From Our Living Room to Yours
Date: June 7, 2024
I want to say thank you to my wife.
It is always hard for a lady just to open up her home to the world, and I appreciate her doing it. And then I want to say thank you to Brother Josh. Brother Josh Smith is here making the media happen, and I appreciate him driving over. He wanted the excuse to use that four-wheel drive truck, and so he’s enjoyed that and hasn’t got stuck yet.
So I thought we would bring out one special guest. I thought you might want to see this one, and it is our dog.
She is part lab, part Great Pyrenees. Her name is Dixie. We’ll see if we can get her in here in a second. Come here, Dixie. Come here. She doesn’t want to turn the right way. Look at you. I don’t know how much you can see her or not. We’re trying to get a good view. Come here, Dixie. Let’s see her.
There you go. Let everybody see you. She’s looking at you, see there? She knows where it is. Good deal. All right, good deal. Tell everybody bye-bye. Tell them bye-bye.
It is a good thing the camera does not have a smell lens on it. It’s pretty much gone, but a couple weeks ago she did get in a fight with a skunk. And I think maybe the skunk won on that. She got sprayed two different times, and so the smell is going, dissipating. You can’t smell it now. But she’s a good dog. Let’s see what she is doing. All right, Dixie. Sit down here. Sit down there. There you go. Lay down there. All right. You stay there. You stay. No, no, no, no. You stay. We’ll have to take her and put her up. All right. Tell her bye-bye.
Okay, all right, here we go. She’s going. Let me give you a couple announcements here.
Just as we have the church, I think there will be about ten men that will like this announcement. Bible Institute counsel is tomorrow night. I can hear those men shouting back there. Of course, they love the Word. They want to learn the Word, but they don’t mind to break everyone’s tomorrow. So that’s counsel for tomorrow.
Men’s Prayer Breakfast, Saturday morning, 9 o’clock. The best weekend, unless the conditions are just horrible, we do plan on having that. If you can’t come, of course, we understand. Whoever, whatever men can come, we’d love to have you there. If you have signed up to bring something and you cannot come, if you let me know, that’d be great. We can compensate for that. That’d be so helpful. And we’ll have a good time just for fellowship breakfast at 9 o’clock.
And then the time of prayer, of course, we will not rush that. Then after that, if some of the men can stay over to help us with the parking lot, sidewalks, and all those things, we’ll make sure we’re safe for Sunday. If you can help us with that on Saturday, that’d be wonderful.
Sunday, we do plan, as of now, to have a normal schedule, especially Sunday morning. We’ll see what the weather conditions are. There’s a possibility we’ll have combined service for Sunday school. Looks like the crowd will be down. We’ll see what happens on that. The plan is to be there. Of course, we’re going to focus on the sanctity of human life, so we want to have a good crowd and try to focus on that. America needs that, and the battle is still ongoing on that front. So make sure you’re there for that.
March 3rd. March 3rd is always coming. It’s just going to be here before you know it. It’s going to be a grand Sunday. I’m excited about that, looking forward to that. Each one bring one.
Now do this for me. Get your card, something like this, get some kind of card. And tonight, before you go to bed, make a list: my neighbor, my coworker. Put their names down, write a list. Get you at least five people on there, maybe six, maybe seven, ten. Get your list together, and that’s going to be your target list. I’m going to go after these people, try to get them to come. Make a list. Now, if we don’t plan, we’re allowing them not to do it.
So get a list. Promise me before Sunday. I’m going to ask Sunday, having to make a list out, make a list of potential people you can get to come. It may be God changes their life on March 3rd, and we don’t want to miss inviting them to come, so make your list up, have it ready to go by Sunday, and then we’ll work the list.
Also, just as of late, we found out Rutherford County Christian School is closed on Friday also. I go by the county schools for snow days, and they just put that out just a couple minutes ago. And so praise the Lord, all those children can say, “Hoo-hoo, we’re out of school all week long.” And I know there are some teachers that are happy about that also.
