IT'S TIME TO LOOK TO THE WORD OF GOD TODAY. AND I WANT TO SHARE SOMETHING WITH YOU TODAY THAT I BELIEVE IS GOING TO HELP SOME FOLK. I'M GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE DIFFERENT APPROACH TO THE WORD TODAY, THEN I MIGHT NORMALLY DO. AND I WANT YOU TO LISTEN VERY CAREFULLY BECAUSE, I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYTHING THAT I'M GOING TO SAY IS BIBLE BASED. YET, MAYBE ON THE SURFACE, IT'S GOING TO SOUND LIKE, IT ISN'T. I'VE COME TODAY, TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT, THINKING. NOW I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE MAY APPEAR LIKE THEY DON'T THINK MUCH. AND PROBABLY SOME PEOPLE DON'T. BUT I BELIEVE THERE IS A POWER, IN THOUGHT. AND IF WE THINK RIGHT, THEN WE INCREASE OUR CHANCES OF LIVING RIGHT. I HAVE A SCRIPTURE TO BACK UP WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY. IT'S FOUND IN THE BOOK OF PHILIPPIANS, CHAPTER 4, VERSE 8. MANY TIMES WE READ THIS VERSE OF SCRIPTURE, WE DON'T REALLY GIVE IT A LOT OF THOUGHT. BUT WHEN PAUL SHARES THIS VERSE, HE'S HELPING US TO REALIZE, THAT WHAT A MAN THINKS, IS VERY IMPORTANT. AND HAS A GREAT EFFECT UPON ONE'S LIFE. SO TODAY AS WE ENTER INTO THIS TIME OF STUDY, I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND, THAT WHAT YOU THINK, WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR MIND AND YOUR HEART TODAY, DOES AND IT WILL HAVE A GREAT EFFECT UPON YOU. IN PHILIPPIANS CHAPTER 4, VERSE 8 IT SAYS THIS, "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." MEDITATE ON THESE THINGS. AS I SAY THAT, I WANT YOU TO GO BACK AND READ ONCE AGAIN, WHAT HE'S TELLING US THERE. HE'S SAYING, WHAT WE THINK, WHAT WE FOCUS ON, WHAT WE ALLOW TO RUN THROUGH OUR MINDS AND OUR HEARTS IS GOING TO HAVE AN EFFECT ON OUR OUTLOOK, IT'S GOING TO HAVE AN EFFECT ON OUR ATTITUDE, IT'S GOING TO HAVE AN EFFECT UPON OUR LIVES. I HAVE A BOOK IN MY LIBRARY THAT I WAS RECENTLY READING. IT'S WRITTEN BY THE AUTHOR, JOHN MAXWELL. THE TITLE OF THE BOOK IS "THINK ON THESE THINGS." I WANT TO READ TO YOU WHAT HE SAYS IN THE VERY FIRST LINE OF THE INTRODUCTION. HE SAYS THERE THAT, "HOW YOU THINK, DETERMINES WHO YOU ARE." OH, LET ME SAY IT AGAIN. HOW YOU THINK, DETERMINES WHO YOU ARE. NOW I KNOW RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE PROBABLY A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE SITTING THERE SAYING, "WELL, I DON'T THINK I NEED TO LISTEN TO THIS." WELL, IT JUST MIGHT BE, THAT IN THAT THOUGHT, YOU ARE DETERMINING, WHO YOU ARE GOING TO BE. YOU SEE, I BELIEVE WHAT HE'S WRITTEN HERE. I BELIEVE THAT HOW YOU THINK, DOES HAVE AN EFFECT UPON WHO YOU BECOME. NOW THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT THIS WEEK AND PERHAPS NEXT WEEK, THAT WILL SHOW YOU HOW IMPORTANT IT IS, TO THINK RIGHT. BECAUSE IF WE DON'T