Rewiring Your Brain

0:00:00.440 --> 0:00:03.160 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to 0:00:03.200 --> 0:00:06.360 our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you 0:00:06.440 --> 0:00:09.040 enjoy today's message, why don't you be a blessing and 0:00:09.080 --> 0:00:11.760 share it with a friend. We appreciate you and pray 0:00:11.800 --> 0:00:14.520 for God's very best in your life. Well, God bless you. 0:00:14.960 --> 0:00:17.560 It's great to be with you today, and I hope 0:00:17.560 --> 0:00:19.960 you'll stay connected with us during the week through our 0:00:20.040 --> 0:00:24.040 daily podcast or YouTube channel, social media, and you can 0:00:24.040 --> 0:00:26.479 come visit us in person. We'd love to have you 0:00:26.560 --> 0:00:28.920 be a part of one of our services. So I'd 0:00:29.000 --> 0:00:31.200 like to saw it with something funny and I heard 0:00:31.240 --> 0:00:34.920 about this archaeologist in New York. He dugged down ten 0:00:35.000 --> 0:00:38.880 feet and found copper wiring dating back one hundred years. 0:00:39.159 --> 0:00:42.840 He concluded that New Yorkers had a telephone network over 0:00:42.880 --> 0:00:46.960 one hundred years ago. Not to be outdone, an archaeologist 0:00:47.040 --> 0:00:51.159 from California dug down twenty feet and found copper wiring 0:00:51.360 --> 0:00:55.600 dating back two hundred years. He concluded that Californians had 0:00:55.600 --> 0:00:59.279 a communication network one hundred years earlier than New Yorkers. 0:01:00.000 --> 0:01:04.080 On hearing this, Bubba from Texas dug down thirty feet 0:01:04.160 --> 0:01:08.319 on his farm and found absolutely nothing, He concluded, three 0:01:08.400 --> 0:01:14.240 hundred years ago, Texans had already gone wireless. All right, 0:01:14.360 --> 0:01:17.360 y'all say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. 0:01:17.720 --> 0:01:20.120 I am what it says I am. I have what 0:01:20.200 --> 0:01:22.680 it says I have. I can do what it says 0:01:22.720 --> 0:01:25.559 I can do. Today I will be taught the word 0:01:25.600 --> 0:01:29.679 of God. I boldly confess my mind is alert, my 0:01:29.800 --> 0:01:34.200 heart is receptive. I will never be the same. In Jesus' name, 0:01:34.680 --> 0:01:38.319 God bless you. I want to talk to you today 0:01:38.360 --> 0:01:44.000 about rewiring your brain. For years, scientists believe that once 0:01:44.040 --> 0:01:47.680 we reached adulthood, the brain was fully formed and couldn't 0:01:47.720 --> 0:01:52.200 be changed. There was no new growth or reshaping. But 0:01:52.280 --> 0:01:55.440 in the last few decades they've discovered that the brain 0:01:55.680 --> 0:01:59.720 is constantly changing. That it's not set in stone, but 0:01:59.760 --> 0:02:03.520 it's more like plastic that can be molded in reshaped. 0:02:04.320 --> 0:02:08.359 Every time you think a thought, it's creating a neural pathway, 0:02:09.040 --> 0:02:12.280 like a roadway in your mind. The more you think 0:02:12.320 --> 0:02:15.840 a thought, the easier it is to think again because 0:02:15.880 --> 0:02:20.880 the road is already established. Repetitive thoughts are making that 0:02:20.919 --> 0:02:25.040 path wider and deeper. It's not just mental or you're 0:02:25.080 --> 0:02:29.000 developing a habit but in your brain something is happening. 0:02:29.600 --> 0:02:34.440 These neurons are creating pathways that accommodate what you're telling it. 0:02:35.240 --> 0:02:38.240 When that path gets so established, then it's like you're 0:02:38.280 --> 0:02:41.919 an autopilot. You just follow that path. Have you ever 0:02:41.960 --> 0:02:45.320 been driving home from work and you start thinking about 0:02:45.360 --> 0:02:48.880 something else, daydreaming, and five minutes later you come back 0:02:48.919 --> 0:02:52.000 and think, man, I wasn't even paying attention to the road. 0:02:52.840 --> 0:02:56.120 Or you've driven that path for years. Those neurons have 0:02:56.160 --> 0:02:59.360 built a highway in your mind. Now they can take 0:02:59.400 --> 0:03:03.399 over without all the mental energy just naturally kicks in 0:03:04.080 --> 0:03:08.280 because of what the repetitive faults have established. This is 0:03:08.320 --> 0:03:12.280 what proverb says, as a person thinks, so he will 0:03:12.320 --> 0:03:16.640 become The good news is you get to choose which 0:03:16.760 --> 0:03:21.280 pathways your brain is going to establish. Well, Joel, nothing 0:03:21.320 --> 0:03:25.120 good ever happens to me. Always have bad breaks. I 0:03:25.120 --> 0:03:27.800 don't think I'll ever get out of this problem. Just 0:03:27.880 --> 0:03:31.080 imagine a big bulldozer starts to clear out that path. 0:03:31.800 --> 0:03:34.639 The foreman says to his crew, we just got an 0:03:34.720 --> 0:03:38.760 order from the command center start building, and I can't 0:03:38.760 --> 0:03:42.440 do it. Highway, am not gonna make it. Pathway never 0:03:42.520 --> 0:03:46.200 gonna work out roadway. Every time you think it, those 0:03:46.280 --> 0:03:49.760 neurons go to work. It's not just your thoughts, but 0:03:49.840 --> 0:03:53.560 in your brain cells are creating what you're telling them 0:03:54.000 --> 0:03:57.560 to make it easier to think the next time. Over time, 0:03:57.600 --> 0:04:00.720 it's just who we are. Here's the key. You can 0:04:00.800 --> 0:04:05.480 rewire your brain. Some of us have all these negative highways. 