Change your Mind

Intro

Today we are beginning a brand new series called Game Changers. We will be discussing things that will create shifts and make changes to our lives if we will implement them.

We love games and game night.

We love fun games. Games that make us laugh.

Games that are simple and fairly quick.

We have a game we like where we have to throw something at each other… It’s great.

Some of you are all about deep strategy games that take hours and thought to complete.

That’s not me.

We had some friends invite us over for a game night one time. We were expecting a good ole Pictionary or maybe uno, oh no...

It was a game that took at least 4 hours to complete and was based off of financial budgets and investments....

Christy and I said, I think you may have thought of the wrong people.

But in this game of life, WE know it’s not all just fun and games.

It requires significant strategy and thought.

It’s a thinking game.

Proverbs 23:7 (ASV)

For as he thinketh within himself, so is he...

Your life will actually flows in the direction of your thoughts.

YOUR LIFE FOLLOWS YOUR THOUGHT LIFE

Learning how to think will be one of the biggest game changers in your life.

Romans 12:2

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Transformed by a new way of thinking. Changing our thought patterns.

When we come to Christ, our souls are made right with God.

WE are forgiven and cleansed by Jesus. When we confess our sin, he takes it.

We are made right in his sight. Made righteous.

BUT our minds are still need work!

This is why so much of our battles take place here.

Our mindset has been shaped by our past experiences, our hurt, our desires, our habits and often cemented in place.

And our current way of thinking is the only way of thinking that we know how to think!

Most people never see transformation, because we don’t ever break away from our old ways of thinking.

But our thinking is skewed and flawed at the deepest level.

1) We think we know more than we do.

Show graph, how much we think we know, how much we actually do.

Our brains convince ourselves that we know more than we we do.

Therefore our way is the best way because I know.

Our brains actually fill in gaps and convince us that it’s the correct picture.

Show squares pic.

We so falsely believe that our way of thinking can be trusted and often can’t be convinced of a different better way.

2) We think we see clearly when we don’t.

Ever known someone to get glasses for the first time.

It’s like the world is brand new. They get so used to the old way of seeing things that’s how they think it really is.

Didn’t realize the world was so crisp and vivid.

Blurry was the norm.

All of the past experiences and things that shaped the mindset we have is a lens through which we see the world.

All of us have bias that makes how to perceive the world around us blurry and not exactly as it is.

We need a better way of thinking.

God doesn’t just want us to think different things… But he wants to give us a new way to think.

The apostle Paul gives us some insight into how to change our thinking by looking as his example in Philippians.

Philippians is known as the joy book! it gives the command to rejoice multiple times.

It is just a hopeful and inspiring book.

But, we can’t forget that Paul wrote this book while he was sitting in Prison, chained up with an uncertain future.

How was he able to see the world so differently?

He has a renewed mind. A changed thought pattern.

We can too!!

WE CAN HAVE A NEW WAY TO THINK.

Philippians 1:12-13

Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.

This isn’t what they wanted to know.

They wanted to know why he was in prison when he commit his life to the gospel.

They wanted to know when he was getting.

But Paul declares that what you want to know and need to know are different.

I’m here for a reason.

He was able to see something and think about the situation completely differently.

Their thinking was wrong.

Philippians 1:15-18

It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice

Not only was he in prison for his faith.

There were some preaching not for Jesus but simply to make Pauls struggle harder.

But he rejoiced...

THERE IS A DECISION TO MAKE.

Paul made a decision.

He could have easily given up, been angry, complained, fought back, but he DECIDED on rejoicing.

He DECIDED that he was take a different way of thinking about the situation he was in.

And it changed the way he lived through what he was in.

They saw the prison, but Paul saw the promise.

We can think, we’ll this is just how I think, it’s just how it is.

There is no different way.

I’m stuck with these thoughts.

But you have a choice.

Far too many of us have had our lives dictated by our last thought, instead of deciding that I will dictate the thoughts I have.

