Get Out of Your Head - Taking Every Thought Captive

The apostle Paul commands us to take every thought captive. But what does that really mean, especially in our day, with commercials coming on radio overhear TV over here and you're bombarded by information how do we guard our thoughts from the toxic things that in our mind and destroy our relationship with God. That's today don't go away. Welcome to this edition of living over here with the mission of these daily references to intentionally disciple Christians, the Bible, thanks for joining us as we begin a brand-new series called it out of your head by our guest teacher Jenny L.

But before we get started chips with studio to jump in and talk a bit more about you. Well, for those that don't know, Jenny, Alan, you need to get to know her and one of our commitments here, Living on the Edge is we want the Bible to be relevant to every audience to every group so we can take the word of God put it in our hearts and live out our faith. We were committed to helping Christians live like Christians when I see what's happening in our culture. One of my personal passions is for the next generation and Jenny is a teacher of God's word. We happen to go to the same seminary as she has a ministry to women called the if gathering she's become not only a great speaker, but an author and I just wanted especially the women to hear what Jenny has to say because they're being so bombarded by toxic thoughts and the culture that we live in, and I will have to say that though I had women in mind, it is been a great help to me and there's not a man that will listen to the series that Jenny is going to teach for us. They won't walk away going all women may struggle with that.

But I do to. That's a great setup ship. I really hope our listeners will join us for each part of the series because the really be encouraged by what Jenny to talk about.

But before we begin, let me encourage you to try using our message notes while you listen may contain Jenny's brief outline scriptures she references and much more. These notes will really help you remember what you hear and maybe even share what you're learning to download these message notes just go to the broadcasts tab@livingontheedge.org app listeners Fill in notes what with all that said, your nose are guest teacher Jenny Allen to kick off the series with her message taking every thought captive, I believe, and the power of God to absolutely not, just save our souls may change our lives. I've seen him do this. Rather people I have seen and do this in me and I want to tell you a story about why this project. Get out of your head is so important to me. I believe we are at war. I believe that the enemy is coming for as and I'm sorry if you just clicked on this in your life is what enemy I am a Christian and I believe the Bible and the Bible is pretty clear that there is an enemy to God, and there is any to us, and his desire is to kill, steal and destroy. And one of the main ways and watching him do that in our generation is through our minds and John eight it talks about the enemy and Jesus actually describes in and says he is the father of lies that when he speaks, he lies and that is who he is and so I have watched this person after person after person has believe these eyes and here's the thing. Not even realize that they are lots.

That's the hard part and eventually start to believe they're just true in your dwelling on and our minds are a mess. Our minds are discouraged our minds are distracted. Our minds are exhausted and I believe there's a way out and asked so many of you struggle with anxiety and depression. So many of you struggle with mental illness or somebody that you know struggles with mental illness and I want to just this right up front that mental illness can be a physical issue.

It can be a chemical issue that needs medicine and medicine is a gift from God and counseling is a gift from God, but I also believe there's another component to this and I want to start by reading a few verses in second Corinthians 10 verses three through six for though we walk in the flesh. We are not waging war against the flesh and I want to say this because I think some of us stop at the obvious things we stop at the physical response and a stop at the emotional response rather than realizing there is a nether thing happening and it is a spiritual war that is waging against us. And it's not a flesh.

There was a season of attack that came that was quiet.

That was subtle that well. I barely noticed. Honestly, it came every night at 3 AM and it was doubt that fill my mind and it beat me up for month upon month and the bad part was that I didn't even realize it was happening. I was at war with the devil in the night and I never said it out loud.

I never told anybody what was happening for 18 months and fast-forward. I finally do mention it to people and then second, I did my first thought was oh my gosh, I have been under spiritual I was obvious, but I didn't see it because I was not guarding my mind because I did not live with this reality that the enemy could be lying to me at any minute, any minute. He could be whispering a lie to me, that I thought was true, and I walked in and believed in and built thought patterns, toxic spirals around and that's exactly what happened. There was a cost and it was to my faith and what a great strategic move of the enemy to go after my faith. But everything shifted and I believe that every single one of you listening in some way that enemy is is really and those lies are as real to you in the middle of this project.

