IT'S TIME TO LOOK TO THE WORD OF GOD TODAY. AND I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO JOIN US FOR THIS PART OF THE SERVICE. I KNOW MANY TIMES FOLKS ARE TEMPTED WHEN IT COMES TO THE PREACHING PART, TO JUST TURN THE CHANNEL OVER AND WATCH SOMETHING ELSE. BUT THIS IS IMPORTANT TODAY. AND THROUGH OUR SPEAKING AND THROUGH OUR THINKING TODAY, I WANT TO TRY TO HELP SOMEBODY THAT MAY BE STRUGGLING IN THEIR JOURNEY. ALL THROUGH THIS SERVICE WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO MINISTER TO FOLK WITH JUST THAT KIND OF A SITUATION. LIFE HAS COME AND AS IT CAME IT BROUGHT TO YOU SOME THINGS, THAT HAS MADE THE JOURNEY VERY DIFFICULT. AND I BELIEVE THAT THE LORD CAN HELP US WITH THOSE THINGS. I BELIEVE THE LORD WILL HELP US WITH THOSE THINGS. BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET TO HIS WORD FOR THAT TO HAPPEN. TODAY I WANT TO RETURN TO THE SUBJECT THAT I BEGAN TO DEAL WITH LAST LORD'S DAY. I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE POWER OF THOUGHT. NOW THE REASON I'M DOING THIS, IS AS I SAID LAST WEEK, IT'S BECAUSE, WHAT WE THINK MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN HOW WE LIVE. I ASKED YOU LAST WEEK TO TURN WITH ME TO THE BOOK OF PHILIPPIANS. AND I WANT TO RETURN TO THAT SAME VERSE OF SCRIPTURE, FOUND IN CHAPTER 4, VERSE 8. IN THAT ONE VERSE OF SCRIPTURE, PAUL IS ENCOURAGING US AND HELPING US TO KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO THINK THE RIGHT THOUGHTS. THERE IS POWER IN WHAT YOU THINK. LET'S READ PHILIPPIANS CHAPTER 4, VERSE 8. IT SAYS, "FINALLY BRETHREN WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE TRUE, WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE HONEST, WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE JUST, WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE PURE, WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE LOVELY, WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE OF GOOD REPORT, IF THERE BE ANY VIRTUE AND IF THERE BE ANY PRAISE, THINK ON THESE THINGS." NOW IF WHAT A PERSON THINKS DIDN'T REALLY MATTER, WHY WOULD PAUL TALK ABOUT THESE THINGS? HE'S HELPING US TO REALIZE, THAT IF WE THINK THE RIGHT THINGS, IT'S GOING TO MAKE A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE WITHIN OUR LIVES. NOW LAST WEEK I GOT A LITTLE OFF TRACK BECAUSE RIGHT IN THE MESSAGE, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THAT GOD WAS MOVING IN A VERY SPECIFIC WAY, TO REACH OUT TO SOME VERY SPECIFIC FOLK IN OUR AUDIENCE. TODAY, I WANT TO GO BACK TO SOME OF THE POINTS THAT I REALLY FEEL LIKE I NEED TO MAKE TO CONTINUE TO HELP SOMEBODY. YOU SEE, I BELIEVE TODAY THAT IF WHAT I THINK AND THE WAY I THINK IS SO IMPORTANT TO MY LIFE, THAT I REALLY NEED TO DISCOVER, HOW TO CHANGE THE WAY I THINK, IF I WANT TO CHANGE SOME THINGS IN MY LIFE. THERE ARE SOME FOLK TODAY THAT SEEM LIKE THEY JUST TRAVEL IN A VICIOUS CYCLE. THEY'RE NEVER