the Heavenly Realms and the Unseen, well, we
fight against Mighty powers in the dark world and against Evil
spirits in Heavenly places. Doesn't that describe?
A lot of the battle that goes on in our minds.
And so this is us today, declaring war.
If I were to say, one, two, three, four, I declare Thumb
war. That's right.
I know you got that Oakwood. I want to change it up a little
bit today. One, two, three, four.
I declare a thought War We're going to declare war on those
Unholy thoughts for any kind of War on those debilitating
anxiety, thoughts. We're going to declare war on
the things that keep taking you back to the addiction that
you're trying to get out of, we're going to declare war.
You know why? We declare war because we are or
but before we get to the weapons in the winning, I don't want to
depress us but I do want to understand how do we get broken.
What is it that gets us to the place where we can have metal in
health because there's actually several common things that we
all Wrestle with what causes mental Brokenness and the you
the first one here. Starts.
When your kid childhood influences, now, you can trace
it back to the Garden of Eden and say, well, sexually sin.
It's when we chose to do wrong against God.
That's where you know, a curse was put over all creation,
that's where people became Sinners.
But there was somebody that raise you to be like, you are
And even if you had amazing parents, guess what?
They weren't. Perfect.
And even if your parents are great, there's probably some
other influence in your life that had a negative impact on
the way. You think, listen, I had great
parents, my mom and dad were amazing, love them to death.
But you know what? There were older kids on my
street and in my neighborhood, there were others in my circle
of influence, even at church some and they spoke things over
me. Like this, Joe, you'll never be
enough. You'll never be big enough.
You'll never be strong enough. Just Give up.
I mean, just little thing and usually, you know, it was said
as a joke, like, just kind of taking a jab at you a little
bit, but you have no idea what that does to a little mind,
because they had somebody's a little bit older.
You got our just cutting up, we're just goofing.
But as a kid you start taking that to heart and see.
Here's what I know about me. I have a performer personality
and so without Jesus, my natural tendency is if I do.
Well, I feel like I'm worth something if I don't then I feel
like I'm worth nothing. And so you pair all that
together and you know what? You get you get a very Keep in
mind, but you get somebody who's styling about it for years.
But, you know, the question did have gone through my mind since
I was literally, since I was a kid and this is painful to dig
up because I've been going through it.
So, for so long, the questions like this.
Am I enough? Not till you guys course I am.
I'm called by God, but I'm going to preach the word but it can I
tell you the back story? My mind.
Am I really enough? Am I good enough?
Am I smart enough because I look around in the room.
There's a lot of you guys are way smarter than I am.
I just don't it. You're way smarter than me, you
more educated than me and I look around.
My God. Why do they want to listen to
me? I'm not smart enough.
I look at my wife many times and I go a, my husband enough.
A my dad enough I look at my kids and my daughter-in-laws,
and I go and my father-in-law enough and my dad enough.
I look at the church as a whole and I go and my pastor enough
and if you want to think that the enemy comes sometimes late
at night and just start pounding on my yes it happens.
See for much of me though, I've traced it back with the help of
a good counselor and some mentors in my life.
I trace it back to things that happened when I was a kid.
You start thinking wrong, when your kids to listen There are
many things in your life that you may not have defined it.
And you're not defeating it because you didn't Define it,
but it's things that happened to you as a kid.
You've never actually said, you know what, that's not how God
wants me to think, that's just how I was taught to think is
again. So there may be one of the most
freeing statements of holiday today.
God wants to free you from how you were taught to think, and
let you think like a child of God.
Also another thing that can be biology, just the way you are.
Some people may say, Hey, Joe, just the way I am, I just
wrestle with anxiety, you know? There's some truth to that.
There could be chemical imbalances.
In our brains, and in our bodies, there can be hormonal
changes that happen. We know this and listen, just
because it's not happen to you, don't judge your neighbor, don't
judge somebody else. They may be going through
something you've never felt before.
Stop judging, we're not here to judge.
When it comes to what other people are feeling, but biology
can play a part. See some people may be prone to
be more mentally healthy than others.
That's not fair. That's just called life.
That's why we have to lift up people, but there are those
prone to anxiety, depression and security, mental and help.
Here's another thing that brings mental and health in our lives.
Enos and what the Studies have shown is, especially prolonged
illness. It can be you, or you could be
caregiving for someone you love. And so, we have to lip up our
lift, up our family, and friends, and neighbors during
these times because it is really easy to get to a place where you
feel like it'll never change. I'm never going to be better.
