WEBVTT 00:00:01.159 --> 00:00:04.259 The most important decision that you and I will 00:00:04.259 --> 00:00:09.080 make today and every day is what we allow to 00:00:09.080 --> 00:00:12.560 go into our mind. We are the product of our thoughts. 00:00:12.740 --> 00:00:15.839 Here's the question. How do you filter out the 00:00:15.839 --> 00:00:18.899 bad ones and dwell on the good ones? That's today. 00:00:21.859 --> 00:00:24.359 Thanks for listening to this edition of Living 00:00:24.359 --> 00:00:27.559 on the Edge with Chip Ingram. We are an international 00:00:27.559 --> 00:00:30.579 teaching and discipleship ministry that motivates 00:00:30.579 --> 00:00:33.399 Christians to live like Christians. We're in 00:00:33.399 --> 00:00:35.939 the middle of our series, I Choose Peace. We 00:00:35.939 --> 00:00:37.899 hope you've been encouraged by Chip's teaching 00:00:37.899 --> 00:00:41.039 so far. And to help others experience that encouragement 00:00:41.039 --> 00:00:43.799 too, take a minute after this message and pass 00:00:43.799 --> 00:00:46.299 it on. Now, you can easily do that by sharing 00:00:46.299 --> 00:00:49.880 our program from Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or 00:00:49.880 --> 00:00:53.759 by sending the free MP3s at livingontheedge .org. 00:00:54.750 --> 00:00:56.429 Thanks for spreading the word about how this 00:00:56.429 --> 00:00:59.130 teaching is impacting you. All right, if you 00:00:59.130 --> 00:01:01.509 have a Bible, go to Philippians chapter 4 for 00:01:01.509 --> 00:01:04.129 the remainder of Chip's talk in a broken world. 00:01:05.670 --> 00:01:08.609 Before I watch, listen, or think, is it true? 00:01:08.829 --> 00:01:11.489 Does it honor God? Is it right or wrong? And 00:01:11.489 --> 00:01:16.129 next, is it pure? This is from the same root 00:01:16.129 --> 00:01:19.709 word as holy that means to be set apart, means 00:01:19.709 --> 00:01:23.140 to be free from defilement. Sexual and moral 00:01:23.140 --> 00:01:26.760 purity and thought, word, and deed. And the question 00:01:26.760 --> 00:01:30.700 you want to ask is, will this cleanse or dirty 00:01:30.700 --> 00:01:36.140 my soul? Job would say in Job 31 .1, I've made 00:01:36.140 --> 00:01:38.959 a covenant with my eyes. How then could I gaze 00:01:38.959 --> 00:01:42.799 lustfully for a virgin? David in Psalm... 101, 00:01:42.900 --> 00:01:45.459 about verses 2 and 3. He says, I've committed 00:01:45.459 --> 00:01:48.040 before you, Lord, to live a blameless life, and 00:01:48.040 --> 00:01:50.920 I will set no worthless or vile thing before 00:01:50.920 --> 00:01:56.019 my eyes. Can I just say something, and we won't 00:01:56.019 --> 00:02:00.480 belabor it? If you have a porn addiction, just 00:02:00.480 --> 00:02:05.340 get help. All the research is that it is as addictive 00:02:05.340 --> 00:02:09.379 as cocaine. And trying hard and really intending 00:02:09.379 --> 00:02:12.120 and wanting to break a porn addiction is not 00:02:12.120 --> 00:02:14.099 something you'll probably do on your own. No 00:02:14.099 --> 00:02:18.219 one else has. And it produces fears and it multiplies 00:02:18.219 --> 00:02:22.199 into lies and cover up. And it's no less addicting 00:02:22.199 --> 00:02:24.060 than if you were sticking a needle in your arm. 00:02:24.560 --> 00:02:27.039 And it's a pseudo intimacy that will destroy 00:02:27.039 --> 00:02:31.020 your relationships. And so God's heart would 00:02:31.020 --> 00:02:36.849 be. I want you to see sex as holy and pure. The 00:02:36.849 --> 00:02:39.550 Bible says God made it. He loves it. But the 00:02:39.550 --> 00:02:42.830 marriage bed should be holy. He wants what you 00:02:42.830 --> 00:02:46.219 watch. Not just porn, but the kind of movies. 00:02:46.400 --> 00:02:48.599 And not just the sexually explicit ones, but 00:02:48.599 --> 00:02:51.199 what about the ones that they sort of suck us 00:02:51.199 --> 00:02:53.199 in by you have this kind of mean guy married 00:02:53.199 --> 00:02:55.580 to this wonderful gal, and she falls in love 00:02:55.580 --> 00:02:57.819 with someone who's really not her husband, but 00:02:57.819 --> 00:02:59.919 he's a nice guy, and she's a nice guy, and he's 00:02:59.919 --> 00:03:02.240 a jerk, and we find ourselves rooting for them 00:03:02.240 --> 00:03:04.780 in their affair. And you know what that does? 00:03:05.340 --> 00:03:08.300 Tick -tock, tick -tock, tick -tock, seed planted. 