Transforming Thoughts: Aligning Mindset with God's Peace

1) "What you consider in your heart becomes more likely that you will... that you will commit with your hands. Jesus said it this way. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart. And the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart, his mouth speaks. What he means, of course, is that we are the thoughts that we entertain in our hearts. As we think, so we are, if you will." [01:20] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2) "Because the mind is a battleground where thoughts and ideas compete for dominance. Now, that's not a secret, is it? We're all fairly well aware of that, I would think. In fact, modern American culture is a testament to it. We're constantly bombarded with slogans, advertisements, social media posts, information, misinformation. Disinformation. That are all trying to get us to think a certain way. They want us to think we need a new product that has just come on the market. Or that we have to elect a certain candidate to save the country. Or that we'll be the envy of our friends if we'll just buy the newest smartphone." [04:07] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3) "So it's easy to see how the things our minds dwell upon affect us, how they impact us, how they shape us. What we think about does shape us. Our thoughts turn into actions. And so consequently, the Bible gives us guidance on the kinds of things we ought to think about. And notice the list that Paul gives us. The things we should think about. think about. Things such as truth, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy, he says. Think on these things." [10:34] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4) "Truth and beauty are where you find them. But at all times, he says, the gospel is the ultimate paradigm for what is true, noble, or admirable. Or he says, perhaps you've not noticed that many truly great movies find their greatness because they tell our, worst story, probably without even knowing it, the story of redemption through self-sacrifice. And it's true. So whatever things are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, whatever things fit those categories, think on those things, Paul would say." [12:22] (41 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5) "If you're trying to find something to complain about, you will. You can find negative things about your church, your pastor, certainly. You can find negative things to criticize about your city, about your government, about your job, about your family, you name it. The list goes on and on. But the opposite is also true. You can find positive things about all of those as well. If that's what you're spring-loaded to do, if that's your mindset, you can see the good rather than the bad. There is something praiseworthy in almost everything." [15:40] (44 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


6) "When you think right, act right. There is a saying, it's not explicitly Christian, but it's true nonetheless. And so we would have Paul's blessing to think about it. But it says, attitude determines altitude. You've no doubt heard that. It's a pithy saying, but it's absolutely true. What it means is that you rise to the higher in life if your attitude is positive. If your attitude is right, then if it is negative and critical, you will do better in life if your attitude is positive, if your outlook is positive." [17:41] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


7) "So which windows are you looking out of as you pass through this life? Those that open on to things that are true and noble and right and pure and lovely and admirable and excellent and praiseworthy, or those that are deceptive, ignoble, wrong, impure, ugly, contemptible, shoddy. And blameworthy. The choice is yours. It's within your power to determine that." [20:55] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


8) "The gospel of Jesus is transformative. It makes all things new. The Bible says. It renews your mind. If you will entrust your life to Christ, He can transform the way you think about yourself, about others, about the world, about everything. You'll see all of it in a new light. He can turn darkness into light, guilt into forgiveness, sin into righteousness, sorrow into joy, death into life. Let Christ change the way you think. And if you will, it will change also the way you live. Think right, act right." [22:39] (49 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)