WEBVTT 00:00:11.470 --> 00:00:14.169 Today on Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. 00:00:14.269 --> 00:00:16.929 Do you want to change? I mean, do you want to 00:00:16.929 --> 00:00:19.589 do life differently, but you just can't seem 00:00:19.589 --> 00:00:21.809 to make it stick? Well, here's what you need 00:00:21.809 --> 00:00:24.609 to know. There's a way to experience real and 00:00:24.609 --> 00:00:28.010 lasting life change, and it isn't about trying 00:00:28.010 --> 00:00:32.189 harder. It's about a completely new way of thinking. 00:00:32.570 --> 00:00:35.710 Today, we're going to talk about how this process 00:00:35.710 --> 00:00:40.780 can begin in your life. Stay with me. How do 00:00:40.780 --> 00:00:43.759 you break free from lifelong struggles, workaholism, 00:00:43.880 --> 00:00:47.320 people -pleasing, insecurity? You've tried harder 00:00:47.320 --> 00:00:50.479 and mustered willpower, but nothing sticks. On 00:00:50.479 --> 00:00:53.320 this weekend edition of Living on the Edge, Chip 00:00:53.320 --> 00:00:56.020 Ingram reveals why trying harder never works 00:00:56.020 --> 00:00:59.420 and what actually does. He'll share his own battle 00:00:59.420 --> 00:01:01.979 with these issues and the specific tools that 00:01:01.979 --> 00:01:04.900 brought real transformation. From hearing and 00:01:04.900 --> 00:01:07.400 reading God's Word to memorizing and meditating 00:01:07.400 --> 00:01:10.060 on Scripture, you'll discover practical methods 00:01:10.060 --> 00:01:13.439 for renewing your mind. Now let's join Chip Ingram 00:01:13.439 --> 00:01:16.140 for a very important message titled, How to Get 00:01:16.140 --> 00:01:19.579 God's Best for Your Life. Here's what Romans 00:01:19.579 --> 00:01:22.379 12 .1 said, Therefore I urge you, my brothers, 00:01:22.459 --> 00:01:24.280 in view of God's mercy, remember 11 chapters, 00:01:24.519 --> 00:01:27.780 of His love for you, offer your body a living 00:01:27.780 --> 00:01:30.719 and holy sacrifice, well -pleasing to God, this. 00:01:31.230 --> 00:01:32.930 is your spiritual service. In other words, that's 00:01:32.930 --> 00:01:35.629 what God really wants. But here's the question. 00:01:36.290 --> 00:01:38.769 It's one thing to give God what he really wants. 00:01:39.510 --> 00:01:42.549 Second question is, how do you get the very best 00:01:42.549 --> 00:01:45.030 from God? And it's interesting, that's verse 00:01:45.030 --> 00:01:48.349 two. He's gonna say, and do not be conformed 00:01:48.349 --> 00:01:51.269 any longer to this world, but be transformed 00:01:51.269 --> 00:01:54.030 by the renewing of your mind that your life, 00:01:54.150 --> 00:01:56.150 in other words, your lifestyle, what you actually 00:01:56.150 --> 00:01:59.450 experience would be the good, well -pleasing, 00:01:59.450 --> 00:02:01.879 and perfect will of God. And so here's the key. 00:02:01.939 --> 00:02:05.099 What I want you to get, review. Stop allowing 00:02:05.099 --> 00:02:08.039 the world to conform you. Start being transformed. 00:02:08.639 --> 00:02:11.740 Here's what I want to camp on. How? What's your 00:02:11.740 --> 00:02:15.360 part? We said we can't change ourselves. Allow 00:02:15.360 --> 00:02:17.819 yourself to be transformed. How? Here's our part. 00:02:17.939 --> 00:02:21.219 The renewing of our mind. Mind renewal, I think, 00:02:21.219 --> 00:02:23.159 has three key components. The first component 00:02:23.159 --> 00:02:26.419 of mind renewal is renewing your mind as a continual 00:02:26.419 --> 00:02:30.520 refocus of the Romans 12 .1 perspective. Colossians 00:02:30.520 --> 00:02:32.180 3 says, set your mind on the things that are 00:02:32.180 --> 00:02:34.340 above, not on the things that are on earth. It's 00:02:34.340 --> 00:02:37.520 a worldview. It's a mindset that has eternity 00:02:37.520 --> 00:02:40.259 in mind, that has Christ in mind about what matters 00:02:40.259 --> 00:02:44.919 in mind. As I grew up in my home, my family of 00:02:44.919 --> 00:02:48.379 origin, I have one, you have one. The enemy uses 00:02:48.379 --> 00:02:51.199 the world in some ways in my life different than 00:02:51.199 --> 00:02:54.289 yours. And so I realized that I was a workaholic, 00:02:54.310 --> 00:02:56.490 that I was insecure, that I was always trying 00:02:56.490 --> 00:02:58.590 to please people. And then after I got married, 00:02:58.629 --> 00:03:00.310 that I was very insensitive to my wife. Other 00:03:00.310 --> 00:03:01.969 than that, as a Christian, I was really doing 00:03:01.969 --> 00:03:05.729 well. Now, I'm dead serious. I mean, I tried 00:03:05.729 --> 00:03:08.090 hard not to be a workaholic. I tried not to be 00:03:08.090 --> 00:03:10.229 insecure. I tried to be more sensitive to my 00:03:10.229 --> 00:03:13.330 wife. On my best days, and I'm pretty disciplined, 00:03:13.409 --> 00:03:15.870 willpower, I could only keep that up for about 00:03:15.870 --> 00:03:20.490 two weeks because I didn't understand. Transformation 00:03:20.490 --> 00:03:24.030 isn't about just trying hard. It's renewing your 00:03:24.030 --> 00:03:27.610 mind. And so I wrote down on some cards the truth. 