0:04:06.040 --> 0:04:11.680 Not good enough guilt. I can't forgive. I'm not disciplined. 0:04:12.440 --> 0:04:15.280 We've been thinking this way for years now. It's not 0:04:15.360 --> 0:04:18.400 a road. We got a four lane highway, got the 0:04:18.440 --> 0:04:22.560 best lights, pavement, eighty miles an hour. Next time you're 0:04:22.720 --> 0:04:27.360 tempted to think those thoughts, recognize what's happening. You're building 0:04:27.400 --> 0:04:31.000 something you don't want. And yes, it's going to be 0:04:31.160 --> 0:04:34.400 easy to think them because the highway you've built is 0:04:34.440 --> 0:04:38.039 so big now it's gonna facilitate what you've been thinking. 0:04:38.560 --> 0:04:40.919 You have to put your foot down and say no thanks. 0:04:41.440 --> 0:04:44.479 I am not gonna use my mental energy to build 0:04:44.640 --> 0:04:48.640 roads that are gonna work against me. Best thing you 0:04:48.680 --> 0:04:52.200 can do is put up some road closure signs. That 0:04:52.320 --> 0:04:55.240 thought comes nothing good as in my future. Sorry, that 0:04:55.360 --> 0:04:59.120 road is closed. I don't need that path anymore. Build 0:04:59.160 --> 0:05:02.599 a new highway. Father, thinking that my path is getting 0:05:02.600 --> 0:05:06.400 brighter and brighter that you're taking me from victory to victory. 0:05:07.240 --> 0:05:09.320 I can see that. Foreman thinking what in the world 0:05:09.400 --> 0:05:13.159 is happening? He tells his workers come off that can't 0:05:13.160 --> 0:05:16.680 do it Highway. No more construction on the always be 0:05:16.720 --> 0:05:20.880 addicted roadway. Start building to something good is gonna happen Freeway. 0:05:21.839 --> 0:05:26.040 It's not just being positive, it's not just quoting God's word, 0:05:26.200 --> 0:05:30.120 which is all good. But in your brain, neurons are firing, 0:05:30.800 --> 0:05:35.839 cells are working to create pathways for what you're repeatedly thinking. 0:05:36.760 --> 0:05:39.359 My father taught me when I was a little boy 0:05:39.400 --> 0:05:42.400 that when I got up every morning, to say, something 0:05:42.520 --> 0:05:46.000 good is gonna happen to me today. I've been saying 0:05:46.000 --> 0:05:49.360 that all thirty nine years that I've been alive. Every morning, 0:05:50.000 --> 0:05:53.440 Victoria will tell you, this is gonna be a great day. Lord, 0:05:53.480 --> 0:05:56.240 thank you for waking me up this morning. Something good 0:05:56.400 --> 0:05:59.359 is gonna happen to me. I don't have to even 0:05:59.400 --> 0:06:02.520 think about it anymore. It's just an autopilot. It's going 0:06:02.560 --> 0:06:06.200 to be a great day. I'm expecting God's goodness. God 0:06:06.279 --> 0:06:09.480 let me be a blessing to somebody else. And I 0:06:09.520 --> 0:06:14.000 know we all have different personalities. I'm naturally positive, upbeat. 0:06:14.040 --> 0:06:16.520 I'm in this way with my whole life. A pastor 0:06:16.600 --> 0:06:19.159 friend of mine told me that he's so negative. He 0:06:19.200 --> 0:06:21.800 can take a positive sermon and preach it in a 0:06:21.839 --> 0:06:27.080 negative way. Some of it may be natural temperament, but 0:06:27.200 --> 0:06:30.480 that can be overridden by how you choose to think. 0:06:31.360 --> 0:06:34.280 A man I know was always so down on himself, 0:06:35.000 --> 0:06:39.120 sour expecting the worst. He said, that's just who I am. 0:06:40.080 --> 0:06:43.279 He started listening to our messages on Serious XM, and 0:06:43.680 --> 0:06:46.520 a couple of years later he said, Joel, people don't 0:06:46.520 --> 0:06:50.159 recognize me anymore. They said, what happened to you? He's 0:06:50.160 --> 0:06:54.920 the most positive, grateful, joyful person you could meet. There 0:06:55.000 --> 0:06:58.719 wasn't anything wrong with him. He had just spent years 0:06:59.000 --> 0:07:03.479 building the wrong high ways, creating all these negative paths 0:07:03.520 --> 0:07:09.080 and discouraging words. As you think you will become, you're 0:07:09.080 --> 0:07:13.680 telling your brain how to function. These repetitive thoughts are 0:07:13.680 --> 0:07:18.480 giving the assignment. Your thinking is the command center. Like 0:07:18.560 --> 0:07:22.200 this man, you may have created something you don't want. 0:07:22.840 --> 0:07:25.600 You don't have to stay that way. You can rewire 0:07:25.680 --> 0:07:30.320 your brain. You can create new neural pathways that will 0:07:30.360 --> 0:07:34.440 work for you rather than against you. Some people have 0:07:34.520 --> 0:07:40.160 built highways for guilt, shame, and unworthiness. The battle is 0:07:40.240 --> 0:07:44.119 taking place in our mind. One reason the enemy works 0:07:44.160 --> 0:07:47.680 so hard in this area is he knows your life 0:07:47.880 --> 0:07:51.040 is going to follow your thoughts. He'd love for you 0:07:51.120 --> 0:07:54.240 to wire your brain for guilt and can't do it 0:07:54.320 --> 0:07:58.240 and not good enough. You've got to close those roads off. 0:07:58.880 --> 0:08:01.679 You've got to put up some deeps and no longer 0:08:01.720 --> 0:08:06.480 in you signs. Quit spending your energy building roads that 0:08:06.560 --> 0:08:10.000 are working against you. The more you think it, the 0:08:10.080 --> 0:08:13.160 deeper the road, the easier it is to go down 0:08:13.200 --> 0:08:17.360 the next time. It's a self destructive cycle. You wake 0:08:17.440 --> 0:08:18.800 up in the morning thinking, man, I don't want to 0:08:18.840 --> 0:08:22.800 go to work, traffic's so bad, and these people get 0:08:22.840 --> 0:08:27.920 on my nerves. Just imagine all those neurons building highways 0:08:28.160 --> 0:08:32.160 to just what you said you gave the command when 0:08:32.200 --> 0:08:35.760 you've been doing that for five years, ten years, thirty years. 0:08:36.320 --> 0:08:39.440 Your highway goes from here to Botswana. You could drive 0:08:39.480 --> 0:08:42.760 a house down that thing. No wonder when we get up, 0:08:43.160 --> 0:08:46.560 those thoughts come the easiest. You paid the beautiful road. 0:08:47.640 --> 0:08:51.320 Change what you're building. That's not who you are. The 0:08:51.480 --> 0:08:55.600 enemy has hijacked your crew. He's deceived you into believing 0:08:55.640 --> 0:09:00.000 his lives. Now your own cells are working against you. 0:09:00.240 --> 0:09:04.520 It's time to do some rewiring, some road closures. No 0:09:04.679 --> 0:09:08.599 more giving life to the negative. And it's gonna take discipline, 0:09:08.679 --> 0:09:11.880 because when we've been thinking one way a long time, 0:09:12.640 --> 0:09:15.360 you're gonna want to go back to the old habits, 0:09:15.679 --> 0:09:19.240 like driving on autopilot. You don't have to think about it. 0:09:19.840 --> 0:09:24.600 You're used to feeling guilty, inferior, can't break the addiction, 0:09:25.240 --> 0:09:29.760 never get out of debt. Those are learned behaviors. You're 0:09:29.760 --> 0:09:32.520 gonna have to dig down deep and take control of 0:09:32.559 --> 0:09:36.160 what you think. You get to choose what you dwell on. 0:09:37.120 --> 0:09:40.439 When the same negative thoughts come, you'll be tempted to 0:09:40.480 --> 0:09:43.760 get on that highway. It's already built. It's what I'm 0:09:43.840 --> 0:09:48.360 used to. Don't give those thoughts permission to stay. They 0:09:48.400 --> 0:09:50.840 may come, but you don't have to dwell on it. 0:09:51.600 --> 0:09:55.760 If you dismiss it, the thought dies doesn't have any power. 0:09:56.559 --> 0:10:01.800 It's repetitive thoughts that build the highways. When we're constantly thinking, 0:10:02.000 --> 0:10:05.760 it's going to be a great day. I'm blessed, I'm strong, 0:10:06.200 --> 0:10:09.440 I'm healthy, I have the favor of God. Think of 0:10:09.480 --> 0:10:12.880 the roads that's building in our brain. Think about how 0:10:12.920 --> 0:10:16.959 that's impacting our future and our self image, our confidence 0:10:17.679 --> 0:10:22.240 verse I'm unworthy, I've made too many mistakes. I can't 0:10:22.280 --> 0:10:25.800 hit a good break. Everyone in my family struggles. Your 0:10:25.880 --> 0:10:29.800 thinking is the command centers. You are giving orders to 0:10:29.880 --> 0:10:34.040 your neurons to form how your brain functions, to create 0:10:34.080 --> 0:10:38.880 the roadways to become what you think. Paul said in Philippians, 0:10:39.200 --> 0:10:42.560 I have learned how to be content. He didn't say 0:10:42.720 --> 0:10:46.120 I was born this way. This is my natural personality. 0:10:46.440 --> 0:10:49.400 That's why I'm content. He said I had to learn this. 0:10:50.120 --> 0:10:52.640 I had to be disciplined in what I think. I 0:10:52.640 --> 0:10:56.560 had to guard my mind. Some of us have learned 0:10:56.559 --> 0:11:01.000 to be discouraged, learned to be insecured, learn to expect 0:11:01.000 --> 0:11:05.000 the worst, recognize what's happening. If you can learn to 0:11:05.040 --> 0:11:08.480 be offended, learn to be discouraged, then you can learn 0:11:08.520 --> 0:11:11.200 to be happy. You can learn to stay in peace, 0:11:11.440 --> 0:11:14.600 you can learn to have faith. It all starts right here. 0:11:15.480 --> 0:11:18.920 Paul said it this way. You can be transformed by 0:11:18.960 --> 0:11:22.440 the renewing of your mind. When you start thinking the 0:11:22.520 --> 0:11:26.560 right thoughts, it's not only affecting you mentally, but your 0:11:26.600 --> 0:11:30.920 brain is creating new pathways, pathways that were for you, 0:11:31.320 --> 0:11:34.280 not against you. I was on my phone the other 0:11:34.400 --> 0:11:38.640 day flipping through Instagram, and I usually click on the 0:11:38.679 --> 0:11:43.280 sports highlights and watch clips from ballgames. But this video 0:11:43.400 --> 0:11:47.040 popped up of these two men in a grocery store fighting. 