Transforming Thoughts: Capturing Minds for Christ

### Summary

Today, we delved into the profound impact of our thought life and how it shapes our reality. We began by celebrating our community, welcoming visitors, and acknowledging recent graduates. We then transitioned into the core of our discussion: the battle for our minds. Our thoughts are powerful, influencing our emotions, decisions, and ultimately, our lives. The enemy seeks to infiltrate our minds with lies, aiming to destroy us. However, we have the authority through Christ to take every thought captive and align it with God's truth.

We explored 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, where Paul instructs us to destroy strongholds and take every thought captive to obey Christ. A stronghold is a mental block rooted in sin, and it can be dismantled by applying God's truth. We discussed the importance of discerning our thoughts, recognizing the lies of the enemy, and replacing them with the truth found in Scripture. By doing so, we can transform our minds and align our lives with God's will.

We also emphasized the power of speaking life. Our words have the ability to bring life or death, and we must be intentional about speaking God's truth over our circumstances. This practice not only combats the enemy's lies but also strengthens our faith. Finally, we acknowledged that this is a daily battle, requiring consistent effort and reliance on God's Word.

### Key Takeaways

1. **The Power of Thoughts**: Our thoughts are incredibly powerful, shaping our emotions, decisions, and overall perspective on life. Negative thoughts can lead to hopelessness and despair, but by discerning and safeguarding our minds, we can align our thoughts with God's truth and experience transformation. [50:38]

2. **Taking Every Thought Captive**: According to 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, we are called to take every thought captive to obey Christ. This means actively identifying and dismantling mental strongholds—negative thought patterns rooted in sin—by applying the truth of God's Word. [53:39]

3. **Applying God's Truth**: The truth is an absolute standard by which reality is measured. God's Word is the ultimate truth, and by immersing ourselves in Scripture, we can combat the lies of the enemy and align our thoughts with God's will. This requires intentional effort and practice. [01:01:35]

4. **Speaking Life**: Our words have the power to bring life or death. By speaking God's truth over our lives and circumstances, we can counteract the enemy's lies and strengthen our faith. This practice is especially important when we are struggling to believe the truth. [01:06:43]

5. **Consistent Practice**: Aligning our thoughts with God's truth is a daily process that requires consistent effort. By thinking about what we are thinking about, applying God's truth, and speaking life, we can gradually transform our minds and experience the peace and freedom that God promises. [01:17:29]

### YouTube Chapters

[0:00] - Welcome
[46:54] - Celebrating Graduates
[48:06] - Limitless Summer and Be the Body Sunday
[49:04] - Introduction to the Enemy Series
[50:38] - The Power of Thoughts
[52:11] - The Enemy's Lies
[52:56] - 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
[54:13] - Understanding Strongholds
[56:23] - Contrasting Lies with God's Truth
[58:03] - Taking Thoughts Captive
[59:42] - Dr. Caroline Leaf's Insight
[01:01:35] - Applying God's Truth
[01:03:25] - God as the Standard of Truth
[01:05:02] - The Importance of Scripture
[01:06:43] - Speaking Life
[01:09:13] - The Power of the Audible Tongue
[01:11:06] - Repeating the Process
[01:12:59] - Personal Testimony
[01:17:29] - Consistent Practice
[01:19:37] - The Enemy is Not Victorious
[01:20:24] - Romans 12:2
[01:21:17] - Closing Prayer
[01:22:15] - Gratitude and Generosity
[01:23:13] - I Dream Zambia Mission
[01:27:49] - Prayer Over Giving
[01:31:12] - Invitation to Accept Christ
[01:32:44] - Prayer and Dismissal

### Bible Reading
- 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
- Philippians 4:8
- Romans 12:2

### Observation Questions
1. According to 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, what are the weapons of our warfare designed to do? ([52:56])
2. What does Philippians 4:8 instruct us to think about? ([59:42])
3. How does Romans 12:2 describe the transformation that occurs when we change our thinking? ([01:20:24])
4. What are some examples of lies the enemy might suggest to us, as mentioned in the sermon? ([54:57])

### Interpretation Questions
1. Why does Paul emphasize the need to take every thought captive to obey Christ in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5? How does this relate to the concept of strongholds? ([53:39])
2. How can focusing on the qualities listed in Philippians 4:8 help us combat negative thoughts? ([59:42])
3. What does it mean to be transformed by the renewing of your mind according to Romans 12:2? How does this transformation impact our daily lives? ([01:20:24])
4. In the sermon, the pastor mentioned the power of speaking life. How does this practice help in overcoming the lies of the enemy? ([01:06:43])

### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your current thought life. Are there any recurring negative thoughts that you need to take captive and align with God's truth? How can you start this process today? ([50:38])
2. The sermon emphasized the importance of speaking life. Can you identify a situation in your life where you need to start speaking God's truth instead of negative words? What specific words will you use? ([01:06:43])
3. Philippians 4:8 lists qualities we should focus on. Choose one quality from this list and think of a practical way to incorporate it into your daily thoughts this week. ([59:42])
4. The pastor shared a personal testimony about overcoming negative thoughts. Have you experienced a similar struggle? What steps can you take to ensure you don't fall back into those negative thought patterns? ([01:14:58])
5. Romans 12:2 talks about being transformed by the renewing of your mind. What specific changes do you need to make in your thought life to experience this transformation? ([01:20:24])
6. The sermon mentioned the importance of consistent practice in aligning our thoughts with God's truth. What daily habits can you establish to help you stay focused on God's truth? ([01:17:29])
7. Think about a person in your life who might be struggling with negative thoughts. How can you encourage them to take their thoughts captive and speak life over their situation? ([01:06:43])

Day 1: The Power of Thoughts
Our thoughts are incredibly powerful, shaping our emotions, decisions, and overall perspective on life. Negative thoughts can lead to hopelessness and despair, but by discerning and safeguarding our minds, we can align our thoughts with God's truth and experience transformation. The enemy seeks to infiltrate our minds with lies, aiming to destroy us. However, we have the authority through Christ to take every thought captive and align it with God's truth. By immersing ourselves in Scripture and focusing on positive, God-centered thoughts, we can transform our minds and align our lives with God's will. [50:38]

Isaiah 26:3 (ESV): "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you."

Reflection: What negative thought patterns do you need to surrender to God today? How can you replace them with truths from Scripture?


Day 2: Taking Every Thought Captive
According to 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, we are called to take every thought captive to obey Christ. This means actively identifying and dismantling mental strongholds—negative thought patterns rooted in sin—by applying the truth of God's Word. A stronghold is a mental block rooted in sin, and it can be dismantled by applying God's truth. By discerning our thoughts, recognizing the lies of the enemy, and replacing them with the truth found in Scripture, we can transform our minds and align our lives with God's will. [53:39]

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (ESV): "For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ."

Reflection: What are some strongholds in your mind that need to be dismantled? How can you actively take your thoughts captive to obey Christ today?


Day 3: Applying God's Truth
The truth is an absolute standard by which reality is measured. God's Word is the ultimate truth, and by immersing ourselves in Scripture, we can combat the lies of the enemy and align our thoughts with God's will. This requires intentional effort and practice. By consistently applying God's truth to our lives, we can experience transformation and align our lives with His will. [01:01:35]

John 17:17 (ESV): "Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth."

Reflection: How can you immerse yourself more deeply in God's Word today? What specific truths from Scripture do you need to apply to your life right now?


Day 4: Speaking Life
Our words have the power to bring life or death. By speaking God's truth over our lives and circumstances, we can counteract the enemy's lies and strengthen our faith. This practice is especially important when we are struggling to believe the truth. By intentionally speaking life, we can combat the enemy's lies and strengthen our faith. [01:06:43]

Proverbs 18:21 (ESV): "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits."

Reflection: What words have you been speaking over your life and circumstances? How can you intentionally speak God's truth and life today?


Day 5: Consistent Practice
Aligning our thoughts with God's truth is a daily process that requires consistent effort. By thinking about what we are thinking about, applying God's truth, and speaking life, we can gradually transform our minds and experience the peace and freedom that God promises. This is a daily battle, requiring consistent effort and reliance on God's Word. [01:17:29]

Romans 12:2 (ESV): "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

Reflection: What daily habits can you establish to consistently align your thoughts with God's truth? How can you rely on God's Word in your daily battle for your mind?

Good morning!

You guys are looking good from this view. I love it! I love this view. So happy to be before you today. Although my husband is away in Zambia, he is in Africa preaching the gospel across the country—across the world, really—and a whole other nation. So I'm so proud of him for preaching the gospel in Africa. We have the opportunity; God tells us to go, right? The great commission. And he went. So I'm so proud of him for fulfilling the great commission.

I want to welcome you all. I want to welcome our first-time visitors that are here. Yes! Thank you so much for choosing to worship with us here at Limitless. I want to welcome our returning family. You guys keep showing up! You keep showing up, and I'm so grateful for you. So welcome! And then our online friends, thank you so much for tuning in. I want to welcome you to this service. I believe God has a powerful word for all of us here, including myself. So as I'm speaking, know that I'm speaking to myself as well, okay? This isn't just for you; this is for me too.

Also, graduations were this week, so congratulations to all of our graduates! Yes! May God go before you in all of your future endeavors and bless you and be with you. And I got to shout out my little boyfriend, Cadence. He graduated kindergarten! I'm so proud of him. He did it! If you know his testimony, his graduation just meant so much—so much more to us. So he's thriving, and I couldn't be more grateful.

So two things, as you saw on the screen earlier in our announcements. Our first thing is Limitless Summer. So June 23rd, on Sunday, we have an opportunity to develop community within our church here. Following the second service, we're going to go right outside. We're going to have all kinds of fun activities and goodies and food and all of that stuff—music. Just a time for us to really get together and hang, okay?

