WEBVTT 00:00:11.389 --> 00:00:14.650 Today, from guest teacher Kyle Eidelman. We take 00:00:14.650 --> 00:00:16.929 captive every thought and we make it obedient 00:00:16.929 --> 00:00:18.750 to Christ. And so we're in this series called 00:00:18.750 --> 00:00:20.829 Every Thought Captive. And what we're learning 00:00:20.829 --> 00:00:23.289 together is that we start to interrogate our 00:00:23.289 --> 00:00:25.609 thoughts so that we can take them captive. Because 00:00:25.609 --> 00:00:29.350 otherwise, our thoughts form these neural pathways 00:00:29.350 --> 00:00:31.609 that become strongholds. And that's the word 00:00:31.609 --> 00:00:34.170 Paul uses here as a word picture, a stronghold. 00:00:36.009 --> 00:00:38.070 There's a thought you've been thinking for so 00:00:38.070 --> 00:00:41.399 long, it feels like the truth. But what if it's 00:00:41.399 --> 00:00:44.119 a lie? A lie that's been shaping your decisions, 00:00:44.280 --> 00:00:47.159 your relationships, your whole life? Well, it's 00:00:47.159 --> 00:00:49.780 called a stronghold, and it's time for it to 00:00:49.780 --> 00:00:52.539 fall. On this weekend edition of Living on the 00:00:52.539 --> 00:00:54.880 Edge, Chip Ingram invites you to hear Pastor 00:00:54.880 --> 00:00:57.799 Kyle Eidelman for a special lesson about breaking 00:00:57.799 --> 00:01:01.060 strongholds. Chip, give us some context for where 00:01:01.060 --> 00:01:04.659 we're heading today. Let's face it. Every single 00:01:04.659 --> 00:01:07.459 person struggles with managing our thought life. 00:01:07.719 --> 00:01:10.109 We all deal with discouragement. temptation, 00:01:10.609 --> 00:01:13.969 anger, resentment, thoughts that can overwhelm 00:01:13.969 --> 00:01:17.829 us. Here's the good news. God's Spirit was provided 00:01:17.829 --> 00:01:21.170 to help relieve us from these unwanted pressures. 00:01:21.530 --> 00:01:25.069 But we play a role. It's not just God's Spirit. 00:01:25.329 --> 00:01:29.269 We have to cooperate with Him. We have to renew 00:01:29.269 --> 00:01:32.569 our mind. And what I love about this series that 00:01:32.569 --> 00:01:35.549 my friend Kyle Eidelman is teaching, he's helping 00:01:35.549 --> 00:01:39.950 us in very specific, practical ways. Take every 00:01:39.950 --> 00:01:42.750 thought captive. That's the beginning of life 00:01:42.750 --> 00:01:44.709 change. And you're going to love what he has 00:01:44.709 --> 00:01:47.329 to share. Thank you, Chip. Today's message from 00:01:47.329 --> 00:01:50.450 Kyle Eidelman is titled, Strongholds Must Fall. 00:01:50.810 --> 00:01:52.590 What I'd love to do is just challenge you to 00:01:52.590 --> 00:01:54.349 identify one or two strongholds in your life. 00:01:54.390 --> 00:01:56.810 Some lies that you've believed. Maybe you don't 00:01:56.810 --> 00:02:00.430 recognize it as such. But just some things that 00:02:00.430 --> 00:02:02.989 have been determining the direction of your life. 00:02:03.069 --> 00:02:06.370 Some thoughts that you think subconsciously that 00:02:06.370 --> 00:02:08.909 you're going to really pay attention to. I just 00:02:08.909 --> 00:02:11.110 wanna talk about where these strongholds come 00:02:11.110 --> 00:02:13.729 from as a way to help us identify them in our 00:02:13.729 --> 00:02:17.030 own lives. First, they come from early and frequent 00:02:17.030 --> 00:02:20.810 thinking, early and often thinking. When you 00:02:20.810 --> 00:02:24.310 are young, your brain, my brain, is when it's 00:02:24.310 --> 00:02:27.710 the most plastic, it's the most moldable. And 00:02:27.710 --> 00:02:29.430 there's some strongholds that were passed down 00:02:29.430 --> 00:02:33.569 to us that we never wanted and we didn't intentionally 00:02:33.569 --> 00:02:39.169 choose. Second is cognitive reinforcement. This 00:02:39.169 --> 00:02:41.250 is how some strongholds in your life have been 00:02:41.250 --> 00:02:43.909 formed. It's your instinct and my instinct to 00:02:43.909 --> 00:02:46.629 surround ourselves with voices and opinions that 00:02:46.629 --> 00:02:49.689 reinforce thoughts that we've had for a while. 00:02:50.550 --> 00:02:53.189 Thirdly is emotional association. Our thoughts 00:02:53.189 --> 00:02:56.469 are strongly connected to emotions when it comes 00:02:56.469 --> 00:02:59.969 to forming lasting patterns. This is why thoughts 00:02:59.969 --> 00:03:03.530 that you have during a time of trauma or rejection 00:03:03.530 --> 00:03:06.650 or intense loss or intense grief will create 00:03:07.159 --> 00:03:09.300 Without you even knowing it will create a stronghold. 