WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.319 Welcome to the Awakening Church podcast. 00:00:02.479 --> 00:00:07.040 We pray this message encourages you and provides the hope and light of Jesus Christ. 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:08.640 Thanks for tuning in. 00:00:19.760 --> 00:00:21.039 Great to be with you. 00:00:21.280 --> 00:00:22.559 Great to have you. 00:00:23.199 --> 00:00:23.760 Welcome. 00:00:23.920 --> 00:00:27.199 We're actually in part in a series called Take Joy. 00:00:27.280 --> 00:00:28.399 Go ahead and just say that with me. 00:00:28.640 --> 00:00:29.440 Take Joy. 00:00:30.079 --> 00:00:30.960 There you go. 00:00:31.440 --> 00:00:38.960 And we're studying this incredible passage out of Philippians, Philippians chapter 4, verses 4 through 9. 00:00:39.039 --> 00:00:41.280 In fact, I've asked you to memorize it with me. 00:00:41.439 --> 00:00:43.119 We've had uh these cards. 00:00:43.280 --> 00:00:45.439 If you didn't get one, you can grab one. 00:00:45.600 --> 00:00:56.719 I think there's still a few at the connection table where we're learning how to take joy, that you don't just have to wish for joy, hope for joy, hope that one day you might like trip over it and discover it. 00:00:56.799 --> 00:00:59.200 You can actually take joy. 00:00:59.439 --> 00:01:00.880 We've used Dallas Willard. 00:01:00.960 --> 00:01:05.439 He's a philosopher and was an incredible Christian writer. 00:01:05.760 --> 00:01:06.959 He wrote this about joy. 00:01:07.120 --> 00:01:09.680 Joy is not a passing sensation of pleasure. 00:01:09.760 --> 00:01:17.920 It's not circumstantial, but it is a pervasive sense of well-being, that it is well with my soul. 00:01:18.319 --> 00:01:18.879 Why? 00:01:19.200 --> 00:01:23.280 That's infused with hope because of the goodness of God. 00:01:23.359 --> 00:01:26.319 And it was great to sing about the goodness of God right there. 00:01:26.640 --> 00:01:32.560 And so we've been asking this: how do you experience true, deep, lasting joy? 00:01:32.719 --> 00:01:36.319 How do you experience that, that pervasive sense of well-being? 00:01:36.480 --> 00:01:37.359 It is well. 00:01:37.920 --> 00:01:41.840 And right from the outset in week one, we talked about that joy is a choice. 00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:44.319 That's the reason the Apostle Paul says, rejoice. 00:01:44.400 --> 00:01:45.359 It's a command. 00:01:45.599 --> 00:01:46.879 Choose joy. 00:01:47.120 --> 00:01:50.480 It's powerful regardless of the circumstances. 00:01:50.719 --> 00:01:52.799 Joy is actually then also a path. 00:01:52.879 --> 00:01:53.840 It's a way of life. 00:01:53.920 --> 00:02:01.439 It's a way about which we go about life, and fundamentally it is found in the person of Jesus. 00:02:01.599 --> 00:02:06.959 That joy is not the absence of suffering, but the presence of Jesus. 00:02:07.439 --> 00:02:09.039 Week two, we wrestled with this. 00:02:09.120 --> 00:02:14.719 How do you take joy when it feels like life has knocked the joy right out of you? 00:02:15.199 --> 00:02:20.800 When you just feel like you've been sucker punched and you're struggling to get through it. 00:02:20.879 --> 00:02:29.280 And the apostle Paul says, do not be anxious about anything, but by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your request to God. 00:02:29.360 --> 00:02:40.719 And he tells us what not to do, what to do, and then there's this promise attached to it, and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 00:02:40.960 --> 00:02:47.919 That prayer actually overpowers anxiety and worry with the very presence of God. 00:02:48.240 --> 00:02:49.520 That there's a way to pray. 00:02:49.599 --> 00:03:07.520 We talked about it in bringing our request in our heart with thanksgiving, that when we do that, when anxiety is knocking at the door, when worry and concern are threatening to steal our joy, he will overpower it with the presence of his peace. 00:03:07.919 --> 00:03:09.360 Today we want to look at this. 00:03:09.520 --> 00:03:13.520 That like, how do you cultivate joy in such a negative world? 00:03:13.919 --> 00:03:15.680 Like, how do you cultivate it? 00:03:15.759 --> 00:03:20.000 Like, like develop it, kind of actually help me out with the word cultivate, would you? 00:03:20.080 --> 00:03:22.879 Like how give me some synonyms for the word cultivate. 00:03:22.960 --> 00:03:24.479 Go ahead, yell them out to me. 00:03:25.680 --> 00:03:26.800 Create, build. 00:03:29.039 --> 00:03:30.000 Grow, yeah. 00:03:31.120 --> 00:03:31.840 Nurture. 00:03:32.080 --> 00:03:34.080 Yeah, how do we nurture joy? 00:03:34.319 --> 00:03:36.159 I think that's a good word, nurture. 00:03:37.199 --> 00:03:40.080 Like, like, how do we like have this? 00:03:40.159 --> 00:03:49.599 You know, I just even as you use that word nurture, you just think about a little baby in the midst of like as parents, we're trying to nurture our kids in a world that's hostile or negative. 00:03:49.680 --> 00:03:53.599 And and we live in such an increasingly negative world, don't we? 00:03:53.840 --> 00:03:57.599 Like it just seems seems like the world gets negative. 