Thinking Our Way to Success - Part 1

Welcome to this weekend. Intensified Katherine's outstanding certain if you're on your way to achieving what God has in mind for you today will learn how to stay on track and thrive as the series success God's way.

Continue L mind is the organ about with it. We think we know we imagine we remember we understand every single thing that you see around you began first. All the thought, all of the creation was, first of all, of thought in the mind of God. Every material and physical thing, created by man first began with a thought in the mind of man Al thoughts determine whether we succeed or whether we fail in life, that's how. Also how powerful these thought impulses are. They determine whether we succeed or what we fail in life.

The title of this message is thinking our way to success. I want you turn if you will, the Philippians chapter 4, he says father in verse eight of chapter 4 finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good report, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things. Let your mind dwell on these very positive characteristics now when I think about the whole idea of thinking your way to success. I want us to think about the fact.

First of all, if we going to succeed in life. We have to recognize the power of our thoughts. The Bible says that we are the result of the way we think we are the result of what we think and that our minds of the compilations of all these things we been thinking about the apostle Paul certainly believe that because if you recall, he said in Philippians chapter 2 that fifth verse he said listen this let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. What was he referring to is talking about the character price and he goes on to talk about how Jesus was and had the spirit of a servant. So he said let this mind be in you which was also in him which was the spirit of a servant.

Now what is he say this is the way you used to live. But now you don't think that way. And the more he says, consider yourself dead to those things. Yvonne did something I don't think about when he says lay something aside.

He means don't think about that and more than allow that in your life anymore. So when you think about the power thoughts.

Paul is stating in different ways. The fact that our thoughts will determine our character. Those thoughts that we allowed to lay there those thoughts that we allowed to just abide there those thoughts that we allow in our Montana heart. Those things that we think about we dwell on those things. He said will own these good characteristics because that's what your character will be like, and so when you think about how important our thoughts are. First of all, the way we think determines our character. The second thing I want you notice about how important it is. Is this that is, that determines the decisions we make in life the way we think and what we think determines the decisions that you and I make in life now when you think about that I think about it this way that my mind is the steering wheel of my life the way I think about life and myself, and circumstances is the way I'm going to be God. That is my body and my actions and my attitudes are going to be governed by the way, I think very important because our thought impulses are powerful, they influence and impact every aspect of our life there. The sum total of what we are today. What we going to be tomorrow is the result of the way with thinking today.

Therefore, our thoughts determine our actions and when we think in terms of the decisions we make every decision you and I make in life is a result of the way with thinking at that moment about the decision about those circumstances about ourselves are all the things that we see or think that are involved in the decision because you seek the thoughts you are not holding our minds will govern our actions and our attitude. Listen carefully who decides how you think about yourself unit you are not responsible for the way we think about ourselves. We have the choice of thinking good thoughts about ourselves. We have the choice of thinking bad thoughts about ourselves. You say, but when people reject you. They treat you this when they treat you double you know you don't have to accept their treatment.

You don't have to think the way they think about you if we allow other people to do at thinking for us. We allow them to think in our bed had and we pick up on their thinking, we allow them to drag us down. For example, you go to work in the morning and the you just feeling fantastic and you walk in. The first thing you hit is somebody says this place is a wreck is not dirty place is a bad place to work. I was they get their act together and you know what if we had the decent employers and they treat us right in and they care anything about is that all you give us some work with.

I'm really ashamed about this, but you know what everybody chimes in that next thing you know you know what you go missing. Yeah that's right yeah that's exactly you this is a will, you know, probably to get me another job and what's happened is you've allowed somebody else's thinking to get into your mind and you didn't say I think I will think the way they think.

I think I will choose the thing, the weather think know you allowed your mind to absorb and come to the service. Next thing you know you parenting stuff that you aren't even thinking whatsoever. Therefore, we have to be careful that someone else does not program at thinking in someone else's thoughts will become out those because what happens is this their thoughts become powerful instruments of negative attitudes that will affect your thinking because of what was that again you cannot see yourself any other way than the way you imagine yourself to be. That is if I think about being a child of God love by government act that way if I think about the fact that I'm rejected by God, not guilt and the wrath of God's coming homage and I'm going to think that way.