00:03:09.240 --> 00:03:12.770 The enemy's very shrewd. The battle for your 00:03:12.770 --> 00:03:15.449 life is not out there. The battle is right here. 00:03:15.710 --> 00:03:19.349 The weapons of our warfare are not fleshly but 00:03:19.349 --> 00:03:23.069 divinely powerful. And we will take every thought 00:03:23.069 --> 00:03:26.750 captive to the obedience of Christ. And that's 00:03:26.750 --> 00:03:28.650 why if you have a teenage son, in fact in our 00:03:28.650 --> 00:03:31.180 day now, if you have a teenage daughter, You 00:03:31.180 --> 00:03:33.639 have to open the phones and have a conversation, 00:03:33.699 --> 00:03:36.400 and you need to do it in the next 24 or 48 hours 00:03:36.400 --> 00:03:40.400 and sit down and talk about your mind is so precious, 00:03:40.460 --> 00:03:44.659 and you are so precious, and the kind of addictions 00:03:44.659 --> 00:03:47.259 and the kind of information and the kind of attacks. 00:03:47.439 --> 00:03:50.520 No one would take their 12 or 13 or 11 -year 00:03:50.520 --> 00:03:53.039 -old daughter or son or 10 -year -old boy and 00:03:53.039 --> 00:03:55.020 drop them off, you know, like in downtown San 00:03:55.020 --> 00:03:57.020 Jose in the middle of the night or downtown Oakland 00:03:57.020 --> 00:03:58.800 and go, hey, I'll catch you later. Have fun. 00:03:59.879 --> 00:04:02.479 And yet, when you don't have filters, when you 00:04:02.479 --> 00:04:05.080 don't have a conversation, when you haven't talked 00:04:05.080 --> 00:04:07.539 about these things, it's exactly what you're 00:04:07.539 --> 00:04:11.300 doing. And our kids are dying. Ask yourself, 00:04:11.680 --> 00:04:15.539 will this cleanse or dirty my soul? The next 00:04:15.539 --> 00:04:18.259 word is lovely. I like this one. Attractive, 00:04:18.259 --> 00:04:21.180 winsome, beautiful. It pictures things that call 00:04:21.180 --> 00:04:24.300 forth a response of love and warmth versus bitterness, 00:04:24.480 --> 00:04:29.370 criticism, and vengeance. This is a call to smell 00:04:29.370 --> 00:04:33.470 the roses, to look at a rainbow, to watch kids 00:04:33.470 --> 00:04:37.290 playing in a park, to ponder a pleasant memory, 00:04:37.490 --> 00:04:41.769 to pause with a warm embrace, to put your feet 00:04:41.769 --> 00:04:44.990 up and read an encouraging book. Yesterday, I'm 00:04:44.990 --> 00:04:47.870 very excited. I guess it was Friday. I played 00:04:47.870 --> 00:04:51.290 golf a couple times. It's so fun. And as I was 00:04:51.290 --> 00:04:53.910 driving, it was about 6 .30 in the morning and 00:04:53.910 --> 00:04:56.790 all these puffy clouds. and then it was all red 00:04:56.790 --> 00:04:59.970 and pink behind them. And I was just driving, 00:04:59.990 --> 00:05:03.850 and it was just like winsome, attractive, admirable. 00:05:03.970 --> 00:05:06.790 Oh, Lord. And it happened to my phone. You know 00:05:06.790 --> 00:05:08.850 how these phones work where they just play songs 00:05:08.850 --> 00:05:10.149 that are on your phone. You never know which 00:05:10.149 --> 00:05:12.310 is coming up. And out of the blue comes up a 00:05:12.310 --> 00:05:15.870 song from a 25 -year -old young man who's best 00:05:15.870 --> 00:05:19.209 friends with my son. And he died of cancer at 00:05:19.209 --> 00:05:23.759 25, and the song came on, Restore Me. And I thought 00:05:23.759 --> 00:05:25.759 back of those memories and I thought back of 00:05:25.759 --> 00:05:28.980 what God has done. And I just began to ponder 00:05:28.980 --> 00:05:31.379 his kindness and his sovereignty and his love 00:05:31.379 --> 00:05:33.879 and beauty and creation. Guess what happened 00:05:33.879 --> 00:05:38.000 to my emotions? I mean, we live close to the 00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:40.540 ocean. When's the last time you went there? When's 00:05:40.540 --> 00:05:42.860 the last time you went to the Redwoods? Get your 00:05:42.860 --> 00:05:46.160 faces out of the screens and look at the beauty 00:05:46.160 --> 00:05:48.860 that God has brought. Ask yourself this question. 00:05:51.120 --> 00:05:56.670 Will this renew? or harden my heart. I had come 00:05:56.670 --> 00:05:59.910 home, and we were going to eat in about 10 minutes, 00:05:59.970 --> 00:06:02.430 and I looked on Channel 2, and it was like, oh 00:06:02.430 --> 00:06:05.329 my gosh. I got to Channel 4. You know, PBS, sometimes 00:06:05.329 --> 00:06:08.170 they'll give you a more documentary sort of position. 