Transforming Minds: Embracing God's Truth for Renewal

### Bible Reading
1. **Romans 12:1-2**: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
2. **Philippians 4:4-8**: "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

### Observation Questions
1. What does Romans 12:1-2 say about how we should present our bodies to God? How is this related to worship? [46:43]
2. According to Philippians 4:6, what should we do instead of being anxious? [01:04:48]
3. What are the qualities listed in Philippians 4:8 that we should focus our thoughts on? [01:05:27]
4. How does the speaker describe the process of transformation in Romans 12:2? What analogy is used? [49:13]

### Interpretation Questions
1. Why does Paul urge believers to offer their bodies as living sacrifices in Romans 12:1? How does this relate to the concept of worship? [46:43]
2. In Philippians 4:6-7, how does prayer, petition, and thanksgiving contribute to experiencing God's peace? What does this peace do for our hearts and minds? [01:04:48]
3. How does focusing on the qualities listed in Philippians 4:8 help in the renewal of our minds? What impact might this have on our daily lives? [01:05:27]
4. The speaker mentions that transformation is like a metamorphosis. How does this analogy help us understand the process of renewing our minds? [49:13]

### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your daily routine. Are there specific patterns or habits that conform to the world's standards rather than God's? How can you begin to change these habits to align more with Romans 12:2? [47:54]
2. Think about a recent situation where you felt anxious. How could you have applied Philippians 4:6-7 to that situation? What steps can you take to incorporate prayer, petition, and thanksgiving into your response to anxiety? [01:04:48]
3. Identify one lie you have believed about yourself or your situation. What truth from God's word can you replace it with, as suggested in Philippians 4:8? How will you remind yourself of this truth daily? [01:02:09]
4. The speaker suggests starting a gratitude journal. What are three things you are grateful for today? How can maintaining a gratitude journal help you focus on the positive aspects of life and combat negative thoughts? [01:15:05]
5. The sermon discusses the importance of offering our bodies as living sacrifices. What practical steps can you take this week to honor God with your body, whether through health, service, or another area? [46:43]
6. How can you intentionally seek out and meditate on the qualities listed in Philippians 4:8 in your daily life? What changes might you need to make in your media consumption, conversations, or thought patterns? [01:05:27]
7. The speaker mentioned the issue of entitlement in society. Reflect on your own life—are there areas where you feel entitled? How can you shift your mindset to one of gratitude and humility? [01:01:00]

Day 1: Embracing Mind Renewal
Mind renewal is the key to unlocking a life of passion and purpose, breaking free from the complacency that often ensnares us. It requires a deliberate focus on the truths of God's word, which can transform our lives and align us with our divine calling. This transformation is an active process, demanding our engagement and reflection on the Scriptures. [46:03]

Ephesians 4:22-24 - "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."
Reflection: What is one lie you've believed about yourself that God's truth can counteract today?

Day 2: Living Sacrifice as Worship
Offering our bodies as living sacrifices is an act of worship that signifies a wholehearted dedication to God. It is a conscious choice to reject the world's patterns and embrace a life shaped by the transformative power of a renewed mind. This dedication is not just spiritual but also physical, encompassing every aspect of our being. [47:54]

1 Peter 2:5 - "You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."
Reflection: How can you offer your body as a living sacrifice in your daily activities?

Day 3: Countering Anxiety with Peace
Anxiety, a prevalent issue in today's society, can be countered by the peace of Jesus. This peace, which brings wholeness and maturity, allows us to focus on the positive and guard our hearts and minds. Choosing to rejoice and give thanks in all circumstances is key to experiencing this peace. [01:08:40]

Colossians 3:15 - "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful."
Reflection: What is one situation where you can choose to replace anxiety with thanksgiving today?

Day 4: Discerning God's Will Through Renewal
Understanding God's will for our lives is deeply connected to the renewal of our minds. As we immerse ourselves in God's word and reflect on His mercy and salvation, we can discern His good, pleasing, and perfect will. This understanding involves a heart transformation that changes us profoundly. [54:14]

Psalm 143:10 - "Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground."
Reflection: What is one decision you're facing where you need to seek God's will through prayer and Scripture?