I don't have any purpose anymore and then the enemy comes over
and says you shouldn't even be here anymore.
Why be here. Let me give you another calls of
mental and health substance. I just put substance but
especially substance abuse. Use of alcohol and drugs.
Now, here's the crazy thing. Every time you feel like you're
under attack or your minds and healthy got I mean there are
these things that the enemy wants to say, why don't you just
numb it out? Why don't you just drink a
little too much that way. You'll just kind of forget about
it. You won't feel it.
You'll just feel Joy. I mean, just go smoke.
I know you. I know it's bad for you.
I know you probably want your kids doing that but just go do
it anyway, man. Because like, you know, that you
can't you can't handle life without it.
So just go every time you feel that way, just go smoke.
Now here's what the research shows though, the things that we
use to numb the pain or actually like And fertilizer on the
problem. This is where addictions come
from many times mental Brokenness, you try to numb it.
And then next time, guess what? It takes more to nominate and
then it takes more to numb until you're at a point where you feel
so low. There's no help.
This is where Jesus comes in, he can lift you out, he can bring
you out of that. He can help you get a new
thought pattern going in your life.
Here's another cause of mental and he'll trauma.
I don't know everybody's story, but I guarantee there's people
in the room and you have something in your past.
That was That it could even be PTSD at this point that you've
walked through or still walking through right now.
It's very real. But it's not just about one big
event trauma that happens. Did you know that it's been
proven? Trauma can also be repeated
abuse, you can even call it. Small abuse repeated, small,
abusive. You were beaten down verbally
for a long, long, long time. It's this, it equals the same
thing in your brain as one big traumatic experience.
It just leaves you to this place where all of a sudden intrusive
thoughts would just come over you and you'll feel worthless or
afraid or fearful and it literally trauma literally can
break your brain. But here's the good news,
remember you can win. There's no trauma that can break
you so badly that you can't find healing in Jesus.
Here's the last one. I'll talk about.
And again, there could be a long list.
I just wanted to kind of unpack these and say, hey, let's remove
the stigma and just say, everybody in the room is
impacted by some of these but the last one is self-inflicted
wounds. Whoo.
Like, I felt that one deep because I was like, how many
times have I made decisions that hurt myself and hurt my own
mind, how many times has my own sin hurt me?
So I want you to look one more time.
We're going to get this verse today.
What Paul says don't do like everyone else does.
Don't just try to behave like everybody else.
Don't copy the customs and behaviors of the world, but let
God transform you into a new person by changing the way you
think. So we're going to walk through
this idea over the next few weeks, but I want to introduce
you, to the whole process. The Lord's really put on my
heart. The first step to changing the
way you think is thinking about what you think about that.
What we've said so far, but winning the war.
In your mind is this you have to evaluate your thoughts and
behaviors. Paul said, don't copy the
behaviors. So you have to not only think
about your thought life, but where is a broken behavior in
your life that you know, you need to change once you identify
the broken Behavior? Here's what you'll find, there's
a thought process somewhere behind that.
And so, where is God calling you hire your warning to transform
you? We have to take time to evaluate
and again, do you know why we don't evaluate?
Because it's painful. Because it's painful evaluate
take time to ask questions, you have to work on yourself and not
just in the middle of the battle.
Look what Paul says in 2nd Corinthians.
He said we destroy our arguments and every lofty opinion raised
against the knowledge of God and we do what take every thought,
captive, there's a war sentence for you.
It wore in my mind, I'm gonna take every thought, captive.
And I'm going to make my thoughts obedient to Christ.
You know what, the flip side of this.
I'm not going to let my thoughts rule my life.
I'm going to make my thoughts obedience to Christ.
Christ and my feelings obedient to Christ.
So how do you evaluate yourself? Let me give you some questions
and by the way, we're going to put these questions out.
I didn't have them in the notes are on here today, but over the
next few days, we're going to put out a guy that has these
questions for you and so if you can't get them all written down,
that's okay. But we're gonna get them to you
both to Gainesville Oakwood. We're going to get this out to
you. What repetitive destructive
thoughts. Do you have?
Think about that for a minute? When you're sitting there out of
nowhere, what repetitive thought runs in your mind, what
intrusive thought do you have? And what I mean by that is if
you do have trauma in your past, you can be doing fine.
And then all of a sudden, something can trigger you in
this, intrusive thought comes over you like you're gonna die,
you shouldn't get in the car. You should never get old flame.
I mean, it's these things that can just come over you.
