Self Worth Series - Part 2 | Pastor Paul McGee

The gentleman that's going to the men's conference this Friday

and Saturday right after church, so we can decide on the leaving

time that would be appropriate for all those that are going.

And so right after service, we'll just jump in youth room.

We'll decide that that you go about your way also.

Then this coming weekend is South in the morning and the

brother Alex in the evening. Service next Wednesday will be

third part of the Self Worth series.

The weekend then after that will be our fifth Sunday.

Only one service at the AM and the gardeners will be with us

ministering the word of the Lord.

So that will be a great service to be a part of.

And then we'll be. Strotting over into the month of

October. And so coming up in the month of

October will be our annual chili supper and hayride in

conjunction with revival of the Maupin.

On the Friday and the Sunday and Saturdays we'll have our

festivities here at the church. So that's all coming up in

October. Going to turn to the book of

Romans chapter number. 12 And I'm going to read the first 3

verses of Romans chapter #12 and then you may be seated.

The Bible says these words. I beseech you, therefore,

brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a

living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your

reasonable service. And be not conformed.

To this world, but be transformed by the renewing of

your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable

and perfect will of God. For I say through the grace

given unto me to every man that is among you, not to think of

himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think

soberly, according as God have dealt to every man.

Major of Faith, Amen. This is our second part of our

Self Worth series. Brother Zach did a tremendous

job last Wednesday, Amen. Here in the absence then of the

ladies 2 tonight I want to talk about renewed mine, realized

birth, renewed mine and realized birth.

Amen. Let's pray Father, I love you

Jesus today God, you're able to help us Lord even tonight God as

we turn our attention to your word God as we planned the Lord

months ago that this would happen and come about Lord a

series as such. It was for the purpose of being

a benefit God to perhaps the Lord some Lord in our church.

I pray, O Lord today God that it would be that benefit God to

some God that it would help Lord it would encourage God perhaps

even empower Lord, we put our faith in our trust in you

tonight God knowing Lord that you can do all things beyond our

minds, even comprehension. God we love and appreciate you

today in the lovely name of Jesus Christ that I pray

Hallelujah and Amen. You may be seated in Jesus name

these verses of Scripture, particularly verse one and verse

2. If you've been in church any

length of time, you are not you're not foreign to these.

You're probably perhaps familiar with these two verses and we

usually approach them very much so in a a spiritual a spiritual

sense. And I'm not saying what I'm

talking about tonight isn't spiritual.

I think the thought processes of our mind is very spiritual, but

I want to approach them in a little bit more of a practical,

practical approach a practical way tonight.

It Paulsa Paul's right to the church at Rome and the believers

at Rome. And he says that I beseech if if

you want to use just some layman terms that.

You know, throw the king. James aside.

For a moment, he's really begging.

Apostle Paul's really in a begging posture to the church at

Rome. That they would present their.

Bodies and if I. If I could just be.

Practical this evening, that is. Want them to present themselves

themselves. One of the things he.

Says as holy and I understand. What we know holiness to be or

what holy. Is, you know, be there for holy,

for I am holy. That's what the Lord said.

And it does mean different, and it does mean set aside, and it

does. Mean distinct but even in the

fact. Of of people being holy.

Each of us can. Be holding we still have our

nuances and differences as individuals, all right.

With. With personalities, With, with.

You know, just just the way in which we operate in our lives.

And so if I can't tonight, Paul is urging them to present.

Themselves find. Even say it like this.

Present yourselves as originals. Present yourselves as originals,

right? Not not.

We're not cookie cut. I.

Thank God that he made. Each of us.

Differently, and we have. Variety in this world.

It'd be horrible if we were. All just like clones of Adam.

In looks and personality in, you know, body.

Type it it it. Would be a very boring world.

If that was the case, it was, and for that matter, it would be

real. Confusing, you know.

About who dad and uncle and all that was, you know, just, you

know, just as a side. Note but nonetheless if we were

just identical. To one another.

He. Said.

In the new King James. Version verse number. 4 of

Romans 12 he goes on and and and under.

Underscores the fact that we are originals or.

That we differ, he said. All members.

Do not have the same function says in verse number six that

they're gifts that there's differing gifts that they have

and so. With that, present your bodies

in a real, real sense. We our bodies, they are holy.