And then our next thing is Be the Body Sunday. Be the Body Sunday is going to be a great opportunity. I mean, how many churches will shut down just on a Sunday so that they can encourage their people to be in community, right? To share the gospel in the community. So don't come here; share the love of Jesus in your community, even if that means at home, right? Your first ministry. Be the body. Don't be here on Sunday, June 30th.

So we're going to dive right in. Last week, Pastor Keenan preached a powerful service kicking off our Enemy series. Enemy is a series that's talking about our inward struggles, okay? Our internal struggles. He talked about fear last Sunday. If you didn't see it, if you weren't here, if you didn't watch it, I encourage you to watch it. So, so powerful on fear.

And today, I want to continue on in that series. Today we are going to talk about our negative thoughts. Today we are talking about our thoughts. Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, we thank you. Thank you so much for this opportunity to be able to expose the lies of the enemy that he may be feeding and infiltrating in our minds, even as of today. I thank you, Lord, that your truth reigns supreme in our lives. And I pray, God, that you will bless our ears to hear what it is that your Spirit is saying to each and every one of us individually. May we grab on and cling on to your words today so that it may change the trajectory of our lives. May it change our future. Thank you that your word has power, has authority to do so. In Jesus' name, Amen.

How is your thought life? As we sit here for the next several minutes, I want you to really be thinking about your thought life. What is the tone of your thoughts? Are you thinking a lot of negative things? Are you believing some really intense lies? Let's think about our thoughts. How is your thought life? What is your thought life?

Our brains are always busy thinking twenty-four seven—constantly thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking. Everything that pops in our heads from all sources—constantly thinking. It can be quite exhausting. It can be quite frustrating. It can be quite depressive, if we're honest. It can be quite hopeless.

Our thinking and our minds are so powerful. It affects how we see the world, how we feel emotions, and how we make choices. This is what makes our brains our greatest assets—our thoughts. This is why it is essential for you and me to discern and safeguard our minds against negative thoughts.

One way the enemy chooses to affect our thinking is by putting in wrong thoughts. You see, he can't read our minds, but he sure can influence them. He can suggest lies, hoping that you believe it. And the Bible says that the enemy comes as—or he is a liar and the father of lies. The truth is not in him, and he will bombard your mind with lies until you actually believe what he is saying. His goal is to destroy you. And the one way he'll do that is by getting you to believe the lie.

Second Corinthians 10, verse three through five is our text today. And this is the Apostle Paul talking. He's talking to the Corinthian church because at that time, false teaching was running rampant throughout the church, and people were believing these outlandish things, and they were starting to grab a hold of it. So Paul is instructing the Corinthian church here, and this principle applies to us today.

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but have divine what? Power. Power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ.

Let me say that again: And take every thought captive to obey Christ. One more time: And take every thought captive. The Apostle Paul states here that our job in this battle is to destroy strongholds because the battle for sin starts in our mind. It starts in our thoughts. It always starts in our thoughts. Because if we can think it, then we can speak it, and we can believe it, and then we can act on it, and then we can get out of alignment with God's will for our lives. It's that cycle. That cycle.

Do you know what a stronghold is? A stronghold is a mental block. It's a negative thought pattern or behavior that is rooted in sin, and it has a strong grip on someone's life. And the Bible says that we are to tear them down.

So how is your thought life? What are you believing? What is the enemy suggesting to you about your situation, about your life, about your future? What are some things that you are believing? Are these thoughts keeping you up at night? Is it so heavy that you can't even begin to work your way out of it? You can't even fathom thinking a positive thought. Is that a stronghold in your life?

Maybe you're having thoughts today that sound hopeless. "My situation has changed. It will never get any better. I don't even know if God can do it. I've been like this for so long. He's been like this for so long. She's been like this for so long. My kids are so far gone. I don't even know if they're capable of coming back. Can God even reach them? My finances, man, they're so depleted. I'm up to my eyeballs in debt. How am I ever going to get out of this? I'm just not good enough. I'm not loved. I'm not worthy. I'm not enough. You say that God has a plan for my life. Does he? I'm nobody."

That's the lie. And it's a lie from the pit of hell. Because God says in Jeremiah 29, verse 11—this is one of our favorite verses—but it rings true: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." We can praise God for that! That is the truth. That is the truth.

So did you hear that stark contrast between the lies of the enemy? Why? Because he wants to keep you down. He wants to destroy you. And if he can get you to believe that lie, you'll begin to really, really sink, and you will be destroyed. That's why we have God's word.

And perhaps you have thoughts like, "I don't know. I don't have the resources. My dreams are just not happening. They're not going to happen. I just dreamed so big. I don't even think that it'll work out. I can't do this." That too is a lie.