ABLE TO BREAK OUT OF THAT CYCLE, SO THAT THEY CAN LIVE SOMETHING THAT THEY'VE NEVER LIVED. THEY JUST KEEP LIVING THROUGH THE SAME STORY ALL THE DAYS OF THEIR LIFE. I BELIEVE TODAY, THAT WITH THE HELP OF THE LORD AND WHAT WE READ IN GOD'S WORD, I BELIEVE THAT WHEN WE TAKE THOSE THINGS AND WE EQUIP OURSELVES, THEN WE APPLY THEM TO THE WAY THAT WE'RE THINKING, THAT'S WHEN CHANGE OCCURS. IF YOU FEEL LIKE THAT YOU'RE LOCKED INTO THAT CYCLE TODAY, YOU'VE ALREADY GOT THE WORD OF GOD, YOU'VE ALREADY GOT HIS PRESENCE, MAYBE THE ONLY THING YOU NEED NOW, TO HELP YOU TO BREAK FREE OF THAT CYCLE, IS TO CHANGE THE WAY YOU'RE THINKING AS A RESULT OF ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT GOD IS HELPING YOU WITH. WELL, HOW DO WE CHANGE OUR LIFE? HOW DO WE CHANGE THE WAY WE THINK? IT SEEMS LIKE THE WAY THAT WE THINK IS MOLDED INTO US AT A VERY EARLY AGE AND THAT SEEMS TO STRUCTURE OUR WHOLE LIFE, ALL OF OUR LIFE. BUT I BELIEVE THAT NO MATTER HOW OLD YOU ARE TODAY, THAT YOU CAN STILL CHANGE YOUR WAY OF THINKING. I HEARD A MAN SAY, "YOU CAN'T TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS." AND I DISAGREE WITH THAT. YOU MAY FEEL LIKE AND DON'T BE OFFENDED AS I SAY THIS, YOU MAY FEEL LIKE AN OLD DOG, YOU MAY FEEL LIKE YOU CAN'T BE TAUGHT ANYTHING NEW, BUT WHAT I'VE DISCOVERED IS, IS THAT OLD DOGS CAN BE TAUGHT NEW TRICKS, IT JUST TAKES A LITTLE LONGER SOMETIMES TO BREAK A LIFETIME OF HABIT. AND SO TODAY, NO MATTER HOW OLD YOU ARE IF YOU'LL LISTEN TO THIS YOUNG WHIPPER SNAPPER OF A PREACHER, WELL, I'M NOT SO YOUNG ANYMORE, BUT IF YOU'LL LET ME, I THINK I CAN HELP US WITH SOME THINGS. THE FIRST THING THAT WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHEN WE'RE LOOKING TO CHANGE THE WAY WE THINK, IS THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE LIVE IN. WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE LIVE IN THAT'S DICTATING TO US HOW WE THINK? NOW, I WANT TO MAKE SOME OBSERVATIONS HERE. FIRST OF ALL, EACH ONE OF US IS THE PRODUCT OF THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE LIVE IN. YOU MOST LIKELY TODAY, ARE THE WAY YOU ARE, BECAUSE OF THE HOME, THE ENVIRONMENT THAT YOU WERE BORN INTO. WE CAN'T DENY HOW IMPORTANT IT IS, THAT WHEN GOD GIVES US A CHILD, THAT WE RAISE THEM IN THE BEST ENVIRONMENT THAT WE CAN. WHICH MEANS WE HAVE TO DO SOME SELF-EXAMINATION. NOW THAT'S USUALLY THE FIRST HURDLE THAT STOPS A LOT OF PEOPLE. WE DON'T WANT TO LOOK AT OURSELVES, WE DON'T WANT TO LOOK DOWN INSIDE OF US, TO SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING IN THERE THAT MAY NOT BE AS GOOD AS IT OUGHT TO BE. TO SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE OUGHT TO CHANGE ABOUT OURSELVES. YOU SEE, AS A PARENT, AND I KNOW I'M TALKING TO SOME YOUNGER FOLK HERE, WHO HAVE SMALL CHILDREN. AS A PARENT, WHAT YOU SAY AROUND THE HOUSE, WHAT YOU SAY IN THAT HOME ENVIRONMENT, IS GOING TO BE VERY POWERFUL IN THE SHAPING