The Joy of Right Thinking

Welcome to this week's message from the Church of Chelsea Westover.

Our core values are vibrant worship, intimate fellowship, fulfilling service, and clear biblical truth.

We pray that this message changes your life.

Let's tune in to today's message and see what God has in store for you.

Amen.

You may be seated and turn with me this morning to Philippians chapter 4.

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

We are on our last couple of messages out of the book of Philippians.

And then we're going to God's Not Dead.

God's not dead, and because He's not dead, you and I can have an unbelievable partnership with an awesome God.

Amen.

So that's our next series, and that'll start in a few weeks.

So we're excited about that as well.

But I have thoroughly enjoyed the book of Philippians.

In fact, I'm going to tell you something.

If you get down and you're out, you're dishearted, you're discouraged, you're defeated, I always go to the book of Philippians.

Four small chapters.

And it's the book of joy.

And I'm telling you, it will refresh you, it will bless your heart.

This morning, as we look at the joy of right thinking, I want us to look at several things.

I want to start with a little poem I researched and found about a little 14-year-old boy and how he expressed himself in this poem.

It was spring, but it was summer I wanted.

The warm days and great outdoors.

It was summer, but it was fall that I wanted.

The colorful leaves and the cool, dry air.

It was fall, but it was winter that I wanted.

The beautiful snow and the joy of the holiday seasons.

It was winter, but it was spring that I wanted.

The warmth and the blossoming of nature.

I was a child, but it was adulthood that I wanted.

The freedom and the respect that adult gets.

Yes.

My life was over, and I never got what I wanted.

Wow.

Wow.

Some of us may identify with this poem's sentiments.

Or know someone who does.

Unrest is typical in our day-to-day.

We have never seen the prescription of medication and drugs, and Deedra will tell you that, being a pharmacist, higher than it's ever been.

It is at epidemic proportions.

Because people are so unrestful, they're unsettled, there's so much confusion, there's so much lack of contentment where they are, and they're wanting something else, just like that poem.

Where they are, they want something else.

And then when they get there, they want to go back to where they were.

God help us.

The need for peace and calm and contentment and security has reached again epidemic proportions.

But Paul has a prescription for this epidemic.

He really does.

And it's not drugs.

Can I get an amen?

What it is, is Jesus.

J-E-S-U-S.

Jesus.

So today I want us to look at chapter 4, verses 6 through 9, and we're going to see that the key to overcoming this emptiness, this unrestfulness, this discouragement, this discontentment is right thinking.

Because the way you think determines the way you act.

Amen?

It really does.

So Paul really gives us a beautiful prescription here.

And this was not a new teaching, but certainly one that needed to be what?

Reiterated over and over again.

Boy, do we not need to be challenged over and over again.

And Jesus, in fact, when Paul said verse 6 here, be careful for nothing, which means don't worry.

But it was, be anxious for nothing.

Don't worry about anything, is what he's saying.

But Paul also, when he made this statement, Jesus made the same statement in Matthew chapter 6, verses 24 through 34.

Matthew 6:24–34

In fact, how many of you read the blog?

Okay.

A few of you read the blog.

Shame on you.

Shame on you.

I write, I spent a lot of time writing that blog.

You need to read the blog.

I had a great prescription for you.

But since you didn't read it, I'm going to give it to you again.

I am.

A doctor who conducted a long-term study of worry discovered the following.

Are you ready?

40% of the people worry about things that never come to pass.

Wow.

Did you hear that?

40% of the people worry about things that never happen.

30% worry about things in the past over which they have no control.

30% worry about the past that they have no control over.

12% worry about their health even though they have no illness.

They're worried that they're going to get cancer.

They're worried, or you know, they think the worst about their health.

10% worry about families, friends, or neighbors, though, without substantial reason.

Why are we worrying about our family and our friends and our neighbors?

When there's really no thing, nothing to worry about.

Now listen to this.

8% of those studied actually had a legitimate cause to worry about or couldn't be concerned about.

8%.

8% out of 100%, ladies and gentlemen, is all you and I can really control.

Why do we worry so much?

Because we have wrong thinking instead of right thinking.

I call it uh you know what the average Christian is?

We are crucified between the two thieves.

You know what the one thief is?

It's the thief of the past regrets.

The other thief is the worry of the future.

We stay worried, hey, about the regrets of the past, and we worry about the hey, things of the future that we can't control.

God help us.

Amen.

So how do we overcome that?

Here's how we do do it.

First of all, look at the problem.

The problem is anxiety, it's worry.

It really is.

But the prescription is found in verse 6.

The way not to worry is this.

In everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God.

In other words, here's what he said.

We are to pray about everything.

Everything.

Everything.

And with that said, the problems, anxiety.

And under that, look at what we see.

A.

We are not to worry because of the master we have as Christians.

We are not to be worrying, and here's why.

Not only because we can only control 8% of, hey, really, of the 100% of the things that we worry about, but notice we have a master.

We have a Lord.

We have a Savior.

We have a controller, a man who's in charge.