00:06:08.250 --> 00:06:13.439 I found myself disturbed within, sad. angry about 00:06:13.439 --> 00:06:15.939 the injustice in the world, a sense that the 00:06:15.939 --> 00:06:18.259 world is completely messed up. Here's the deal. 00:06:18.319 --> 00:06:21.699 In 10 minutes, in 10 minutes, everything bad 00:06:21.699 --> 00:06:23.879 that happened in the globe went on my screen 00:06:23.879 --> 00:06:26.660 and to me. And I'm telling you, there were hundreds 00:06:26.660 --> 00:06:29.860 of millions of acts of kindness and children 00:06:29.860 --> 00:06:32.920 born and people being generous and love given 00:06:32.920 --> 00:06:36.100 and people caring and kids adopted and food given 00:06:36.100 --> 00:06:38.120 and fresh water and people pulled out of the 00:06:38.120 --> 00:06:40.540 sex trade. And all that wonderfulness I didn't 00:06:40.540 --> 00:06:43.459 see, all I got in 10 minutes was that. And it 00:06:43.459 --> 00:06:47.759 shaped my thinking. What you allow in your mind 00:06:47.759 --> 00:06:50.279 the last 30 to 45 minutes before you go to bed 00:06:50.279 --> 00:06:52.339 and what you allow in your mind the first 30 00:06:52.339 --> 00:06:55.500 minutes of your day will shape your subconscious, 00:06:55.959 --> 00:06:59.699 your mind, your thinking. You're either starving 00:06:59.699 --> 00:07:04.019 fear and feeding faith or you're doing the opposite. 00:07:05.779 --> 00:07:08.939 Finally, he says that which is commendable, good 00:07:08.939 --> 00:07:11.680 repute. He says gracious, admirable is the meaning 00:07:11.680 --> 00:07:14.100 of the word. It literally means. Fair speaking, 00:07:14.339 --> 00:07:16.579 it describes things which are fit for God to 00:07:16.579 --> 00:07:18.800 hear versus ugly words, false words, and pure 00:07:18.800 --> 00:07:21.920 words. And the test here is, could I recommend 00:07:21.920 --> 00:07:28.699 this to someone who looks up to me? Right? Now, 00:07:28.720 --> 00:07:30.639 you don't, by the way, if you kind of are thinking, 00:07:30.680 --> 00:07:34.160 oh my gosh, this would radically change what 00:07:34.160 --> 00:07:38.800 comes in my house, good. It'll also change your 00:07:38.800 --> 00:07:40.560 fear, change your emotions, change your kids 00:07:40.560 --> 00:07:45.300 if you have them. But you don't have to raise 00:07:45.300 --> 00:07:47.160 your hands on this one. Have you ever been watching 00:07:47.160 --> 00:07:49.379 something and someone's coming down the hall 00:07:49.379 --> 00:07:52.579 and before they walk in, you change the channel? 00:07:54.819 --> 00:08:00.199 Oh, okay. I did that once. We've all been watching 00:08:00.199 --> 00:08:02.600 something and a little kid is coming in or your 00:08:02.600 --> 00:08:04.259 mate's coming in or something. And I don't mean 00:08:04.259 --> 00:08:06.579 that it's terrible, but you just, I'm not comfortable 00:08:06.579 --> 00:08:10.220 with them watching this. How about this test? 00:08:11.340 --> 00:08:13.060 Imagine you're sitting on, you know, one of those 00:08:13.060 --> 00:08:15.459 couches with two or three seats, and whatever's 00:08:15.459 --> 00:08:18.480 coming on your phone, your screen, your TV, the 00:08:18.480 --> 00:08:20.519 Lord Jesus and his resurrected body shows up 00:08:20.519 --> 00:08:23.740 and says, hey, Chip, how you doing? Great. I'm 00:08:23.740 --> 00:08:25.079 just going to relax a little bit and watch this. 00:08:25.139 --> 00:08:27.120 Great. Mind if I sit down? No, I'd love to have 00:08:27.120 --> 00:08:30.060 you. Here's the question to ask. Are you comfortable 00:08:30.060 --> 00:08:31.839 with him sitting next to you watching what you're 00:08:31.839 --> 00:08:35.200 watching? Are you comfortable with a five -year 00:08:35.200 --> 00:08:39.090 -old, with a grandchild? He finally summarizes 00:08:39.090 --> 00:08:41.529 and said, if there's any virtue or praise, in 00:08:41.529 --> 00:08:44.250 other words, in case I left anything out, it's 00:08:44.250 --> 00:08:46.289 sort of a think on anything that has the moral 00:08:46.289 --> 00:08:48.549 excellence and that will inspire and motivate 00:08:48.549 --> 00:08:51.110 you to love God and to love others. So everything 00:08:51.110 --> 00:08:53.789 doesn't have to be spiritual. I'm listening to 00:08:53.789 --> 00:08:57.629 a