THINK RIGHT, WE CAN'T BE RIGHT. AND MANY PEOPLE MAY DISCOUNT THAT AND SAY, THAT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER MUCH, IT REALLY ISN'T IMPORTANT. BUT IF YOU WILL, JUST ALLOW YOURSELF TO THINK ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT. AND I BELIEVE YOU'LL COME TO THE SAME CONCLUSION THAT I'VE COME TO. THAT MANY TIMES, THE THINGS THAT WE DO WITH OUR HANDS, THE THINGS THAT WE SAY WITH OUR MOUTH, THE THINGS THAT WE LOOK AT WITH OUR EYES AND THE THINGS THAT WE LISTEN TO WITH OUR EARS, THEY ALL BEGIN, FIRST OF ALL, IN THE SOUL OF MAN. IT'S WHAT WE THINK. THAT'S WHY WE ALLOW THINGS TO COME INTO OUR LIVES. THAT'S WHY WE DON'T ALLOW SOME THINGS TO COME INTO OUR LIVES. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE MAKE SURE, THAT WE ARE THINKING RIGHT. LISTEN TO THIS. THE POWER OF THOUGHT IS SOMETHING TO RECOGNIZE. WHAT OCCUPIES YOUR MIND AND WHAT YOU THINK MEANS MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE IN YOUR LIFE. YOUR THOUGHT LIFE WILL DETERMINE, HOW MUCH YOU EARN, WHERE YOU LIVE, WHAT YOU BECOME IN LIFE. YOU CAN LITERALLY CHANGE YOUR LIFE BY BEGINNING TO THINK DIFFERENT THOUGHTS. NOW I BELIEVE THAT AND HERE'S A LITTLE ILLUSTRATION I WANT TO GIVE YOU TO HELP YOU TO SEE WHAT I'M SAYING. IF A PERSON LIVES THEIR LIFE THINKING THAT THEY ARE OF NO VALUE. THAT THEY HAVE NO SELF WORTH. IF THEY FROM A VERY EARLY CHILDHOOD HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THEY'RE NOT SMART, THAT THEY ARE HOMELY, UGLY, NOTHING ATTRACTIVE TO LOOK AT, IF THEY ARE TOLD AT A VERY YOUNG AGE THAT ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE SUCH, AS THEY GROW, THEY GROW WITH THAT ATTITUDE. SO WHAT THEY HEAR AS A YOUNG CHILD, THEY LIVE AS AN ADULT. THEY WILL REFLECT IN THEIR TALKING THAT THEY FEEL LIKE THEY DON'T KNOW MUCH. THEY'LL USE WORDS LIKE, DUMB, STUPID, IDIOTIC. BECAUSE THAT'S HOW THEY THINK. THAT'S WHAT THEY WERE TOLD, SO THAT'S HOW THEY THINK. AND THAT THOUGHT BECOMES REFLECTED IN THE WAY THEY LIVE. MANY TIMES AND I'VE SEEN THIS IN A LOT OF PEOPLE IN MY YEARS OF CHURCH LIVING AND CHURCH WORK. PEOPLE THAT ARE ALL BOUND UP BECAUSE SOMEWHERE BACK IN THEIR PAST, SOMEBODY TOLD THEM THESE THINGS. AND BECAUSE THEY WERE TOLD THESE THINGS, THEY BEGAN TO THINK THESE THINGS AND THOSE THOUGHTS BEGAN TO CONTROL THEIR LIVES. HOW YOU THINK TODAY, WILL EFFECT YOU'RE LIVING. AND IF YOU START OUT THINKING WRONG, IT'S GOING TO BE VERY HARD FOR YOU TO END UP LIVING RIGHT, BECAUSE YOUR THOUGHT IS GOING TO CONTROL HOW YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE. YOU WILL HAVE OPPORTUNITIES COME ALONG IN YOUR PATHWAY. HOW YOU THINK WILL DETERMINE WHETHER YOU SEIZE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES OR LET THOSE OPPORTUNITIES SLIDE BY. YOU WILL RECOGNIZE PLACES ALONG YOUR ROAD OF LIFE WHERE