Thank you so much for being with us tonight. We’re going to have a word of prayer, and then we’re going to get into the Word and just share a few thoughts from God’s Word tonight. I hope wherever you are, put aside everything, turn your phones on silent, and just get focused. Turn the volume up if you need to. Make sure you can hear well. We’re going to get to the Word of God. You pray, “God, speak to my heart.” It’s a different service. It’s different. I enjoy sometimes just something different gets us out of the rut. But we want God to speak to our heart from His Word tonight. So get your Bible. Get focused in. You’ll be praying. I’m going to ask Brother Josh to lead us in a word of prayer here just in a minute.
Dixie just doesn’t want to go in the room. We may have to do something. She’s wanting to say hi to you one more time, folks. See her right there? She’s doing that for you, of course. And then we’re going to get her put up. Brother Josh is going to lead us in a word of prayer.
Isn’t it amazing how Satan battles our faults? When I say Satan, I mean that. Yes, the world, yes, her own flesh, but the devil. He knows that the battle is for the mind. It’s very interesting. There’s this scripture, Acts 5, verse number 3. Peter is talking there in the Bible. He says, “Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost?” Isn’t that amazing? Satan filled his heart. And Satan can put faults in your mind. He knows that’s the battle.
It is amazing. You ever just wake up in the morning and you’ve got negative thoughts? Wow, have this come up, you know? It is truly a battle. Have you ever had this, maybe you husbands and wives, where you or your spouse had a bad dream about your spouse, and you wake up in the morning, and either you’re mad at them or they’re mad at you, and you’re like, “What did I do?” And they said, “Well, I had a dream about you. It wasn’t good,” you know? And those feelings are still there with them. And it’s just amazing how we battle our thoughts. That is really focused: where the battleground is, is in our mind. And when I say battle, I mean that truly, just with grenades and tanks and bullets—it is truly a battle that is raging.
Let me read through some Bible verses. Second Corinthians chapter 10, verse number four. The Bible there says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, not fleshly, not flesh and bone, not blood, not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.”
Now watch this. What kind of warfare is he talking about? The spiritual warfare. Look at verse number five: “Casting down imaginations.” Where does imagination happen? In your mind. The battle is in your mind, folks. It’s a great war that is raging. “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God.” Where does knowledge happen? It happens in your mind. This scripture is speaking about the warfare, spiritual warfare, that goes on in your thoughts. “Casting out imaginations and every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God.” Watch this: “And bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”
Now, I want you to notice something. Notice that word: “bringing.” It doesn’t say “bring,” like it’s a one-time thing: “All right, I’m going to bring it in there this morning and lock it up in the cage or jail and throw away the key.” No, it’s “bringing.” It’s a continual action. You’re going to battle that thing all day long. Usually, the mornings are the beginning; the first shots are fired, and it is a warfare. And he says, “bringing”—you’re going to have to battle this thing and bring it into captivity, every thought, to the obedience of Christ.
“Jesus, I’m bringing this thought to you. It needs to be obedient to you.” Every single thought, I’m bringing it to you, Jesus. If it’s not what Jesus wants, I want to bring it to you, get rid of it. It’s yours. Every single thought, bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. That’s a battle.
Now, let me just encourage you: it won’t be long until—I’m going to encourage you, engage in that battle. Don’t just let the devil and your flesh and the world take over your thought life. Don’t just succumb to negativity. Don’t come to being critical of other people and all the negative things. No, no, no, battle it. Get engaged in the fight. Get your gun out, do what you need, and battle this thing. It is a worthy battle to be involved in.
I think about Paul over there what he said, “I have fought a good fight.” Some fights we get caught up in, they’re not a good fight. This fight for your thoughts here, it’s a good fight. “Every thought to the obedience of Christ.” So engage in this battle. Suit up. Get your gun ready. Fight. Don’t just let your mind—don’t say, “Well, this is the way, and this is the way it’s been for so long, this is the way it’s going to be.” No, no, no. Engage in this fight. Battle it for the thoughts of your mind.