Day 5: Salvation and Continuous Renewal
Salvation is a secure status for those who have given their hearts to the Lord, and it is not contingent on our perfection. While our spirits are redeemed at salvation, our souls require ongoing renewal through God's word. This journey of mind renewal and spiritual growth is crucial for believers. [57:24]

Philippians 1:6 - "Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
Reflection: How does understanding the security of your salvation change the way you approach spiritual growth?

Praise! Come on and lift your holy praise. He's worthy of all our praise. Yes, he's worthy of all our praise. Wow, don't you love that song? Give the Lord a hand clap. Amen! He's worthy of all our praise.

Well, you may be seated for just a moment. So glad to see you. Thank you, team. It's good to have Smitty back with us. He's been out on the road; he's won a bunch of awards for the band that he plays with in so many different places. Some of the songs he's written, and we're honored to have him on the team. That's so good!

Hey, listen, December 3rd is going to be a fun night. We do our annual Jingle Jam. We've expanded it this year with more photo ops. We're going to bring out free food—sliders and hot dogs—and a lot of fun. We're going to have the ice slide and the bounce house and all those things. So if you want to use the QR code, scan that because there's someone that's going to win a $250 Christmas gift that will be able to enjoy a Christmas night out. So go ahead and do that right now and scan that.

And then also, if you would take time to go to our Father's House website, scroll down through the version plans. We've got another new one that's starting tomorrow, and it's talking about mind control. Anita and I did the first one today; it was so awesome, and I think you're going to really, really enjoy that.

Well, if you have your Bible with you, your iPad, your iPhone, whatever you use, let's lift it up and let's make our confession.

This is my Bible. It is the word of God. It is life to me today. I receive the word. I confess my mind is alert, my heart is receptive, I am obedient. I will never be the same again. In Jesus' name, amen.

Father, we approach your word with humility, that you would even grace us to be born in a nation in which we have the word at our fingertips. There are people around the world that only have one page or a few words, but Lord, you've blessed us with more Bibles probably than we'll ever use, and we just thank you for that.

But Lord, as we come to your word right now, Holy Spirit, I pray that you would anoint me. I can do nothing without you. Help me to say exactly what you want me to say. Don't let me say something I shouldn't say. And Lord, anoint our ears to understand that we can grab what you want us to grab today from your word. Thank you, Lord. Thank you.

And we pray at the end of the service today that you will be glorified, Father, that the saints will be edified, and the enemy will be terrified. In the name of Jesus, amen.

Well, we're in this series, "What Was I Thinking?" and today's the third day. I read the story about a man who went to a fortune teller, and the fortune teller said, "You will be poor and miserable until you're 50." The man asked her, "Well, what will happen then?" She said, "Oh, by then you'll get used to it."

I wonder how many things in our life that we've just gotten used to. Just used to being stuck where I am, used to thinking that I'm never going to get better no matter what I do. I'm just surviving; I'm just hanging in there. So that's why we're doing this series. In fact, the first week we gave you a synopsis of what this series is all about, and here it is: your thinking determines your future. The place where you're headed, whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right.

This series is going to give you tools to help change by renewing your mind through the power of God's word. Read the last sentence with me: so you can live a passionate, purpose-filled life and fulfilled destiny.

Let me make a quick review. Week one, we talked about making the decision to change your mind. Nobody can make that decision for you. God won't do that for you; you have to make a decision. You are where you are because of what you have believed up till now. The decisions that you have made have formed who you are. You can't blame anyone else.

And our memory verse was this: I think you've memorized it, but let's just do a review. "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will."

The second week, Pastor Kevin was here, and he talked about finding the missing pieces. He said we need to learn to journal because we can journal our life. We need to declutter the mind, and we need to think beyond our comfort zone. He gave us another memory verse. Let's recite it: "People who live following their sinful selves think only about what they want, but those who live following the Spirit are thinking about what the Spirit wants them to do." Awesome! You guys are great.

And we said in the very first week our series is going to circle around Romans 12:1 and 2. They're in your notes, and I'd like you to follow along with me. I just kind of want to pick it apart a little bit so we can get a better understanding of what we're talking about when we say renewing our mind.

In chapter 12, Paul says, "Therefore." Now, anytime you see the word "therefore," that's referring back to what they've already said, and I'll talk about this more in just a minute. So for 11 chapters, Paul has given some of the most detailed theology of any of the epistles. And then when he comes to chapter 12, he says, "Therefore, because of all of this, because of the mercies of God, because of all of this, then he says, if you understand that, then I urge you."