00:03:10.219 --> 00:03:13.180 Fourth is generational patterns. Some strongholds 00:03:13.180 --> 00:03:16.199 are passed down through families, not genetically, 00:03:16.319 --> 00:03:19.580 but through repeated patterns of thinking, of 00:03:19.580 --> 00:03:23.479 speaking, of believing. And it just gets transmitted 00:03:23.479 --> 00:03:26.960 from child to parent, from child to parent. Ezekiel 00:03:26.960 --> 00:03:30.159 18 though says that these generational patterns, 00:03:30.719 --> 00:03:34.240 these generational strongholds can be broken. 00:03:35.310 --> 00:03:37.050 And it's one of my favorite things about being 00:03:37.050 --> 00:03:42.229 a pastor in this church. Is almost every week 00:03:42.229 --> 00:03:48.030 I witness it. Of someone saying, by God's grace 00:03:48.030 --> 00:03:49.810 and with the help of the Holy Spirit, it stops 00:03:49.810 --> 00:03:58.509 with me. It stops with me. A person recognizes 00:03:58.509 --> 00:04:02.370 the way their family has operated under a stronghold 00:04:02.370 --> 00:04:05.340 of fear. under a stronghold of addiction, under 00:04:05.340 --> 00:04:07.819 a stronghold of control or of anger or rejection. 00:04:09.259 --> 00:04:12.759 And they say, not anymore. It stops with me. 00:04:12.919 --> 00:04:17.420 And part of this is understanding the fifth factor, 00:04:17.600 --> 00:04:22.360 and that is it's spiritual warfare at its heart, 00:04:22.519 --> 00:04:27.060 spiritual warfare. The Bible calls our enemy 00:04:27.060 --> 00:04:31.629 the father of lies in John 8. his job from the 00:04:31.629 --> 00:04:33.350 time you were born is to get you to buy into 00:04:33.350 --> 00:04:34.790 a few of these lies. Because if he can get you 00:04:34.790 --> 00:04:37.350 to believe this lie and establish a stronghold 00:04:37.350 --> 00:04:39.730 in your heart by the thoughts you think, then 00:04:39.730 --> 00:04:41.949 his job is done. He doesn't really have to do 00:04:41.949 --> 00:04:43.310 anything else. The stronghold will do what the 00:04:43.310 --> 00:04:47.029 stronghold does. Think about this. If Satan can 00:04:47.029 --> 00:04:48.970 get you to think, God doesn't really care about 00:04:48.970 --> 00:04:53.389 me. If he can get you to say that out loud and 00:04:53.389 --> 00:04:55.949 think that over your own life, then it affects 00:04:55.949 --> 00:04:58.569 everything. It keeps you from prayer. It keeps 00:04:58.569 --> 00:05:00.769 you from believing God's promises. It keeps you 00:05:00.769 --> 00:05:04.509 from having a relationship with God. If he can 00:05:04.509 --> 00:05:09.149 just get you to focus on a few failures or inadequacies 00:05:09.149 --> 00:05:12.050 or insecurities and convince you to believe this 00:05:12.050 --> 00:05:14.069 thought, you're not worthy of love, then he can 00:05:14.069 --> 00:05:16.610 create a fortress around your life that will 00:05:16.610 --> 00:05:19.430 sabotage you from all the good God wants you 00:05:19.430 --> 00:05:22.370 to have and walking with him and sharing life 00:05:22.370 --> 00:05:25.230 with others. And so this is why when we talk 00:05:25.230 --> 00:05:26.829 about taking our thoughts captive, we're not 00:05:26.829 --> 00:05:29.689 so much talking about psychology, we're talking 00:05:29.689 --> 00:05:33.410 about spiritual warfare. So what is a stronghold 00:05:33.410 --> 00:05:36.250 in your life that needs to fall? Can you identify 00:05:36.250 --> 00:05:40.050 it? I was at a men's conference, speaking at 00:05:40.050 --> 00:05:42.050 a men's conference a few years ago, and I sat 00:05:42.050 --> 00:05:44.449 down at a table with a group of men and we were 00:05:44.449 --> 00:05:46.709 focusing on this idea of strongholds and trying 00:05:46.709 --> 00:05:49.290 to identify them specifically looking at these. 00:05:49.920 --> 00:05:51.879 strongholds that we'd had since we were perhaps 00:05:51.879 --> 00:05:55.579 boys that were affecting our lives now as men. 00:05:56.079 --> 00:05:58.259 And we just went around the table to share the 00:05:58.259 --> 00:06:01.120 strongholds. And so Joe went first and Joe said, 00:06:01.259 --> 00:06:03.800 I didn't think it was okay to be sad. And he 00:06:03.800 --> 00:06:06.279 grew up in a home where the expectation was to 00:06:06.279 --> 00:06:10.160 be happy no matter what, all the time, real men 00:06:10.160 --> 00:06:14.019 aren't sad. Being sad is for weak people. And 00:06:14.019 --> 00:06:17.680 so when his family dog died and he cried, he 00:06:17.680 --> 00:06:20.639 remembers his dad teasing him. And now Joe, because 00:06:20.639 --> 00:06:22.779 of the stronghold of it's okay not to be sad, 00:06:22.899 --> 00:06:25.000 he deals with lots of loneliness in his life. 00:06:25.060 --> 00:06:27.680 Why? Because when he's sad, it doesn't feel like 00:06:27.680 --> 00:06:30.720 it's okay to share that with anybody. So he keeps 00:06:30.720 --> 00:06:33.980 his sadness to himself. And that's really isolating. 