Latest / The Woman at the Well Ministries Podcast / 359 | Renewing Your Mind: Choosing Thoughts That Transform

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359 | Renewing Your Mind: Choosing Thoughts That Transform · The Woman at the Well Ministries Podcast

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  Music.
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  Hello, friends, and welcome back to another podcast of Woman at the Well Ministries,
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  where we believe that all of us have to come to Jesus like the woman at the well in John chapter 4.
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  Our highest priority is making God real in your life.
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  Whether you are listening in our app, in your favorite podcasting app,
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  or on our website at watwm.org,
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  we invite you to sit down with us as we look to the scriptures to learn more
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  about God and to strengthen your daily walk with Jesus Christ.
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  Living a life for Christ. She's a happy girl.
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  Music.
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  She's a happy girl.
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  Join us in this podcast of Woman at the Well Ministries as Kim takes us on a
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  journey through the scriptures, revealing the truth that we must change how
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  we think by renewing our minds if we are going to begin to understand God's will for our lives.
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  We must change our mindset from one that focuses on the problem to one that
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  walks in the obedience of the solution found in Jesus Christ.
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  We choose how we think, and we must choose to renew our mind so that we think
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  as God instructs and Jesus demonstrates.
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  Hello, and thank you for joining us in this podcast of Woman at the Well Ministries.
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  And today we're going to talk about something that, to be frankly honest,
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  is difficult for all of us. And that is the truth that we can choose what we think about.
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  We can choose how we behave and how we act and what our thoughts are by simply doing it, by choosing.
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  Either you're going to follow what God wants you to follow or you are going
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  to follow self or you're going to choose to follow advice from someone else.
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  But in each of those scenarios, we are given the opportunity to choose,
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  to choose what you think.
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  And it is a known fact that what you're thinking is what's going to directly
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  motivate what you are doing.
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  So if you're thinking negative thoughts you're going to end up with a very negative
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  result because generally negative thoughts shut you down and you do nothing
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  if you're thinking positively,
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  then you're going to be empowered and you're going to be energized and you're
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  going to have a purpose and you're going to be inspired and motivated to do
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  something to move yourself out of this funk.
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  And you're going to gain positive results. But this isn't a message about the
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  power of positive thinking.
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  This is a message about renewing our minds.
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  The devil and the world bombards us every day.
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  It fills us with yuck. It consistently puts in front of us things that are not
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  kind, good, gracious, or desirable.
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  But Jesus said that we are not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed.
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  Transformed means we are changed from one state to another.
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  And for me, I think that is clear.
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  It means that you are changed from a state of serving the flesh,
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  of obeying the world, of conforming to the ways of the world, to a spiritual, holy,
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  godly, purpose, walk, and in absolute obedience, you follow him.
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  That's a transformation. affirmation.
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  We're not brought into this world wanting to follow Jesus.
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  In fact, it says we are all sinners come short of the glory of God.
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  We are born with a sinful nature in need of a savior.
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  But Romans 12, 1 and 2 says, I beseech you therefore, brethren,
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  by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice,
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  holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
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  And be not conformed to this world, but be you transformed by the renewing of
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  your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
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  This transformation isn't something you can create.
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  This transformation isn't something that you can will into existence.
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  But this transformation that we're talked about in Romans 12,
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  2 comes about by a choice.
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  The choice to renew your mind, according to Romans 12, 2, means that we are
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  to interpret life through the lens of God's word and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
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  That means your decisions your purpose your purpose.
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  Your mind's focus is solely and squarely on following the commandments of God,
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  in walking the ways of Jesus, and in alignment with God's word and the teaching
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  and promptings of the Holy Spirit.
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  See, we are told in John chapter 14 that we are given the Holy Spirit to teach us and to comfort us.
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  And in this world where we don't belong, where we are pilgrims and strangers.
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  Looking for a city whose builder and maker is God, we need comfort.
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  Because those of us who are godly, who are desiring to do the will of God,
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  who are leaning on the Holy Spirit to help us be holy.
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  We're going to feel awkward in this world and need some comfort.
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  But we must change how we think by renewing our minds so that we can begin to
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  understand God's will for our life.
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  If you look at Scripture, everything about salvation screams transformation.
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  As I said in Romans 3.23, we come into this world a sinner in need of a Savior.
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  We see in Romans 6, 23, that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God
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  is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
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  So we see that following after sin is death and destruction,
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  receiving the salvation of Jesus Christ is eternal life.
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  In 2 Corinthians 5, 17, it says plainly, Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.
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  Old things are passed away behold all
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  things are become new romans 12
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  1 and 2 says that we present our bodies a
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  living sacrifice which is our reasonable service so often we feel like that
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  if we go to church or or if we read our bibles or if we mention jesus to someone
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  else that we've like, take it to a next level.
