Replace

Intro-How many of you have ever had the worst conversation of your life…in your head?

How many of you have

Every single on of us have probably thought in a manner that lead to us feeling anxious, frustrated, fearful, and down.

Training an elephant

OUR LIVES ARE ALWAYS MOVING IN THE DIRECTION OF OUR strongest thoughts. What we think shapes who we are.

-Craig Groeschel

1. The battle for your life is won or lost in your mind.

2. Your thoughts will control you, so you have to control your thoughts.

What we consume will inevitably consume us.

Proverbs

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (Chapter 23)

For as he thinks within himself, so he is.

“One of the greatest mistakes you can make in life is assuming all your thoughts are true.”

Jon Acuff, Soundtrack

Story of getting sick and the possibility of a fecal matter transplant.

the Replacement Principle: Remove the lies, replace with truth.

2 corinthians

The New International Version (Chapter 10)

3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 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.

What is your mental stronghold?

If you cannot name it, you cannot tame it.

The antidote to a lie, is the truth.

John

The New International Version (Chapter 8)

the truth will set you free.”

Matthew

The New International Version Chapter 4

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted v by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“ ‘He will command his angels concerning you,

and they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

God’s truth is powerful and can break strongholds.

Colossians

The New International Version (Chapter 3)

2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Identify The Lie

Identify The Truth

Find a Declaration Of That Truth

Lie: “I’m a victim; nothing good ever happens to me.”

Truth: “If God is for us, who can be against us? . . . In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Rom. 8:31, 37).

Declaration: “God tells me that I am not a victim but a victor in Christ. I am an overcomer, and ‘I can do all this through him who gives me strength’” (Phil. 4:13).

Replace doom scrolling with reading.

Replace watching 24 hour news with calling a friend.

Replace the steady flow of caffeine with a glass of water.

You cannot have new life until you let go of the old. Replace the negative with the positive. Choose to life over death.

Fear is a powerful tool but not as powerful as love.