Our thoughts are powerful impulses that govern and guide and direct and immediate listen. Any thought allowed to dominate my mind is going to dominate and control my attitudes and my action. Likewise, our thoughts are so powerful they determine our relationships and right they determine our relationship to God. If my thoughts are God is a judge God is keeping score. God knows that I'm not perfect.

I know that I'm guilty he knows that I'm guilty. God is displeased with me because I did read the Bible.

I didn't keep up my Bible study this morning. God is displeased with me because last I was so dead tired. I hit the bed and I was going. I'm just absolutely go.

We can think of a whole lot of negative stuff in our thought patterns about God when I think about people who listen to all kinds of legalistic preaching or teaching and it's browbeating in God is this God's adjudging he's keeping score on the 10 Commandments.

If you not living up to and after while God becomes this awful judge of that. You just wait and the pounce on me but if I see him as a loving father giving in kind and generous and gentle. Then I'm on my relationship with him is going to be different. I'm gonna want to pray because I'm talking the loving father and my relationships to others. If my thoughts about myself are negative. I'm going to expect negative return from them and therefore it's going to be difficult to build any kind of relationships whatsoever because I don't feel like a brother. Don't feel like you won't have a relationship they don't feel like you'd like me don't feel like to be pleasing.

If you knew are all about me that I know about me surely you and like and so therefore our thoughts.

Have an awesome effect upon does not think about how this translates into a relationship between parents and their children when parents save the children, who do you think you are today anyway.

Why do you think you can do that.

I'm ashamed of you. What that parent is doing that parent is injecting therein negative thoughts that will go to that child's mind into their emotions and you know what I'm going to show you those messages over how absolutely awesomely powerful, though any kind of thought is in a person's life and what we don't realize is we don't realize how other people manage us, govern us, God is in our life because we accept thoughts that are destructive, we accept thoughts that are imprisoning, we accept thoughts that put us in the bondage we accept thoughts that steal our freedom and cheetahs out of becoming the persons God wants us to be. So we have to be very careful about those, thoughts now I want to say. Also these thoughts are so powerful they will determine whether you and I succeed or fail in life.

So we said, first of all, they determine our character. They determine the decisions we make these thoughts to determine our relationships in life. They will determine whether you and I succeed or fail in life. Remember real, genuine, true success is achieving this and achieving the goal of becoming the person God wants us to be in accomplishing those goals that God has helped us to set in their life. That's what success is all about. So when Paul says, for example, and not Colossians chapter 3, he says, set your mind on the things above, these is that your amount things about not on the things that are on earth.

Now every single one of us has the privilege of choosing a listen very carefully.

We have the privilege of choosing how we going to think about ourselves. You can see yourself as unattractive and unwanted and undesired.

All you have to do is to start thinking of the way you can see yourself as attractive, desired, and wanted and successful or whatever it might be so how does all this work. Listen carefully when the person begins to think. Let's say for example you have a very definite definite goal. A very definite purpose in your life and that very definite purpose is not simply a purpose but it is a purpose that is mixed with a burning yearning desire to achieve that purpose and you mix that with persistence that you will do, work at it.

No matter what and then you mix that also with faith. You believe that with God's help you going to be able to accomplish that, and you understand that you have the spirit of God living on the inside of you, to enable you my friend. There's no reason you cannot succeed at what ever God called you to do with it as being a godly parent a godly mother, a godly wife or godly husband. After business, the president of the corporation.

