Fix Your Throughts On Jesus!

Philippians 4:8–9 (ESV)

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

Sermon Summary:

Paul commands believers not only to act but first to think. Our thoughts shape our lives. What we fix our minds on affects what we become. Philippians 4:8–9 teaches us how to think in a Christlike way, why it matters, and how to renew our minds. Ultimately, it leads us to fix our thoughts on Jesus—the One who is fully true, pure, lovely, and worthy of praise.

Introduction: Two Commands—Think and Act (Practice_

In Philippians 4:8–9, Paul gives us two simple but powerful instructions:

Think and Act.

And the order matters—before we can live rightly, we must learn to think rightly.

We may not act on every thought, but our actions never rise higher than our thoughts.

If our thinking doesn’t change, our lives won’t either.

1. Your Thoughts Shape Your Life

You might not notice change in yourself, but others do—because your thoughts have changed.

As believers, we begin to think differently:

Good instead of evil

Righteousness instead of injustice

Love instead of hate

Humility instead of pride

Service instead of comparison

We may not have arrived yet, but we are being transformed.

“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7, NKJV)

2. Think on What Reflects Jesus

Philippians 4:8 tells us to think about whatever is:

“true… honorable… just… pure… lovely… commendable… excellent… praiseworthy…”

But who is the only One who is completely true, honorable, righteous, and worthy of all praise?

Jesus.

So Paul is really telling us: Fix your thoughts on Jesus.

“Those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.” (Romans 8:29)

“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2, NLT: “by changing the way you think”)

Even though we are children of God, we are still influenced by our old ways and the world around us.

That’s why our thinking must be renewed daily.

3. The Beggar Prince: A Picture of Us

Let me illustrate.

A king once adopted a beggar boy living under a bridge.

He clothed him in royal garments, fed him well, and brought him to the palace.

But the boy kept longing for his old life—his rags, his tin can, his “freedom” under the bridge.

Why? Because he hadn’t changed the way he thought.

This story may sound fictional, but it’s actually our reality.

Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:

“Put off your old self… be renewed in the spirit of your minds… put on the new self,

created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (vv. 22–24)

We must take off the old rags and embrace the new identity we’ve been given in Christ.

4. Don't Settle for Your Past

Are we living like that beggar prince—still trapped in guilt, regret, and old habits?

Or are we enjoying our identity as forgiven, beloved children of God?

To live like God’s children, we must think like God’s children.

We must fill our minds with what is true, lovely, and excellent—with Christ Himself.

5. How Do We Renew Our Thoughts?

Verse 9 gives us the key:

“What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things,

and the God of peace will be with you.”

Paul’s life and teaching gave believers a pattern to follow.

They saw godly thinking in action.

We can’t just hear the truth—we must see it, receive it, and live it.

And today, while we don’t have Paul among us, we have something just as powerful:

The complete Word of God.

6. The Word and the Spirit Are Enough

“All Scripture is breathed out by God… so that the man of God may be complete,

equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16–17)

We have all of Scripture—and the Holy Spirit within us.

Through the Bible, we can see and hear Christ, and even learn from the lives of Paul and the apostles.

God has given us everything we need to transform our minds and lives.

7. Tune Your Mind to Christ

Why do some believers grow and others stay stuck or fall away?

One reason is this: whether or not they take their thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).

We must tune our minds to Jesus’ thoughts like an instrument is tuned to pitch.

That’s what prayer does—

It’s not asking Jesus to think like us, but bringing our thoughts in line with His.

But the world floods us with noise, distractions, and false ideas.