Bible Text: 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 | Preacher: Pastor Steve | Series: Transformed Living
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. And after you have become fully obedient, we will punish everyone who remains disobedient.
We are in a battle, and it is a battle for our minds
Learning to take captive every thought!
Don’t believe or receive every thought!
Jeremiah 17:9 The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?  But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.
2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith.
We are going to have to learn to test our thoughts:
By the Holy Spirit
By the Word of God
By our circumstances
By the counsel of others
By the peace of God
By our common sense
By our intelligence
By our patience
Guard our minds against trash!
Proverbs 15:14 A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash.
Garbage in and garbage out
Brain food: healthy food; information that improves our lives; Word of God; interaction with others in small groups; prayer; worship; sharing
Junk food: empty mental calories; may be harmful or not harmful; there is no real benefit
Toxic food: ungodly things that poison our brain: evil, pornography, cultic literature; false beliefs;
Psalm 101:3-8 I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar. I hate all who deal crookedly; I will have nothing to do with them.
I will reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil.
I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors. I will not endure conceit and pride.  I will search for faithful people to be my companions. Only those who are above reproach will be allowed to serve me. I will not allow deceivers to serve in my house, and liars will not stay in my presence. My daily task will be to ferret out the wicked and free the city of the Lord from their grip.
Protect our minds from toxicity!
Philippians 4:8-9 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.
Replacing our thoughts rather than resisting our thoughts
Always be a STUDENT of God’s Word!
Decide to never stop learning!
Proverbs 18:15 Intelligent people are always ready to learn. Their ears are open for knowledge.
Proverbs 10:14 Wise people store up knowledge, but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.
Proverbs 19:8 To acquire wisdom is to love oneself; people who cherish understanding will prosper.
Never think that you have enough knowledge and understanding that you no longer need to listen to others!
Learning to ask questions rather than make statements
Arrogance and presumption can be the enemies to healthy thinking!
Renewing our minds daily with God’s Word!
Romans 12:1-2 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 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. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
Studies have shown that what we put into our minds in the first 15 minutes of every day will determine the mood and attitude for the rest of our day.
Start each day with the GOOD NEWS of God’s Word!
John 14:15-17 If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive Him, because it isn’t looking for Him and doesn’t recognize Him. But you do, because He lives with you now and later will be in you.
Transformation means that we are FORMED, FILLED and LED by the Holy Spirit.
We need to allow the Holy Spirit to transform us:
2 Corinthians 3:17-18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
It is NEVER too late to change: 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
God promises to give us a NEW heart, NEW way of thinking: Ezekiel 18:31-32 Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.
God transforms our lives when JESUS LIVES in our hearts: Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!  You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.