00:04:01.280 --> 00:04:01.919 Yeah. 00:04:03.520 --> 00:04:04.479 Not a word. 00:04:05.599 --> 00:04:07.120 More and more, doesn't it? 00:04:08.479 --> 00:04:11.439 Like, like, have you been to the mall lately? 00:04:12.000 --> 00:04:30.720 Have you noticed that people Christmas shopping for other people to give gifts of joy to another human are sucking the joy out of every person around them because they're so angry and aggressive, just trying to find a parking spot is unbelievable. 00:04:32.000 --> 00:04:37.600 Like, like, here's what's interesting about uh in America, we can't agree over politics in lots of different areas. 00:04:37.680 --> 00:04:40.000 You know the thing that Americans agree on? 00:04:40.639 --> 00:04:48.480 One of it is the effect of social media that it's actually making us more angrier as a society. 00:04:48.800 --> 00:04:55.120 Just the majority of Americans believe it's actually not beneficial to us. 00:04:56.000 --> 00:05:01.680 We live in a world that just it just seems to have gotten more negative, doesn't it? 00:05:01.759 --> 00:05:07.519 It, you know, whether it's social media, whether it's the news, uh, or just simply co-workers. 00:05:07.680 --> 00:05:15.920 How do we begin to cultivate or nurture or develop in a world that feels like it's just pulling you downward with this perspective? 00:05:16.079 --> 00:05:18.399 And today the sermon title is called Mindset. 00:05:18.480 --> 00:05:19.600 Go ahead and say that with me. 00:05:20.079 --> 00:05:20.399 Mindset. 00:05:20.800 --> 00:05:21.360 Mindset. 00:05:21.600 --> 00:05:27.519 And mindset is simply this a fixed state of mind, uh, mental attitude or inclination. 00:05:27.759 --> 00:05:40.879 And actually, you would be surprised, the Bible, specifically the New Testament, in particular, the Apostle Paul talks a lot, incredibly, about the mind and our mindset. 00:05:41.279 --> 00:05:58.319 In fact, there's some things that the Apostle Paul would pin, you know, roughly 2,000 years ago, that then when we look at the research today, it'd be like as if he was writing from some scientific journals the effect and the power of our mind. 00:05:58.560 --> 00:06:00.079 It's unbelievable. 00:06:00.319 --> 00:06:12.959 It's almost, it's almost as if God created us and knew what we needed and how we functioned from the very beginning and pinned it and put it all the way in print a long time ago. 00:06:13.199 --> 00:06:18.079 And so I want to talk about our mindset and how that affects and how we cultivate joy. 00:06:18.160 --> 00:06:24.879 And before we dive into the Apostle Paul's words, which are incredible, I mean, what he just pins are amazing. 00:06:25.120 --> 00:06:34.240 I want to just help you see a little bit of some of the best research on the power of our thinking today and the power of our mindsets. 00:06:34.480 --> 00:06:40.480 Uh, did you know that complaining rewires your brain? 00:06:41.040 --> 00:06:42.319 I heard an uh-oh. 00:06:44.560 --> 00:06:45.439 That's good. 00:06:45.680 --> 00:06:47.199 Oh boy, that one hurt. 00:06:47.279 --> 00:06:51.120 Uh complaining rewires your brain, because we don't complain anymore, do we? 00:06:51.360 --> 00:06:55.759 Repeated complaining rewires your brain to make future complaining more likely. 00:06:55.920 --> 00:07:02.560 Over time, you find it easier to be negative than to be positive, regardless of what's happening around you. 00:07:02.720 --> 00:07:08.319 Listen up, complaining becomes your default behavior, which changes how people perceive you. 00:07:08.560 --> 00:07:13.680 Scientists like to describe this process as neurons that fire together, wire together. 00:07:13.759 --> 00:07:15.920 It literally rewires your brain. 00:07:16.160 --> 00:07:24.399 Research from Stanford University has shown that complaining shrinks the hippocampus, an area in the brain that's critical to problem solving and intelligent thought. 00:07:24.639 --> 00:07:28.160 When you complain, your body releases the stress hormone cortisol. 00:07:28.319 --> 00:07:37.600 Cortisol shifts you into fight or flight mode, directing oxygen, blood, and energy away from everything but the symptoms that are essential to immediate survival. 00:07:37.839 --> 00:07:45.920 One effect of cortisol, for example, is to raise your blood pressure and blood sugar so that you'd be prepared either to escape or defend yourself. 00:07:46.079 --> 00:07:53.199 The power of the mind, complaining, actually begins to rewire and reshape your brain. 00:07:53.360 --> 00:07:57.279 Did you know that negativity sticks like velcro in your brain? 00:07:57.600 --> 00:07:58.879 It sticks like velcro. 00:07:59.040 --> 00:07:59.279 Dr. 00:07:59.360 --> 00:08:06.639 Rick Hanson says this that the brain is like velcro for negative experiences, but Teflon for positive ones. 00:08:06.800 --> 00:08:18.000 He says that at least two regions of the brain, the amygdala and the medial prefrontal cortex, work harder when processing criticism and can keep the brain from doing much else. 00:08:18.240 --> 00:08:19.199 Listen up. 00:08:19.600 --> 00:08:31.920 Positive experiences have to be held in our awareness for more than 12 seconds in order for the transfer from short-term to long-term memory. 00:08:32.080 --> 00:08:41.200 And it takes, on average, roughly five to ten positive experiences to counteract one negative experience. 