I Declare A Thought War!

Thank you for listening to the river.

Bend Church podcast Reverb in church exists to lead all people

to know love and live New Life in Jesus Christ.

We hope that you enjoy this message.

We're going into a brand new series and here's what I know

about this series already. It's for everybody sometimes.

I'll tell you you like there's something for one person in the

room or maybe for your wife today or in some of the ladies

that like, I need something for my husband.

You need to talk to him Joe. But here's what I'm going to

tell you this series is for 100% of the people in the room today.

And here's why every single person has a war going on in

your mind and see some people are winning the war.

I don't, I'm not saying everybody's losing some people

know how to win the war but then there's Some of us and because

there's debilitating anxiety, depression insecurities

destructive thought, patterns, even Suicidal Thoughts in the

deal. Is it's an, if it's not you, it

may be somebody that you love. And so if you want to know why

I'm so passionate about this, it's because so many people are

losing the battle and God says this, you can win say this, I

can win. Say it.

Listen declarations are going to be a big part of this series

because I believe it just is and changing and in fight and

changing our mindsets and win. The war.

Let me show you what Jesus says about his people here.

He says, the thieves purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy, and

in context, he's actually kind of referring to Satan.

The enemy comes, and he wants to steal kill, and destroy, and do

you know where he's succeeding in our world and in the church

in the battlefields of our mind, stealing killing destroy taking

things away. But what did Jesus say?

He says, my purpose is to give them my people a rich and

satisfying life. Do you?

You know what that requires that.

We also have a rich and healthy mind that we have a rich in

healthy ability to fight and win the war that's in our mind.

So you didn't know this up front.

Jesus says you can win and he's giving you the tools to win.

And so the cool thing about this today, when you walk out, you're

going to have some tangible tools to go start winning the

war in your mind. I'm not saying God is not a part

of it. I'm not saying the holy spirit

that you can do it without him. What I am saying is because he

wants us to win, he's going to give us everything we need to.

Walk out of here and go. I can have a healthier mind.

I can win that battle that's going on in here and let me give

you the transforming truth. That's going to kind of guide us

through this entire series here in Christ.

So if I am a follower of Jesus, if I change my thinking in

Christ, I can change my life. Literally, and you go man.

That sounds way too easy. Joe.

It's seriously straight from scripture.

Something I want to show you today.

See many people, there's a disconnect.

Do you know why we never get to the true new life change that

God. God wants us to have us because

we focus all the time on our Behavior changed.

My behavior changed my behavior. If I can, hey, don't we want our

kids to behave? Come on right now and River

kids. I guarantee send me yells kids a

little snot-nosed. I'm just kidding.

Some of those kids are back there and River kids right now

and somebody's having to say, hey don't eat that, don't do

that. Change your behavior, you know,

stop hitting him, stop doing that, and we love doing that.

We love the kids are here, but I'm just saying, don't sometimes

you just want your kids Behavior to change, right?

But if you only focus on Behavior, guess what you miss

that there's something deeper behind Behavior behind Three

crazy behavior is a broken thought, pattern is a broken way

of thinking and so here's what I'm saying in Jesus Christ, you

change your thinking and your literally change your life,

you'll be changed. All those things that God wants

new life for you to him. We have a disconnect, though.

We think it is just changing our Behavior, but truly loot

life-changing Christ, new life. It's about a mindset change as

well. And so this is it self-help

theology. Change your thinking, change

your life? You're like, man, I've heard

that somewhere before. No, it's not my idea, it's not

even a professional. Sling ideas, actually, God's

idea, first people. So let me show you what he says

here. Romans 12:2 us so, dear,

Romans 12:2

brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to

God because of all he has done for you, let them be a living

and holy sacrifice. The kind, he will find

acceptable. So in the first piece of what

we're looking at here, he says, I want you to give your life to

God. I want you to give your life,

AKA Surrender Your Life to Jesus.

There are a lot of people in the room.

You may not be there yet, that's okay.

But there are several of us here and you came To a place where

you said, you know what, I'm ready for Jesus, to surrender my

life to him. I want him to be my boss.

I want to receive him. I want to receive his new life

that he has for me. And so this is that part of it.

Give your life to God. But do you know why there's so

many Christians that have given their life to God that are still

not seeing New Life transformation?

It's because of the next first. He says that this is truly the

way we worship him. Look at verse 2 though.

Don't copy the behavior and customs of the world.

The old word is don't be conformed to the ways of the

world, but let God transform you.

Into a new person by changing the way you think, or Renewing?

Your Mind then you will learn to know, God's will, which is good

and pleasing, and perfect. See many people give their lives

to Jesus, but then they get stuck.

We get stuck. Why is that?

It's because we leave out verse 2.

Don't copy the behavior, and customs of the world, no copy

that instead, change the way, you think, let God change you

through that. You know, I find a lot of

encouragement in this this morning.

This was written 2,000 years ago, nearly Years ago, people

were struggling with broken thought patterns and don't we

know today with all the access and all the information we have

even more ability to have broken thought patterns.

So in 2023, we have thinking problems.