book called The Last Lion. It's the life of 00:08:57.629 --> 00:08:59.870 Winston Churchill. It's just, it's fabulously 00:08:59.870 --> 00:09:02.610 interesting. So in my car, I mean, it's a book 00:09:02.610 --> 00:09:04.629 like this. That's why I put it on Audible. I 00:09:04.629 --> 00:09:06.759 said, I'll never read that. I've got like six 00:09:06.759 --> 00:09:08.340 hours in, and I looked the other day, there's 00:09:08.340 --> 00:09:11.980 only 31 hours left. But I mean, his courage and 00:09:11.980 --> 00:09:13.679 what was happening in the war. And I'm listening 00:09:13.679 --> 00:09:15.940 to another book by John Ortberg on the life you've 00:09:15.940 --> 00:09:18.059 always wanted. And at night before I go to bed, 00:09:18.159 --> 00:09:20.700 and it's just 10, 15, 20, 30 minutes, I'm reading 00:09:20.700 --> 00:09:24.240 about the life of Martin Luther. And just all 00:09:24.240 --> 00:09:27.139 I want to do is, how do I fill my life and my 00:09:27.139 --> 00:09:30.220 mind with good things? Because I will be the 00:09:30.220 --> 00:09:32.629 product of my thought life. But it's just not 00:09:32.629 --> 00:09:35.230 thinking, it's then acting. Habitually practice 00:09:35.230 --> 00:09:39.049 these things. Habitually practice these things. 00:09:39.629 --> 00:09:43.110 He says, you've learned and received. You had 00:09:43.110 --> 00:09:46.149 an appetite and you applied. You heard and saw. 00:09:46.250 --> 00:09:49.450 I gave instruction and I modeled it. And here's 00:09:49.450 --> 00:09:52.429 why. Your thought life determines your, write 00:09:52.429 --> 00:09:56.009 the word, future. You're listening to Living 00:09:56.009 --> 00:09:59.049 on the Edge with Chip Ingram. And before we return 00:09:59.049 --> 00:10:01.710 you to today's message, are you tired of feeling 00:10:01.710 --> 00:10:04.230 anxious about what's happening in our world or 00:10:04.230 --> 00:10:06.909 your personal circumstances? Stick around after 00:10:06.909 --> 00:10:09.230 the teaching to learn about a powerful resource 00:10:09.230 --> 00:10:11.970 we have that will encourage your soul and help 00:10:11.970 --> 00:10:15.129 you experience real lasting peace. You won't 00:10:15.129 --> 00:10:17.570 want to miss it. But for now, here's Chip to 00:10:17.570 --> 00:10:20.350 continue his talk. I don't know what your hopes 00:10:20.350 --> 00:10:24.299 are. But I'm going to tell you, your future will 00:10:24.299 --> 00:10:27.440 be determined by your thought life. The dreams, 00:10:27.679 --> 00:10:35.679 the passions, the joys, the thoughts for friends, 00:10:35.799 --> 00:10:42.200 for family, for work. The scripture in Romans 00:10:42.200 --> 00:10:44.720 chapter 8, I put it in the Amplified because 00:10:44.720 --> 00:10:48.720 it's so graphic. Here's a great truth. Follow 00:10:48.720 --> 00:10:51.039 along. For those who are living according to 00:10:51.039 --> 00:10:53.019 the flesh set their minds, notice the phrase, 00:10:53.100 --> 00:10:55.179 on the things of the flesh, which gratify the 00:10:55.179 --> 00:10:57.179 body. But those who are living according to the 00:10:57.179 --> 00:10:59.059 Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit, 00:10:59.259 --> 00:11:03.639 His will and His purpose. Now, the mind on the 00:11:03.639 --> 00:11:05.659 flesh is deaf, both now and forever, because 00:11:05.659 --> 00:11:08.899 it pursues sin. But the mind of the Spirit is 00:11:08.899 --> 00:11:11.240 life and peace, the spiritual well -being that 00:11:11.240 --> 00:11:14.750 comes from walking with God. Both now and forever. 00:11:14.990 --> 00:11:17.509 The mind of the flesh with its sinful pursuits 00:11:17.509 --> 00:11:21.009 is actively hostile to God. It doesn't submit 00:11:21.009 --> 00:11:24.289 itself to God's law since it cannot. And those 00:11:24.289 --> 00:11:26.610 who are in the flesh living a life that caters 00:11:26.610 --> 00:11:31.250 to sinful appetites and impulses, notice, cannot 00:11:31.250 --> 00:11:34.590 please God. You can't keep putting things in 00:11:34.590 --> 00:11:37.269 your mind and then in your will, oh God, I want 00:11:37.269 --> 00:11:40.029 to do this. Transformation always begins with 00:11:40.029 --> 00:11:43.919 your thinking. Second how, it's the principle 00:11:43.919 --> 00:11:47.639 of mind renewal. The principle of mind renewal. 