00:08:41.440 --> 00:08:45.919 The power of the brain and our thoughts, complaining rewires it, negativity. 00:08:49.679 --> 00:08:52.879 It just sticks like Velcro to our brain. 00:08:53.120 --> 00:08:53.840 And you know what? 00:08:53.919 --> 00:08:57.039 We talked about this one a little bit last week as well. 00:08:57.200 --> 00:09:00.320 Did you know that gratitude reduces stress and improves your mood? 00:09:02.320 --> 00:09:05.840 Gratitude reduces the stress hormone cortisol by 23%. 00:09:06.399 --> 00:09:07.679 Yes, they can quantify it. 00:09:08.080 --> 00:09:23.360 Research conducted at the University of California, Davis, found that people who work daily to cultivate an attitude of gratitude experienced improved mood and energy and substantially less anxiety due to lower cortisol levels. 00:09:24.240 --> 00:09:26.559 And finally, all right, complaining? 00:09:27.120 --> 00:09:32.480 Negativity, gratitude, your attitude is highly contagious. 00:09:32.879 --> 00:09:36.159 And nobody needed me to read anything about that. 00:09:36.399 --> 00:09:44.559 We all have experienced that from someone walking in and they're in a bad mood, and all of a sudden it changes the atmosphere, doesn't it? 00:09:45.360 --> 00:09:49.759 Human beings are social and engage in what's called neuronal mirroring. 00:09:49.919 --> 00:09:53.120 We unconsciously mimic the moods of those around us. 00:09:53.279 --> 00:09:58.399 Research shows negative perspectives are far more contagious than positive ones. 00:09:58.559 --> 00:10:06.720 In fact, your attitude is one of, if not the most contagious thing about you, and which you bring wherever you go. 00:10:07.120 --> 00:10:09.039 The power of your mind. 00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:12.080 And so, how do we cultivate joy? 00:10:12.240 --> 00:10:14.879 The apostle Paul says this. 00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:17.679 Finally, brothers and sisters. 00:10:18.399 --> 00:10:21.600 After I've said all these things, rejoice always in the Lord. 00:10:21.679 --> 00:10:22.480 Don't be anxious. 00:10:22.559 --> 00:10:24.960 He's given us, he's gonna wrap it up here. 00:10:25.360 --> 00:10:48.399 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. 00:10:49.519 --> 00:10:56.240 I think it's fascinating that the Apostle Paul didn't tell you to stop thinking about negative things. 00:10:56.879 --> 00:11:01.120 He wasn't like, you know, whatever's false, don't think about that. 00:11:01.200 --> 00:11:04.080 Whatever's ugly, he didn't go in on any of that. 00:11:04.240 --> 00:11:12.960 He actually says, He it's as if God already knew the science, because he did, about our brains and our negative bias and where we lean towards. 00:11:13.039 --> 00:11:16.000 He says, no, no, no, shift that thinking. 00:11:16.639 --> 00:11:22.080 What is true, what is noble, what is right, whatever's pure. 00:11:22.399 --> 00:11:24.320 Let's define these words for you. 00:11:24.480 --> 00:11:36.159 What is true, it means consistent or corresponding to reality in accordance with facts, genuine, real, versus things that are deceptive, illusions that promise peace and happiness. 00:11:37.120 --> 00:11:57.200 You know, one of the things in the concerning trend that I see today, and I think it's been in every day, is we're way more fascinated and way more enamored with what we think about things than what God thinks about things. 00:11:58.240 --> 00:12:11.919 We're way more focused and elevate our thoughts, our feelings, our perspective, or or or what's culturally, politically acceptable than what God says about things. 00:12:12.000 --> 00:12:14.639 When we're wrestling, like what is true? 00:12:15.840 --> 00:12:22.720 What is like really, really true about you and about the world around you? 00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:40.960 Where we begin to go, okay, what if God is the author of life and he did write a book and he actually knows and understands how you were made up, so he could pin something a couple thousand years ago that the best science today actually begins to just uncover as being right and true. 00:12:41.039 --> 00:12:47.840 And you begin to go, you know what, I'm gonna base my life on this instead of adjusting this to my life. 00:12:48.960 --> 00:12:56.000 Where we begin to go, whatever's true, and God, I believe your word is true and good, and speaking life to me. 00:12:56.320 --> 00:13:00.240 Whatever's noble that's worthy of respect inspires all. 00:13:00.480 --> 00:13:06.960 Things that lift my mind from the cheap and tawdri to that which is noble and good and of moral worth. 00:13:07.120 --> 00:13:09.840 Like, think on this, dwell on this. 00:13:10.240 --> 00:13:10.960 Is it noble? 00:13:11.120 --> 00:13:12.799 Is it worthy of respect? 00:13:13.120 --> 00:13:21.919 Whatever's right, just, fair, equitable, that which conforms to the character of God, doing what's right even when it's tempted. 00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:30.320 Like, like, like, are my thoughts moving in the direction of what's fair and what's just alignment with the character of God? 00:13:30.559 --> 00:13:34.000 Whatever's pure, this is having the characteristic of moral purity. 