00:06:34.259 --> 00:06:37.500 And it's really lonely. And Joe deals with anger 00:06:37.500 --> 00:06:39.699 because of this stronghold. Why? Well, because 00:06:39.699 --> 00:06:42.519 what he learned as a boy is it's not okay to 00:06:42.519 --> 00:06:44.879 be sad. Being sad is a masculine, but it's okay 00:06:44.879 --> 00:06:48.279 to be angry. And so every time he's sad, it shows 00:06:48.279 --> 00:06:52.180 up as anger and he's been angry a lot. Around 00:06:52.180 --> 00:06:56.439 the table we go, Mike identifies his stronghold. 00:06:57.220 --> 00:07:01.459 I thought of women as objects. Mike's parents 00:07:01.459 --> 00:07:03.360 divorced when he was six and he would stay at 00:07:03.360 --> 00:07:05.459 his father's house. He had easy access to his 00:07:05.459 --> 00:07:08.360 dad's collection of porn. He was hooked by the 00:07:08.360 --> 00:07:11.970 time he was 11. When he got married, he thought 00:07:11.970 --> 00:07:14.410 marriage would break that stronghold in his life, 00:07:14.509 --> 00:07:17.290 but it didn't. Instead, what he did was, without 00:07:17.290 --> 00:07:20.490 meaning to, is he sent his wife down that neural 00:07:20.490 --> 00:07:27.649 pathway of objectification. And he looked at 00:07:27.649 --> 00:07:30.990 her as someone who existed to satisfy him. He 00:07:30.990 --> 00:07:32.990 put pressure on her, was demanding with her. 00:07:33.269 --> 00:07:35.430 She became bitter and resentful. They divorced 00:07:35.430 --> 00:07:41.030 after three years. Around the table. Scott's 00:07:41.030 --> 00:07:43.449 stronghold. I thought my worth was determined 00:07:43.449 --> 00:07:46.529 by how much money I made. He grew up thinking 00:07:46.529 --> 00:07:49.649 that success in life was determined by the income 00:07:49.649 --> 00:07:51.709 he made, the car he drove, the house he lived 00:07:51.709 --> 00:07:54.170 in, the vacations he went on. And look, he was 00:07:54.170 --> 00:07:57.110 surrounded by kind of real life algorithms, real 00:07:57.110 --> 00:08:00.269 life examples that reinforce this thinking that 00:08:00.269 --> 00:08:02.569 the measure of his worth was determined by how 00:08:02.569 --> 00:08:05.850 much he was worth. And what he could see now 00:08:05.850 --> 00:08:09.970 as a man in his mid fifties is that that stronghold 00:08:09.970 --> 00:08:14.550 has directed every major decision of his life. 00:08:15.990 --> 00:08:19.629 Like every major decision has been filtered through 00:08:19.629 --> 00:08:23.670 this lie that my worth is determined by how much 00:08:23.670 --> 00:08:27.490 money I can make. He wasn't thinking about legacy 00:08:27.490 --> 00:08:32.029 or eternity or God's will or God's kingdom. And 00:08:32.029 --> 00:08:34.750 on around the table we went, the next one that 00:08:34.750 --> 00:08:36.950 got identified, the next stronghold that got 00:08:36.950 --> 00:08:39.580 identified is, I thought I couldn't ask for help. 00:08:40.580 --> 00:08:44.500 And that one was mine. And I've shared this with 00:08:44.500 --> 00:08:48.120 you before, but I don't remember ever intentionally 00:08:48.120 --> 00:08:51.200 thinking this, but somewhere along the line, 00:08:51.259 --> 00:08:53.840 I picked up on this idea and thought it and then 00:08:53.840 --> 00:08:56.399 kept thinking it, that it's okay to help people, 00:08:56.460 --> 00:08:58.679 but it's not okay to ask for help from people. 00:09:00.500 --> 00:09:03.580 My thinking, this stronghold convinced me that 00:09:03.580 --> 00:09:06.580 asking for help was the same as admitting failure. 00:09:07.240 --> 00:09:09.879 And so if I ask for help, I'm calling myself 00:09:09.879 --> 00:09:14.440 a failure. I didn't want to do that. This thinking, 00:09:14.620 --> 00:09:16.679 this stronghold convinced me that it's okay to 00:09:16.679 --> 00:09:19.960 be someone who rescues. It's okay to be a rescuer, 00:09:20.019 --> 00:09:22.120 but you don't want to be somebody who needs rescued. 