They're set aside, they're different, they're distinct.

Our bodies differ from one another, and Paul is using this

old sacrificial language from the old.

Testament because he's like present them as as a sacrifice.

He's using the old sacrificial. Language to draw a picture.

For us. Because among all the sacrifices

that were in the Old Testament. And there were several.

There were many. There was a particular

sacrifice. That was known as the whole

burnt offering. Everybody say whole, whole.

It was the whole burnt offering in which the entirety of the.

Animal, at least from. What we can see?

Except for the skins. Of it did that fur.

Belong to. The priest, but the entirety of

the animal was offered. Unto God.

And so whenever I hear Paul telling me to present my body,

I'm thinking in. Terms of that that whole.

Burnt offering. There was nothing left off right

there. There was nothing.

It was all presented, if we can even say it like this, when God

wants us to present. All of ourselves, He.

Doesn't want us to pick and choose about?

Well, I'll present that part to you.

Because I think that's something acceptable to you.

I'm kind of insecure about this part.

I'm not going to present that. Do you know to present our whole

selves unto the Lord? The sacrificial bodies, even the

sacrificial bodies? You could have 10 lambs, but not

all those. Lambs are the same.

You could have 10 Lambs that meet the criteria of being a.

Sacrifice, but they still have. Differences and nuances within

themselves. Yet they were completely Amen

given unto the Lord. The Amplified Classic Bible.

Says it like this concerning the scripture.

Here it says in. All in view of all the mercies

of God. Verse number.

One is what it's talking about here in the amplified.

In view of all the mercies of God, dedication of your bodies,

presenting all your members and faculties says in view of all of

the mercies of God. This kind of goes back to a

little bit what I said two weeks ago.

Part of the mercies of God that we are in view of that should

give us the ease and and to lift the burden of presenting our

full selves unto the Lord is again primarily two things.

And that is number 1. You were created in God's image

#2 you were redeemed by His sacrifice.

So in view of those mercies, in view of those mercies present.

Yourself. Because He thought enough to

create you as He did and redeem you as you are all right.

And so we can present ourselves then therefore unto the Lord.

And so there's not a single member of our bodies.

And whenever I say our bodies, I want you to know tonight I am

encompassing not just physical these physical bodies, but even

those internal things of our. Lives our, Our soul our.

Spirit our bodies, that we would give those unto the Lord.

You don't have to leave any. Part of yourself.

Ungiven or undedicated unto God, you have.

No reason for embarrassment. You have no reason for

embarrassment. God wants all of us, regardless

of our opinion of. Those different things.

Or their quote, UN quote, actual condition, whatever that

entails, Paul says. This is why I think this is

important. Again, we look at the spiritual,

but let's look at it very practically.

Paul is saying this during the time.

When Greek philosophy is is all over the Roman world, there are

people that are entertaining all of the philosophy of the Greeks.

They're given time and energy to listen and to speak and to talk

back and forth. And Greek philosophy at this

time, you look historically they depreciated.

The body. They depreciated the body, John

Murray says. The.

Ethical idea was to be freed from the body and it's degrading

influences. Well folks, that type of mindset

just runs total counter to your creator.

That runs total counter to God. Because your body is not

something to despise. Your body is not something to

hate. As a matter of fact, God thinks

so much about you, including your body, that the Bible says

those that have been born again in the water in the spirit, that

we're in an in a mode of waiting.

The book of Romans says for even the redemption.

Guess what of what? Our bodies.

Christ doesn't just redeem your soul.

He doesn't just redeem your spirit, He redeems your body

Amen. He redeems your body and so with

that the the Paul says US doing this this present presentation

of our full and host. Selves is our reasonable

service. Some other translations say it

like this. It is.

Our authentic selves to do. This is our authentic selves.

Amen. To do this is in comparison or

contrast then, rather than rather than conforming, are you

listening to me? Rather to do this, It's our

reason more often excels to do this rather than to conform to

the world and to the popular mentality ideology of the world

that you're presently living in. Because in reality that that is

the constant internal battle that we face.

We battle to fit in with the mode of the world.

