Knowledge of the month
July 2010
Take a minute to think:
Think about a time when an old way of thinking caused you to miss out on something new? What was the result?
Introduction - Read Romans 12:1-2
If this is going to be the year of great expectation we must renew our minds to what God wants instead of what we desire. To renew means to renovate, to wipe or clean out completely and replace with all new things. Renewing the mind is the key to living a successful life as a Christian and overcoming the mindsets that keep us bound in ungodly lifestyles. When we renew our minds, we have the power to transform our entire life and become all that God desires for us to become.
Think about a current way you are thinking that needs to be renewed?
The way you think determines how you see everything. Read Matthew 6:22-23
Although you use your eyes to see, it's your thought life determining how you see the world in which you live. If you have a poverty mentality you will see everything through the eyes of poverty. God wants you to see through His eyes and think through His mind. In other words, when you think the way God wants you to think and see the way He wants you to see; you will experience His results in your life.
As a born-again Christian, think about the dangers of holding on to your old way of thinking?
What are some outward signs of wrong thinking?
How we think determines what we imagine. Read Proverbs 4:23
God gave you an imagination so you could create mental pictures, add faith to them and see those pictures manifest in your life. When you allow your imagination to give birth to negative thoughts that do not line up with God's word, it produces a carnal mind-set which allows the curse to operate freely in your life.
Think about why it's important for you to understand this scripture as it relates to 2010 being the year of great expectation?
Three things we need to do in order for this to be the year of Great Expectation
1. Change the way you see yourself. Read 2 Corinthians 5:17
God has big plans for your life. However, they will never come to pass as long as you see yourself the way you used to be. When old things pass away, you must have something new to function with. Think about a time when a new way of seeing yourself caused a change in your behavior?
2. Become students of the word. Read 2 Timothy 2:15
Renewing the mind is not a one-time event; it is an ongoing process that must continue for the rest of your life. It starts by studying God's Word and finding out what He has to say about the situations you face in life and how to handle them. What happens to a student that doesn't study?
3. Examine daily what you are thinking. Read 2 Corinthians 10:5 & Philippians 4: 8
Every day you are faced with opportunities to demonstrate your faith in God and defeat Satan. Your first line of defense is a mind that is guarded by the Word of God. You must watch over your thought life and refuse every negative thought of the enemy.