I know we want God to change all of our circumstances in life but what is really far more important than what is happening around you is what is happening IN you.

Here are three reasons that changing your mind can change your life……..

1.    Because my thoughts control my life
Everything begins with a thought….if you don’t think you don’t do it.  Proverbs 4:23 Today’s English Version “Be careful how you think; your life is        shaped by your thoughts…”

 2.    Your mind is the battleground for sin
The devil will attack you there before he attacks you anywhere

Romans 7:22-25 Living Bible...I love to do God’s will so far as my new nature is concerned; 23-25 but there is something else deep within me, in my lower nature, that is at war with my mind and wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. In my mind I want to be God’s willing servant, but instead I find myself still enslaved to sin.  So you see how it is: my new life tells me to do right, but the old nature that is still inside me loves to sin. Oh, what a terrible predicament I’m in! Who will free me from my slavery to this deadly lower nature? Thank God! It has been done[a] by Jesus Christ our Lord. He has set me free.

3.    Because managing your mind is the key to peace and happiness
Romans 8:6 New Living Translation “If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death.  But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace.”

I want to bring your attention to 3 choices that you must make in order to Change your Life by Changing Your Mind……………………

1.    I must feed my mind with truth.
When Jesus said “…the truth will set you free…”(John 8) it was with good reason.
”…God’s Word is truth…”(John 17)

-Your quality of life is determined by the decisions you make…the quality of your decisions will be based on the quality of information you have that is feeding your decision-making.    The truth of the Bible is the world’s most reliable source of information when it comes to how we live our lives.

 2.    I must free my mind from destructive thoughts…….1) I must feed my mind 2) I must free my mind...This is NOT easy…because you have three enemies that are tag-teaming your mind all day.  These enemies are fighting your good intentions, your resolutions, and everything that you want to do that is good.

1. My old (sinful)nature (the way I used to be before I received Christ and He gave me my new nature). While I am free from its power (Rom. 6). I am not free from its presence

-Have you ever done things that you know were not right, but you did them anyway…saying to your self, “I know this isn’t good for me, but……..”

·      What’s going on?  The battle for your brain is going on!

2. Satan-he wants to control my mind…while he cannot force you to do anything he can and will try to put his ideas and thought and suggestions in your mind.

·      However, the good news is you don’t have to accept a thought just because it’s in there!  Don’t get caught in the trap of thinking…”If I thought of it, it must be true!”

3. The World’s Value System – the things that the world deems as important

·      Friends, the world is not going out of its way to help you become a more disciplined person with your thought life…the world’s system wants your thoughts too!!

-So…….here is this triple threat…my old self, the devil, and the world fighting for a foothold in my thoughts and in my mind.  How can I possibly win?

2 Corinth