OF THAT YOUNG LIFE. YES, IT IS. YOU HAVE WITH YOUR WORDS TODAY, YOU HAVE THE POWER TO HELP THEM TO ACHIEVE SOME GREAT THINGS, OR YOU HAVE THE POWER TO LOCK THEM INTO A LIFE WHERE THEY WILL NEVER OBTAIN, NEVER ACHIEVE ALL THE SUCCESS THAT THEY CAN. IN FACT, NOW YOU MAY NOT LIKE THIS, BUT YOU WILL WITH JUST WHAT YOU DO AND WHAT YOU SAY YOU WILL GO A LONG WAY'S TO HELPING THEM, WHETHER THEY ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO OVERCOME EVERYTHING THAT COMES THEIR WAY, OR WHETHER THEY WILL BE DEFEATED BY EVERYTHING THAT COMES THEIR WAY. YOU SEE, ENVIRONMENT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE RICH TO HAVE A GOOD ENVIRONMENT. I NEED TO SAY THAT. SOME FOLK EQUATE EVERYTHING WITH MONEY. AND THIS IS NOT A WEALTH ISSUE. YOU CAN BE POOR, YOU CAN BE LIKE I HEARD MY FATHER SAY SO MANY TIMES, HE TALKS ABOUT HIS CHILDHOOD, HE SAYS, "WE WERE SO POOR, THE POOR PEOPLE CALLED US POOR." AND THAT MAY DESCRIBE YOU TODAY. YOU MAY NOT HAVE TWO PENNIES TO RUB TOGETHER. BUT YOU CAN STILL HAVE A GOOD ENVIRONMENT AROUND YOUR HOME, THE PLACE WHERE YOU LIVE, THE PLACE WHERE YOU WORK. BECAUSE YOU LARGELY ARE THE ONE THAT DETERMINES WHAT THAT ENVIRONMENT IS GOING TO BE LIKE. YOU MAY NOT BE SURROUNDED BY THE BEST OF MATERIAL THINGS. BUT THAT REALLY ISN'T WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY. IT'S NOT WHAT YOU'RE SURROUNDED WITH AS FAR AS MATERIAL THINGS ARE CONCERNED, IT'S WHAT YOU'RE SURROUNDED WITH, WITH EMOTIONAL THINGS, WITH THE THINGS THAT YOU INTERACT WITH PEOPLE IN. AND THOSE THINGS ARE REALLY WHAT'S IMPORTANT. SO AN ENVIRONMENT IS IMPORTANT. NEGATIVE THINKING TENDS TO OVERLOOK OPPORTUNITIES, THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO US. SO IF YOU LIVE IN AN ENVIRONMENT OF NEGATIVE THINKING, THEN YOU MAY NOT SEE THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT GOD SENDS YOUR WAY. AND GOD WILL SEND SOME OPPORTUNITIES YOUR WAY. CAN I JUST STOP HERE LONG ENOUGH TO REMIND YOU, THAT GOD IS A GOOD GOD AND GOD IS CONSTANTLY, CONTINUALLY, CONSISTENTLY, POURING OUT BLESSINGS UPON US, HIS CHILDREN. AND GOD IS GIVING US OPPORTUNITIES TO OVERCOME. GOD IS GIVING US OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE PROGRESS. GOD IS GIVING US OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW. BUT IF WE'RE LOCKED INTO A NEGATIVE MINDSET, WE WON'T SEE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES WHEN THEY COME. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN GOD SENDS THINGS OUR WAY, WE HAVE TO REACH OUT TO GET A HOLD OF. IF NOT THEY WILL SLIP ON BY AND WE'LL MISS THAT GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY. SO HOW YOU THINK IS GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. LET ME SAY SOMETHING ELSE ABOUT NEGATIVE THINKING. NEGATIVE THINKING TENDS TO CREATE A DARK ENVIRONMENT. WHERE THE BAD IS ACCENTUATED AND A FEELING OF HOPELESSNESS IS CREATED. TODAY, THERE IS WITHOUT A