00:13:34.159 --> 00:13:42.240 This Greek word is where we get our word holy from, free from defilement and thought, word and deed, morally uncontained. 00:13:42.480 --> 00:13:50.960 Like, like, are my thoughts right now gravitating toward that's what is pure and holy or lovely? 00:13:51.120 --> 00:13:52.320 I love this word. 00:13:52.559 --> 00:13:57.919 Winsome, beautiful, pleasing, amiable, attractive. 00:13:58.559 --> 00:14:07.679 It pictures those things that call forth a response of love and warmth within us versus bitterness, criticism, and vengeance. 00:14:08.399 --> 00:14:12.399 Whatever's admirable, of good repute, commendable. 00:14:12.720 --> 00:14:21.279 The word literally means fair speaking, and it came to this understanding of things which are fit for God to hear. 00:14:22.240 --> 00:14:31.200 Like, like the thoughts and the things that are in my mind, would would I dare utter them in the presence of God? 00:14:31.360 --> 00:14:36.240 Is it like fit for God to hear versus ugly, false, or impure words? 00:14:36.480 --> 00:14:40.799 Like, do I allow my mind to gravitate, to dwell? 00:14:40.879 --> 00:14:54.159 And and when when it says think on such things, that that word there, it's the um Greek word legisomite, and it's like like literally ponder, dwell, sit with. 00:14:54.720 --> 00:15:08.480 It's in this tense, uh, it's in the passive or in the middle tense, uh, where it's a command for us to think on it, and it's a command upon which where what you're doing, the activity is impacting you. 00:15:09.120 --> 00:15:13.919 It's where as you're doing it, it is having a reciprocated impact on you. 00:15:14.080 --> 00:15:17.679 You're allowing that activity to change and to shape you. 00:15:17.840 --> 00:15:24.000 Where you go, I'm gonna allow my mind and my thoughts to gravitate and to move and to think. 00:15:24.159 --> 00:15:47.279 I'm gonna focus my attention and my thoughts on what is good and true and noble and right because we live in a world of negativity, and negativity sticks like Velcro to our brain, and the more we complain, the more easy it is to do it, and then it infacts our gratitude and our attitude. 00:15:48.399 --> 00:15:51.679 And here's what the Apostle Paul's saying Join. 00:15:52.960 --> 00:15:54.879 It's a daily decision of the mind. 00:15:56.799 --> 00:16:07.200 Fundamentally, ultimately, one of the most important things you do every single day is what do you allow to get into your mind? 00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:11.200 What do you allow your mind to dwell on? 00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:14.080 Where do you allow your thoughts to go? 00:16:15.360 --> 00:16:20.399 Joy and taking joy in a negative world is like it's a decision. 00:16:20.559 --> 00:16:28.960 We get to decide what goes into our brain is a daily decision of the mind. 00:16:30.240 --> 00:16:36.240 And so let me just give you out of this just a few practical applications. 00:16:36.480 --> 00:16:41.039 How you can take joy in such a negative world around you. 00:16:41.200 --> 00:16:45.919 The first thing we need to do is we actually need to pay attention to what has our attention. 00:16:46.159 --> 00:16:48.320 Pay attention to what has your attention. 00:16:48.480 --> 00:16:53.919 A lot of times we don't even recognize what has our attention, what we're dwelling on. 00:16:54.080 --> 00:16:58.559 If I had to ask you, like, like what have you been dwelling on and thinking on? 00:16:58.639 --> 00:17:00.720 And some of you are like, well, I know what I've been dwelling on. 00:17:00.799 --> 00:17:08.880 I got this massive work project coming up, or I know I, you know, it's finals week for a lot of our college students right now, and your high school students are going into finals coming up. 00:17:09.119 --> 00:17:15.279 Like, I'm thinking on school and what's happening there, or there's, you know, there's a relational rift. 00:17:15.599 --> 00:17:17.519 I'm struggling with what's going on. 00:17:17.680 --> 00:17:19.839 I have this issue with a coworker. 00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:26.319 And pay attention to what has your attention because it brings life or death. 00:17:26.480 --> 00:17:39.039 In fact, the apostle Paul says it this way in Romans 8, verse 8 Those who live according to the flesh have their mindset on what the flesh desires, but those who live according to the spirit, they have their mind set on what the spirit desires. 00:17:39.119 --> 00:17:46.000 Now notice the mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the spirit is life and peace. 00:17:46.160 --> 00:17:52.960 There is a direction of our mind that brings death, that brings anxiety, that that brings a heartache and pain. 00:17:53.039 --> 00:17:56.640 There's a direction of our mind that brings life and peace. 00:17:56.880 --> 00:17:59.920 Pay attention to what has your attention. 00:18:00.079 --> 00:18:04.160 And by the way, if you're wrestling with what has your attention, just do this for me real quick. 00:18:04.319 --> 00:18:05.920 Open up, pull out your phone. 00:18:08.240 --> 00:18:14.480 And then just check on your there exactly what app you spend the most time on. 00:18:16.000 --> 00:18:25.359 Because honestly, for many of us, not all of us in this room, most of what has our attention has something to do like this, right? 