00:03:28.469 --> 00:03:30.969 And now I prayed, I asked God, does it mean there's 00:03:30.969 --> 00:03:33.409 not self? Of course I had to make effort. But 00:03:33.409 --> 00:03:35.849 for example, I thought, am I gonna be insecure 00:03:35.849 --> 00:03:37.909 my whole life or am I gonna get my mind renewed? 00:03:38.250 --> 00:03:40.349 And so I wrote down this on a card. I read it 00:03:40.349 --> 00:03:41.789 in the morning, the night, put it in my pocket, 00:03:41.849 --> 00:03:43.990 read it multiple times a day. I'd like to be 00:03:43.990 --> 00:03:47.229 more authentic in every aspect of my life. You 00:03:47.229 --> 00:03:50.289 know, I was trying to please everyone and I am 00:03:50.289 --> 00:03:52.810 what I am by the grace of God. And his grace 00:03:52.810 --> 00:03:54.689 didn't prove vain toward me, but I labored more 00:03:54.689 --> 00:03:57.169 than all of them, yet not me, but Christ in me. 00:03:58.129 --> 00:04:00.030 You know, when you keep reading over, I'd like 00:04:00.030 --> 00:04:02.909 to be more authentic in every relationship. You 00:04:02.909 --> 00:04:05.250 know what happens that gets in your mind? You 00:04:05.250 --> 00:04:07.870 catch yourself when you're posing. You catch 00:04:07.870 --> 00:04:11.250 yourself image managing and God begins to birth 00:04:11.250 --> 00:04:13.750 where you say, you know, I think I'm just gonna 00:04:13.750 --> 00:04:18.580 like who God made me. Got a long way to go. Transformation. 00:04:18.580 --> 00:04:21.360 My people pleasing. I mean, anybody here ever 00:04:21.360 --> 00:04:23.759 struggle with like, everyone asks you to do this 00:04:23.759 --> 00:04:25.420 and you either feel guilty if you don't or you're 00:04:25.420 --> 00:04:27.040 trying to do everything and you're multitasking 00:04:27.040 --> 00:04:28.879 and you're up early and you're back late and 00:04:28.879 --> 00:04:31.920 you know, I wrote this on a card. I want to stop 00:04:31.920 --> 00:04:34.259 caring what others think and apply myself and 00:04:34.259 --> 00:04:36.560 my schedule to what will make me the best I can 00:04:36.560 --> 00:04:39.660 be to honor God the most. I want to grow free 00:04:39.660 --> 00:04:43.040 of the invisible expectations that I allow to 00:04:43.040 --> 00:04:45.779 hinder my joy, my freedom, my schedule from pursuing 00:04:45.779 --> 00:04:48.800 the best. These invisible, like I had this gun 00:04:48.800 --> 00:04:53.839 to my head. Still struggle some. But if you live 00:04:53.839 --> 00:04:56.620 your life to please people, it'll kill you. But 00:04:56.620 --> 00:05:01.060 it's the world. So you refocus. My next one was 00:05:01.060 --> 00:05:05.639 on my workaholism. I just thought working a lot, 00:05:05.779 --> 00:05:09.750 performing, getting stuff done, I got. And so 00:05:09.750 --> 00:05:11.910 that was how I did everything. I even did the 00:05:11.910 --> 00:05:14.250 ministry like that. And so I wrote on this card. 00:05:14.329 --> 00:05:16.790 I read it over. I want to learn. This is almost 00:05:16.790 --> 00:05:18.870 sick to have to learn this. I'm going to learn 00:05:18.870 --> 00:05:21.449 to take time and schedule in enjoyable, fun, 00:05:21.709 --> 00:05:24.129 refreshing activities without feeling guilty 00:05:24.129 --> 00:05:26.910 about them or caring what other people think. 00:05:27.569 --> 00:05:30.769 What happened was I just found putting it in 00:05:30.769 --> 00:05:32.750 my schedule. Pretty soon I didn't feel guilty 00:05:32.750 --> 00:05:34.750 about having fun. It was like, wow, this must 00:05:34.750 --> 00:05:37.810 be a part of God's plan. Finally, with my wife, 00:05:37.949 --> 00:05:40.730 I realized I was insensitive and so I wrote on 00:05:40.730 --> 00:05:43.490 this card, my desire is to love Teresa sacrificially 00:05:43.490 --> 00:05:45.470 and in a way that makes sense to her each and 00:05:45.470 --> 00:05:48.189 every day. And so I just kept reading that over 00:05:48.189 --> 00:05:50.389 and a weird thing happened. I started seeing 00:05:50.389 --> 00:05:52.949 little times on this day and on Sunday night 00:05:52.949 --> 00:05:55.470 and on this day where I could be more sacrificial. 