The Rewire Principal.

Welcome: Bruce

Sings 1 songs prior to announcements:

Bruce announcements
a) Good morning! I am Pastor Bruce, Welcome to the Journey International
Church!
b) Thank you for coming and worshiping with us today. We want you to feel
welcome, please let us know if you have questions.
c) Grab a Bible. Today we will be reading from 3 different books. The page
numbers are on the screen They are by the Offering Box
d) Reminder: In September we plan on having a baptism for those who wish to
be baptized. Let me know or fill out a connect card with information so I can
contact you.
e) Check out the information table in the children’s area. Flyers, movie tickets,
connect cards and our statement of faith.
f) Find us on Facebook: the journey international church Dominican Republic
g) Today at 3:00 PM we will be watching Episode 2 of the movie series The
Chosen. We will watch in Spanish with English subtitles Watch this clip

Sings 2 songs

Prayer: Let me pray

1. All PEOPLE
2. FOR food, clothing, housing-those who need comfort and healing
3. TEACH us your word today

I. Body: Back ground history: OPEN Bibles to Romans 12:2

v Step one was to Replacement Principal.

a) Replace the Lies with the Truth.
v Step two is called the Rewire principal.
a) We need to learn how to avoid the ruts of lies our mind likes
to believe and follow.
b) We need to create trenches of truth to redirect our thoughts
back to the truth in God’s word.

Read aloud: Romans 12:2

v The reason we have ruts in our thought process is because our brains
are cross wired.
v This past week I was at the church working on this message. I went to
turn on the lights and they seemed dim. Something was wrong.
1. The power was not connected correctly it was cross wired.
 2. I turned on the wall fan and the power settings were
backwards. High was low and low was high.
3. Even more confusing, when I turned the fan setting to off 1 the
lights turned off completely.
a) Our thoughts are similar.
b) It’s as if our brains are cross wired.
c) The apostle Paul said: I don’t understand what I do, I
do the things I hate and the things I want to do I do not
do
d) Our brain or even his brain seems to be cross wired.
e) Our brains seem to be following its own path.
f) These pathways are called ruts.
4. Why do we try so hard to change but end up doing the things
we hate?
a) Because we have crossed wires.
b) This is why we find ourselves saying we are going to
stop arguing with our spouse and we keep arguing.
c) Or we worry that our credit card bill is so high but we
keep on spending.
d) Or why we spend hours on our phone looking at
FaceBook when our family is 5 feet away.
e) We always say we are going to lose weight but we keep
eating chips soda and candy.
f) These crossed wires have created ruts in our thinking
process.

A. You need to recognize your ruts. James 1:14-15 14 but each person is
tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and
enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin,
when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
a) We are being warned here because we have a choice to
give into temptation or to avoid the temptation
b) In order to fix the problem we need to get to the root of
the problem

v No matter where the thought or sinful desire comes from we can find
ourselves caught up in following ruts of sinful behavior.

1. What is a rut physical? A path that our tires fall into and can’t
get out of.
a) Example maybe picture of ruts in Africa? Picture
b) No matter how hard we tried we couldn’t get out of the
ruts that were created by many vehicles that constantly
used this hill.

2. What is a spiritual rut? Is a sinful path that our brain follows

 without thinking because it is so used to following this pattern.
a) The same message sent multiple times will create a neural
pathway.
b) The presence of neural pathways makes it easier for our
brain to send the same messages.
c) Thinking the same thoughts, doing the same things,
experiencing the same problems.
d) Is like being hopelessly caught in a muddy rugged hill in
Africa.
e) The only way to get avoid the ruts on the hill in Africa
would be to find another path or choose not to go when the
conditions are wet and slippery.

3. Why does this happen? Neuro pathways.

a) Our brain is the command center that directs our body.
b) Our thoughts produce changes in our brain.
c) So, our brain redesigns itself around the thought.
d) Our thoughts link together to create messages.
e) The same message sent multiple times will create a neural
pathway.
f) This makes our thoughts easier to think and easier for our
body to send the same message again and again.
g) Neuro pathways are called brain ruts.
h) Like a dog chained to a pole will run the same circle again
and again.
i) Or driving home without thinking, or going to the
bathroom in the dark. Your brain has done this so many
times it has created a neuro pathway.
j) Because of sin these neuro pathways can be a bad thing
1) It would be like my dilemma: when I feel others have
something I don’t have so I go out and buy something.
Or I don’t try to succeed at anything in life.
4. When we find ourselves in unhealthy ruts, there is good news.
God has given us a way out. His word