00:18:25.839 --> 00:18:28.799 And I just closed a bunch of apps on my phone. 00:18:30.799 --> 00:18:31.359 Right? 00:18:31.599 --> 00:18:41.519 And you look at it, and what has your attention is whatever Instagram thing or whatever TikTok or whatever it is, and you just keep scrolling and you digest. 00:18:41.920 --> 00:18:42.960 Isn't it amazing? 00:18:43.039 --> 00:18:53.440 We digest so much content constantly, rarely stopping to think, how is that impacting me? 00:18:54.480 --> 00:19:02.160 You know, the the author of Proverbs would write it this way: as a person thinks, so they become. 00:19:02.799 --> 00:19:09.279 We are a product of our thought life, and so be very careful what you think. 00:19:09.680 --> 00:19:13.039 Be aware of what you're thinking about. 00:19:13.359 --> 00:19:18.319 You know, it was a number of years ago, Jenny and I did this, and we do this from time to time. 00:19:18.480 --> 00:19:21.039 Um, we do what's called a media fast. 00:19:21.359 --> 00:19:25.200 Uh, we were doing this, uh, we sometimes do it right at the beginning of the year. 00:19:25.279 --> 00:19:28.319 It's kind of a nice time to kind of restart and have a reset. 00:19:28.640 --> 00:19:30.160 Um, and so we were doing this. 00:19:30.240 --> 00:19:31.119 This is a long time ago. 00:19:31.200 --> 00:19:34.079 Our kids were little, and our kids love Media Fast, by the way. 00:19:34.240 --> 00:19:35.680 They're like, oh, that's terrible. 00:19:35.839 --> 00:19:36.799 Like, are you kidding me? 00:19:36.960 --> 00:19:39.920 Because a media fast is, hey, we're not going to watch any TV. 00:19:40.079 --> 00:19:49.200 Uh, we're we're not going to um, you know, be on our phones and obviously work on our computers and can't get away from that, but you're actually thoughtful about that time. 00:19:49.359 --> 00:19:57.920 So you just don't have the mindless time of, you know, whatever Netflix or Hulu or whatever you watch or stream or you know, the apps that you're on. 00:19:58.400 --> 00:20:03.839 And it was Jenny made this interesting thought uh statement. 00:20:03.920 --> 00:20:12.880 I remember us, we were sitting, we were sitting, we're standing in the kitchen, and it was after like a week of this, and she made said this line to me. 00:20:13.039 --> 00:20:16.720 She's like, you know, I hear God better. 00:20:18.240 --> 00:20:19.920 I hear God better. 00:20:21.839 --> 00:20:32.799 Like, like when you begin to pay attention to what has your attention, you begin to actually cut out some of those things that are just on repeat that we just mindlessly do. 00:20:32.960 --> 00:20:34.880 Honestly, I know this time's busy. 00:20:35.039 --> 00:20:49.359 I know this time is a hurry, I know it's crazy, but if I'm really honest, just about my own schedule and I can complain about it, I can look at the amount of time I spend on my phone that is not productive, and I would have an incredible amount of time back. 00:20:52.960 --> 00:20:59.920 And when we drown out that noise, we can actually hear the voice of God better. 00:21:00.400 --> 00:21:02.880 The voice of God speaking in our life. 00:21:03.039 --> 00:21:08.319 See, joy is a daily decision of the mind, so we have to pay attention to what has our attention. 00:21:08.400 --> 00:21:14.720 And then he is gonna go along the lines of this treat negative thoughts as an enemy. 00:21:14.960 --> 00:21:17.039 Treat negative thoughts as an enemy. 00:21:17.359 --> 00:21:21.920 Remember, I said the Apostle Paul didn't say, Don't think this, don't think that. 00:21:22.079 --> 00:21:24.319 He said, I want you to think this way. 00:21:24.480 --> 00:21:27.119 And this is the reason why in 2 Corinthians he says it this way. 00:21:27.200 --> 00:21:28.319 Uh, next slide, there we go. 00:21:28.400 --> 00:21:41.920 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God what's true and what's right about the world and life and all that around you, and we take captive every thought. 00:21:43.039 --> 00:21:44.880 Well, what do you take captive? 00:21:45.440 --> 00:21:46.000 Enemies. 00:21:46.160 --> 00:21:47.359 You take captive enemies. 00:21:47.440 --> 00:21:51.200 We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 00:21:51.359 --> 00:21:52.640 We identify that thought. 00:21:52.799 --> 00:21:54.160 Is it a good thought? 00:21:54.319 --> 00:21:55.599 Is it a right thought? 00:21:55.839 --> 00:21:58.880 Is it uh good, noble, true? 00:21:59.119 --> 00:22:00.799 Is it Lovely. 00:22:00.960 --> 00:22:02.079 Is it winsome? 00:22:02.400 --> 00:22:04.240 And I'm gonna treat it like an enemy. 00:22:04.319 --> 00:22:05.680 How do you treat an enemy? 00:22:05.920 --> 00:22:09.039 You have an enemy knock on your door, say, Hey, I want to come in and hang out. 00:22:09.119 --> 00:22:10.559 And you go, like, oh, fantastic. 00:22:10.640 --> 00:22:11.279 Come on in. 00:22:11.359 --> 00:22:12.480 Uh, would you like some tea? 00:22:12.880 --> 00:22:13.519 Yeah, absolutely. 00:22:13.599 --> 00:22:14.079 Let's sit down. 00:22:14.160 --> 00:22:14.880 Let's have some tea. 00:22:15.039 --> 00:22:15.920 Hey, you know what? 00:22:16.079 --> 00:22:17.200 It was kind of wet out there. 