And in this, I'm looking at this very practically and I'm not

talking about being worldly. I'm just talking about, well, in

order to be accepted by this world, I got to be XYZ in looks

and finances and in character. You hear what I'm talking about,

Amen. And so we sometimes even, we

live in this world, we're brought up in this world, and

whether we realize it or not, it may happen even subconsciously.

But we've been conditioned to accept some of the societal.

Norms even in our Christian saved, sanctified blood bought

lives. Amen.

And so again, we'll argue, well, we're only pretty, we're only

intelligent, We're only successful if we fit the mode of

XYZ. You know, we, we, we have a

literature and media material and things that constantly is

flooding our, our world about what is XYZ except acceptable?

I believe over time we've gotten better.

With that as a society. But, but there, there used to be

a day that there was just a 111, you know, you, you had a round

hoe and everything else that wasn't round.

You know, people trying to force square pegs into round hoes, but

square was OK too. But we've just been conditioned,

Amen, for this. And so we then derive our

standard of worth from the world, even the church world.

Please understand, I'm not trying to pit the world against

the church at this particular lesson.

All right? But but even the church world

would attempt to conform. All right, we do this.

Yes, we do. There's there's there's this

conforming that happens spiritually, but there is also a

conforming that happens naturally with our bodies, how

we talk, how we behave. Folks, God already made you in

his image. And I think I made mention 2 two

weeks ago, and I'm not here to bash anybody.

I want to encourage you, but to try to conform to something

different is to reject the original that he made you as

Robert McGee. And again, that's the.

Author of the book The Search for Significance.

All right, it's not my middle name.

I'm just using, you know, but as Robert McGee is my name as.

Robert McGee noted again, if you'll remember, he says this is

what we believe. We.

Believe our worth is based upon what our performance and others

opinions. Paul.

Says this is the new Living translation of verse #2 that

first phrase. He says don't copy.

The behavior and customs of this world.

Don't imitate the age. In which you live.

Don't allow yourself to become like your.

Surroundings. But again, we've swallowed the

lie and it is a lie. I'm going to pull the cover

back. It's a lie.

We swallowed the lie that there's one mode for

significance in these different areas.

There's one mode for significance.

And if we don't fit that, then you're not important.

I'm not important, but all these three adjectives in verse #1 of

Romans. 12 Refer to the sacrifice.

Which Paul's describing as us. It's living, it's holy, it's

pleasing. Again, it's holy.

It's it's distinct. It's different.

All right. He has all of these things, all

of these things, this holy, this, this distinct, different.

That's what's pleasing, that's what's acceptable unto God.

It's not just this combined of whatever the quote UN quote norm

is that pleases God. No, God is.

Pleased with the differences. So you present your body as

again, a whole person, and there's no part of you that is

deemed unworthy. And as we present our bodies in

verse #1 when we get to verse #2 again comes the other aspect.

He's not asking. Just for bodies, he's.

Asking for your mind the completeness of our selves.

Including our thoughts. Because whether it's sin,

whether it's your Christian life.

Whatever it is. Listen, folks, we know this, all

right? We know this.

The biggest struggle You. Ever have before it's played out

here is played right in here a lot of self.

Worth issues originate right here right here in the mind.

Can you walk with me for here for a little bit all right, you

know we're here, so we might as well take our time.

It is estimated that even the brightest.

People use only about 11% of their brain capacity.

That leaves almost 90%. Unused even at that.

The average person has more. Than. 30,000 thoughts per day.

Based upon that. 30,000 thoughts a day.

And considering that you may be awake, 16.

Waking hours. That's the perfect world where

you get 8 hours of sleep. OK.

But that 16 of waking hours that means we may think about 31

thoughts per. Minute per day now.

Researchers tell me that the vast majority or a full 70%?

Which with our with our. 30,000 thoughts per day thing would be

about 21 thousand thoughts 21. Thousand thoughts, some

researchers say of that day, are -70% of your thoughts that you

have each day. Are negative.

The Joy study, commissioned by Ulta Beauty, also found that in

spite of how common negative self talk was in more than 5000

people surveyed, 67% said it's so much a part of how they

function that they don't even notice.

That they are doing it. So not argue we only have an

almost 21,000 negative. Thoughts.

A day we're really not even realizing it's happening.

