Thinking Clearly: Rising Above Mental Fog
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Thinking Clearly
Clear: to be free from darkness, obscurity, or cloudiness
1 John 1:5 NLT
This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.Proverbs 3:21-26 MSG
Dear friend, guard Clear Thinking and Common Sense with your life; don’t for a minute lose sight of them. They’ll keep your soul alive and well, they’ll keep you fit and attractive. You’ll travel safely, you’ll neither tire nor trip. You’ll take afternoon naps without a worry, you’ll enjoy a good night’s sleep. No need to panic over alarms or surprises, or predictions that doomsday’s just around the corner, Because God will be right there with you; he’ll keep you safe and sound.Point 1: Guard the Clear Thinking & Common Sense of God’s Word
The same bible that guides me is the same bible that guards me!
1 Peter 5:8 ESV
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.Sober-minded: having a clear, disciplined, and self-controlled mind, free from irrational thinking, emotional extremes, or the influence of anything that clouds judgment. It is often associated with spiritual alertness, wisdom, and the ability to make sound decisions based on God’s truth.
Point 2: Grab a Hold of God’s Thoughts & Heaven’s Ways
Isaiah 55:8-9,11 NLT
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. 11 It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.The principles of God’s word don’t have an expiration date!
2 Timothy 3:14-17 NLT
But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. 15 You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.Proverbs 3:22-24 MSG
They’ll keep your soul alive and well, they’ll keep you fit and attractive. You’ll travel safely, you’ll neither tire nor trip. You’ll take afternoon naps without a worry, you’ll enjoy a good night’s sleep.Point 3: Get God’s Perspective & Peace
Proverbs 3:25-26 MSG
No need to panic over alarms or surprises, or predictions that doomsday’s just around the corner, Because God will be right there with you; he’ll keep you safe and sound.One out of three 18- to 24-year-olds (33%) has some kind of diagnosable mental disorder
One out of four (25%) has some kind of anxiety disorder
One out of five (20%) has a major depressive episode each year
One out of eight (12%) has serious suicidal thoughts
Almost three of 10 (30%) suffer from alcohol or drug disorders
Overall, 50% of college-aged individuals say they often experience feelings of anxiety or depression, fear, or suicidal thoughts
Syncretism - involves cutting and pasting together alternative worldviews into a blended, customized worldview that feels comfortable to the individual.
“Research shows that people with a biblical worldview are more likely to describe their life as happy and fulfilling. And overall, they are far more likely to hold positive views of life, including having a clear and compelling sense of purpose in life.”
Right Mind (Sophroneo) - To be of sound mind, sane, self-controlled, serious, moderate, sober-minded,restrained, disciplined, able to reason. Describes our behavior and attitude as we approach the ending of the age.
Isaiah 26:3 NLT
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
Philippians 4:6-9 NKJV
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 understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. -
series on clear, getting free from darkness.
How many of you guys want to be free?
Come on.
And Pastor James taught us last week how we are blinded by desire and how we need to see clearly.
And today, I want to talk to you about thinking clearly.
Proverbs chapter three, verses 21, 26, it's where I got the Holy Spirit kind of gave me this whole idea of this message series.
It says, dear friend, how many of you are friends of God, by the way?
Amen.
How many like when friends tell you the truth?
All right, there are not so many there, right?
How many like when friends tell you the truth, right?
It says, dear friend, guard clear thinking and common sense.
Well, you know, common sense is uncommon these days.
Guard clear thinking and common sense with your life.
Don't for a minute lose sight of them.
They'll keep your soul alive and they'll keep you fit and attractive.
Help me just wanna just celebrate right there and say, I receive it, Lord.
I wanna be fit and attractive, hallelujah.
You'll travel safely.
You'll neither tire nor trip.
You'll take afternoon naps without a worry.
How many of you like a good Sunday nap?
Come on.
You'll take afternoon naps without a worry.
You'll enjoy a good night's sleep.
No need to panic over alarms or surprises or predictions that doomsday is just around the corner.
Because God will be right there with you.
How many thankful that God never leaves us nor forsakes us?
Come on, he's with us in the trial, in the testing, in the fire, in the flood.
He is there with us.
He'll keep you safe.
and sound.
Again, today I want to talk to you about thinking clearly.
I'm going to read one more scripture because I just feel like I need to go there and I'm going to try to squeeze this in.