There's an old country song. It says, I admit that I have a

thinking problem. So y'all can't you people here

you know and talk. Sometimes you just gotta get to

the place to just say I admit it I have a thinking problem, I

have a thinking from, you know, as soon as you get there though,

you can start picking up the weapons that God has given you

to fight this. War.

Now here's the thing. I looked past couple of weeks,

just reading over some statistics and a glance that

mental illness stats. You know what?

It tells us we're struggling one in five adults right now in the

United States, experienced mental illness each year,

somebody on your row. I mean I'm not saying we're

stats. I know we all want to think not

us, not in church but that means on every single Row in here.

There's somebody wrestling with mental illness and there's no

Stigma to that. One of the things I hope to do

through this here is let's remove the stigma and get stigma

and get healing. Let's go to the counseling,

let's get involved in and pastoral counseling.

Let's get ourselves in a place to get whole again, but that's

crazy. When I look across the room, and

if you're online today sitting at Oakwood, listen, somebody on

your row, statistically at least, is wrestling one in 20

people have serious mental illness.

That means one person on every two rows in here is really

wrestling to a point of danger overwhelmed with mental illness,

fifty percent of the people in the United States.

In their Lifestyles will be diagnosed with a mental illness

or disorder. 90% of the people who commit suicide showed signs

of mental illness, and I would argue that one hundred percent

of them were in a place of mental unhealth, three-quarters

of the those who committed suicide.

Guess what we're men. So, I look around at the men in

the room and I say, are we struggling that?

That much? Can we remove the stigma you

want to know, why your pastors passionate about this?

I can't imagine one of you men whose God has called, who God

has a call on your life, in a purpose for your life to get so

low in broken in your mind that you feel You don't matter

anymore. I can't imagine a mom in the

room. I can't imagine a young adult in

this room. I can't imagine a teenager or

college student or grandparent getting to the point where they

feel so low and so worthless and so attack they go, it's not

worth being here anymore. So if I can just stand in the

Gap as a pastor and say not on my watch, that's part of this

whole series. Not on my watch.

Looking at this suicide. As the 10th leading cause of

death in the United States, every 100 minutes, a teenager

dies from suicide. No, not to mention all the

debilitating anxiety in the variety of other mental

illnesses. And so this is just me saying

again, not on our watch church. I've been praying about this for

a long time since last year about the series.

And so we will not stand by. I Can't Stand By and Watch the

church and watch people that I love and Friends lose a war that

God says, you can win because maybe a counselor told you,

that's just how you are. You never get over it.

Maybe a friend told you, that's just.

Yes, this part of your personality, you'll never be

able to win that work, as I just look at the Bible.

Go but but didn't their new life in there.

A holy spirit that raised Jesus from the dead that lives in us.

That can change how we think, change?

How we think, put us back on a healthy path, get some new

mental processes going. So let me give you the starting

point for winning today. Here it is.

I put this in your notes for taking notes.

If we really want to win, you have to start thinking about

what you're thinking about. So many times, we just think,

but we never think about what we're thinking about and I think

that's what the Apostle Paul is getting out here.

Let me show you. You what I mean?

Look at this. Verse again, don't copy the

behavior and customs of the world, but let God transform you

into a new person. There's a couple of things to

point out. Paul said, obviously our

Behavior as followers of Jesus. Our behaviors should not look

like those that don't follow. We should we should have hope

and love and joy that comes only from Christ.

Not to say there's not good people that don't follow Jesus.

Not saying that this is really con people to do a lot of good

things but it's there's a difference in being a Jesus

follower and just being a person who does get on the He says, we

should not copy the behavior and customs of the world, don't

conform yourself to that. So he acknowledged the fact that

we are tempted to conform our Behavior to other people, but he

didn't say. So instead conform your behavior

to the likeness of Jesus, what did he say?

Let God transform you, let me point this out.

The transformation were talking about, in our thought process,

it cannot happen apart from the Holy Spirit and he said that

again, it cannot happen apart from the Holy Spirit.

That's why people try and try and try.

But without the anointing And the spirit of God working.

It's impossible to truly change into this person.

God wants you to be, but God will transform you into a new

person. How by changing the way that you

think changing the way that you think see, do you know what

behavior is behavior is the outward showing of how we think?

Think about it with a child. Do you know why they're selfish?

You know, why they still toys, you know, where they bite, your

sip bite their siblings because in their mind, the thought

process that's mine. I deserve it.

It's my there's entitlement built into every one of the

little rug rats. Both of mine that were raised as

well. Every one of them, it's

entitlement. The problem is some of us never

grow out of that way of thinking.

So you have like forty two-year-old entitled people,

right? Still biting people spitting on

people cussing at people? We just learned new words when

we get older, right? But behavior is the outward

showing of wrong thinking. See, here's the other piece of

it. Changing your behavior doesn't

transform. You, it usually just makes you

frustrated. Now, I'm not saying that you

shouldn't. If you see things about

yourself, Behavior wise, you can make changes, but the Bible is

actually really clear that just deciding by coming to church.

You know what, I'm going to change how I'm acting.

That's actually falls into the devil's trap of thinking.

You gotta check boxes and do enough good to get to heaven.

Owen see transformation comes how surrender to Jesus Christ in

Christ. Then we can change our thinking

and change our lives. We can bring he'll bring new

life but you have to focus on our minds and our hearts and let

God work there. If you ever want to truly be

transformed from the inside, out that new life version of you.

