Peace of Mind - MIND SET Series Pt 3

Peace of Mind
“Mind Set” – Part 3 (Peace of Mind)

Text: Colossians 3:2-5 / Phil. 4:6-9

Colossians 3:2-5 (NKJV)
2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

Philippians 4:6-9 (NASB)
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all [a]comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is [b]lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, [c]dwell on these things. 9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

You can’t have a positive life with a Negative mind.

Write out your 2 biggest worries…

Really over exaggerating for some…and others of you are like…you left a lot of things off that list!

So let’s talk about WORRY and the MIND, and how you can have PEACE of MIND!

Your life will always move in the direction of your strongest thoughts. This is good if you have your mind SET on GOD and things above…not so good if you are focused on other things!

Any time you’re: Afraid—Anxious—Worried— It Compounds the issues at hand.

We have a little almond shaped portion in our brain called the — Amygdala —Whenever you are afraid, this is in full alert mode.

Amygdala—Helpful Part of the brain Wired for Survival—Responsible for fear.

When your brain senses Danger— the Amygdala kicks in sending strong doses of Adrenalin to your body!

The Problem is that our Amygdala is not objective
—It is hard wired to protect us.

The Amygdala needs help from Prefrontal Cortex—the Logical part of our brain.
Noise at night—Amygdala tells you, you are Going to die—Prefrontal Cortex reasons what it could be.

Jesus didn’t say: Let your hearts be troubled! (Do not…)
Angel didn’t say: Glory God in highest—Stress/anxiety on earth.
Paul didn’t say: Be anxious about everything!

Phil 4:6-7
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

All we can do now is PRAY?

Why is that our LAST OPTION? It should be our FIRST OPTION!!

Prayer is powerful!
Boldly go before throne grace…

Not only does prayer move the heart of God.
Prayer changes the chemistry in your brain.

A few decades ago—Neurologists believed brain didn’t change after adolescence.

Neuroplasticity — We have learned that our brain is continually changing—thoughts change brain.

Neurotheology — Also known as Spiritual Neuroscience

Studies relationship between: Brain & Belief in God.
Prayer changes brain.

“It has been found that 12 minutes of daily focused prayer over an 8 week period can change the brain to such an extent that it can be measured on a brain scan.” Dr. Caroline Leaf author of Switch On Your Brain

Just as toxic—Negative thoughts—Hurt brain.
– Pre-programming us for unhealthy thinking and living

Prayer heals—Renews the MIND –

Romans 12 – Do not be conformed to the patterns, thought processes or the WAYS of this world, but be TRANSFORMED (be MADE DIFFERENT)…how is that possible – by the RENEWING of your MIND!

God’s Word renews your mind, and Prayer Transforms your thinking about God, about reality and about what is and is not possible!

So then, Why do we worry? Panic? Anxiety?

Many different reasons…we are xperiencing an Amygdala Hijack.

Your brain tells you in the middle of the night…that you have to prepare for the worst case scenario…if you don’t the WORST is going to happen to you, to your family, etc…

Neuroscience would tell you it is an Amygdala Hijack…
Paul would say—Mind is dominated by sinful thinking.

What is worry?
Worry is the sin of distrusting the promises and power God?
– It’s saying, God I don’t believe you are good enough to take care of this…I better take care of it without you!
God, I just can’t trust you with this!

Instead of letting my sinful nature control my mind, I will choose to let my brain choose the Truth that the Spirit will direct me to think.

Romans 8:5-6 (NLT)
5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.

This is why we need to…
Take every thought captive.
So if there is a thought we have that is not consistent with the WORD OF GOD, we take that thought captive and we make it obey and follow what the Word of God tells us! (Obedient to Christ).

When we choose the Word of God…we are allowing the Spirit of God to lead us in our thinking! The Spirit of God is not going to go against the WORD of God.

Prefrontal Cortex grabs the Amygdala and gives every worry to God.

Prayer Box

— STRATEGY —
Do what I can do.
Give God what I can’t do
Trust God no matter what.

Imagine having a true Heart of Peace, Life that is full of Joy, and constantly having true Peace of Mind, because you are totally Trusting in God.

THAT IS possible. And it’s also a choice.

If your life is moving in the direction of your strongest thoughts…Do you like the direction your thoughts are taking you?

If you don’t control what you think
You will never control what you do.

Identify the truth that will MAKE you free from the bondage of fear and anxiety…
Then you —Write it. Think it. Confess. Until you Believe it.

• Jesus First in my life. My purpose is to serve and glorify Him Alone.
• Jesus in me is stronger than my sinful desires.
• I’m getting closer to Jesus every day.
• Because of Jesus, my family is closer, my body is stronger, my faith is deeper, my brain is sharper.
• I am victorious—because the Holy Spirit dwells within me.
• I place my words, thoughts and imaginations under the power of Jesus.
• I am not a hostage to unhealthy thoughts.
• The weapons I fight with are not the weapons of this world. I have divine power to demolish strongholds.
• Worry is not my master. I trust in God alone.
• God’s peace guards my heart, guards my mind, and guards my soul in Christ Jesus.
• I am not a slave to habits. I am not a prisoner to an addiction. I have been rescued from the power of darkness and brought into the kingdom of God’s light.

You can’t control what happens to you but you can control how you frame it.

Stop interpreting God through circumstances.
Start interpreting your circumstances through goodness of God. (There is a plan, He’s allowing it for a reason).

Cover everything you do in prayer!

Don’t Believe the LIE (anything that is not consistent with God’s Word, anything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God…anything that would make your worries bigger than your God)

Embrace the TRUTH. Jesus is Truth, His Word is Truth…His Ways are truth…

And the Truth will MAKE you FREE (Free from Fear, Free from anxiety, free from worry…)