00:05:55.569 --> 00:05:57.689 Now, believe me, from glory to glory and with 00:05:57.689 --> 00:06:00.629 plenty of relapses. But are you seeing how it 00:06:00.629 --> 00:06:03.589 works? You seeing how you refocus, your mind 00:06:03.589 --> 00:06:06.220 gets renewed? Second thing is I want to tell 00:06:06.220 --> 00:06:08.860 you it's a battle. Renewing your mind always 00:06:08.860 --> 00:06:13.439 involves a battle. The spiritual life, the battle 00:06:13.439 --> 00:06:15.839 for your soul primarily is happening between 00:06:15.839 --> 00:06:19.259 your ears. The Apostle Paul would say in 2 Corinthians 00:06:19.259 --> 00:06:21.920 10, 4 and 5, the weapons of our warfare, listen 00:06:21.920 --> 00:06:24.160 to that language. He's in a battle for his soul. 00:06:24.360 --> 00:06:28.019 The weapons of our warfare are divinely powerful 00:06:28.019 --> 00:06:30.899 for the pulling down of strongholds and every 00:06:30.899 --> 00:06:32.860 lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of 00:06:32.860 --> 00:06:38.920 God. People pleasing, workaholism, having, possessing, 00:06:38.920 --> 00:06:41.600 working like crazy, accumulating, impressing, 00:06:41.600 --> 00:06:46.459 image management, addictions, the weapons of 00:06:46.459 --> 00:06:49.480 our warfare. He's talking about the power of 00:06:49.480 --> 00:06:52.759 the word of God, community, fasting, prayer. 00:06:53.620 --> 00:06:57.360 I mean, the world's powerful. There's a battle 00:06:57.360 --> 00:07:01.420 and it's for your soul. There's a reason why 00:07:01.420 --> 00:07:05.060 the second most Optimal time for couples or divorces 00:07:05.060 --> 00:07:08.060 is about between 20 and 25 years. Because she 00:07:08.060 --> 00:07:10.779 buys the lie that it's me and the kids and all 00:07:10.779 --> 00:07:12.540 that I do for them. And he buys the lie that 00:07:12.540 --> 00:07:14.160 someday, someway, if I can work, work, work, 00:07:14.240 --> 00:07:16.360 do, do, do, do. And then they wake up 20, 25 00:07:16.360 --> 00:07:18.639 years, they don't know each other. They've not 00:07:18.639 --> 00:07:21.420 shared anything. And they both bought a lie. 00:07:23.439 --> 00:07:25.000 And they used to teach a Sunday school class. 00:07:25.259 --> 00:07:26.860 And they've been married 30 years. And their 00:07:26.860 --> 00:07:28.579 kids now are young adults who grew up in that 00:07:28.579 --> 00:07:30.279 home. And mom and dad divorced. And they're going, 00:07:30.360 --> 00:07:34.360 what in the world? I guess this Jesus stuff isn't 00:07:34.360 --> 00:07:38.740 true. That's reality, people. That's for some 00:07:38.740 --> 00:07:41.879 of you, that's your experience. The third thing 00:07:41.879 --> 00:07:43.480 you need to remember is that renewing your mind 00:07:43.480 --> 00:07:47.120 is supernatural. It's a work of the Spirit. You 00:07:47.120 --> 00:07:49.379 know, reviewing cards, reading the Bible, doing 00:07:49.379 --> 00:07:52.040 this, doing that. I got news for you. The spirit 00:07:52.040 --> 00:07:54.879 of God has to take the word of God and do something 00:07:54.879 --> 00:07:57.680 in you. All of these things are about a heart 00:07:57.680 --> 00:08:00.180 -love relationship with him. Romans 8 says the 00:08:00.180 --> 00:08:04.120 mind set on the flesh is death. The mind set 00:08:04.120 --> 00:08:08.959 on the spirit is life and peace. And so in summary, 00:08:09.060 --> 00:08:12.439 let me just tell you, for me, for you, for every 00:08:12.439 --> 00:08:17.139 believer, you are what you eat, period. You are 00:08:17.139 --> 00:08:19.480 what you eat physically and you are what you 00:08:19.480 --> 00:08:22.600 eat spiritually and intellectually. You tell 00:08:22.600 --> 00:08:24.899 me how much time on your phone, how much time 00:08:24.899 --> 00:08:27.060 in video games, how many movies you watch and 00:08:27.060 --> 00:08:29.120 the messages in those movies, time, what are 00:08:29.120 --> 00:08:32.039 you putting into your mind over against, how 00:08:32.039 --> 00:08:34.919 much truth, how much of God's word, how much 00:08:34.919 --> 00:08:37.419 renewing relationships and you know what? Plug, 00:08:37.500 --> 00:08:39.720 plug, plug, plug. It's pretty easy. I can tell 00:08:39.720 --> 00:08:44.259 you your lifestyle because you are what you eat. 00:08:44.649 --> 00:08:48.470 So my question is, what's your diet? Are you 00:08:48.470 --> 00:08:52.929 getting God's best? Now, let me walk through 00:08:52.929 --> 00:08:55.389 now and give you some very practical, specific 00:08:55.389 --> 00:08:58.210 ways to renew your mind. Because it's one thing, 00:08:58.289 --> 00:09:01.610 those are the principles. That's the truth. Here's 00:09:01.610 --> 00:09:04.070 some practical methods for renewing your mind. 00:09:04.110 --> 00:09:07.110 To say no to the world, say yes to God. First, 00:09:07.309 --> 00:09:10.909 hearing God's word. Romans 10, 17 says, faith 00:09:10.909 --> 00:09:12.929 comes by hearing, hearing by the word of God. 00:09:14.480 --> 00:09:17.639 You have to, on a regular basis, you must hear 00:09:17.639 --> 00:09:21.159 God's word. It bursts faith. One way to do that 00:09:21.159 --> 00:09:23.480 is, this is a novel idea for some of you, come 00:09:23.480 --> 00:09:27.759 to church regularly. I mean, I'm not down on 00:09:27.759 --> 00:09:29.580 you. I just, first three years I was a Christian, 00:09:29.620 --> 00:09:31.360 if I made it twice a month, I'm high -fiving 00:09:31.360 --> 00:09:33.340 myself. Way to go, Chip. I never did that before. 