Now another way to translate this change the way you think an

older version says, Renewing Your Mind and this is really

interesting. Renewing Your Mind is a few

things about it. I want to point out first, it's

an ongoing process. SS.

You cannot come to church. Today, listen to one.

Message you go, I renewed my mind and now I'm good forever

whenever Paul was preaching this to the church, the Apostle Paul

he was saying, renew your mind, constantly constantly being

God's work. Constantly look at, think about

what you're thinking about constantly.

Make sure that you got the right, thought process is going

on in your head but also it not only means change the way you

think. It means change the way that you

perceive things in life. Change the lens that you view

your life through whenever things happen in your life.

Whenever thoughts come what lens?

Are you viewing? Those sure.

That's what it means. To renew your mind would be to

take God's truth. His word and allow that to be

the lens that you filter. I don't filter it through my

feelings. I don't filter through what

other people say, not first. I filter it through.

God, what do you say? What is your spirit leading

here? So, as you surrender to Christ,

as Lord changing your thinking becomes a choice that is within

your power, but here's another deal.

Well, I got to point out, you will never defeat what you

refuse to Define. There are some people that are

in denial. I don't have a problem.

I don't have an anger problem. Joe.

It's just, it's just my wiring. I don't have a drinking problem.

I just like, you know, I just like to get relaxed, you know, I

don't have a drug problem, I've just got pain in my life.

There's thing I'm not knocking when you have to use something,

what I am saying, if you will never Define the problem, you

will stay stuck in the pattern that you're in right now.

The bit destructive Behavior cycle that's over and over.

If you're unwilling to stop and Define it, why don't people do

this? Why don't we stop?

And Define the problems in our life is because it's painful,

it's because it's painful. See many people walk around

missing, God's best for our lives, living in the feet,

simply because we're not picking up the tools.

We won't diagnose the problem. Pick up the tools and start

fighting How many have you drove here?

Don't raise your hand with a check engine car, light on in

your car. This one don't raise your hand.

See when it comes on for most of us, what we do is we get a

little picture of our family and slide it over that little area

in the car and you just keep driving.

You know what? Check engine light, baby, I'm

good. But the thing is, when the check

engine light comes on, guess what?

There's a problem somewhere, it may be very minor at that point,

but once the light comes on, if you go, hey, I needed.

I didn't go get this thing plugged in maybe something

really small plugged in. They can diagnose it and say,

oh, you just need, you know, this small little part here

that'll be seven thousand dollars.

Here you go. Right, it's the same way in our

lives. You know why we're doing this

series? Because I think there's some men

and women of God, her driving around with the check engine

light on in their heart and in their mind and then their family

and in their life and in their dorm room, the check engine

light is on the check, thought life is, you know, light is on

right now and you haven't slowed down to Define it.

Why did, why is it this way? What's going on in my heart?

Why do I feel this way? What what's happening?

But as soon as you're willing to let the Holy Spirit, do the hard

work of searching you and going wide at why is this true?

Formation is right around the corner.

I really believe transformation is right around the corner for

people in the house today, but you gotta get your mind right?

And so we invite the spirit of God today to search our hearts

to search our mind so that he can bring change thinking and

transformation. Listen, there's a war going on

in our minds and this verse that Paul wrote.

It's not just about the war in our minds, but I think it

defines it because you did. You know that that mental

unhealth and spiritual battle, actually go hand in hand because

where does the enemy attack you? You, you could argue that.

He may seem to throw things that you physically, but it's when

you're laying in bed at night and your mind won't shut off and

anxiety starts revving up and you either got to grab a drink

or grab a pill or go smoke. Or you got to lay there and be

miss. You gotta do something like all

of that is just going on inside of your head right there.

In that moment. Let me tell you what happens,

the enemy capitalizes on that he comes along and he presses and

says. That's right, you're not good

enough. That's right.

You should be scared. That's right.

That you really are wrong in this situation, you really may

lose everything and he starts putting He starts in your head

and it just ramps up. But look what Paul says.

It's just a reminder of what I think goes on.

In our head, we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies.

Wouldn't be great if we just put on the boxing gloves and just

battle it out physically for our mind, I would love that like

beat me up but like, I want to know I've been in the fight

physically but the harder part is it's not flesh and blood.

He said this against evil rulers and authorities, let me

translate demons in the Heavenly Realms and the Unseen, well, we

fight against Mighty powers in the dark world and against Evil

spirits in Heavenly places. Doesn't that describe?

A lot of the battle that goes on in our minds.

And so this is us today, declaring war.

If I were to say, one, two, three, four, I declare Thumb

war. That's right.

I know you got that Oakwood. I want to change it up a little

bit today. One, two, three, four.

I declare a thought War We're going to declare war on those

Unholy thoughts for any kind of War on those debilitating

anxiety, thoughts. We're going to declare war on

the things that keep taking you back to the addiction that

you're trying to get out of, we're going to declare war.

You know why? We declare war because we are or

but before we get to the weapons in the winning, I don't want to

depress us but I do want to understand how do we get broken.