In fact it was even before the project began, I was walking outside was a beautiful day it was all by myself and I was praying for generation I do that I pray for individuals but also pray for our generation. I always think about us getting to heaven together and I think about all the people I lead and the people. The church is leading right now around the world and I just want us to do so well in our time or time to matter, and as I was praying about our generation. God brought to mind. These enemies that are attacking our generation uniquely and I wrote it down. I pulled over on the side of the track I was walking on and I typed a map and it was seven things that I saw coming for our generation and were to talk about the seven things and I'm telling you, you know it's everything from cynicism to noise to victimhood. There's a plethora of things coming for us, but I think our generation were looking at some unique things that have plagued our minds and has robbed us of the effectiveness that we could have for the kingdom of God to give you a lot of science in the season because in my studies of the brain.

You cannot deny the power of God. And the thing he built in our minds when you read the signs of it. It all backs up the Bible. It's crazy. All of these truths that the Bible says like take every thought captive that we had power over our thoughts. All these truths they are spelled out in science, it's true, we can change our minds and I want to read you the rest of this first and second Corinthians 10 for the weapons of warfare are not of the flesh, but have divine power to destroy strongholds guys in these verses the author of Corinthians is Paul is saying we have power to destroy strongholds. So many of you are stuck in strongholds. That's why this matter so much is not because of the little bitty lie about your identity or that you're worth it because that lie over time adds up. And so, back to science part 80% of our thoughts are -95% of our thoughts.

You thought them yesterday they repetitive and so we are thinking, repetitive, negative thoughts every day of our life. And guess what those build strongholds they actually change our brains, they change our chemistry, our physical brains change now. Yes I believe in medicine, counseling, and no I do not think you can just change your thoughts and Allison be out of mental illness, but I absolutely believe that in disciplining and training our thoughts that can eventually over time, change our minds that science, not just for those of us that believe in science, but those of us the believing God.

He said that our warfare is not of the flesh.

It is the spirit and that we have divine power to destroy strongholds so something about the power that God gives us. If you know the Lord Jesus Christ. And if you don't. I hope by the end of the season you will, but something about knowing the Lord Jesus Christ and believing in the power of the gifts and the power and authority he's given us.

We have the power to destroy strongholds now authority.

That is something that I didn't realize that I had most my life I was a victim to my mind and I didn't understand that God had given me authority over my thoughts and I could change them and I'm telling you plenty. Fast-forward to my story today and tell you that there are still in that class night. I woke up at 4 AM but let me tell you what I do now when I wake up I do not let the enemy had an inch.

Don't let him have a second of my mind I notice it. Now I see when I start to spiral or think negative thoughts about God, about my life and I interrupted and I say no I and I mean you, I've got no cares not my bedroom. I am waving my arms like get out here like I know what I'm up against. And I'm clear about it and I speak with authority over because of the power of God that I know is real and strong enough to destroy it. And guys, I'm free. I wake up at 4 AM and I'm no longer under the bondage that was under for 18 months, I and free. And I believe you can be to verse five we destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised up against the knowledge of God. That's what was happening. Lofty opinions were being raised up against the knowledge of God and every lie that you would believe every fear that you have had every worry and anxiety that you have had these are all opinions raised up against the knowledge of God, because if our knowledge of God was full and complete. Guess what is not a got a fear we would never fear. Fear is not of God is of the devil and every lie that we give an inch. It will take a mile. It will take amount for some of the this taken years. It is taken so much of your life. Some of you you're here praying for hope and some of you are likely teetering on the edge of giving up your faith and I just want to say I'm here to fight for you that there is an enemy and that he is fighting for you and I am here because God loves you and because he also is fighting for you and that there are opinions raised up every day in our minds against the knowledge of God and our God says that we have the power to destroy them to destroy strongholds. Paul says next and adverse opinions raised up against the knowledge of God that we destroy them and then he says this and we take every thought captive to obey Christ. That's how we change our minds Romans as it is I do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by what how do we change all of us want to change. How do we change and Roman says by the renewal of our minds. Guys, this is the crux of our lives, our minds are the crux of how we will live who we will love what we will do with our lives, our minds hold the power and the key to our lives. I remember my daughter did a lot of study C1 to be another researcher and and so she basically was all through high school and middle school and then she would bring Ellis Avenue is part of what prompted me to to do this project and she said mom what we know about the brain today. The writers of the Scriptures would've said the mind every time they said the heart, so that means that a majority of the Bible is about our minds that every time it says heart also is talking to see if our emotions is found within our brains and so when you think about our minds and our hearts and how much of Scriptures about it continually. It says guard our heart. Our mind is his take captive our thoughts that this is an active process that we are not reluctantly thinking about whatever the heck we want, but we are actively fighting to believe truth to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.

