Change the Language of Your Mind - Part 5
Wisdom From Above!

Psalm 1:1-3 NLT
The Source of Your Wisdom Will Determine The Course of Your Life

The source of wisdom:

• God’s speaking voice
  
  • Genesis 1 – “God said, God saw!”
    
  • Hebrews 1:3 “…and upholding all things by the word of His power …”
    
  • Defined as that which is from above
    
• James 3:13-18
  
  • Wisdom that is earthly – natural – demonic
  • True and False Wisdom:
    
    • These verses show the difference between men’s pretending to be wise, and really being so.
      
    • There is an earthly wisdom which springs from the natural man and produces bitter envying and strife in the heart.
  • Worldly Wisdom’s fruit:
    
    • envy
      
    • self-seeking
      
    • confusion
      
    • every evil thing
• Earthly
  • Wisdom originating of the earth, worldly
    
  • conventional wisdom
    
  • Colossians 2:8 “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”
    
  • Philosophy: a love and pursuit of wisdom by intellectual means and moral self-discipline.
    
  • The investigation of causes and laws underlying reality.
• Natural
  • Human wisdom, our own created thoughts and conclusions, carnal.
    
  • God created us with the ability to produce thoughts independent of another source.
    
  • James 4:4 “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?”
• 
  
  
• Demonic
  • James 4:7 “Resist the devil and he will flee!”
    
  • John 8:44 “He is the father of lies.”
    
  • Revelation 12:10 “He is the accuser of the brethren.”
    
  • “Screwtape Letters” by C.S. Lewis
    
  • “Conspiracy” = (The Jewish Solution)
    
  • “Mr. Holland’s Opus”

Oh let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous:
For the righteous God tries the hearts and minds.
Psalm 7:9

James 3:13-18
Godly Wisdom’s fruit:

• pure
  
• peaceable
  
• gentle
  
• willing to yield
  
• “Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”
• full of mercy
  
• full of good fruits
  
• without partiality
  
• without hypocrisy

You do what you believe!
You believe what you meditate on!

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. Philippians 4:8

II Corinthians 10:5b
...bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. NKJ
We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. NLT

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Romans 12:1-2 NLT

A world at enmity with God! James 4:4

Change the Language of Your Mind - Part 4
You Do What You Believe!

Psalm 1:1-3
The Source of Your Wisdom Will Determine The Course of Your Life

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
Philippians 4:8

Kill the ANT’s (Automatic Negitive Thoughts) – Feed the anteater

• Your thoughts really matter! Control the ANTs or they will control your life.
  
• Whenever you notice ANTs, you need to crush them or they’ll affect your relation-ships, your work, and your entire life.

You can kill the ANT’s

• “Always/never” thinking
  
• Focusing on the negative
  
• Fortune-telling
  
• Mind reading
  
• Thinking with your feelings
• Guilt
  
• Labeling
  
• Personalizing
  
• Blaming

Kill the ANT’s – Feed the anteater

• First you need to notice them.
  
  • If you can catch them at the moment they occur and correct them, you take away the power they have over you.
    
  • When a negative thought goes unchallenged, your mind believes it and your body reacts to it.
• ANTs have an illogical logic.
  
• By bringing them into the open and examining them on a conscious level, you can see for yourself how little sense it really makes to think these kinds of things to yourself.
  
• You take back control over your own life.

II Corinthians 10:5b

• “. . . bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” NKJ
  
• “We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.” NLT

Most people don’t change because they see the light, they change because they don’t like the heat!

King and Character

• Story of King Saul – I Samuel 9-10-11
  
  • A king lacking character
    
  • A king with unrealized potential
    
  • A king that does what he believes
    
• The Gilgal failure – I Samuel 13:9-14
  
• Deceptions conclusion – I Samuel 28:6-7

Truth

• It is not a projection of some artificial ethical system.
  
• Truth is a manifestation of the way things actually are, reality as perceived by God.
  
• A passion for truth, then, is a passion for clear-eyed, sane and sensible, rubber-meets-the-road reality.
• Truth is believable
  
  • because it squares with the world as it actually is and with us as we actually are.
    
• Truth is:
  
  • Objective
    
  • Consistent
    
  • Balanced
    
  • Accessible
  • Knowable
    
  • Comprehensible
    
  • Dependable
    
  • Predictable
    
  • Unchangeable

Change the Language of Your Mind - Part 3
Check the Source

Galatians 4:19 & II Corinthians 11:3

The Source of Your Wisdom Will Determine The Course of Your Life
Psalm 1:1-3

Divine Sarcasm
Isaiah 44:13-17

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Romans 12:1-2 NLT

The Mind (Biblical anthropology)

• Romans 12:2 “. . . be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
• mind – <Gk> nous = the intellect, (in thought, feeling, or will) – understanding.
  
• Intellect =
  
  • the ability to learn and reason
    
  • the capacity for knowledge and understanding
    
  • the ability to think abstractly or profoundly
• Matthew 22:37 “Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’”
  
• heart – <Gk> kardia = denotes the center of all physical and spiritual life
  
• soul – <Gk> psucheô = the breath of life, the vital force which animates the body
  
• mind – <Gk> dianoia = channel of deep thought, imagination, mind, understanding

II Corinthians 10:5b
... bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” NKJ
“We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.” NLT

Taking every thought captive!