The Greek word is "parakalo," which denotes a sense of urgency. Paul is like a coach, and he's saying, "I want to challenge you, and I want to encourage you. I don't want you to just lay back, but I want you to press into this."

"I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy." In other words, in view of chapters 1-11 and all that God has done, I want you to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice. We don't often think about how important our bodies are, but our bodies are the temple of the Lord.

So when we look in the front of the mirror and we say, as somebody said recently, "I look in the front of the mirror and I'm afraid I almost see a decaying me just come apart because I'm so old," but that's not going to happen to you. But anyway, we stand there, and so he wants our bodies. He wants us to offer him the very best that we have.

So offer your bodies as a living sacrifice. They should be holy and pleasing to God. This is your proper worship.

Then verse 2: "Do not conform." Do you see that word "conform"? Underline that, highlight that. "Do not conform to the pattern of this world." The word here "conform" literally means don't be molded or stamped according to the pattern of the world. In other words, I'm not looking to the world; I'm not looking to the enemy; I'm not looking to the culture I live in to decide who I want to be. I don't want to be molded; I don't want to be stamped like that, but I want it to be after the Lord.

In fact, the verb here "don't conform" is passive. That means if you don't intentionally and actively work at being not conformed to this world, it'll just happen. People say, "Well, you know, I'm just getting along. I'm doing okay." So does that mean that you're not pursuing God's word in your mind? So if you're not, Paul says, "Don't worry; you're going to be stamped. You're going to be conformed. You're going to think like the world; you're going to act like the world, and you're going to struggle as the world struggles."

The Phillips translation says it like this: "Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its mold." Look at your neighbor and say, "Don't be squeezed into the world's mold. You've got a better mold to be."

He says, "But be transformed." That's another great word you want to underline because I'm going to come back to that. "Be transformed." How? By the renewing of your mind. That doesn't mean just your intellect, but what he's talking about there is the inner part of you—your soul, your heart, everything that's in you.

Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. The Greek word here for "transform" is the word "metamorphoo," and we get our English word "metamorphosis" from this. In other words, be transformed by the renewing of your mind. You're going to be going through a metamorphosis, like a tadpole before he becomes a frog, right? A caterpillar before she becomes a butterfly.

In that process, in other words, it's a change that happens from the inside to the outside, and it also describes distinct phases that you go through. In other words, the little tadpole doesn't wake up one day, and the next day he's a frog, but he goes through distinct phases. Check out your study; go on YouTube. I'm sure somebody's already planned that out.

And it's the same thing with the caterpillar. The caterpillar doesn't immediately come out as a butterfly, but it's in stages—distinct stages. I wonder if we've started out serving God, but we've settled where we used to be, and we're not continuing to go through distinct phases.

I'll soon be 74. I've been a Christian since I was about eight, and I'm telling you right now, he's still working on me. You know that song? Three of you do. Three of us do. It's an old song. We need to bring back flannel graph and real songs. All right, no, not really. But I'll be almost 74, and I can tell you that he's still working on me. Just about the time I think, "Okay, I've got it all together. I'm doing good," something will happen, and I'll say, "Where did that attitude come from? Where did those words come from?"

But what he does is he allows some of those things to come up out of us so that he can remind us, "You still need some transformation." How many, besides me this morning, would say, "I still need some transformation?" Thank you! I'm in the right church today.

He says then, "If you'll do that, if you'll be transformed by the renewing of your mind," it's not something you're going to do better, you're going to do better, you're going to do better. He says, "No, it's going to be something that begins happening on the inside of you, and then all of a sudden, it's there."

I mean, that's happened to you, right? You read a verse, you say a prayer, you do something, and then the old you would have responded in a certain way. Like somebody, you know, smirked at you. The old you would have given them a throat punch right there; they'd be out, right?

But isn't it amazing when something like that happens, and you think, "Well, the old me would have given a throat punch," but you just sort of ignore it and walk away? Why? Because he's still working on it, and it's from the inside out. It wasn't like that day you woke up and said, "I will not throat punch anybody. I will not do that."