You have a choice to take control of your thought life.

1 Corinthians 2:16

“Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

As believers, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we have access to another mind.

The mind of Christ is available to us. We HAVE it!!!

But we have to choose which mind we will align ourselves with.

You can break out of the holding pattern of your old way of thinking.

Not only can you, but you have to if you ever truly want to see transformation and change.

Philippians 2:5 (NLT)

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

He was humble, selfless, compassionate...

John 6:38

For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.

Jesus had a completely surrendered will.

IT REQUIRES A SURRENDERED WILL.

You’ll never have new thinking without a surrendered will.

Because without surrendering your will, you question everything God wants to do!

Not my will God but yours!

Philippians 2:6-8

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

Most of our patterns of thinking are formed around self preservation. Protecting and insulating us from things that our past has told us is not good for you.

So we build walls and strongholds in our minds.

A surrendered will give us the ability to see more than just our own point of view.

A surrendered will required complete trust in God.

Trusting that his will is better.

God is the only safe place to build your life!

We are in control of way less than we think we are anyway.

when it makes sense, God your will.

When it seems so off the rails, God your will!

Philippians 2:16 (NLT)

Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.

IT TAKES DIVINE PERSPECTIVE.

Our old way of thinking has been formed from years of experience, pain, learning and more.

Surrendering your will begins to break that cement

but now we need to see differently.

We need a new lens to consume the world around us to show us how to think.

that lens is the word of God.

Paul says hold tightly to the Word of Truth.

You can’t hold tightly to every stray thought or feeling that runs through your mind.

Just because you think it, doesn’t mean your right. question our thoughts trust the word

Our test of what is true, is what God has said!

I like roller coaster!

One time I remember going, getting all strapped in, it takes off.

all is good until the first drop, I come off of the seat more than comfortable. I grabbed that bar with Bruce Lee Death grip and didn’t let go!

In life, we have to make a decision of that is the truth we will trust in.

Am I death gripping on the the word of God as truth and security or to my own thoughts.

Each requires full grip, I can just choose a little of both.

Hold Tightly to the word of Truth.

Philippians 4:6–9 (NLT)

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

THERE IS A DIVINE PROCESS.

Patterns are created through repeated action.

So to change the pattern I need to change the repeated action.

We’ve been living and thinking in a certain way for decades, we have to do something different to get a different result.

Paul gives us a new repeated action that will create a new pattern that will transform our lives.

This is a game changer!!!

Where worry, fear and panic dominated - I want you to Pray and Give Thanks.

Where negativity, problems, chaos, destruction, are bombarding our mind - Intentionally think on heavenly, good, excellent things.

We can’t have a better thought pattern if all we are consuming is chaos and destruction.

When all we are is caught in a continuous scroll that dominates our thinking.

We can’t expect different outputs without different inputs.

What are things that are true, honorable, pure, lovely, admirable. Worthy of praise, Godly...

How much of the content of what we consume daily could be described as that?

Keep putting it into practice. Over and over and over again.

this isn’t a one and done. Set it and forget it.

CONCLUSION

I Really like the show pawn stars.

People bring them things that sometimes looks like junk.

They have to call the expert to come in take a look and tell what it’s worth.

Sometimes it’s worth way more than they thought, sometimes they thought they had something priceless but turns out to be a forgery and it’s worthless.

A normal eye can’t tell.

It takes a trained appraiser. They can look and know the the difference and see the value of something.

It takes years to develop this eye and knowledge.

This is what a renewed mind, a mind of Christ, does.

When we take on this new mind.

It helps us to determine the real value of things and reject things that are worthless.

right thinking in prison rejoice

wrong thinking surrounds with more than I need still stressed and depressed

This is one of the greatest game changers of your life.

Allowing God to change the patterns of your thinking

Because your life will flow in the direction of your thoughts.

But, you have a choice!

You aren’t doomed to simply repeat your worst thought.

RESPONSE