00:09:34.659 --> 00:09:38.080 Second is, use your time in the car wisely. Hear 00:09:38.080 --> 00:09:40.460 God's word. My seminary training hasn't stopped. 00:09:41.299 --> 00:09:44.580 Second, read God's word. Revelation 1 .3 says, 00:09:44.679 --> 00:09:47.299 blessed is he who reads and those who hear the 00:09:47.299 --> 00:09:49.740 words of the prophecy and heed the things which 00:09:49.740 --> 00:09:53.019 are written in it for the time is near. And in 00:09:53.019 --> 00:09:54.779 your notes, if you don't know much about the 00:09:54.779 --> 00:09:57.340 Bible and need some structure and a plan, first 00:09:57.340 --> 00:09:59.360 15 years, at least I was a Christian, I read 00:09:59.360 --> 00:10:02.440 the Daily Walk Bible. And I just tell you, it 00:10:02.440 --> 00:10:04.259 was just like, okay, here's the structure, here's 00:10:04.259 --> 00:10:06.759 what it means, here's an overview, but you dig 00:10:06.759 --> 00:10:09.019 in for yourself. Or go on the internet, there's 00:10:09.019 --> 00:10:12.490 enough reading plans. Just log on on the App 00:10:12.490 --> 00:10:16.230 Store Bible, believe me. 2 Timothy 2 .15 says, 00:10:16.330 --> 00:10:18.330 be diligent to present yourself approved to God 00:10:18.330 --> 00:10:21.690 as a workman that need not be ashamed, handling 00:10:21.690 --> 00:10:25.110 accurately the word of truth. And you'll notice, 00:10:25.190 --> 00:10:27.929 I had this a little bit later, but this is a 00:10:27.929 --> 00:10:31.490 little tool to help you study. And take this 00:10:31.490 --> 00:10:36.070 really well. God wants the best for you. Some 00:10:36.070 --> 00:10:38.750 of us have been so trained, we eat all processed 00:10:38.750 --> 00:10:41.899 food. Can you imagine if you ate just only processed 00:10:41.899 --> 00:10:44.159 food instead of the kind of organic, real good 00:10:44.159 --> 00:10:46.779 stuff? Or the picture that comes to my mind is 00:10:46.779 --> 00:10:47.820 some of that, you know some of that processed 00:10:47.820 --> 00:10:50.799 cheese? And you take it out of that plastic and 00:10:50.799 --> 00:10:52.240 you think, hmm, I don't know where this has been. 00:10:53.879 --> 00:10:59.120 Well, it's a good start, right? But processed 00:10:59.120 --> 00:11:01.600 spiritual food is like, there's a little book, 00:11:01.700 --> 00:11:03.580 and it's a good little book, and it has two or 00:11:03.580 --> 00:11:05.740 three verses, and then someone who studied a 00:11:05.740 --> 00:11:08.519 lot. tells you a little inspiring story and tells 00:11:08.519 --> 00:11:09.860 you a little something about those two or three 00:11:09.860 --> 00:11:11.960 little verses and says, and now here's what you 00:11:11.960 --> 00:11:14.600 might do. And you read for like, it takes almost 00:11:14.600 --> 00:11:16.759 three minutes to read these little things. And 00:11:16.759 --> 00:11:18.340 then you go, oh, Jesus, Jesus, help me, help 00:11:18.340 --> 00:11:20.200 me really follow you. I have really renewed my 00:11:20.200 --> 00:11:23.059 mind. Now I spent, you know, 40 minutes in the 00:11:23.059 --> 00:11:28.200 Wall Street Journal. But now I've spent my four 00:11:28.200 --> 00:11:29.899 or five minutes. What I know is what someone 00:11:29.899 --> 00:11:32.960 else thinks of that passage. The little card 00:11:32.960 --> 00:11:35.440 is how you can study God's word on your own. 00:11:36.080 --> 00:11:37.899 I learned this from a missionary about 30 years 00:11:37.899 --> 00:11:39.820 ago. I think it was Brazil. It's called the two 00:11:39.820 --> 00:11:43.799 pro app method. And that's just an acronym. And 00:11:43.799 --> 00:11:45.419 I'm not going to go through it all other than 00:11:45.419 --> 00:11:48.679 just to say, if you would choose a New Testament 00:11:48.679 --> 00:11:51.240 book, the book of John, the book of Mark, one 00:11:51.240 --> 00:11:53.720 of the small ones, and just read a paragraph 00:11:53.720 --> 00:11:57.659 or maybe two. And the P, pray, God, please help 00:11:57.659 --> 00:12:00.279 me. The second P, preview it. Read it quickly 00:12:00.279 --> 00:12:02.120 just to get a feel. It's all written on here. 00:12:02.320 --> 00:12:07.269 And then the R is read it slowly. Then the O 00:12:07.269 --> 00:12:09.470 is read it one more time and underline maybe 00:12:09.470 --> 00:12:11.429 words that are alike or thoughts that you have. 00:12:11.669 --> 00:12:14.590 The A then is that what application from this 00:12:14.590 --> 00:12:17.490 paragraph is God showing me? Then realizing since 00:12:17.490 --> 00:12:19.330 I don't have the power to do it, you pray again. 