I Choose Peace - In a Broken World, Part 2

The most important decision that you and I will make today and every day is what we allowed to go into our mind.

We are the product of our thoughts. Here's the question, how do you filter out the bad ones, and dwell on the good ones that's today living on the thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge with your finger through her Bible teacher. This international discipleship ministry focused on helping Christians look like this program to continue the series I choose peace. Just before we get started, let me encourage you to take a second yellow chips message is going to cover a lot of practical info in this program is all laid out his download this helpful tool. Just go to the broadcasts tab@livingontheedge.org Listener staff fill in the notes that lets joint, your poor, part two of his message in a broken world before I watch listener think is true doesn't honor God. Is it right or wrong.

And next is pure. This is from the same root word is holy means to be set apart means to be free from defilement, sexual and moral purity and thought, word and deed and the question you want to ask is will this cleanse for dirty my soul. Joe would say, and saw in Job 31 one I made a covenant with my eyes.

How then could I gaze lustfully for virgin David in Psalm 101 about verses two and three. He says I've committed before you Lord to live a blameless life and I will set no worthless or bile thing before my eyes. Can can I just just say something and we won't belabor if you have a porn addiction. Just get help. All the research is that it is as addictive as cocaine and trying hard and really intending and wanting to break a porn addiction is not something you probably do on your own. No one else has and produces fears and multiplies into lies and cover up and it's no less addicting than if you were sticking a needle in your arm and it's a pseudo-intimacy that will destroy your relationships, and so God's heart would be what I want you to see sex as holy and pure. The Bible says God made it. He loves it, but the marriage bed should be holy. He wants what you watch, not just porn, but the kind of movies and not just the sexually explicit ones, but what about the ones that think they sort of suck us in by you have this kind of mean guy married to this wonderful gal and she falls in love with someone is really not her husband but he's a nice guy and she's a nice guy. He's a jerk.

We find ourselves rooting for them and their affair and what that does tick tock tick tick tock seed planted the enemies very shrewd. The battle for your life is not out there. The batter was right here, the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly but divinely powerful and we will take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

And that's why if you have a teenage son infecting our day. Now if you have a teenage daughter. You have to open the phones and have a conversation and you need to do it next 2448 hrs. and sit down and talk about your mind is so precious and you are so precious and the kind of addictions and the kind of information in the kind of attacks. No one would take their 12 or 13 or 11-year-old daughter or son or 10-year-old boy and drop them off. You know like in downtown San Jose in the middle the night or downtown Oakland to go catch you later have fun and yet when you don't have filters when you don't have a conversation when you haven't talked about these things is exactly what you're doing kids or die. Ask yourself, will this cleanse, or dirty my soul. Next word is lovely. I like this one attractive when some beautiful pictures things the call for the response of love and warmth versus bitterness, criticism and vengeance.

This is a call to smell the roses to look at a rainbow to watch kids playing in a park to ponder a pleasant memory to pause with the warm embrace.

Put your feet up and read encouraging book yesterday on very excited because it was Friday I played golf a couple times so fun and as I was driving is about 630 in the morning all these puffy clouds and then was already in pink behind them.

How just driving up just like Winston attractive, admirable, all hard happen my phone you know you have the stones work for the display songs are on your phone, you never know which is coming up and out of the blue comes up a song from a 25-year-old young man whose best friends with my son and he died of cancer at 25 and the song came on restore me and I thought back of those memories and I thought back of what God has done and it was just I just begin to ponder his kindness and his sovereignty and his love and beauty and creation gets what is what happened to my motions when's I mean we live close to the ocean. When's the last time you went there once last time you went to the redwoods. Get your face is out of the screens and look at the beauty that God is brought ask yourself this question will this renew or harden my heart. I had come home and we will eat about 10 minutes and looked on Channel 2 and it was like oh my gosh, you get the channel for unit PBS sometimes they'll give you more documentary sort of position.

I found myself disturbed within sad, angry about the injustice in the world, a sense that the world is completely messed up peers, peers, and in 10 minutes and 10 minutes everything bad that happened in the globe which spun my screen and said to me.

I'm telling you, there were hundreds of millions of acts of kindness and children born to people being generous and love given people caring for kids adopted and food given in freshwater people pulled out of the sex trade and all that wonderfulness. I didn't see all I got in 10 minutes was that and it shaped my thinking what you allowed in your mind the last 30 to 45 minutes before you go to bed and what you allow in your mind.

The first 30 minutes of your day will shape your subconscious, your mind you're thinking you're either starving fear and feeding face or you doing the opposite. Finally, he says that which is commendable.

Good repute is as gracious admirable is the meaning of the word literally means there speaking. It describes things which are fit for God here versus ugly words false words and pure words and the test here is could I recommend this to someone who looks up to me right now you don't.