But it says, talking about the demoniac, Jesus casts out a demon of this demoniac.
And it says this about after he had been delivered.
It said in Mark chapter five, verse 14, the herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country.
And people came to see
what it was that had happened.
And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had the legion or the army of demons on the inside, sitting there clothed and in his right mind,
And they were afraid.
Father, I pray, God, that you would tear down every stronghold of the enemy that is resistant to truth and change and transformation in the mighty name of Jesus.
And to everybody said.
We live close to the airport, and I'm so thankful that we do because we've just been able to crisscross the country with parents who are living out of state, our son who moves from city to city.
And so we've done a lot of traveling.
And because we've done a lot of traveling, I have got a gift.
routine.
I don't enjoy when planes take off too much.
And so definitely got a routine.
I usually get the aisle seat.
I don't want to be trapped by the window or I don't want to be in that middle seat.
I want to be able to get up and go as I please.
So I usually sit down.
I'm usually one of the first ones on a plane.
So I'll sit down in that aisle seat and I'll wait for the person sitting next to the window to get in.
And then once the person in the middle is seated, I'm
I start by doing this.
I buckle up my seatbelt.
I put in my earbuds and I play some good worship music.
And then I lean back my head and I make sure the armrests are down and I just breathe deeply.
I don't listen to the flight attendants because I know what they're going to say by heart.
And then anyway, if all those things that they tell you to do, I don't know if something really bad happened, if we were going to do that anyway.
And so I just kind of tune it out and I close my eyes.
And when they push back from the gate and they get on the runway, you know, that burst of, you know, that burst of speed that hits and things start rattling and
that I don't think should rattle.
Come on.
Things start squeaking that I don't think should be squeaking.
And the plane rumbles down the runway and it takes off.
And you're kind of doing this type of thing.
And again, I've just got my earbuds on.
Come on, praying in the Holy Ghost.
Come on.
God, you love me.
Traveling mercies, angels all around me.
And then you hit, if you're flying early in the morning out of Sacramento, you always know there's low visibility with that fog.
Then you can't see anything.
Then you hit the clouds, right?
And then all of a sudden, if you still got the wind, if the person sitting next to you still has the window, when you break through the clouds, the sun hits you in the face and
and the plane finally levels out, and that's when I start enjoying the flight.
I've also learned that pilots don't just fly above the clouds for better visibility.
They do it for a reason.
You see, at higher altitudes, the air is smoother.
The flight is more efficient.
They avoid the storms and the turbulence.
How many like turbulence?
Either do I, come on.
They avoid the turbulence and the obstacles that exist below.
Also, when a plane rises above the cloud, the communication and clarity improve when pilots rise above the clouds.
How many know life works the same way?
When our thoughts are clouded by doubt, fear, confusion, or circumstances beyond our control, it's easy to feel lost, unsettled, or even shaken.
And what happens is we lose perspective.
struggling to see what's ahead.
But how many know God calls us to rise above the cloudiness?
He calls us to rise above the chaos, to rise above the confusion, to think with clarity and to gain his perspective.
The question is,
How do we do that?
It's easier said than done.
How do we navigate life's storms and find the clarity that we need to live in peace?
How do we cut through the noise of culture so we can find solitude and sanity for our souls, our mind, our will, our emotions?
How do we find God's perspective and obtain a peaceful life
that the scriptures describe instead of a life that is filled with pain.
You see, today we're going to look at how God's word lifts us above the clouds, helping us think clearly even when life feels turbulent.
To live clear means to be free.
How many wanna be free?
To be free from darkness, totally free.
Come on, not dabbling in darkness.
Come on, not playing with a little darkness, but to live our lives clear, to live our lives transparent, to live our lives totally free from darkness, cloudiness, and confusion.
To think clear then is for our minds to be free from darkness, for our minds to be free from confusion.
How many know that confusion is from the devil?
for our minds to be free from cloudiness.
You see, a lot of Christians live their lives unclear because they don't have a clear view of who Jesus is and all that he's done for us.
We know that Jesus died on a cross at Calvary
but some of us haven't experienced the power of the cross.
We know that Jesus shed his blood for our sins, but we don't know the power of being cleansed by the blood.
Come on, where there is no guilt, where there is no shame, where I become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, not because what I've done, but because what he's done.
Listen, we know...