That describes, I believe to me, what it means to conform as it's

even displayed in our text, because conformity, the word

conformity in our text, it's a verb.

That is what's known as either a passive verb or a passive

permissive verb. What that means is the action

then is taking place either with us subconsciously not knowing it

or us having a semi. Awareness of it, but still

letting it happen anyway. Amen.

So our conformity is this is that negative self talk is such

a big part of our lives and how we function that we.

Don't even. We don't even.

Realize we're doing it. What I'm saying is this, when

that comes to self worth, there's.

Some of us that are cutting. Ourselves down and we're not.

It just happens so. Naturally, and so freely that it

is the. Course of life for us.

For instance, we entertain many times some misperceptions that

are not true, but listen if any of these may be true to you

statements that happen in your head.

God. Doesn't really care about me.

I'm an unlovable, worthless person.

Nobody will ever love me. I'm never able to change.

I've been a failure my whole. Life, I guess I'll always be a

failure if. People really knew me.

They wouldn't. Like me, Zig Ziglar says it's

impossible to constantly behave in a manner.

Inconsistent with how? We see ourselves.

We can do very few things in a positive way if we feel negative

about. Ourselves and so he's saying no

doubt that. We can try to fool what we're.

Feeling on the inside, on the outside.

He says. But that is.

Always short lived. They're little.

Stints of being successful and then we.

Default back just to the humdrum of what we're.

Experiencing on the inside because we can do.

Whatever we want to on the. Outside if the inside remains

unchanged. We are unchanged.

Amen. That's the reason why people

can, they can further, they can further.

Themselves on corporate ladders. They can acquire new homes and

new cars. Raise their societal status.

Do all these. Different things.

People can have plastic surgery to totally alter the way their

body looks and still not be happy with their body because

all the exteriors don't matter whenever the.

Inside is still having the loudest voice.

All right, negative thoughts and feelings about.

Ourselves and so whenever. We operate out of out of this

cluttered, negative mind. Here's.

What we do this is. According to Scripture, when we

operate out of our cluttered negative mind, we struggle to

correctly judge as verse #1 or verse #2 tells us, which is the

word prove. We struggle to correctly judge

or prove which the word prove means to uncover the true

quality of the good, the acceptable and the perfect.

Notice what the scripture says, be ye transformed.

How? By the renewing of your minds so

that what ye may prove, you may judge, you may correctly give

quality and decipher what's good, what's acceptable, what's

perfect. Listen to Pastor tonight.

When there isn't a renewed way of thinking, you don't have the

ability to classify the good and the perfect and the acceptable.

You will. You don't have the ability to do

that because your mind, your mind hasn't been renewed.

Only renewed minds can judge appropriately the degrees of

good and acceptable. You know what that means?

If we are just filled with negativity and our mind isn't

isn't renewed, then we can't even gauge our own quality, let

alone somebody else's quality, because only a renewed mind,

only a renewed mind can do that. And look what Paul says.

Paul reveals look now that a renewed mind renewed.

Minds, our thought processes transform.

Lives be transformed by how he said you're going to be

transformed. But he tells us then how it's

happening. It's happening by the renewal of

our minds. Transformation can't reach its

apex of completeness in our life.

Unless. We have a mind renewal.

Amen. A mind renewal?

The NIV says it like. This it says then.

You will be able. To test and approve.

But you can only. Test to prove the.

Quality of good acceptable. Perfect appropriately when your

mind has been renewed. Trees.

Why one of the? Verses, oftimes tell people says

and it's up there. Tonight, Philippians for a

Pauls. Wrapping up the The Book of

Philippians and he's given some. Final words, he says.

Finally, brethren. Whatsoever things are true.

Whatsoever things are. Honest whatsoever things are

just. Whatsoever things are pure,

whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things have a good

report. If there be any virtue.

If there be any praise. Think on these things.

What is the first whatsoever? There in the scripture

whatsoever things. Are Yeah, thank you hear and

listen to me tonight. Herein lies.

The rub negative mindsets have. Redefined what is true.

I want that just to settle in for a moment.

This is this is the the loophole of the scripture so to speak.

This is the rub negative mindsets I've redefined.

What is true again? I cannot without a renewed mind.

