WEBVTT 00:00:11.560 --> 00:00:15.140 The Apostle Paul commands us to take every thought 00:00:15.140 --> 00:00:18.660 captive. But what does that really mean, especially 00:00:18.660 --> 00:00:21.460 in our day? With commercials coming on, radio 00:00:21.460 --> 00:00:24.019 over here, TV over here, and you're bombarded 00:00:24.019 --> 00:00:27.239 by information. How do we guard our thoughts 00:00:27.239 --> 00:00:30.579 from the toxic things that enter our mind and 00:00:30.579 --> 00:00:33.439 destroy our relationship with God? That's today. 00:00:33.520 --> 00:00:38.200 Don't go away. Welcome to this weekend edition 00:00:38.200 --> 00:00:41.570 of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. Our mission 00:00:41.570 --> 00:00:44.329 is to inspire Christians to be genuine followers 00:00:44.329 --> 00:00:47.490 of Jesus and to empower them to be active disciple 00:00:47.490 --> 00:00:50.750 makers in our world. As many of you know, Chip's 00:00:50.750 --> 00:00:52.950 our regular Bible teacher for this daily program. 00:00:53.210 --> 00:00:55.189 But this past week, he passed the microphone 00:00:55.189 --> 00:00:58.229 to his friend, Jenny Allen, to share her series, 00:00:58.409 --> 00:01:01.429 Get Out of Your Head. But before we revisit the 00:01:01.429 --> 00:01:03.549 first program in this series, Chip's here in 00:01:03.549 --> 00:01:06.170 studio now. And Chip, you wanted to jump in here 00:01:06.170 --> 00:01:08.549 and talk a bit more about Jenny and why you're 00:01:08.549 --> 00:01:10.629 so eager for our listeners to hear from her. 00:01:11.040 --> 00:01:13.319 Well, for those that don't know Jenny Allen, 00:01:13.579 --> 00:01:16.159 you need to get to know her. And one of our commitments 00:01:16.159 --> 00:01:19.500 here at Living on the Edge is we want the Bible 00:01:19.500 --> 00:01:22.760 to be relevant to every audience, to every group, 00:01:22.780 --> 00:01:25.959 so we could take the Word of God, put it in our 00:01:25.959 --> 00:01:28.250 hearts, and live out our faith. I mean, we're 00:01:28.250 --> 00:01:30.670 committed to helping Christians live like Christians. 00:01:30.909 --> 00:01:32.989 And when I see what's happening in our culture, 00:01:33.069 --> 00:01:36.129 one of my personal passions is for the next generation. 00:01:36.510 --> 00:01:40.469 And Jenny is a teacher of God's Word. We happen 00:01:40.469 --> 00:01:43.890 to go to the same seminary. She has a ministry 00:01:43.890 --> 00:01:46.909 to women called the If Gathering. She's become 00:01:46.909 --> 00:01:50.230 not only a great speaker, but an author. And 00:01:50.230 --> 00:01:53.709 I just wanted, especially the women. to hear 00:01:53.709 --> 00:01:56.209 what Jenny has to say, because they're being 00:01:56.209 --> 00:02:00.069 so bombarded by toxic thoughts in the culture 00:02:00.069 --> 00:02:02.650 that we live in. And I will have to say that 00:02:02.650 --> 00:02:06.109 though I had women in mind, it has been a great 00:02:06.109 --> 00:02:08.650 help to me. And there's not a man that will listen 00:02:08.650 --> 00:02:10.750 to this series that Jenny's going to teach for 00:02:10.750 --> 00:02:13.810 us that won't walk away going, well, women may 00:02:13.810 --> 00:02:16.379 struggle with that, but I do too. Great setup, 00:02:16.460 --> 00:02:18.979 Chip. Well, I hope all of you will catch up and 00:02:18.979 --> 00:02:21.419 join us for the rest of this series because we 00:02:21.419 --> 00:02:24.060 really believe you'll be encouraged by what Jenny's 00:02:24.060 --> 00:02:26.319 going to talk about. One last thing before we 00:02:26.319 --> 00:02:28.419 get to Jenny, let me encourage you to get our 00:02:28.419 --> 00:02:30.979 message notes. They contain Jenny's brief outline, 00:02:31.300 --> 00:02:33.520 all the scriptures she references, and more. 00:02:33.759 --> 00:02:36.159 These notes will really help you remember what 00:02:36.159 --> 00:02:38.620 you hear and maybe even share what you're learning. 00:02:38.960 --> 00:02:42.620 Download them under the Broadcasts tab at livingontheedge 00:02:42.620 --> 00:02:46.699 .org. App listeners, tap Fill in Notes. Okay, 00:02:46.759 --> 00:02:48.699 if you're ready, here's our guest teacher, Jenny 00:02:48.699 --> 00:02:51.259 Allen, and her message, Taking Every Thought 00:02:51.259 --> 00:02:58.210 Captive. I believe in the power of God to absolutely 00:02:58.210 --> 00:03:01.009 not just save our souls, but change our lives. 00:03:01.169 --> 00:03:03.050 I've seen Him do this for other people, and I 00:03:03.050 --> 00:03:05.849 have seen Him do this in me. And I want to tell 00:03:05.849 --> 00:03:09.409 you a story about why this project, Get Out of 00:03:09.409 --> 00:03:12.270 Your Head, is so important to me. I believe we 00:03:12.270 --> 00:03:14.930 are at war. I believe that the enemy is coming 00:03:14.930 --> 00:03:16.650 for us. And I'm sorry, if you just clicked on 00:03:16.650 --> 00:03:18.509 this and you're like, what is this? What enemy? 