00:22:17.279 --> 00:22:18.079 Would you like to stay over? 00:22:18.160 --> 00:22:19.279 Stay the night, you know, hang out. 00:22:19.359 --> 00:22:21.279 And all of a sudden you say, Oh, you know what? 00:22:21.359 --> 00:22:23.119 Why don't you just live here for a bit? 00:22:24.799 --> 00:22:27.599 But we do that with our thinking. 00:22:29.519 --> 00:22:38.160 There's thoughts and patterns of thought that you've allowed into your heart and mind that is negative and destructive, and it is from the enemy. 00:22:38.240 --> 00:22:49.119 And instead of taking it captive, identifying and paying attention to it and bringing it unto Christ and identifying whether it's good or true or right, you just simply live with it and begin to believe that it is true. 00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:52.000 Well, what are negative thoughts? 00:22:53.279 --> 00:22:56.319 Well, go back and just begin to look at the list. 00:22:56.640 --> 00:22:58.079 Well, is it true? 00:22:58.319 --> 00:23:00.240 If it's not, it's a negative thought. 00:23:00.319 --> 00:23:00.960 Is it noble? 00:23:01.039 --> 00:23:01.519 Is it right? 00:23:01.680 --> 00:23:04.160 Is it just or fair or pure? 00:23:05.440 --> 00:23:08.480 Is it critical or complaining? 00:23:08.960 --> 00:23:10.640 Or condescending? 00:23:17.279 --> 00:23:18.960 Take it captive. 00:23:22.640 --> 00:23:30.000 Anything that's not true, you begin to go, no, I am not going to allow that into my mind. 00:23:31.519 --> 00:23:50.400 You know what's interesting is the we've talked about the big context that the Apostle Paul was writing from Rome in prison, facing his uh eventual execution, to a church in Philippi that was undergoing their own uh suffering for their following Christ. 00:23:51.039 --> 00:23:59.920 But the immediate context of this choosing joy actually had to do with an interpersonal conflict in the church between two ladies. 00:24:00.160 --> 00:24:02.960 You just read a few verses earlier, you'll see it. 00:24:04.400 --> 00:24:11.359 Isn't it interesting that some of our negative thoughts that we need to take captive are thoughts that we're thinking about other people? 00:24:13.680 --> 00:24:21.200 And when you begin to embrace some of those thoughts of like it's a relational conflict around this time, isn't it true? 00:24:21.359 --> 00:24:28.640 That just steals or takes away your joy, and you begin to obsess and you think about it, and you just begin to go and spiral down. 00:24:30.960 --> 00:24:32.000 Take it captive. 00:24:32.079 --> 00:24:44.079 Don't allow it, don't allow a story to be told that begins to affect your emotions, that then begins to shift the way you see another human, another image bearer of the God most high, take it captive. 00:24:44.240 --> 00:24:55.440 In fact, this Philippians passage, what finally, brothers and sisters, whatever's true, noble, that passage is where we get this relational question that I've asked so many times throughout the years. 00:24:55.839 --> 00:24:59.119 If you've been around for a long time, you've heard me say this. 00:24:59.359 --> 00:25:00.640 It's a powerful question. 00:25:00.799 --> 00:25:06.000 In fact, sometimes it's a great question that helps us identify some of these thoughts. 00:25:06.240 --> 00:25:10.160 And the question is, what's the most generous explanation for their behavior? 00:25:10.319 --> 00:25:12.240 It's a great relational question, by the way. 00:25:12.400 --> 00:25:16.880 What's the most generous uh explanation for their behavior? 00:25:17.119 --> 00:25:24.079 Because a negative thought, a negative bias is gonna give them the worst explanation for their behavior. 00:25:24.240 --> 00:25:26.160 Why did they cut you off as they were driving? 00:25:26.480 --> 00:25:28.240 Because they're jerks. 00:25:28.880 --> 00:25:29.519 Right? 00:25:29.759 --> 00:25:31.440 I mean, that that's where I go. 00:25:31.599 --> 00:25:32.640 Maybe you don't go there. 00:25:32.720 --> 00:25:34.640 I'm like, that jerk, how could they? 00:25:34.720 --> 00:25:35.359 What were they thinking? 00:25:35.519 --> 00:25:37.200 Well, what's the most generous explanation? 00:25:37.440 --> 00:25:39.279 Well, maybe there's an emergency going on. 00:25:39.440 --> 00:25:42.079 Maybe, maybe they're on their way to the hospital. 00:25:42.240 --> 00:25:43.200 Maybe I don't know. 00:25:43.279 --> 00:25:44.720 You're like, Ryan, they're not. 00:25:44.880 --> 00:25:46.000 You don't know. 00:25:47.839 --> 00:25:54.880 But here's what we do all the time is we give ourselves the most generous explanation and we give other people the worst explanation. 00:25:56.880 --> 00:26:10.799 He says, take captive that thought because it will send you down into a spiral, and then you begin to act out those things and the stories we tell that are not true or noble, and you get worked up in it. 00:26:10.960 --> 00:26:12.160 He says, hello. 00:26:12.799 --> 00:26:17.119 Treat a negative thought like an enemy. 00:26:17.279 --> 00:26:21.359 Pay attention to what has your attention, treat a negative thought like an enemy. 00:26:21.440 --> 00:26:26.160 I am not gonna allow you in, I'm not going to sit on this, I'm not gonna dwell on it. 00:26:26.319 --> 00:26:27.680 So then what do we need to do? 00:26:27.920 --> 00:26:30.880 Well, change the playlist of your thought life. 00:26:31.119 --> 00:26:33.759 Change the playlist of your thought life. 00:26:34.559 --> 00:26:39.519 Whatever's true, whatever's noble, whatever's right. 