Look at what he says in Matthew chapter 6, verses 24 and 25.

Matthew 6:24

This is awesome.

No one can serve two masters.

Oh boy, that's a good statement.

For either he will hate the one, love the other, hold to one, despise the other.

You cannot serve God and money.

Then look at verse 25.

Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious.

There's the same thing that Paul said.

Okay?

Don't worry.

That's what that means.

Do not be worrying about your life, what you will eat.

You don't have to worry about what you're going to eat when you come here.

We feed you.

Amen.

I guarantee you.

You join this church, I guarantee you you'll gain 10 pounds within the first six months.

Guaranteed.

Ask Dustin.

Ask me.

You will.

But hey, don't worry about what you're going to eat or what you're going to drink.

Hey, nor about your body.

Oh Lord, help us.

What you will put on is not life more than food and body more than clothing.

Jesus said, whoa, you got your priorities all wrong.

We spend more money trying to fix how we look.

How we, hey, how we look physically, how we look outwardly.

And what is he saying?

He's saying, don't get caught up in the worldly prescription of success.

The world's prescription for success is you got to look the right way, you got to have the right clothes, the right brand names, the right cars, all that stuff.

And that's all it is, is stuff.

Amen.

So he's saying don't get caught up in that.

And then look at verse 26.

He says, look at the birds of the air.

They neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them.

Are you not more valuable than the birds?

Folks, listen, we're a lot more valuable than the birds.

Amen.

We're a lot more valuable than the animals.

And here's what he's saying: don't get caught up in that.

In fact, in verse 25, he uses the word, therefore.

And what he is saying is we are not to take any thought, which means to stop, to stop worrying, and don't do it again.

God's going to take care of you.

If you are here this morning and you are a Christian, your God, my God, shall supply all our needs according to his riches and glory through Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4.19.

Now either God can do that or he can't.

Amen.

Now, if he can, why do we worry?

We ought to take one day at a time.

My grandmother loved one day at a time, Lord Jesus.

That was all spiritual, and she loved it.

One day at a time.

That's all we have to worry about.

Hey, you know what?

Yesterday's gone.

There's nothing you can do about it.

Guess what?

Tomorrow's coming.

There's nothing you can do about it.

So enjoy today.

Yeah, but you know, there are no conjunctions.

Today is the day of the Lord.

I will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalms 118, 24.

Yeah, but no, there are no buds.

You may not be here tomorrow.

Don't worry about tomorrow.

And why worry about something that's gone?

Can't do anything about it.

Woo! But bless God, we can have a good time today.

Amen.

So that's what Jesus is saying.

Worry, listen, here's what he's saying.

In fact, you know what I'm convinced?

Worry is wrong because it demonstrates a lack of trust in our awesome God.

I think it's a sin.

I really do.

In fact, I know it's a sin, because he that knoweth to do good and doeth nothing, him it is what?

Sin.

And he goes on, he says, and if he that doesn't believe in God, it's sin.

It's sin.

So we see that.

In fact, you know what?

I wrote this in my.

I think it could be labeled practical atheism.

Wow.

You just don't trust God.

You don't believe in God.

An atheist will tell you, I don't believe there is a God.

Now it's one thing to believe there's a God, but then we don't trust God.

So kind of what's the difference?

Black or white?

Come on.

Amen?

So think about it.

Worry is, hey, the interest we pay on tomorrow's troubles.

Worry is the interest we pay on tomorrow's troubles, folks.

Lord help us.

If we worry, we can't trust.

If we trust, we can't worry.

Amen.

Let me repeat that.

If we worry, we can't trust.

If we trust, we can't worry.

Trust in the Lord with all thy heart.

Lean not on thy own understanding.

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

That's what the book said.

Worry is like a rocking chair.

It requires an investment of energy, but it does not get you anywhere.

Amen.

Hello.

It's not going to take you anywhere.

You're just going to rock.

The only time rocking is good when you got a baby in your arms.

Can I get an amen?

That's the only time.

Worry never moves you one inch closer to solving your problem.

Not one inch.

Not one inch.

Those worried about losing the hair.

I don't worry about that anymore.

Accelerate.

Accelerate the loss of hair.

I used to worry about my hair.

I didn't want to lose my hair.

But everybody in my family lost their hair.

As far as my dad, my granddad.

I mean, I was doomed.

It's coming.

And I used to worry about it, try to cover it up.

Isn't it?

Don't you love these guys?

They got about four pieces of hair on the top, and they do it over like that.

I was guilty of that.

And then you spray it so it can't move.

It'll crack, it'll crack, but it won't move.

Been there.

Those worry about getting sick.

They just weaken their immune system, and guess what?

They get sick.

Then I was all this is medically established and documented.

Some, hey, worry about losing their job.

So it lowers their performance level and they lose their job.

Amen.

Oh, I'm worried about what my boss is thinking.

Don't worry about what your boss is thinking.

Just work hard.

Hey, and by the way, whoever you're working for is really not your boss if you're a Christian.

God's your boss, and if you're working to please him, you'll be getting a raise.