What is it that gets us to the place where we can have metal in

health because there's actually several common things that we

all Wrestle with what causes mental Brokenness and the you

the first one here. Starts.

When your kid childhood influences, now, you can trace

it back to the Garden of Eden and say, well, sexually sin.

It's when we chose to do wrong against God.

That's where you know, a curse was put over all creation,

that's where people became Sinners.

But there was somebody that raise you to be like, you are

And even if you had amazing parents, guess what?

They weren't. Perfect.

And even if your parents are great, there's probably some

other influence in your life that had a negative impact on

the way. You think, listen, I had great

parents, my mom and dad were amazing, love them to death.

But you know what? There were older kids on my

street and in my neighborhood, there were others in my circle

of influence, even at church some and they spoke things over

me. Like this, Joe, you'll never be

enough. You'll never be big enough.

You'll never be strong enough. Just Give up.

I mean, just little thing and usually, you know, it was said

as a joke, like, just kind of taking a jab at you a little

bit, but you have no idea what that does to a little mind,

because they had somebody's a little bit older.

You got our just cutting up, we're just goofing.

But as a kid you start taking that to heart and see.

Here's what I know about me. I have a performer personality

and so without Jesus, my natural tendency is if I do.

Well, I feel like I'm worth something if I don't then I feel

like I'm worth nothing. And so you pair all that

together and you know what? You get you get a very Keep in

mind, but you get somebody who's styling about it for years.

But, you know, the question did have gone through my mind since

I was literally, since I was a kid and this is painful to dig

up because I've been going through it.

So, for so long, the questions like this.

Am I enough? Not till you guys course I am.

I'm called by God, but I'm going to preach the word but it can I

tell you the back story? My mind.

Am I really enough? Am I good enough?

Am I smart enough because I look around in the room.

There's a lot of you guys are way smarter than I am.

I just don't it. You're way smarter than me, you

more educated than me and I look around.

My God. Why do they want to listen to

me? I'm not smart enough.

I look at my wife many times and I go a, my husband enough.

A my dad enough I look at my kids and my daughter-in-laws,

and I go and my father-in-law enough and my dad enough.

I look at the church as a whole and I go and my pastor enough

and if you want to think that the enemy comes sometimes late

at night and just start pounding on my yes it happens.

See for much of me though, I've traced it back with the help of

a good counselor and some mentors in my life.

I trace it back to things that happened when I was a kid.

You start thinking wrong, when your kids to listen There are

many things in your life that you may not have defined it.

And you're not defeating it because you didn't Define it,

but it's things that happened to you as a kid.

You've never actually said, you know what, that's not how God

wants me to think, that's just how I was taught to think is

again. So there may be one of the most

freeing statements of holiday today.

God wants to free you from how you were taught to think, and

let you think like a child of God.

Also another thing that can be biology, just the way you are.

Some people may say, Hey, Joe, just the way I am, I just

wrestle with anxiety, you know? There's some truth to that.

There could be chemical imbalances.

In our brains, and in our bodies, there can be hormonal

changes that happen. We know this and listen, just

because it's not happen to you, don't judge your neighbor, don't

judge somebody else. They may be going through

something you've never felt before.

Stop judging, we're not here to judge.

When it comes to what other people are feeling, but biology

can play a part. See some people may be prone to

be more mentally healthy than others.

That's not fair. That's just called life.

That's why we have to lift up people, but there are those

prone to anxiety, depression and security, mental and help.

Here's another thing that brings mental and health in our lives.

Enos and what the Studies have shown is, especially prolonged

illness. It can be you, or you could be

caregiving for someone you love. And so, we have to lip up our

lift, up our family, and friends, and neighbors during

these times because it is really easy to get to a place where you

feel like it'll never change. I'm never going to be better.

I don't have any purpose anymore and then the enemy comes over

and says you shouldn't even be here anymore.

Why be here. Let me give you another calls of

mental and health substance. I just put substance but

especially substance abuse. Use of alcohol and drugs.

Now, here's the crazy thing. Every time you feel like you're

under attack or your minds and healthy got I mean there are

these things that the enemy wants to say, why don't you just

numb it out? Why don't you just drink a

little too much that way. You'll just kind of forget about

it. You won't feel it.

You'll just feel Joy. I mean, just go smoke.

I know you. I know it's bad for you.

I know you probably want your kids doing that but just go do

it anyway, man. Because like, you know, that you

can't you can't handle life without it.

So just go every time you feel that way, just go smoke.

Now here's what the research shows though, the things that we

use to numb the pain or actually like And fertilizer on the

problem. This is where addictions come

from many times mental Brokenness, you try to numb it.

And then next time, guess what? It takes more to nominate and

then it takes more to numb until you're at a point where you feel

so low. There's no help.

This is where Jesus comes in, he can lift you out, he can bring

you out of that. He can help you get a new

thought pattern going in your life.

Here's another cause of mental and he'll trauma.

I don't know everybody's story, but I guarantee there's people

in the room and you have something in your past.

That was That it could even be PTSD at this point that you've

walked through or still walking through right now.

It's very real. But it's not just about one big

event trauma that happens. Did you know that it's been

proven? Trauma can also be repeated

abuse, you can even call it. Small abuse repeated, small,

abusive. You were beaten down verbally

for a long, long, long time. It's this, it equals the same

thing in your brain as one big traumatic experience.