He sets before us this call to single-mindedness to complete consumption of God and his love for us in his goodness over us and as we fixate on him the things of this earth grow strangely dim. That's like the old hymn that used to seeing in Sunday school.

This is how we change verse six being ready to punish every disobedience when your obedience is complete. This is warfare and Paul knows that and that's why he writes that this is warfare and he speaks of things like destroying every lie every opinion.

Yeah, we have to take this bull by its horns and we have it. Candidly, we have not you bring your friends together because it's gonna take an army of people surrounding each other and saying were not to let each other believe his eyes anymore that we want to take this seriously. We gotta take the series that I know some of you.

You just tuned in your like guess what fun and happy. On the other side of this. I'll tell you that right now like I've never been more joyful and never been more free and never been more grateful.

I've never been more peaceful then I have.

As I have done more with this part of my life. Proverbs 27 says this for as a man think it in his heart so he is yelled.

This is our lives. The sum of our lives will be rooted and what it is we think about our thoughts you think, anywhere from 9000 to 60,000 thoughts in a day a day and when was the last time you even notice what it was that you were thinking about today I want to do something I want to plot a piece paper and I want you to start writing down your thoughts and I'll tell you we can take either process if you want to go download it right now we have an anxious thoughts guide and working it give you a mind map that you can fill out and start to notice your thoughts and you can print a bunch of copies and put it by your bed and just start to notice.

At night we go to sleep. What is it that I thought about today. Notice if it's around 80% negative because this matters.

This matters our brains are physically changing depending on what we think about you think about what you're grateful for your brain shifts you think about what you dread your brain shifts and we can win this war.

I believe it. I believe we are looking at more freedom in our generation than we had previously had, and I believe that that can happen in our lives individually as we actually believe truth and so I'm in a fight for you to believe truth and I cannot wait to see what God is going to do through this. I do not want you halfway engage with this. We need people to fight for us. We need to understand what it is to have these weapons that God says, have the power to destroy strongholds so were going to war y'all come on, invite all your friends.

I mean, you can gather in a living room he can eat, get the book and you can listen to this is like a Bible study. I hope that that's what this will feel like invite your friends and let's see what God's only pray for you. God I want to thank you for this community.

I want to thank you for a microphone. It feels like an honor.

It feels like a sacred incredible honor that I get to be in their ears and their minds right now and that I get to fight for them to believe truth that I do not take that lightly. I believe that this matters more than we can understand more than I can understand and I feel your love for them.I feel that that you want them to live more free than they are right now and I believe God that almost all of them. I have been believing some line they been believing some lie that has crippled them. That has made and afraid that has made them anxious. That has made them depressed and I believe God you want to set them free and so today God I pray want it.

I want to pray huge prayers, but I also want to pray small prayers want to pray that the have a glimmer of hope. I want to pray that that hope would be real and realized in the big prayer want to pray that you would set them free, that they would have their eyes open and they would see a new way the enemy and what he wants for them if they would have nothing to do with they would go to war fight better than they ever have Jesus the taking every thought. Series out of your head you will join us in just a minute to share some additional thoughts about what we heard today. Let me ask you a question what drives your thought life is an anxiety, loneliness, feeling like the world's out to get you. Perhaps you really pessimistic or obsessed with being recognized whatever it is to feel trapped by what, no matter how hard you try. Your mind still drifts back to these ideas with the series generally identifies seven common thoughts that are actually toxic to our lives can derail our connection with God. Don't know so we can break free from these dangerous mindsets by wielding the power God's already given us once learned how to fight back and win the war for minds. If you have to miss any part of the series from JBL in the chipping warm-up is a great way to catch up anytime soon studio with me know and should be brought a special guest will. Thanks Dave and I'm joined here today with Jenny Allen our teacher for the series and Jenny thinks first of all for doing this with us and we are committed to reaching the next generation.