00:09:23.580 --> 00:09:26.639 And that seemed to work okay. Like that stronghold 00:09:26.639 --> 00:09:31.370 seemed to work okay until it didn't. And I can 00:09:31.370 --> 00:09:33.429 tell you in our early years of marriage and we're 00:09:33.429 --> 00:09:35.169 working through some things and trying to figure 00:09:35.169 --> 00:09:38.149 some things out, my young wife would say, hey, 00:09:38.210 --> 00:09:41.730 why don't we just ask somebody for help as we 00:09:41.730 --> 00:09:46.110 navigate this? And in my mind, that wasn't an 00:09:46.110 --> 00:09:50.389 option. No, we can't. I got this. I can fix this. 00:09:50.429 --> 00:09:52.990 We'll figure this out. I'm not gonna ask somebody 00:09:52.990 --> 00:09:54.669 for help. When we're in the thick of parenting 00:09:54.669 --> 00:09:57.009 and we're trying things that just clearly aren't 00:09:57.009 --> 00:10:00.620 working. And my wife says, why don't you just 00:10:00.620 --> 00:10:04.740 ask someone for help? At your job, you're surrounded 00:10:04.740 --> 00:10:06.539 by people who can help you with this. Why don't 00:10:06.539 --> 00:10:10.059 you just ask someone for help? I'll figure this 00:10:10.059 --> 00:10:14.379 out. It's fine. I've got this under control. 00:10:15.559 --> 00:10:19.200 And here's what I finally had to recognize is 00:10:19.200 --> 00:10:21.879 that this thought, I can't ask someone for help. 00:10:21.940 --> 00:10:24.450 It wasn't just holding me captive. It was holding 00:10:24.450 --> 00:10:26.809 my wife captive. It was holding my children captive. 00:10:26.990 --> 00:10:31.529 It was holding people I lead captive. Around 00:10:31.529 --> 00:10:36.830 the table we go. What's yours? What's a stronghold 00:10:36.830 --> 00:10:41.350 that has had its grip on your life long enough? 00:10:42.639 --> 00:10:44.399 And how do we fight the strongholds? Go back 00:10:44.399 --> 00:10:46.519 to 2 Corinthians 10. The weapons we fight against 00:10:46.519 --> 00:10:48.600 are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, 00:10:48.799 --> 00:10:52.460 these weapons, divine weapons, have the power, 00:10:52.600 --> 00:10:54.799 divine power, to demolish strongholds. Okay, 00:10:54.799 --> 00:10:59.360 what are we talking about, God? You got a nuclear 00:10:59.360 --> 00:11:02.480 arsenal up there? You've got some weapon that 00:11:02.480 --> 00:11:04.480 I don't know about where you just push that button 00:11:04.480 --> 00:11:08.460 and this stronghold just explodes once and for 00:11:08.460 --> 00:11:11.610 all? What weapons are you talking about? Well, 00:11:11.730 --> 00:11:16.330 you keep reading. Weapons he gives us, thoughts 00:11:16.330 --> 00:11:21.929 and prayers. Thoughts and prayers. This is the 00:11:21.929 --> 00:11:24.570 Almighty's strategy for breaking some strongholds 00:11:24.570 --> 00:11:28.509 in your life. Thinking differently. Why? Because 00:11:28.509 --> 00:11:31.710 he created your brain. He understands concepts 00:11:31.710 --> 00:11:34.779 of neuroplasticity. He knows that if you can 00:11:34.779 --> 00:11:36.919 change the way you think, it'll change your brain. 00:11:37.059 --> 00:11:39.659 It'll position you to experience his transforming 00:11:39.659 --> 00:11:43.440 power. That when you start to take biblical truth 00:11:43.440 --> 00:11:46.360 and scriptures and replace the lies with his 00:11:46.360 --> 00:11:51.100 truth, transformation happens. You're listening 00:11:51.100 --> 00:11:53.539 to Living on the Edge with guest teacher Kyle 00:11:53.539 --> 00:11:56.100 Eidelman. There's more just ahead, so stay with 00:11:56.100 --> 00:11:59.080 us. Today we continue our journey through a fundamental 00:11:59.080 --> 00:12:02.379 series called God's Dream for Your Life. And 00:12:02.379 --> 00:12:04.480 if you've missed any part of this study or want 00:12:04.480 --> 00:12:07.299 to find more Bible lessons, just go online to 00:12:07.299 --> 00:12:10.840 livingontheedge .org. There you'll discover a 00:12:10.840 --> 00:12:13.679 wide array of teaching content, downloadable 00:12:13.679 --> 00:12:16.419 materials, and daily discipleship with Chip Ingram. 00:12:16.659 --> 00:12:20.779 Find it all at livingontheedge .org. Well, now 00:12:20.779 --> 00:12:22.679 let's get back to our lesson with guest teacher 00:12:22.679 --> 00:12:26.759 Kyle Eidelman. So how do we take our thoughts 00:12:26.759 --> 00:12:31.909 captive or to borrow a term from... neuroscience, 00:12:31.909 --> 00:12:34.830 cognitive repraisal. How does cognitive repraisal 00:12:34.830 --> 00:12:38.549 happen? Well, here's how it works. First, you 00:12:38.549 --> 00:12:42.840 recognize the lie. You have to identify the lie. 00:12:42.960 --> 00:12:46.100 Now look, what most of us do is we identify the 00:12:46.100 --> 00:12:48.240 behavior rather than the lie that's led to the 00:12:48.240 --> 00:12:50.659 behavior. Like even as I've tried to ask you 00:12:50.659 --> 00:12:52.799 to identify a stronghold in your life, likely, 00:12:52.980 --> 00:12:55.100 and this is what I would do too, likely what 00:12:55.100 --> 00:12:58.659 you've done is you've tried to identify a behavior, 00:12:58.820 --> 00:13:02.059 a way you react, a way that you respond to people, 00:13:02.200 --> 00:13:03.840 an addiction that you've been struggling with, 00:13:03.960 --> 00:13:06.039 and you think the stronghold is the behavior. 