Because you'll be the best worker they got.

Instead of complaining.

Hello, that was free.

Amen.

Some worry about gaining weight.

I don't worry about it, I just gain it.

I'll quit worrying.

Which means they end up gaining weight.

Worry cannot change the past, nor can it control the future.

Listen to what Proverbs 12.25 says.

Heaviness, worry in the heart makes a man, hey, stoop.

That means worry, defeated, down out.

I mean, you you just you just almost to the point you want to give up.

Worry is the key ingredient to quitting.

Hello.

You'll worry yourself till you quit.

Well, I can't make a difference.

No, you can't.

But God threw you can.

Amen.

You don't have to quit.

You don't have to give up.

You just keep giving it all God tells you to give and you'll be okay.

The word heaviness can be worry, fear, anxious care.

That's what it means.

Worry is the opposite of contentment.

Let me help you here.

If you're not content this morning, listen to me, don't miss this.

If you're not content this morning, you're worrying.

Hello?

That's about 95% of us.

If you're not content where you are right now, you're worrying.

Boy, that got really quiet, didn't it?

Oh, how do you know that?

Well, let me let me show you scripture.

Look at what Paul said in Philippians 4 11.

Not that I speak in respect to want, for I have uh learned.

In whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

Now, it's a learning process.

I wish we could get there overnight, but I'm telling you something.

Your mother said, quit telling everybody my age, okay?

So at my life journey, now where I am and where I have come, I'm realizing that worrying has not accomplished anything in my life, my ministry, my family.

All it's done is made me lose my hair.

I'm gonna blame that.

Amen.

It's not helped me one bit.

So now at this stage, and I have to work at it daily, I'm just not gonna let anything upset me.

Nothing.

I'm gonna get up in the mornings, I'm gonna pray, and we're gonna talk about the remedy here, but I'm gonna I'm gonna enjoy life.

I'm gonna keep God first in my life.

I'm gonna try to be a blessing to my wife, be a blessing to my kids, be a blessing to my church family, be a blessing to you.

And if whenever all that negativism and all that that gossip and that backbiting, all that starts coming at me.

If you see me do this, you'll you'll understand because you heard me preach about it.

You're watching a lot of our people sit, watch it online.

When you start that, I'm gonna go.

In the name of before I hit you.

Stop.

I don't want to hear it.

I don't want those negative thoughts going into my mind.

Can I get an amen?

That's what he is.

That's it, folks.

Listen, we serve, if we serve the God that I know we serve, we have a right to get excited about Jesus.

Can I get an amen?

Yes, we got problems.

We're people.

I'm a problem.

I'll go ahead and tell you, I'm a problem.

Thank you.

And 190 others, too.

We're all problems waiting to happen.

Hello, come on.

Let's all say, oh be together on the count of three.

One, two, three.

Oh me.

We're all just problems waiting to happen.

My grandmother you'd say, Danny boy, you're just a problem waiting to happen.

But you gotta do right.

You gotta think right, gotta live right.

Gotta be Jesus then.

I can still see her doing that.

Amen, mama.

I'm trying.

Listen, listen, here's what he said.

Worry.

Worry.

We don't need to worry because I have mass.

Number two, quick.

We are not to worry because of the Father we have as believers.

Look at verse 26 through 30.

He cares for the birds, he cares.

Hey, hey, if he cares for the birds, he can take care of us.

Behold the fowls.

I've already read it to you.

Look, that's what he's saying.

He's saying, we, hey, if I can take care of the birds, I can take care of you.

Can I get an amen?

Say this with me.

He will take care of me.

He will take care of me.

And then look at C.

We're not to worry because of our faith.

We're not to worry because of our faith.

Look at verse 31 through 33.

Therefore, take no thought, saying, What shall we eat?

What shall we drink?

Where will all shall we be clothed?

Now watch.

For all these things, and by the way, I like what Jesus said, all these things do the Gentiles seek, those that, hey, the worldly crowd.

For your heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things.

But verse 33.

Here's the verse.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, his righteousness, and what?

All these things.

Now notice, things aren't evil.

Come on with me.

Help me now.

Things aren't evil.

It's our attitude, hey, toward the things that can be evil.

If the things possess you instead of you possessing the things, then guess what?

You're going to be worrying about the things.

Let me ask something.

Do you got anything right now you could lose today and it not upset you?

Probably not.

A few pounds.

But think a minute.

If you, by the way, let me say something to you.

Right now, you really, if you're a Christian, don't own those things.

You're just a steward of those things.

Now you take good care of them.

But you know what you do?

You to use them for God's glory.

God gives you things to use for his glory.

Everything we've ever owned for us things, Susan and I, it's not ours, it's the Lord's, and we use it and A lot of times more people use the things we have than we do.

Because they're not ours.

Can I get an amen?

They're not ours.

They're the Lord's.

Amen.

Now, there are some things I would be upset, but I'm going to be honest with you.

Far as eternity value is concerned, there's nothing, hey, except the life of my family and you that really matters.

Anything else, tornadoes come through here quite often.