00:11:49.340 --> 00:11:51.539 It's a verse we hear a lot around here, Romans 00:11:51.539 --> 00:11:54.120 chapter 12 too. And I like this again in the 00:11:54.120 --> 00:11:56.940 Amplified Bible. And do not be conformed to this 00:11:56.940 --> 00:11:59.919 world any longer with its superficial values 00:11:59.919 --> 00:12:03.120 and customs, but be transformed, and notice it's 00:12:03.120 --> 00:12:06.220 not overnight, progressively changed as you mature 00:12:06.220 --> 00:12:11.049 spiritually by the renewing of your mind. Sometimes 00:12:11.049 --> 00:12:12.970 in some of these illustrations, they sort of, 00:12:12.970 --> 00:12:19.070 they kind of get me because I'm getting older. 00:12:22.110 --> 00:12:24.889 I've been a Christian a little over 40 years. 00:12:25.029 --> 00:12:28.549 I didn't grow up as a Christian. I'm still doing 00:12:28.549 --> 00:12:31.929 the most basic things that I did years ago because 00:12:31.929 --> 00:12:34.129 I'm still struggling with everything that I'm 00:12:34.129 --> 00:12:36.570 talking to you about. But what I can tell you 00:12:36.570 --> 00:12:42.590 is, as I have done What I've talked about, the 00:12:42.590 --> 00:12:45.070 transformation that I've seen God in my life 00:12:45.070 --> 00:12:46.870 and those I love and those I've had the chance 00:12:46.870 --> 00:12:50.049 to help. So I have a little card. You can make 00:12:50.049 --> 00:12:52.669 your own. Before I watch, listen, or think on 00:12:52.669 --> 00:12:54.649 it, is it true? Does it honor God? Is it right 00:12:54.649 --> 00:12:56.809 or wrong? Will this cleanse or dirty my soul? 00:12:56.970 --> 00:12:59.250 Will this renew or harm my heart? Would I recommend 00:12:59.250 --> 00:13:01.590 this to someone who looks up to me? Will this 00:13:01.590 --> 00:13:05.679 bring peace or fear in my life? When I went through 00:13:05.679 --> 00:13:07.860 this stuff with my back, I had a time to really 00:13:07.860 --> 00:13:10.059 ponder some big issues and look at some pretty 00:13:10.059 --> 00:13:12.600 big holes that I felt God was speaking to me. 00:13:12.940 --> 00:13:17.019 And so there was a lie. I've always been, you 00:13:17.019 --> 00:13:20.399 know, semi -ADD, you know, A -type personality. 00:13:20.700 --> 00:13:23.480 But here's a lie I've believed most of my life. 00:13:23.659 --> 00:13:26.720 I'm a prisoner of the opinions of the important 00:13:26.720 --> 00:13:29.779 influential people in my life. I agonize when 00:13:29.779 --> 00:13:31.840 my best judgment and direction from the Lord 00:13:31.840 --> 00:13:35.039 is different from theirs. Disagreeing with them 00:13:35.039 --> 00:13:38.120 will harm our relationship irreparably, so I 00:13:38.120 --> 00:13:41.320 attempt to please everyone, creating an unhealthy 00:13:41.320 --> 00:13:47.980 lifestyle. I mean, you could say it a lot easier, 00:13:48.039 --> 00:13:51.379 like people -pleasing. But part of that is an 00:13:51.379 --> 00:13:54.000 alcoholic father and realizing, you know, you've 00:13:54.000 --> 00:13:55.840 got to keep the peace, and so you learn clues. 00:13:56.620 --> 00:13:59.220 And so that's on one side of a card, and it says, 00:13:59.259 --> 00:14:02.220 lie, I believe. Then I flip the card over, and 00:14:02.220 --> 00:14:06.029 it says, truths. Here's the truth. People love 00:14:06.029 --> 00:14:08.389 me and are for me and want me to live a life 00:14:08.389 --> 00:14:11.149 of joy, rhythm, rest, and fruitfulness in all 00:14:11.149 --> 00:14:14.149 areas of my life. I do not need to prove my worth 00:14:14.149 --> 00:14:15.889 through hard work or extraordinary productivity. 00:14:16.509 --> 00:14:19.850 I'm accepted, loved, and greatly valued just 00:14:19.850 --> 00:14:25.570 for who I am. But that lie pops up. So guess 00:14:25.570 --> 00:14:28.049 what I do? I read this side of the card, and 00:14:28.049 --> 00:14:30.919 then I say, stop. And then I turn it over and 00:14:30.919 --> 00:14:32.360 I read this side of the card. And you know what 00:14:32.360 --> 00:14:36.860 I do? I'm setting my mind on the spirit. What 00:14:36.860 --> 00:14:40.080 lies do you believe? What cards do you need to 00:14:40.080 --> 00:14:43.679 make? You would just be shocked at what God will 00:14:43.679 --> 00:14:46.360 do as you renew your mind. As you turn the page, 00:14:46.480 --> 00:14:50.220 here's the promise. The God of peace, the God 00:14:50.220 --> 00:14:53.860 of shalom will be with you. It's not just you're 00:14:53.860 --> 00:14:55.860 going to receive his peace, but his blessing, 00:14:55.940 --> 00:14:59.440 his power, his presence, his provision. He wants 00:14:59.440 --> 00:15:02.059 to fulfill the desires of your heart. Are you 00:15:02.059 --> 00:15:04.039 ready for this? Here's the biggest lie you believe. 