Listen to this question. What negative thoughts are
triggered by emotions in your life when you feel sad what- or
destructive thought patterns come up?
Here's something crazy. But I've seen this is, I've
counseled people as a pastor, sometimes people even have
negative thought patterns associated with joy in their
life. As soon as everything's good,
like everything's okay. I'm joyful.
It's a great day but you know what the thought pattern is
well, something bad's about to happen because every time I've
ever had peace in my life right around the corner.
With something bad. You know what that is?
That's a broken thought pattern. So what does God say?
I'm working all things together for your good.
I love you. I have plans for you.
I purpose for you don't think like that, it's not that hard
times are not going to come, but I want good for you.
Here's another question. What sinful thoughts?
Do you entertain? What Temptations overwhelm your
thought life? That's evaluating your life.
Evaluating how you're doing? If you'll take time to answer
those questions, listen, You'll find Freedom in Jesus in one
area. Do you know what the enemy
hates? He hates it.
When we stop just wanting to feel good about church and we
start taking action on getting life change, he hates it, do you
know why the enemy hates it? When you start evaluating what's
going on in your mind? It's because at that moment
meant was Wrong hole start breaking down and you start
taking your thoughts captive and transformation comes you know
what the enemy hates a transform man or woman of God in Jesus
Christ. But after you evaluate, here's
the second piece, you have to do in replace.
You have to replace the lies with the truth.
So as you evaluate, you then have to identify.
What am I believing? This is the great journaling
process by the way. What am I believing?
What thought process is there? That shouldn't be there?
It's always going to be based on a life.
There's a broken thought process whether it's from the time you
were a kid till the last week something happened.
It's always going to be based on a lot.
So we have to identify lies and then we have to replace the
lies. With true.
See it's not just good enough to say.
I'm not going to believe a lie anymore.
You have to also say I'm going to start believing the truth.
You ever thought about this? Where does Ally come from?
Like you don't have to teach your kids to lie.
Nobody had to teach me to anyway maybe y'all holy when I was a
kid. I mean, nobody had to teach me
to lie. Where do those come from?
Only show. You what Jesus said he's talking
to the Pharisees here. So it's kind of getting really
hard on him. He's like dropping a bomb.
You're the children of your father, the devil.
It's pretty strong statement, right?
And do you you love to do evil things?
He does. He was a murderer from the
beginning. His always hated truth because
there is no truth in him. When he lies it is consistent
with his character for. He is a liar and where do those
come from? He's the father of them.
The devil is the father of Lies so anytime you have a broken
drop thought process guess what it's based on a lie that the
enemy has told you somewhere could have come at you, not
through Satan himself, but through another person but it's
based on a lie. See, Satan's greatest weapon is
this lies? Deep, do you know what?
The good news is about this. He has no new weapons, he has no
new tactics and he never will. Do you know what he did?
The first sin was committed because Satan tempted Eve.
And then Adam failed in the garden.
Do you know what he did? He lied, but he mixed just
enough truth in with Ally to wear it sounded okay.
But what does the scripture say? There's no truth in him.
He hates the truth. He is the father of Lies.
The good news is he has no new tactics, we know that he's
coming at us with lies. Therefore, we can prepare to win
our greatest weapon against the lies.
It's the truth of God's word. The truth of God's word.
Say here's the deal. If you believe the lie that you
are not enough then, guess what you will live as though you're
not enough. Let me speak to all the women in
the house for a moment. If you believe the lie that you
were not enough, you will continue to live as though
you're not enough, even though God says your chosen your minds
your redeemed, you are worthy. Let me speak to the men in the
room for a moment. Maybe life is beating you down?
Maybe it's your fault. Maybe it's somebody else's
fault. If you live as though, you are
not with, if you believe in your mind that I'm not really worthy,
then guess what you will live as though, you're not worthy.
Let me speak to the addicts in the house who love Jesus but
you're still struggling or maybe you don't love Jesus yet maybe
you're not surrender but your stroke if you don't believe you
can beat Addiction in Jesus name, you never will.
I'm not saying that you don't need help and counseling and
rehab and you don't need small. Group community in God's word,
you need all the tools but I'm just saying if you believe I can
never beat that and guess what? You probably never will.
If you don't believe that you can be forgiven because the I
know some of you like me, you gotta pass.
How many of you got a pass? Come on Oakwood.
If you got a pass, the enemy will come along and say you can
never be forgiven and if you believe that you will live in
Shane for the rest of your life, Here's the saddest part.