00:03:19.259 --> 00:03:21.800 I am a Christian, and I believe the Bible. And 00:03:21.800 --> 00:03:23.539 the Bible is pretty clear that there is an enemy 00:03:23.539 --> 00:03:26.699 to God, and there is an enemy to us. And his 00:03:26.699 --> 00:03:30.240 desire is to kill, steal, and destroy. And one 00:03:30.240 --> 00:03:32.120 of the main ways I'm watching him do that in 00:03:32.120 --> 00:03:34.520 our generation is through our minds. In John 00:03:34.520 --> 00:03:36.960 8, it talks about the enemy, and Jesus actually 00:03:36.960 --> 00:03:39.580 describes him and says he is the father of lies, 00:03:39.780 --> 00:03:43.020 that when he speaks, he lies, and that is who 00:03:43.020 --> 00:03:45.159 he is. And so I have watched this person after 00:03:45.159 --> 00:03:48.139 person after person. has believed these lies. 00:03:48.219 --> 00:03:51.120 And here's the thing, not even realize that they 00:03:51.120 --> 00:03:53.780 are lies. That's the hard part. Eventually you 00:03:53.780 --> 00:03:56.439 start to believe they're just true and you're 00:03:56.439 --> 00:04:00.479 dwelling on them. And our minds are a mess. Our 00:04:00.479 --> 00:04:03.740 minds are discouraged. Our minds are distracted. 00:04:04.139 --> 00:04:08.300 Our minds are exhausted. And I believe there's 00:04:08.300 --> 00:04:11.139 a way out. In fact, so many of you struggle with 00:04:11.139 --> 00:04:14.180 anxiety and depression. So many of you struggle 00:04:14.180 --> 00:04:16.000 with mental illness or somebody that you know 00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:18.180 struggles with mental illness. And I want to 00:04:18.180 --> 00:04:20.339 address this right up front, that mental illness 00:04:20.339 --> 00:04:23.259 can be a physical issue. It can be a chemical 00:04:23.259 --> 00:04:26.199 issue that needs medicine. And medicine is a 00:04:26.199 --> 00:04:28.360 gift from God and counseling is a gift from God. 00:04:28.500 --> 00:04:31.160 But I also believe there's another component 00:04:31.160 --> 00:04:33.800 to this. And I want to start by reading a few 00:04:33.800 --> 00:04:37.120 verses in 2 Corinthians 10. It's verses three 00:04:37.120 --> 00:04:39.350 through six. For though we walk in the flesh, 00:04:39.490 --> 00:04:41.889 we are not waging war against the flesh. And 00:04:41.889 --> 00:04:44.050 I want to say this because I think some of us 00:04:44.050 --> 00:04:46.689 stop at the obvious things. We stop at the physical 00:04:46.689 --> 00:04:49.069 response and we stop at the emotional response 00:04:49.069 --> 00:04:52.370 rather than realizing there is another thing 00:04:52.370 --> 00:04:55.269 happening. And it is a spiritual war that is 00:04:55.269 --> 00:04:58.930 waging against us. And it's not a flesh. There 00:04:58.930 --> 00:05:01.389 was a season of attack that came that was quiet, 00:05:01.449 --> 00:05:04.709 that was subtle, that I barely noticed, honestly. 00:05:04.990 --> 00:05:07.759 And it came every night at 3 a .m. And it was 00:05:07.759 --> 00:05:12.480 doubt that filled my mind and it beat me up for 00:05:12.480 --> 00:05:14.720 month upon month. And the bad part was, is I 00:05:14.720 --> 00:05:17.079 didn't even realize it was happening. I was at 00:05:17.079 --> 00:05:20.639 war with the devil in the night and I never said 00:05:20.639 --> 00:05:22.959 it out loud. I never told anybody what was happening 00:05:22.959 --> 00:05:27.040 for 18 months. Now, fast forward, I finally do 00:05:27.040 --> 00:05:30.199 mention it to people. And then second I did, 00:05:30.439 --> 00:05:33.740 my first thought was, oh my gosh, I have been 00:05:33.740 --> 00:05:38.009 under spiritual attack. duh. I mean, it was obvious, 00:05:38.129 --> 00:05:41.509 but I didn't see it because I was not guarding 00:05:41.509 --> 00:05:45.009 my mind because I did not live with this reality 00:05:45.009 --> 00:05:48.189 that the enemy could be lying to me at any minute, 00:05:48.329 --> 00:05:50.410 that at any minute he could be whispering a lie 00:05:50.410 --> 00:05:53.430 to me that I thought was true and that I walked 00:05:53.430 --> 00:05:55.689 in and believed in and built thought patterns, 00:05:55.730 --> 00:05:58.569 toxic spirals around. And that's exactly what 00:05:58.569 --> 00:06:01.639 happened. There was a cost. And it was to my 00:06:01.639 --> 00:06:04.339 faith. And what a great strategic move of the 00:06:04.339 --> 00:06:06.980 enemy to go after my faith. But everything shifted. 00:06:07.160 --> 00:06:10.040 And I believe that every single one of you listening, 00:06:10.139 --> 00:06:13.600 in some way, that enemy is as real to you. And 00:06:13.600 --> 00:06:16.829 those lies are as real to you. in the middle 00:06:16.829 --> 00:06:18.310 of this project. In fact, it was even before 00:06:18.310 --> 00:06:20.569 the project began. I was walking outside. It 00:06:20.569 --> 00:06:22.370 was a beautiful day and I was all by myself and 00:06:22.370 --> 00:06:24.550 I was praying for our generation. I do this. 00:06:24.610 --> 00:06:26.470 I pray for individuals, but I also pray for our 00:06:26.470 --> 00:06:29.430 generation. I always think about us getting to 00:06:29.430 --> 00:06:32.209 heaven together. And I think about all the people 00:06:32.209 --> 00:06:34.189 I lead and the people the church is leading right 00:06:34.189 --> 00:06:35.970 now around the world. And I just want us to do 00:06:35.970 --> 00:06:38.069 so well in our time. I want our time to matter. 