Here’s a cardinal, a classic verse when it comes to your thoughts. You’ll probably know it. It’s Philippians 4:8. And notice what he says there. He says, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest.” Now, “honest” has to do with honorable. Okay, it’s not twice saying the same thing. No, whatsoever things are true, then whatsoever things are honest or honorable. “Whatsoever things are just.” That has to do with impartial.
I think often when I read that verse, that word there, I think about husbands and wives when they fuss or fight. If you’re just seeing it from your side, that’s not impartial. No. “Whatsoever things are just.” You’re doing your best to put yourself in your spouse’s shoes and see the impartial, whatever may be with your spouse or your children or relatives, coworker. “Whatsoever things are pure.” Boy, that weeds out a lot of things there, did it. “Whatsoever things are lovely.” They’re just friendly, they’re fond, they’re lovely. By the way, that would wipe out a lot of the things we maybe want to see on the internet, whatnot. No, it’s not all the dirt. Isn’t it interesting how the Bible says “simple concerning that which is evil”? Simple. We don’t have to know all the garbage of the world. “Whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report.”
“If there be any virtue.” Now virtue is very important, that word there. It has to do a little bit with male strength. It’s talking about strong. Actually, the best definition I’ve ever heard of virtue is the strength enough to do what is right to do. If we’re going to have the strength to do what’s right to do, we’re going to have to think on the right thing. He says, “If there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” You’ve got to think like that, and you’re going to have to battle, engage in the battle of what you’re thinking about. Work at it. Suit up every morning. Get ready for the battle. It’s going to be a battle. And if you say, “Well, I don’t want to battle it,” then your mind is going to go to the worst; it’s going to stay there, and you’re not going to be happy. Battle this thing.
Now let me say this about it. Notice it does not say what not to think of. He didn’t say that. No, he gave us these six categories. “Finally, my brother, whatsoever things are true, honest, pure, lovely.” He gave us the things to think on because, sure, it’s a world—as I say, I’m not going to think—okay, let’s just say that Sunday I go to church and someone says, “That’s the ugliest dog I’ve seen in all my life.” All that, Dixie’s ugly dog. And you know, every man in the world doesn’t like you talking about their dog now, you know. And so the more I say, “I’m not going to think about that. I’m not going to think about Brother Frank calling my dog ugly.” The more I think about that, “I’m not going to think on that,” the more I think about it.
So no, no, God says, “No.” He didn’t tell us what not to think on. That’s a defeating battle. He tells us what to think on.
We went yesterday and played pickleball for just a bit, and a couple folks from church were there, my wife and my daughter, whatnot. And in the gym, someone began to play some older country music. And unfortunately, I knew some of the songs from the past. And here’s the thing: I knew it. Boy, I’m going to battle it. These songs are going to come back, kind of haunt me tomorrow or whatever, you know. And boy, here’s the way to get rid of those wrong songs. This morning I woke up with the wrong song in my mind. And by saying, “Lord, give me a good song to sing,” and it’s just amazing—I was really a little surprised—as soon as I had, boom, as soon as I said it, God gave me another song, and I began to sing the good song, and before long the bad song was gone.
And friend, that’s the key. He tells us what to think on, and that helps us to overcome the things we should not be thinking on. Now, that’s God’s plan.