Because in Matthew 19, verse 26, Jesus says, "Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man, this is impossible. But with God, all things are possible.'" So when you're thinking about a difficult situation, you're thinking about a difficult situation, and you feel that it is hopeless, that there's no way it's going to happen. That business you want to start, right? That future that you have in mind—when you think that you can't achieve it, you can't on your own. But with God, all things are possible.

Now, once we truly believe—so we recognize those lies, those examples—but once we truly believe that the devil is real, he is very real. Once we acknowledge that, once we believe or know that he is a liar, and we choose to believe that we can indeed take captive every thought that he puts into our minds, then we are going to be on our way to enjoying a life that Jesus died for. He died for us to give us hope.

So how do we take these thoughts captive? We talked about how many thoughts we're having daily. You expect me to take captive every single thought? That's a lot of work. Do you want freedom or not? Do you want to be free? We take captive every thought.

One, by thinking about what we're thinking about. We have to think about what we're thinking about. What are we spending our time thinking about? Some of us may think that, you know what? It's just a thought. I didn't do it, right? Or it's a thought, so I believe it, coming from within me. I believe this thought. No, they're not just thoughts. We have to be very careful about what we are allowing ourselves to dwell on and to ponder and to believe.

You cannot believe every thought that you have. You just cannot. Because our thoughts aren't always reality, and our thoughts don't always align with the will of God for our lives. And as we know, our thoughts are sometimes influenced by the enemy.

Think about what we are thinking about. Dr. Caroline Leaf, who is a Christian cognitive neuroscientist, has a statement that struck me: "As we think, we change the physical nature of our brain." As we consciously—and that means intentionally—redirect our thinking, we can actually wire out or filter out toxic patterns of thinking and replace them with healthy thoughts.

Philippians 4, verse 8: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Think about these things.

So yeah, we have science, but you see how the word of God has already given us tools for that. Think about what you're thinking about. Paul didn't just leave us with a qualifying list of things that we should think about, right? Paul goes on, and I love how he says, "What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things." And the God—what happens? The God of peace—who? The God of peace will be with you.

It takes practice. Thinking about what you think about takes practice. Practice, practice, practice. And then what? You will experience the presence of God's peace.

Okay, then how else will we win this battle? By applying the truth. Now, the truth is an absolute standard by which reality is measured. I'll say that again: Truth is an absolute standard by which reality is measured. All throughout the Bible, the Bible declares that God is truth. Psalms 31, verse 5, and Isaiah 65, verse 16, both identify him as the God of truth. And in Hebrews 6, verse 18, scripture declares that the God of truth cannot lie.

The God of truth cannot lie. And one of my favorites is Romans chapter 3, verse 4. Romans 3, verse 4 says, "Let God be true and every man a liar." Let God be true and let every man be a liar. Like me, a liar; her, a liar; culture, a liar. Let God be true and everybody a liar.

So here's what that means. When our thoughts betray us—because they often do—and we are tempted to think that, you know, "I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't do this." I kind of disagree with God here. I don't think it takes all of that. Let God be true and every man a liar.

So again, when you're tempted to disagree with God, you've got to acknowledge that we are wrong because it's impossible for God to lie. And when you have the power to know the past, the present, and the future, you can't be wrong. You can't be wrong. Dr. Tony Evans puts it this way: "When you done made it all, sustained it all, and one day will destroy it all, you can't be wrong." You just can't. He can't be wrong.

God be true and every man a liar. The beginning of John, verse 14, verse 6, Jesus says, "I am the truth," not a truth. You catch that? The truth. I am the truth. I'm not just truth amongst many. No, I am the standard by which truth is measured. That's our God. God is the truth by which—God is the standard by which truth is measured.

So all of this talk about truth, truth, truth—God is truth. Where do we find it? Where do we find it? Right here. We find it in the pages of Scripture by building a relationship with our Father. This is how we are going to know the truth, is by knowing the Word of God.

Some people say, "I don't read the Bible because it's just—well, one, it's written by man." We won't even go down that rabbit hole. And the other, "I just can't understand it, so I just don't read it." I don't read the Bible. It's essential. It's essential, my friends, because if you don't read the Bible, you will be destroyed. The enemy is not a game, and he is banking on you not knowing the truth so he can lie to you and destroy you.

You've got to be in the Word of God so that you know the truth for your life. What does God say? Culture may be telling you something. What does God say? My family may be suggesting something. But what does God say?

And here's the thing: the enemy disguises himself as the angel of light. "Oh, but he said he loves Jesus; he goes to church." Yeah, but it also says, "Do not be unequally yoked." We've got to think about what does the Word say about our situation? Run every thought that you have, take it captive, and make it obey Christ through the Word of God.

You and I, as believers, have authority over our thoughts by bringing them captive and bringing them under submission to God's Word. God's Word is truth. God's Word is essential for my life and for yours.

So now we're thinking about what we're thinking about. We've identified the lie, and then we've applied truth. Okay, we ran that circumstance, we ran that situation through God's Word, and we've identified the lie. Now what do I do?