Anything else gone, hey, listen.

Yeah, you ought to it'll upset you for a little bit, but if you worry and worry about it, then those things are possessing you.

When you have a wreck, hey, forget the car.

Thank God you're alive.

You can replace the car.

You with me?

None of that thing stuff matters.

What matters is your relationship with an awesome God and your relationship with your family and your, hey, church family, and the people that you are an influencer toward.

That's what matters.

That's all that matters.

All that matters.

So faith, worry is inconsistent with our faith.

We're to walk by faith and not by sight.

D, we're not to worry about our future.

Verse 34 in Matthew 6, take therefore no thought for tomorrow, for the tomorrow shall take thought of the things it says.

Sufficient, hey, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

In other words, he says, you can't worry about tomorrow.

Hey, you may not even be here, but you can do something about today.

Amen.

When you wake up in the morning, you've got 24 hours, maybe.

But when you wake up, you ought to say, today's the day God has given me.

God give me my marching orders.

Let me love you.

Let me love people, and let me be a good influence everywhere I go.

Hello.

Let me be a good example everywhere I go.

And what I say, what I watch, what I listen to, the whole picture.

Amen.

That's it.

That's really the truth.

There was a gentleman who was an unbelievable artist in Italy.

Man visited a cathedral that had been completed on the outside but was not completed on the inside.

He saw this artist that was working on a mosaic.

Thousands of pieces just laying everywhere.

Except he had one area roped off.

And so the gentleman said, Sir, how long is it going to take you to complete this unbelievable job inside this beautiful outside cathedral?

He says, Sir, I really am not interested in how long it's going to take me.

What I'm interested is, sir, you see this roped off that I've got here?

This is what I've got to get completed today.

All I'm thinking about today is making sure that I get all the mosaic paintings on this part of these rocks or these stones, and then I will start tomorrow over there and rope that off.

That's what I'm interested in.

Wow.

What truth.

Don't worry about what you can't complete.

Worry about what, hey, don't worry about what you can't complete.

Do what you can complete.

Amen.

So, that's what he was talking about.

Once we give our hearts to the Lord Jesus, we are to serve him and fulfill his will in our life.

Now let me tell you what happens when we do that.

I want you to see something.

Isaiah 26, 3 and 4.

He says, powerful.

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace.

Did you hear me?

Perfect peace means total contentment.

You'll be content.

Whose mind is stayed on you, on God, because he trusts in you.

Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.

Everlasting strength.

Strength for contentment.

Amen.

So we see how important this really is.

God's solution to worry is praying.

Look at number two.

The prescription is prayer.

It's prayer.

Praying is a secret to a carefree life and having God's peace.

We are to be careful for nothing but prayerful in everything.

Now notice the we are and can pray.

Everything.

And three sets of words.

We are, can pray, everything.

Those are three things that you and I can do.

We can pray about everything.

Everything.

If we spent as much time praying as we do complaining, we'd see a major difference.

If we spent as much time praying for the circumstances, the situation, as we do worrying and trying to figure it out, we'd see a major difference.

Guaranteed.

I know I've seen it in my own life.

And this is true.

Now, here's what I love.

You know, I was doing a word study here, and by the way, the Lord is, I want you to say this with me.

The Lord's interested in small things.

Say that with me.

The Lord's interested in small things.

See, most of us think that unless we have a major tragedy or something bad happen, then we have to bring it to the Lord in prayer.

Ladies and gentlemen, he's concerned about every little thing in your life.

He loves you that much.

If he knows, granted, in Matthew 10, I'm at five, the hairs on your head, he's concerned about every little thing.

Even though some of us don't have any.

That's why I grow it on my chin.

I want him to be concerned about some hair.

Amen.

Amen.

But really, here's the, hey, notice what he said here.

The little details of our life.

Prayer is in general an act of devotion and worship.

Let me tell what I'm learning.

Prayer now is becoming an act of devotion and worship for me.

And when we talk about that, three things I see: our prayers, our petitions, and our praise.

All that is encompassed in praying.

I'm learning that.

I praise him before I ask him.

Amen.

I praise him before I ask him.

Say that with me.

I praise him before I ask him.

If you'll start doing that, that'll change your prayer life.

I praise him before I ask him.

Uh-oh.

Praise him.

Hey, pray I praise you for my job.

I praise you that I don't have a job, but I need a job.

I praise you for all that he's done for you.

There's not one of us in here that ought not to praise him for how we got to church today.

Whether we own a vehicle where somebody brought us, we ought to say, thank you, Lord.

We praise you for the ride today.

Hello, come on.

You know what?

Every one of us in here drove in here, rode in here, and we didn't even thank God for the vehicle or the person that brought us, we take it for granted.

Am I not right?

Hello.

And we wonder why we're selfish, prideful, and conceited.

Because we're unthankful.

We're unthankful.

I was recently talking to someone, and he would just, I mean, he was just letting me, not actually letting, well, yeah, it was.

He was letting me have it.

Letting everybody else have it, I knew.

I just said, that's it.