It just leaves you to this place where all of a sudden intrusive

thoughts would just come over you and you'll feel worthless or

afraid or fearful and it literally trauma literally can

break your brain. But here's the good news,

remember you can win. There's no trauma that can break

you so badly that you can't find healing in Jesus.

Here's the last one. I'll talk about.

And again, there could be a long list.

I just wanted to kind of unpack these and say, hey, let's remove

the stigma and just say, everybody in the room is

impacted by some of these but the last one is self-inflicted

wounds. Whoo.

Like, I felt that one deep because I was like, how many

times have I made decisions that hurt myself and hurt my own

mind, how many times has my own sin hurt me?

So I want you to look one more time.

We're going to get this verse today.

What Paul says don't do like everyone else does.

Don't just try to behave like everybody else.

Don't copy the customs and behaviors of the world, but let

God transform you into a new person by changing the way you

think. So we're going to walk through

this idea over the next few weeks, but I want to introduce

you, to the whole process. The Lord's really put on my

heart. The first step to changing the

way you think is thinking about what you think about that.

What we've said so far, but winning the war.

In your mind is this you have to evaluate your thoughts and

behaviors. Paul said, don't copy the

behaviors. So you have to not only think

about your thought life, but where is a broken behavior in

your life that you know, you need to change once you identify

the broken Behavior? Here's what you'll find, there's

a thought process somewhere behind that.

And so, where is God calling you hire your warning to transform

you? We have to take time to evaluate

and again, do you know why we don't evaluate?

Because it's painful. Because it's painful evaluate

take time to ask questions, you have to work on yourself and not

just in the middle of the battle.

Look what Paul says in 2nd Corinthians.

He said we destroy our arguments and every lofty opinion raised

against the knowledge of God and we do what take every thought,

captive, there's a war sentence for you.

It wore in my mind, I'm gonna take every thought, captive.

And I'm going to make my thoughts obedient to Christ.

You know what, the flip side of this.

I'm not going to let my thoughts rule my life.

I'm going to make my thoughts obedience to Christ.

Christ and my feelings obedient to Christ.

So how do you evaluate yourself? Let me give you some questions

and by the way, we're going to put these questions out.

I didn't have them in the notes are on here today, but over the

next few days, we're going to put out a guy that has these

questions for you and so if you can't get them all written down,

that's okay. But we're gonna get them to you

both to Gainesville Oakwood. We're going to get this out to

you. What repetitive destructive

thoughts. Do you have?

Think about that for a minute? When you're sitting there out of

nowhere, what repetitive thought runs in your mind, what

intrusive thought do you have? And what I mean by that is if

you do have trauma in your past, you can be doing fine.

And then all of a sudden, something can trigger you in

this, intrusive thought comes over you like you're gonna die,

you shouldn't get in the car. You should never get old flame.

I mean, it's these things that can just come over you.

Listen to this question. What negative thoughts are

triggered by emotions in your life when you feel sad what- or

destructive thought patterns come up?

Here's something crazy. But I've seen this is, I've

counseled people as a pastor, sometimes people even have

negative thought patterns associated with joy in their

life. As soon as everything's good,

like everything's okay. I'm joyful.

It's a great day but you know what the thought pattern is

well, something bad's about to happen because every time I've

ever had peace in my life right around the corner.

With something bad. You know what that is?

That's a broken thought pattern. So what does God say?

I'm working all things together for your good.

I love you. I have plans for you.

I purpose for you don't think like that, it's not that hard

times are not going to come, but I want good for you.

Here's another question. What sinful thoughts?

Do you entertain? What Temptations overwhelm your

thought life? That's evaluating your life.

Evaluating how you're doing? If you'll take time to answer

those questions, listen, You'll find Freedom in Jesus in one

area. Do you know what the enemy

hates? He hates it.

When we stop just wanting to feel good about church and we

start taking action on getting life change, he hates it, do you

know why the enemy hates it? When you start evaluating what's

going on in your mind? It's because at that moment

meant was Wrong hole start breaking down and you start

taking your thoughts captive and transformation comes you know

what the enemy hates a transform man or woman of God in Jesus

Christ. But after you evaluate, here's

the second piece, you have to do in replace.

You have to replace the lies with the truth.

So as you evaluate, you then have to identify.

What am I believing? This is the great journaling

process by the way. What am I believing?

What thought process is there? That shouldn't be there?

It's always going to be based on a life.

There's a broken thought process whether it's from the time you

were a kid till the last week something happened.

It's always going to be based on a lot.

So we have to identify lies and then we have to replace the

lies. With true.

See it's not just good enough to say.

I'm not going to believe a lie anymore.

You have to also say I'm going to start believing the truth.

You ever thought about this? Where does Ally come from?

Like you don't have to teach your kids to lie.

Nobody had to teach me to anyway maybe y'all holy when I was a

kid. I mean, nobody had to teach me

to lie. Where do those come from?

Only show. You what Jesus said he's talking

to the Pharisees here. So it's kind of getting really

hard on him. He's like dropping a bomb.

You're the children of your father, the devil.

It's pretty strong statement, right?

And do you you love to do evil things?