But, by the way if you cut her finger and oh my gosh this would radically change what comes in my house. It also change your fear change are most change your kids if you haven't, but you you have to raise your hands on this and have you ever been watching something in someone's coming down the hall and and before they walk in, you change the channel up. Okay, I'd I did that once we've all been watching something in a little kid is coming in for your mates coming in or something. I don't mean that is terrible but you decide not comfortable with them watching this about this test.

Imagine yourself sitting on, you know, one of those counties with two or three seats and whatever is coming on your phone, your screen, your TV, the Lord Jesus in his resurrected body shows up to say hi, Dylan. I'm just gonna relax a little bit. Watch this great month to download love to have you. Here's a question to ask. Are you comfortable with him sitting next you watching what you're watching you comfortable with a five-year-old for the grandchild.

He finally summarizes and said if there's any virtue or praise network in case I left anything out.

It's sort of a think on anything that has the moral excellence and it will inspire and motivate you to love God and to love others, so everything doesn't have to be spiritual listening to book called the last line is that it's the life of Winston Churchill is fabulously interesting to my car and he picks up look like this. That's why put on audible delivery that I've got like six hours in and I look the other date is only 31 hours left me his courage and what was happening in war and come listening to another book by John Warburg on the life you've always wanted and had night before I go to bed and it just 10, 15, 20, 30 minutes, I'm reading about the life of Martin Luther and just just all I want to fill my life in my mind with good things because I will be the product of my thought life. But it's just not thinking it's an acting habitually practice these things habitually practice these things you learned and received you had an appetite you applied. You heard and Saul.

I gave instruction and I modeled it and here's why. Your thought life determines your right the word future. I don't know what your hopes are, but I'm gonna tell you your future will be determined by your thought life the dreams the passions the joys the thoughts for friends for family or work the Scripture in Romans chapter 8 I put in the amplified because it's so graphic.

Here's a great truth follow along. For those who are living according to the flesh set their minds. Notice the phrase on the things of the flesh which gratify the body, but those are living according to spirit set their minds on the things of the spirit, his will and his purpose. Now the mind on the flesh is death, both now and forever, because it pursues sin, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace.

The spiritual well-being that comes from walking with God, both now and forever the mind of the flesh with its sinful pursuits is actively hostile to God. It doesn't submit itself to God's law, since it cannot, and those who are in the flesh, living a life that caters to sinful appetites and impulses. Notice cannot please God. You can't keep putting things in your mind. And then in your will, oh God, I want to do this transformation always begins with your thinking. Second, how it's the principle of mind renewal. The principle of mind renewal subverts. We hear a lot around here.

Romans chapter 12 to and I like this again in the amplified Bible and do not be conformed to this world any longer with superficial values and customs, but be transformed and notice, if not overnight progressively changed as you mature spiritually by the renewing of your mind, sometimes in some of these illustrations a sort of the come to get me because I'm getting old. I been a Christian deliver 40 years siding group is a Christian. I'm still doing the most basic things that I did years ago because I'm still struggling with everything from talking you about what I can tell you is, as I have done what I've talked about the transformation that I've seen God in my life and those I love and those of had the chance to help so I have a little card you can make your own before a watch listener think on it is a true does it honor God. It's right or wrong with this cleanser, dirty my soul with this renewal heart.

My heart what I recommend this to someone who looks up to me. Will this bring peace or fear in my life when I went through this stuff with my back ahead of time to really ponder some big issues and look at some pretty big holes that I felt God was speaking to me and so I've I believe there was a lie. I've always been you know my ADD. You know, a tight personality but here's what I here's a lie. I believed most of my life.

I'm a prisoner of the opinions of the important influential people in my life. I agonize when my best judgment and direction from the Lord is different from theirs disagreeing with them will harm our relationship.

There were apparently so I tend to please everyone creating an unhealthy lifestyle. I mean, you could say a lot easier like people pleasing, but part of that is an alcoholic father and realizing you know you gotta keep the peace. And so you learn clues and and so that's that's on one side of a card and it says lie. I believe that I put the card over and since truths, here's a truth. People love me and are for me and want me to live a life of joy, rhythm, rest and fruitfulness in all areas of my life.

I do not need to prove my worth your hard worker, extraordinary productivity, I'm accepted, love, and greatly valued just for who I am but that my pops up. So guess what I did I resist side of the card and I say stop and I turn it over and I read the side of the card you want to do. I'm setting my mind on the spirit. What lies do you believe what cards do you need to make. You would just be shocked at what God will do as you renew your mind as you turn the page. Here's the promise the God of peace.

The gotta shalom will be with you.

It's not just you can receive this piece, but his blessing his power, his presence is a provision he wants to fulfill the desires of your heart.

You ready for. Here's the biggest lie.

You believe you don't think God is for you. You think you gotta measure up.