But it's at that time when he comes up and lets us know he's still working on us. He says, "If you do that, then you're going to be able to test and approve what God's will is."

I run across people all the time who say, "I just wish I knew what God's will was for my life. If only I knew what God's will is for my life." And Paul says right here, "If you want to know what God's will is, go back to this. You need to be transformed by the renewing of your mind and put God's word into you, and then you'll know what his will is."

And notice his will is good. The will of God is good, doesn't it? Romans 8:28 calls everything to work for good to those who love and are called by his name. His will is pleasing; it pleases God, it satisfies us, and then it's perfect. That word "perfect" there means mature, grown-up.

You'll know his will. Paul says, "In view of the mercies of God." Now, what is he saying? He's saying, "Look, go back and read chapters 1 through 11 and look at all the things you see about God's mercy to us."

For instance, Romans 3:23: "We've all come short of the glory of God," but he doesn't leave us there; he leaves us a way out. Romans 5:1: "We're justified by faith." The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus. Chapter 6, verse 23: "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ." Chapter 8, verse 1: "There is nothing that will separate us from the love of Jesus Christ."

Chapter 8:38 and 39, and you know 8:28: "God causes all things to work together for good." So here's what Paul says: because of the mercies of God, because of his saving you, he's invited you into his life, because eternal life is something that you can't make happen yourself, because he works all things together for good to those who love him, because of all the things that happen in chapters 1 through 11, he says, "Now therefore, here's what we want to do."

Because of the mercies of God, you're able to do this. I said that in metamorphosis, there are distinct steps in the process. I wish I could remember my biology class or my zoology class or whatever it was years ago when they talked about the different stages. Maybe that was English; I don't know. But anyway, somewhere you talk about the different stages. I wish I could just intellectually give that to you, but you're smart enough to know that.

But in our life, we also go through a process. We are spirit, we are soul, and we're body. Your spirit is a spirit man. When God breathed the breath of life into Adam, he breathed his spirit life into him. So when we come to the place that we surrender our life to Jesus and we say, "Lord, I trust you," then my spirit man is redeemed. I am saved. You can't get more saved.

People say, "Well, you know, I just—I got to keep working on getting saved." No, you believe on the Lord with all your heart, with all your mind. You believe that he is Lord, confess that with your mouth, then you are saved. You can't get more saved.

Well, I want to please God. Sure, we want to please God, but you can't get more saved. You see, I want you to grasp that if you've really given your heart to the Lord, you are saved, and that means tomorrow you're not unsaved, right?

See, some of us went to churches where every week you get resaved. You'd never know if you're saved or you're lost. I mean, when you get saved, you know you're saved. Now, we make mistakes; we may make failures. That's why Jesus said to pray, "Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us."

But I want you to understand if you're always wondering, "Am I saved or am I not saved?" you're going to spend all of your life in worry and never grasp the fact that I have the peace of God in my heart and in my life.

Now, don't send me an email. I know that a person can intentionally walk away from God, but I'm telling you it's not any of you because if a person intentionally walks away from God, they could care less. They have no feelings or no thoughts about ever being right with God. So I know that's not you, so just relax. You're okay. If you've given your heart to the Lord, just say out loud, "My spirit man is redeemed."

My spirit man is redeemed.

But now my soul—my mind, my will, my emotions, and my thinking—we're not saved, right? That's why when you give your heart to the Lord, then sometimes afterwards you might find yourself saying some of the things you said before and say, "Why did I say that?" That's not—it’s because it's ingrained in here and ingrained in here.

That means that when something happens to you, you automatically react in a way. Why? You say, "Why did I act like that? Why did I say that? Why did I do that? Why did I almost throat punch that guy?" Because you had this in your mind for so long.

But listen, if you're not putting anything different in here, why do you think you'll ever get anything different out here? If you don't put the scriptures into you, how's that going to change, right?

So my soul is being saved. That's why Paul said, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." He's not saying your salvation of your spirit man; you work it out. No, he's saying in your soul, you need to work out your own salvation. Get your soul more redeemed than it's ever been. Your soul is being saved as you renew your mind to the word of God.

And then, of course, your body one day will be saved. Yes, your body will be resurrected; it'll be put back together. If you've been cremated, God can find all the particles and put it all together. He remembers how you were in the first place.