YOU CAN MAKE YOUR LIFE BETTER AND IF YOU DON'T AND YOU DON'T TAKE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES, THEN YOU WILL DENY YOURSELF MANY BLESSINGS THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR YOU. SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T THINK RIGHT. NOW THAT MAY SOUND A LITTLE CRITICAL. BUT YOU SEE, MOST OF OUR ERRING TODAY, MOST OF OUR WRONG DOING, MOST OF OUR MISSED OPPORTUNITIES ARE NOT BECAUSE WE DIDN'T SEE THEM, BUT BECAUSE OUR THOUGHT PROCESSES, DIDN'T ALLOW US TO REACH OUT AND GRAB THEM. I BELIEVE TODAY GOD WANTS THE VERY BEST FOR YOUR LIFE. YOU MAY NOT HAVE STARTED OUT IN THE PALACE OF A KING. BUT THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO END UP TODAY, IF YOU'LL WALK WITH THE LORD ALL THE DAYS OF YOUR LIFE. THE FIRST THING YOU NEED TO OVER COME IN YOUR THOUGHT PROCESSES IS, THAT GOD LOVES YOU. IF YOU THINK THAT BECAUSE MAN DOESN'T LOVE YOU, THAT GOD DOESN'T LOVE YOU, YOUR THINKING IS WRONG. YOU CAN'T GO BY MAN'S WAY OF REACTING TO YOU. YOU CAN'T TAKE WHAT MAN HAS DONE IN YOUR LIFE'S STORY AND TRANSFER THAT TO GOD AND SAY, "GOD IS GOING TO TREAT ME THE SAME WAY." NO, FRIEND, FIRST OF ALL, GOD'S STARTS OUT LOVING YOU IN A DIFFERENT WAY THEN MANKIND DOES. GOD CARES ABOUT YOU IN A DIFFERENT WAY THAN MAN DOES. MAN ONLY LOOKS AT THE TEMPORAL, BUT WHEN GOD SEES YOU, HE SEES THE ETERNALNESS OF YOUR LIFE. AND HE KNOWS THAT THE BEST WAY TO SECURE YOUR ETERNITY, IS TO HELP YOU IN THE NATURAL. AND SO GOD IS GOING TO COME AND THROUGH HIS LOVE, THROUGH HIS GRACE, THROUGH HIS MERCY, HE'S GOING TO REACH OUT TO YOU AND TOUCH YOU. AND REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH HE'S GOING TO MAKE THE DIFFERENCE FOR YOU. OH, I WANT TO ENCOURAGE SOMEBODY TODAY. DON'T LET YOUR PAST DICTATE TO YOU, YOUR FUTURE. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR FUTURE'S GOING TO BE. YOU DON'T KNOW HOW GOD IS GOING TO CHANGE THINGS. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT OPPORTUNITIES LIE IN FRONT OF YOU. NO, THEY MAY NOT HAVE BEEN THERE IN YOUR YESTERDAYS. MAYBE YESTERDAY HAS BEEN VERY UNKIND TO YOU. AND HAS CAUSED YOU TO PAY SOME GREAT PRICE'S. BUT YOU DON'T KNOW TODAY WHAT GOD HAS IN STORE, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT HE'S GOING TO DO FOR YOU, TODAY AND TOMORROW AND THE NEXT DAY. YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO END UP TODAY. SO DON'T LET THE THINKING OF YESTERDAY, ROB YOU OF YOUR FUTURE. BUT BEGIN TO REALIZE THAT YOU CAN NOW DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST THAT STRENGTHENETH YOU. THAT'S WHAT WE OUGHT TO BE THINKING. WE MAY BE BOUND UP BY THINGS THAT WE COULDN'T DO. BUT NOW WE HAVE CHRIST IN OUR LIVES. AND BECAUSE CHRIST IS A PART OF OUR LIVES, WE CAN DO THINGS THAT WE COULDN'T DO ON OUR OWN. WE CAN OVERCOME