We know that Jesus was buried and rose on the third day, but do we have the revelation that we have been raised up with him, that the Holy Spirit inside of us says that he has seated us in heavenly places?
And how many know if we are seated in heavenly places, that is a view, that is a perspective, come on, that we need to benefit from?
And sometimes we are swallowed up by darkness and we are unclear and we are confused by the complexities of life and we are clouded by confusion because we don't have a revelation that in him, in Christ, come on, everything is clear.
Amen.
In him, the Bible says, there is no darkness.
There is no cloudiness.
There is no confusion.
1 John 1.5 says, this is the message that we heard from Jesus, and we now declare it to you.
God is light.
Come on, how many are thankful for the light?
Amen.
Come on, you've got the light of Jesus shining in and through you.
And this is why Jesus told us, listen, don't put that light under a basket.
You are a city on the hill.
Let that light shine.
Let that light shine.
How many know the darker it gets, the brighter the church should shine.
The brighter your life should shine.
Amen.
God is light and there is no darkness in him at all.
None, zero, zilch, 1 Peter 2.9.
He's called you out of darkness.
How many thankful that, come on, Jesus delivered you from the dark places.
Jesus delivered you from the darkness of doubt.
Jesus delivered you from the darkness of disbelief and the darkness of depression.
Jesus delivered you and he, come on, he called you into his marvelous light.
Come on, how many of you are thankful, come on, that Jesus left the light on for you?
Now that doesn't mean we won't go through dark times.
But it does mean that even in dark times, I will never lose sight of the light and the hope of Jesus Christ.
Come on, the glory of God living on the inside of me.
And I fear, listen, that many believers, come on, have allowed the darkness of the world to dim their light.
And I think many believers allow the cloudiness and darkness of our society, the confusion in our culture, to persuade and guide them instead of the clarity of Scripture to help them think clearly and live freely and fully in Christ.
Listen, God wants you to live in the fullness of who he is and what he's done for you.
He doesn't just want you to live with half the benefits.
Jesus paid for all the benefits.
One of the things I discovered that pilots do when they're flying in limited visibility, things like the fog or the clouds or even in the nighttime, is that they rely on their instruments in the cockpit.
Because they know if they rely on the way they feel, they will experience something called spatial disorientation.
Spatial disorientation is a dangerous condition where a pilot's perception of direction does not match reality when flying in limited space.
This is what happened in the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his family, and his friends.
This pilot was in the clouds, and he was experiencing spatial disorientation, and he thought he was flat when all along he was going in to a side of the hill.
It is a false sensation that leads to pilot-induced illusions where a pilot might feel like they are level when they are actually banking, climbing, or descending, tragically ending in a fatal crash.
And this is why pilots are trained to trust their instruments over their feelings to ensure safe navigation in low visibility.
Can I encourage you today?
As believers, we can't allow the enemy to trick our brains so that we have a false perception of reality and we become led more by our feelings than our faith and we experience what I call superstition.
spiritual disorientation.
Listen, believers all over the world in a state of confusion, uncertainty, instability in one's faith that is mainly caused by not having a clear view.
And this is what I know.
If you're not seeing clearly, as Pastor James talked to us about last week, if you're not seeing clearly, you're definitely not thinking clearly.
How do I know that?
Because when your view is limited, your thinking will be limited.
If you don't see clearly, you won't be thinking clearly.
In life, when we experience low visibility, we must trust the instrument, come on, and the navigation system that God has placed in our hands.
Come on, it is the word of God and also the Holy Spirit who resides in us that the Bible says he will guide us into all truth.
Not some of the truth, but all truth.
It leads me to my first point this morning.
We need to guard the clear thinking and common sense of God's word in our lives.
We need to guard the clear thinking and common sense of God's word in our lives.
Dear friend, guard clear thinking and common sense with your life.
Don't for a minute lose sight of them.
You see, seeing scripture clearly helps me think about my life clearly.
When I graduated from the two-year discipleship school that I went to, I was only 19, 20 when I graduated.
And so they had this ceremony before the school year got out and it was called re-entry.
And the idea of after the two years was that
Whether you were going into ministry in the church world or you were going to the marketplace or you were continuing your education, they were going to send you.
You were going to reenter back into the world.
And one of the things that I remember them saying was, listen, for the past two years, you've been in kind of a Christian bubble.
