Words of Life

Years ago, as an 11th grade teacher I spent a couple of lessons on study techniques. It included some test taking strategies and activities to do to prepare for tests. I figured it might be helpful even though these students were now just one year away from graduation. I always taught the lessons in the beginning of the year in the hopes that the kids would apply it to their studies.

One year was going along and months had passed since teaching the lessons. One young man stopped me before class and told me that some of those strategies jumped his GPA up significantly. He told me that before learning those strategies he didn’t know what studying looking like. His parents would tell him to go study but that simply meant for him to take the books and/or notes with him to his room. Once inside the room he didn’t know how to study. Learning the study techniques raised his classroom grades to A’s.

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to share with someone about the importance of speaking the Word of God over his life. The Apostle Paul understood it…

Romans 12:2 NIV

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.

God has provided tremendous gifts for us to have our minds renewed – salvation, the presence of His Spirit, and, the subject of this message today, the words of God.

Wonderful Words of Life

With a word, God created the universe. With a word, Jesus calmed a great storm, cast out demons, and raised the dead. God’s Word can bring life, healing, and freedom to our lives. But it only has the power that we give it. Unfortunately, the enemy speaks words over our lives as well.

In the development of Israel as a nation, God had planned to bring Abraham’s descendants out of Egypt and into a land that was promised to them, Israel. As Abraham’s descendants traveled into the land, they learned many lessons that formed their identity, worship, and their values. They were so important that God told the Israelites:

Deuteronomy 11:18–20 NIV

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates,

Richard Foster explains, “The purpose of this instruction is to direct the mind repeatedly and regularly toward certain modes of thoughts about God and human relationships.”[1]We saw that we are transformed through the renewing of the mind. The question is, “What are we putting into our minds?” Here’s a thought…

Freedom comes as we replace our old thoughts with new thoughts that align with God’s Word.

What We Believe Matters

What We Believe Shapes Our Thoughts.

Our thoughts guide our attitudes, and our attitudes inform our actions.

Ephesians 3:7–19 NIV

I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory. For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Here we see the topics of faith, love, power, and being filled with the presence of God. Paul’s prayer was that these things would become rooted and established in the lives of the Ephesians. This certainly happens as a result of salvation and the working power of the Holy Spirit but also as a result of exposure to the Word of God.

There is a study in science called psych cybernetics. It became popular in 1960 and the techniques were used by Zig Ziglar, Tony Robbins, and others. In the secular world, they use affirming statements like “I love myself unconditionally”. Interestingly, “it is not even important that the person believe what he or she is repeating, only that it be repeated. The inner mind is thus trained and will eventually respond by modifying behavior to conform to the affirmation.”[2]

This could be manipulation but not when we believe the truth. We are preparing to relaunch our Girls Ministries and Royal Rangers. Consider these affirmations:

Girls Ministries/Daisy Motto:

As a Daisy I will be happy, good, and helpful, letting my light shine for Jesus.

Royal Rangers Motto:

Ready for anything! Ready to work, play, serve, worship, live, and obey God’s Word.

What we believe shapes our thoughts. Imagine if our children were to memorize, recite, and believe these affirmations!!! Imagine if we were to study, memorize, recite, and believe the Word of God!

Our Lives Move in the Direction of Our Strongest Thoughts

This phrase comes from the pastor Craig Groeschel and his book, Winning the War in Your Mind: Change Your Thinking. Change Your Life.I have experienced this personally in my life, so I believe it to be true but is it biblically true? Again, Romans 12 says that we ought to be renewing our minds. So, there is that but is there more?

This made me think about Gideon, a guy who was from the smallest family of the smallest tribe of Israel. What made him believe God? Check this out:

Judges 6:12 NIV

When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”

Gideon had never been called that before. To believe it, he had to have his thinking changed. In the next verses God will tell him:

1. You will save Israel.

2. I (God) am going with you.

3. I (God) will be with you and you will strike down the Midianites.

4. Gideon asks for a sign so he prepares a sacrifice that is miraculously consumed by the fire of God.

Of course, the story continues, and Gideon becomes a hero for Israel but he didn’t start there. Neither did Moses, Samuel, David, or the disciples in the NT. And, we don’t either. God authored the thoughts that changed the men and women of the Bible and He is still doing so.

I’ve been motivated by the words of my wife as well as by those of drill sergeants and teachers. But, I’ve never run a marathon so I’ll steal a story from Max Lucado.

I discovered the importance of healthy counsel in a half Ironman triathlon. After the 1.2-mile swim and the 56-mile bike ride, I didn’t have much energy left for the 13.1-mile run. Neither did the fellow jogging next to me. I asked him how he was doing and soon regretted posing the question.

“This stinks. This race is the dumbest decision I’ve ever made.” He had more complaints than a taxpayer at the IRS. My response to him? “Good-bye.” I knew if I listened too long, I’d start agreeing with him.

I caught up with a sixty-six-year-old grandmother. Her tone was just the opposite. “You’ll finish this,” she said. “It’s hot, but at least it’s not raining. One step at a time … don’t forget to hydrate … stay in there.” I ran next to her until my heart lifted and my legs were aching. I finally had to slow down. She waved and passed me.

Which of these two describes the counsel you seek?

—Max Lucado, Facing Your Giants(W Publishing Group, 2006)[3]

Learn Who We Are in Christ

We will never walk in true freedom until we know who we are in Christ and all we have access to as God’s fully loved sons and daughters. Cindy created quite a stir a couple of weeks ago when one of our grandkids was flipping through photos on her phone when he came across a picture of her as a royalty with a crown. (She had used one of the Facebook apps to blend her image with a royal outfit and background). When he saw it he was amazed. “Mimi, what is this?” She responded, “Yes, my Father is a king”. His mind began to spin. He was incredulous. It apparently created quite a conversation when he went home and told his parents that Mimi is a princess.

Revelation 1:5–6 NIV

and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

Newer translations use “rulers of kings”. Of course, we had to explain it a little more clearly to our grandson. His excitement about castles deflated a bit but the truth is that Jesus is building a place for us even now.

Matthew Henry writes that…All true Christians are a chosen generation; they all make one family, a sort and species of people distinct from the common world, of another spirit, principle, and practice, which they could never be if they were not chosen in Christ to be such, and sanctified by His Spirit.

Cindy’s father used to run a small Christian school while they pastored in Houma, La. In the afternoons they often had PE and picked teams for kickball or softball. Pastor Akers never picked to win the game. He didn’t pick the most athletic or the most popular, he picked the kids who likely wouldn’t get picked. Isn't it good to know God wants you on His team? That before the foundation of the world, God looked through time, and He saw you, and He saw me, and He said, "I'll take him. I'll take her." He didn't leave you till last. He chose you before you even lined up. What a relief to know that you and I didn't get in by accident. That when you came to the Lord to give your heart to Him, God wasn't there saying, "Let's see, he's repented, he's believing, confessing Jesus as Lord. Aw, darn it, he's fulfilled all the conditions. Now I'll have to honor My word, now I'll have to accept him. And him of all people. He's the last one I would have chosen. How do I get myself into these fixes?" No, God chose you. You've been selected, part of the team, and it's better than any earthly team could ever be.

So, let’s move into a little workshop to help us experience freedom but remember Freedom comes as we replace our old thoughts with new thoughts that align with God’s Word. What do you believe? What are your strongest thoughts? Do you know who you are in Christ?

Workshop - Replace Lies and Labels with the Truth

When we establish ourselves in the truth, the darkness will not overcome us.

John 1:5 NIV

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.