00:26:39.920 --> 00:26:41.359 Change the playlist. 00:26:41.599 --> 00:26:44.640 What's on repeat in your thought life right now? 00:26:45.920 --> 00:26:47.599 What's on repeat? 00:26:47.920 --> 00:27:02.079 See, I think some of the negative self-talk, it had it came from uh maybe a parent, it came from maybe a something as a kid that you heard, and what's on repeat right now is I'm no good, I'm not worthy. 00:27:02.960 --> 00:27:05.920 You begin to have these thoughts. 00:27:06.960 --> 00:27:12.160 You're like, no, no, no, you need to change the playlist of your thought life. 00:27:12.400 --> 00:27:18.880 Uh this last week, um, not this last week, but in the last few weeks, uh, what is it? 00:27:19.039 --> 00:27:20.319 Uh not Pandora. 00:27:20.400 --> 00:27:21.359 I'm a Pandora guy. 00:27:21.440 --> 00:27:22.880 Spotify, yeah, Spotify. 00:27:23.119 --> 00:27:24.400 Anybody a Pandora person? 00:27:24.640 --> 00:27:25.200 Anybody? 00:27:25.599 --> 00:27:27.759 Okay, I'm the only 2010 in here. 00:27:27.839 --> 00:27:28.240 I got it. 00:27:28.400 --> 00:27:28.960 No, good. 00:27:29.039 --> 00:27:32.240 There was a few of us last service which I felt really at home. 00:27:32.559 --> 00:27:40.559 But Spotify came out with their wrapped list, you know, like, hey, here's here's what you listen to the entire year. 00:27:40.720 --> 00:27:43.599 Well, since I'm not a Spotify person, I I didn't get one. 00:27:43.680 --> 00:27:49.119 Uh, and so I asked Rolman, our youth pastor, if I could use his, and he graciously obliged. 00:27:49.200 --> 00:27:54.559 I'm not sure why, but here's his wrapped list of uh 2022. 00:27:56.240 --> 00:28:06.480 And yes, you read that right that Mariah Carey's Fantasy was his number one song of the year, played 172 times. 00:28:09.200 --> 00:28:14.799 In 2022, there was a total of 54,786 minutes air time. 00:28:15.119 --> 00:28:18.960 It's more than 93% of other listeners in the United States. 00:28:19.119 --> 00:28:20.079 We'll talk about that later. 00:28:20.160 --> 00:28:20.480 Ron. 00:28:20.880 --> 00:28:22.079 Uh, top songs. 00:28:22.240 --> 00:28:28.400 Well, Mariah Fantasy, and then you have Bibbio, and then, oh well, we got Mariah again with DJ Khaled. 00:28:28.720 --> 00:28:29.519 Awesome there. 00:28:29.599 --> 00:28:33.440 Um, and then Lord, and then oh, the Joy King's Kaleidoscope. 00:28:33.519 --> 00:28:36.480 We got a Christian one that uh made it on to the list. 00:28:39.599 --> 00:28:40.880 But I love this. 00:28:41.119 --> 00:28:45.119 Well, not necessarily this, I mean Mariah's okay right now, it's Christmas time. 00:28:45.200 --> 00:28:46.720 You can listen to Mariah right now, okay? 00:28:49.680 --> 00:28:57.279 But what I love is Spotify gives you, here was your playlist. 00:28:58.160 --> 00:29:11.839 And sometimes we don't recognize the repeated thoughts that we have just come to live with and embrace and hold, and it's on repeat, and because it's on repeat and repeat, we just it becomes background noise. 00:29:12.000 --> 00:29:24.000 I know that 54,000 of those minutes was just background noise as Roland was going about his life, and I do the same thing, and yet we don't recognize that background noise is shaping us. 00:29:28.559 --> 00:29:41.119 Let me ask you, if you had to come up with your top five thoughts that are on repeat, what would they be? 00:29:42.000 --> 00:29:46.880 In fact, this week, maybe even today, maybe in this moment, would you write that down? 00:29:46.960 --> 00:29:49.039 Would you go, oh, that's that thought? 00:29:49.440 --> 00:29:53.119 You just begin to go, that is the thought. 00:29:54.400 --> 00:29:58.799 Where do you need to change the playlist of your life? 00:30:00.640 --> 00:30:08.160 The Apostle Paul in Romans chapter 12, verse 2, would say it this way: Do not conform to the pattern of this world. 00:30:08.240 --> 00:30:10.000 Don't be molded, don't be pressed in. 00:30:10.079 --> 00:30:15.440 Don't allow the world to have its shaping influence, the negative pull on you. 00:30:15.599 --> 00:30:16.799 How do you cultivate joy? 00:30:16.880 --> 00:30:17.920 Don't be conformed. 00:30:18.000 --> 00:30:19.359 Instead, be transformed. 00:30:19.440 --> 00:30:22.799 Again, this uh verb here is in the passive again. 00:30:22.880 --> 00:30:25.519 It's allow yourself to be transformed. 00:30:25.759 --> 00:30:26.240 How? 00:30:26.559 --> 00:30:29.359 By the renewing of your mind. 00:30:29.519 --> 00:30:36.640 What you put into your mind actually forms and transforms who you are for good or for ill. 00:30:37.920 --> 00:30:43.440 Then your life will be able to test and improve what God's will is, his good, pleasing, and perfect will. 00:30:44.640 --> 00:30:56.960 There's a reason that I talked to us about memorizing this scripture, and it wasn't just because, oh, that's a nice thing to do or that's a church thing to do, because what you put into your mind, what you memorize and what you meditate on will shape you. 00:30:57.920 --> 00:30:58.960 It will transform you. 00:31:00.960 --> 00:31:02.960 What's the playlist for you? 00:31:05.039 --> 00:31:06.799 Well, how do we begin to change it? 00:31:06.880 --> 00:31:10.240 I I just want to give you one simple way that I've changed it. 00:31:10.559 --> 00:31:15.839 It's a tool that is so cheap and yet so powerful. 