But once you step out of this bubble, your beliefs will be challenged.
And that's why you must filter everything life throws at you through the word of God.
In other words, what they were encouraging with us, because to be honest with you, for those two years, I was focusing on, God, what's your will for my life?
What's your plan for my life?
What's your purpose for my life?
But listen, God's word isn't just to guide you.
It is also to guard you.
Amen.
And sure enough, I enrolled in Santa Rosa Junior College and I experienced firsthand almost daily my biblical beliefs being challenged by professors, classmates, and the culture around me.
And one of the biggest lessons that I learned by filtering things through the word of God is this, just because something is taught at a higher education institution, which by the way, I do have my master's degree, but just because something is taught at a higher education institution doesn't mean it invalidates the truth of the most high God.
Come on, and some of us has bought like hook, line, and seeker everything education has said instead of the revelation, come on, of the Holy Scripture.
What kept me grounded in those, I was kind of there for like three or four years.
I always said I was a senior in college, a senior citizen anyway.
Anyway.
But what kept me grounded?
The word of God.
It wasn't just something I had studied.
It became my foundation.
It became my filter.
Come on, my anchor, my rock, my refuge, my fortress.
So when the winds blew, listen, come on, my house wasn't built on sinking sand.
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand.
You see, the same Bible that guides us is the same Bible that guards us.
First Peter 5.8 says, be sober-minded, be watchful.
Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Being sober-minded means this.
Sober-minded means having a clear, how many wanna be clear?
Having a clear, disciplined, and self-controlled mind.
First part of the definition there.
Secondly, free, how many wanna be free?
So listen, Jesus's desire is that your mind would be clear, come on, and that your mind would be free.
Free from what?
free from irrational thinking, free from emotional extremes or the influence of anything that clouds judgment.
It is often associated with spiritual alertness, wisdom, and the ability to make sound decisions based on God's truth.
I want to just drill down on this definition because I believe it can help us.
A self-controlled mind is this.
It is the ability to regulate one's thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in the face of impulse and temptations.
Let me say that again.
A self-controlled mind is the ability to regulate one's thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in the face of impulses and temptation.
Anybody guilty of being impulsive before?
Come on, how many impulsive eaters do I have?
Come on.
I love me some dark chocolate any time of the day, right?
Here's what I know, what you fail to regulate in your life will soon dominate your life.
If you fail to regulate false imaginations, you'll be dominated by an imaginary life.
If you fail to deal with the lustful thoughts because of the porn you're viewing, listen, it's going to produce an imaginary sex life.
Listen, if you fail to deal, listen, with the angry thoughts and the bitterness and the rage, listen, that if you get that person alone, you are just going to kill them.
Listen, you will live a life imagining that you have all power.
How many know anger is fake power?
And this is why Paul tells us we have to supervise our thought life.
And here's the thing, many of us are surrendering to our thought life.
We're just doing what our mind tells us to do.
And God wants you to supervise your thought life and manage your thought life.
This is what Paul instructed us to do in 2 Corinthians 10 five.
We break down every thought.
How many know if you're gonna take down a thought, you gotta break it down first.
He said, you break down every thought and proud thing that puts itself up against the wisdom of God.
How many of you ever just thought something stupid before?
Come on, be honest.
And you've got to, if you're going to take that thing down, you've got to break it down.
He says, we take hold of every thought and we make it.
Come on, how many know, come on, how many know sometimes you gotta make it?
We make it obey Christ.
I remember our football coach always telling, you can do more than your mind tells you you can do.
And he would always say 110%.
What, 110%?
He's like, your body can push past the limitations of your mind.
And Paul is saying this, he says, when you do this, listen, you will have a sober mind that is free from irrational thinking.
Free from irrational thinking.
What is irrational thinking?
It is a pattern of thought that's not based on reality or logic.
Here it is, it is free from assuming the worst possible outcome without sufficient evidence.
You guys hear me?
In other words, let me just give you an example.
If you're single in here, you might have the irrational thinking and say something like this, I'll never get married because I'll never find the one because every body is taken.
Anybody ever healed that one before?
How many know that's irrational thinking?
God wants you to be free from emotional extremes, high highs and low lows.
This could look like going from intense joy in the morning to deep despair based on external circumstances instead of having an internal fortitude based on the eternal, unshakable word of the living God.
and then free from the influence of anything that clouds judgment.