Rightly decipher what's? True.

What's just what's honest? What's a good report?

What's? Lovely.

I'm in oblivion, I in reality, me being a human being.

I think I know, but without the renew of the mind, I don't know

if my mind hasn't been rewired. I'm I'm in a redef defining of

all those things that may not even be close to what true is.

And so here's the thing. Everybody doing OK?

Throw just a little. Science in there, right?

A little bit more brain in there.

The meaning we give to something can turn into what we believe.

With certainty about that thing. Or about even ourselves.

There's something in your brain called the reticular activating

system for sure. It's called just Ras.

It's in your brain. And what it does, it multiplies

the. Speed at which this happens this

this. Turning something that we

believe. In to be a certainty about it.

What happens? Is this Ras in our?

Brain. It's like a giant filter and so

whenever you start focusing on something, it is a.

Filter that. It filters out almost 99% of all

the other stimuli, whether it's visible, thought, whatever it it

filters out. All the other stimuli.

To help you focus. What you are focusing?

On that's important to you. That's how I can sit in the in a

room reading the book and my wife's talking to me and I don't

know she's I didn't even hear you.

I said, I said I didn't even hear you, dear.

My Ras is helping me out there. I'm so focused on something that

is important and valuable to me that it's shutting out the

stimuli, even my own voices, my own wife's voice, so that

literally I'm not hearing her. I'm just focused on what I'm

focused on what's important to me.

But what happens is this. Then whatever becomes your focus

intensifies and multiplies your, your reticular or activating

system, Make sure of it. What you focus on, listen to me

well, becomes your reality. So when we start breaking this

down, what that means is this, if you give yourself a bunch of

negative labels and when you walk into the room, you start

putting those labels on you. Or even when you're at home or

if you go into a public place or something happens and you put

those labels on you. If those become a all consuming

thought for you, which most? People with self worth.

Difficulties it is then. Those are the thoughts they

begin to default to. And if it's deemed important to

you, I know you say, well, I hate that thought.

You do. But you concentrate on it.

And it always surfaces. So when it becomes important to

you, your brain helps silence all the other stimuli around you

that would distract from that thought, that would take away

from that thought. It's squelching everything else.

Let me say like this, when other people say no, you look great

and you're thinking you look bad, you'll squelch.

That thought of someone else. Saying that you look great

because you are focusing. Your brain is helping.

Your brain is helping you. Amen to see that.

And so it's helping you focus on those negative labels and you

know what's happening. You are through the process of

that redefining what is true for you.

Oh yeah. I mean, you've had

conversations. Some people that's.

Been caught in the vices of negativity and it seems like it

don't matter what you say, there's not a rope long enough

to help them out of that. Hole.

Their brains helping them. Focus on what they're focusing

on. Proverbs 23 and verse 7 we've

used. This first part of the verse a

lot. But I don't read.

The whole verse for. As he thinketh in his.

Heart. So is he.

Eat and drink. Saith he to thee, but his heart

is not with thee. We.

Seldom read the ring, we just. Always say as a man thinking in

his heart, so is he right? But the whole idea here is that

if a man tells you to eat and drink, and as you are eating and

drinking, in his heart he's really begrudging you for doing

the eating and drinking, then he really doesn't mean eat and

drink when. He said eat and drink.

Hey man, the thoughts of his heart is the reality.

Of the whole situation. Not what he has said.

But what he's arboring in his. Heart as a man thinking my wife

all the time brings us yes the ETHA lot of.

Times. On the end of the word denotes

that it's not just. He thinks, and that's said and

done. But he thinks and continues.

To think. So as a man thinks and continues

to think our our heart, a man in his heart, so he is, or so are

we. The word heart here as it

oftimes is not always, but oftimes in the Old Testament.

Heart is often interchangeable with mine in the old.

Testament so as. A man thinketh in his mind.

So is, so is he. So a person's Let's get real for

a moment. A person's reality is really.

Comprised of their thoughts. Oh, Brother McGee.

Oh, no. Yeah, if it's real to you, it's

real. The.

Truthfulness of our lives is found in what we think.

That's why the Apostle Paul. Again urged.

Them in Philippians 4/8 to to to to think upon these things the

the the passion. Translation says it like this.

Keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic

and real. You hear me?

What is authentic? And real.

We're believing a lot of things about ourselves that are not

real, Reading a lot of things. About ourselves that are not.

Authentic The amplified Bible says it like this says fix your

minds on them. He charged them.

Look, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, you what

Paul saying? He's saying if you're the the

thought that you're thinking is worthy of praise, you hear me?

If the thought that you're thinking is worthy of praise, so

be it. But if it's not worthy of

praise, if it's not praiseworthy, don't entertain

it. I hate myself.

That's not praiseworthy, I'm big, that's not praiseworthy,

I'm stupid that's not praiseworthy.

No one loves me. That's not are you hear me?

If it's not praiseworthy, then don't entertain it.

Because negative thoughts, whether they're true or whether

they're fabled, they are not worthy of praise.

They're not worthy of thought. In verse #8 there of Philippians

4. Again, he talks to us about our

thoughts, but then in the merry that next verse he starts then

to talk to us about our actions or about our behavior, namely

because of this and you know this, but thought patterns

affect and determine our. Behavior.

Everybody doing all right, Here's how.

The vicious cycle. Goes Genie Allen in her book Get

Out of Your Head. Says this is the classic mind

trap of a self fulfilling thought pattern in which follow

me here. Our insecurity feeds.

Our isolation, which in turn. Feeds the lie.

That we are worthless and nobody really gets us or cares to.

We feel unseen and unloved and to protect ourselves from

further. Rejection.

We won't let anyone. Close enough to change our.

Perception. What is she saying?

She's saying here's the individual.

That individual doesn't feel like anybody cares.

About them? Does it feel like, you know,

they're worth the dirt that's on the bottom of their shoe?

And as a result of feeling like nobody cares about them, they

isolate themselves. People ain't isolating them, but

they isolate themselves from people because I feel like no

one loves them so as they're stuck over here isolated from.

Everybody, they start to think. See, nobody's around here to

care for me. They're the one that drew away.

Nobody around here cares for me, which just underscores their

thoughts that nobody cares for them, which makes them just go.

And so it's a vicious. Cycle a thought.

Thought pattern that is constantly impressing on a

behavioral pattern and it's just constant and it's negative and

it's a downward spiral. Huh.

Because our thought patterns lead to behavioral patterns and

sometimes we get caught in these.

Infinity loops 1. The thought and the behavior

support and endorse the other. It's a vicious cycle, Robert

McGee said this. And again, these are whenever I

make mention of these things, these are people that are.

Doctors and doctors of psychology.

And so on and so forth, He says one of the most interesting

facts about behavior is that we often, this is what we do.

We often repeat the messages that hurt the most.

We don't repeat. In our minds, the things that

are positive, he says. We often repeat the things.

The messages that hurt the most and so all the lies that we are

telling ourselves are the. Ones that hurt the most.

Amen, Verse three of our text. This is according to the message

Bible says. It's important that and I like

how it's. Stated this, it's.

Important that you not misinterpret.

Yourself. The only.

Accurate way to understand that ourselves as by what God is and

by what he has done for us. Again, that really goes back to

my. Creator Redeemer thing.

But skewed skewed self worth there in verse #3 of.

Romans 12 really takes 2. Forms we typically only.

Look at it in One Direction right?

Low self worth. But you can also.

Have a high self worth which is just a skewed.

We're not talking. About this in our series, but

whenever people think of themselves.

More than they ought. That's a self worth issue just

as much as thinking of yourselves below what you ought.

Paul's advice is think soberly or moderately, or have a.

Balanced thinking according to what?

God. Has dealt us here.

Here is the advice of Scripture 2nd Corinthians 10 and.

Five. And I know.

Part of this dealt with. Philosophies and and worldly

reasonings, but also. Just look at it.

It says casting down imaginations and every high

thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God and

bringing. This is where the the dirt gets

underneath the fingernails. It's worth.

Bringing into captivity every, every, every thought to the

obedience of Christ. So we got imaginations.

Are reasonings all right? Reasonings it's.

Opinions. It's.

Defined as opinions. So we got to we got to cast down

reasonings and opinions, right? We, we, we our ebb and flow.

Our high tide and low tide goes off.

What other people think about us, you got to.