0:11:47.880 --> 0:11:49.720 It was real small on the phone, so I had 0:11:49.720 --> 0:11:52.440 to click it to make it bigger. It was so bizarre. 0:11:53.120 --> 0:11:56.280 In the middle of the store, they were throwing each 0:11:56.280 --> 0:12:00.160 other up against the shelves, and cans of food was falling, 0:12:00.200 --> 0:12:04.720 and you know, cereal boxes going everywhere, rolling, punching, going crazy. 0:12:05.640 --> 0:12:09.120 I was just going to watch five seconds, then twenty 0:12:09.160 --> 0:12:12.079 seconds went by, then a minute, and it went from 0:12:12.120 --> 0:12:15.600 bizarre to entertaining. Althought, this is better than sports. But 0:12:16.280 --> 0:12:19.679 finally I moved on to something else. A few seconds later, 0:12:20.120 --> 0:12:24.040 there was another clip of fighting, then another, then another. 0:12:24.440 --> 0:12:28.560 Before long, ninety percent of my feed was fights. I've 0:12:28.600 --> 0:12:31.520 never seen so many crazy people. You know what happened? 0:12:32.800 --> 0:12:38.880 The algorithm kicked in all this data and calculations identified 0:12:38.920 --> 0:12:43.520 me as a person that likes fights, so they fed 0:12:43.600 --> 0:12:48.199 me more of what i'd been watching, the same principle 0:12:48.320 --> 0:12:51.080 in our thoughts, you're going to get more of what 0:12:51.120 --> 0:12:56.959 you've been thinking because that pathway has been developed. You've 0:12:57.000 --> 0:13:01.160 told those neurons to build this highway, so it's gonna 0:13:01.200 --> 0:13:05.199 be easier to think that way. It's gonna create habits. 0:13:05.480 --> 0:13:07.720 If you get up in the morning and think, something 0:13:07.800 --> 0:13:10.520 good's gonna happen to me. Lord, I thank you that 0:13:10.559 --> 0:13:13.200 it's gonna be a great day. You're gonna see more 0:13:13.200 --> 0:13:17.040 good things. That algorithm, so to speak, is gonna kick in, 0:13:17.120 --> 0:13:20.240 and you're gonna enjoy your children. You're gonna thank God 0:13:20.320 --> 0:13:23.600 for your job. You're gonna stay in peace under pressure. 0:13:24.240 --> 0:13:27.160 You're getting more of what you clicked on. And just 0:13:27.240 --> 0:13:31.040 the opposite. If you live worried and stressed over your 0:13:31.160 --> 0:13:34.720 job and upset at your neighbor, fraid your child will 0:13:34.720 --> 0:13:38.800 get off course, you've created pathways to make all the 0:13:38.880 --> 0:13:43.080 negative easier. Like that algorithm, you're gonna have plenty of 0:13:43.160 --> 0:13:47.480 reasons to worry. You need to put up some road closures. 0:13:48.280 --> 0:13:51.000 No more clicking on the worry, the fear, the what is. 0:13:51.720 --> 0:13:55.000 Here's how you create some better highways. Get on that 0:13:55.160 --> 0:13:58.920 algorithm of favor. Father, Thank you that I'm in the 0:13:58.960 --> 0:14:01.800 palm of your hands. Thank you that your plans for 0:14:01.920 --> 0:14:05.200 me are for good. That you're fighting my battles. Lord, 0:14:05.240 --> 0:14:07.600 I don't see away, but I know that you have 0:14:07.720 --> 0:14:12.880 a way that's creating pathways of peace, pathways of trust 0:14:13.440 --> 0:14:16.840 where you can enjoy each day. You have to take 0:14:16.880 --> 0:14:20.720 control of your thought life. If not, the enemy's gonna 0:14:20.720 --> 0:14:25.400 have a heyday using that negative algorithm to bring more 0:14:25.760 --> 0:14:28.800 of what you don't want. And the scripture says to 0:14:28.960 --> 0:14:34.080 meditate on God's word day and night. Meditate means to 0:14:34.160 --> 0:14:37.920 think about the same thing over and over. It's not 0:14:38.080 --> 0:14:41.000 passive like traditional meditation, like I'm gonna sit here and 0:14:41.080 --> 0:14:46.120 think about nothing silent. Scriptural meditation means to continually think 0:14:46.160 --> 0:14:49.760 about what God says about you. Well. God says you're 0:14:49.760 --> 0:14:54.640 a masterpiece, fearfully and wonderfully made. When you meditate on 0:14:54.720 --> 0:14:58.520 that all through the day in your thinking, I'm valuable, 0:14:59.040 --> 0:15:03.600 I'm a master, I'm crowned with favor, I have seeds 0:15:03.640 --> 0:15:07.600 of greatness, the DNA of Almighty God. Think about what 0:15:07.680 --> 0:15:11.080 your neurons are doing. Think about how your brain is 0:15:11.120 --> 0:15:15.880 being wired, how it's programmed to function. Imagine the highways 0:15:15.960 --> 0:15:19.000 being built to make it easier for you to think 0:15:19.040 --> 0:15:24.080 that way again, here's the masterpiece highway already been built. 0:15:24.240 --> 0:15:27.960 Easy to travel down that one. Here's the valuable highway. 0:15:28.360 --> 0:15:31.280 You have four lanes on that one. Here's the crown 0:15:31.400 --> 0:15:35.960 with favor, the talented and gifted highway in your brain. 0:15:36.360 --> 0:15:41.560 These pathways are getting deeper, longer, more established as you 0:15:41.760 --> 0:15:46.200 think you will become. Now here's the question, what are 0:15:46.200 --> 0:15:50.840 you meditating on? The truth is, we're all meditating on something. 0:15:51.480 --> 0:15:54.480 There are certain thoughts playing in our mind over and over. 0:15:55.120 --> 0:15:59.120 I'll never get well, i can't break the addiction, I'll 0:15:59.160 --> 0:16:04.360 always be lonely. Those repetitive thoughts are building the highways 0:16:04.520 --> 0:16:08.160 that you're going to travel down. You need some road closures. 0:16:08.840 --> 0:16:12.520 Pay attention to what's playing in your mind. That's why 0:16:12.560 --> 0:16:16.200 we say every service, i am blessed, I am healthy, 0:16:16.560 --> 0:16:20.320 I am strong, I'm disciplined, I'm equipped, I'm empowered. We 0:16:20.400 --> 0:16:24.280 are meditating on what God says. Now I read where 0:16:24.320 --> 0:16:28.080 the average person has over forty thousand thoughts a day. 0:16:29.240 --> 0:16:33.080 Ninety five percent of those thoughts are repetitive. It's the 0:16:33.200 --> 0:16:36.400 recording that's been playing in our mind since we were 0:16:36.400 --> 0:16:39.960 a child. It's defining who we are and how we 0:16:40.080 --> 0:16:45.280 view the world. Here's the startling statistic eighty percent of 0:16:45.320 --> 0:16:50.880 the average person's repetitive thoughts are negative. That means eighty 0:16:50.920 --> 0:16:55.080 percent of the time are neurons are building highways that 0:16:55.120 --> 0:16:59.160 are working against us, wiring our brains for things that 0:16:59.240 --> 0:17:02.960 are limiting us. We wonder why we don't feel good 0:17:02.960 --> 0:17:06.199 about ourselves while we live stressed, why we can't believe 0:17:06.240 --> 0:17:10.760 for our dreams. Maybe you've built the wrong highways. Maybe 0:17:10.800 --> 0:17:13.600 you've trained your brain to work against you and not 0:17:13.800 --> 0:17:17.480 for you. The good news is it's not too late. 0:17:17.800 --> 0:17:21.840 You can rewire your brain. You can build new pathways 0:17:22.080 --> 0:17:25.920 that'll make it easier on you. Pay attention to what 0:17:25.960 --> 0:17:31.360 you're thinking, especially the repetitive thoughts, what you're telling yourself 0:17:31.640 --> 0:17:35.560 all through the day. If that recording is negative, you're 0:17:35.600 --> 0:17:40.600 defeating yourself. The scripture says to guard your mind. That's 0:17:40.640 --> 0:17:45.240 the command centers by what you're thinking. You're building highways 0:17:45.440 --> 0:17:48.040 that are either going to help you or hinder you. 0:17:49.200 --> 0:17:52.159 When I was eight years old, my younger sister, April 0:17:52.200 --> 0:17:55.000 and I were out riding our bikes down the street 0:17:55.040 --> 0:17:58.040 and we lived in the country, a lot of open land, 0:17:58.160 --> 0:18:01.159 and next to the street there was a ditch for 0:18:01.200 --> 0:18:04.440 the water to drain in and it was empty and 0:18:04.480 --> 0:18:07.200 we were kind of bored, and I said, April, let's 0:18:07.200 --> 0:18:09.359 get down in the ditch and ride there. That'll be 0:18:09.400 --> 0:18:13.240 more fun. It's about five feet deep. And we walked 0:18:13.240 --> 0:18:16.200 our bikes down and started riding through the ditch and 0:18:16.880 --> 0:18:19.760 went about fifty yards. Then we came to this culbert 0:18:20.119 --> 0:18:23.640 with the ditch stopped and we couldn't go anymore. Thought, 0:18:23.680 --> 0:18:26.359 no big deal, let's get out. But we tried to 0:18:26.400 --> 0:18:29.280 get out, but it was deeper than we thought. April 0:18:29.320 --> 0:18:31.600 crawled up the side and I tried to push my 0:18:31.680 --> 0:18:35.520 bike to her, but she wasn't strong enough. We switched positions. 0:18:35.600 --> 0:18:38.120 I got out, still couldn't get the bike out. It's 0:18:38.160 --> 0:18:41.280 too heavy. It was easy to get in the ditch, 0:18:41.760 --> 0:18:45.560 but it was hard to get out. Sometimes in our minds, 0:18:45.800 --> 0:18:49.760 we're in a ditch. We've developed these mental ruts from 0:18:49.920 --> 0:18:54.400 years of wrong thinking. I'm a victim, I've been through 0:18:54.440 --> 0:18:58.320 too much, I'll never get well. We're living in a 0:18:58.400 --> 0:19:02.160 mental rut that we've created it. We didn't realize through 0:19:02.200 --> 0:19:06.440 negative thinking, we were building something that would limit us, 0:19:06.920 --> 0:19:10.679 paving a road that would keep us stuck. April and 0:19:10.720 --> 0:19:12.760 I couldn't get out of the ditch by ourselves, and 0:19:13.119 --> 0:19:16.880 this young man came driving by. He nicely stopped, got 0:19:16.920 --> 0:19:19.400 down in the ditch, and lifted both of our bikes out. 0:19:20.000 --> 0:19:22.840 The difference in our story is you can get out 0:19:22.840 --> 0:19:26.720 of your ditch. You can break any stronghold that's held 0:19:26.760 --> 0:19:30.159 you back. The forces that are for you are greater 0:19:30.359 --> 0:19:33.520 than forces that are against you. When you get in 0:19:33.600 --> 0:19:38.040 agreement with God and start meditating on what he says, 0:19:38.880 --> 0:19:42.240 now your repetitive thoughts are full of faith and hope 0:19:42.280 --> 0:19:46.200 and victory, you will come out of those mental ruts. 0:19:46.720 --> 0:19:50.080 That's what it means to be transformed by the renewing 0:19:50.160 --> 0:19:53.840 of your mind. No more, I'm a victim. I've been 0:19:53.880 --> 0:19:56.159 through too much. That's going to keep you in the ditch. 