00:13:06.179 --> 00:13:08.480 But the Bible would say the stronghold isn't 00:13:08.480 --> 00:13:10.720 the behavior. The stronghold is the lie that's 00:13:10.720 --> 00:13:13.179 led to the behavior. to the behavior. It's identifying 00:13:13.179 --> 00:13:18.500 the lie. Secondly, replace with truth. You find 00:13:18.500 --> 00:13:20.519 God's truth that directly contradicts the lie. 00:13:20.879 --> 00:13:23.700 It's not about positive thinking. It's about 00:13:23.700 --> 00:13:27.340 identifying a scripture that speaks truth into 00:13:27.340 --> 00:13:30.360 that lie and then aligning your thoughts with 00:13:30.360 --> 00:13:32.720 God's thoughts. Recognize the lie, replace with 00:13:32.720 --> 00:13:34.879 truth. Number three, you reinforce the truth 00:13:34.879 --> 00:13:40.350 with community and content. Strongholds are reinforced 00:13:40.350 --> 00:13:43.509 in isolation. The moment you share your struggle 00:13:43.509 --> 00:13:46.149 with a trusted Christian friend or in a small 00:13:46.149 --> 00:13:49.070 group, the moment that stronghold will lose some 00:13:49.070 --> 00:13:53.590 of its grip on your life. So you reinforce the 00:13:53.590 --> 00:13:56.950 truth with community and then with content. You 00:13:56.950 --> 00:13:58.809 pay attention to what you're thinking about, 00:13:58.909 --> 00:14:01.129 to what you're exposing your mind to, to the 00:14:01.129 --> 00:14:03.750 algorithms that are establishing these pathways 00:14:03.750 --> 00:14:07.129 in your brain. And so I just wanted to end by 00:14:07.129 --> 00:14:09.740 getting real practical. I don't know what stronghold 00:14:09.740 --> 00:14:11.299 you've identified, but I tried to pick a few 00:14:11.299 --> 00:14:13.220 common ones and walk through what this looks 00:14:13.220 --> 00:14:15.919 like. So let's just start with the stronghold 00:14:15.919 --> 00:14:18.980 of control. If you're not in control of something, 00:14:19.080 --> 00:14:21.360 you feel anxious, you feel overwhelmed, you're 00:14:21.360 --> 00:14:24.220 constantly concerned with the what if and what 00:14:24.220 --> 00:14:26.759 might happen and all these things you know you 00:14:26.759 --> 00:14:28.940 don't have control over, whether it's circumstances 00:14:28.940 --> 00:14:32.320 in life or global events or whether it's the 00:14:32.320 --> 00:14:34.879 emotions of the person sitting next to you. It's 00:14:34.879 --> 00:14:37.139 a stronghold of control. So recognize the lie. 00:14:37.690 --> 00:14:39.370 Don't pay attention to the behavior as much as 00:14:39.370 --> 00:14:41.210 you pay attention to the lie. I believe the lie 00:14:41.210 --> 00:14:43.870 that I have to manage every outcome or everything 00:14:43.870 --> 00:14:46.049 will fall apart. And if I don't control it, it 00:14:46.049 --> 00:14:48.309 won't work out. And I don't know where that lie 00:14:48.309 --> 00:14:51.370 came from. Maybe because of some people who've 00:14:51.370 --> 00:14:54.009 let you down and you just recognize that unless 00:14:54.009 --> 00:14:57.990 I'm in charge of it, it's gonna fall apart, but 00:14:57.990 --> 00:15:01.129 that's a lie. And so you recognize the lie and 00:15:01.129 --> 00:15:04.730 then you replace it with truth. You find a scripture 00:15:04.730 --> 00:15:08.419 and whenever that, thought starts to take root, 00:15:08.600 --> 00:15:10.600 you replace it with scripture. Proverbs 3, 5, 00:15:10.720 --> 00:15:12.340 trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean 00:15:12.340 --> 00:15:14.500 not on your own understanding. First Peter 5, 00:15:14.559 --> 00:15:16.820 7, cast all your anxiety on God because he cares 00:15:16.820 --> 00:15:19.820 for you. Romans 8, 28, God works all things together 00:15:19.820 --> 00:15:22.279 for good for those who love him and are called 00:15:22.279 --> 00:15:25.159 according to his purpose. And then you reinforce 00:15:25.159 --> 00:15:29.000 that with community and with content. What's 00:15:29.000 --> 00:15:30.159 that look like? Well, it means that you share 00:15:30.159 --> 00:15:34.039 your struggle with control, your anxiety with 00:15:34.039 --> 00:15:37.029 a trusted friend who can, can call you on it. 00:15:37.110 --> 00:15:39.850 When you start spiraling or you start micromanaging, 00:15:39.990 --> 00:15:42.009 it means that you're gonna limit the content 00:15:42.009 --> 00:15:45.330 that reinforces the idea of all these things 00:15:45.330 --> 00:15:48.330 that might happen, reinforced with community 00:15:48.330 --> 00:15:50.830 and with content. Second stronghold