Let me just look at something here. Good, good, good. Let’s get a couple of thoughts here. Commentary thoughts: I want you to monitor your thoughts. I want you to watch. It’s amazing. Someone recently said, “You know, I’ve been thinking bad for a couple weeks before I realized it.” No, no, no, no, don’t wait. Don’t wait, not even a day or a week. No, boom. As soon as you start thinking bad, monitor it. “What am I doing? I’m negative towards myself all the time. I’m being critical of everybody I’m around.” Watch what’s going on. My mind’s not right. Watch what you are thinking about. Monitor it. Try to find out—they can put some kind of gauge, you know, the right or the wrong gauge. How long would your mind be in the wrong category? How long would it be in the right? And watch it. Monitor what you are thinking about. Don’t wait. As soon as you’re there, boom. Remember old Barney on The Andy Griffith Show? “Nip it in the bud.” Nip it in the bud, remember that? Yeah. As soon as your mind goes south, nip it in the bud, and work at that. Don’t wait till you’ve been there for a week and you’ve formed a bad rut. Battle this thing, your thoughts. It’s so very, very important.
Now, this is a unique phrase in the Bible. A couple years ago, God began to kind of work in my heart about this phrase. Look over, if you would, in 1 Samuel. Now, so far we’ve just read it; it comes up on the screen, but I want you to have your Bible there. I want you to look this one up. It’ll still be on the screen, that’d be great, but I want you to look up this Bible verse: 1 Samuel 27. Look at verse number one right there. Look at verse number one right there. And the Bible says, “And David said in his…” What’s that next word? I can’t hear you. Oh, I heard you down there in Murfreesboro. I heard you. Okay, all right, all right. He said in his heart.
Now, that’s a key phrase, found ten times in the Bible. Probably the most familiar ones, the ones for years, really the only time I’d heard that phrase used, it’s found twice, once in Psalm 14:1 and once in Psalm 53:1, where the Bible says, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.” Now, Romans 1:20 tells us for sure, he knows there’s a God. That same guy, let him get by a car. First thing out of his mouth is, “Oh my, God help me,” you know. He knows, but he can say in his heart, he’ll say in his heart, “There is no God.” Okay, that’s two times it’s used like that.
Three times—we won’t look it up tonight—but three times in Psalms chapter 10. Really, that chapter is interesting. God is telling us how the wicked think. And three times in that one chapter, it’ll say, told him about the wicked, that he says or said in his heart. Very interesting chapter. Look it up sometimes and study it out.
But this time here, this is David, all right? And David here, I want you to notice, let’s go back to that, 1 Samuel 27. Let’s look back at verse number one. Let’s read the whole thing, try to grasp what’s going on here. 1 Samuel 27:1: “And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines. And Saul shall despair of me to seek me any more in any coast of Israel. So shall I escape out of his hand.”
Let’s find the circumstances around this verse a little bit. Saul had been chasing David for months, probably years at this point here. I think David really was just getting battle fatigue. After a while, you’re just in the battle, you get battle fatigue. I think David was there, weary, battle fatigue. And God had just given a victory. He had just twice, twice, God had given David the opportunity where he could kill Saul. In fact, some of the men were with David. One of the men with David said, “Man, let me take him out, David. You don’t have to smite him twice, just one time, boom, it’ll be all over.” David said, “No, no, no. That’s God’s man, and I won’t lift my hand against God’s anointed. It’s God’s man. If God wants to take him out, that’s God’s business, not my business. I’m not going to do it.” Two great victories.
It’s amazing right after the victories, David begins to say this in his heart: “I’m going to die. Saul’s going to kill me. I mean, just a step between me and death. I’m going to perish. Saul’s going to get me.” I mean, he begins to say that in his heart. And here’s the sad thing: David made one of the worst decisions of his life.
The next year and four months of David’s life is marked by lying, murder. And just to say, I think David has regret for the rest of his life for this next year and four months. He goes over to the enemy’s camp, the Philistines. There’s a little kingdom inside the Philistine realm. The king there is Achish. David goes over to Achish. Actually, it’s where Goliath was from, that region there. And he goes over there, and he begins to tell Achish, “Boy, I want to be in your kingdom, and give me a little place down here.” And so Achish does. He gives him a place down in Ziklag, remember, right? And from there, David would go to villages and areas around there, and he would go in and he would kill every single person in that village. I’m talking about all the men, all the boys, all the little girls, all the babies, all the women—sad. And the reason why he would do that, scripture is clear, so he could lie to Achish. So, “Oh, I was over there fighting toward Judah there, toward the Jewish people.” No, he wasn’t there. He was in another place. He killed everyone so no one could talk about it.