Listen, God wants us to be free from making an impulsive decision based on strong emotions rather than clear thinking.
How many of you ever made an impulsive purchase at Costco?
Come on, man, you just went there to buy the pizza.
Come on, but you walked out with a cart full that was $500.
Come on, somebody.
And how many know $500 means you got about 10 things in your cart these days, right?
He says, be sober-minded.
Be free from irrational thinking.
Be free from emotional extremes.
Be free from the influence of anything that clouds judgment.
Why?
Because your life is a sum of your decisions.
And how many want your decisions, come on, to lead you to your destiny?
Amen.
Be sober-minded, be watchful.
Here's the key.
Things that I see and how I interpret them have a profound influence on how I think.
In other words, the misinterpretation of things that I see and I hear.
How many of you have ever misinterpreted something?
You've seen from a distance something going on.
Come on, and you intervened.
and you were wrong, right?
Misinterpretation of things I see and hear can create an unhealthy mindset that we call strongholds that is resistant to truth.
In other words, misinterpretation can lead to deception.
You see, if we're not watchful as believers, we're definitely not going to be mindful of the enemy's plots to thwart the plans of God that he has for our lives.
And we're definitely not going to be aware of the plans that God has to preserve us.
We have to guard clear thinking and common sense from God's word.
Amen.
Secondly, we've got to grab a hold of God's thoughts and heaven's ways.
Isaiah 55, verse 8 and 9 and 11, my thoughts are nothing like your thoughts.
How many are thankful for that?
And my ways are far beyond anything that you can imagine.
For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
Skipping verse 10 to 11, it says this, it is the same with my word.
I send it out.
and it always produces fruit.
How many are thankful that the word of God always produces fruit in your life?
Listen, not most of the time, come on, not sometimes, but all the time, amen?
It always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
How many are thankful that the word of God just doesn't work here on Sunday mornings?
Come on, but when you wake up, it works at your job.
Come on, it works at your school.
Come on, it works inside your home.
Come on, it works in Indola Zambia.
Come on, where we have a school of over 450 kids, listen, that we're feeding each and every day.
The same word that works here works way over there.
Why?
Because the principles of God's word don't have an expiration date.
And what worked for Jesus' disciples, how many know it will work for us today?
What worked for the early church will work for the modern day church.
The question is this, are we going to live according to timeless truth or cultural trends?
I recently heard a statement suggesting that
Believers or Christians with a biblical worldview are trying to turn back the clock to the 1950s, suggesting that Christianity and biblical values are outdated or even a threat to progress.
But here's the real question.
Is Christianity about going backward or is it about standing on a foundation of timeless truth?
Come on, instead of a trend.
You see, the Bible isn't a relic of the past.
It's the eternal, come on, living, all powerful word of God.
Isaiah 40 verse eight says, the grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.
You see why culture shifts, morals decay, and political ideologies change.
The truth of Scripture remains unshaken.
And some of us, listen, we need to just fasten the seatbelt, put the earbuds and the worship in, lean our head back, close our eyes, come on, and allow the Lord to elevate us above the noise, to elevate us above the confusion, to elevate us above the chaos.
You see, Christianity isn't about turning back the clock, it's about turning hearts back to Jesus.
Come on, he could turn the clock back on my life too.
I could use a few less wrinkles, I don't know about you.
You see, the goal of faith isn't to go back to a particular era.
Listen, we're not trying to recreate the Jesus movement.
We're not trying to recreate Azusa Street.
Man, I want to be here for the move of God that God wants to bring today.
Church, I believe we are in the middle of a move of God.
Listen, last week I was sick and so I had to hand it off.
But man, I went to four different churches last week.
And you know what?
I was encouraged.
I love church.
If you don't know that, I love church.
You can't keep me away from church.
So I went to churches.
And you know what?
God is moving all over this region and all over Sacramento.
And listen, you better get ready because God is moving.
No matter what the naysayers say, no matter what the experts say, we are in the middle of a move of God.
You see, the Bible has been relevant in every generation because it speaks to the core of the human condition.
All of us need a savior.
All of us need salvation.
All of us need purpose in our life.
And all of us, each and every one of us, whether you've been saved a week or you've been saved 25 years, we all need to be sanctified by the truth of the living word of God.
Amen.
There's many modern advancements.