Now we're speaking truth. How do we speak truth? By speaking life. Speak life! We need to do a better job at being kind to ourselves. We've got to do a better job at being kind to others. We got to do a better job at being kind to our children. We got to do a better job at being kind to our spouse. Are we speaking life over them?

You're a liar? Guess what? Yeah, they are going to be because you just spoke that over their life. Proverbs 18, verse 21: "The tongue can bring death or life. Those who love to talk will reap the consequences."

You're a liar? Yes, they will be a liar because that's what they're going to align themselves with when they have the option to tell the truth or to lie. Why? Because the person of influence has spoken into their lives that they are a liar. They're going to be that thing.

Because you told yourself you are worthless, you are no good, guess what? Guess what the fruit of your life is going to be? Because you spoke that thing. We've got to learn to speak life and declare God's victory over ourselves, over our circumstances, over those that we love.

The Word of God—the words that we say, the words that we speak—declared over our lives are so powerful. They're so powerful. Just as powerful as our thoughts are, our mouths have just as much power, as we just read in that verse. It has the ability to produce life and death.

When God spoke, this is how powerful words are. When God spoke, the universe came into existence. How many of us have said, spoken something out of our mouths and then experienced it? A few minutes later, I'll be like, "I just said that. I just spoke that." That wasn't by chance.

The enemy wants you to believe that, "Oh, that was just by coincidence." The power of life and death are in our tongues. We've got to speak life. Be in expectation. Have that expectation and speak it out. Write it everywhere. That's why it's important to learn memory verses. Learn the Word. Even if it's one verse, you learn it so that at any given moment, as the enemy does, brings a suggestion in your mind out of nowhere—sounds crazy, seems crazy in my mind—you have a verse to quote.

"There is no weapon formed against me that shall prosper." Say that thing out loud because there's power in the audible tongue. You know what? My thoughts say, "I don't have enough money." Speak life. "Nope, I don't have the finances yet. But I serve Jehovah Jireh who has more than enough. He will take care of my needs." Speak it. Say it.

And in fact, the best times to speak truth over your life is when you are actually struggling to believe it. When it doesn't make sense. When it may be right in the middle of that hopeless situation, you speak it. Because when you speak it in the middle of feeling anxious about finances, when you don't see how God will provide, you speak God's truth over it, and you watch the enemy take flight.

And speaking it over your life actually is a sign of faith. It's a sign of faith. "God, I believe you. I know what my eyes are telling me. But even then, because of my thoughts, I can't even believe what I'm seeing in my circumstances. And not to know if it's true or not. But because, God, you are truth. You see my circumstances way better than I do."

So you know what? Right now, God, I thank you. I was laughing with my dad yesterday because growing up, we would hear my dad just out of the blue. We could just be playing Mario Kart. We could just be playing or doing whatever we're doing as girls, me and my sister. And out of the blue, we would hear my dad say, "Father, I thank you."

He would be like, "Father, I thank you," and just start going off speaking in tongues. And we're like, "Whoa! Where did that come from? Where did that come from?" I don't know what my dad was battling at that time in his mind. My dad could have been—he never told us—but he could have been in the middle of a financial crisis. I don't know.

But you know what? By faith, he's speaking it. "God, I thank you. God, I thank you." It may not have been all roses, and he's just thanking God for what he's seen, for all of these good things. No, he's speaking it as though it was. "You know what? God, I thank you for what you are doing. I thank you for turning that situation around."

Yeah! Speak that thing over your situation. Speak life is the third thing that we need to do. You know what the last step is? Repeat it. Repeat it till you believe it. Go back to step one. Repeat it until you believe it. Aligning our hearts with God's truth is a daily process. But I promise you that once you do it and you don't give up, you don't quit.

Yeah, you're going to get tired of God. "I'm so tired of doing this." But I choose to battle just as hard as the enemy is coming after me. It's as determined as I am to see breakthrough. It's as determined as I am to see freedom. So I am going to do what I need to do, God, in alignment with you to walk in my freedom. And then you'll watch the enemy take flight.

I'm going to reread verse five of our text: Second Corinthians 10, verse five. "We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ."

I can remember a time several years back. I was in a really, really hard, hard season—a really dark season. And I wasn't diligent with my thoughts because, quite honestly, I didn't think I needed to be. After all, they're just thoughts, right? But just thoughts? I'm not acting on them. So I wasn't diligent. I wasn't putting safeguards over my thinking.

And because I was in this dark time, I would sit for hours believing the lies that the enemy was suggesting to me—of hopelessness, of anger, and resentment. He painted a whole picture, you guys, in my head that I believed. Honestly, it couldn't have been further from the truth.

Proverbs puts it this way: "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." And for me, what that did to me is it changed the way that I spoke. It changed my demeanor. I wasn't joyful. I wasn't smiling. I wasn't upbeat. And then it began, scary enough, to change my behavior. It changed my behavior to the point that I was unrecognizable to myself. I was unrecognizable to my husband.