0:19:56.800 --> 0:20:00.280 How about I am a victor. God always causes to 0:20:00.320 --> 0:20:03.639 try out, but I'll never get well. Joel, you should 0:20:03.640 --> 0:20:05.760 see the medical report. This sickness is going to be 0:20:05.800 --> 0:20:09.040 the end that's going to keep you stuck. How about 0:20:09.200 --> 0:20:12.280 God is restoring health back into me. The number of 0:20:12.320 --> 0:20:16.119 my days he will fulfill. That's not just being positive, 0:20:16.720 --> 0:20:21.200 is not just having faith. That's rewiring your brain, that's 0:20:21.200 --> 0:20:24.440 building new highways. That's what's going to bring you out 0:20:24.560 --> 0:20:27.800 of that middle rut and allow God to do what 0:20:27.960 --> 0:20:32.160 only he can do. You need to examine your life. 0:20:32.320 --> 0:20:35.719 Are you in any ruts? Have you built roads in 0:20:35.760 --> 0:20:39.080 your thinking that are easy to go down, but it's 0:20:39.119 --> 0:20:42.399 not where you want to go. You've got these highways 0:20:42.520 --> 0:20:48.000 leading to discouragement. Can't do it? Not valuable, that comes 0:20:48.080 --> 0:20:52.560 natural to you, but it's limiting you. That's a learned behavior. 0:20:53.400 --> 0:20:56.840 You've learned to be unhappy, learned to be offended, learned 0:20:56.880 --> 0:21:01.160 to not believe in yourself. That's okay. You can relearn. 0:21:02.040 --> 0:21:06.960 You can rewire your brain. Pay attention to the repetitive thoughts. 0:21:07.480 --> 0:21:12.679 Are they positive building you up? Or are they guilt ridden? 0:21:13.320 --> 0:21:17.480 Can't do it? You're the command center. You're giving the orders, 0:21:17.640 --> 0:21:21.800 telling your neur runs which pathways to build. Make sure 0:21:21.800 --> 0:21:24.680 it's a pathway leading you somewhere you want to go. 0:21:25.960 --> 0:21:27.760 I talked to a lady who had been through a 0:21:28.119 --> 0:21:32.560 very difficult and hurtful divorce. It was ten years ago 0:21:32.600 --> 0:21:35.479 at that time, but she was still so bitter and 0:21:35.600 --> 0:21:39.000 so angry, and her husband had left for someone else 0:21:39.080 --> 0:21:42.600 and caused all this heartache and pain. I know it's 0:21:42.640 --> 0:21:46.000 not easy, but at some point you have to move forward. 0:21:46.760 --> 0:21:49.200 You have to give it to God and trust him 0:21:49.280 --> 0:21:53.200 to be your vindicator. People can't pay you back, only 0:21:53.280 --> 0:21:56.640 God can. She was trying to get from her ex 0:21:56.760 --> 0:22:00.560 husband what only God could get. He wasn't going to 0:22:00.600 --> 0:22:04.240 be happy until he was unhappy, but he was out 0:22:04.359 --> 0:22:08.640 enjoying his life. He had remarried and moved on. It 0:22:08.720 --> 0:22:11.640 may not have been right, but if someone has hurt 0:22:11.680 --> 0:22:15.000 you once, don't let them continue to hurt you by 0:22:15.000 --> 0:22:18.040 holding on to it. She was here at the altar 0:22:18.080 --> 0:22:21.000 for prayer and she said, Joel, I can forgive him. 0:22:21.359 --> 0:22:24.840 He hurt me too badly. I understood what she meant 0:22:25.520 --> 0:22:29.000 because she had held on to that unforgiveness for ten years. 0:22:29.200 --> 0:22:32.040 That's all she thought about. Do you know how deep 0:22:32.119 --> 0:22:36.639 that rut was? How long? How wide that highway? I 0:22:36.800 --> 0:22:40.440 wasn't four lanes, had like sixteen lanes. It was easy 0:22:40.480 --> 0:22:45.560 for her to be angry, offended. She'd built an incredible pathway. 0:22:46.320 --> 0:22:48.800 And I told her, of course, what I'm telling you. 0:22:48.800 --> 0:22:52.200 You have to change what's happening here all through the 0:22:52.320 --> 0:22:56.920 day when it comes up, instead of thinking bitter, angry thoughts, 0:22:57.440 --> 0:23:00.240 how about Father, thank you that you have beauty for 0:23:00.280 --> 0:23:03.359 these ashes, Lord, you said, what was meant for harm? 0:23:03.440 --> 0:23:06.199 You had turned to my advantage. Father, Thank you that 0:23:06.320 --> 0:23:09.960 I have the grace to forgive. She began to rewire 0:23:10.000 --> 0:23:12.959 her brain. I saw her a couple years later out 0:23:13.000 --> 0:23:18.200 there at the visitors. She was like a different person, happy, beautiful, grateful. 