The Power Of Thought Pt. III by Pastor Rick Libby
Sermon transcript of Souls Harbor
Program 1636 Air date 04.25.2010 

IF YOU HAVE BEEN A PART OF THIS MINISTRY VERY LONG AND HAVE HEARD ME PREACH VERY MUCH, YOU'LL KNOW THAT I LIKE TO DEAL WITH A LOT PRACTICAL ISSUES. I LIKE TO SHARE WITH FOLK, THINGS THAT I BELIEVE WILL HELP THEM WITH THE THINGS THAT WE ARE GOING THROUGH IN LIFE. AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, IT'S WHAT I WANT TO RETURN     TO TODAY, TO CONTINUE. BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT HAS BEEN HELPFUL TO SOME FOLK. I REALLY BELIEVE THAT GOD WILL DELIVER US IF WE CHANGE THE WAY THAT WE'RE THINKING. SO TODAY, I WANT TO TALK TO YOU AGAIN ABOUT "THE POWER OF THOUGHT."  TODAY, WE ARE NOT GOING TO TURN TO PHILIPPIANS 4.8, THAT'S THE VERSE OF SCRIPTURE THAT WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH. BUT I WANT TO GO BACK TO THE VERSE THAT I CLOSED WITH LAST WEEK, TO GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT. IN THE BOOK OF PROVERBS, PROVERBS 23, VERSE 7, IT TALKS ABOUT THIS. I THINK IT'S GOOD ADVICE TO US. IT SAYS, "AS A MAN THINKS             IN HIS HEART, SO IS HE." "AS A MAN THINKS IN  HIS HEART, SO IS HE." NOW WHAT I BELIEVE THAT VERSE IS HELPING US TO KNOW, IS THIS, THAT WHAT I THINK WILL DETERMINE HOW I LIVE. HOW DO WE KNOW A MAN? WE KNOW HIM BY THE WORDS AND THE ACTIONS OF HIS LIFE. AND TODAY, WHAT COMES OUT OF OUR LIVES, FIRST OF ALL BEGINS, WITHIN OUR MIND, WITHIN OUR HEART. SO IF WE CAN CHANGE THAT, WE CAN REALLY, TRULY, CHANGE THE WAY WE LIVE. NOW CHANGING THE WAY WE THINK IS NOT AN EASY THING. LET'S JUST GO AHEAD AND ADMIT IT. IT TAKES A LOT OF EFFORT, IT TAKES A LOT OF DETERMINATION. BUT IF YOU'RE WILLING TO PUT FORTH THE EFFORT AND YOU ARE DETERMINED TO CHANGE SOME THINGS IN YOUR LIFE, I BELIEVE YOU'LL GO A LONG WAYS TO HELPING THAT TO BE ACCOMPLISHED SIMPLY BY CHANGING THE          WAY THAT YOU THINK. NOW LAST TIME, WE TALKED ABOUT YOUR ENVIRONMENT. AND HOW YOUR ENVIRONMENT HAS AN IMPACT ON THE WAY THAT YOU THINK. IT MAY BE THAT YOU'LL HAVE TO UNDO SOME THINGS THAT WERE STARTED IN YOUR LIFE AT A VERY EARLY AGE. AS I UNDERSTAND IT, MOST OF THE EMOTIONAL MAN'S MAKEUP IS DETERMINED IN THE FIRST     TWO YEARS OF LIFE. AND IF THOSE TWO YEARS ARE NOT DONE TO THE  BEST THAT THEY CAN BE, IT CAN PUT A PERSON OFF TRACK ALL THEIR LIFE. SO TODAY, IF YOU'RE A MOM AND A DAD AND YOU HAVE LITTLE ONES AROUND, PLEASE HEAR ME AGAIN. WE NEED TO BE CONSIDERATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT WE RAISE    OUR CHILDREN IN. BUT WHAT IF YOU ARE THE PRODUCT OF THAT ENVIRONMENT. AND NOW YOU'RE UP THERE IN YEARS AND YOU LOOK AT HOW YOU WERE RAISED AND SAY, "WELL PREACHER, THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT, IT IS WHAT IT IS." WELL, IT WILL BE IF YOU DON'T TRY. IT'LL BE WHAT IT IS. BUT IF YOU'LL LET GOD HELP YOU TODAY, HE CAN CHANGE SOME THINGS THAT WERE INSTITUTED IN YOUR LIFE EVEN WAY BACK THERE IN THOSE EARLY, EARLY YEARS. SO