Cast down. Cast down the opinions to have.

Have some balance, sober thoughts if you will.

High things, all right. The other end of the self worth

spectrum exalted opinions of yourself.

Those got to be those got to be those got to be brought down.

Proud thoughts have to be dealt with.

But also he says then every thought in general, every

thought it's got to be brought into captivity.

And again, Paul, it's for sure, no doubt knew the concept, the

military, he suffered at the hands of several of them at

different times. And so he uses military

terminology. Amen.

And so whenever he says a thought, bring in every thought.

He's referring more specifically as the meaning is not just

thought, but the, the mind, the, the mind structure, the, the

mind palace, if you want to call it whatever you want to call it.

He says you got to bring that thing because you know what he

says the mind and the thoughts many times are unruly.

They run on their own. If they're not captivated, they,

they just go here and there if they're not captive.

And so he begins to talk about high thoughts and he begins to

talk about low, you know, negativity thoughts.

He's classifying all of these things.

These are fugitive thoughts that need to be brought into

captivity. In other words, these things are

out of step when it comes to being in obedience.

Amen to Christ. Now that this is true, this is

true. Listen, God's not interjecting.

Those things into our minds and hearts if you have been sold.

A bill of goods today that that thought that you had.

That's negative. Came from God.

You've been deceived. We read the verse over and over

for for graduations and everything Jeremiah 2911 and

it's whenever the the this is being spoken to the children of

Israel, the nation of Israel. This you want to know what God's

thoughts are. This tells us what they are for

I know the thoughts that I think towards you say at the Lord

thoughts of what and not of to give you unexpected which the

word expected basically means hopeful end.

Nobody loves me. Is that a is that a peaceful

thought or is that an evil thought?

Is that a hopeful thought I'm ugly.

Is that a peaceful thought? Is that a good thought?

Is that a hopeful thought Amen. So Paul's telling us often that

our thoughts. Take the path as Paul.

Said there in in in Second Corinthians chapter 10, our

2 Corinthians 10 · chapter mention

thoughts take the path of against someone, say against the

knowledge of God. What are you saying?

There are thoughts that we. Think that God knows

differently. About.

Someone hear me? God knows you're not ugly.

God knows you are not obnoxious. God knows you are not stupid.

God knows that you are not hated.

God knows, Fill in the blank. Other thoughts that stray from

what God knows are against the knowledge, Amen, against the

knowledge of God, Kristen Butler said.

This said, don't forget, I want to encourage someone tonight.

Don't. Forget While you're busy

doubting yourself, someone else is admiring your strength.

Folks, whenever you're thinking XYZ and everything negative

about. Yourself.

There's somebody else that's looking up to you and they're

just like blown away by you. They may never have articulated

that or said that. To you, but in the privacy of

their own life. They're thinking man if I could

just be as Romans 12/3 Passion translation says it like this

that same verse in our text Romans 12/3 Instead honestly

assess your worth by using your God-given faith as the standard

of measurement and then you will see your true value with an

appropriate self esteem. So every thought that we have.

Matters. Matters a lot again.

Turn it out with me here for a moment.

Scientifically speaking, every thought we think changes our

brain. Every thought changes our

brains. Inside your brain again, Just

all along inside your. Brain are about 86 billion nerve

cells called neurons. If you're keeping count, that

represents roughly 0 point. 2% of your body's 37 trillion

cells. Inside.

Each of those 86. Billion or so neurons are things

called microtubules, each of which is thousands of times

smaller in diameter than one strand of your.

Hair that's small. In other words, it's too.

Small to see. But their lack of visibility to

the human eye doesn't make them any less important to the human

experience. They mean everything.

And how we process life. Microtubules have been called

the brains. Of the cells.

Inside your neurons are those microtubules that are constantly

building, reconstructing, reforming, coming apart,

adjusting, shifting, stopping, starting again, all in

accordance with guess. What every thought you think?

With each thought, you think those microtubules work hard.

To provide what they call. Mental scaffolding to support.

That thought. That that scaffolding gives

structure to the entire nerve cell and to the true and since

then it alters your brain, you know how long it.

Takes a microtubule to finish the scaffolding that gives

structure to a cell after a thought has happened from

creation to completion. How long do you think of it?