And God has given you such a such a stewardship to reach especially young women and young moms, but do I get out of your head.

First of all that sort of a crazy title for a book. What are you hoping to accomplish in the series and maybe you could give us a little bit of the behind the scenes like where did the series come from, how did it turn into a book, and maybe most of all what you hope God will do as our listeners hear the series get out of your head.

Thank you Chip so much for having me and yes it is a crazy title but I believe everyone is resonating with it because we know that were all stuck in our heads right we have come through an incredible two years where we had felt fear. We had felt the vision we had felt all kinds of feelings in the midst of difficulty that we have universally shared together and I think the timing of this conversation is so important because many many people have struggled with anxiety or depression or even just fearful thoughts that maybe they don't feel like our big deal. And yet they are and and their holding us captive and Jesus says that we are to take our thoughts That they are not supposed to take us captive and yet we been on the defense with our thoughts and feeling like we can't control them, and what Scripture calls us to his offense of strategy that we are supposed to fight back that we are given divine weapons that destroy strongholds. Second Corinthians 10 tells us so I want to know who the strongholds are in my life and I want to know what the divine weapons are that God's given me so that I can fight back and I hope and believe that so many of you listening care about that too so hopefully this will massively encourage you that you are not a victim to your thoughts that we are actually given dominion over our thoughts were not given dominion over everything. We feel that we are given dominion over our thoughts. That's a place we have the ability to control so why would me by when we fight back against the enemy, which I believe this is one of the greatest battlefields today of the devil. He hates us and he wants to destroy us, kill, steal and destroy from us. That's what Scripture tells us. So where is he doing that he's doing it in the crevices of our minds. He's lying to us. Scripture tells us Jesus clearly says he's a liar that he hates the truth and he wants to confuse everyone with his wife and and we fallen for it and I just say we fight back wall were Julie, let me encourage all of you listening to get a copy of Jimmy's book. Get out of your head that by going to LivingontheEdge.org or by calling us at AAA 333-6003 that's AAA 333-6003, or LivingontheEdge.org will trip before we wrap up this program wanted to take a few minutes to ensure some final thoughts from what Jenny talked about today will. Thanks Dave and thanks Jenny. I I really would say that this is been a passion for me for a very very long time to go back in to my earliest years as a Christian I think the first at least two or three years I thought trying hard was how life change occurred and I had issues I could not overcome. I mean I struggle with lust. I struggle with pride of struggle with insecurity and don't get me wrong I'm not saying that I you arrives in all those areas but I can tell you willpower and willpower alone does not work in what I love about what I hear Jenny doing she's can help us identify toxic thoughts. The enemy came to kill and to steal and destroy it, and contrary to the movies, or popular belief. He rarely does it in really scary ways with you know like super phenomena that you never seen before. His messages are lies, lies about us lies about God lies about the future lies about security lies about happiness lies about things will never change lies about our past. Well, you'll never overcome. It lies lies lies in what I love is hearing from a young woman whose living in a world that I don't live in not just generationally but you know I I've got a wife and I have a daughter and I see how women are bombarded by very specific toxic lies. I think even more than the rest of us. And so, let me just encourage you to stay with us on this journey you can hear she's a very passionate dynamic teacher. She holds to the Scriptures. She believes in God's word and I can't wait to be on this journey with you as we listen to Jenny teach and abandon the programs.

I'll be back to talk about my takeaways and maybe a couple thoughts that I think will help you fixture Jos before we close, would you stop for a minute and pray for living will be judged today. We've never seen a greater need for God's truth to go open right now and by God's grace Living on the Edges been able to provide encouragement, teaching, and personal discipleship resources to more people than ever before. So thank you to those who support us with your prayers. God is doing amazing things during the six-time was our guest teacher. Jamil continues her series get out of your thanks for listening to this edition of the