B. We need to learn how to create trenches of Truth to follow. Eph 4:22-24

22
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your
old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made
new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to
be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

1. I tried to cut back on reading things that make me angry “news of

trouble in the USA”
a) I was obsessed with knowing what was going on in the USA
and on social media “Facebook”
 b) I found myself constantly going out to the news to see what
was happening.
c) It made me angry how sin is becoming more and more
acceptable and good was becoming a bad thing.
d) The problem is I made a commitment to get off this
platform and failed miserably.
e) I even deleted the app only to reinstall it again later

2. You can’t fix problems by changing your behavior EXAMPLES

a) It’s like saying you are going to quit smoking or I’ going
to lose weight, or I’m going to read the Bible everyday
b) Tackling these things are a good thing, but you have to
get to the root of the thought not just change the
behavior or you will not be successful
c) I needed to get to the root of the problem
d) What I had to do was to replace the negative thoughts
with positive thoughts; truth, God’s word
e) It was a simple truth!!!!
f) There is nothing happening that God is not aware of.
God is in control
g) Its ok that I don’t like what is happening but I was
letting these events control my behavior and attitudes.
h) It even changed the way I looked at other people.
i) Replace the lies with the truth, create new trenches,
rewire my brain..

3. You have to get to the root of the problem.

a) If you want to get rid of weeds you can’t just cut them
above ground.
b) You have to pull them up by the roots.

4. We have to create a new neuro pathway

a) Remove the lie “rut” at the root of the behavior
b) Replace, the “RUT” or thought pathway that leads to that
behavior with the truth.
c) This is creating a helpful “trench.”
d) A trench is what we create with God’s word to divert our
thoughts away from a rut.
e) Again, we need to rewire our brains

C. Lets learn the principal of Ruminate or Meditation.

1. In order to create a trench that our thoughts can follow this is the
process:
a) We have to replace the lie with the truth.
b) We have to now meditate on this new thought.
 c) The more we meditate on this new pathway the more it
is carved into our minds.
d) So, instead of our brains following the same old lie
e) Instead of our brains falling into the old rut.
f) Our brain will start to follow the new trench.
g) The more we meditate on God’s word
h) The deeper the trench gets and the easier it is for our
brains to follow it.

II. Conclusion: one simple but clear example to show everyone.

1. I have an obsession for following the news and social media
because I want to keep in touch with the rest of the world.
2. The rut I am in: I get angry about the lies on the news, about the
way people present things in their life.
3. Sometimes I feel jealous because they are able to do things I
cannot.
4. Or I feel hurt because I am not included in their life.
5. All these feelings cause me to be a person I don’t want to be:
angry, jealous, hurt I treat others differently.
6. The trench I tell myself: When I am stressed or angry I turn to
God. He is my strength, refuge and my fortress
7. God is for me so who can be against me?
8. My God is working all things for my good.
9. I am more than a conqueror through Jesus who loves me and gives
me strength.
10. I am who God says I am. He says I am blessed, fulfilled and called
to make a difference

v A Rut is a pathway caused by the lie we have been told and have
followed for so many years. It has our minds cross wired.
v A Trench is truth from God’s word we use to divert our thoughts
away from the lies we were following
v What is your Rut?
v What will your trench be?
v You have the power to change your life by observing these simple
procedures.
1. First replace the lie with the truth.
2. Second rewire your brain by meditating on God’s word his love
his good deeds.
3. This will create new trenches for you brain to follow.
4. You chose the scripture that counters the lie you have been
following.
5. Meditate on that truth, the new pathway which is now a trench in
your mind.
6. The way your mind is wired right now is to follow the ruts, rewire
your brain to follow the trenches you create through meditation
Closing Prayer:
1. God’s blessings, protection, provision and healing on all here today
2. Pray that you will help us to reach others for the Kingdom.
3. Give us the words to say and boldness to speak.

If you would like to pray, please repeat after me or get with me after the service.

Please pray with me if you want to receive him:

Dear God, please forgive me, I am a sinner.
I confess Jesus is lord and that he died on the cross for my sins.
I believe that you raised him from the dead.
By faith I ask Jesus to be my personal savior. Amen!
I turn from my sins to you.
, 2023

Communion: 1 Corinthians 11:24. The lord Jesus on the night he was betrayed took
bread and when he had given thanks said: This is my body which is for you; do this
in remembrance of me. And in the same way after supper he took the cup saying:
this cup is a new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it in
remembrance of me. For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup you
proclaim the lords death until he comes.