00:15:04.159 --> 00:15:06.600 You don't think God is for you. You think you've 00:15:06.600 --> 00:15:09.840 got to measure up. He is so outlandishly for 00:15:09.840 --> 00:15:12.799 you. In the New Living Bible, Psalm 86, about 00:15:12.799 --> 00:15:16.080 verse 5, it says, Oh, Lord, you are so good, 00:15:16.139 --> 00:15:20.679 so ready to forgive, so abounding in unfailing 00:15:20.679 --> 00:15:26.159 love. to all who ask for your help. And I bet 00:15:26.159 --> 00:15:28.019 I've read that hundreds of times in the last 00:15:28.019 --> 00:15:32.259 probably 90 days because I read that and I just 00:15:32.259 --> 00:15:35.840 getting it from here to here for me as I just 00:15:35.840 --> 00:15:37.899 have this predisposition and I know where it 00:15:37.899 --> 00:15:40.320 came from is that God's arms are probably kind 00:15:40.320 --> 00:15:42.340 of a little bit crossed and now and then his 00:15:42.340 --> 00:15:45.120 toes tapping and no matter what I do, well, Chip, 00:15:45.159 --> 00:15:46.580 that wasn't quite good enough. Here's what you 00:15:46.580 --> 00:15:50.039 need to do. And that's a lie. And I'm changing. 00:15:50.779 --> 00:15:53.820 And you can change. And your kids need to change. 00:15:54.259 --> 00:15:59.179 But you will have to guard your mind like never 00:15:59.179 --> 00:16:03.759 before. Remember, we started, I ask you a question. 00:16:04.840 --> 00:16:09.840 Do you want to overcome your fear? Do you? I 00:16:09.840 --> 00:16:11.559 mean, for real, I want you to go back to, this 00:16:11.559 --> 00:16:14.259 is what I was afraid of. Do you want to overcome 00:16:14.259 --> 00:16:17.840 your fear? If you do, then you have to radically 00:16:17.840 --> 00:16:21.850 change. These things don't come into my house. 00:16:21.950 --> 00:16:23.409 They don't come into my mind. They don't come 00:16:23.409 --> 00:16:25.389 on my screen. They don't come on my phone. And 00:16:25.389 --> 00:16:26.909 they don't come into my kids' or grandkids' lives. 00:16:28.350 --> 00:16:31.210 This truth is going to start into my mind. I've 00:16:31.210 --> 00:16:33.409 given you a game plan, 21 minutes of how to spend 00:16:33.409 --> 00:16:36.470 time with God. That's a good start. It's written 00:16:36.470 --> 00:16:41.169 out for you. I am so excited that as you take 00:16:41.169 --> 00:16:45.169 these steps, God will show up in your life like 00:16:45.169 --> 00:16:46.950 never before. Now, here's the deal. Your emotions 00:16:46.950 --> 00:16:49.259 aren't going to change overnight. But if you 00:16:49.259 --> 00:16:51.740 do what we're talking about, I mean, a week, 00:16:51.740 --> 00:16:53.120 you'll go, hmm, a little different. A couple, 00:16:53.139 --> 00:16:55.019 three weeks, whoa, a little different. About 00:16:55.019 --> 00:16:59.879 30 days, it'll be like, wow. 90 days, people 00:16:59.879 --> 00:17:02.700 will say, what happened to you? Six months, two 00:17:02.700 --> 00:17:07.240 years? Those addictions, those anger issues, 00:17:07.500 --> 00:17:09.960 those I've got to measure up, those things can 00:17:09.960 --> 00:17:15.079 really change. Lord God, my Savior, my friend. 00:17:17.160 --> 00:17:21.059 The lover of my soul and the soul of every person 00:17:21.059 --> 00:17:23.980 in this room and anyone at any time, whoever 00:17:23.980 --> 00:17:26.839 might watch or listen to this, we praise you. 00:17:27.359 --> 00:17:30.160 Here's what's true. You are good and you are 00:17:30.160 --> 00:17:33.339 forgiving. You are slow to anger. That you are 00:17:33.339 --> 00:17:37.920 abounding in steadfast, loyal love. And you want 00:17:37.920 --> 00:17:41.259 the best for us. Lord, there is an enemy that 00:17:41.259 --> 00:17:45.140 has infiltrated the media and sends messages 00:17:45.140 --> 00:17:51.099 of death. and comparison and immorality that, 00:17:51.140 --> 00:17:53.019 Lord, we would just confess. We want to confess 00:17:53.019 --> 00:17:56.319 corporately our sin of how casual we have been 00:17:56.319 --> 00:17:59.759 with what we've allowed into the most