00:06:38.209 --> 00:06:41.790 And as I was praying about our generation, God 00:06:41.790 --> 00:06:44.509 brought to mind these enemies that are attacking 00:06:44.509 --> 00:06:46.680 our generation uniquely. And I wrote him down. 00:06:46.720 --> 00:06:48.800 I pulled over on the side of the track I was 00:06:48.800 --> 00:06:51.060 walking on and I typed him up. And it was seven 00:06:51.060 --> 00:06:53.060 things that I saw coming for our generation. 00:06:53.199 --> 00:06:54.899 And we're going to talk about these seven things. 00:06:55.139 --> 00:06:57.100 And I'm telling you, you know, it's everything 00:06:57.100 --> 00:07:00.899 from cynicism to noise to victimhood. There's 00:07:00.899 --> 00:07:03.300 a plethora of things coming for us. But I think 00:07:03.300 --> 00:07:04.779 in our generation, we're looking at some unique 00:07:04.779 --> 00:07:07.399 things that have plagued our minds and that has 00:07:07.399 --> 00:07:09.660 robbed us of the effectiveness that we could 00:07:09.660 --> 00:07:11.709 have. for the kingdom of God. I'm gonna give 00:07:11.709 --> 00:07:14.149 you a lot of science in this season because in 00:07:14.149 --> 00:07:17.990 my studies of the brain, you cannot deny the 00:07:17.990 --> 00:07:21.350 power of God and the thing he built in our minds 00:07:21.350 --> 00:07:25.370 when you read the science of it. It all backs 00:07:25.370 --> 00:07:28.089 up the Bible. It's crazy. All of these truths 00:07:28.089 --> 00:07:30.410 that the Bible says, like take every thought 00:07:30.410 --> 00:07:32.649 captive, that we have power over our thoughts, 00:07:32.790 --> 00:07:35.660 all of these truths. They are spelled out in 00:07:35.660 --> 00:07:37.839 science. It's true. We can change our minds. 00:07:37.980 --> 00:07:39.759 And I want to read to you the rest of this verse 00:07:39.759 --> 00:07:42.379 in 2 Corinthians 10. For the weapons of warfare 00:07:42.379 --> 00:07:45.620 are not of the flesh, but have divine power to 00:07:45.620 --> 00:07:50.160 destroy strongholds. Guys, in these verses, The 00:07:50.160 --> 00:07:53.259 author of Corinthians, who's Paul, is saying 00:07:53.259 --> 00:07:56.439 we have power to destroy strongholds. So many 00:07:56.439 --> 00:07:58.240 of you are stuck in strongholds. That's why this 00:07:58.240 --> 00:08:00.720 matters so much. It's not because of the little 00:08:00.720 --> 00:08:03.579 bitty lie about your identity or about your worth. 00:08:03.680 --> 00:08:07.139 It's because that lie over time adds up. And 00:08:07.139 --> 00:08:10.399 so back to the science part, 80 % of our thoughts 00:08:10.399 --> 00:08:13.709 are negative. 95 % of our thoughts, you thought 00:08:13.709 --> 00:08:16.329 them yesterday. They're repetitive. And so we're 00:08:16.329 --> 00:08:18.550 thinking repetitive, negative thoughts every 00:08:18.550 --> 00:08:21.589 day of our life. And guess what those build? 00:08:22.470 --> 00:08:25.209 Strongholds. They actually change our brains. 00:08:25.329 --> 00:08:28.649 They change our chemistry. Our physical brains 00:08:28.649 --> 00:08:31.149 change. Now, yes, I believe in medicine and counseling. 00:08:31.250 --> 00:08:33.649 And no, I do not think you can just change your 00:08:33.649 --> 00:08:35.129 thoughts and all of a sudden be out of mental 00:08:35.129 --> 00:08:38.210 illness. But I absolutely believe that in disciplining 00:08:38.210 --> 00:08:40.690 and training our thoughts, that it can eventually 00:08:40.690 --> 00:08:43.889 over time change our minds. That's science. Not 00:08:43.889 --> 00:08:45.669 just for those of us that believe in science, 00:08:45.769 --> 00:08:48.009 but those of us that believe in God. He says 00:08:48.009 --> 00:08:50.809 that... Our warfare is not of the flesh. It is 00:08:50.809 --> 00:08:53.570 of the spirit and that we have divine power to 00:08:53.570 --> 00:08:56.049 destroy strongholds. So something about the power 00:08:56.049 --> 00:08:57.990 that God gives us, if you know the Lord Jesus 00:08:57.990 --> 00:08:59.909 Christ, and if you don't, I hope by the end of 00:08:59.909 --> 00:09:02.549 the season, you will. But something about knowing 00:09:02.549 --> 00:09:04.669 the Lord Jesus Christ and believing in the power 00:09:04.669 --> 00:09:06.950 of the gifts and the power and authority he's 00:09:06.950 --> 00:09:10.049 given us, we have the power to destroy strongholds. 