Yeah, they say it takes 10 minutes from the time you think

a thought to that thought. Having a physiological,

scientific, indisputable. Change in your brain. 10 minutes

have elapsed. In that time all those neurons

are going and these microtubule and these circuits are going.

Causing some to die off. Some to come alive, some to be

awakened, some to drift off. But it's in.

It's built this entire micro microtubular city in some part

of your brain. Because of a thought.

And so if you've made a habit of thinking negative thoughts, some

of us might have empires, but here's the hope.

You're just 10 minutes away from a fresh start, really with the

thought. But but there being the

physiological change, you're just 10 minutes away from a

fresh start. Here's the fact.

This works whether the thoughts negative or whether it's

positive, whether it's truth or whether it's error. 10 minutes

away from brain change. And I give hope to you tonight,

huh? And.

God, I need a renewal vine. Yes please.

Scientists have found that. Brains of people who spend

untold hours in prayer, meditation are different brains

than other people. Oh yeah, your brains different.

The true transformation. You can stand with me.

I see what the time is. The true transformation comes

when we allow God to renew our minds, right?

There's a shift in our thinking. Negative patterns.

Been quoted that and I've already alluded to this

somewhat, but nothing actually changes even when things change

all around you, unless things also change within you.

Say that again, nothing actually changes, even when things change

around you, all around you, unless things also change

within. You so we could.

What that means is we can reshape our environment, we we

can chase all the. The the the worldly.

Modes that are out there we can modify our behavior we can do

all of that but we remain the same at the core unless there's

a change on the inside So what I'm challenges tonight is the

people in the self worth series talking about negative self talk

here tonight nude minds and realized self worth got to be

intentional we got to take. Cap.

Got to take cap of every thought, got to be intentional

about renewing our mind. We got to focus on.

What? Is true not what we think is

true, but what is true, what is noble, what is pure, what is

praiseworthy. Because again, God desires that

you present your. Bodies, all of you are just the

parts. That you feel are worthy.

That all of you, when we give Him everything, promise that

He'll renew us from the inside out, empowers to live with will

and with a purpose. But we need God.

We need God to touch our minds. I'm asking tonight as we close

this evening, if you'll just take one hand and just lay it on

your heart. Take the other hand and lay it

on your head and say, God, God, help me to take captive every

thought. God, I present to you me the

unvarnished me. I present to you the unvarnished

me tonight, God. God, I've struggled with not

being enough. I've struggled, Lord, with

thinking, Lord that that nobody really cares about me and I'll

never find love. I struggle, God, I struggle.

God with how I believe I appear to other people or what people

may be saying. Whenever I walk into a room.

Without a struggle, I present. To you, the unvarnished me

tonight. But God, I want to take.

Captive these thoughts this evening.

God, for a man I know as a man, think of.

Lord, so is he God. I want to take captive.

Lord Jesus, I don't want to. Produce a rut in my brain that

just. Defaults Lord to the.

Negativity all the time, but God, Lord, those things that are

praiseworthy, God, those things that are not against your

knowledge. You know God that I am loved,

but I need. To know it, Lord.

You know, God, that I'm beautiful, but God, I need to

know it. Lord God, let there be a

restructuring tonight. God, I pray in the Holy Ghost

tonight that there would be a shift, God, a shift at the

cellular level. Father, today, God in the brain,

God over the thought processes of people's minds.

God that's always Lord attempted to touch the exteriors.

God, with the interior remaining the same and them still feeling

as they feel, I'm praying. God, go to the inside tonight.

Father, help us. God, go to the inside tonight.

Father, help us, God. Lord, to be honest, friendly,

honest with you, you, and it's OK to be brutally honest with

God. Here I am.

Lord, I need a renewed mind. I can't even judge the quality

of good and acceptable and perfect without a renewed mind.

God, I'm haphazardly living in this life.

I'm accepting lies. I'm redefining truths, Lord,

that are lies. Help me God, someone talk to the

Lord right now. We have the Creator that made us

in his hand, that we have a Savior that died for us in our

condition. He loves us, He speaks the truth

of our lives. God, I want you to accept.

Your truth in my. Heart and mind right now.

Hallelujah. Can we talk?