Guarding Our Minds: Living in God's Truth
Devotional
Sermon Summary
Bible Study Guide
Sermon Clips
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "The mind is a spiritual battlefield. A defended wrong belief or opinion is a stronghold. So we get these opinions. We get these beliefs in our life. And they're wrong. Well, they become a stronghold in us. And they could be. It could be a religious belief. Just a cultural belief. Something. Something. Your family did. You know, it's passed down from one generation to the next. And it becomes a stronghold in our life. And we said this. Thoughts lead to an opinion. An opinion leads to a belief. A belief leads to an action. Action leads to character. And character leads to a destiny." [32:21]
2. "You know, you got to figure out if it's fool's gold or real gold. You got to figure out if it is something that's valuable or it's just not valuable. You don't want to give your whole life, you know, for things that don't matter. I've told this story before that there was this up and coming couple. And they become friends with this lady that was very wealthy. And so they were, you know, trying to fit in in the community. You know, they were starting a business. And wanted to fit in the neighborhood. An upper class neighborhood. And so they were visiting with this lady. And this lady offered, she had a famous diamond necklace that she offered to them for her to wear. And so she, they took it. But something happened as they went through like the season of entertaining. They lost that diamond necklace. They don't know if it was stolen or whatever. But they lost it. They didn't have the guts to tell her. So they had the thing reproduced. You know, they saved a whole bunch of money. And they went through some time. Tried to have it cut just like it. And returned it to her. And then lived out their life. They got older. This lady was dying. And it was just killing them that this wasn't the true famous diamond. So their conscience was bothering them. So they decided to go to her and tell her that this is, you know, had a name for it. Told her this isn't the real diamond. And she looked at them and said, you fool. Don't you know that nobody ever lets somebody borrow the real diamond? That was fake. And, you know, you go through your whole life living it for something that's not valuable. It doesn't matter. It's fool's gold. Don't go through your life thinking that this matters. This stronghold, this thing in your life matters so much. And it may have come from a hurt. Learn the ways of God." [49:54]
3. "So why does strongholds matter? Because they get in your life. And they're going to control the outcome of your life and your destiny. And we said, if you want to get free of strongholds, you have to recognize. It's spiritual and fight the spiritual battle. You can't fight it in the flesh. You just can't do it. It has to be a spiritual thing. Number two, you have to take your thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ, because your thoughts become these opinions and they get deep in your life. So you have to get free of those strongholds. Now, I want to kind of concentrate on this. Take your thoughts captive. Why? You think. Think what you think. And I've entitled this morning's talk, Who Told You That? What voice is in your head and how did it get there and who told you that?" [33:25]
4. "You know, that's theology. You don't have to be a theologian where you're reading all these commentaries. And going through this deep study to really know the nature of God. Just walk with him. Study his word. Let his spirit guide you. You'll discover the nature. And the ways of God. Now there's nothing wrong with going and studying theology at Bible college. And becoming a theologian. And those things. That's cool. If you're a deep thinker. Think deep. But you don't have to be a deep thinker to learn the ways and the principles of God." [49:00]
### Quotes for Members
1. "The Word of God reveals to you, and I know nothing else like this, your innermost thoughts and desires. Who you really are. Of course the Word of God, through the Spirit of God, reveals to us who God is. But the Word of God also reveals to us, through the Spirit of God, who we are. Our innermost thoughts. The things about us. And it allows you to say, is that the voice of God? Or is that my voice? Who told you that? Who's speaking to you? Is it God? Or is it me? Yourself? Who is it? Who is it that's telling you that?" [53:01]
2. "Learn to live in God's reality. Figure out who God is and live in that reality. Don't live in your reality. Some of us are miserable from living in our own reality. We have made the agenda for our life. We have put up the parameters for our life. The boundaries for our life. And we live within that reality. But what if there's a whole other reality called the abundant life. The reality of God. Figure out the nature of God and live in His reality." [56:24]
3. "This is the only way we'll know we're living truly. Living in God's reality. Living in his world. It's also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism. Even when there's something to it. That was one of my favorite parts. Because we have all this guilt. That's what the voice is coming from. Condemnation. Self-criticism. We get all this condemnation. All this self-criticism. And the problem is there's some truth to it. There's something to it. Because Satan loves to use what's bothering you. And there's something to it. So it's a way to shut down this debilitating self-criticism. For God is greater than our worried hearts. And knows more about us than we do." [58:20]
4. "When we go through the trials and the tribulations and the difficulty of life. When it is the ways of God, it will survive the trial, survive over time. It will become even brighter and even more pure. But when we go through that trial. And it completely eats away at the fabric of it. Maybe your marriage is not built on God's principles. Maybe your home hasn't been. Or your business hasn't been. Or that thing in your life. Because when it's built upon God and his principles, it survives time." [47:19]
5. "Who's telling you that? Have you eaten from the tree that I've commanded you not to eat from? And of course, he had. And, you know, who told you that? I want you to all ask yourself, who's telling you that? For years, I've been kind of using that question when people have come to me and said, you know, one of the big ones now is with this new generation, people, even my age, I don't have to go to church to serve God. Well, who told you that? I mean, is that just something you wanted so you don't have to go to church? I mean, what is it that told you that? Because God, like, built a building when they were in the wilderness to go to. Evidently, it was important to him because he said, don't forsake it. And it's just kind of God's, you know, pattern. So who's telling you that?" [36:45]