00:09:10.049 --> 00:09:12.429 Now, authority, that is something that I didn't 00:09:12.429 --> 00:09:15.500 realize that I had. most of my life. I was a 00:09:15.500 --> 00:09:18.139 victim to my mind and I didn't understand that 00:09:18.139 --> 00:09:21.519 God had given me authority over my thoughts and 00:09:21.519 --> 00:09:24.659 I could change them. And I'm telling you, let 00:09:24.659 --> 00:09:27.820 me fast forward to my story today and tell you 00:09:27.820 --> 00:09:29.539 that there are still, in fact, last night I woke 00:09:29.539 --> 00:09:31.720 up at 4 a .m., but let me tell you what I do 00:09:31.720 --> 00:09:34.159 now when I wake up. I do not let the enemy have 00:09:34.159 --> 00:09:36.879 an inch. I don't let him have a second of my 00:09:36.879 --> 00:09:40.100 mind. I notice it now. I see when I start to 00:09:40.100 --> 00:09:42.220 spiral or think negative thoughts about God, 00:09:42.259 --> 00:09:45.220 about my life, and I interrupt it and I say, 00:09:45.259 --> 00:09:47.360 no. Like, and I mean, y 'all, I've gotten all 00:09:47.360 --> 00:09:49.100 charismatic in my bedroom. Like I'm waving my 00:09:49.100 --> 00:09:51.919 arms and like, get out of here. Like I know what 00:09:51.919 --> 00:09:54.139 I'm up against and I'm clear about it. And I 00:09:54.139 --> 00:09:56.299 speak with authority over it because of the power 00:09:56.299 --> 00:09:59.960 of God that I know is real and strong enough 00:09:59.960 --> 00:10:02.860 to destroy it. And guys, I'm free. Like I wake 00:10:02.860 --> 00:10:05.279 up at 4 a .m. and I'm no longer under the bondage 00:10:05.279 --> 00:10:08.460 that I was under for 18 months. I am free and 00:10:08.460 --> 00:10:11.399 I believe you can be too. Verse five, we destroy 00:10:11.399 --> 00:10:14.059 arguments and every lofty opinion raised up against 00:10:14.059 --> 00:10:15.799 the knowledge of God. That's what was happening. 00:10:16.259 --> 00:10:18.299 Lofty opinions were being raised up against the 00:10:18.299 --> 00:10:19.919 knowledge of God and every lie that you have 00:10:19.919 --> 00:10:22.299 believed, every fear that you have had, every 00:10:22.299 --> 00:10:24.519 worry and anxiety that you have had, these are 00:10:24.519 --> 00:10:27.179 all opinions raised up against the knowledge 00:10:27.179 --> 00:10:30.070 of God. Because if our knowledge of God was full 00:10:30.070 --> 00:10:32.169 and complete, guess what? He is not a God of 00:10:32.169 --> 00:10:35.190 fear. We would never fear. Fear is not of God. 00:10:35.309 --> 00:10:38.230 It is of the devil. And every lie that we give 00:10:38.230 --> 00:10:40.309 an inch, it will take a mile. It will take a 00:10:40.309 --> 00:10:41.730 mile. And for some of you, it has taken years. 00:10:41.970 --> 00:10:45.929 It has taken so much of your life. Some of you, 00:10:45.950 --> 00:10:48.110 you're here praying for hope. And some of you 00:10:48.110 --> 00:10:51.029 are like teetering on that edge of giving up 00:10:51.029 --> 00:10:53.110 your faith. And I just want to say, I'm here 00:10:53.110 --> 00:10:56.029 to fight for you. that there is an enemy and 00:10:56.029 --> 00:10:58.389 that he is fighting for you. And I am here because 00:10:58.389 --> 00:11:01.210 God loves you and because he also is fighting 00:11:01.210 --> 00:11:03.590 for you. And that there are opinions raised up 00:11:03.590 --> 00:11:05.330 every day in our minds against the knowledge 00:11:05.330 --> 00:11:08.629 of God. And our God says that we have the power 00:11:08.629 --> 00:11:13.600 to destroy them, to destroy strongholds. You're 00:11:13.600 --> 00:11:16.220 listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. 00:11:16.320 --> 00:11:18.960 Jenny Allen is our guest teacher for the series 00:11:18.960 --> 00:11:21.700 Get Out of Your Head. And real quick, if you'd 00:11:21.700 --> 00:11:23.759 like to learn more about Jenny's popular book 00:11:23.759 --> 00:11:26.259 that this series is based on, keep listening 00:11:26.259 --> 00:11:28.620 after the teaching. Chip will join us in studio 00:11:28.620 --> 00:11:31.100 with all the details, so be sure to stick around. 00:11:31.460 --> 00:11:33.740 But for now, let's get back to Jenny's talk. 00:11:43.149 --> 00:11:47.129 thought captive to obey Christ. That's how we 00:11:47.129 --> 00:11:49.409 change our minds. Romans says it this way, do 00:11:49.409 --> 00:11:51.809 not be conformed to this world, but be transformed 00:11:51.809 --> 00:11:55.710 by what? How do we change? All of us want to 00:11:55.710 --> 00:11:59.090 change. How do we change? And Romans says, by 00:11:59.090 --> 00:12:04.049 the renewal of our minds. Guys, this is the crux 00:12:04.049 --> 00:12:07.840 of our lives. Our minds. are the crux of how 00:12:07.840 --> 00:12:10.580 we will live, who we will love, what we will 00:12:10.580 --> 00:12:13.639 do with our lives. Our minds hold the power and 00:12:13.639 --> 00:12:16.480 the key to our lives. I remember my daughter 00:12:16.480 --> 00:12:18.259 did a lot of studies. She wanted to be a neuro 00:12:18.259 --> 00:12:20.940 researcher. And so she basically was all through 00:12:20.940 --> 00:12:22.820 high school and middle school. And she would 00:12:22.820 --> 00:12:24.419 bring me all this stuff as part of what prompted 00:12:24.419 --> 00:12:27.019 me to do this project. And she said, mom, what 00:12:27.019 --> 00:12:29.279 we know about the brain today, the writers of 00:12:29.279 --> 00:12:31.299 the scriptures would have said. the mind, every 00:12:31.299 --> 00:12:33.220 time they said the heart. So that means that 00:12:33.220 --> 00:12:36.600 a majority of the Bible is about our minds, that 00:12:36.600 --> 00:12:38.879 every time it says heart, it also is talking, 00:12:38.919 --> 00:12:41.679 the seed of our emotions is found within our 00:12:41.679 --> 00:12:43.879 brains. And so when you think about our minds 00:12:43.879 --> 00:12:45.960 and our hearts and how much of scripture is about 00:12:45.960 --> 00:12:48.899 it, continually, it says, guard our heart, our 00:12:48.899 --> 00:12:51.679 mind. It says, take captive our thoughts, that 00:12:51.679 --> 00:12:55.179 this is an active. process, that we are not reluctantly 00:12:55.179 --> 00:12:58.000 thinking about whatever the heck we want, but 00:12:58.000 --> 00:13:01.139 we are actively fighting to believe truth, to 00:13:01.139 --> 00:13:03.299 fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter 00:13:03.299 --> 00:13:07.360 of our faith. He sets before us this call to 00:13:07.360 --> 00:13:11.480 single -mindedness, to complete consumption of 00:13:11.480 --> 00:13:14.320 God and His love for us and His goodness over 00:13:14.320 --> 00:13:17.740 us. And as we fixate on Him, the things of this 00:13:17.740 --> 00:13:19.620 earth grow strangely dim. That's like the old 00:13:19.620 --> 00:13:21.779 hymn that you used to sing in Sunday school. 00:13:21.960 --> 00:13:25.700 This is how we change. Verse six, being ready 00:13:25.700 --> 00:13:28.559 to punish every disobedience when your obedience 00:13:28.559 --> 00:13:32.340 is complete. This is warfare. And Paul knows 00:13:32.340 --> 00:13:34.960 it. And that's why he writes that this is warfare. 00:13:35.220 --> 00:13:38.240 And he speaks of things like destroying every 00:13:38.240 --> 00:13:41.500 lie, every opinion. Y 'all, we have to take this 00:13:41.500 --> 00:13:44.480 bull by its horn. And we haven't. Candidly, we 00:13:44.480 --> 00:13:47.379 have not. You bring your friends together because 00:13:47.379 --> 00:13:49.779 it's going to take an army of people surrounding 00:13:49.779 --> 00:13:51.860 each other and saying, we're not going to let 00:13:51.860 --> 00:13:53.480 each other believe these lies anymore, but we've 00:13:53.480 --> 00:13:55.539 got to take this seriously. We've got to take 00:13:55.539 --> 00:13:57.080 this seriously. I know some of you, you just 00:13:57.080 --> 00:13:59.820 tuned in. You're like, guess what? Fun and happy 00:13:59.820 --> 00:14:01.200 are on the other side of this. I'll tell you 00:14:01.200 --> 00:14:03.360 that right now. Like I have never been more joyful. 00:14:03.500 --> 00:14:05.279 I've never been more free. I've never been more 00:14:05.279 --> 00:14:08.299 grateful. I've never been more peaceful than 00:14:08.299 --> 00:14:11.360 I have as I have done war with this part of my 00:14:11.360 --> 00:14:15.370 life. Proverbs 23, 7 says this, for as a man 00:14:15.370 --> 00:14:18.149 thinketh in his heart, so he is. Y 'all, this 00:14:18.149 --> 00:14:23.590 is our lives. The sum of our lives will be rooted 00:14:23.590 --> 00:14:26.149 in what it is we think about. And we never think 00:14:26.149 --> 00:14:28.509 about our thoughts. You think anywhere from 9 00:14:28.509 --> 00:14:32.769 ,000 to 60 ,000 thoughts in a day, in a day. 00:14:32.850 --> 00:14:34.909 And when was the last time you even noticed what 00:14:34.909 --> 00:14:37.210 it was that you were thinking about? So today 00:14:37.210 --> 00:14:38.730 I want you to do something. I want you to pull 00:14:38.730 --> 00:14:40.110 out a piece of paper and I want you to start 00:14:40.110 --> 00:14:42.009 writing down your thoughts. And I'll tell you, 00:14:42.029 --> 00:14:43.370 we're gonna take you through a process. If you 00:14:43.370 --> 00:14:45.409 wanna go download it right now, we have an anxious 00:14:45.409 --> 00:14:47.370 thoughts guide and we're gonna give you a mind 00:14:47.370 --> 00:14:49.409 map that you can fill out and start to notice 00:14:49.409 --> 00:14:51.309 your thoughts. And you can print a bunch of copies 00:14:51.309 --> 00:14:52.950 and put them by your bed and just start to notice 00:14:52.950 --> 00:14:54.769 at night when you go to sleep, what is it that 00:14:54.769 --> 00:14:57.090 I thought about today? Notice if it's around 00:14:57.090 --> 00:15:00.309 80 % negative because this matters. This matters. 