• STEP 1 - Realize that your thoughts are real:
  
  • You have a thought.
    
  • Your brain releases chemicals.
    
    • An electrical transmission goes across your brain.
      
    • You become aware of what you’re thinking.
      
• They have a real impact on how you feel and how you behave.
  
• Developing RUT’s
  
  • Rehearsing unhealthy thoughts

The Mind (Biblical use)

• mind – <Gk> dianoia
  
• channel of deep thought
  
• imagination
  
• understanding
  
• STEP 1 - Realize that your thoughts are real!

Taking every thought captive!

• STEP 2 – Notice how negative thoughts affect your body.
  
• STEP 3 – Notice how positive thoughts affect your body.
• STEP 4 – Notice how your body reacts to every thought you have.
• STEP 5 – Think of bad thoughts as pollution.
  
• STEP 6 – Understand that your automatic thoughts don’t always tell the truth.
  
• STEP 7 – You can kill the ANTs.
  
  • Like ants at a picnic, crush them immediately or they can ruin your relationships, your self-esteem, and your personal power.

Automatic Negative Thoughts

Summary of ANT Species:

• “Always/never” thinking
  
• Focusing on the negative
  
• Fortune-telling
  
• Mind reading
  
• Thinking with your feelings
  
• Guilt
  
• Labeling
  
• Personalizing
  
• Blaming

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. Philippians 4:8

Change the Language of Your Mind - Transformation

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:1-2 NKJ

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Romans 12:1-2 NLT

The Mind (Biblical anthropology)

• Romans 12:2 “. . . be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
• mind – <Gk> nous = the intellect, (in thought, feeling, or will) – understanding.
  • Intellect =
    • the ability to learn and reason
    • the capacity for knowledge and understanding
    • the ability to think abstractly or profoundly
• Matthew 22:37 “Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’”
• heart – <Gk> kardia = denotes the center of all physical and spiritual life
• soul – <Gk> psucheô = the breath of life, the vital force which animates the body
• mind – <Gk> dianoia = channel of deep thought, imagination, mind, understanding

II Corinthians 10:5b

• NKJ “. . . bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ”
• NLT “We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.”

ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts)
Change Your Brain - Change Your Life" by Dr. Daniel Amen

• “You never listen to me.”
• “Just because we had a good year in business doesn’t mean anything.”
  
• “You don’t like me.”
  
• “This situation is not going to work out. I know something bad will happen.”
  
• “I feel as though you don’t care about me.”
  
• “I should have done much better. I’m a failure.”
  
• “You’re arrogant.”
  
• “You’re late because you don’t care.”
  
• “It’s your fault.”

Taking every thought captive!

• STEP 1 - Realize that your thoughts are real:
  
  • You have a thought.
    
  • Your brain releases chemicals.
    
    • An electrical transmission goes across your brain.
      
    • You become aware of what you’re thinking.
      
• They have a real impact on how you feel and how you behave.
  
• Developing RUT’s
  
• Rehearsing unhealthy thoughts

The Mind (Biblical use)

• mind – <Gk> dianoia
  
• channel of deep thought
  
• imagination
  
• understanding
  
• STEP 1 - Realize that your thoughts are real!

Taking every thought captive!

• STEP 2 – Notice how negative thoughts affect your body.
  
• STEP 3 – Notice how positive thoughts affect your body.
  
• STEP 4 – Notice how your body reacts to every thought you have.
• STEP 5 – Think of bad thoughts as pollution.
  
• STEP 6 – Understand that your automatic thoughts don’t always tell the truth.
  
• STEP 7 – You can kill the ANTs.
  
  • Like ants at a picnic, crush them immediately or they can ruin your relationships, your self-esteem, and your personal power.

ANT 1: “Always/never” thinking
This happens when you think something that happened will “always” repeat itself, or that you’ll “never” get what you want.
All-or-nothing words (absolutes) like always, never, no one, every one, every time, every-thing are usually wrong.

ANT 2: Focusing on the negative
This occurs when your thoughts reflect only the bad in a situation and ignore any of the good.
(Pollyanna attitude helps)

ANT 3: Fortune-telling
This is where you predict the worst possible outcome to a situation.
Self-fulfilling prophecy!
(If you could see the future????)

ANT 4: Mind reading
This happens when you believe that you know what other people are thinking even when they haven’t told you.

ANT 5: Thinking with your feelings
This occurs when you believe your negative feelings without ever questioning them.
Look for the evidence behind a feeling.

ANT 6: Guilt
Guilt beatings happen when you think with words like should, must, ought, or have to.
Because of human nature, whenever we think that we must do something, no matter what it is, we often don’t want to do it.

ANT 7: Labeling
Whenever you attach a negative label to yourself or to someone else, you stop your ability to take a clear look at the situation and can become unable to deal with yourself or others reasonably or unique individuals.

ANT 8: Personalizing
Personalizing occurs when you invest innocuous events with personal meaning.
Reality: You never fully know why people do what they do.

ANT 9: Blaming
When you blame something or someone else for the problems in your life, you become a passive victim of circumstances and you make it very difficult to do anything to change your situation.

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” Philippians 4:8