There are some followers of Jesus who have given their lives
to him and still live in shame every day.
If you don't think you can be transformed by Christ, then you
won't pick up the weapons. He's giving you the live New
Life by the spirit. Let me give you a powerful
truth. This actually came from a book.
I read from Pastor Craig groeschel on the subject.
If you believe a lie that lie will impact your life is those
true. Thought about that when I
believe lies about me when I believe I'm not worthy all of a
sudden I live as though, I'm not worthy when I believe that I'm
not good enough to pass through this church.
Guess what? I started making decisions like
I'm not good enough to pass through this church I believe I
can't be a good enough father guess what?
I start making decisions as though See, once you thought
something enough times, especially alive.
Do you know what it creates in our lives?
It creates a rut in our brain. Literally that's my country boy
term for a neural pathway. All right.
I would never use that word in the sentence.
But rut I know it'll run is neuropath way.
I know what it is to get your mind in a rut, and you can't get
out of it, but it's called scientifically a neuro pathway
see when she thought a negative thought over and over and over
again, and maybe it's been reinforced in your life.
Let me give you an example somewhere along the way.
Somebody told you when you're a kid, you're not enough for your
parents made, you feel like that and then you made a bad grade at
school and the teacher said, you know what, you're not smart and
then you tried out for the basketball team and you didn't
make the basketball team coach said, hey, you're not good
enough. And then you ask the girl on the
date. Finally, and she I said no and
that told you again rejection. You're not good enough.
You know what you believe after a while there's a trench in your
brain that the rest of your life.
I'm not good enough. I'm not good enough.
I've tried it, I'm not good enough but here's the beauty.
Did you know that lie? Ruts can be replaced with truth
trenches. You can actually physically
change and rewire your brain to where your natural throat
process. I can do this because the Christ
I can do all things through Christ.
Who strengthens me? So we can literally change remap
our brains. Its Fizz is scientifically
mapped out now. And again there's a lot of words
I had in my first set of notes and I'm like I can't pronounce
that so I can't say it to you but here's what I will tell you
truth, trenches can literally take the place of lie.
Ruts, you ever been four wheeling before.
I'm going to help my country boy Roots again here. see if
somebody went through a mud hole before you and a truck that was
bigger than yours, You know what you got to do?
Stay out of the ruts. You know why?
Because once you fall off in a rut that you can't get out, I
mean, you were either stuck. Are you gonna have to follow
that rut all the way through the mud hole?
So many of us in our brains, we fallen off in the Rut like a mud
hole and we can't get out. We're just spinning our Wheels
right now, same little track, all the way down.
Here's the good news. We can replace lie, ruts with
truth, trenches and God's word gives us hope of that.
Change the way you think, the Holy Spirit has given you power
to get out of the rut establish, a new trench of thinking?
A true trench of thinking, see it's an ongoing process here.
But here's the third part of it, we must then, establish you got,
evaluate your thoughts, you gotta replace lies with truth,
but you can't stop here. Honestly, this is what can
happen on a Sunday morning. Sometimes you can be sitting out
there thinking, man. He's right, there's a broken
thought process I'm evaluating right now in church and you know
I need to get some truth from God's word to replace that lie
with. But then we walk out of here and
guess what life is you and your wife getting a I don't know, way
home, you're not speaking. You kids are, you know, beating
each other in the back seat, you get home and you get the bills
out of the out of the other, you know, out or you get a phone
call collections calls, you get right there and then at that
moment you think you know what you're not worthy, you're not
worth it, you'll never be it comes right back on you.
Again, this is the part where you were going to have to work
over the next four weeks. If we want to see
transformation, establish these true trenches, it's not a one
and done. This is why you can't just make
up your mind to change. And and we Fall.
Right back many times. You have to renew your mind that
ongoing process letting the Holy Spirit and God's true change.
How you think and what and perceive what's going on around
you thinking establishing new thinking habits?
Here's something amazing that I found it.
I studied this. Do you know what the weapons to
establish, true? Trenches are like to establish
them obviously being in God's word every day.
Simply what it means to follow Jesus.
Just like I'm going to read God's word every day.
I'm gonna get my Bible app out instead of scrolling Facebook.
First, I'm going to open up you version.
I'm going to start reading scripture over my life.
First thing, I'm going to open my bible at the table.
I'm going to read that God's word is a weapon to start.
Forming a new true trench prayer is a weapon.
Christian Community, is a weapon that God has given us being in
church together. Worshiping there's something
powerful about rewiring your thinking being around other
people who are going to lift you up instead of pushing.