DOUBT, SOMEBODY LISTENING TO THIS, THAT IS LOCKED INTO A MINDSET, OF NEVER BEING ABLE TO HAVE VICTORY. YOU'RE DEFEATED BY EVERYTHING THAT COMES YOUR WAY. AND YOU HAVE DEVELOPED A LINE OF THOUGHT WITHIN YOU, "WHAT'S THE SENSE OF TRYING, I CAN'T DO ANYTHING TO CHANGE MY SITUATION, I'M LOCKED IN, THIS IS THE WAY IT'S ALWAYS BEEN, IT'S THE WAY IT'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE, THERE'S NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE." YOU SEE, YOU'RE A PRODUCT OF YOUR ENVIRONMENT. SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY, MOST LIKELY, THAT'S WHAT YOU WERE RAISED IN, OR THAT'S WHAT YOU EXPERIENCED IN YOUR YOUNGER YEARS. AND NOW HERE YOU ARE AT A POINT WHERE YOU REALLY NEED SOMETHING TO HAPPEN. SOMETHING GOOD TO HAPPEN, SOMETHING THAT WILL BRING FREEDOM AND LIBERTY AND POWER. THE ABILITY TO OVERCOME. BUT BECAUSE OF THE WAY YOU'RE THINKING, YOU'RE LOCKED INTO THAT CYCLE OF DEFEAT. OH, IF WE COULD JUST SOMEHOW BEGIN TO SEE THE DIFFERENCE THAT GOD MAKES. I JUST, THIS IS MY FEELING TODAY, THIS IS MY ATTITUDE. THIS IS WHAT I HAVE COME TO THE CONCLUSION OF, AFTER WATCHING A LOT PEOPLE IN MY LIFETIME. WE MAY FIND OURSELVES IN A LESS THAN IDEAL SITUATION. BUT BY FAR, THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME, WE DON'T HAVE TO LIVE IN THE SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN. THAT WE CAN BREAK FREE OF THAT AND ACHIEVE SOME THINGS, THAT WE'VE NEVER ACHIEVED. OBTAIN SOME THINGS, WE'VE NEVER OBTAINED. GOD WILL HELP US AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU, THE DIFFERENCE HERE IS GOD. IT'S NOT WHAT YOUR YESTERDAY WAS. IT'S WHAT GOD CAN DO FOR YOU TODAY. YESTERDAY, YOU MAY NOT HAVE HAD THE LORD TO HELP YOU. YOU MAY NOT HAVE BEEN DEPENDING ON HIM. YOU MAY NOT HAVE BEEN TRUSTING IN HIM. BUT IF YOU'LL DO THAT TODAY, REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOUR YESTERDAYS MAY HAVE BEEN LIKE, GOD CAN GIVE YOU A MUCH GREATER FUTURE. HE CAN BEGIN TO CHANGE SOME THINGS TODAY. LISTEN TO THIS. NEGATIVE THINKING TENDS TO DRAG US DOWN, WHILE POSITIVE THINKING TENDS TO CAUSE US TO REACH UP. TAKE A LOOK AT FAITH FOR JUST A MOMENT. WHAT IS THE AFFECT OF FAITH? IF A PERSON IS LIVING BY FAITH, WHAT IS THE PREDOMINANT EMOTION, THAT WORKS IN THAT SITUATION? IT'S THE EMOTION OF HOPE. FAITH BRINGS HOPE. NOW IF YOU DON'T HAVE FAITH, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THAT FOR A SECOND. IF YOU DON'T HAVE FAITH, WHAT IS THE OUTLOOK LIKE? WHAT IS THAT EMOTION? NO HOPE. YOU'RE LOCKED IN TO WHATEVER IT IS, THAT HAS COME TO YOUR LIFE. FAITH SAYS, WE CAN BREAK FREE. FAITH SAYS, GOD HAS AN ANSWER. FAITH SAYS, THE LORD WILL MAKE A WAY. BUT IF WE HAVE NO FAITH, THEN WE BEGIN TO SAY, THERE IS NO HOPE. THERE'S NO CHANCE, THERE'S NO OPPORTUNITY. LOOK AT HOW MANY TIMES YOU WILL USE THE WORD "NO," WHEN YOU LACK FAITH. SO, IF YOU WANT TO BREAK FREE, YOU CAN'T HAVE THAT DEFEATIST ATTITUDE WHERE