He does. He was a murderer from the

beginning. His always hated truth because

there is no truth in him. When he lies it is consistent

with his character for. He is a liar and where do those

come from? He's the father of them.

The devil is the father of Lies so anytime you have a broken

drop thought process guess what it's based on a lie that the

enemy has told you somewhere could have come at you, not

through Satan himself, but through another person but it's

based on a lie. See, Satan's greatest weapon is

this lies? Deep, do you know what?

The good news is about this. He has no new weapons, he has no

new tactics and he never will. Do you know what he did?

The first sin was committed because Satan tempted Eve.

And then Adam failed in the garden.

Do you know what he did? He lied, but he mixed just

enough truth in with Ally to wear it sounded okay.

But what does the scripture say? There's no truth in him.

He hates the truth. He is the father of Lies.

The good news is he has no new tactics, we know that he's

coming at us with lies. Therefore, we can prepare to win

our greatest weapon against the lies.

It's the truth of God's word. The truth of God's word.

Say here's the deal. If you believe the lie that you

are not enough then, guess what you will live as though you're

not enough. Let me speak to all the women in

the house for a moment. If you believe the lie that you

were not enough, you will continue to live as though

you're not enough, even though God says your chosen your minds

your redeemed, you are worthy. Let me speak to the men in the

room for a moment. Maybe life is beating you down?

Maybe it's your fault. Maybe it's somebody else's

fault. If you live as though, you are

not with, if you believe in your mind that I'm not really worthy,

then guess what you will live as though, you're not worthy.

Let me speak to the addicts in the house who love Jesus but

you're still struggling or maybe you don't love Jesus yet maybe

you're not surrender but your stroke if you don't believe you

can beat Addiction in Jesus name, you never will.

I'm not saying that you don't need help and counseling and

rehab and you don't need small. Group community in God's word,

you need all the tools but I'm just saying if you believe I can

never beat that and guess what? You probably never will.

If you don't believe that you can be forgiven because the I

know some of you like me, you gotta pass.

How many of you got a pass? Come on Oakwood.

If you got a pass, the enemy will come along and say you can

never be forgiven and if you believe that you will live in

Shane for the rest of your life, Here's the saddest part.

There are some followers of Jesus who have given their lives

to him and still live in shame every day.

If you don't think you can be transformed by Christ, then you

won't pick up the weapons. He's giving you the live New

Life by the spirit. Let me give you a powerful

truth. This actually came from a book.

I read from Pastor Craig groeschel on the subject.

If you believe a lie that lie will impact your life is those

true. Thought about that when I

believe lies about me when I believe I'm not worthy all of a

sudden I live as though, I'm not worthy when I believe that I'm

not good enough to pass through this church.

Guess what? I started making decisions like

I'm not good enough to pass through this church I believe I

can't be a good enough father guess what?

I start making decisions as though See, once you thought

something enough times, especially alive.

Do you know what it creates in our lives?

It creates a rut in our brain. Literally that's my country boy

term for a neural pathway. All right.

I would never use that word in the sentence.

But rut I know it'll run is neuropath way.

I know what it is to get your mind in a rut, and you can't get

out of it, but it's called scientifically a neuro pathway

see when she thought a negative thought over and over and over

again, and maybe it's been reinforced in your life.

Let me give you an example somewhere along the way.

Somebody told you when you're a kid, you're not enough for your

parents made, you feel like that and then you made a bad grade at

school and the teacher said, you know what, you're not smart and

then you tried out for the basketball team and you didn't

make the basketball team coach said, hey, you're not good

enough. And then you ask the girl on the

date. Finally, and she I said no and

that told you again rejection. You're not good enough.

You know what you believe after a while there's a trench in your

brain that the rest of your life.

I'm not good enough. I'm not good enough.

I've tried it, I'm not good enough but here's the beauty.

Did you know that lie? Ruts can be replaced with truth

trenches. You can actually physically

change and rewire your brain to where your natural throat

process. I can do this because the Christ

I can do all things through Christ.

Who strengthens me? So we can literally change remap

our brains. Its Fizz is scientifically

mapped out now. And again there's a lot of words

I had in my first set of notes and I'm like I can't pronounce

that so I can't say it to you but here's what I will tell you

truth, trenches can literally take the place of lie.

Ruts, you ever been four wheeling before.

I'm going to help my country boy Roots again here. see if

somebody went through a mud hole before you and a truck that was

bigger than yours, You know what you got to do?

Stay out of the ruts. You know why?

Because once you fall off in a rut that you can't get out, I

mean, you were either stuck. Are you gonna have to follow

that rut all the way through the mud hole?

So many of us in our brains, we fallen off in the Rut like a mud

hole and we can't get out. We're just spinning our Wheels

right now, same little track, all the way down.

Here's the good news. We can replace lie, ruts with

truth, trenches and God's word gives us hope of that.

Change the way you think, the Holy Spirit has given you power

to get out of the rut establish, a new trench of thinking?

A true trench of thinking, see it's an ongoing process here.