That's enough.

I got one question to ask you.

What have you thanked God for today?

Today.

He just stopped and looked.

He gave me the weirdest look.

You would have thought I hit him between the eyes with a two by four.

Thought about it.

He looked at me and said, Preacher, I ain't thanked him for anything.

I said, That's your problem.

That's it.

No wonder you're angry.

No wonder you're griping.

No wonder you're blaming everybody.

You haven't thought him for you hadn't thanked him for anything.

I said, you ought to thank him that you're, hey, you're alive.

He didn't have a job.

He, you know, he was just blaming the world for everything.

So I stopped him and I said, just give me one thing you've been thankful for today.

Couldn't do it.

Not one.

I said, Did you get up this morning and just say, Lord, thank you for me being alive today?

And I'm healthy.

I'm not sick.

He said, no.

I said, did you thank him for your wife?

She's healthy.

She's not sick.

He said, no.

I said, did you thank him for your kids?

They're healthy.

They're not sick.

No.

I said, should I go on?

He said, no.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

I said, hey, I'm not the one you need to be sorry to.

I'm just like you.

I'm ungrateful too.

We both need to be thanking the awesome Almighty God for his grace, for his mercy, and for his love.

Because if it wasn't for his mercy and his grace and love, we all would be doomed to go to hell.

There is a hell!

That's what he's talking about.

I will bless the Lord at all times.

His praise shall continually be in my heart.

Suzanne up, she and I up here, we're having a good time.

Well, hey, hey, you ought to praise him like that everywhere you are.

Just praise it.

You say, well, people think I'm crazy.

They already do.

You're walking around with a Jesus all they already think you're crazy.

By the way, we had for the first time we had someone tell one of our kids they couldn't hand out the uh bracelets during class.

Well, this you know what they said, okay.

I'll wait to recess and hand them out.

That's it.

Hey, you are you're not gonna shut me up.

The only way you're gonna shut me up is you're gonna have to shoot me.

And then I'm gonna be with Jesus and I'm gonna be up there.

You think I'm giving you a hard time down here?

Wait till I get up there and speak right in his ear about you.

Ha ha ha! Yeah.

Hello.

Amen.

When we pray, we must remember three things.

This is worth you coming.

I know it's not in the notes.

I get do that line on Mondays and Tuesdays, but I can't help it.

Who is good?

Three things.

Remember the love of God, which desires the best for you.

If God loves you, you believe God loves you.

Well, he desires the best for you.

Can I get an amen?

He desires the best for you.

He's got a great plan for your life.

Remember what do we love about our slogan here?

We're not interested in you, what?

But we're interested in what?

And God has a what?

Fantastic future for you.

He's not thinking evil of you.

Even when we're spoiled, hey, we're we're ungrateful, we're brats, and all that, hey, he still loves us and thinking good about us.

Man, that's a that's a gracious God.

Woo! Secondly, remember that the wisdom of God.

Remember the wisdom of God, which knows what's best for us.

All things, we know, all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.

Romans 8 28.

And then thirdly, remember the power of God, which can bring to pass what is best for our life.

Wow.

God's got the power to heal you if you're sick.

But guess what?

Listen to me if that's what's best for you.

Now I know what you know.

Oh, there you go.

No, no, no, listen.

Let's work through.

Listen to the train of thought all the way through.

What's best for you?

For God to heal you right now?

Or to God to take you to be with him right now?

Paul said for me to live is Christ, but to die is what?

Only three of you said that.

For me to live is Christ, but to die is what?

Philippians 1 21.

So if it's best for you to go to be with Jesus, we ought to say, hallelujah.

You say, but it may not be best for my family.

Wait a minute.

Now you're trying to tell God that He knows that He doesn't know what's best for your family?

I just dealt with this.

Why would God do this?

Here's what I answered.

I said, one, I can't answer that.

But what I can answer is what God has allowed to happen is for your best.

Our scripture's a lie.

You listening to me?

That's deep.

Now that's deep.

No man knows the ways, the understanding, and the judgments of God, Romans 11, 33.

But what we do know is, we know, say that with me.

We know all things work together for good.

That we know.

And that's what I hang my hat on.

That's what I stand planted firmly on.

We know.

We can be absolutely sure we know.

If you're Christian.

Amen.

So the love of God, the wisdom of God, the power of God, we have at our availability.

Now to him that's able to do exceedingly abovely above, above all we think or act according to what he wants to do, he can do it.

Ephesians 3.20.

Nothing.

Luke 137 is impossible with my God.

Amen.

For eyes not seen nor ear heard.

Heard.

Now quickly, I want you to see this.

I don't know why I'm saying quickly.

I'm not in a hurry.

Right praying depends on right thinking.

Right praying depends on right thinking.

Paul stressed in Philippians chapter 1, the single mind.

Philippians 1 · chapter mention

If you remember, it focused on adoration.

Fill it in the blank.

I'm giving you a little review so you'll have it.

Chapter 2.

If our mind is submissive to Jesus Christ, not proud or cocky, then we can come to the Lord with our supplications.