And some have said this—I’ve read this, and I haven’t studied it out, and I want to be clear on that—but some I’ve read have said that David never wrote one Psalm during that year and four months. God didn’t give him any right. Just silent as far as God used him. It’s a sad time of his life. It got to the point during these year and four months at the end, they went out; they were going to fight with the Philistines against Israel. Now there’s a debate. I tend to think that in the middle of the battle, David may have been turned and fought with Israel. We don’t know. That never happened because the lords of the Philistines said, “No, Achish, tell that boy he goes home. He can’t fight with us. He’s going to turn against us in the middle of the battle.” So Achish went to David and his men and said, “No, y’all can’t fight in this battle.” And they went home. And they went home. Some bandits, if you will, had just burnt their village and taken their wives and their children and everything.
And so, but during this time, during this time, David’s men even spoke of killing David. I mean, it’s just, “Hey, let’s kill this leader. He’s so off, he’s so messed up.” Now, I think that’s when David really got right with the Lord. The Bible says this during that time: “And David encouraged himself in the Lord.” What a difference from a year and four months earlier when he was saying in his heart, “I’m going to die by Saul. I mean, I’m going to perish by him.” Finally, he kind of snapped out of it and said, “Oh, what am I doing?” He began to encourage himself. I do this: thoughts. What am I saying in my heart? And it’s led me down the wrong road. I’ve been backslidden for a year and four months, murdering people. What a sad state for God’s special person of David. What a sad thing. But it all started: he said in his heart.
Now think about it. If David had really had his thoughts right and proper, he’d have said, “You know what? God led the prophet Samuel to anoint me. I’m going to be king. God said that very, very clearly. I haven’t been on the throne yet, so I’m not going to die.” But when you start saying things in your heart, you keep saying it, pretty soon your heart begins to believe the thing you’re saying in your heart. It’s so very, very crucial.
By the way, David, that young man killed Goliath. He was a giant killer. And what he said in his heart turned a giant killer into really a coward. He turned and went to the enemy’s camp. What a sad thing. How did this happen? He was such a great man of God, David. What he said in his heart is vital, crucial. It has to do with this battle for your thoughts. You start saying the right thing in your heart… that changes your thinking. It’s crucial. The battle for the mind.
Now let me give you just three truths we’re gleaning from this story here. Number one, number one: Great Christians. David was an incredible Christian. I mean, he’s the one that, under Jesus, is going to sit—he’s going to rule over the kingdom and over Israel under Jesus. David, what a great, great man David is, a great Christian. Now, one second, but even great Christians battle their thoughts. You say, “Man, preacher, I battle my thoughts. Sometimes I lose.” The greatest of Christians lost at times. You’re in good company. But let me say this: I think David grew, and he got stronger, and finally, he’s encouraging himself in the Lord, got his thoughts right. You can win. You can win. Great Christians battle this thing. So if you battle it, you say, “Sometimes I’m just so down on myself. All day long, I’m thinking bad about myself.” Friend, other great Christians battle that too. Now he won, and you can win too, but engage in this battle. Great Christians fight that good fight.
So number one, what is it we’re going to learn from it? You’re not alone. Others battle it. Sometimes they lose, but they win. And you keep battling this thing. And you won’t win every time, but you’ll grow, and you’ll get where you’re winning more often. Number one: what is the thing? You’re not alone in this battle.
Number two: What you’re saying in your heart is vital. It’s crucial. It’s very interesting. I said that phrase, “He said in his heart,” mentioned ten times in the Bible. In the book of Ecclesiastes—it’s just a short book of the Bible, twelve chapters, that’s it—four times, Solomon, wisest man besides Jesus Christ (the Bible’s clear about that), Solomon says, “I said in my heart.” Four different times. Four of the ten is Solomon saying, “I said in my heart.” I’m saying that wise men, they monitor what they’re saying in the heart. They know what they’re saying in the heart. So it’s vital to what you’re saying. So first of all, monitor it. Try to find out what you’re saying in your heart and figure that out.
Let me give a couple of Bible examples of Bible illustrations of what we can say good or bad in our heart. Number one, over there in Ephesians 5, verse number 18: “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” Now notice that next verse, right there it is, verse number 19. He says, “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.” Watch this: “Singing and making melody in your…” What? In your… I can’t hear up there. I can hear Murfreesboro now. Come on! Yeah, in your heart. Your heart, that’s key. And listen, friend, a good example of what you’re saying in your heart is sing good music in your heart. I’m for singing for other people to be a blessing of him. If you have a voice, okay, now, you know. But listen, he’s not talking about that here in Ephesians 5:19. He’s talking about singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. The good thing to say in your heart is good songs. Sing them all day long. And Lord, give me a good song to sing. You sing that in your heart. You’re saying in your heart.
Here’s a bad example of somebody in the Bible is what they were saying in their heart. Remember over there in Luke 18? The publican and the Pharisee, they were going to pray. Let’s read what the Bible says about the Pharisee, how he prayed. Luke 18, verse number 11: “The Pharisee stood, watch this, and prayed thus with himself.” He wasn’t praying to God. He was saying in his heart. He was just talking to himself. “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.’” Now, friend, a bad thing to be saying in your heart is criticizing others. Oh, monitor that. If you’re getting in your heart where you’re just criticizing other people, oh my. I’m not saying the right thing in my heart.
By the way, I like this truth here: “said in his heart.” Your thoughts can be so hard; you’ve got to always bring them into captivity, but I can say something on purpose, and I can say it in my heart. Say good songs in your heart. Don’t be saying critical things in your heart about other people.
Let me give another example in the Bible. Abraham sent his top servant, Eliezer, to get a bride for Isaac. Maybe it goes over to the hometown. And let me read for you what happens when it gets there. It’s Genesis 24, verse number 45. “And before I had done speaking in mine…” What’s that next word? I can’t hear you. He said in his heart, you know what he said? He was praying. And before he even finished that prayer in his heart, Rebekah said, “Hey, I’ll get you something to drink, not just you, but your camels too.” And God answered the prayer that he was saying in his heart.
Friend, a good thing to say in your heart is prayers. Pray all the time. Wherever you are, pray. Kind of reminds you: pray without ceasing. What’s a good thing to say in your heart? Pray to God all the time. Riding down the road, “Well, Lord, that snow is beautiful. That river is flowing and the white snow. That’s beautiful, Lord, that’s beautiful.” You know, I like sports. We’ll watch sports. I can’t help it. I got to pray. I want my team to win, you know. You say that’s crazy. Well, maybe it is, but you know, it’s a good thing in your heart just to pray. Pray all the time. That’s what God wants.
What are some good things to do in your heart? Get some good music. Don’t say critical things about others in your heart. Pray in your heart.
Let me give you one more example of it. This is amazing. This is really where everything in the whole universe went south, even before Adam and Eve, the beginning of it all really, it was when someone said the wrong thing in their heart that’s where it all went back. Look at it. You’re there in Isaiah 14, verse number 13, look at it right there, talking about Satan: “For thou hast said in thine…” What is it? What is it? “…in his heart.” The fall, before the fall of Adam, the fall of Lucifer, Satan, was when he said in his… Here it is: the five “I wills.” “I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the most High.” When he said that, friend, the whole universe fell, if you will, the beginning, I should say. And not everybody went to—of course, God not—but Satan, I’m talking about, Lucifer fell. He began to say the wrong thing.
I’m saying what you say in your heart is vital, crucial. Battle this thing. Make sure you’re saying the right thing in your heart.
Number one, we said the greatest of Christians battle this thing. Number two, we said it’s vital. What you’re saying in your heart is vital. Number three, and we’re done: Be proactive. Plan what you’re going to say in your heart. Don’t let the battle just come to you; you go to the battle. Say, “I’m going to plan what I’m going to say in my heart.” Proverbs has an interesting verse, Proverbs 23:19. Brother Josh just put it up there. I believe he says, “Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.”
Don’t let your heart guide you. No, no, no, it’ll lead you south. It’ll lead you to be critical people. It’ll lead you to negative thoughts about yourself. No, no, no, no, no. You guide your heart. How do you do that? You might not feel like it, but you start saying in your heart the right thing, and after a while, your old heart will follow you. “Guide thine heart in the way.” How do you do that? By saying the right thing in your heart. It’s crucial. You say, “Well, what does that mean?”
Well, let me just say this: Feed your heart good thoughts. Good things to say. Feed it with the Bible. Good music. We mentioned that so much. And by the way, praise the Lord, I’m excited about this radio station getting started—good, godly, Christian, spiritual music being played. I’m looking forward to that and all of you and others being able to hear that, and you’ll have good things to say in your heart by that music.
Hey, let me say, just talking about feeding your heart with good things, be around some positive friends, some people that will give you good thoughts to put in your heart. Work at being a positive friend to others, to have good things put in their heart by what you do or say around them. Work at that. I know of a good Christian; he’s in heaven now, a godly man, that he would choose a song every day. “Lord, what song?” And every day, all day long, his heart—at least, maybe sometimes with the mouth—he’ll be trying to sing that song. Yeah, say good things in your heart.
Hey, list. Make a list. Get your card and make a list of seven good things about your spouse. And just put them down—all these good things. And when you’re tempted to say the wrong thing or think the wrong thing about your spouse, pull that out, say, “Oh, I’m going to start saying these seven things in my heart about my spouse.” Work at it. Just decide, you know, all day long today, “I’m going to have gratitude.” And we’ll give thanks all day long in my heart.
We’re done. I’m going to rehearse a little bit and give you one more follow-up, and we’re done. But you said, “Man, I battle it. I lose a lot of times.” Great Christians did the same. Stay in the fight. You can win. Number two, it’s vital. It’s worth the battle. Fight it. Don’t just go AWOL. We’ll fight. Stay in there and fight. I won’t have good thoughts. And then number three, be proactive. Plan good thoughts, good things to say in your heart.
I think David, maybe because of this—I’m not sure, but maybe because of this here in four months—but David, he maybe sometimes battled negative thoughts towards himself. God used David to pen this verse, a wonderful verse for you too, maybe. Say, “All right, I’m going to be proactive, and I’m going to use this verse.” In Psalm 139:14, and this is what it says. He says, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” I think when he said, “I know that right,” he said, “I’ve been thinking about that.” Maybe he was tempted to say in his heart, “Man, I can’t do anything right. I’m horrible. I’m bad.” He said, “No, no, no. God made me. He didn’t mess up what he made me.” And I’ve been thinking about it. “I’m fearfully and wonderfully made.” Not to get him proud. No, he said, “I’m going to praise God over that.” Plan, prepare to say the right things in your heart.
Would you pray with me that we would say the right things in our hearts? You pray as I pray. Lord, thank you for your Word that it teaches us so much. Help us, Father, to say the right things in our hearts. Lord, help us to have words of faith and words of encouragement, words that will build us up in our most holy faith. Bless our people, Lord. Father, when it’s all said and done, Lord, I pray to you and each other. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Original File: Pastor Paul Chisgar - From our living room to yours - Wednesday Service 1172024