OUR ENVIRONMENT MAKES A DIFFERENCE. NOW ANOTHER THING THAT CAN AFFECT THE WAY THAT WE THINK IS WHAT WE DO IN OUR FREE TIME. NOW I GOT TO BE VERY CAREFUL RIGHT HERE. BECAUSE NOW I'M GETTING INTO SOME AREA THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE NOT GOING TO WANT ME TO DEAL WITH. BUT I REALLY DO BELIEVE IN THAT OLD ADAGE THAT SAYS, "IDLE  HANDS ARE THE DEVIL'S WORKSHOP." WELL, LET'S NOT GO TO IDLE HANDS, LET'S JUST START WITH AN IDLE MIND. CAN YOU IMAGINE, ESPECIALLY IN THIS DAY, WHAT WE MIGHT FILL OUR LIFE WITH IF WE'VE GOT TOO MUCH FREE TIME ON OUR HANDS. NOW I KNOW EVERYBODY NEEDS MOMENTS TO RELAX. A TIME WHEN YOU CAN CATCH YOUR BREATH. KIND OF REFRESH YOURSELF TO  FACE THE NEXT THING THAT'S COMING ALONG. AND PLEASE, DON'T MISINTERPRET WHAT I'M SAYING. THOSE TIMES ARE VITAL, I NEED THEM, YOU NEED THEM. BECAUSE IF WE DON'T AND I DON'T REALLY LIKE THIS TERM, BUT I UNDERSTAND THE  REALITY OF IT, IF WE DON'T HAVE THOSE TIMES OF REFRESHING, WE BURN OUT. AND WHEN WE BURN OUT, ALL KINDS OF THINS WILL HAPPEN TO US. SO WE NEED TIMES OF REFRESHING. BUT LET'S DO THOSE THINGS IN A PRODUCTIVE WAY. IN A WAY THEY WON'T DESTROY US, THEY WON'T HINDER US, BUT THEY WILL HELP US. IT'S IMPORTANT TO FILL OUR FREE TIME WITH TOOLS THAT CAN HELP US THINK RIGHT. IDLE TIME OFTEN RESULTS IN ACTIVITY WITHOUT PURPOSE. WHICH USUALLY LEADS TO DESTRUCTIVE ACTIVITY. IF YOU'RE JUST, THIS HAPPENS A LOT WITH YOUNG PEOPLE, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY STRUCTURED LIVING, THEY DON'T HAVE A REAL PURPOSE SO THEY JUST GET OUT THERE AND START DOING THINGS AND BEFORE THEY REALIZE WHAT THEY'RE DOING, THEY'RE DOING THINGS THAT ARE WORKING AGAINST THEM. THEY FOUND THEMSELVES INVOLVED IN SOMETHING THAT NOW HAS INTRODUCED A DESTRUCTIVE ELEMENT INTO THEIR LIVES. AND WHAT CAN HAPPEN IS, IS THAT BY GETTING INTO THAT AND DOING THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, WE CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT JUST CONTINUES THAT VICIOUS CYCLE, THAT WE NEVER CAN BREAK FREE FROM. SO WHEN WE COME TO THE END OF OUR LIFE, WE LOOK BACK WITH MUCH REGRET, WITH A LOT OF CONSEQUENCES THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH. SO IN OUR FREE TIME WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME PURPOSE, WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME DIRECTION. WE HAVE TO BE SURE, CERTAIN  THAT WE ARE DOING THINGS, IN A WAY THAT'S GOING TO HELP US AND NOT HURT US. IN OUR FREE TIME WE OUGHT TO INVOLVE OURSELVES IN THINGS THAT WILL YIELD POSITIVE RESULTS. TODAY'S GENERATION HAS UNFORTUNATELY ALLOWED OTHERS TO DO THE THINKING FOR THEM. THAT'S DANGEROUS. I KNOW THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT WANT TO DO THE THINKING FOR YOU. THEY'D RATHER BE IN CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE THEN TO LET YOU BE IN CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE. NOW, I HAVE A HARD TIME WITH THAT, I'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND ADMIT IT TO YOU. I DON'T LIKE PEOPLE RUNNING MY LIFE FOR ME. AND IT SEEMS LIKE WHEN YOU'RE IN MINISTRY, THAT'S INEVITABLE. BECAUSE YOUR LIFE IS CONTROLLED BY THE LIVES OF OTHERS. YOU'RE CONTINUALLY HAVING TO REACT TO WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND YOU. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT'S A PART OF MINISTRY, THAT'S WHAT I SIGNED UP FOR WHEN I SAID YES TO THE WILL OF GOD. SO I'M NOT COMPLAINING ABOUT THAT. BUT YET, THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT WANT TO TAKE THAT TOO FAR. THEY WANT YOU TO DO THE THINGS THAT THEY WANT YOU TO DO. THEY DON'T WANT TO ALLOW YOU TO BE YOURSELF AND THINK FOR YOURSELF. WE SEE THAT WITH A LOT OF GOVERNMENT PEOPLE. I'M GOING TO GET IN TROUBLE FOR THIS, I KNOW, I CAN ALMOST SEE THE MAIL COMING AT ME NOW. BUT YOU SEE, GOVERNMENTS WANT TO DO THE THINKING FOR THE INHABITANTS OF THE LAND THAT THEY'RE GOVERNING. THEY WANT US TO THINK THEY KNOW WHAT'S BEST. SO THEY DON'T LISTEN TO US. I'M NOT GETTING INVOLVED IN POLITICS HERE, BUT I'M TRYING TO HELP YOU TO UNDERSTAND, DON'T LET OTHERS DO ALL YOUR THINKING FOR YOU. NO, IT MIGHT SEEM TO BE, ON THE OUTSET, IT MIGHT SEEM TO BE THAT THAT'S A EASIER ROUTE. I DON'T HAVE TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME BEING INFORMED. I DON'T' HAVE TO HAVE A LOT OF TIME TO UNDERSTAND THE FACTS, THE STORY, THE SITUATION.  I'LL JUST LET SOMEBODY ELSE LOOK AT IT, THINK ABOUT IT AND THEN MAKE THE DECISION FOR ME. THAT HARDLY EVER ENDS UP RIGHT. AND I'M NOT TRYING TO ANY THINKING FOR YOU TODAY,  PLEASE, I'M NOT. BUT I AM TRYING TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO SOME THINKING ON YOUR OWN. AND TO LISTEN FOR THE VOICE OF GOD THAT WANTS TO LEAD YOU AND GUIDE YOU IN YOUR THINKING. NOW HERE'S ONE PLACE WHERE YOU CAN NEVER GO WRONG. IF YOU'LL LET GOD DO YOUR THINKING FOR YOU, GOD WILL LEAD YOU TO THE BEST PLACES OF YOUR LIFE. YOU CAN NEVER GO WRONG FOLLOWING HIS LEADERSHIP. BECAUSE HE'LL TAKE YOU  TO PLACES YOU COULD  NEVER GO ON YOUR OWN. SO WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL THAT     WE DON'T LET EVERYBODY DO OUR THINKING FOR US. WE HAVE OVER THE LAST FEW GENERATIONS PROGRESSIVELY SET THE EXAMPLE FOR THEM. THE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING UP TODAY, THEY DON'T THINK FOR THEMSELVES, WE TAUGHT THEM NOT TO THINK FOR THEMSELVES. BUT TODAY, LET'S TURN THAT AROUND. LET'S TEACH THEM TO THINK FOR THEMSELVES. SO THAT THEY CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT REALLY IS GOING ON AROUND THEM. THAT THEY CAN THINK ABOUT AHEAD OF TIME, THE CONSEQUENCES OF EVERY ACTION. THAT WON'T JUST WORK INYOUNG PEOPLE'S LIVES, THAT'LL WORK EVEN IN US OLDER PEOPLE'S LIVES AS WELL. BECAUSE IT'S TRUE, EVERYTHING WE DO TODAY HAS A CONSEQUENCE TO IT. THAT CONSEQUENCE CAN BE A GOOD ONE, IT CAN BE A BAD ONE. AND NOBODY TODAY, NO ONE I'M TALKING TO ANYWAY, NOBODY TODAY, WANTS TO ENCOUNTER ANOTHER BAD CONSEQUENCE. MANY  GENERATIONS CAN PAY FOR THE BAD CONSEQUENCE OF