Whatcha Thinkin? -The Power of Perception

"The Power of Perception"John 8:1-11

1 Jesus walked up the Mount of Olives near the city where he spent the night. 2 Then at dawn Jesus appeared in the temple courts again, and soon all the people gathered around to listen to his words, so he sat down and taught them. 3 Then in the middle of his teaching, the religious scholars and the “Separated Ones” broke through the crowd and brought a woman who had been caught in the act of committing adultery and made her stand in the middle of everyone.4 Then they said to Jesus, “Teacher, we caught this woman in the very act of adultery. 5 Doesn't Moses’ Law command us to stone to death a woman like this? Tell us, what do you say we should do with her?” 6 They were only testing Jesus because they hoped to trap him with his own words and accuse him of breaking the laws of Moses. But Jesus didn’t answer them. Instead he simply bent down and wrote in the dust with his finger. 7 Angry, they kept insisting that he answer their question, so Jesus stood up and looked at them and said, “Let’s have the man who has never had a sinful desire throw “the first stone at her.” 8 And then he bent over again and wrote some more words in the dust.

9 Upon hearing that, her accusers slowly left the crowd one at a time, beginning with the oldest to the youngest, with a convicted conscience. 10 Until finally, Jesus was left alone with the woman still standing there in front of him. So he stood back up and said to her, “Dear woman, where are your accusers? Is there no one here to condemn you?”11 Looking around, she replied, “I see no one, Lord.” Jesus said, “Then I certainly don’t condemn you either. Go, and from now on, be free from a life of sin.”

Perceive:1. to attain awareness or understanding of2. to become aware of through the sensesGood Good Father @ Sears Youth CenterAccording to the definition the way we perceive things are from:-Understanding (prov 1:2-7)

-through the senses1. Thought---What someone says to you (Romans 12:2)

2. Repeated Thinking---How you think everyone sees you (Prov. 23:7)

For as a man thinks in his heart so is he.

3. How you talk---fitting your perception of yourself (prov 18:21 & eph 4:29)

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

4. Your Appearance---gotta look the part (1 Peter 3:3-4)

3 Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.

5. Your attitude---I act therefore I am (Mark 12:30-31)

30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'31 The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

6. Your actions---who I really am (Gal 5:22-23)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law

You can't make people change but you can change yourself. "Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves." -C. G. Jung"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing. It also depends on what sort of person you are." -C. S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia #6)"Most misunderstandings in the world could be avoided if people would simply take the time to ask, "What else could this mean?" -Shannon L. AlderJames 1:2Romans 12:2