as an example 00:15:50.830 --> 00:15:53.210 would be one that I think almost all of us have, 00:15:53.330 --> 00:15:55.830 although we're often unaware of it. It's the 00:15:55.830 --> 00:15:58.279 stronghold of shame. And so you recognize the 00:15:58.279 --> 00:16:00.440 lie. I believe the lie that my past mistakes 00:16:00.440 --> 00:16:03.559 define my worth and that I'm too broken for God 00:16:03.559 --> 00:16:07.159 to use me or to love me fully. You recognize 00:16:07.159 --> 00:16:11.460 the lie that says, I'm too broken. And then you 00:16:11.460 --> 00:16:14.220 replace it with truth. Romans 8, 1, there's no 00:16:14.220 --> 00:16:15.860 condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 00:16:16.659 --> 00:16:19.259 1 John 1, 9, if we confess our sins, he's faithful 00:16:19.259 --> 00:16:21.799 and just to forgive us our sins. Isaiah 53, he 00:16:21.799 --> 00:16:26.379 took our shame upon himself. As I told, Many 00:16:26.379 --> 00:16:28.259 people who were baptized a few weeks ago, the 00:16:28.259 --> 00:16:30.620 shame that you've been carrying stays in this 00:16:30.620 --> 00:16:32.919 water. You don't walk out of here carrying the 00:16:32.919 --> 00:16:34.740 same shame that you came in here with. Jesus 00:16:34.740 --> 00:16:37.679 has taken it upon himself. 2 Corinthians 5, I'm 00:16:37.679 --> 00:16:39.879 a new creation in Christ. The old is gone, the 00:16:39.879 --> 00:16:42.620 new has come. And then you reinforce that with 00:16:42.620 --> 00:16:45.299 community and with content. That means that you 00:16:45.299 --> 00:16:48.259 find safe Christian community where you can be 00:16:48.259 --> 00:16:51.000 honest about your struggles without feeling fear 00:16:51.000 --> 00:16:54.179 of judgment or condemnation. And then it means 00:16:54.179 --> 00:16:57.029 that you, Pay attention maybe to some testimonies. 00:16:57.029 --> 00:16:59.610 You listen to testimonies of how God has redeemed 00:16:59.610 --> 00:17:03.629 people's shame and guilt and brought good. And 00:17:03.629 --> 00:17:06.069 his grace has been demonstrated in the lives 00:17:06.069 --> 00:17:08.329 of others. Let me give you one more. It's the 00:17:08.329 --> 00:17:11.430 stronghold of victimhood where you're at the 00:17:11.430 --> 00:17:16.549 mercy of your thoughts that says, look what somebody 00:17:16.549 --> 00:17:18.809 else has done to me. And you recognize the lie. 00:17:18.890 --> 00:17:20.609 I believe the lie that I'm powerless to change 00:17:20.609 --> 00:17:23.509 my circumstances or my responses because of what 00:17:23.509 --> 00:17:25.609 happened to me. I have no choice but to stay 00:17:25.609 --> 00:17:28.029 stuck because of what this person did to me or 00:17:28.029 --> 00:17:30.970 because of life circumstances. And you replace 00:17:30.970 --> 00:17:33.450 it with truth. Philippians 4, 13, I can do all 00:17:33.450 --> 00:17:35.569 things through Christ who strengthens me. 2 Peter 00:17:35.569 --> 00:17:38.309 1, he has given us everything we need for life 00:17:38.309 --> 00:17:41.029 and godliness. 1 John 4, verse 4, greater is 00:17:41.029 --> 00:17:42.690 he that is in you than he that is in the world. 00:17:42.730 --> 00:17:45.009 And again, Romans 8, 28, God causes all things 00:17:45.009 --> 00:17:47.599 to work together for good. And you reinforce 00:17:47.599 --> 00:17:49.599 that with community and content. You surround 00:17:49.599 --> 00:17:52.200 yourself with people who will encourage you and 00:17:52.200 --> 00:17:54.339 your growth rather than enable your excuses. 00:17:54.440 --> 00:17:56.519 They'll challenge you when they hear you start 00:17:56.519 --> 00:18:00.220 making excuses. And you seek out stories of people 00:18:00.220 --> 00:18:02.359 who've overcome difficult circumstances because 00:18:02.359 --> 00:18:04.440 of God's strength. And you remind yourself, that's 00:18:04.440 --> 00:18:08.119 true for me too. Scripture through the power 00:18:08.119 --> 00:18:11.180 of the Holy Spirit will bring down strongholds 00:18:11.180 --> 00:18:13.519 in your life that seem impossible to tear down. 00:18:15.820 --> 00:18:17.799 Strongholds are built through repeated exposure 00:18:17.799 --> 00:18:20.299 to lies. They are demolished through repeated 00:18:20.299 --> 00:18:23.539 exposure to truth. Dr. Caroline Leaf, a Christian 00:18:23.539 --> 00:18:27.420 neuroscientist, talks about how it takes 21 days 00:18:27.420 --> 00:18:31.299 -ish to begin breaking down a toxic thought pattern. 