I've been all over the world.
I've been, listen to Calcutta, India, where the famous missionaries, the Buntanes, built a hospital and is serving their community.
I've been to Indola, Zambia.
Before times this year, we built a school.
Come on, 10 acres.
Seven, eight years ago, this church bought 10 acres for Pastor Sam and Cassie, and now there's 450 kids being fed every day, educated.
Why?
Why?
Because we're going to change the face of a nation.
Jesus said, go and disciple the nations.
True progress doesn't happen when you abandon biblical values.
It happens when you build upon biblical values.
You see, many modern advancement hospitals, education, justice, and human rights were built on a biblical foundation of compassion, mercy, and justice.
The idea that faith is anti-progress ignores the fact that Christian principles have been instrumental in shaping societies for good and for God.
Culture changes, but Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Listen, Jesus didn't come to fit into culture.
He came to transform it from the inside out, not from the outside in.
Listen, I can't force anybody in this room to come to Jesus.
Come on, but the Holy Spirit, come on, tugging at your heart.
He is the one who does the work.
He is the one who does the miracles.
He is the one who prompts people, 22 people to get baptized.
Come on, that is no credit to man.
That is credit to the Holy Spirit working in the life of people.
In a world where truth is often subjected, rather than asking if the Bible is outdated, we should be asking what happens when a culture abandons biblical truth.
See, the answer is evident in the confusion, the moral instability, and the brokenness we see today.
You see, Christianity isn't about dragging people into the past.
It's about leading people into truth, come on, leading people into freedom and a hope-filled future.
Christianity isn't outdated.
It's essential for true progress.
2 Timothy chapter three, verses 14, 17.
Paul says this to his spiritual son, Timothy, but you must remain faithful to the things that you've been taught.
You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you.
You have been taught the holy scriptures from childhood, and they have been given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus.
All scripture, everybody say all scripture.
All scripture.
is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives.
What makes us realize what is wrong in our lives?
Scripture.
It corrects us when we're wrong and it teaches us to do what is right.
God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
I love what another translation that says this, but as for you, continue to hold to the things that you have learned.
This is what I know.
When you hold on to God's word, how many know God's word will hold on to you?
God's word will hold you, listen, to a higher standard.
God's word will hold you in the midst of a storm.
God's word will hold your life together when it seems like the world is falling apart.
God's words will hold you no matter what is coming at you.
Why?
God's words, God's thought, Proverbs 3, 22, 24 says,
They'll keep your soul alive.
They'll keep you fit and attractive.
You'll travel safely.
You'll neither tire nor trip.
You'll take afternoon naps without a worry.
You'll enjoy a good night's sleep.
How many could use a good night's sleep right about now?
And here's the problem.
Some of you are not well.
Some of you don't feel safe.
Some of you are absolutely exhausted.
Some of you are worrying and you are being robbed of your sleep.
Why?
Because you're wrestling with the world instead of resting in God's word.
And when you're not resting in God's word, listen, you're not rising into the clear.
Listen, you're not rising, come on, into the peace.
Come on, you're not rising into God's perspective.
And when you're not clear, how do you know the enemy will trick you and deceive you?
And when the enemy's playing tricks on you, you'll start allowing others to think for you instead of having the mind of Christ.
And that's why we need to grab a hold of God's thoughts and heaven's ways, because when we do, how many know they'll grab a hold of us?
Lastly, get God's perspective and peace in your life.
Proverbs 3, 25 and 26.
No need to panic over alarms or surprises.
How many know we've got to stop living like we're surprised all the time?
Come on, how many know if you're a believer, you can just expect.
Come on, you're going to be challenged, right?
You're going to be tested.
I was talking to somebody after first service.
They said, Pastor Dean, I started tithing.
I said, and then everything started breaking.
I said, my window broke.
I said, you know, I got a medical bill I forgot about.
I said, yep, tithing is a test.
It's a trust test.
How many know, come on, when you take that step to trust God more, come on, the enemy's going to say, oh, no, you don't.
He's going to push against you.
Why?
Because resistance is required if we're going to get stronger.
No need to panic.
That's all right.
You don't have to clap.
It's all right.
No need to panic over alarm or surprises.
or predictions that doomsday's just around the corner because God will be right there with you.
He'll keep you safe and sound.
You see, in today's world, the enemy is on a mission to steal our peace, especially from the next generation.