If we have the single mind, we come to the Lord in our adoration.

That was chapter 2, the submissive mind.

Then remember, chapter 3 was the spiritual mind.

We can express our sincere appreciation to Christ with the spiritual mind, that thankfulness.

See, as I said, carnal Christians tend to be ungrateful.

And then chapter 4, where we are the last chapter, we have a secure mind.

And it talks about praying about everything and worrying about nothing, is God's will for the believer.

Praying about everything, worrying about nothing.

That's God's will for the believer.

God has his own way of taking care of us.

James Montgomery boy shared this story of a man named Hotchkiss that went to Nigeria for 40 years as a missionary.

One day he was going to the village to share the gospel with a village that had never heard the gospel.

And this missionary, Hotch Hotchkiss, he knew that he was running late.

If he went across this plain, that there was a chance of a stampede with the wild animals there.

Because it would happen quite often.

But instead of taking the path in the woods that would have made him an hour or two later, he decided to risk it and go across the plain.

Sure enough, halfway across the plain.

Over a hundred rhinoceros were started stampeding.

He looked up, he was right in the path of the whole 100 rhinoceros, big animals.

All he could see was the just dust rolling like smoke.

He grabbed his Bible, put it to his chest, and he began knelt down on his knees and he began to pray.

Lord, I'm coming home.

And he prayed, Lord, please, send someone to this village.

And I was going, please.

I don't want him to die and go to hell.

I don't want him to die without hearing the gospel.

Waiting for the terrible outcome, death.

He just kept praying, Lord, send somebody, Lord, send somebody.

Sure enough.

He waited and waited.

He heard all the footprints.

And he was just praying, Lord, send somebody to the village.

Lord, I'm coming home.

Lord, send.

All of a sudden, there was sound was gone.

He looked up.

And he saw the rhinocers running behind him.

And he stood up.

And he saw all the tracks.

Hundreds of tracks.

Right where he knelt.

Not one track.

Now that's not the end of the story.

Two years later, this couple came over to visit him.

And he was sharing this story.

Well, no, he wasn't sharing this story.

The gentleman had asked him that was there, he was a pastor.

He said, Reverend Hotchkiss, I had this unbelievable urge a couple of years ago to pray for you.

It was 2:30 in the morning, my time.

And I got up and I got on my knees and I started praying.

I had your picture and I started praying for you.

He said, and I wrote it down in my Bible.

Here it is the date and the time.

It was the exact date and the exact time that he knelt down and Reverend Hodgkins, the missionary, and started praying, Lord, I'm coming home.

Send someone with the gospel to that village.

Don't you ever think when God tells you to get up and start praying for somebody, or you stop and you start praying for somebody, it doesn't matter.

It does matter.

What a testimony.

Well, when we do that.

Verse 7, the last one, the peace of God.

And the peace of God which passes all understanding.

You see that.

You see that right there.

D.

Under 2.

The peace of God.

Passes.

That word passes.

Listen, it means to be more excellent, superior, to surpass, to be in authority or control.

What he is saying.

God is so superior to our thinking, to our control, that all we have to do is trust him and he'll take care of everything else.

Wow, that's good, folks.

Somebody say that's good.

And then the other word there is keepeth.

It's like a military word that God puts a guard over our heart and he keeps it pure.

And he keeps Satan from putting those evil thoughts into our heart.

And the way that he does that is by making sure we're thinking right.

And that brings me to the last the third point.

And that is the, hey, the program.

The program.

We saw the problem, anxiety, the prescription, prayer under that.

Now the third thing is the problem.

I mean, excuse me, the program.

How do we initiate this program?

What we think and what we do.

Look at verse 8.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever thing honest.

All right.

What is he talking?

Gives us a list of things to occupy our mind.

That's what he's saying.

Listen to this.

Dr.

Elmore Kernathy, in his medical journey in 1995, stated this after 25 years of research.

The average person has more than 200 negative thoughts a day.

200 negative thoughts a day.

Worries, jealousies, insecurities, cravings for forbidden things, etc.

Now watch this.

He said depressed people have more than 600 negative thoughts a day.

Wow.

Wow.

Folks.

Unbelievable.

Now, you and I can't eliminate all the troublesome things that go through our mind, but hey, we can definitely, hey, reduce the number.

Can I get an amen?

We can reduce the number.

Now, how do we do that?

Watch.

Here it is.

Here it is.

God's word instructs us to be careful what we think about and what occupies our mind.

Our lives are products of what we think.

2 Corinthians 10, 5, here it is.

Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

Does that mean every thought?

Did you hear me?

Every thought matters to God.

Now I wish I could tell you, whoo, your pastor is a superhero.

I can control all my thoughts.

That's not true.

That'd be a lie.

Because I'm human and I'm fleshly.

Amen.

But one thing I can do, I can sure work on trying not to have as many bad thoughts.

And how do we do that?

What I taught Monday, I meant Wednesday night in our small group on how to memorize and meditate upon the word of God.