00:12:19.470 --> 00:12:21.970 God, will you help me to, it says be generous 00:12:21.970 --> 00:12:24.029 in this passage, so will you help me be generous 00:12:24.029 --> 00:12:26.289 in some way specifically today? And then the 00:12:26.289 --> 00:12:29.600 T is tell someone. It's just a very simple way 00:12:29.600 --> 00:12:32.700 to study. Here's what I can tell you. Processed 00:12:32.700 --> 00:12:34.740 food is helpful. And if you're just beginning, 00:12:34.960 --> 00:12:39.059 that's fine. When you are tempted sexually, when 00:12:39.059 --> 00:12:41.200 you want to break out of habit patterns, when 00:12:41.200 --> 00:12:43.039 there's addictions, when there's a crisis in 00:12:43.039 --> 00:12:44.679 your marriage, when you got a kid who's going 00:12:44.679 --> 00:12:46.320 through a terrible time and you're trying to 00:12:46.320 --> 00:12:49.980 cling on to God, you have to have him speak directly 00:12:49.980 --> 00:12:52.799 from his word to you because that's where convictions 00:12:52.799 --> 00:12:55.590 come from. It's great that those people who wrote 00:12:55.590 --> 00:12:57.669 those little devotionals, that's what they believe. 00:12:57.809 --> 00:13:00.029 What do you believe? And what do you believe 00:13:00.029 --> 00:13:04.590 under pressure? It's birthed in study. You're 00:13:04.590 --> 00:13:07.110 listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. 00:13:07.169 --> 00:13:09.629 We're halfway through today's message, so don't 00:13:09.629 --> 00:13:12.490 go anywhere just yet. Today's insightful lesson 00:13:12.490 --> 00:13:15.070 comes from our series called God's Dream for 00:13:15.070 --> 00:13:17.889 Your Life. Want to dig deeper into these truths? 00:13:18.190 --> 00:13:20.629 Well, the full series is ready for you online 00:13:20.629 --> 00:13:24.870 at Living on the Edge. You'll discover extra 00:13:24.870 --> 00:13:27.730 teaching content, downloadable materials, and 00:13:27.730 --> 00:13:30.529 discussion guides to take you further. Find it 00:13:30.529 --> 00:13:34.090 all at livingontheedge .org. Well, now let's 00:13:34.090 --> 00:13:36.950 rejoin Chip with today's message. The next is 00:13:36.950 --> 00:13:41.250 memorization. Notice it says Psalm 119, 9 -11. 00:13:41.409 --> 00:13:44.470 How can a young man, a young woman, keep your 00:13:44.470 --> 00:13:48.190 way pure? By guarding it or keeping it according 00:13:48.190 --> 00:13:50.350 to your word. Your word I've treasured or hid 00:13:50.350 --> 00:13:53.289 in my heart. that I might not sin against thee. 00:13:54.210 --> 00:13:56.210 I don't know if there's any greater return in 00:13:56.210 --> 00:13:58.909 the Christian life than memorizing scripture 00:13:58.909 --> 00:14:01.710 or one that's probably more neglected. I can 00:14:01.710 --> 00:14:05.870 tell you a brief little story. I was in a school, 00:14:05.889 --> 00:14:07.190 and I think I've shared it, where there was like 00:14:07.190 --> 00:14:10.509 four girls to every guy. And I started to grow. 00:14:10.649 --> 00:14:12.450 So now I've been a Christian like three years. 00:14:12.610 --> 00:14:14.850 And so I'm reading the Bible like three or four 00:14:14.850 --> 00:14:16.429 mornings a week. I'm starting to go to church, 00:14:16.529 --> 00:14:19.580 which is really radical for me. And I'm making 00:14:19.580 --> 00:14:22.139 progress in a number of areas, but not in one 00:14:22.139 --> 00:14:24.559 in particular. My roommate is going to go to 00:14:24.559 --> 00:14:27.960 this Christian summer something where, you know, 00:14:27.960 --> 00:14:30.759 it's a parachurch organization that they go there 00:14:30.759 --> 00:14:32.620 for training and they get a job and share Christ 00:14:32.620 --> 00:14:35.320 and learn all good stuff. And I didn't want any 00:14:35.320 --> 00:14:38.179 part of that. But before he could go, he had 00:14:38.179 --> 00:14:41.279 to memorize these 60 verses. It was called the 00:14:41.279 --> 00:14:43.379 topical memory system put out by a group called 00:14:43.379 --> 00:14:46.179 the Navigators. And I'm just, I've always been 00:14:46.179 --> 00:14:48.559 very competitive. along with being insecure. 00:14:49.299 --> 00:14:52.039 And so he left the room one day, and I just thought, 00:14:52.120 --> 00:14:53.980 because he was going to memorize one or two verses 00:14:53.980 --> 00:14:57.120 a week, and he had it planned out 30 weeks, and 00:14:57.120 --> 00:14:59.919 I just thought, you chump. So my goal, secretly, 00:15:00.100 --> 00:15:02.500 he leaves. I literally copied all the verses 00:15:02.500 --> 00:15:04.919 down on these little cards. In fact, I still, 00:15:05.080 --> 00:15:09.279 these little cards, I still have them. and I 00:15:09.279 --> 00:15:12.320 got these 60 verses down, and then I had an amazing 00:15:12.320 --> 00:15:14.659 gift. I had a psychology professor that was about 00:15:14.659 --> 00:15:17.919 99 years old who'd been tenured for like 40 years 00:15:17.919 --> 00:15:21.600 because he couldn't get a job anywhere. And so 00:15:21.600 --> 00:15:23.940 he would drone on and