00:15:00.350 --> 00:15:03.590 Our brains are physically changing depending 00:15:03.590 --> 00:15:06.360 on what we think about. You think about what 00:15:06.360 --> 00:15:08.899 you're grateful for, your brain shifts. You think 00:15:08.899 --> 00:15:12.120 about what you dread, your brain shifts. And 00:15:12.120 --> 00:15:14.759 we can win this war. I believe it. I believe 00:15:14.759 --> 00:15:16.720 we are looking at more freedom in our generation 00:15:16.720 --> 00:15:19.720 than we have previously had. And I believe that 00:15:19.720 --> 00:15:22.139 that can happen in our lives individually as 00:15:22.139 --> 00:15:24.610 we actually believe truth. And so I'm gonna fight 00:15:24.610 --> 00:15:27.049 for you to believe truth. And I cannot wait to 00:15:27.049 --> 00:15:29.730 see what God is gonna do through this. I do not 00:15:29.730 --> 00:15:31.970 want you to halfway engage with this. We need 00:15:31.970 --> 00:15:33.889 people to fight for us. We need to understand 00:15:33.889 --> 00:15:36.269 what it is to have these weapons that God says 00:15:36.269 --> 00:15:38.610 have the power to destroy strongholds. So we're 00:15:38.610 --> 00:15:41.389 going to war, y 'all. Come on, invite all your 00:15:41.389 --> 00:15:43.769 friends. I mean, you could gather in a living 00:15:43.769 --> 00:15:45.830 room. You can each get the book and you can listen 00:15:45.830 --> 00:15:47.730 to this almost like a Bible study. I hope that 00:15:47.730 --> 00:15:49.649 that's what this will feel like. Invite your 00:15:49.649 --> 00:15:52.610 friends and let's see what God does. I wanna 00:15:52.610 --> 00:15:55.970 pray for you. God, I want to thank you for this 00:15:55.970 --> 00:15:58.110 community. I want to thank you for a microphone. 00:15:58.529 --> 00:16:00.710 It feels like an honor. It feels like a sacred, 00:16:00.809 --> 00:16:04.110 incredible honor that I get to be in their ears, 00:16:04.129 --> 00:16:05.970 in their minds right now, and that I get to fight 00:16:05.970 --> 00:16:08.350 for them to believe truth. God, I do not take 00:16:08.350 --> 00:16:10.509 that lightly. I believe that this matters more 00:16:10.509 --> 00:16:12.429 than we can understand, more than I can understand. 00:16:12.769 --> 00:16:16.210 And I feel your love for them. God, I feel that 00:16:16.210 --> 00:16:18.549 you want them to live more free than they are 00:16:18.549 --> 00:16:21.539 right now. And I believe, God, that almost all 00:16:21.539 --> 00:16:23.759 of them have been believing some lie. They've 00:16:23.759 --> 00:16:25.840 been believing some lie that has crippled them, 00:16:25.919 --> 00:16:27.940 that has made them afraid, that has made them 00:16:27.940 --> 00:16:30.179 anxious, that has made them depressed. And I 00:16:30.179 --> 00:16:33.000 believe, God, you want to set them free. And 00:16:33.000 --> 00:16:36.159 so today, God, I pray. I want to pray huge prayers, 00:16:36.360 --> 00:16:37.919 but I also want to pray small prayers. I want 00:16:37.919 --> 00:16:39.440 to pray that they'll have a glimmer of hope. 00:16:39.580 --> 00:16:41.740 I want to pray that that hope would be real and 00:16:41.740 --> 00:16:44.039 realized. And the big prayer I want to pray is 00:16:44.039 --> 00:16:47.039 that you would set them free, that they would 00:16:47.039 --> 00:16:48.899 have their eyes opened and they would see in 00:16:48.899 --> 00:16:51.879 a new way the enemy and what he wants for them 00:16:51.879 --> 00:16:54.419 and that they would have nothing to do with it. 00:16:54.440 --> 00:16:56.360 They would go to war. They would fight better 00:16:56.360 --> 00:17:03.070 than they ever have. In Jesus' name, amen. You're 00:17:03.070 --> 00:17:05.609 listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. 00:17:05.690 --> 00:17:08.369 Jenny Allen was our guest teacher for this program, 00:17:08.569 --> 00:17:11.250 Taking Every Thought Captive, which is from her 00:17:11.250 --> 00:17:13.930 series, Get Out of Your Head. Chip will join 00:17:13.930 --> 00:17:15.829 us in just a minute to share his application 00:17:15.829 --> 00:17:18.809 for this message. Let me ask you, what drives 00:17:18.809 --> 00:17:21.390 your thought life? What influences the way you 00:17:21.390 --> 00:17:24.599 think? Is it anxiety, loneliness, insecurity? 00:17:25.140 --> 00:17:28.319 Whatever it is, do you feel trapped by it? Like 00:17:28.319 --> 00:17:31.200 no matter how hard you try, your mind drifts 00:17:31.200 --> 00:17:34.259 back to these harmful patterns. In this series, 00:17:34.359 --> 00:17:36.960 author and speaker Jenny Allen calls out seven 00:17:36.960 --> 00:17:39.619 toxic thoughts that derail our connection to 00:17:39.619 --> 00:17:42.819 God. Discover the powerful antidotes God's given 00:17:42.819 --> 00:17:45.500 us to break free from these dangerous mindsets. 