Framed - Pt. 3 - Mind Frames Series

Framed

Pt. 3 – Mind Frames

As I have stated there are many forces trying to wield influence to shape us or frame us. There are billions of dollars spent each year in an attempt to frame our desires, our style, our wants and our likes. However, I also told you that although I know that your environment, your education, and even the region in which you were raised have a part to play in framing your world I am convinced that there is one factor that has more power and more impact on shaping your than any other. That determining factor is your mind or your thoughts. So we jumped off of Proverbs 4:23 and 23:7 which say:

Text: Proverbs 4:23

Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life.

Proverbs 23:7 – “as a man thinketh in his heart so is he.

So we talked about the need to deal with our mind. We talked about the mind games the enemy plays with us. That if we are not careful in tired moments he will trick us and paint pictures for us that seem to be right and true that are false and he sets us up for failure. We talked about the fact that our perception (true or false) determines our reality. That is why you have to have some folks in your life that can challenge your perception when you aren’t seeing correctly. We said that you have to be careful what you allow into your head because it can get into your feet and you will run at the wrong moment. You will escape right at the moment of breakthrough. You will give up right on the doorstep of a miracle. I ended by telling you that you have to get your head right and everything else will follow. You will come out of all your problems head first. How do you picture yourself?

Review from week 2!

1. Fixing our mind is a daily process.

2. Fixing our mind will fix our behavior.

3. The mind is mean!

So, if we are at war with our carnal mind and if how we think has to be fixed how do we do that?

4. We must be brain washed!

Ever a day in which we need to be brain washed it is this day. There is filth, temptation, visual stimulation at every turn. Mind warps everywhere. We need to purify our mind. We need to wash our mind . . . how?

a. Think like Jesus

Philippians 2:5-8

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

The first step is to think like Jesus. But before we can look at how He thought we need to look at the first word in that passage. We must let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus. He didn’t say let this spirit be in you. He said let this mind be in you! You have to let it become your mind! Let . . . allow. Some of us never have the mind of Christ simply because we never let, allow or submit our minds so that the thoughts of Christ take up root in us. We drown out those thoughts with other things. So what did Jesus think about?

What was on the mind of Christ? How did Jesus think?

1. Father's business - Kingdom minded. He wasn’t Dell minded. He wasn’t sports minded. He wasn’t clothes minded. He wasn’t reputation minded. Some of you are so concerned about your reputation that you can’t think like Christ because you are so worried about what someone else will think! He wasn’t community minded (first – although He did care about the community). He focused His thoughts on the Kingdom.

2. Serve – came to serve not be served. He wasn’t thinking about His way or the highway. He wasn’t thinking about His rights. He wasn’t thinking about how he could retire comfortably regardless of cost to family. He was thinking constantly about how He could serve those around Him and make their lives better! He thought humbly. He put others first. He came to serve not be served! Some of us will never be able to win the war of the mind because we think this is all about us. We spend no time thinking about others! And the problem is that self-centered thoughts usually eventually turn into sin-centered thoughts!