I know many of you here probably don't believe it. What did that look like? It was very real for me. I was so bitter. I was so rude. I was so angry. The enemy had my mind so warped that I was expressing myself in ways that were totally against God.

But God! I heard a voice say, "Do you want to sink or swim?" Very plainly, "Do you want to sink or do you want to swim? Do you want to allow the enemy to win the battle in this area of your life? Do you want to be this victim to the enemy's strategy? Then, Sonia, you must take control of what you're thinking."

I remember hearing a pastor. He said, "You can't stop a bird from flying over your head." No, you can't. "But you can stop it from building a nest." Which means you can't stop the negative thoughts from coming. It's going to happen. We live in a fallen world. Negative thoughts are going to come to us. But you can stop it from taking root in your heart—dwelling on it, pondering on it. You can have control over that.

It was so—the word of God was so strong, so heavy. The conviction just sat on my heart so heavy. I remember one day I was just coming down the hallway of my house when the Lord spoke that to me. I just fell on my face, and I just began sobbing and crying and repenting. "God, I am sorry. Forgive me. Forgive me for allowing the enemy to form strongholds in my mind. Forgive me for not taking control, for not taking control of my thinking, for being lazy with my thoughts and finding comfort in the enemy's lies. God, forgive me for believing a lie when I know the truth. When I know the truth. When I say that I believe you, God. When I say that I love you. I'm sorry for betraying you the way that I did—believing the lie."

I made a conscious decision in that moment to say, "God, I do not want to be this way. I do not want to be negative. I do not want to be angry. I don't want to be bitter. I'm choosing this day to follow you. I am choosing to control—to do a better job at controlling my thoughts."

And as I did, over time, I was thinking about what I was thinking about. I was thinking about what I was thinking about. I was thinking about what I was thinking about. I was thinking about what I was thinking about. Because those thoughts didn't stop coming. They didn't. But now I know, okay, I got to measure these thoughts. What is the enemy suggesting right in this moment?

All right, verse, let's go. And then I declared God's word. I began to speak God's word. I was writing it everywhere in my house. I was intentionally memorizing verses. "There's no weapon formed against me that shall prosper. I am more than a conqueror. I am created in the image of God." Right? I was memorizing all of these things so that at a moment's notice, I can combat the enemy's lies.

And I would tell you that it was practice, practice, practice. It didn't go away the next day. It didn't go away a month from now, from then. It didn't go away a year from then. It was practice day in, day out. "God, I trust you. God, I choose you. God, I choose your truth over this lie."

Over time, the lies began to become less and less. The thoughts that I was thinking became less and less. The scenario that I was painting in my head began to get less and less to the point I was like, "Oh, it's been a month, and I really haven't tripped about that." It transformed my mind.

So right now, it is clear to me I am not perfect. I am human just like you. We will always be in—we'll always have this battle, right? Right? Right? Right? We're on this side of heaven. But God has given us tools to fight the enemy.

I realized that day I need to fight in the spirit. Can't be lazy about my thinking. And I realized that the enemy is vicious and clever and cunning. Because he is vicious does not make him victorious. That day, I declared victory, and I began walking in victory.

I want to say that again: The enemy is vicious; he is not victorious.

Now, I don't know the quality of your thoughts today. I don't know what you're thinking about. I don't know what you spend your time on. I don't know if you are in a season right now where you're feeling hopeless. You're feeling discouraged. You're feeling all of these things like there's no way out.

But I do know that your situation, as massive as it may seem, doesn't have to dictate your thoughts. Through Christ, your thoughts can dictate your situation.

And I want to leave you with a final scripture from Paul, in case you think I'm lying. Romans 12, verse 2: "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you what? Think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."

How is your thought life? Moment by moment, decision by decision, step by step, may you and I choose to operate in God's all-powerful truth. Amen?

Let's pray.

Dear Lord, thank you for making me aware of the enemy's plans. I declare today that while the enemy may be vicious, he is not victorious in our lives. With you helping us walk in the truth of light. Father, we trust you. We walk by faith and not by sight. We receive the tools that you have given us to fight the enemy in this battle for our thoughts. We pray that today we are victorious through you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

I pray that you are blessed. Importantly, I pray that you feel equipped and that you are encouraged to protect your thoughts from negative thinking. I pray that you realize that you have to protect your thinking at all costs and like your life depends on it because it really does. Your life depends on your thinking. Fight for it. You can do it. In Jesus' name, Amen.

So as we've spent time on the impact of the negative thoughts on our lives, let us now transition to this part of the service where we get to reflect on gratitude and generosity.

As we prepare to give our tithes and offerings, I want to first thank you. Thank you so much for sowing into Limitless Church online. Thank you so much for your giving. Pastor Keenan last week presented us with an opportunity of where he is at in Zambia. He's there now, and he presented us the opportunity to give above our tithes and offerings to help support this special mission, this special organization in Zambia. It's called I Dream Zambia.