00:17:45.720 --> 00:17:48.460 Join Jenny to learn what you can do to fight 00:17:48.460 --> 00:17:51.220 and win the war for your mind. Well, before we 00:17:51.220 --> 00:17:54.299 go on, here's Chip. Well, thanks, Dave. And I'm 00:17:54.299 --> 00:17:56.599 joined here today with Jenny Allen, our teacher 00:17:56.599 --> 00:17:59.539 for the series. And Jenny, thanks, first of all, 00:17:59.539 --> 00:18:02.779 for doing this with us. You know, we are committed 00:18:02.779 --> 00:18:05.299 to reaching the next generation. And God has 00:18:05.299 --> 00:18:09.059 given you such a stewardship to reach especially 00:18:09.059 --> 00:18:12.519 young women and young moms. But get out of your 00:18:12.519 --> 00:18:14.859 head. First of all, that's sort of a crazy title 00:18:14.859 --> 00:18:17.539 for a book. What are you hoping to accomplish 00:18:17.539 --> 00:18:19.920 in this series? And maybe you could give us a 00:18:19.920 --> 00:18:22.980 little bit of the behind the scenes, like where 00:18:22.980 --> 00:18:25.220 did this series come from? How did it turn into 00:18:25.220 --> 00:18:28.519 a book? And maybe most of all, what do you hope 00:18:28.519 --> 00:18:31.579 God will do as our listeners hear this series 00:18:31.579 --> 00:18:34.500 get out of your head? Thank you, Chip, so much 00:18:34.500 --> 00:18:37.599 for having me. And yes, it is a crazy title. 00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:41.259 But I believe everyone is resonating with it 00:18:41.259 --> 00:18:43.900 because we know that we're all stuck in our heads, 00:18:44.000 --> 00:18:47.039 right? I think the timing of this conversation 00:18:47.039 --> 00:18:50.440 is so important because many, many people have 00:18:50.440 --> 00:18:54.019 struggled with anxiety or depression or even 00:18:54.019 --> 00:18:58.019 just fearful thoughts that maybe they don't feel 00:18:58.019 --> 00:19:02.680 like are a big deal. And yet they are. And they're 00:19:02.680 --> 00:19:06.259 holding us captive. And Jesus says that we are 00:19:06.259 --> 00:19:08.519 to take our thoughts captive. They are not supposed 00:19:08.519 --> 00:19:12.019 to take us captive. And yet we've been on the 00:19:12.019 --> 00:19:14.960 defense with our thoughts and feeling like we 00:19:14.960 --> 00:19:17.680 can't control them. And what scripture calls 00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:20.839 us to is an offensive strategy that we are supposed 00:19:20.839 --> 00:19:26.359 to fight back, that we are given divine weapons 00:19:26.359 --> 00:19:29.180 that destroy strongholds, 2 Corinthians 10 tells 00:19:29.180 --> 00:19:32.670 us. I want to know what those strongholds are 00:19:32.670 --> 00:19:34.690 in my life. And I want to know what the divine 00:19:34.690 --> 00:19:37.029 weapons are that God's given me so that I can 00:19:37.029 --> 00:19:40.089 fight back. And I hope and believe that so many 00:19:40.089 --> 00:19:42.630 of you listening care about that too. So hopefully 00:19:42.630 --> 00:19:45.309 this will massively encourage you that you are 00:19:45.309 --> 00:19:48.130 not a victim to your thoughts, but we are actually. 00:19:48.809 --> 00:19:51.470 given dominion over our thoughts. We're not given 00:19:51.470 --> 00:19:54.430 dominion over everything we feel, but we're given 00:19:54.430 --> 00:19:56.769 dominion over our thoughts. That's a place we 00:19:56.769 --> 00:19:59.950 have the ability to control. So why wouldn't 00:19:59.950 --> 00:20:02.230 we? Why wouldn't we fight back against the enemy, 00:20:02.369 --> 00:20:05.750 which I believe this is one of the greatest battlefields 00:20:05.750 --> 00:20:10.420 today of the devil. He hates... And he wants 00:20:10.420 --> 00:20:12.779 to destroy us, kill, steal, and destroy from 00:20:12.779 --> 00:20:15.039 us. That's what scripture tells us. So where 00:20:15.039 --> 00:20:17.000 is he doing that? He's doing it in the crevices 00:20:17.000 --> 00:20:20.359 of our minds. He's lying to us. Scripture tells 00:20:20.359 --> 00:20:23.900 us Jesus clearly says he's a liar, that he hates 00:20:23.900 --> 00:20:27.799 the truth, and he wants to confuse everyone with 00:20:27.799 --> 00:20:31.500 his lies. And we've fallen for it. And I just 00:20:31.500 --> 00:20:34.539 say we fight back. Great word, Jenny. And let 00:20:34.539 --> 00:20:36.519 me encourage all of you listening to get a copy 00:20:36.519 --> 00:20:39.140 of Jenny's book, Get Out of Your Head. You can 00:20:39.140 --> 00:20:42.299 do that by going to livingontheedge .org or by 00:20:42.299 --> 00:20:49.420 calling 888 -333 -6003. That's 888 -333 -6003 00:20:49.420 --> 00:20:54.339 or livingontheedge .org. Well, Chip, before we 00:20:54.339 --> 00:20:56.700 go, you wanted to wrap up this program by sharing 00:20:56.700 --> 00:20:58.920 a few final thoughts about what Jenny shared 00:20:58.920 --> 00:21:01.890 today. Well, thanks, Dave. And thanks, Jenny. 00:21:02.069 --> 00:21:05.990 I really would say that this has been a passion 00:21:05.990 --> 00:21:10.029 for me for a very, very long time. To go back 00:21:10.029 --> 00:21:13.150 into my earliest years as a Christian, I think 00:21:13.150 --> 00:21:17.150 the first at least two or three years, I thought 00:21:17.150 --> 00:21:20.190 trying hard was how life change occurred. And 00:21:20.190 --> 00:21:23.599 I had issues I could not overcome. I mean, I 00:21:23.599 --> 00:21:26.099 struggle with lust. I struggle with pride. I 00:21:26.099 --> 00:21:28.500 struggle with insecurity. And don't get me wrong. 