But here's the third part of it, we must then, establish you got,

evaluate your thoughts, you gotta replace lies with truth,

but you can't stop here. Honestly, this is what can

happen on a Sunday morning. Sometimes you can be sitting out

there thinking, man. He's right, there's a broken

thought process I'm evaluating right now in church and you know

I need to get some truth from God's word to replace that lie

with. But then we walk out of here and

guess what life is you and your wife getting a I don't know, way

home, you're not speaking. You kids are, you know, beating

each other in the back seat, you get home and you get the bills

out of the out of the other, you know, out or you get a phone

call collections calls, you get right there and then at that

moment you think you know what you're not worthy, you're not

worth it, you'll never be it comes right back on you.

Again, this is the part where you were going to have to work

over the next four weeks. If we want to see

transformation, establish these true trenches, it's not a one

and done. This is why you can't just make

up your mind to change. And and we Fall.

Right back many times. You have to renew your mind that

ongoing process letting the Holy Spirit and God's true change.

How you think and what and perceive what's going on around

you thinking establishing new thinking habits?

Here's something amazing that I found it.

I studied this. Do you know what the weapons to

establish, true? Trenches are like to establish

them obviously being in God's word every day.

Simply what it means to follow Jesus.

Just like I'm going to read God's word every day.

I'm gonna get my Bible app out instead of scrolling Facebook.

First, I'm going to open up you version.

I'm going to start reading scripture over my life.

First thing, I'm going to open my bible at the table.

I'm going to read that God's word is a weapon to start.

Forming a new true trench prayer is a weapon.

Christian Community, is a weapon that God has given us being in

church together. Worshiping there's something

powerful about rewiring your thinking being around other

people who are going to lift you up instead of pushing.

Down pull you out. Instead of pushing you back

where you came from? Listen, that changes everything.

And so, renewing our mind in Christ.

It's actually just following Jesus.

Just being a follower of Christ. Now, you may need a counselor,

sometimes we may need medication.

Listen, you may need help, you may need mentors.

You may need a small group is just pour into you.

But who knew the daily practices of changing?

Our thinking habits is literally just daily Walking With Jesus.

I thought about it. You ever been to some of you did

this in January. You haven't been to the gym all

year, but then in January, like, I'm going to change my health

and you went to the gym. How did you feel the next day?

Terrible? Right, there's somebody I Greg

on our staff. I remember he went to the gym

the first time he was like, I'm tapping out matters to our, he

finally got back in there, he's like, but he pushed through it

when I first started going back to then.

Just guess what? You hurt all over.

This is how it is with changing out.

The way that we think at first, it hurts all over, but then,

eventually time after time, you just keep going.

And Day by day, and you get stronger, and stronger than that

new way of thinking takes over. And remember, you got a holy

spirit, super power, that's going to help you with this, but

there's actually one more step that I've got to point out today

and that's this once we've established it.

Okay, I'm establishing this, I'm going to start declaring it.

This may be the most powerful piece declare the truth over

your life until you believe it can see.

For some of you I can look at you and I can say, you know,

that God says that he has a good Plan for your life and you hear

that and it kind of impacts how you think for a second.

But then your old thought process takes back over again.

But the next week when I see, you know, I always say you

matter so much because you don't believe it.

Sometimes you come in, not believing it.

And so I come up again and I say, you know what Oakwood you

matter I look at the people here in Gainesville, you know what,

watch it. We have so many faithful one

reporter Riverbend that watch online.

I look at you and I say you matter, you know why?

Because you get so beaten down. You don't believe it.

But every time somebody else says, it to you, every time you

say, it out of your mouth, you know what I do matter in Jesus

name, all of a sudden, a new trend starts getting cut in your

mind and eventually you'll start living in such a way.

And so we have to evaluate replace establish and declare.

Now we talked about this idea before, but look what Jesus

said. It's not what goes into your

mouth that defiles you your defiled by the Words that come

out of your mouth. Check this out.

You often think that your words are just impacting other people,

but guess whose ears also hear the words?

You say, you do. In Jesus name, the truth of

God's word spoken from our mouths.

Literally can change how we think make a declaration over

your life. Speak truth until you believe

it. Hopefully do this process.

Some of you guys are going to write a sentence.

That's a declaration that you need replace the lie with truth.

Start establishing a new way of thinking about your life about

your spouse, about finances, about the addiction you wrestle

with about the piece in your piece of you, you want to see

transformed by Christ, start thinking differently, but this

start declaring God's word over it just speak it over you.

Instead of saying I am not enough you can say in Christ.

I know that I'm enough. I have a Hard time with that.

I have a hard time saying. I am enough still to this day

because they're still old rut in my brain up here.

They want to go down that path. I used to go down but eventually

you come to the point. Go ahead.

It's not about me. I'm not being prideful, I'm just

saying Jesus died for me. He thought I was that valuable

as to die for me. So I must have some value right

in him. So I say, I am forgiven, I'm a

Child of God, I do have purpose, I can change because Jesus said,

I can, I can start over. Or because the mercy of the Lord

is new every morning, I am free in Christ.

There's no sinner bondage that can hold me back.

I'm a new creation. I am loved.

Do you hear how even just reading those things over the

room, like lifts the room today? Listen, the bottom line is, we

begin the stalwart journey journey today is this.

We're going to walk in deeper in these in the next few weeks.

But for you, is it time to start thinking about what you're

thinking about, do you need to declare thought were so you can

start winning in Jesus name Church?