All right, I was just thinking the other day, my friend Jeff, one of our fellow board members, he said, "You know, when I die, you cremate me, put part of my ashes in the beach because I love the beach." So we did that, and then a wave caught me and about got me all wet. I thought, "Jeff is just laughing in heaven about that one."

And then part of him is released in the mountains riding a motorcycle, and then Trish has got somebody still on the mantle. And I think, "Well, it will be exciting on the day that his body will be resurrected." The Lord knows where every particle is; the Lord knows where everything is, and he's able to redeem.

I'm so excited! One day this body will no longer have afflictions. One day this body will no longer have pains and aches, but it'll be exactly the way God created it to be—without pain, without difficulty, without worry. That's worth knowing that you're being redeemed.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world. In other words, don't act like the world acts. I read the true story about a dog that was pregnant, and she got hit by a car. The vet brought her back, helped her, and she delivered those babies. But every one of those little puppies in that litter dragged their back legs.

The veterinarian checked them out and said, "There's nothing wrong with these puppies' legs," but all they've ever seen modeled is their mother dragging her back legs. And so they patterned, they've modeled their life after their mother that's dragging the back legs.

I wonder how many of you today are dragging your back legs because you've been modeling your life off of something that you saw on the Internet, or you've been modeling your life after somebody else. You see, it's a process, and it's not just one time. You've got to constantly be renewed, constantly transform your mind, constantly think about what you think about.

So let's look at this. What does a transformed mind look like? I have one point today. This is not a pointless teaching, but I got one. Here it is: think about things with an attitude of gratitude.

Say that again: think about things with an attitude of gratitude. Look at your neighbor and say, "Are you grateful?"

We're living in a world today in which the world is full of people that are full of entitlement. They're always looking at what other people have, and they think they deserve that. So we're living in a political system where we've almost totally bankrupted and wonder if we'll ever get back around because we're so good at just giving things out to people because people feel entitled.

"I don't want to work at a job. I don't want to do what the proverb says: if a man doesn't work, let him starve. Give me food; give me a job." So we're living in a world that every time somebody turns around, "I want that! I want that! I want that!" They don't want to do what you did to do that.

Like if you have a successful business and you're able to take a vacation, you're able to take a cruise, you're able to go somewhere, and people say, "Well, that's not fair! I want to do that same thing! Somebody should give that to me!"

Well, you see, they don't want to put in the work at the job that you have, but they have this spirit of entitlement. And that spirit of entitlement then leads people in a lot of different ways. But also, we're living in a world today in which negative Nelly thoughts hit our mind. You ever notice that?

I mean, you can just be doing nothing, and out of your mind comes this negative, critical thought, and you stop and think, "Where'd that come from? Why am I thinking like that? I don't understand that." Because the enemy is always bringing thoughts into our mind.

That's why Paul says we've got to take the truth of God's word, and we'll look at this next week, how that we need to take the truth of God's word and take that lie out and put the truth of God's word in that, and we live by his word.

That's right! I read the story of a woman that was having trouble sleeping. It's like a 10-year process; she couldn't sleep at night because she always thought she heard a burglar coming into their house. So she'd wake her husband up in the middle of the night, poking him, "There's a sound! There's a burglar! Get the flashlight! Go look!"

So he'd get the flashlight, go look, and there'd be nobody there. So that's happening like for 10 years. And finally, one night they hear a noise downstairs, and she says, "There it is! It's a burglar! Go see!" So he takes the flashlight and goes downstairs, and for sure enough, it's a burglar.

And he says to the burglar, "Hey, you got to come upstairs and meet my wife. She's been looking for you for 10 years!"

The cure is a heart of gratitude. Proverbs 15:13 says, "A glad heart makes a cheerful face." Look at the people around you. They got a cheerful face? They look like they've been baptized in dill pickle juice! But sorrow of heart... I just thought, "What would that look like?" I'm sorry; my mind goes a million places.

See, somebody you think they're going to be baptized in water, and it's dill pickle juice! Delete that, would you please, as we move on.

A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart, a spirit is crushed. So Paul says this in Philippians 4:4-8: "Rejoice in the Lord always! I will say it again: Rejoice!"

Would you read that with me? "Rejoice in the Lord always! I will say it again: Rejoice!"