on, so I would put my psychology 00:15:23.940 --> 00:15:27.039 book up an hour every day. I memorized one verse 00:15:27.039 --> 00:15:29.620 the first day, so I decided 60 days I'm going 00:15:29.620 --> 00:15:31.440 to be done, and I'm going to have them perfect 00:15:31.440 --> 00:15:32.940 because here was the goal. I was going to say, 00:15:32.960 --> 00:15:34.960 okay, hey, Bob, how's it going with that thing 00:15:34.960 --> 00:15:37.009 that your training program is going to do? Why 00:15:37.009 --> 00:15:38.909 don't you go ahead and start and list the verses, 00:15:38.970 --> 00:15:40.669 and I'm just going to go bam, bam, bam, bam, 00:15:40.669 --> 00:15:45.850 bam, 60 in a row, you know. Is that sick or what? 00:15:46.090 --> 00:15:49.009 I mean, you know, memorizing God's word to impress 00:15:49.009 --> 00:15:50.690 someone out of your ego and your pride. Well, 00:15:50.850 --> 00:15:55.169 okay. To show that God can use anybody, even 00:15:55.169 --> 00:15:58.990 in our nuttiness. It's day 21, and I mean, I'm 00:15:58.990 --> 00:16:01.190 like getting into this. I can still remember 00:16:01.190 --> 00:16:03.509 hearing my cleats when I was running the baseball 00:16:03.509 --> 00:16:05.850 practice like this, you know, putting it in the 00:16:05.850 --> 00:16:09.389 back. Day 21, I walk around the corner, and there's 00:16:09.389 --> 00:16:11.289 a very beautiful young co -ed involved in the 00:16:11.289 --> 00:16:13.590 ministry. And what men will tell you, if they're 00:16:13.590 --> 00:16:16.389 honest, is that we struggled deeply with lusts, 00:16:16.389 --> 00:16:18.990 and I was struggling very deeply. The external 00:16:18.990 --> 00:16:20.909 things were changing, but my eyes were going 00:16:20.909 --> 00:16:22.769 everywhere, and my mind was going all kind of 00:16:22.769 --> 00:16:26.600 places. And when you lust for lust, A girl that's 00:16:26.600 --> 00:16:28.980 not a Christian, you feel guilty. When you lust 00:16:28.980 --> 00:16:31.059 for a very godly girl, you feel really guilty. 00:16:31.779 --> 00:16:35.740 And so, oh no, this is her. And so, turn around 00:16:35.740 --> 00:16:37.799 the corner. We started to talk and we had a little 00:16:37.799 --> 00:16:40.139 conversation. We got done and I remember walking 00:16:40.139 --> 00:16:43.860 away. I got about four steps. I didn't lust. 00:16:44.500 --> 00:16:48.019 I didn't know the correlation. I had no idea. 00:16:48.100 --> 00:16:49.980 I didn't know about mind renewal. I didn't know 00:16:49.980 --> 00:16:51.940 how to change. All I knew was following Jesus 00:16:51.940 --> 00:16:53.700 is really hard and a lot of it's not working 00:16:53.700 --> 00:16:56.230 very well for me. Some things undeniably are 00:16:56.230 --> 00:16:58.549 radically changing. But some other things, I 00:16:58.549 --> 00:17:01.929 just feel I was stuck forever. Day 21, I'd memorized 00:17:01.929 --> 00:17:05.190 21 verses, word perfect. And what I didn't understand 00:17:05.190 --> 00:17:08.509 was the supernatural work. God had taken the 00:17:08.509 --> 00:17:10.109 written word and made it the living word and 00:17:10.109 --> 00:17:12.890 changed my want -tos and my attitudes. And I, 00:17:12.910 --> 00:17:15.549 with my eyes, looked at a sister in Christ in 00:17:15.549 --> 00:17:18.529 the eye. And a new relationship with women completely 00:17:18.529 --> 00:17:21.759 changed my life. When I got to 60 verses, I was 00:17:21.759 --> 00:17:23.960 like a drug. I couldn't stop. Then I started 00:17:23.960 --> 00:17:26.640 memorizing chapters. And then I put my own topics 00:17:26.640 --> 00:17:29.460 together. And for the next five years, probably 00:17:29.460 --> 00:17:32.859 more than anything else, I memorized God's word. 00:17:33.420 --> 00:17:35.799 And I will tell you, all I can tell you is how 00:17:35.799 --> 00:17:38.599 I looked at the world was completely different. 00:17:39.700 --> 00:17:42.430 Completely different. And there was a level of 00:17:42.430 --> 00:17:44.589 peace and joy. I remember I'd have a question. 00:17:44.630 --> 00:17:46.410 I'd be praying. And as I was praying, God would 00:17:46.410 --> 00:17:48.490 bring a verse. Oh, that's the answer. I'd be 00:17:48.490 --> 00:17:50.450 in a conversation and I wouldn't know what to 00:17:50.450 --> 00:17:51.990 say or what's going on. And God would bring a 00:17:51.990 --> 00:17:55.470 verse. And all of a sudden I realized we have 00:17:55.470 --> 00:17:58.549 the mind of Christ. The Bible says it. We have 00:17:58.549 --> 00:18:01.230 the mind of Christ. But most of us don't know 00:18:01.230 --> 00:18:05.829 what his mind is. But it's in his word. The final 00:18:05.829 --> 00:18:09.019 thing he says is that you meditate. See, this 00:18:09.019 --> 00:18:10.599 isn't like you do all these little things and 00:18:10.599 --> 00:18:12.420 become a little religious robot that drives other 00:18:12.420 --> 00:18:15.099 people crazy. I mean, there's some people like 00:18:15.099 --> 00:18:18.819 that. This isn't about how many verses or how... 00:18:18.819 --> 00:18:21.640 And the word meditate here, it's the idea of 00:18:21.640 --> 00:18:25.279 ruminating. It's a picture a cow has four stomachs. 