00:31:16.000 --> 00:31:17.359 It's three by five cards. 00:31:18.559 --> 00:31:20.319 And I just have a bunch of these. 00:31:20.720 --> 00:31:24.640 I brought two and I just begin to review them. 00:31:26.480 --> 00:31:30.559 I just, I mean, every morning, I just pull them out. 00:31:30.720 --> 00:31:34.240 It's part of my rhythm, and just begin to review them. 00:31:34.319 --> 00:31:35.519 You know, it's interesting. 00:31:35.680 --> 00:31:51.200 Uh, the reason we don't say don't do these sort of things, or the Apostle Paul said, don't think about those sort of things, instead of do this, is there's something intrinsic about us as humans is called, we have a this um a it's called target fixation. 00:31:51.839 --> 00:31:57.039 Is whatever you focus on, you naturally gravitate towards. 00:31:57.759 --> 00:32:08.720 And that's why, like, they don't tell pilots, don't hit the mountains, because they're gonna more likely hit the mountains if they're focused on not hitting the mountains. 00:32:10.079 --> 00:32:13.279 And we do this driving in all sorts of ways. 00:32:14.319 --> 00:32:28.480 See, when you just begin to change the playlist and change your thought and begin to focus on this, you naturally begin to start to gravitate towards and begin to move in that direction. 00:32:30.160 --> 00:32:31.839 Simple tool, three by five cards. 00:32:31.920 --> 00:32:40.720 Here's one that a mentor of mine, a quote that actually Dallas Willard said to him, that's been wrecking me, and I'm going, I want to figure out how to gravitate towards this. 00:32:40.960 --> 00:32:47.119 You must arrange your days so that you are experiencing deep contentment, joy, and confidence in your everyday life with God. 00:32:47.920 --> 00:32:49.039 I'm like, man. 00:32:49.200 --> 00:32:51.039 We're gonna talk more about that in the new year. 00:32:51.200 --> 00:32:57.599 You must arrange your days so that you're experiencing deep contentment and joy, deep contentment, joy, and confidence in your everyday life with God. 00:32:57.759 --> 00:33:00.960 I just begin to review that, reset daily. 00:33:01.279 --> 00:33:08.720 Uh Colossians chapter 3 is a chapter that I'm working on memorizing right now, just getting it in my heart and mind. 00:33:08.960 --> 00:33:21.920 And so I have half of the chapter on my three by five card here, but it says, since then you've been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 00:33:22.079 --> 00:33:26.000 Then it goes on, set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 00:33:26.079 --> 00:33:26.400 Why? 00:33:26.559 --> 00:33:30.000 For you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 00:33:30.079 --> 00:33:34.799 And when Christ appears, who is your life, you also will appear with him in glory. 00:33:34.960 --> 00:33:41.759 I'm like, I want to get God's word into my heart and into my mind, and I'm just gonna have it on repeat on loop. 00:33:41.920 --> 00:33:46.000 It's really not that hard, and it doesn't cost you a lot. 00:33:47.119 --> 00:33:48.559 What's the playlist? 00:33:49.039 --> 00:33:50.720 What's on repeat? 00:33:51.359 --> 00:33:53.519 How do you cultivate joy? 00:33:53.920 --> 00:33:57.279 You gotta pay attention to what has your attention. 00:33:59.839 --> 00:34:02.000 You gotta treat negative thoughts as an enemy. 00:34:02.079 --> 00:34:06.240 I am not letting you have a seat at the table in my mind. 00:34:08.000 --> 00:34:09.679 I need to change the playlist. 00:34:09.920 --> 00:34:10.480 How about you? 00:34:10.559 --> 00:34:11.599 What's your playlist? 00:34:12.800 --> 00:34:13.679 This week. 00:34:14.000 --> 00:34:16.079 Would you splurge on some three by five cards? 00:34:16.239 --> 00:34:17.199 I know, it's crazy. 00:34:17.360 --> 00:34:19.199 I mean, it might cost you a buck twenty-five. 00:34:19.599 --> 00:34:22.800 Only thing that didn't get hit with inflation was three by five cards. 00:34:28.639 --> 00:34:30.559 And you just start to review them. 00:34:33.840 --> 00:34:44.159 And you'll begin to see this shift slowly of your heart, of your mind, of your thoughts. 00:34:46.400 --> 00:34:48.000 God, thanks for my friends. 00:34:48.239 --> 00:34:49.519 Thanks for this time. 00:34:52.159 --> 00:34:56.960 Thank you for your grace in our lives. 00:34:59.039 --> 00:35:07.599 God, I just ask right now, as your word is so clear and so powerful, and it's so helpful. 00:35:08.639 --> 00:35:09.840 So helpful. 00:35:11.840 --> 00:35:25.760 Would you give us the unction to get just some three by five cards and start getting your word in our heart and mind to change the playlist of our lives. 00:35:26.079 --> 00:35:28.400 In Jesus' name, amen. 00:35:29.679 --> 00:35:32.000 We hope you are blessed by this message. 00:35:32.159 --> 00:35:36.639 Please subscribe to our podcast for access to every episode as they're uploaded. 00:35:36.800 --> 00:35:38.880 And hey, we'd love to connect with you. 00:35:39.039 --> 00:35:44.960 Take a next step by filling out our virtual connection card at awakeningchurch.com slash card.