Now let me remind you, Paul's not on a seven-day cruise on a five-star cruise ship. He's writing this from prison. And in it, he says, "I want you to live like I am, and how I am today, I'm rejoicing."

Oh, by the way, let me say it again. You ever had your mom say to you, "Do I have to say it again?" The same thing? I think that's sort of what he's saying. He says, "I know you're struggling with this whole thing about rejoicing. I say rejoice, and I'll say it again: let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything."

Say that with me: "Don't be anxious about anything."

"But in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

And then verse 7, look at this: "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Finally, my brothers—this is our memory verse for this week—finally, my brothers and sisters, read it with me: "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things."

So from prison, he says, "Rejoice!" It's the word "kairo," which means to make glad or rejoice. It means that you do it. It's not like the Lord's going to put it in you, and then you got... but it's like you do it.

It's like that song, "I Will Bless The Lord." I'll bless the Lord with my hands empty; I'll bless the Lord with my hands full. I will bless him. It's something I stir up in here, and I speak that.

That word "kairo" comes from the word "charis," which means grace, unmerited favor. So he says, "I want you to rejoice. I don't want you to be anxious." That word "anxious" there is also translated in the Bible. I don't want you full of worry, full of cares, or anxiety.

It's the Greek word "merimnao," which means pulled apart in many directions. Isn't that what you feel when you feel anxious? You're just pulled apart in many directions. It comes from two Greek words: "merizo," which means to tear, and "naos," which means the mind—to divide the mind.

Paul said it like this: James, the brother of Jesus, said it like this: "A double-minded man is unstable in all of his ways." So I've got these thoughts coming; I've got destructive thoughts coming into my mind, and I've got legitimate thoughts in my mind. And so it's a battle of which of those thoughts I'm going to give life to, what am I going to say.

So he says, "Anxiety? Don't be anxious." I did a little study yesterday, and anxiety in America has become now more damaging and prevalent than depression. Used to be depression. 40 million Americans today would be clinically described as full of anxiety.

In every situation, he says, "By prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, with thanksgiving because of his unmerited favor, I rejoice in all of those things." And then he says in verse 7, look at this: "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds."

The opposite of anxiety, being pulled apart, is to be complete, made whole, and that's the peace of Jesus. That's the peace of Jesus.

Let me just see if I can sort of demonstrate it to you. This thing here just sort of reminds us of ourselves, okay? We just hold that, and that's us. So we have all these things. We have a worry thought that comes in, and then we get anxious about being able to balance that worry.

Maybe it's a worry that you got a bad doctor's report, and then you worry because somebody called you to encourage you, and they told you somebody else died with that same disease. So now you got all this, and now it's Thanksgiving and Christmas, and you're worried about the right gift for someone.

And then somebody's worried not only about the gift, but you're worried about where you're going to get the money for that. And then other people are worried about what people are going to think about me because I've got all of this.

And I know some of you are already getting anxious with these balls rolling around and me trying to hold them. But then more and more comes, right? I mean, what other anxiety can come up this time? Bills! There it is!

And so I'm trying to... what else? The world! Oh yeah, the condition of the world. What's going to happen in Ukraine? What's going to happen in all of this? And worried about, you know, which church service am I going to come to on Christmas Eve?

Get all that worry, and so we're just... and we're trying to balance this, and we think, "I can't even move! I can't even move because I'm trying to balance all these things, and I just feel immobilized."

All these worries are just crowding in, and I'm worried. So if I try to move, or if I have to go across this stage real quick, you know what's going to happen? Well, I might just spill them all.

And then we think, "You know what? That's the condition of my life—trying to balance all these things, and I can't." But Paul says, "No, you don't worry about balancing. You're not going to spend your time worrying."

But in verse 7, he says, "Here's what I want you to do: let the peace that comes from Jesus guard you." And you can't describe it. You see, if I let go of those worries, and if I'll hold on to the peace—remember, peace is the opposite of anxiety. Anxiety is pulling you apart, but the peace of God is wholeness.

It's mature. So I can stand here, and hopefully I can walk across the stage. I played some sports—not much—but hopefully I can walk across the stage, and I won't drop this.

And it's so much easier just to hold on to the peace that comes from Jesus rather than trying to struggle with all of the other worries and cares that come upon us. I mean, just think about that. Just look at that.