precious 00:17:59.759 --> 00:18:04.720 commodity you've given, this mind. And so, Lord, 00:18:04.759 --> 00:18:07.819 would you help us to say no to that which is 00:18:07.819 --> 00:18:11.779 evil and say yes, renew our minds that we could 00:18:11.779 --> 00:18:18.220 break the power of slavery. In Jesus' name, amen. 00:18:22.420 --> 00:18:25.160 You're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip 00:18:25.160 --> 00:18:28.059 Ingram, and the message you just heard in a broken 00:18:28.059 --> 00:18:31.799 world is from our series, I Choose Peace. Chip 00:18:31.799 --> 00:18:33.859 will join us in studio to share some insights 00:18:33.859 --> 00:18:37.220 from today's talk in just a minute. What's weighing 00:18:37.220 --> 00:18:39.640 on your mind right now? Financial uncertainty? 00:18:39.960 --> 00:18:42.740 A tense relationship? Or is it just the grind 00:18:42.740 --> 00:18:45.660 of everyday life? Whatever it is that's robbing 00:18:45.660 --> 00:18:48.079 you of your peace, let me tell you there's an 00:18:48.079 --> 00:18:51.220 antidote. Through this practical study in Philippians 00:18:51.220 --> 00:18:54.099 chapter 4, Chip will teach us how to access the 00:18:54.099 --> 00:18:57.299 peace of God, which can restore, calm, and encourage 00:18:57.299 --> 00:18:59.940 your soul, no matter what may be happening around 00:18:59.940 --> 00:19:02.099 you. You're not going to want to miss a single 00:19:02.099 --> 00:19:04.980 program of this series. Well, our Bible teacher, 00:19:05.099 --> 00:19:07.220 Chip Ingram, is with me in studio now to share 00:19:07.220 --> 00:19:09.200 something that's really been weighing on his 00:19:09.200 --> 00:19:12.940 heart recently. Chip? Yeah, thanks, Dave. I want 00:19:12.940 --> 00:19:16.440 to pause and talk to those who are right now 00:19:16.440 --> 00:19:19.359 crumbling under the pressure of our chaotic world. 00:19:19.579 --> 00:19:23.440 So many people who love God have developed addictions 00:19:23.440 --> 00:19:25.539 or unhealthy behaviors due to their difficult 00:19:25.539 --> 00:19:28.720 circumstances. And whether it's drinking or logging 00:19:28.720 --> 00:19:31.299 onto websites or some prescription medication 00:19:31.299 --> 00:19:34.339 or shopping or eating disorders, the list goes 00:19:34.339 --> 00:19:38.859 on and on. God wants to give you peace. In fact, 00:19:38.980 --> 00:19:41.779 he's already given it to you. But what you need 00:19:41.779 --> 00:19:45.200 is his truth. You need his truth to deal with 00:19:45.200 --> 00:19:47.920 this anxiety and these struggles and these conflicts 00:19:47.920 --> 00:19:50.339 in relationships. And what I want you to know 00:19:50.339 --> 00:19:53.660 is that we really want to help you. I think the 00:19:53.660 --> 00:19:55.980 book that I've written, I Choose Peace, is a 00:19:55.980 --> 00:19:58.470 great resource that... If you would commit to 00:19:58.470 --> 00:20:00.349 it, you could go through it with another person 00:20:00.349 --> 00:20:03.630 and just walk through it slowly. You have to 00:20:03.630 --> 00:20:06.569 share your secrets. You've got to get rid of 00:20:06.569 --> 00:20:09.630 your shame. You can't keep hiding. God loves 00:20:09.630 --> 00:20:13.450 you. He's for you. When we don't have peace, 00:20:13.569 --> 00:20:16.329 we go to pseudo -peace and all kind of artificial 00:20:16.329 --> 00:20:21.609 things. Don't take second best. God has a supernatural 00:20:21.609 --> 00:20:25.970 peace for your heart, your life, and your mind. 00:20:26.509 --> 00:20:29.009 Don't settle for less. Well, to get your copy 00:20:29.009 --> 00:20:32.289 of Chip's book, I Choose Peace, visit livingontheedge 00:20:32.289 --> 00:20:38.220 .org or call us at 888 -333 -6003. Learn how 00:20:38.220 --> 00:20:41.059 to quiet the worries of your heart and the anxieties 00:20:41.059 --> 00:20:43.859 of this world and experience genuine peace that 00:20:43.859 --> 00:20:47.640 only Jesus offers. Again, go to livingontheedge 00:20:47.640 --> 00:20:53.740 .org or call 888 -333 -6003 for complete details 00:20:53.740 --> 00:20:57.099 about this book, I Choose Peace. App listeners 00:20:57.099 --> 00:21:00.099 tap special offers. Well, Chip, in your message 00:21:00.099 --> 00:21:03.259 today, you really emphasized the idea that transformation 00:21:03.259 --> 00:21:06.599 begins with your thought life. So if you would, 00:21:06.619 --> 00:21:08.460 take a few minutes and explain why monitoring 00:21:08.460 --> 00:21:11.500 what we watch, read, and think about is so critical. 