THE WEAKNESSES OF OUR FLESH. WE CAN OVERCOME THOSE BARRIERS THAT HINDERED OUR PROGRESS. BECAUSE WE CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST THAT STRENGTHENETH ME. OH, IF I'M NOT CAREFUL I'LL GET TO PREACHING TODAY. AND I CAN GET EXCITED ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE I REALIZE THAT IN MAN'S WORLD, THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT ARE DEFICIENT. AND OUR THINKING IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS. BUT AS WE COME TO CHRIST IT OUGHT TO CHANGE OUR THOUGHT PROCESSES. IT OUGHT TO CHANGE THE WAY WE THINK. AND BY CHANGING THE WAY WE THINK, WE CAN INDEED CHANGE OUR LIVES. OH, I WANT TO STOP HERE FOR JUST A MOMENT, SOMETHING IS JUST TURNING OVER IN MY HEART AND I NEED TO TELL SOMEBODY THIS, YOU'RE WATCHING THIS MINISTRY TODAY AND YOU HAVE A FEELING OF VERY LITTLE SELF WORTH. I DON'T KNOW WHAT SOMEBODY HAS TOLD YOU IN YOUR YESTERDAYS. IT MAY HAVE BEEN A FATHER, IT MAY HAVE BEEN A MOTHER. IT MAY HAVE BEEN A RELATIVE, IT MAY HAVE BEEN A TEACHER. IT MAY HAVE JUST BEEN SOMEBODY THAT CAME BY AND SAID SOME LITTLE THING THAT STUCK TO YOU. IT WAS SAID AT THE RIGHT TIME WHEN YOU WERE VULNERABLE. IT WAS SAID AT A TIME WHEN YOU WERE WEAK AND STRUGGLING. AND IT'S BECOME ATTACHED TO YOUR LIFE TODAY. AND EVERY TIME YOU THINK ABOUT MOVING FORWARD. EVERY TIME YOU THINK ABOUT GETTING AHEAD. EVERY TIME YOU THINK ABOUT GOD'S BLESSINGS IN YOUR LIFE, THIS THING KEEPS COMING UP AND YOU KEEP ASKING YOURSELF THE QUESTION, WHO AM I, I'M NOT WORTH ANYTHING. GOD DOESN'T CARE ABOUT ME. GOD DOESN'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING FOR ME. LISTEN FRIEND, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE THINKING TODAY, YOU'VE BEEN LISTENING TO THE ENEMY OF YOUR LIFE. THAT'S WHAT THE DEVIL WOULD LIKE YOU TO BELIEVE. AND HE'D LIKE YOU TO BELIEVE IT, BECAUSE IT'S A LIE. IT'S NOT TRUE. IF GOD DIDN'T CARE ABOUT YOU, OH, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A HARD TIME TO BELIEVE THIS. BUT IF GOD DIDN'T CARE ABOUT YOU, HE WOULDN'T HAVE HELPED YOU TO TUNE IN TODAY, SO YOU COULD HEAR THIS MESSAGE. OH, WE BATTLE AGAINST THIS ALL THE TIME. EVERY CHURCH I'VE PASTORED, INCLUDING THE ONE THAT I'M PASTORING NOW, THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT WILL CROSS MY PATH, WHEN I WISH THAT WE COULD TURN THE CLOCK BACK. AND UNDO SOME OF THE DAMAGE THAT WAS DONE IN THE DAYS OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE'S YOUTH. IT SEEMS LIKE THAT MANY TIMES WE SAY THINGS WITHOUT THINKING. WE SAY THINGS WITHOUT CARING. NOT BELIEVING THAT IT'S GOING TO HAVE ANY ILL EFFECT. BUT THAT LITTLE WORD, THAT LITTLE DEED, THAT LITTLE ACTION, HAS A POWERFUL EFFECT ON PEOPLE. AND REALLY CAN BIND SOME FOLK UP, CAN IMPRISON THEIR LIVES, ALL THE DAYS OF THEIR LIVES. BECAUSE WE