Down pull you out. Instead of pushing you back
where you came from? Listen, that changes everything.
And so, renewing our mind in Christ.
It's actually just following Jesus.
Just being a follower of Christ. Now, you may need a counselor,
sometimes we may need medication.
Listen, you may need help, you may need mentors.
You may need a small group is just pour into you.
But who knew the daily practices of changing?
Our thinking habits is literally just daily Walking With Jesus.
I thought about it. You ever been to some of you did
this in January. You haven't been to the gym all
year, but then in January, like, I'm going to change my health
and you went to the gym. How did you feel the next day?
Terrible? Right, there's somebody I Greg
on our staff. I remember he went to the gym
the first time he was like, I'm tapping out matters to our, he
finally got back in there, he's like, but he pushed through it
when I first started going back to then.
Just guess what? You hurt all over.
This is how it is with changing out.
The way that we think at first, it hurts all over, but then,
eventually time after time, you just keep going.
And Day by day, and you get stronger, and stronger than that
new way of thinking takes over. And remember, you got a holy
spirit, super power, that's going to help you with this, but
there's actually one more step that I've got to point out today
and that's this once we've established it.
Okay, I'm establishing this, I'm going to start declaring it.
This may be the most powerful piece declare the truth over
your life until you believe it can see.
For some of you I can look at you and I can say, you know,
that God says that he has a good Plan for your life and you hear
that and it kind of impacts how you think for a second.
But then your old thought process takes back over again.
But the next week when I see, you know, I always say you
matter so much because you don't believe it.
Sometimes you come in, not believing it.
And so I come up again and I say, you know what Oakwood you
matter I look at the people here in Gainesville, you know what,
watch it. We have so many faithful one
reporter Riverbend that watch online.
I look at you and I say you matter, you know why?
Because you get so beaten down. You don't believe it.
But every time somebody else says, it to you, every time you
say, it out of your mouth, you know what I do matter in Jesus
name, all of a sudden, a new trend starts getting cut in your
mind and eventually you'll start living in such a way.
And so we have to evaluate replace establish and declare.
Now we talked about this idea before, but look what Jesus
said. It's not what goes into your
mouth that defiles you your defiled by the Words that come
out of your mouth. Check this out.
You often think that your words are just impacting other people,
but guess whose ears also hear the words?
You say, you do. In Jesus name, the truth of
God's word spoken from our mouths.
Literally can change how we think make a declaration over
your life. Speak truth until you believe
it. Hopefully do this process.
Some of you guys are going to write a sentence.
That's a declaration that you need replace the lie with truth.
Start establishing a new way of thinking about your life about
your spouse, about finances, about the addiction you wrestle
with about the piece in your piece of you, you want to see
transformed by Christ, start thinking differently, but this
start declaring God's word over it just speak it over you.
Instead of saying I am not enough you can say in Christ.
I know that I'm enough. I have a Hard time with that.
I have a hard time saying. I am enough still to this day
because they're still old rut in my brain up here.
They want to go down that path. I used to go down but eventually
you come to the point. Go ahead.
It's not about me. I'm not being prideful, I'm just
saying Jesus died for me. He thought I was that valuable
as to die for me. So I must have some value right
in him. So I say, I am forgiven, I'm a
Child of God, I do have purpose, I can change because Jesus said,
I can, I can start over. Or because the mercy of the Lord
is new every morning, I am free in Christ.
There's no sinner bondage that can hold me back.
I'm a new creation. I am loved.
Do you hear how even just reading those things over the
room, like lifts the room today? Listen, the bottom line is, we
begin the stalwart journey journey today is this.
We're going to walk in deeper in these in the next few weeks.
But for you, is it time to start thinking about what you're
thinking about, do you need to declare thought were so you can
start winning in Jesus name Church?
It is time to fight. I'm so tired of people thinking
that hope is a battle tactic. We talked about Hope and
projecting hope we do. We have hope in his name is
Jesus. He's the anchor for our souls.
I know all that. But listen if you hope and you
don't fight, you're going to lose.
You can't just hope. You've got to actually say, I'm
at War, I'm declaring, thought war, and I'm ready to win it in
Christ. I'm going to change my thinking
and let him change my life. So, I'm going to ask you both
here in at Oakwood. Just a couple of difficult
questions. Are you wrestling in your mental
health today? And in your thought processes,
you may not even see it as mental unhealthy.