00:18:31.420 --> 00:18:34.259 And it takes about 63 days to establish a new 00:18:34.259 --> 00:18:38.240 healthy pattern. God can tear down some strongholds 00:18:38.240 --> 00:18:40.680 in your life supernaturally. And then in the 00:18:40.680 --> 00:18:42.539 days ahead, as you take your thoughts captive, 00:18:42.880 --> 00:18:47.190 he replaces them. with new life -giving truths. 00:18:48.210 --> 00:18:50.309 I believe God is calling some people in this 00:18:50.309 --> 00:18:56.930 room to say, it stops with me, to be a generation 00:18:56.930 --> 00:18:59.329 that breaks strongholds. Some of you right now, 00:18:59.369 --> 00:19:01.390 you don't know it, but you are sitting on the 00:19:01.390 --> 00:19:03.710 edge of either passing down some strongholds 00:19:03.710 --> 00:19:07.730 or breaking them. The lies that have held you 00:19:07.730 --> 00:19:11.430 or held your family captive for generations must 00:19:11.430 --> 00:19:16.240 fall. Patterns of anger and addiction and anxiety 00:19:16.240 --> 00:19:20.099 and control. They don't have to be true for you 00:19:20.099 --> 00:19:22.059 and they don't have to define the next generation. 00:19:22.920 --> 00:19:25.480 So I just wanna challenge you in the next few 00:19:25.480 --> 00:19:27.500 minutes to identify a stronghold that needs to 00:19:27.500 --> 00:19:30.440 fall. Write it down, not the behavior, the lie 00:19:30.440 --> 00:19:32.200 that you've been believing that's led to it. 00:19:32.660 --> 00:19:35.859 Find one scripture verse that speaks truth against 00:19:35.859 --> 00:19:39.680 that lie. Share it with a trusted friend who'll 00:19:39.680 --> 00:19:42.480 help you fight the battle because that stronghold 00:19:43.180 --> 00:19:45.940 has had enough time to rule your life. And this 00:19:45.940 --> 00:19:48.880 morning, by the power of Jesus and the power 00:19:48.880 --> 00:19:51.480 of the Holy Spirit, it's time for that stronghold 00:19:51.480 --> 00:19:55.900 to fall once and for all. Let's pray. Jesus, 00:19:56.019 --> 00:19:59.700 this is not a message about the power of positive 00:19:59.700 --> 00:20:03.519 thinking or it's a message about surrendering 00:20:03.519 --> 00:20:06.319 our thoughts to you, of recognizing how the enemy 00:20:06.319 --> 00:20:09.730 has set up camp. And built these strongholds 00:20:09.730 --> 00:20:11.650 maybe over the years, maybe since before we can 00:20:11.650 --> 00:20:14.309 even remember that has had so much control over 00:20:14.309 --> 00:20:17.190 our lives and over your plan for who you want 00:20:17.190 --> 00:20:21.829 us to be. So Jesus, would you give us the humility 00:20:21.829 --> 00:20:24.349 and the courage? Would you give us the eyes to 00:20:24.349 --> 00:20:29.029 see these strongholds that have been built? God, 00:20:29.170 --> 00:20:30.950 if we hear some of this and we're immediately 00:20:30.950 --> 00:20:33.670 defensive and we're immediately feeling threatened 00:20:33.670 --> 00:20:36.750 and the things that you've brought to the surface, 00:20:37.590 --> 00:20:39.670 In our minds over the last few minutes, we don't 00:20:39.670 --> 00:20:41.490 wanna think about, would you help us to recognize 00:20:41.490 --> 00:20:44.309 that that's all the more likely that it's a stronghold 00:20:44.309 --> 00:20:47.829 that needs to be dealt with. And so Jesus, I 00:20:47.829 --> 00:20:50.289 just ask you that you would work supernaturally 00:20:50.289 --> 00:20:52.970 in this room over the next few minutes, that 00:20:52.970 --> 00:20:56.769 we would experience your power as you break strongholds 00:20:56.769 --> 00:20:59.490 that have been passed down and that we find freedom 00:20:59.490 --> 00:21:03.710 in you, supernatural freedom. We fight with your 00:21:03.710 --> 00:21:06.700 divine weapons. And we do it together. We help 00:21:06.700 --> 00:21:09.059 one another along the way. Would you work in 00:21:09.059 --> 00:21:11.640 that way through the power of your son, Jesus? 00:21:11.740 --> 00:21:17.099 In his name we pray. Amen. You're listening to 00:21:17.099 --> 00:21:20.140 Living on the Edge with guest teacher Kyle Eidelman 00:21:20.140 --> 00:21:24.200 and a message titled Strongholds Must Fall. Chip 00:21:24.200 --> 00:21:26.359 Ingram has more to share on this important topic 00:21:26.359 --> 00:21:29.339 in just a moment. Today, Kyle gave us practical 00:21:29.339 --> 00:21:32.279 tools for breaking down our own strongholds. 