He says, "You've got all of these things that God has given you." Now, our memory verse, let's look at it again: "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true..." Say it with me again: "Whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things."

Now, we got these little books. I love these. It's called a promise book. I may not be able to memorize every promise, but you know, like this one, this says "Help in times of trouble." So it's got like two or three pages of scriptures, or maybe when you're in fear, or God's love—does he really love me? Or where can I get the peace of God?

So I use these in my prayer time. I'll just open it up and say it, and we've got these in the bookstore out there. They're very inexpensive; it's paperback. But you need to get one because you could add those.

So I'm not going to believe what the enemy says, but I'm going to believe what the Lord says. So let's look. Let's do it again. Let's look at this. This glass is a picture of your life. Now it's pure, and some of you have muddy water, but it'll be okay.

And in life, I'm coming to church; I'm doing good. It's now time to be dismissed, and I'm trying to get ahead of somebody else, and some old crotchety person cuts in front of me. And I had this thought, "What's up with them? Don't they see me? Can't they see me?"

Then I think, "Well, that's not a good thought. I shouldn't say that." But then in my mind, you know, you're working between those two things. So then as you walk into the parking lot, somebody ignores you. You think, "Well, they just ignored me! I can't believe that!"

And so you let those things just simmer. You get in your car, and then you start—you tell your spouse, "Well, I can't believe! Do you know what just happened to me? Let me tell you what happened to me!"

And you see, if I don't do anything with what lie the enemy has dropped into my life, it won't be long until Monday morning I wake up, and it will not just be a part of my life, but it will have saturated my entire life.

So here's what Paul says: "I want you to be renewed, and here's how I want you to be renewed. I want you to let the truth of my word pour into your life."

And so he says, "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, whatever is excellent, whatever is praiseworthy, think about those things."

Think about those things. And then notice what happens from the inside out—not me changing anything, but from the inside out. Look how pure the water gets. Why? Because I've replaced the lie of the enemy with the truth from God's word.

A renewed mind! I don't deserve it, but I got it. I can never merit God's blessings. Look at this verse: Ephesians 4:23: "Be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind, having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude."

So our memory verse this week is that we're going to memorize that verse: "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true..." Say it with me again: "Whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think on these."

Now let me help you do that. In your notes, I gave you a next step for this week, and here it is: have a think session. Maybe start a gratitude journal. Just get your notebook and start listing all the things you're grateful for and see how many you can come up with by next week.

Or maybe keep that gratitude journal for a year. See how many things that you can think about. I'm so thankful that I was born in the United States of America. I'm so thankful every morning when I read, as we're reading with the Joshua Project, which is on our website. You can check it out.

We read about all the languages in the world where they've never heard the gospel, and I'm overwhelmed. Some days I just cry to think they don't have any of the truth of the word, and they're lost. Then I think of all the places I could be born. God allowed me to be born here in the United States of America, and I'm grateful.

I'm grateful! I'm grateful for my country. I'm grateful for you. I'm grateful for what God has done in our life. So I'd encourage you to do a think session. Just take some time, sit down, and think about God's word, what it says to you. If you don't know the answer, then look in here. You can find a word.

Well, if you got anything out of this teaching today, would you give the Lord a hand clap?

"The peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and Minds." [01:07:34]

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is Noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever's lovely, whatever is admirable, whatever is excellent, whatever is praiseworthy think about those things." [01:14:26]

"Be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind, having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude." [01:15:05]

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." [44:43]

"People who live following their sinful selves think only about what they want, but those who live following the spirit are thinking about what the spirit wants them to do." [45:25]

"Let the peace that comes from Jesus to guard you... peace that it is the opposite of anxiety... it's mature so I can stand here and hopefully I can walk across the stage and I won't drop this." [01:09:44]

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition with Thanksgiving present your requests to God." [01:04:48]

"I urge you brothers and sisters in view of God's mercy to offer your bodies as a Living Sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your proper worship." [47:16]

"You can't get more saved. You see, I want you to grasp that if you've really given your heart to the Lord, you are saved and that means tomorrow you're not unsaved." [55:35]

"If you want to know what God's will is, go back to this: you need to be transformed by the renewing of your mind and put God's word into you, and then you'll know what his will is." [52:21]