It's the word of God, the more word of God you put in your mind, listen, I'm gonna simplify this whole thing.

The more word of God you put in your mind and in your heart, listen to me, listen to me, the less bad thoughts you're gonna have.

This is just that simple.

Amen.

Proverbs 23, 7.

You know it, quote it with me, for as a man thinks in his.

Hello, that's that sums it up right there.

I don't need to preach anymore, Stephen.

That's it.

Don't tell me to quit then.

That's it.

Listen to what Jesus said.

Mark 7, that which cometh out of the man is what defiles the man.

Far from in out of the heart of men proceeds evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, licivitousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness, all these evil things come from within and defile the man.

That's it.

That's it.

Sow a thought, reap an action.

Sow an action, reap a habit.

Sow a habit.

Listen.

Reap a character.

Sow a character.

Reap a destiny.

I ask my question and I ask you to ask your this question too.

Based on your thought life.

What is your destiny?

What do you think about the most every day?

That's your destiny.

But you can change it.

You can change it.

Can I get an amen?

Say this: I can change my destiny.

And how do you change your destiny?

By thinking right.

Look, think on those things that are true.

Think on those things that are true.

You know what that means?

Something that is true, get listen, true develops, something that is true develops stability and security in our life.

Can I get an amen?

Folks, listen to me.

I know what's true.

God's word is truth.

Sanctify them through thy word.

Thy word is true.

Listen, I promise you, hey, a proverb of day keeps the devil away.

Amen.

It's truth.

You can bank your life on it.

Thy word is true from the beginning.

Every one of thy righteous judgments endure forever.

Can I get an amen?

And you heard this.

David said this the other day, and I've forgotten all those years that opened door.

Used to be one of my favorite verses.

You weren't here, Doc, but I brought it back up again.

Psalms 119, verse 65.

Psalms 119:65

Great peace have they which love the law, and nothing shall cause them to stumble.

The King James says, Nothing shall offend them.

Well, I'm gonna tell you what, when you're dealing with people, you need that verse.

Can I get an amen?

Amen.

God's word fulfills the order for what we should be thinking about.

The law of the Lord is perfect.

Look at Psalms 19, 7 and 9.

Converting the soul, it brings people to Christ.

The testimony of the Lord is sure.

Hey, it's perfect, it's sure, making wise the simple, verse 8.

The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart.

The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes, verse 9.

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever.

The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

Watch.

Man, I'm about to have a running spell.

Perfect, sure, right, clean, and true and righteous altogether.

You put that in your mind, you'll have perfect peace.

You'll be pure, you'll think right.

You'll, hey, you'll sow the right action, you'll have the right habit, and you'll have the right destiny.

Can I get an amen?

Preacher, that's good.

Things that are honest, that means honorable.

Honorable.

That word there, SIBO Benji, means to worship.

Honest, honorable.

When we're worshiping before God, we're asking God and telling him, here's my life.

I'm pure and open to you.

Take it, cleanse it, and use it.

Just.

Diakios.

Duty.

It really says duty.

In other words, that you and I have obligations.

We have duties.

We have responsibility to God and to people.

Can I get an amen?

Pure.

That's holy, sacred.

The statues of the Lord are right, rejoicing in the heart, the commandment of the Lord is pure.

In other words, it means being not perfect, but hey, per hey, pure.

Staying away from those things that are wrong.

Every word of God is pure.

It is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

Lovely.

That's a great word.

Number five, lovely, acceptable, agreeable, pleasing.

Woo.

It's the opposite of bitterness and resentment and criticism.

The Bible says Jesus is altogether lovely.

Woo! Song of Solomon 5.16.

Number six, things that are of good report.

That word means praiseworthy, gracious, commendable.

We're to guard our lips of that which destroys another or creates divisions among the brethren.

Look for something good.

Proverbs 15, 30.

The light of the eyes rejoice the heart, and a good report makes the bones fat.

A good report.

Say this with me.

A good report.

Alright?

That wasn't too good.

We're going to try that again.

A good report.

A good report.

Now, here's what we're going to do.

Together as a family, we're going to make a covenant that we're going to speak a good report about each other.

Can we do that?

Well, here's what we're going to say.

I will speak a good report with my family.

And that's your immediate family and your church family.

Ready?

I will speak a good report to my family.

Amen.

Amen.

Is that not good?

And then I close with the last thing.

By the way, I wrote this to myself.

I think I put it in your notes.

Impure, if I didn't write it down.

Impure thinking.

Ooh, this is so good.

Oh, when God hit me the other morning.

Impure thinking leads to inconsistent living.

Let me repeat that.

Impure thinking produces inconsistent living.

Wow.

Wow.

You with me, church?

Man, that's good teaching, isn't it?

I need this.

Oh, your pastor needs this badly.

Hey, you know how Satan works on you about the thoughts that you have toward other people, sometimes even toward me.

Now I know most of you have lovely thoughts about me, I hope.

Excellent.

You pray about somebody's salvation.

That helps.

But what I was gonna say too is Satan brings those same evil thoughts to my mind and heart toward people too.