DIDN'T SAY WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE SAID AND WE DIDN'T DO WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE DONE. TODAY, GOD HAS COME ALONG AND I'M CHANGING THE NATURE OF THIS MESSAGE HERE TOWARDS THE END, BUT I REALLY FEEL IN MY SPIRIT TODAY THAT GOD WANTS TO REACH OUT TO SOMEBODY, TO CONVINCE YOU THAT YOU'RE MORE IMPORTANT TO HIM, THEN YOU COULD EVER BEGIN TO IMAGINE THAT YOU ARE. GOD LOVES YOU, HE CARES ABOUT YOU AND HE WANTS TO HELP YOU, BEGINNING WITH THE WAY THAT YOU THINK, EVEN ABOUT YOURSELF. ISN'T IT AMAZING SOME TIMES, WE CAN THINK ABOUT SOMEBODY ELSE AND WE COULD SEE WHERE GOD WOULD WANT THE VERY BEST FOR THEM. BUT WE'RE NOT WILLING TO ACCEPT IT FOR OURSELVES. TODAY, AS YOU LOOK AROUND YOU, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE THAT REALLY WHEN YOU CLOSELY EXAMINE THEIR LIVES, YOU'RE GOING TO FIND SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD SAY, "THAT'S WHY GOD CAN'T LOVE THEM. THAT'S WHY GOD CAN'T DO ANYTHING FOR THEM. BUT AGAIN, I TELL YOU, THAT'S A LIE FROM THE PIT OF HELL. THAT'S WHAT OUR ENEMY WOULD LIKE FOR US TO BELIEVE. BECAUSE IN DOING THAT, IN BELIEVING IT, WE WILL SELF DESTRUCT. IF BY NO OTHER WAY THEN SIMPLY BY NOT TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ALL THE THINGS GOD HAS WANTED TO BLESS OUR LIVES WITH. BUT TODAY, YOU ARE THE CREATIVE WORK OF GOD'S HANDS. NOW, LET ME JUST TAKE THAT ONE THING FOR JUST A MOMENT. IF GOD CREATED YOU, WHY WOULDN'T HE CARE FOR YOU? I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU ARE THE CREATIVE WORK OF HIS HANDS THAT MEANS HE HAS ALREADY INVESTED HIMSELF IN YOUR LIFE. YOU MAY NOT LOOK THE WAY YOU THINK YOU OUGHT TO LOOK. YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DO SOME OF THE THINGS YOU THINK YOU SHOULD DO. YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO LOOK AT YOURSELF AND SEE THE ABILITIES THAT OTHER'S MAY HAVE. BUT TODAY, YOU ARE THE CREATIVE WORK OF GOD'S HAND. HE HAS PUT HIMSELF INTO YOUR LIFE. THEREFORE, YOU ARE OF GREAT VALUE TO GOD. EVERYBODY HAS THINGS THEY CAN DO THAT OTHERS CAN'T DO. EVERYBODY HAS THINGS THAT THEY CAN'T DO, THAT OTHERS CAN. DON'T JUDGE YOUR LIFE BASED ON THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OR THE ABILITIES OF OTHERS. YOU'RE IMPORTANT TO GOD JUST AS YOU ARE TODAY. WITH ALL OF YOUR FLAWS, IMPERFECTIONS AND FAILURES. I WANT TO CLOSE BY ASKING GOD TO HELP SOMEBODY THAT DESPERATELY NEEDS HIS HAND RIGHT NOW TO TOUCH YOU. PRECIOUS LORD, YOU KNOW THAT PERSON THAT YOU HAVE BEEN TALKING TO THROUGH THIS MESSAGE TODAY. I ASK YOU RIGHT NOW, PLEASE, BEGIN TO INFLUENCE THE THOUGHTS OF THAT INDIVIDUAL, THAT THEY MIGHT SEE HOW MUCH YOU LOVE THEM, HOW MUCH YOU CARE FOR THEM. THAT YOU COULD CHANGE THEIR LIVES. DO IT NOW I PRAY, IN THE MIGHTY NAME OF JESUS WE ASK, AMEN.