It is time to fight. I'm so tired of people thinking

that hope is a battle tactic. We talked about Hope and

projecting hope we do. We have hope in his name is

Jesus. He's the anchor for our souls.

I know all that. But listen if you hope and you

don't fight, you're going to lose.

You can't just hope. You've got to actually say, I'm

at War, I'm declaring, thought war, and I'm ready to win it in

Christ. I'm going to change my thinking

and let him change my life. So, I'm going to ask you both

here in at Oakwood. Just a couple of difficult

questions. Are you wrestling in your mental

health today? And in your thought processes,

you may not even see it as mental unhealthy.

You may just see it as I just got some broken thought

processes in my brain. How I think about myself, how

think about the world around me? And the second question is this,

are you really ready to do was going to take to get

transformation? So you may be for you today, may

be watching online maybe at Oakwood today.

If you are at a place where you've never surrendered your

life to Christ, then you're fighting alone.

That's why I say you can take all these.

You can take these steps and you can apply them to your life.

But without surrender to Jesus, you're missing the superpower

which is the spirit of God that helps you.

The lifts you up that empowers you to make a change?

He is the life change. He is the new life inside of you

and so maybe the first step to winning the war in your mind is

Just Surrender Your Life to Jesus and say Today.

Jesus, I'm ready to surrender. My life is yours.

My life is yours, but I do want to ask you.

Today to respond with your feet. So in just a moment, I want to

ask this both here in at Oakwood to stand up and as I asked us to

stay in. Here's what I want you to do a

bold declaration and say Joe, I need somebody to declare some

truth and some hope over my life today I'm ready to start the war

but here's what the Lord led me to end with today whether you

just surrendered your life to Christ or you're already a

Christ follower or you just want this decoration spoken over you

in Christ. If you change your thinking you

can change your life but I think it's gonna take a bold and

courageous step. Someone asks you to come down

here. That's you in just a moment

Oakwood. I'm gonna ask you to push your

way to the front and I'm going to declare God just kind of led

me to write down some words and I want to read it, but I want to

declare it over you today because I believe what it, what

if this is the first step is somebody else.

Because maybe, you don't even believe you can win, but I do.

And so I wanted to clear it over you today.

Here's what I asked us to do, if that's you and you go Joe.

I'm wrestling in my mind. I need somebody to declare it

over. Listen, remove the stigma, who

cares? We're not talking about what

you're wrestling with, it can be brand-new or and old thing.

But what if the first step is you getting honest with God.

Thinking about what you're thinking about and let's start

declaring hope over it today. So here's what I want to do on

the count of three, I'm going to say standing as you stand.

I want you to come both here in Oakwood one, two, three, come

on, stay and come on down here right now, if that's you, I want

you to crowd in as close as you can.

Come on down here. Come on right here y'all.

Come on over. Yes, come on Oakwood.

Come on down, right here to the front right now.

Thank you for your obedience. Y'all crowd in right here.

Come on. I'm gonna give you a minute,

don't wait. If the if the if the Lord's

already spoke to your heart, you already felt like that drawing.

I want you to come on down here, come on right here to the front.

Come around me right here. It's okay.

There's nothing's gonna bite right here in the front.

Come on down, waiting on you. Come on Oak Wood, right here to

the front on down here. Here's what I want you to do

during the room today. I want you to help me and just

pray for the people that are here because I'm tell you guys,

I'm proud of you because this is a bold step to get out of your

seat and come here you guys at Oakwood.

I'm proud of you because it's hard, it's not easy Bears.

Don't want you to do. If you're here, I want to ask if

you feel comfortable with it, you know, close your eyes, and I

want you to listen to the words, I want to speak over you today.

In Christ, you are enough. No matter what addiction or

regret or past sin or Brokenness?

You've come here with in Jesus Christ, you are forgiven and

free. If you feel like a loser, you

are a winner in Christ. If you feel defeated, you are a

Victor in Christ. If you feel like your life is

not worth living, you have a God who stepped out of Heaven.

His name is Jesus Christ. He thought your life was so

valuable that he went to the cross for you, he has purpose

for you. If you feel like you miss the

opportunity in the past, your life isn't over your serve.

A God, who says your story isn't over?

Jesus can redeem time and make something out of nothing.

The mercy of the Lord is new every morning, over your life,

you're gonna go to sleep tonight and God's Mercy is gonna hit you

brand-new in the morning. No matter how broken you come to

him today, whether your thoughts are broken, whether you have

mental illness, whether you just been beaten down by life.

For too long listing, you are loved.

You are valuable you matter and today is a new day as you

surrender your life to Jesus today.

As you make this bold declaration to get out of your

seats, we Proclaim as your friends, as your brothers and

sisters, you can change your thinking, Let Jesus change your

life. May the Lord set you free today.

In Jesus name and everybody said, amen.

Can we just give the Lord a hand for what he's doing today?

Thank you, guys. I'll let you all be seated and

Oakwood. You can be seated, come on,

stand up together unless worship together as we close this time

out today. We declare war.

Thank you for listening to the Riverbend Church podcast.

Learn more about who we are as a church and how to connect you

can head over to our website Riverbend Church dot life.