Ask a question about this sermon
1. "The mind is a spiritual battlefield. A defended wrong belief or opinion is a stronghold. So we get these opinions. We get these beliefs in our life. And they're wrong. Well, they become a stronghold in us. And they could be. It could be a religious belief. Just a cultural belief. Something. Something. Your family did. You know, it's passed down from one generation to the next. And it becomes a stronghold in our life. And we said this. Thoughts lead to an opinion. An opinion leads to a belief. A belief leads to an action. Action leads to character. And character leads to a destiny." [32:21]
2. "You know, you got to figure out if it's fool's gold or real gold. You got to figure out if it is something that's valuable or it's just not valuable. You don't want to give your whole life, you know, for things that don't matter. I've told this story before that there was this up and coming couple. And they become friends with this lady that was very wealthy. And so they were, you know, trying to fit in in the community. You know, they were starting a business. And wanted to fit in the neighborhood. An upper class neighborhood. And so they were visiting with this lady. And this lady offered, she had a famous diamond necklace that she offered to them for her to wear. And so she, they took it. But something happened as they went through like the season of entertaining. They lost that diamond necklace. They don't know if it was stolen or whatever. But they lost it. They didn't have the guts to tell her. So they had the thing reproduced. You know, they saved a whole bunch of money. And they went through some time. Tried to have it cut just like it. And returned it to her. And then lived out their life. They got older. This lady was dying. And it was just killing them that this wasn't the true famous diamond. So their conscience was bothering them. So they decided to go to her and tell her that this is, you know, had a name for it. Told her this isn't the real diamond. And she looked at them and said, you fool. Don't you know that nobody ever lets somebody borrow the real diamond? That was fake. And, you know, you go through your whole life living it for something that's not valuable. It doesn't matter. It's fool's gold. Don't go through your life thinking that this matters. This stronghold, this thing in your life matters so much. And it may have come from a hurt. Learn the ways of God." [49:54]
3. "So why does strongholds matter? Because they get in your life. And they're going to control the outcome of your life and your destiny. And we said, if you want to get free of strongholds, you have to recognize. It's spiritual and fight the spiritual battle. You can't fight it in the flesh. You just can't do it. It has to be a spiritual thing. Number two, you have to take your thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ, because your thoughts become these opinions and they get deep in your life. So you have to get free of those strongholds. Now, I want to kind of concentrate on this. Take your thoughts captive. Why? You think. Think what you think. And I've entitled this morning's talk, Who Told You That? What voice is in your head and how did it get there and who told you that?" [33:25]
4. "You know, that's theology. You don't have to be a theologian where you're reading all these commentaries. And going through this deep study to really know the nature of God. Just walk with him. Study his word. Let his spirit guide you. You'll discover the nature. And the ways of God. Now there's nothing wrong with going and studying theology at Bible college. And becoming a theologian. And those things. That's cool. If you're a deep thinker. Think deep. But you don't have to be a deep thinker to learn the ways and the principles of God." [49:00]
### Quotes for Members
1. "The Word of God reveals to you, and I know nothing else like this, your innermost thoughts and desires. Who you really are. Of course the Word of God, through the Spirit of God, reveals to us who God is. But the Word of God also reveals to us, through the Spirit of God, who we are. Our innermost thoughts. The things about us. And it allows you to say, is that the voice of God? Or is that my voice? Who told you that? Who's speaking to you? Is it God? Or is it me? Yourself? Who is it? Who is it that's telling you that?" [53:01]
2. "Learn to live in God's reality. Figure out who God is and live in that reality. Don't live in your reality. Some of us are miserable from living in our own reality. We have made the agenda for our life. We have put up the parameters for our life. The boundaries for our life. And we live within that reality. But what if there's a whole other reality called the abundant life. The reality of God. Figure out the nature of God and live in His reality." [56:24]
3. "This is the only way we'll know we're living truly. Living in God's reality. Living in his world. It's also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism. Even when there's something to it. That was one of my favorite parts. Because we have all this guilt. That's what the voice is coming from. Condemnation. Self-criticism. We get all this condemnation. All this self-criticism. And the problem is there's some truth to it. There's something to it. Because Satan loves to use what's bothering you. And there's something to it. So it's a way to shut down this debilitating self-criticism. For God is greater than our worried hearts. And knows more about us than we do." [58:20]
4. "When we go through the trials and the tribulations and the difficulty of life. When it is the ways of God, it will survive the trial, survive over time. It will become even brighter and even more pure. But when we go through that trial. And it completely eats away at the fabric of it. Maybe your marriage is not built on God's principles. Maybe your home hasn't been. Or your business hasn't been. Or that thing in your life. Because when it's built upon God and his principles, it survives time." [47:19]
5. "Who's telling you that? Have you eaten from the tree that I've commanded you not to eat from? And of course, he had. And, you know, who told you that? I want you to all ask yourself, who's telling you that? For years, I've been kind of using that question when people have come to me and said, you know, one of the big ones now is with this new generation, people, even my age, I don't have to go to church to serve God. Well, who told you that? I mean, is that just something you wanted so you don't have to go to church? I mean, what is it that told you that? Because God, like, built a building when they were in the wilderness to go to. Evidently, it was important to him because he said, don't forsake it. And it's just kind of God's, you know, pattern. So who's telling you that?" [36:45]
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