Consider this survey from Barna Research.
One in three young adults face a diagnosable mental disorder.
One in four struggles with anxiety.
One in five endures major depressive episodes.
One in nearly eight wrestles with suicidal thoughts.
Almost 50% of college age individuals experience constant anxiety, depression, or fear.
And if you just think this is for people that are in secular education, I had a Christian teacher walk up to me in the second service and say, man, we're seeing the exact same thing in Christian school.
And if you think you escaped it because you're an adult, one in five American adults will have a diagnosable mental health condition in any given year.
59.3 million US adults will suffer with mental illness and 42.5 million US adults with anxiety disorders.
Why is this happening?
First, I just wanna say mental illness and mental health are real issues, even more in the post-COVID era and individuals, listen, with serious mental illness issues should seek treatment and get the help they need.
But research shows that in many cases, having a Christ-centered biblical worldview, come on, God's perspective would be a game changer when it comes to mental health.
Why?
Because research reveals that the root cause is a broken down worldview, a departure from God.
Come on, a departure from truth and a departure from moral standards.
Without a solid foundation of a Christ-centered biblical worldview, our young people are piecing together beliefs that leave them vulnerable when life storms hit.
They call this piecing together of worldviews syncretism.
And I'll just say this.
syncretism has snuck its way in the church.
Syncretism involves cutting and pasting together alternative worldviews into a blended, customized worldview that feels comfortable to the individual.
And listen, Christians, we've got to get away from customizing the worldview to make us feel more comfortable.
How many know you can be comfortable and vulnerable at the same time?
You can be comfortable and wrong, come on, at the same time.
This poll went on to say that over 90% of those diagnosed with mental illness lacked a transformative anchor of a Christ-centered biblical worldview.
Now operating, now here's why this is detrimental.
Operating with a mindset or a stronghold rooted in a faulty worldview makes the world a very troubling and hopeless place.
And one of the things that I'm acutely aware of and concerned about, and it breaks my heart, is that Christian believers who are living life like there's no hope, Christians who are driven and motivated by fear, by what they see and what they hear, believers who are making impulsive decisions because they fail to believe that all things are possible with God.
Church, I choose to believe, listen, there is hope.
Listen, when people, young and old, embrace a Christ-centered biblical perspective and they begin to think clearly, I believe they'll find true meaning.
They'll find true purpose.
They'll find lasting joy.
They'll find true freedom.
And they'll be free from darkness.
They'll live their lives in the clear, not in the confusion and chaos of the day.
See, a biblical Christ-centered worldview isn't just a set of beliefs.
It's a life-changing foundation that can turn despair into hope, turmoil into peace, and aimlessness into purpose.
I mentioned Mark 5, and I'm not going to go over the story, but Jesus comes to the shore of the Gezerines, and there's a demoniac there.
The people in that region, they tried to help him.
They even tried to bind him up and put him in chains to protect him from himself.
And this man was out of his mind.
He was naked, running in the graveyard, in and out of the tomb, screaming.
These people did not know what to do with this man.
They were powerless to help this man.
And sometimes I think when we see the mental health challenges and the mental illness of our day, we feel helpless and we feel powerless.
And maybe you're sitting in here and you've been battling mental health issues and mental illness.
And can I just tell you, Jesus sees your wholeness.
Jesus sees your wholeness.
He sees you in your right state of mind.
In fact, the man is delivered and people are taken back by it.
And if you look at verse 15, it says this, then they came to Jesus and saw the one who had been demon possessed and had the legion.
Legion means army.
In other words, he had some critters on board, man.
And he was sitting and clothed and in his right mind.
That phrase there, right mind, is different than being sober minded.
And I want to help some people out this morning.
It says he was clothed and in his right mind and they were afraid.
I'm into God doing some scary stuff.
Come on, somebody.
What happened to that guy?
Let me tell you what happened to him.
That word right mind means to be of a sound mind, to be sane, to be self-controlled, to be serious, moderate, sober-minded, restrained, disciplined, able to reason.
But catch this out.
It describes our behavior and attitude as we approach the ending of the age.
Let me just say that again.
It describes a believer's behavior and attitude as we approach the ending of the age.
We've gotta stop acting like we're out of our mind and people must see us in our right mind.
Clearly thinking, clearly seeing.
How do we know your attitude?