00:21:32.720 --> 00:21:35.619 Recognize the lie, replace it with truth, reinforce 00:21:35.619 --> 00:21:39.180 that truth with community and content. Maybe 00:21:39.180 --> 00:21:41.500 you're the one God is calling to say, it stops 00:21:41.500 --> 00:21:45.339 with me. The anger, the shame, the fear, it doesn't 00:21:45.339 --> 00:21:48.000 have to pass to the next generation. And by the 00:21:48.000 --> 00:21:51.140 power of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, it can fall. 00:21:51.519 --> 00:21:53.579 Well, that's the kind of life -changing teaching 00:21:53.579 --> 00:21:55.740 that Living on the Edge has been committed to 00:21:55.740 --> 00:21:58.900 for 30 years. And it reaches people every single 00:21:58.900 --> 00:22:01.519 day because of friends who give and friends who 00:22:01.519 --> 00:22:04.359 pray. Now, if you're already one of those partners, 00:22:04.519 --> 00:22:06.519 we want you to know how much your faithfulness 00:22:06.519 --> 00:22:10.160 means. Every program, every resource, every moment 00:22:10.160 --> 00:22:12.400 of teaching that lands in someone's heart at 00:22:12.400 --> 00:22:15.279 just the right time, it happens because you said 00:22:15.279 --> 00:22:18.460 yes. Thank you. And if you've never given before, 00:22:18.680 --> 00:22:21.380 today is a great day to start. Join a community 00:22:21.380 --> 00:22:23.759 of believers who are investing in something that 00:22:23.759 --> 00:22:27.039 outlasts all of us, the transformation of lives 00:22:27.039 --> 00:22:30.000 through God's Word. To give right now, visit 00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:33.400 livingontheedge .org or mail us at Living on 00:22:33.400 --> 00:22:37.480 the Edge, Post Office Box 3007, Atlanta, Georgia 00:22:37.480 --> 00:22:41.680 30024. You can also call us and give over the 00:22:41.680 --> 00:22:47.089 phone. Just dial 888 -333 -6003. And by the way, 00:22:47.150 --> 00:22:49.450 full sermons are now available on the Living 00:22:49.450 --> 00:22:52.210 on the Edge podcast with a feature called the 00:22:52.210 --> 00:22:55.390 Chip Ingram Sermon Podcast. Find these episodes 00:22:55.390 --> 00:22:58.269 right alongside our regular broadcasts on your 00:22:58.269 --> 00:23:01.809 podcast app. Now, here's Chip with some final 00:23:01.809 --> 00:23:04.970 thoughts. Today, Kyle gave us a practical battle 00:23:04.970 --> 00:23:08.849 plan for tearing down strongholds. I want you 00:23:08.849 --> 00:23:11.349 to pause for just a moment and think about what 00:23:11.349 --> 00:23:13.660 you heard in the teaching. Because we're going 00:23:13.660 --> 00:23:15.539 to talk about where the rubber meets the road. 00:23:15.740 --> 00:23:18.680 I want you to really grab hold of this. Number 00:23:18.680 --> 00:23:22.079 one, recognize the lie. Don't just identify the 00:23:22.079 --> 00:23:25.119 behavior. Identify the lie that is driving it. 00:23:25.279 --> 00:23:29.200 The stronghold isn't your anger, your anxiety, 00:23:29.480 --> 00:23:32.400 or your addiction. It's the lie underneath it. 00:23:32.700 --> 00:23:36.619 Number two, replace it with the truth. Find a 00:23:36.619 --> 00:23:39.319 scripture that directly contradicts the lie. 00:23:39.950 --> 00:23:42.769 When that surfaces, replace it with God's Word. 00:23:42.990 --> 00:23:46.490 And third, reinforce it with community and content. 00:23:47.630 --> 00:23:49.970 Strongholds lose their grip when you share them 00:23:49.970 --> 00:23:52.569 with trusted Christian friends and pay attention 00:23:52.569 --> 00:23:55.750 to what you're exposing your mind to. God can 00:23:55.750 --> 00:23:59.089 work supernaturally, but transformation takes 00:23:59.089 --> 00:24:01.950 partnership with the Holy Spirit. I shared in 00:24:01.950 --> 00:24:05.009 our last broadcast that pleasing people was a 00:24:05.009 --> 00:24:08.589 stronghold in my life. I memorized Proverbs 29, 00:24:08.769 --> 00:24:13.150 25. It says, the fear of man is a snare, but 00:24:13.150 --> 00:24:16.049 blessed is he who trusts in the Lord. I wrote 00:24:16.049 --> 00:24:18.190 it on a card. On the other side of the card, 00:24:18.309 --> 00:24:20.950 I wrote about the lie of pleasing people. And 00:24:20.950 --> 00:24:23.549 then I put a stop sign and said it's a lie. And 00:24:23.549 --> 00:24:26.589 I turned over the card. And every time I felt 00:24:26.589 --> 00:24:30.049 that or thought that, I quoted Proverbs 29, 25. 00:24:30.630 --> 00:24:35.549 Bam! The stronghold got broken over time. What's 00:24:35.549 --> 00:24:38.809 your stronghold? What's the lie? What's the passage 00:24:38.809 --> 00:24:42.170 you need to go to and go into training? God will 00:24:42.170 --> 00:24:44.589 change your life. I'm Dave Drury, and that's 00:24:44.589 --> 00:24:46.710 all our time for today. We'll see you next time 00:24:46.710 --> 00:24:49.390 for more practical, powerful Bible teaching on 00:24:49.390 --> 00:24:51.970 the next weekend edition of Living on the Edge. 00:24:55.049 --> 00:24:57.509 Today's program is produced and sponsored by 00:24:57.509 --> 00:24:58.650 Living on the Edge.