THERE IS NO FAITH SO THEREFORE THERE IS NO HOPE. WE, THE PEOPLE OF GOD, IF ANYBODY OUGHT TO EXEMPLIFY WHAT IT IS TO HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND POSITIVE THINKING, IT OUGHT TO BE, WE, WHO BELONG TO THE LORD. BECAUSE OUR FAITH MAKES THE DIFFERENCE. YOUR FAITH HAS BROUGHT YOU THIS FAR. YOUR FAITH WILL KEEP WORKING, IT'LL KEEP HELPING YOU ALONG THE WAY. IT'LL TAKE YOU THE REST OF THE JOURNEY. BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY FAITH AND YOU DON'T THINK GOD HAS THE ABILITY TO HELP YOU, YOU'LL FIND YOURSELF LIVING IN DEFEAT. SO TODAY, WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE WAY WE'RE THINKING. I DON'T HAVE TIME TO DEAL WITH ALL THIS, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO COME BACK AGAIN, BUT I WANT TO DEAL WITH THIS ONE LAST THING VERY QUICKLY. NEGATIVE THINKING IS NOT ALWAYS THE RESULT OF FACING REALITY. IT BECOMES THE STORY OF THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD, JUST BECAUSE HE THOUGHT HE COULD. YOU REMEMBER THAT LITTLE STORY WE USED TO TELL OUR CHILDREN. THE LITTLE ENGINE, HE'S CLIMBING THAT HILL AND HE JUST KEEPS SAYING TO HIMSELF, "I THINK I CAN, I THINK I CAN, I THINK I CAN." AND ALL OF A SUDDEN HE'S AT THE TOP OF THE HILL AND WHEN HE GOES DOWN, HE'S SAYS, "I KNEW I COULD, I KNEW I COULD, I KNEW I COULD." THAT'S THE WAY IT OUGHT TO BE WITH OUR LIVES. BECAUSE JESUS MAKES THE DIFFERENCE. BECAUSE FAITH MAKES THE DIFFERENCE. I'M NOT LOCKED INTO WHAT I CAN'T DO. NOW I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST THAT STRENGTHEN ME. OH, I CAN'T BEGIN TO TELL YOU HOW IMPORTANT THAT MESSAGE IS TO US TODAY. WE NEED TO BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN AND NOT HOW WE CAN'T. I WANT TO READ ONE LAST VERSE OF SCRIPTURE AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO TURN TO THE LORD IN PRAYER. PROVERBS 23.7 SAYS, "AS A MAN THINKS IN HIS HEART, SO IS HE." TODAY, WE NEED TO THINK A FEW THINGS. WE NEED TO THINK, I'M A CHILD OF GOD. THAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE. AS A CHILD OF GOD, I HAVE ALL THE RESOURCES OF HEAVEN AVAILABLE TO ME. THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE. AS A CHILD OF GOD, GOD WILL COME AND WALK ALONG WITH ME, HE'LL TALK WITH ME, HE'LL HELP ME TO OVERCOME THE ISSUES OF MY LIFE THAT SEEK TO DESTROY ME. AND SEEK TO DEFEAT ME. SO WE LEAN ON THE LORD, AS HIS CHILD, AS ONE OF HIS OWN, GOD IS GOING TO HELP US. OH, I WISH THAT I HAD SOME MORE TIME TO TALK ABOUT THIS TODAY. COME BACK NEXT LORD'S DAY AND I'LL CONTINUE ON. BECAUSE I BELIEVE GOD'S HELPING SOMEBODY WITH THIS MESSAGE TODAY. LET'S GO TO THE LORD IN PRAYER. HEAVENLY FATHER, RIGHT NOW, FOR THOSE THAT YOU ARE REACHING OUT TO, HELP THEM TO BREAK FREE FROM THOSE THINGS THAT HAVE IMPRISONED THEM. BRING LIBERTY TO THEIR LIFE. CHANGE THEIR LIFE'S STORY. BY THE THINGS THAT YOU DO FOR THEM RIGHT NOW, IN JESUS' NAME I ASK IT, AMEN.