00:21:12.400 --> 00:21:15.019 Absolutely, Dave. And this is one of those where, 00:21:15.240 --> 00:21:18.119 oh, I so wish I was just sitting across the room 00:21:18.119 --> 00:21:20.660 from each one of our listeners with a cup of 00:21:20.660 --> 00:21:24.039 coffee. My background is in psychology and undergraduate 00:21:24.039 --> 00:21:27.140 and graduate work before I became a pastor. And 00:21:27.140 --> 00:21:30.220 the study of the mind and how the brain works, 00:21:30.359 --> 00:21:34.319 your very first thoughts. or the very first things 00:21:34.319 --> 00:21:37.059 you do in the morning, it shapes your day more 00:21:37.059 --> 00:21:39.440 than you can ever imagine. So if you pick up 00:21:39.440 --> 00:21:41.220 your phone, or look at the Wall Street Journal, 00:21:41.319 --> 00:21:43.180 or look at your Facebook, or in other words, 00:21:43.180 --> 00:21:45.920 your mind is bombarded with multiple things, 00:21:46.039 --> 00:21:49.940 and it starts a chain reaction versus pausing. 00:21:50.569 --> 00:21:54.470 As I shared, you know, I quote Psalm 23 or a 00:21:54.470 --> 00:21:57.930 portion of Colossians 3 or a passage of Scripture 00:21:57.930 --> 00:22:01.269 where I begin to ask God and talk with Him. I 00:22:01.269 --> 00:22:03.470 mean, in the first two, three minutes before 00:22:03.470 --> 00:22:06.130 I get out of bed, and then I make sure I get 00:22:06.130 --> 00:22:08.150 into the Scriptures and have a good conversation 00:22:08.150 --> 00:22:11.829 with the God that knows everything before I face 00:22:11.829 --> 00:22:14.609 anything. And then at the end of the day, if 00:22:14.609 --> 00:22:17.369 you can just discipline yourself to... turn off 00:22:17.369 --> 00:22:20.309 the screens, turn off the TV, turn off the noise, 00:22:20.410 --> 00:22:24.089 and calm yourself and recite some things and 00:22:24.089 --> 00:22:27.230 have a quiet moment of prayer or review some 00:22:27.230 --> 00:22:31.509 verses or some psalms, you will be astounded 00:22:31.509 --> 00:22:34.609 at the impact and the change that it'll make, 00:22:34.710 --> 00:22:37.670 so much so that you'll realize how hard it is. 00:22:37.769 --> 00:22:40.569 And you got to ask yourself, why is it so hard 00:22:40.569 --> 00:22:43.849 to turn off the noise? And we just so want to 00:22:43.849 --> 00:22:48.019 encourage you to allow God, to transform your 00:22:48.019 --> 00:22:50.440 life so that you experience. What's the Spirit 00:22:50.440 --> 00:22:54.019 produce? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, 00:22:54.279 --> 00:22:57.319 goodness, faithfulness, self -control. And the 00:22:57.319 --> 00:22:59.920 way He does that is not by us trying harder. 00:23:00.160 --> 00:23:03.920 It's by the transformation of our mind. That's 00:23:03.920 --> 00:23:06.619 what Romans 12 says. So let me just encourage 00:23:06.619 --> 00:23:09.019 you. Give it a try this week. I mean, start today. 00:23:09.579 --> 00:23:12.259 Before you go to bed, turn everything off, just 00:23:12.259 --> 00:23:16.230 15 minutes, and calm yourself. And then jot down 00:23:16.230 --> 00:23:18.289 just a couple things. Maybe you don't have a 00:23:18.289 --> 00:23:20.750 passage memorized that you just want to read 00:23:20.750 --> 00:23:24.289 over as you first get up and see if it doesn't 00:23:24.289 --> 00:23:26.890 make a big difference. Great word, Chip. And 00:23:26.890 --> 00:23:28.809 we want to help you tune out the noise of this 00:23:28.809 --> 00:23:31.490 chaotic world and better connect with God. So 00:23:31.490 --> 00:23:33.630 let me encourage you to check out the Chip Ingram 00:23:33.630 --> 00:23:36.109 app and get plugged in with our helpful resources. 00:23:36.569 --> 00:23:39.009 You can listen to our most recent series, sign 00:23:39.009 --> 00:23:41.990 up for daily discipleship, and more. We want 00:23:41.990 --> 00:23:44.210 you to grow in your walk with Jesus, and the 00:23:44.210 --> 00:23:46.690 Chip Ingram app is a great way to immerse yourself 00:23:46.690 --> 00:23:49.789 in uplifting biblical content. Well, until next 00:23:49.789 --> 00:23:52.089 time, this is Dave Drewy saying thanks for listening 00:23:52.089 --> 00:23:54.329 to this edition of Living on the Edge.