ONE LIFE. THAT'S WHAT CONCERNS ME ABOUT THE DAY THAT WE'RE   LIVING IN TODAY, IS THAT WE'RE DOING THINGS THAT GENERATIONS COMING AFTER US ARE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY THE PRICE FOR. THAT'S NOT A GOOD SCENARIO. THAT'S NOT A GOOD WAY TO DO THINGS. THEY DIDN'T ASK FOR IT, BUT WE'RE GIVING IT TO THEM. EVEN OUR GENERATION TODAY IS HAVING TO DEAL WITH THINGS THAT WERE DONE WAY BACK THERE IN THE YESTERDAYS BY OUR ANCESTORS. SOME OF THOSE THINGS ARE GOOD, I'M NOT DENYING THAT. BUT IF WE'RE NOT CAREFUL, WE'LL FOSTER THE NEGATIVE, THE BAD, THE EVIL, THE        THINGS THAT ARE FAR TOO GREAT FOR US TO PAY. SO WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL. I'VE ONLY GOT A COUPLE OF MINUTES TO TALK ABOUT THIS, I'M GOING TO TRY TO SQUEEZE  IT IN, BECAUSE, I'M NOT GOING TO COME BACK ANOTHER WEEK TO TALK ABOUT IT. WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL OUR FRIENDS. WHO ARE YOUR CLOSEST FRIENDS? WHO DO YOU ASSOCIATE WITH? BECAUSE THAT CAN GO A LONG WAYS TO EITHER HELPING YOU OR HURTING YOU. WHEN YOU'RE GOING THROUGH TOUGH TIMES, YOU WANT TO BE SURROUNDED BY GOOD FRIENDS. A GOOD PERSON TO READ ABOUT, IS JOB. WHEN JOB WAS AT HIS LOWEST, HE HAD THREE FRIENDS COME AND VISIT HIM. HUH, YOU DON'T WANT THOSE THREE FRIENDS THAT JOB HAD. THEY JUST HEAPED ALL KINDS OF BURDEN AND CARE ON TOP OF HIM. YOU WANT PEOPLE THAT WILL STAND WITH YOU. PEOPLE THAT WILL HONESTLY AND EARNESTLY WANT TO HELP YOU WITH THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH. AND THEN YOU IN TURN CAN TURN AROUND AND HELP THEM WHEN THEY'RE GOING THROUGH A DIFFICULT TIME. THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT THEIR FRIENDS ARE THE ONES THAT ARE ALWAYS GETTING THEM IN TROUBLE. IT'S SIMPLE, BE CAREFUL OF YOUR FRIENDS. BE CAREFUL OF THE FRIENDS WHO TALK TO YOU. BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO EITHER BUILD YOU UP OR TEAR YOU DOWN THROUGH THE THINGS THAT THEY WILL SAY TO YOU, THE THINGS THAT YOU WILL LISTEN TO. SO I ENCOURAGE YOU, BE AWARE OF YOUR FRIENDS, BECAUSE THEY WILL EITHER HELP YOU OR HURT YOU. YOU DON'T NEED THEM TO HURT YOU, YOU NEED THEM TO HELP YOU. THIS IS WHY THE VALUE OF JESUS AS A FRIEND IS SO GREAT. BECAUSE HE IS A FRIEND THAT WILL NEVER DO US WRONG. HIS FRIENDSHIP WILL HOLD US UP AND HELP US ALONG LIFE'S JOURNEY. I HAVE TO SPEEDILY SAY GOODBYE TO YOU. BUT I WANT TO DO THAT IN A PRAYER TODAY, I WANT TO ASK GOD TO HELP YOU. I KNOW TODAY, SOME OF YOU ARE STRUGGLING, YOU REALLY ARE. AND THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP YOURSELVES, SIMPLY BY CHANGING THE WAY THAT YOU THINK. HEAVENLY FATHER, I ASK YOU THAT YOU WOULD RIGHT NOW, STRETCH FORTH YOUR HAND TO BEGIN TO HELP EACH PERSON TODAY, THAT NEEDS YOU TO HELP THEM. ESPECIALLY IN THE AREA OF THEIR THINKING. LORD, SOMEHOW TODAY HELP THEM TO REALIZE IT'S THE WAY THAT THEY'RE THINKING THAT'S HURTING THEM, HINDERING THEM. LORD HELP THEM TO CHANGE, WHAT SEEMS TO BE SO HARD TO CHANGE. IN JESUS' NAME I ASK IT, AMEN.