The Power of Thoughts

TEXT: Proverbs 23:7

TOPIC: The Power of Thoughts

Pastor Bobby Earls, Northgate Baptist Church, Florence, SC

Sunday evening, February 2, 2020

(Series—Simple Sermons for Sunday Nights, a number of sermons from this series developed from Paul Powell’s book “52 Sermon Ideas,” 1992)

Nothing in our lives is more important than our thoughts. Someone once said, “Sow a thought and you reap an act. Sow an act and you reap a habit. Sow a habit and you reap a character.”

So everyone’s character is ultimately shaped by his or her thoughts. The Bible says the same thing but in slightly different way. In Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV), it says, For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.

Like a fallen tree that rots from within, wrong thoughts lead to inner decay. Last week I told you that if we cannot control our thoughts, we cannot control our lives. Since our thoughts are so important, how do we control our thoughts in such a way that we not only think right, but act right in order to live right?

1. We Need to Cultivate our Thoughts (Psalm 101:3)

It helps if we think of our minds as gardens and our thoughts as seeds. Whatever we plant in the garden of our minds will ultimately take root and begin to grow.

If that is true, and I believe it is, then we cannot guard our thoughts too carefully. As Christians, we should refrain from reading, watching, consuming anything that might lead us to impure thoughts and motives. Anything that leads to evil thinking should be avoided.

Psalm 101:3 (ESV) says, I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless.

I had a seminary friend who also grew up near my hometown named Robbie Moore. We became the best of friends while in seminary. Robbie’s had a seminary church in Cook County, Texas and was instrumental in helping me find and then be called to my first church, the Hibbitt Baptist Church. Robbie was the first person who shared the following quote with me. He said, “We cannot keep birds from flying over our heads, but we can keep them from building nests in our hair.”

I used to think Robbie came up with that metaphor. Years later I discovered it belongs to Martin Luther, the great 16th Century reformer. “We cannot keep birds from flying over our heads, but we can keep them from building nests in our hair.”

We cannot keep evil thoughts, wrong thoughts from popping into our minds, but we can keep them from remaining there and taking root and producing fruit, evil fruit!

T/S--So we first must cultivate our thoughts.

2. We Need to Elevate our Thoughts (Philippians 4:8)

The alternative to evil thinking is not to quit thinking altogether. That’s not possible unless you’re asleep or dead!

Remember the passage in Philippians 4 we have looked at for several weeks now? Philippians 4:8 says, (ESV) Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

As children of God, called to live holy lives, lives that are different from the rest of the world, lives that are separated by God, for God; we are expected to set our minds or our thoughts on things that are at a higher level.

Colossians 3:2 (ESV) tells us to, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

How do you do that? You focus on those things that elevate the truth, things that are honorable, right, pure, lovely, commendable and excellent. Just as Philippians 4:8 suggests.

· Spend time in God’s word. What is more truthful or honorable than the word of God?

· Spend time in prayer. What is more commendable than prayer? It is always a righteous act on our part when we go to God in prayer.

· Spend time in worship. Praising God exalts God but it also lifts us up to a higher plane of focus.

These things and others like them, elevate your mind, your thoughts to God.

T/S—The Power of our thoughts: Cultivate your thoughts, elevate your thoughts and last of all, consecrate your thoughts.

3. We Need to Consecrate Our Thoughts (James 3:2, NLT)

The word consecrate means to dedicate. It means more than that in a spiritual sense. It means to set apart; to set apart for special use. The great commandment tells us to love the Lord, our God with all our heart, and all our soul, and with all our mind!

Setting apart the first part of our day to pray, study God’s word as well as praise and express our thanks to God helps us to consecrate our thoughts.

Conclusion: Consecrating our thoughts, elevating our thoughts and cultivating our thoughts help us to fully use our mind and the power of our thoughts for God’s glory!