I want to provide another opportunity for us because as he is there right now, those two needs are still very real. They need to finish their school so that they can be equipped, so that they can minister to the children of Zambia. And they also have a need for food—something that is, you know, something that we throw away all the time. They have the need for that.

So we, as Limitless Church, want to continue to partner with I Dream Zambia to see the vision that God has placed on their hearts come to pass. So we're going to give. I'm going to show a video of what I Dream Zambia is about so that you can see. And if you are inclined to give, I want to make note that you mark your tithe and offering envelope, you designate it to missions so that we make sure that 100% of all of that that's going to your mission, that's going to missions, goes there.

And then if you're giving online, you can select from the drop-down arrow on there and select missions. In addition to that, if this is your first time here at Limitless Church, please don't feel obligated. We're grateful that you're here. But if you do choose, we have three ways: by texting the phone number 833-879-0161 to the bottom of your screen as you're watching online. We have the QR code, and then the envelopes that are on the chair in front of you. Please feel free to give there.

So we're going to turn our attentions to the TV so that we can learn a little bit more about I Dream Zambia and where my honey is at. What a beautiful, beautiful mission. And we're so grateful that we have the opportunity to partner.

Again, thank you again for your giving. This is above and beyond your tithes and offerings. I would love to have the opportunity to pray over our giving, and then our ushers will pass the buckets. You're welcome to stand and worship as they do.

Heavenly Father, we thank you so much. We thank you for this time where we have an opportunity to express our gratitude and generosity for all that you have done for us. I pray for those who can give and those who cannot. Father, will you take our seed and multiply it, Father, in a way that only you can do? Lord, to where it can cover everything. It can meet the needs in Zambia. It can meet the needs at Limitless Church, Father, supernaturally. Will you increase our giving?

Lord, we're grateful for who you are and for what you're doing in each and every one of our lives. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

But not least, I'm going to offer you the opportunity to respond to this message in faith. Maybe you don't know Christ. Maybe you don't know Jesus. You're not in a relationship with him. Then unfortunately, these tools don't apply. But we can change that. You have the opportunity to accept Jesus into your heart and have complete access to everything in God's word.

And so we want to offer you the opportunity to come and get prayer. We're going to have our prayer team come. Come, and we would love to pray with you the prayer of salvation so that you have all of heaven behind you as you fight for your thoughts. You have access to the weapons of the Spirit.

Maybe you're here and you're already a believer, but you're still suffering. You're still struggling. We'd love to be in agreement with you as you choose life, as you choose to conquer the enemy over the lies and over the deception that he is feeding you. We want to pray with you and, again, be in agreement with you that you walk victoriously in this area.

Maybe you're going through a lot right now, and you're like, "You know what? I've been really, you know, casual about my thinking. And I just want somebody to agree. I want someone to partner with me, making today a declaration that today, I will walk in victory. I am turning a new leaf. I am choosing Jesus in my thinking." We would love to pray with you. And we would love to walk out this season with you to see how God gets the glory.

Because what the enemy, right? What the enemy tried for evil, planned for evil, God will turn it around for your good. Do you believe that? Amen.

So we want to pray with you. We're going to give you that offer to those opportunities. There's something else that's on your heart that you want prayer for. Our prayer warriors are here, ready to go to battle with you. Please don't leave here the same way that you walked in. We want to pray with you.

I'm going to pray, and then I'm going to dismiss those who feel like you're good. You're more than welcome to leave. Those who want prayer, please stay.

Heavenly Father, we thank you. We thank you for this moment of honesty and transparency through your word. We thank you that today we put the enemy on notice that he will no longer win in our thoughts—that the enemy is not victorious, but you are God.

We offer up to you our surrender, saying, "Yes, God, I choose to think on you. I choose to think on your word. I choose to run everything that's suggested from the enemy through your word." And I declare and decree victory over our thoughts as they align with your word.

God, we thank you. I pray over each and every person as they go on during their week. Lord, will you protect them? Will you guide them? Will you provide for them? Will you give them testimony after testimony? And will they come back here fired up, excited to share your goodness to give you all of the glory?

Father, we love you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

All right. I have to say this: Don't forget—live limitless!