Whatever it might be listen, God has given us the desire to succeed. He desires that we succeed and asked success primarily depends upon our thinking. How do I think about these things. What am I to think if it's a God-given desire a God-given goal. I should have a strong desire if it's something God must be to accomplish than I should have a burning desire to get it done and I should be willing to persisted and to trust him and to believe that by the power of the Holy Spirit. He will enable me to do it. I begin to think the way God thinks when I begin to think the way God thinks that all these negative attitudes the way are some people think about think I'm going to think different, because I have the power to choose how I'm going to think. So we go back and ask your question if you had to make a list today of single words. This is the way I think about myself. I mean honestly and genuinely nobody sees your list but you what words would you write down what you want and how would you write down well with think about this way for a moment if a person has a choice of thinking positively and thinking, not simply positive mental attitude but positive faith attitude. Our faith is an Almighty God. If I have a choice of thinking that way I choice of thinking successfully, or choice of thinking without fear and failure. What choice am I going to make is that what anybody's got the sense of make the other know they will. People all around you are controlled by negative thinking. They are dominated by negative thoughts they have allowed negative, sinful, wicked vial thoughts that bring destruction not success in their life. That's the way they think. Then they wonder why they think that receipt. If a person thinks I just don't have anything much, and I guess I'll never will. I guess I'll just you know I see some people out there who successful. They got this the but you know I guess I just never will have those things in life. I guess that's just not in it for me. God just didn't he didn't have me in mind and you just think all that kind of negative stuff. And guess what happened.

Listen your body, your mind, your body, your actions, your attitude, your relationship to other your relationship to God will work out the equivalent to exactly the way you see yourself and think about yourself because that's the law of the imagination. That's the law thinking that's what happens. Our body are actions or attitudes are going ahead and the way we think about our sale.

So if you think I never will. If you think I can eat if you think they'll never happen to me.

Guess what's going happen.

You are going to act out in such a fashion and relate to other people in such a way. The end result is going to be exactly what you think. You say will that's just mind over matter I'm going to show your principal just a moment that is not mind over matter.

We are governed by those laws that God is given us.

Listen, this so simple so profound and wonderful short sentence.

He wrapped it all up when he says as a man thinks in his heart so is he. So how do we act we act out. We live out the way we see ourselves that similar weekends that we made pick ourselves up small obit Samuel do better and change a few things that you don't want. I'm still seeing Marcel that way I will not change. For example, what in the world is the use of heavy on New Year's resolution summarizes what is my New Year's resolution. If the only thing about New Year's resolution is this person is my New Year's resolution is what I'm going to do and so that's what they decide. If you don't change the way you think about what you do and how you do it you know how long that'll last 24 hours one week two weeks on the outside way outside 30 days which I doubt if that would have why because he is the reason those thoughts that we allow to dominate Armand will dominate our actions will matter what I want you to hear that the attitudes the thoughts that dominate Armand the way we think about ourselves. The way we think about things if it dominates, not dominates my actions dominates attitudes dominates the behavior dominates my conduct.

That's what's going to happen. That's what's going to be showing the moment, how the truth that is listening by the apostle Paul problem as you think of the apostle Paul wrote submitted a wonderful things about mind and thoughts. Would you consider the apostle Paul, a success no mistake about it from how old he was when he got say, but remember he got struck down the Damascus road and the spirit of God came upon him, and you recall that the spirit of God filled in and then he knew immediately and even before that, he says it from his mother's womb got a chosen him and so he begins to preach the gospel everywhere he goes he gets in trouble, Jews and Judaizers await glory and he's fighting all the time and so you look at is like you think. How would you consider him a success. Would you consider him a success amen not know. Amen. Success what 2000 years later this man who stayed in trouble with the world is still impacting challenging regarding directing us through the thoughts. God gave him that he passed on to those early churches know they was his success. Absolutely why because he had a definite purpose in life is that the purpose in life was to get the truth of the gospel to the world of his day, and that purpose was a burning desire within him. There was a persistence that made it possible him to be beaten and left Stone up a dead persistence that allowed him to be beaten many times with rods but to keep going, tried to assassinate him many times did not stop him. Nothing they did could possibly stop him and have faith in God that was absolutely unshakable. And when you mix a definite sense of direction, a definite purpose. A burning desire within your heart and you have a persistence to go at it and trusting Almighty God's power than you.

You going to succeed at whatever God has led you to do.

Thank you for listening to thinking our way. To think that we would also like to invite you to join us in celebrating 45 years since God's faithfulness that by InTouch.LIT/45 years to learn more after the presentation of intense ministry, Atlanta, Georgia