00:18:25.279 --> 00:18:27.319 It's a cow chews on some truth, swallows it, 00:18:27.400 --> 00:18:30.140 regurgitates it. Swallows it, regurgitates it. 00:18:30.599 --> 00:18:33.019 This is reading and God speaks you through a 00:18:33.019 --> 00:18:35.220 verse and you write it on a card and you stick 00:18:35.220 --> 00:18:36.700 it in your pocket and then as you're driving 00:18:36.700 --> 00:18:38.220 to work, you try and see if you can remember 00:18:38.220 --> 00:18:41.859 it or so you're at a light and you're at a doctor's 00:18:41.859 --> 00:18:44.380 office and you just bring it up and something 00:18:44.380 --> 00:18:47.240 happens. This book of the law shall not depart 00:18:47.240 --> 00:18:49.140 out of your mouth, but you should meditate on 00:18:49.140 --> 00:18:52.019 it day and night in order that what? So you can 00:18:52.019 --> 00:18:56.160 obey it. For then you'll have, you'll be prosperous 00:18:56.160 --> 00:18:59.460 and have good success. And so on the back, I 00:18:59.460 --> 00:19:01.440 put a few tools that I think would be very helpful 00:19:01.440 --> 00:19:05.539 to you. Can I just close with this? Why, why, 00:19:05.819 --> 00:19:09.640 why, why do this? I mean, if you're listening, 00:19:09.759 --> 00:19:11.960 you're thinking to yourself, you mean I'm gonna 00:19:11.960 --> 00:19:13.980 limit my games and limit my movies and limit 00:19:13.980 --> 00:19:15.539 this and limit that and limit that and limit 00:19:15.539 --> 00:19:17.299 that and say no to some stuff that's just a part 00:19:17.299 --> 00:19:19.500 of my life and start saying yes to God's word 00:19:19.500 --> 00:19:20.960 and do some things probably some of you have 00:19:20.960 --> 00:19:25.480 never, ever done. Why would I do that? So that 00:19:25.480 --> 00:19:27.990 you could get the best from God. So that you 00:19:27.990 --> 00:19:31.170 could experience and taste what he wants normally 00:19:31.170 --> 00:19:37.589 for every person. His good. His good means winsome, 00:19:37.589 --> 00:19:41.509 beautiful, attractive, richly satisfying, well. 00:19:41.789 --> 00:19:44.529 Well -pleasing. Well -pleasing to him and well 00:19:44.529 --> 00:19:49.579 -pleasing to you. Perfect. There's a will that's 00:19:49.579 --> 00:19:53.259 according to a specific design just for you that 00:19:53.259 --> 00:19:56.720 when you fulfill it, you explode with joy, live 00:19:56.720 --> 00:20:02.180 with peace. How does that happen? No, I won't 00:20:02.180 --> 00:20:05.599 be conformed to this world. Yes, I'll be transformed 00:20:05.599 --> 00:20:09.720 by the renewing of my mind. So that. Would you 00:20:09.720 --> 00:20:13.220 like that? As I close, here's two questions because 00:20:13.220 --> 00:20:14.920 you could feel overwhelmed. I don't want that. 00:20:16.240 --> 00:20:20.750 What? one thing do you sense God is saying you 00:20:20.750 --> 00:20:24.329 need to say no to? What's going into your mind 00:20:24.329 --> 00:20:26.730 or what relationship or what's one thing that 00:20:26.730 --> 00:20:29.750 woos your heart away from God? And just say, 00:20:29.849 --> 00:20:35.109 first step, no. And what one thing of all the 00:20:35.109 --> 00:20:38.750 hearing, reading, studying, memorizing, meditating, 00:20:39.089 --> 00:20:42.970 because we're all in different places, what one 00:20:42.970 --> 00:20:45.849 thing do you sense God would want you to take 00:20:45.849 --> 00:20:49.299 a baby step? and begin to renew your mind. Lord, 00:20:49.380 --> 00:20:54.559 I pray that you'd show every single person right 00:20:54.559 --> 00:20:59.759 now what they need to say no to that is drawing 00:20:59.759 --> 00:21:03.319 their heart away from your deep, abiding, amazing 00:21:03.319 --> 00:21:07.319 love. And Lord, what you want them to say yes 00:21:07.319 --> 00:21:11.559 to in order to enjoy and experience your grace, 00:21:11.599 --> 00:21:15.500 your goodness. Will you please do that, Lord? 00:21:16.000 --> 00:21:17.960 And then will you birth faith in people right 00:21:17.960 --> 00:21:20.700 now? Would you even give them the idea of what 00:21:20.700 --> 00:21:23.559 one person could they share this with and ask 00:21:23.559 --> 00:21:25.460 them in a couple days, will you give me a call, 00:21:25.539 --> 00:21:28.140 will you text me, and I'll tell you how I'm doing? 