0:23:19.080 --> 0:23:24.400 What happened. She started building new highways. She started meditating 0:23:24.440 --> 0:23:28.480 on the right things, not the hurts, not the injustice. 0:23:29.080 --> 0:23:32.240 The enemy would love for you to keep building those roads. 0:23:32.840 --> 0:23:36.280 He knows it'll keep you in a rut, stuck in bitterness, 0:23:36.760 --> 0:23:40.199 stuck in defeat. Or do like she did, put up 0:23:40.280 --> 0:23:44.679 some road closures. No more going down those paths. That 0:23:44.920 --> 0:23:50.359 algorithm is going to keep feeding hurts, feeding discouragement. How 0:23:50.359 --> 0:23:54.480 about rewiring your brain. Send some new commands of hope, 0:23:54.800 --> 0:23:58.560 faith and victory. That's how you get out of mental ruts. 0:23:59.840 --> 0:24:03.080 What Gideon had to do in the scripture, he was 0:24:03.160 --> 0:24:06.919 hiding in the wine press, afraid of the Midianites that 0:24:06.960 --> 0:24:10.520 were surrounding the city. An angel came to him and said, 0:24:11.040 --> 0:24:14.840 mighty hero, the Lord is with you. You are to lead 0:24:14.920 --> 0:24:18.800 the people of Israel to defeat the Midianites. Well, Gideon 0:24:18.960 --> 0:24:22.440 was taken aback. He said in a fact, that's not possible. 0:24:23.000 --> 0:24:25.960 I come from the poorest family. I am the least 0:24:26.000 --> 0:24:30.000 one in my father's house. He didn't get that way overnight. 0:24:30.560 --> 0:24:33.520 That was a mental rut that took years to develop. 0:24:34.440 --> 0:24:37.240 He was, no doubt told that he wasn't up to part, 0:24:37.960 --> 0:24:41.640 he wasn't talented, he couldn't do anything great. He let 0:24:41.760 --> 0:24:46.560 circumstances convince him that he was at a disadvantage. Those 0:24:46.600 --> 0:24:50.639 thoughts played over and over. His neurons went to work, 0:24:51.119 --> 0:24:54.520 did what they were created to do, built paths, ways 0:24:54.520 --> 0:24:59.960 of inferiority and not enough. That's who he became, this angel. 0:25:00.000 --> 0:25:02.439 He owed up and told him who he really was, 0:25:02.840 --> 0:25:08.320 A mighty hero, well able. He spoke victory, blessings, favor 0:25:08.400 --> 0:25:12.000 over his life. Here's the whole key. It was up 0:25:12.040 --> 0:25:14.639 to Gideon as to what he would do with it. 0:25:15.520 --> 0:25:20.000 Would he continue to meditate on the old limited too small? 0:25:20.840 --> 0:25:23.679 Or would he change what he was thinking? Would he 0:25:23.760 --> 0:25:27.520 send out some new commands. I'm a mighty hero, I 0:25:27.560 --> 0:25:30.919 am well able, I am strong in the Lord. He 0:25:31.040 --> 0:25:34.920 began to change his recording. He came out of that rut, 0:25:35.160 --> 0:25:38.240 and he went on to become the mighty hero. God 0:25:38.280 --> 0:25:41.680 called him to be. He's listed in Hebrews eleven as 0:25:41.720 --> 0:25:44.359 one of the heroes of faith. This would have never 0:25:44.520 --> 0:25:48.800 happened if he had not rewired his brain. He'd kept 0:25:48.840 --> 0:25:52.400 thinking all the negative, defeated thoughts. He'd stayed in the rut. 0:25:52.920 --> 0:25:56.600 We wouldn't be talking about it. Pay attention to what 0:25:56.640 --> 0:26:00.920 you're thinking, especially the repetitive thoughts. Do they line up 0:26:01.040 --> 0:26:06.440 with who God says you are? Mighty, hero, talented, valuable forgiving? 0:26:07.280 --> 0:26:11.000 Is that what you're meditating on building pathways that you 0:26:11.080 --> 0:26:14.560 want to go down? Or are those neurons working against 0:26:14.560 --> 0:26:18.560 you building roads that you don't want to travel. Perhaps 0:26:18.760 --> 0:26:22.879 you need to rewire your brain, change those negative patterns 0:26:23.000 --> 0:26:25.879 that are pulling you down. Don't go the next thirty 0:26:25.960 --> 0:26:29.560 years stuck in a mental run. You're in charge of 0:26:29.600 --> 0:26:33.359 your command center. You get to choose what you think about. 0:26:33.600 --> 0:26:35.960 Get up in the morning and set your mind for 0:26:36.160 --> 0:26:40.240 victory all through the day. Meditate on what God says 0:26:40.320 --> 0:26:44.280 about you. Get on the right algorithm. If you'll do this, 0:26:44.440 --> 0:26:48.560 I believe and declare any strongholds that are keeping you 0:26:48.720 --> 0:26:52.040 back or being broken. Right now, God is going to 0:26:52.119 --> 0:26:55.080 help you rewire your brain. You are coming out of 0:26:55.119 --> 0:27:01.720 middle ruts into freedom, peace, confidence, and victory in Jesus' name, 0:27:02.400 --> 0:27:06.440 and if you're receive it, can just say amen. I'd 0:27:06.480 --> 0:27:09.199 like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the 0:27:09.240 --> 0:27:13.560 Lord of your alive. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, 0:27:14.200 --> 0:27:18.119 I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I 0:27:18.280 --> 0:27:21.320 make you my Lord and savior. If you prayed that 0:27:21.400 --> 0:27:24.680 simple prayer, we believe you got born again. We'd love 0:27:24.720 --> 0:27:27.080 to send you some free information on your new walk 0:27:27.080 --> 0:27:29.359 with the Lord. You can text the number on the 0:27:29.400 --> 0:27:32.400 screen or go to the website. But I hope you'll 0:27:32.440 --> 0:27:35.760 get into a good Bible based church and keep God 0:27:36.080 --> 0:27:39.520 first place. Each week I stand on this stage and 0:27:39.600 --> 0:27:42.880 remind you of what God says about you. Because it's 0:27:42.920 --> 0:27:45.480 easy to be defined by who people say we are, 0:27:45.880 --> 0:27:48.760 or by our own negative thoughts that we're not talented 0:27:48.880 --> 0:27:52.080 or problems too big. The key is to go back 0:27:52.119 --> 0:27:54.320 to who God says you are. Now. I love to 0:27:54.359 --> 0:27:56.959 send you by new book one hundred and one great 0:27:56.960 --> 0:27:59.800 Things that God says about you. I'll help you just 0:28:00.119 --> 0:28:04.200 cover your true identity. God says you're blessed, you're chosen, 0:28:04.400 --> 0:28:08.320 You're forgiven, you have seeds of greatness. Your future is bright. 0:28:08.960 --> 0:28:12.400 When you get in agreement with God and declare his promises, 0:28:12.640 --> 0:28:16.000 you'll rise higher and become all you were created to be. 0:28:17.000 --> 0:28:19.399 As our way of saying thank you for your gift 0:28:19.440 --> 0:28:21.960 of any amount this month, we would like to send 0:28:21.960 --> 0:28:25.000 you a copy of Joel's brand new resource, one hundred 0:28:25.040 --> 0:28:28.800 and one Things God Says About You Faith Reminders when 0:28:28.800 --> 0:28:32.600 you need them most. As you read and reflect the 0:28:32.680 --> 0:28:35.760 story of your life, the way you see yourself will 0:28:35.840 --> 0:28:39.400 radically change. It will become a reflection of God himself 0:28:39.640 --> 0:28:42.680 and what He says about you. Use this resource to 0:28:42.800 --> 0:28:45.600 encourage your heart and remind you of who you are 0:28:45.640 --> 0:28:49.280 in Him. You are everything God says about you within 0:28:49.360 --> 0:28:53.280 these pages, So read it, experience it, and believe it. 0:28:53.680 --> 0:28:56.600 As an added bonus, you can detach the beautiful poster 0:28:56.720 --> 0:28:59.000 at the back of the book to read and declare 0:28:59.040 --> 0:29:02.920 these reminders every day. Yes, you are who God says 0:29:02.960 --> 0:29:05.880 you are. Now is your time to start believing it. 0:29:06.320 --> 0:29:08.880 Be sure to request your copy of one hundred and 0:29:08.920 --> 0:29:12.840 one Things God Says About You. Visit joelostein dot com 0:29:12.960 --> 0:29:15.959 or call eight eight eight five six seven Joel. 0:29:16.800 --> 0:29:19.360 As you dwell on what God says about you. You're 0:29:19.360 --> 0:29:24.040 going to see yourself for who you really are, strong, talented, valuable, 0:29:24.280 --> 0:29:27.920 a victor never a victim Victoria and I want you 0:29:28.000 --> 0:29:30.120 to know that we love you and we pray for 0:29:30.160 --> 0:29:33.160 you every day. And thanks so much for your prayer 0:29:33.320 --> 0:29:37.200 and support. Your generosity is helping people around the world. 0:29:37.560 --> 0:29:40.280 Special thank you to our Champion of Hope partners for 0:29:40.360 --> 0:29:43.160 your monthly support. If you're not a partner, I hope 0:29:43.160 --> 0:29:46.720 you'll consider becoming one. Remember you can watch the services 0:29:46.760 --> 0:29:51.080 online every Sunday morning, download our daily podcast, listen on 0:29:51.160 --> 0:29:55.000 Serious ExM, watch our YouTube channel and the new Joel 0:29:55.040 --> 0:29:58.880 Osteine Network, streaming twenty four hours a day until we 0:29:58.920 --> 0:30:01.360 meet again. The Lord bless you and keep you. 0:30:02.160 --> 0:30:04.720 Be sure to request your copy of one hundred and 0:30:04.760 --> 0:30:08.640 one Things God Says About You. Visit Jolostein dot com 0:30:08.800 --> 0:30:12.360 or call eight eight eight five six seven Joel for 0:30:12.440 --> 0:30:15.800 an additional donation. This month, we are also offering one 0:30:15.840 --> 0:30:19.200 hundred and one Great Things God Says About You card set. 0:30:19.720 --> 0:30:23.080 These cards can serve as daily reminders of who God 0:30:23.160 --> 0:30:27.400 says you are. Additionally, you can request the beautiful copy 0:30:27.600 --> 0:30:32.200 of the Passion Translation Power provision and peace. This book 0:30:32.240 --> 0:30:36.440 brings fresh insight and deeper understanding to the Early Church's journey, 0:30:36.720 --> 0:30:41.000 Paul's teachings, and the practical application of faith in daily life. 0:30:41.400 --> 0:30:44.760 You can request these unique resources by calling eight eight 0:30:44.840 --> 0:30:48.880 eight five six seven Joel or logging on to jolostein 0:30:49.000 --> 0:30:50.160 dot com today. 0:30:50.600 --> 0:30:51.680 Call or click. 0:30:51.520 --> 0:30:55.840 Anytime, twenty four hours a day. Discover your true identity 0:30:56.000 --> 0:31:03.400 in Christ. Request your copies today,