Come on, determines your altitude.
Your mindset determines your capacity to think clearly.
Isaiah 26, three, and I close, you will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you.
Philippians 4, six, nine, be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication.
With thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God.
How many could use some peace of God in your life?
Most of you are lying.
How many could use the peace of God in your life?
Which surpasses all understanding.
I like the song that says a peace that makes no sense.
It will guard your hearts and your minds through Christ Jesus.
You see, God is calling you and I to rise above the clouds, to think with clarity and
And gain his perspective.
And church, I believe it's time to allow God's wisdom, God's word, God's perspective, God's peace to lift us.
Come on.
To break through levels of thinking clearly.
Listen, God wants us to guard our clear thinking and common sense.
He wants his word to grab a hold or grab a hold of, he wants us to grab a hold of God's thoughts and God's ways.
And he wants us to get his perspective and his peace in our lives.
And maybe you're here today and you have no peace because you don't know the prince of peace.
And today God wants to change that.
And I wanna invite you, if you don't have a relationship with Jesus,
Listen, that peace that I'm talking about can invade your life.
If you don't know Jesus or you feel like you're far from God or maybe you've been close, but now you've backslid and you feel like you need to rededicate, with every head bowed and eye closed, you say, Pastor Dean, I wanna surrender my life to Jesus.
If that's you, just by...
lifting your hand.
Would you just lift your hand and just say, Pastor Dean, will you include me in that prayer?
Is there anybody in the building that says, I need to surrender my life to Jesus?
Yes, over here.
Yes, over here.
Two on this side, right here in the middle, in the back.
Anybody else you say, I need to give my life to Jesus.
I want to be totally in the clear and free in Jesus name.
Amen.
On the count of three, whether you raised your hand or not, I want you to trust the Lord with all your heart, all your mind, and all your soul.
On the count of three, let's pray this together.
If you raised your hand or you didn't, one, two, three.
Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner and I ask for your forgiveness.
I believe you died for my sins and rose from the dead.
Right now, I turn from my sins and invite you to come into my heart and life.
I want to trust and follow you from this day forward.
I confess you as my personal Lord and Savior.
Thank you for saving me.
In Jesus' name, amen and amen.
Can we give God praise for those that lifted their hands?
Listen, if you prayed that prayer, we believe that you got born again, but we wanna disciple you and we've got a new believer's Bible for you as well as some next steps.
We have a class on Wednesday nights that meets at 6.30 that'll help lay a strong foundation in your life.
We'd love to get you know, my friend, Jeff is in the back.
Just take that card that was handed to you in the back and we'll put one of these in your hand.
Will you stand with me today as our...
Prayer teams come.
Listen, if you need prayer in any area of your life, this is what I know.
There are believers in this room that you've been robbed of your peace.
And because you've been robbed of your peace, listen, it's robbing you.
Listen, it's robbing you of a lot of other things.
You're asleep.
Come on, anxiety's got you tied up.
Listen, whatever it is in your life, maybe your finances got you up in arms, whatever it may be, listen, you need the peace of God that passes all understanding.
I wanna invite you to come as Pastor Brandon comes and leads us out.
Church, we love you.
God bless you.
If you need prayer in any of your life, as Pastor Brandon sings, let's go.
Yes, Lord.
Only for you.
Come on, y'all.
We sing it.
Take my life as a sacrifice.
I want to burn for you.
I want to burn for you.
Only.
Only for you.
Come on, y'all.
Sing it for real.
Say, clean my hands.
Clean my hands.
Purify my heart.
Yeah.
Hold me for you.
Hold me for you.
And take my life.
Take my life.
As a sacrifice.
As a sacrifice.
See, I want to believe.
Will you just lift up your hands and let me just pray.
God, I thank you for the peace of God that passes all understanding.
God, I pray your peace would descend upon people's lives.
Lord, I pray you bring peace of mind, peace of heart, peace in our emotional life.
I pray for the shalom.
God, nothing missing, nothing broken.
God, that as we depart from here, God, we'd walk in the newness of who you are on the inside of us.
Lord, that we wouldn't be shaken.
God, we wouldn't be shaken.
In Jesus' name.
And everybody said, church, I love you.
You can stay in worship and linger longer.
We have a meeting that's gonna be coming shortly after this, but we love you.
God bless you.
We'll see you in a small group this week.