00:21:29.400 --> 00:21:33.299 Oh, God, what would happen if hundreds and then 00:21:33.299 --> 00:21:36.740 thousands of people started to experience your 00:21:36.740 --> 00:21:40.599 good, well -pleasing, and perfect will? That's 00:21:40.599 --> 00:21:48.670 our prayer in Jesus' name. Amen. This is Living 00:21:48.670 --> 00:21:51.990 on the Edge with Chip Ingram. If you want to 00:21:51.990 --> 00:21:54.329 revisit or share this lesson with someone you 00:21:54.329 --> 00:21:57.450 care about, find it online at livingontheedge 00:21:57.450 --> 00:22:01.190 .org. And don't miss Chip's weekday broadcasts 00:22:01.190 --> 00:22:03.630 every Monday through Friday. You can also find 00:22:03.630 --> 00:22:05.750 them by subscribing to the Living on the Edge 00:22:05.750 --> 00:22:08.829 podcast on your favorite podcast app and hear 00:22:08.829 --> 00:22:12.079 Chip daily wherever you are. Friend, Living on 00:22:12.079 --> 00:22:15.000 the Edge exists as a nonprofit ministry, which 00:22:15.000 --> 00:22:17.579 means your partnership fuels everything we do. 00:22:17.839 --> 00:22:20.380 Whether you've partnered with us for years or 00:22:20.380 --> 00:22:22.819 today marks your first gift, we're inviting you 00:22:22.819 --> 00:22:25.299 to join this mission. Monthly giving provides 00:22:25.299 --> 00:22:28.019 the stability we need for strategic planning. 00:22:28.559 --> 00:22:30.660 One -time gifts meet immediate opportunities 00:22:30.660 --> 00:22:34.440 and urgent needs. Every amount matters because 00:22:34.440 --> 00:22:37.519 every gift extends our reach into homes, cars, 00:22:37.619 --> 00:22:40.299 and hearts where real transformation happens. 00:22:40.779 --> 00:22:43.539 Will you join us today? We've made it easy to 00:22:43.539 --> 00:22:46.019 sign up as a monthly partner or give a single 00:22:46.019 --> 00:22:49.880 gift online. Just go to livingontheedge .org 00:22:49.880 --> 00:22:52.779 or write to us through the mail at Living on 00:22:52.779 --> 00:22:58.059 the Edge, P .O. Box 3007, Atlanta, Georgia 30024. 00:22:58.700 --> 00:23:01.059 You can also call us and give over the phone. 00:23:01.140 --> 00:23:06.619 Just dial 888 -333 -6003. And by the way, full 00:23:06.619 --> 00:23:09.180 sermons are now available on the Living on the 00:23:09.180 --> 00:23:12.279 Edge podcast with a feature called the Chip Ingram 00:23:12.279 --> 00:23:15.579 Sermon Podcast. Find these episodes right alongside 00:23:15.579 --> 00:23:19.180 our regular broadcasts on your podcast app. Well, 00:23:19.200 --> 00:23:21.559 now here's Chip with some final thoughts. As 00:23:21.559 --> 00:23:24.319 we wrap up today's program, I have three questions 00:23:24.319 --> 00:23:26.640 for you. And I think you know what they are because 00:23:26.640 --> 00:23:28.420 we've sort of addressed them already. But I want 00:23:28.420 --> 00:23:30.759 to get out of you kind of in the back of your 00:23:30.759 --> 00:23:32.619 mind thinking I was talking to someone else because 00:23:32.619 --> 00:23:35.359 I'm actually talking to you. In fact, it's not 00:23:35.359 --> 00:23:38.279 even me. It's God. And here's question number 00:23:38.279 --> 00:23:41.299 one. What do you need to say no to? What person? 00:23:41.299 --> 00:23:44.119 What relationship? What activity? What are you 00:23:44.119 --> 00:23:47.079 viewing that you just need to say today? No. 00:23:47.470 --> 00:23:51.170 I can't go there anymore. Second, what do you 00:23:51.170 --> 00:23:54.190 need to say yes to? What needs to get into your 00:23:54.190 --> 00:23:57.230 mind, your heart, your life that you're not getting 00:23:57.230 --> 00:23:59.930 right now? And maybe it's not time in God's word, 00:24:00.009 --> 00:24:02.289 or it's sort of a quick thing, or maybe it's 00:24:02.289 --> 00:24:05.529 not time in a local church, or maybe it's not 00:24:05.529 --> 00:24:09.339 time. actually memorizing a couple specific passages 00:24:09.339 --> 00:24:11.880 that address the biggest struggle in your life. 00:24:12.220 --> 00:24:14.380 Because it's when the Word of God gets in your 00:24:14.380 --> 00:24:16.880 heart and life that the Spirit of God ignites 00:24:16.880 --> 00:24:19.240 it with power to give you victory over some of 00:24:19.240 --> 00:24:22.400 those things. So what do you need to say no to? 00:24:22.539 --> 00:24:25.420 What do you need to say yes to? And here's the 00:24:25.420 --> 00:24:28.940 third question. Who today are you going to text 00:24:28.940 --> 00:24:33.160 or call or Facebook or email to say, will you 00:24:33.160 --> 00:24:36.210 help me? I'm saying no to this and yes to something 00:24:36.210 --> 00:24:39.990 else, but I can't do it alone. You ready? You 00:24:39.990 --> 00:24:43.170 answer those and God will show up. I'm Dave Drewy. 00:24:43.190 --> 00:24:45.210 We'll be back next time with more biblically 00:24:45.210 --> 00:24:47.269 grounded teaching that equips you to live out 00:24:47.269 --> 00:24:49.670 your faith authentically. That's on the next 00:24:49.670 --> 00:24:55.569 weekend edition of Living on the Edge. Today's 00:24:55.569 --> 00:24:58.130 program is produced and sponsored by Living on 00:24:58.130 --> 00:24:58.650 the Edge.