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "Our brains are always busy thinking twenty four seven. Constantly thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking. Everything that pops in our heads from all sources. Constantly thinking. It can be quite exhausting. It can be quite frustrating. It can be quite depressive. If we're honest, it can be quite hopeless. Our thinking and our minds are so powerful. It affects how we see the world, how we feel emotions, and how we make choices. This is what makes our brains our greatest assets, thoughts, our thoughts. This is why it is essential for you and I to discern and safeguard our minds against negative thoughts." [51:24](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2. "One way the enemy chooses to affect our thinking is by putting in wrong thoughts. You see, he can't, he doesn't know what we're thinking. He can't read our minds, but he sure can influence them. He can suggest lies, hoping that you believe it. And the Bible says that the enemy comes as, or he is a liar and the father of lies. The truth is not in him, and he will bombard your mind with lies until you actually believe what he is saying. His goal is to destroy you. And the one way he'll do that is by getting you to believe the lie." [52:11](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3. "Do you know what a stronghold is? Stronghold is a mental block. It's a negative thought pattern or behavior that is rooted in sin. And it has a strong grip on someone's life. And the Bible says that we are to tear them down. So how is your thought life? What are you believing? What is the enemy suggesting to you? About your situation, about your life, about your future. What are some things that you are believing? Are these thoughts keeping you up at night? Is it so heavy that you can't even begin to work your way out of? You can't even fathom thinking a positive thought. Is that a stronghold in your life?" [54:13](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4. "When God spoke, the universe came into existence. How many of us have said, spoken something out of our mouths and then experienced it? A few minutes later, I'll be like, I just said that. I just spoke that. That wasn't by chance. The enemy wants you to believe that. Oh, that was just by coincidence. Power of life and death are in our tongues. We've got to speak life. Be an expectation. Have that expectation and speak it out. Write it everywhere. That's why it's important to learn memory verses. Learn the word." [01:08:36](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5. "The enemy is vicious and clever and cunning. But because he is vicious, does not make him victorious. That day, I declared victory and I began walking in victory. I want to say that again. The enemy is vicious. He is not victorious. Now, I don't know the quality of your thoughts today. I don't know what you're thinking about. I don't know what you spend your time on. I don't know if you are in a season right now where you're feeling hopeless. You're feeling discouraged. You're feeling all of these things. Like there's no way out. But I do know that your situation, as massive as it may seem, doesn't have to dictate your thoughts. Through Christ, your thoughts can dictate your situation." [01:19:37](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


### Quotes for Members

1. "The Apostle Paul states here that our job in this battle is to destroy strongholds because the battle for sin starts in our mind. It starts in our thoughts. Always starts in our thoughts. Because if we can think it, then we can speak it and we can believe it, and then we can act on it, and then we can get out of alignment with God's will for our lives. It's that cycle." [53:39](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2. "So again, when you're attempted to disagree with God, you've got to acknowledge that we are wrong because it's impossible for God to lie. And when you have the power, when you have the power to know the past, the present, and the future, you can't be wrong. You can't be wrong. Dr. Tony Evans puts it this way. When you done made it all, sustained it all, and one day will destroy it all, you can't be wrong. You just can't. He can't be wrong. God be true and every man a liar. The beginning of John verse 14, verse 6, Jesus says, I am the truth, not a truth. You catch that? The truth. I am the truth. I'm not just truth amongst many. No, I am the standard by which truth is measured. That's our God. God is the truth by which, God is the standard by which truth is measured." [01:03:25](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3. "So now we're thinking about what we're thinking about. We've identified the lie and then we've applied truth. Okay, we ran that circumstance, we ran that situation through God's word and we've identified the lie. Now what do I do? Now we're speaking truth. How do we speak truth? By speaking life. We need to do a better job at being kind to ourselves. We've got to do a better job at being kind to others. We got to do a better job at being kind to our children. We got to do a better job at being kind to our spouse. Are we speaking life over them? You're a liar. Guess what? Yeah, they are going to be because you just spoke that over their life. Proverbs 18, verse 21. The tongue can bring death or life. Those who love to talk will reap the consequences." [01:06:43](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4. "I made a conscious decision in that moment. To say, God, I do not want to be this way. I do not want to be negative. I do not want to be angry. I don't want to be bitter. I'm choosing this day to follow you. I am choosing to control, to do a better job at controlling my thoughts. And as I did, over time, I was thinking about what I was thinking about. I was thinking about what I was thinking about. I was thinking about what I was thinking about. Because those thoughts didn't stop coming. They didn't. But now I know, okay, I got to measure these thoughts. What is the enemy suggesting right in this moment? All right. Verse, let's go. And then I declared God's word. I began to speak God's word. I was writing it everywhere in my house. I was intentionally memorizing verses. There's no weapon formed against me that shall prosper. I am more than a conqueror. I am created in the image of God." [01:17:29](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5. "I realized that day I need to fight in the spirit. Can't be lazy about my thinking. And I realized that the enemy is vicious and clever and cunning. But because he is vicious, does not make him victorious. That day, I declared victory and I began walking in victory. I want to say that again. The enemy is vicious. He is not victorious. Now, I don't know the quality of your thoughts today. I don't know what you're thinking about. I don't know what you spend your time on. I don't know if you are in a season right now where you're feeling hopeless. You're feeling discouraged. You're feeling all of these things. Like there's no way out. But I do know that your situation, as massive as it may seem, doesn't have to dictate your thoughts. Through Christ, your thoughts can dictate your situation." [01:19:37](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)