00:21:28.579 --> 00:21:31.099 I'm not saying that I've, you know, arrived in 00:21:31.099 --> 00:21:33.960 all those areas. But I can tell you willpower 00:21:33.960 --> 00:21:38.240 and willpower alone does not work. And what I 00:21:38.240 --> 00:21:41.420 love about what I hear Jenny doing is she's going 00:21:41.420 --> 00:21:46.019 to help us identify toxic thoughts. The enemy 00:21:46.019 --> 00:21:51.880 came to kill and to steal and destroy. And contrary 00:21:51.880 --> 00:21:55.619 to the movies or popular belief, he rarely does 00:21:55.619 --> 00:21:58.940 it in really scary ways with, you know, like 00:21:58.940 --> 00:22:01.539 super phenomena that you've never seen before. 00:22:01.980 --> 00:22:06.440 His messages are lies, lies about us, lies about 00:22:06.440 --> 00:22:08.980 God, lies about the future, lies about security, 00:22:09.279 --> 00:22:12.019 lies about happiness, lies about things will 00:22:12.019 --> 00:22:14.579 never change, lies about our past. Well, you'll 00:22:14.579 --> 00:22:18.119 never overcome it. Lies, lies, lies. And what 00:22:18.119 --> 00:22:22.480 I love is hearing from a young woman who's living 00:22:22.480 --> 00:22:26.019 in a world that I don't live in, not just generationally, 00:22:26.019 --> 00:22:28.859 but, you know, I've got a wife and I have a daughter, 00:22:28.920 --> 00:22:34.019 and I see how women are bombarded by very specific 00:22:34.019 --> 00:22:36.720 toxic lies, I think even more than the rest of 00:22:36.720 --> 00:22:40.460 us. And so let me just encourage you, stay with 00:22:40.460 --> 00:22:43.220 us on this journey. You can hear she's a very 00:22:43.220 --> 00:22:47.640 passionate, dynamic teacher. holds to the scriptures. 00:22:48.019 --> 00:22:51.420 She believes in God's Word. And I can't wait 00:22:51.420 --> 00:22:54.819 to be on this journey with you as we listen to 00:22:54.819 --> 00:22:57.099 Jenny teach. And at the end of the programs, 00:22:57.180 --> 00:23:00.579 I'll be back to talk about my takeaways and maybe 00:23:00.579 --> 00:23:02.259 a couple thoughts that I think will help you. 00:23:02.599 --> 00:23:05.259 Looking forward to all that, Chip. Hey, before 00:23:05.259 --> 00:23:07.259 we go, I wanted to let you know, Living on the 00:23:07.259 --> 00:23:10.619 Edge depends on listeners just like you to help 00:23:10.619 --> 00:23:13.279 us continue to encourage Christians to live like 00:23:13.279 --> 00:23:15.559 Christians. So would you consider partnering 00:23:15.559 --> 00:23:18.460 with us on a monthly basis so others can benefit 00:23:18.460 --> 00:23:21.079 from this ministry? To set up a monthly donation, 00:23:21.319 --> 00:23:26.980 call us at 888 -333 -6003 or go to livingontheedge 00:23:26.980 --> 00:23:30.640 .org. App listeners, tap Donate. And thanks in 00:23:30.640 --> 00:23:33.140 advance for doing whatever God leads you to do. 00:23:33.920 --> 00:23:36.059 And lastly, would you stop for a minute and pray 00:23:36.059 --> 00:23:38.519 for Living on the Edge today? We've never seen 00:23:38.519 --> 00:23:40.920 a greater need for God's truth to go out than 00:23:40.920 --> 00:23:43.740 right now. And by God's grace, Living on the 00:23:43.740 --> 00:23:45.599 Edge has been able to provide encouragement, 00:23:45.839 --> 00:23:48.240 teaching, and personal discipleship resources 00:23:48.240 --> 00:23:51.220 to more people than ever before. So thank you 00:23:51.220 --> 00:23:53.400 to those who support us with your prayers. God 00:23:53.400 --> 00:23:56.759 is doing amazing things. You've been listening 00:23:56.759 --> 00:23:58.980 to a selected program that we wanted to share 00:23:58.980 --> 00:24:01.460 from this past week. Be sure to join us next 00:24:01.460 --> 00:24:03.430 time as our guest teacher, Jenny Anderson, Allen 00:24:03.430 --> 00:24:06.849 continues her series, Get Out of Your Head. When 00:24:06.849 --> 00:24:10.849 God says, do not fear anything in this world, 00:24:10.930 --> 00:24:16.430 it is because He has us. It is because nothing 00:24:16.430 --> 00:24:18.529 is going to come against you, even the enemy, 00:24:18.690 --> 00:24:21.869 without God's permission. God has every circumstance 00:24:21.869 --> 00:24:26.009 that you face. God understands the moments, the 00:24:26.009 --> 00:24:28.390 fears that you're feeling, the doubts that you're 00:24:28.390 --> 00:24:31.349 feeling. He understands and knows about all of 00:24:31.349 --> 00:24:34.289 it. And He's powerful over it. This fear that 00:24:34.289 --> 00:24:36.529 has invaded our culture, has invaded our minds, 00:24:36.589 --> 00:24:38.750 invaded the background noise of our lives. We've 00:24:38.750 --> 00:24:40.450 got to fight it. We've got to start noticing 00:24:40.450 --> 00:24:42.369 it. We've got to call it out. And we've got to 00:24:42.369 --> 00:24:45.049 fight it every single day. Until then, I'm Dave 00:24:45.049 --> 00:24:47.289 Drury saying thanks for listening to this weekend 00:24:47.289 --> 00:24:49.250 edition of Living on the Edge.