You may just see it as I just got some broken thought
processes in my brain. How I think about myself, how
think about the world around me? And the second question is this,
are you really ready to do was going to take to get
transformation? So you may be for you today, may
be watching online maybe at Oakwood today.
If you are at a place where you've never surrendered your
life to Christ, then you're fighting alone.
That's why I say you can take all these.
You can take these steps and you can apply them to your life.
But without surrender to Jesus, you're missing the superpower
which is the spirit of God that helps you.
The lifts you up that empowers you to make a change?
He is the life change. He is the new life inside of you
and so maybe the first step to winning the war in your mind is
Just Surrender Your Life to Jesus and say Today.
Jesus, I'm ready to surrender. My life is yours.
My life is yours, but I do want to ask you.
Today to respond with your feet. So in just a moment, I want to
ask this both here in at Oakwood to stand up and as I asked us to
stay in. Here's what I want you to do a
bold declaration and say Joe, I need somebody to declare some
truth and some hope over my life today I'm ready to start the war
but here's what the Lord led me to end with today whether you
just surrendered your life to Christ or you're already a
Christ follower or you just want this decoration spoken over you
in Christ. If you change your thinking you
can change your life but I think it's gonna take a bold and
courageous step. Someone asks you to come down
here. That's you in just a moment
Oakwood. I'm gonna ask you to push your
way to the front and I'm going to declare God just kind of led
me to write down some words and I want to read it, but I want to
declare it over you today because I believe what it, what
if this is the first step is somebody else.
Because maybe, you don't even believe you can win, but I do.
And so I wanted to clear it over you today.
Here's what I asked us to do, if that's you and you go Joe.
I'm wrestling in my mind. I need somebody to declare it
over. Listen, remove the stigma, who
cares? We're not talking about what
you're wrestling with, it can be brand-new or and old thing.
But what if the first step is you getting honest with God.
Thinking about what you're thinking about and let's start
declaring hope over it today. So here's what I want to do on
the count of three, I'm going to say standing as you stand.
I want you to come both here in Oakwood one, two, three, come
on, stay and come on down here right now, if that's you, I want
you to crowd in as close as you can.
Come on down here. Come on right here y'all.
Come on over. Yes, come on Oakwood.
Come on down, right here to the front right now.
Thank you for your obedience. Y'all crowd in right here.
Come on. I'm gonna give you a minute,
don't wait. If the if the if the Lord's
already spoke to your heart, you already felt like that drawing.
I want you to come on down here, come on right here to the front.
Come around me right here. It's okay.
There's nothing's gonna bite right here in the front.
Come on down, waiting on you. Come on Oak Wood, right here to
the front on down here. Here's what I want you to do
during the room today. I want you to help me and just
pray for the people that are here because I'm tell you guys,
I'm proud of you because this is a bold step to get out of your
seat and come here you guys at Oakwood.
I'm proud of you because it's hard, it's not easy Bears.
Don't want you to do. If you're here, I want to ask if
you feel comfortable with it, you know, close your eyes, and I
want you to listen to the words, I want to speak over you today.
In Christ, you are enough. No matter what addiction or
regret or past sin or Brokenness?
You've come here with in Jesus Christ, you are forgiven and
free. If you feel like a loser, you
are a winner in Christ. If you feel defeated, you are a
Victor in Christ. If you feel like your life is
not worth living, you have a God who stepped out of Heaven.
His name is Jesus Christ. He thought your life was so
valuable that he went to the cross for you, he has purpose
for you. If you feel like you miss the
opportunity in the past, your life isn't over your serve.
A God, who says your story isn't over?
Jesus can redeem time and make something out of nothing.
The mercy of the Lord is new every morning, over your life,
you're gonna go to sleep tonight and God's Mercy is gonna hit you
brand-new in the morning. No matter how broken you come to
him today, whether your thoughts are broken, whether you have
mental illness, whether you just been beaten down by life.
For too long listing, you are loved.
You are valuable you matter and today is a new day as you
surrender your life to Jesus today.
As you make this bold declaration to get out of your
seats, we Proclaim as your friends, as your brothers and
sisters, you can change your thinking, Let Jesus change your
life. May the Lord set you free today.
In Jesus name and everybody said, amen.
Can we just give the Lord a hand for what he's doing today?
Thank you, guys. I'll let you all be seated and
Oakwood. You can be seated, come on,
stand up together unless worship together as we close this time
out today. We declare war.
Thank you for listening to the Riverbend Church podcast.
Learn more about who we are as a church and how to connect you
can head over to our website Riverbend Church dot life.