WINNING THE WAR IN YOUR MIND—2

TAKE YOUR MIND BACK

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by

the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2

Don’t know about you, been making dumb, irrational decisions.

Church—Walk (15 minutes)
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Behave irrationally? Decisions make no sense?

 Want be nice—Yell
 Save money—Spend
 Trust God—Worry
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Why do we behave irrationally?

(Turbo Coupe) (Alpine) Journey, Reo, U2, Police

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Why do we behave irrationally?—Wires crossed.

Neural pathways—Experience new—Brain creates Neural Path.

Experiences are wiring—Programming brain.
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Baby smiles—Mom smiles back (“Goo-goo”)—Smiling good.
Baby touches hot stove—Ouch—Hot stove bad.
Baby wants sucker—Mom no—Baby cries—Mom gives sucker.

More think thought—Easier think again.

 Good news—Truth ** Bad news—Lies
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 Mind battlefield—Most of life’s battles won or lost in mind.

Live world (Wage war) Weapons not world—Divine Pow strong

Destroy arguments/pretension set itself against know God
Take captive every thought—Make it obedient. (Matter?)
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 Your life is always moving in direction of your strongest
thoughts.

What comes into your mind—Comes out in your life.

Cannot have a positive life with a negative mind.

Don’t control what you think—Never control what you do.

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Train Minds—Understand training mind—Think train body.
Thought—What you do—Not just what you do—What you put in.

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. Phil 4:8 NLT (Chained in Prison)

Doesn’t say, God let me down, Can’t go on, Life can’t get worse.

… if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—

meditate on these things. Phil 4:8 NKJV

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Discipline of Meditation: (New age) One w/universe.
Definition of meditation—To engage in mental exercise; to
focus one’s thoughts.

I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. Ps 119:15

… I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands

have done. Ps 143:5

Eastern meditation—Empty mind

Christian meditation—Fill mind truth—Fix mind.

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Training my mind to focus—Focus is a skill.

Great theologian Jackie Chan (The Karate Kid)—“Your focus

needs more focus.”

Mind Drifts—Generally to the lies—Can’t, Won’t. Not.

Mind—Train it toward truth.

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 What stronghold is holding you back? Wrong mindset hostage?

Identify where you have the wires crossed.

Never get out of debt. I can’t overcome this addiction

Always struggle health Never feel close to God
Never meaningful job Never going to get married.
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 What truth demolishes that stronghold?
 Scriptural truth.
Write it—Think it—Confess it—Until you believe it.

Creating new neural pathways—Renewing mind w/truth.

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Struggling to Know God’s Will: My life belongs to God. Daily I

seek him and daily he directs my steps. I know his voice and he
leads me to his perfect will.

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Lack confidence: My confidence is in Christ and Christ alone.

Because his Spirit lives within me, I can do everything he calls me
to do.

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Fighting lustful thoughts: I’m not a slave to lustful thoughts.
Because God has purified my mind, I will honor him with my eyes
and thoughts. My God is faithful. Even if I’m tempted, he will
always give me a way out.

Find comfort in food: When I’m stressed, I turn to God, not food.
I come to Jesus because he is what I need. In Him, I find strength
and comfort.

Battling worry: Because of Christ, I’m not anxious about

anything. I cast my cares on God because he cares for me. I have
the peace of God dwelling in my heart and ruling my mind.
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Write it—Think it—Confess it—Until you believe it.
Creating new neural pathways—Renewing mind w/truth.

 Inadequate—Never enough. (STAND) (Keys)

 Putting God first, People think.
 Priorities out-of-whack—Overwhelmed—Amy granted. Kids.
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In book … full list.

Jesus is first in my life. I exist to serve and glorify Him.

I love my wife and will lay down my life to serve her.

My children will love God and serve Him with their whole hearts.
I will nurture, equip, train and empower them to do more for His
kingdom than they can imagine.

I love people and believe the best about others.

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I am disciplined. X in me is stronger than the wrong desires in me.

I am growing closer to Jesus every day. Because of Christ, my

family is closer, my body is stronger, my faith is deeper, my
leadership is sharper.

I am creative, innovative, driven, focused and blessed beyond

measure—because the Holy Spirit dwells within me.
I develop leaders. That’s not something I do. It’s who I am.
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I bring my best and then some. It’s what I bring after I do my best
that makes the difference.

The world will be different and better because I served Jesus today.

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Your life is always moving
in the direction of your strongest thoughts.

If you don’t control what you think

Never control what you do.
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Take Your Mind Back—Meditate on truth—Fix ……

Write it—Think it—Confess it—Until you believe it.

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INVITATION

I’m not good enough—God could never love me.

If you confess with your mouth—Believe in your heart
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Declarations Over You!

For those of you who are in X

  You are strong and mighty. You have the same power that
raised Christ from the dead dwelling inside of you. You are a
weapon of righteousness in a world of darkness.

 You are not your past. You are not what you did. You are who
God says you are. He says you are forgiven. He says you are
redeemed. He says you are free.

 You are not a hostage to your unhealthy thoughts. The

weapons you fight with are not the weapons of this world.
You have divine power to demolish strongholds.

 You have the mind of Christ directing your thoughts. You

have the word of God guiding your steps.

 Worry is not your master. You trust in God. His peace guards
your heart, guards your mind, and guards your soul in Christ
Jesus.

 Your God has not given you a spirit of fear, but a Spirit of
power, of love and of a sound mind.

 The Lord is your helper. You will not be afraid.

 You are not a slave to your habits. You are not a prisoner to an
addiction. You have been rescued from the power of darkness
and brought into the kingdom of God’s light.

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 Your God will bless you abundantly, so that in all things, and
at all times, having all you need, you will abound in every
good work.

 Nothing can separate you from God’s love. Not death. Not
demons. Not the present nor the past. No power on earth will
ever separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus
our Lord.

Most of life’s battles are won or lost in your mind.

The Battle Rages But You have Won the War