That's what he does.

That's his plan.

If you listen, that's his plan.

He is the accuser of the what, brethren.

You with me?

So last thing, and we're gonna eat.

I'm hungry.

What are we eating today?

Ooh, chicken teriyaki and fried rice.

Amen.

Number four.

The practice, last thing, the practice of the truth.

Look at verse 9.

Those things which you have both learned.

We're learning today.

We're receiving today.

We're hearing today.

And seen in me.

I hope you see these in my life and my wife's life.

I see them in a lot of your lives.

Now, we're not perfect.

Sometimes I'll blow it, but I'll do my best to say I'm sorry when I blow it.

And if I do hurt you, would you please bring it to my attention?

Don't sit there and let Satan just keep rubbing it in.

Now, wait a minute.

Let me clarify something.

I will not apologize for preaching the truth.

Never.

Never.

Now, maybe sometimes the way I say the truth, yes.

If I'm vindictive about it, I have preached with a vendetta sometimes, and that is as wrong as it can get.

No preacher ought to ever do that.

No preacher ought to use the scriptures to try to hurt you.

That's one thing I love preaching, though, verse by verse through a book.

If I'm hitting on something that you're doing, you can't say the preacher, he's preaching at me.

Well, I got news for you.

I'm preaching at all of us every Sunday.

We all need it.

Can I get an amen?

And we're all guilty in some form or fashion.

Because we're human.

We need that accountability.

We need that.

You know when we come to church?

When did we come to church?

I need you to hold me accountable.

Hello?

And you need me to hold you accountable.

Can I get an amen?

Isn't that good?

We love each other.

We help each other.

Righteous fall down, we pick them back up.

Righteous fall down, we pick them back up.

They fall off the wagon, you put them back on the wagon.

That's why we have celebrate recovery on Wednesday nights now.

And if you are having problems with any kind of addiction, you need to be in that class.

Sylvester and Matt teach that, co-teach it.

You need to be in that class.

Sylvester's recovering alcoholic.

He's so excited.

He said, Tell people, please come.

I'll help them.

I'll share the truth with them.

And by the way, it's not, don't I, you know what?

You know, here's, let me tell you what's the first thing you think if you if you've got an addiction.

I'm not going over there.

I wonder what people are going to think about me.

That's a that's Satan coming right out of the pits of hell to keep you from getting help.

That's all that is.

Can I tell you what we're gonna think?

Hallelujah! I'm glad you're here.

Hey, I'm here too.

I'm a sweet apolic.

I need help.

I'm going through those same principles myself.

I'm memorizing them.

Chocolate filled green doughnut.

Oh, and granny that chocolate.

I ate the whole thing.

Almost.

But don't quit making it.

I'll deal with my flesh.

That's my problem, not your problem, Granny.

The extreme is there's no sugar, I become a bear.

You don't want to see that part either.

So anyway.

But no.

Let's wind this up.

You got some chocolate pie.

Here it goes.

Listen, here it goes.

Living surpasses learning.

Let me say, here's what he's talking about now.

Living surpasses learning.

Practice outshines preaching.

You know, you know how I earn your love and your respect and your honor?

Not because I get up here and preach my heart out and try to act like I'm a great preacher and quote a lot of scripture, which I love the book.

It's that I live what I'm preaching in front of you, and it's not show, it's real.

Do you hear me?

Now that's what I try to do.

That's what I desire to do.

Not to lord it over you, but to be there with you.

Because I need help just like you do.

Can I get an amen?

I'm the shepherd.

But guess what?

The shepherd has needs too.

Amen.

Amen.

We we help each other.

We work together.

That's it, Proverbs 27, 13.

17.

I'm sorry.

Here it is.

One verse, Psalms 119, 103, and we're through.

How sweet are the words unto my taste.

Yea, sweeter than honey to my I close with this illustration.

I'm a Civil War bus.

I love President Lincoln.

During the Civil War, writes author Tom Ritter in his book on President Lincoln.

He attended a Wednesday evening service at a church close to the White House, which he did regularly, the President.

Accompanied by his Secret Service agents, Lincoln would sit in the pastor's study during the message.

Then they would walk back together, that is the Secret Service in President Lincoln.

One evening after the service, an agent asked Lincoln, What did you think of tonight's sermon?

Lincoln replied, It was brilliant, brilliant, brilliant, brilliantly.

Brilliantly, thank you.

Conceived, biblical, relevant, and well delivered.

So it was a great sermon, Mr.

President.

No?

No?

It failed.

It failed?

Yes, because Dr.

Gurley, the pastor, did not ask us to do something great.

Lincoln was right.

God wants us to put truth into action and to do something great.

Not to deliver the message with all the great introductions and compliments and points, but he wants us to learn it, receive it, hear it, but then he wants us to do it.

Love it, learn it.

Let's say it together.

Learn it one more time.

Love it.

Thanks again for tuning into this week's message.

We pray that your life has been changed.

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Send us an email at office at the church at cw.com.

We hope you have a wonderful day and again.

God bless you.