He is so outlandishly for you in the in the new living Bible, Psalm 86 about verse five says this is the Lord you are so good, so ready to forgive so bounding in unfailing love to all who ask for your help and I that I read that hundreds of times in the last probably 90 days because I read that and I just getting it from here to here for me as I just had this predisposition and I'm nowhere came from. Is it God's arms are probably kind of little bit crossed and now and then his toes tapping in the matter what I do chip that wasn't quite good enough. Here's what you need to do and that's a lie and I'm changing and you can change in your kids need to change you, she will have to guard your mind like never before. Member we started I ask a question you will overcome your fear.

Do you Dominic for a moment to go back to. This is what I was afraid of. Do you want to overcome your fear. If you do then you have to radically change these things don't come in my house.

They don't come in my mind they don't come on my screen and outcome of my phone and it'll come in my kids or grandkids lives. This truth is going to start in my mind I've given your game plan 21 minutes of how to spend time with God. That's a good start.

It's written out for you. I'm so excited that as you take the steps God will show up in your life like never before.

And here's the deal. Your emotions are no change overnight. But if you do what were talking about me the week of the little different couple three weeks will different, about 30 days of the like. While 90 days's people say what happened to you six months to years those addictions as anger issues, those of gotta measure up those things can really change Lord God my Savior, my friend, the lover of my soul and the soul of every person in this room and anyone at any time. Whoever might watch or listen to this, we praise you.

Here's what's true. You are good and you are forgiving you are slow to anger that you are up bounding and steadfast loyal love and you want the best for us. Lord, there is an enemy that has infiltrated the media and sends messages of death in comparison and immorality that lower weight we would just confess we want to confess corporately. Our sin of how casual we have been with what we've allowed into the most precious commodity you've given this mind and so Lord, would you help us to say no to that which is evil and say yes renew our minds that we can break the power of slavery Jesus name this application for this message in the world.

From his series, I choose peace chips, focusing his attention to these programs on the circumstances that rob us of our peace. Whether that's troubled relationships, difficult circumstances, moments of anxiousness or financial insecurity. This series provides practical biblical answers to these areas where we struggle to maintain peace. The fact is we all wrestle with finding contentment and harmony so let me encourage you to reach out to a few friends and go through the series together and discover God's truly satisfying piece for more information about the series or to order chips brand-new book I choose peace visit LivingontheEdge.org Listeners tap special offers which it before we get to your application.

You asked for a moment to share something that's very heavy on your heart will day what I know is because of what we've been through a lot of people that really love God found themselves in addiction right now.

They found themselves whether it's drinking or logging onto websites for some prescription medication, shopping and eating disorders. Some things that people who love Jesus that are very sincere under pressure. During the kind of times we had. We all default to some things that are very unhealthy. God wants to grant peace. In fact, he's already given it to you what you need is his truth you need is truth to deal with this anxiety and the struggles of these conflicts, relationships, and what I want you to know is that we want to help you. I think the book that I've written would be a great resource for you to go with maybe one other person and just walk through it. You have to share your secret you can't hide it.

I just want to encourage you to know that God loves you. He's for you.

Don't mask it. When we don't have peace we go for pseudo-peace in artificial things. I just want to remind you don't take second best get the peace of God, let us help you to order your copy of chips brand-new book I choose peace visit LivingontheEdge.org or call AAA to 333-6003. If you're ready for more peace in your life get your hands on this resource or order a few to study together with some friends you want to revisit the truth in this book again and again, especially when anxiety and worry threatened to overwhelm you to order your copy of I choose peace.

Just go to LivingontheEdge.org or call AAA 333-6003 that's AAA 333-6003 up listeners tap special offers. As we wrap up today's program. This is some of the most profound teaching in the New Testament. The apostle Paul has insights by the spirit of God into how our minds work. In fact, we are the product of her thoughts and although I would love to say were all very logical and linear and strategic. The fact is, the great majority of our decisions and our behavior is a reaction to our emotions and the apostle Paul then says okay well on these things and then he's going to list the six or seven very specific things that provide a filter to say don't think on these bad things because viewing things, thinking on things reading things, taking things in better negative ungodly wicked that attract your flesh that make you want to do what's wrong when you think, and dwell on those things. It will literally play out in your behavior and then you received the consequences. What we currently see in the behavior of Christians in the value of Christians and Christian families is a direct correlation to what were putting in our mind. I just have to tell you if you want your children or your grandchildren to have different kind of lives. It begins with us and what we put in our mind because my thoughts will produce my emotions that produced my behavior that will produce the consequences and the outcome of my life. Can I encourage you to think very carefully about what you put in your mind just before we close.

Would you pray for those who are feeling challenged to respond to chips encouragement right now. There's always a spiritual battle when we feel prompted to draw near to God thanks for taking a minute to do that if there's a way we can pray for you. Would you let us know call AAA to 333-6003 or email chip@livingontheedge.org love to hear from you will join us next time continues a series I choose peace. Until then, this is the same. Thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge