from JO’s sermon tonight:
our mind is like a computer, how we program it will determine how it’s going to function; you can have the most expensive, powerful computer you can find, but if you put the wrong software in it, it’s not going to perform up to par. in the same way, many people are not living a victorious life, not because their hardware is defective, not because there’s something wrong with them, but they’ve allowed their thinking to become contaminated, they start believing the lies: I’m not talented, I don’t have a good personality, I’ve made too many mistakes, I’ve reached my limits. just like a virus can slow down a perfectly good computer, our wrong thinking can keep us from our destiny; if you’re going to live in victory, you’ve gotta know how to hit the delete button; that thought comes, you’re just average, you’re ordinary-delete, I’m a masterpiece, I’m one of a kind; you’ve seen your best days, it’s all downhill from here-delete, my future will be brighter than my past. you’ve made too many mistakes, you’re all washed up-delete, I’m forgiven, God’s mercy is new every single morning. some of you, if you’d just start hitting the delete button, your life would go to a new level, you can’t go through the day thinking negative thoughts and expect to live in victory, your life is going to follow your thoughts
Romans 12:2 (NIV)
2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
that simply means, reprogram your software with what God says about you. God says you’re blessed, talented, equipped, forgiven, more than a conqueror. all through the day, that’s what should be playing in our minds; when thoughts come saying otherwise, no big deal, just hit the delete button, don’t give it the time of day
said to a man who lost his business: your software has become contaminated, you have to start deleting those thoughts that are telling you you’re a failure; the enemy is called the accuser of the brethren, he’ll try to remind you of every mistake you’ve made, every disappointment, weakness, he knows if you’re against yourself you will never fulfill your destiny; you have to delete the condemning, accusing voices. we’ve all made mistakes, we all have things that we wish we could do over, but the past is the past, quit beating yourself up, you’re not supposed to go around feeling wrong on the inside, turn off the negative recording that’s reminding you of everything that you’re not, delete those thoughts, and put on a new recording; I am forgiven, accepted and approved by almighty God, I have a bright future, I am a masterpiece
sometimes it’s not our own thoughts that are holding us back, it’s the negative things other people have spoken over us; words are like seeds, if we dwell on them long enough, they’ll take root and become a reality. there will always be people telling us what we cannot become, how we don’t have what it takes, how our dreams are not going to come to pass. too often, we latch onto the negative, and we develop what the scripture calls a stronghold; that’s a wrong thought that’s keeping us from our destiny:
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (NIV)
4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
I know people that had something negative said over them 20 years ago, and it’s still impacting their life. a parent told them “you’ll never be successful,” a coach said, “you’re too small, you don’t have what it takes.” instead of hitting the delete button, they played it over and over; now, it’s keeping them from God’s best. you need to take inventory of your thought life; what are you dwelling on, what do you believe about yourself, your family, your future? ask yourself, where did these thoughts come from? do they line up with what God says about me?
God is saying to us today, “who told you you’re not talented, you’ll never be successful, you’ve made too many mistakes?” you need to delete those thoughts, those are the wrong voices, they will contaminate your software. some of you are allowing what somebody said about you to hold you back; there will always be people to try to throw water on our fire, to try to push down our dreams, some negative voice to try to keep your seeds of greatness from flourishing; you gotta get good at hitting the delete button, you are not who people say you are, you are who God says you are; I am not who my neighbor says I am, who my cousin says I am, who my critic says I am, I am who God says I am
1 Samuel 16:7 (NLT)
7 … The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart
you may not be as “impressive” as someone else, don’t worry about it, God put in you exactly what you need, other people may not see it, but almighty God can see it; people may have tried to push you down, leave you out, make you feel insignificant, let that bounce off of you like water off of a duck’s back. are there any viruses that are contaminating your computer? are you allowing what people have spoken over you to hold you back? the scripture tells how we’ve gotta pull down these strongholds; we can’t stop the negative voices from coming, but we can choose whether or not we’re going to dwell on them. God’s given each one of us a delete button
we know the importance of a father’s blessing, and what weight and what importance that carries, but unfortunately some people don’t receive that blessing; maybe you didn’t receive your Earthly father’s blessing, the good news is, you have your heavenly Father’s blessing, almighty God is saying to you, “You are my masterpiece, you are one of a kind, you have seeds of greatness, you are equipped, strong, talented, beautiful”; that’s what should be playing in our mind no matter who tried to tell you otherwise, a parent, a friend, a coach, a neighbor; delete that and reprogram your software, you are not defective, flawed, you have been fearfully and wonderfully made. some of you have been through unfair situations, people have spoken things over you that they had no business saying, you could easily go around feeling bad, low self-esteem, low self-worth, no, don’t ever let what someone said or did keep you from knowing who you really are, you are a child of the most high God, God has crowned you with his favor. people may have tried to push you down, make you feel insignificant, but that does not change who you are, you are still the apple of God’s eye, His most prized possession, God still has an amazing future in front of you, and if you will hit that delete button, and get rid of any strongholds, God will take what was meant for your harm and He will use it to your advantage
Psalm 27:10 (AMP)
10 Although my father and my mother have forsaken me, yet the Lord will take me up [adopt me as His child].
make sure there are no strongholds that are keeping you back. any time we try to move forward in faith, there will always be people trying to contaminate our software; they may not do it on purpose, but they’ll tell you what you can’t do, and why it’s not gonna work out, my cousin tried and failed, my grandmother died of that same disease, the negative voices will come out of the woodwork, but remember, God didn’t put the promise in them, God put the promise in you, don’t let people talk you out of your destiny; the experts are not always right, the experts told David he could never defeat Goliath, we should stay open, listen to good advice and wise counsel, but God’s ways are not our ways, sometimes God will drop things in your heart that don’t make any sense, things that go against normal logic; faith begins with stuffing your ears full of cotton, don’t let people talk you out of it; what are the experts telling you that you can’t do? you’re too tall, short, young, old, it’s not a good idea, why don’t you delete all the negative voices and let almighty God be your expert, after all, He controls the universe, He knows what He put in you, He’s the one that can bring your dreams to pass; are the experts telling you you can’t accomplish your dreams? you can’t get well, get out of debt, go back to school? no, start hitting the delete button, God didn’t put the dream in them, He put the dream in you; you have what you need, the talent, strength, wisdom, favor, to do what God has put in your own heart
when my father went to be with the Lord and I stepped up to pastor the church, all the experts said “he can’t minister, he’s never done it before, he’s too young, he doesn’t have the training”; sometimes God allows things like that on purpose, those are tests of our faith to see what we’re made of; start hitting the delete button: it’s not gonna last-delete. it’s impossible-delete. you don’t have what it takes-delete; just because you have a “limitation,” that doesn’t have to keep you from your destiny, start hitting the delete button, you are not who people say you are, you are who God says you are, reprogram your software, get rid of any strongholds that are keeping you back; your life is going to follow your thoughts, some of you have had this negative recoding playing over and over in your mind, change the recording, put on what God says about you, you are blessed, forgiven, talented, a masterpiece. don’t let any viruses contaminate your computer, and if you will be quick to hit the delete button, keep your mind filled with thoughts of faith, you will overcome every negative word spoken over you. a limitation won’t hold you back. the experts won’t determine your destiny, God will, you will rise higher, accomplish dreams, overcome obstacles, and become everything God’s created you to be
Now, tell me what YOU think!! :)