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  No, he said, it's your reasonable service.
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  And I want you to think about that for a moment before you jump off the cliff
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  and say, wow, that's just asking a lot.
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  Because what I want you to see in this is that when Jesus Christ died on the
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  cross of Calvary, he gave his all.
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  Not just a piece of him, not just a little bit of his blood,
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  but he shed his blood for each and every one of us.
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  And you really have to understand that if you were the only person born,
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  he would have died for you.
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  That's how much he loves you because he created you in his image.
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  And there's no way for you to go to heaven but through Jesus Christ.
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  We learn that in John 14, 6, when he said, I am the way, the truth,
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  and the life, and no man cometh unto the Father but by me.
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  He tells us in John 3, Marvel not that I say unto thee, you must be born again.
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  And then he tells us how in John 3, 16, when he says, For God so loved the world
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  that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
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  perish but have everlasting life.
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  Then in 17, he says, For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the
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  world, but that the world through him might be saved.
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  This reasonable service of giving your life in commitment and fulfillment to Jesus Christ,
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  is one that is a benefit you will never be able to fully comprehend because you cannot out give God.
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  He created a way for you before you even were born.
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  Certainly well before you understood you needed a payment for your sins.
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  He's always looking out for you. He's always taking care of you.
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  He's always protecting you. He is the way to live the abundant life he has promised in John 10, 10.
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  But in Romans 12, 1 and 2, he says, we can't be conformed to the world. We have to be different.
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  Friends, we must be different than those who don't know Jesus because we have
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  the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who is teaching us and comforting us and leading
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  us and guiding us and directing us.
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  How could someone who doesn't have that power within them
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  possibly shine the
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  light that we do they're still in darkness so
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  they have no light so he says be
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  transformed and in second corinthians
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  5 17 that i read in your hearing he tells
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  you that we're new creatures the old things are passed away the all things have
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  become new and then in ephesians 4 22 through 24 it reads like this that you
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  put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt.
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  According to the deceitful lust and be renewed in the spirit of your mind that
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  you put on the new man which after god is created in righteousness and true holiness.
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  Things are different for a Christian. They think differently.
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  And so we are to renew our spirit. There are many accounts in scripture where
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  the disciples are washing the dirt off their feet.
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  And I believe that's very analogous to, in our lives, we walk through the world
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  and we see sin, but we don't have to participate in it.
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  With just walking in the world, things that we see, it kind of gets on us.
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  And we need to renew our mind every day, not to be saved again,
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  but say, Lord, cleanse me, make me whole.
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  Help me, Lord, to be more like you. Don't allow anything I've seen.
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  Don't allow anything I've heard.
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  Don't allow any place that I may have inadvertently found myself.
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  Cause me to be less holy because I've turn my mind a little to the world and
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  a little further from you.
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  But instead, Lord, take my eyes and help me focus fully on you.
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  Take my feet and turn them and allow me to walk fully in the direction of where you are.
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  Take my hands and let them be busy in your work.
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  Take all of me and use me, that I may be filled with your purpose,
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  filled with your grace, always demonstrating your love and separate from the world.
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  Renew my mind, Lord. Help me get back on center, back on focus.
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  How do we do that? Well, we read God's Word,
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  we study God's Word, we memorize God's Word,
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  we pray and we take captive
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  those negative thoughts if you
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  look in philippians 4 8 he says finally brethren
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  whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are
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  just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things
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  are of good report if there be any virtue and if there be any praise think on
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  these things think on scripture,
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  Meditate on it day and night. Feast on it.
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  You know, the world will tell you you are what you eat.
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  If we would feast on the word of God, we'd be so more like him.
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  We need to feed our minds.
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  What you see and what you hear has a drastic influence on how you behave and what you think.
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  And again what you think directly impacts how you behave and you can choose
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  to think on these things or you
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  can choose to be a negative nelly a debbie downer a person of the world.
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  We as Christians who are new creatures, who put off the conversation of the old,
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  who've put the lust of the world behind us and have purpose in our heart and
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  committed in our lives to follow after Jesus Christ, must feed our minds with who he is.
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  There's a difference between reading God's word and studying God's word.
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  In 2 Timothy 2.15, he says, study to show thyself approved unto God,
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  a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
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  We are to study it. That means we look at it and say, how does this apply to
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  my life? What does it really mean? What is he saying to me?
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  How can I be more for him from knowing this?
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  What is he asking me to do in my life?
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  We fill ourselves not just with the words of the Lord, but the intentions and the directions.
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  It's hard to follow what you don't know. It's hard to follow what you don't understand.
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  But reading God's word and studying God's word and asking him to help you and
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  getting the Holy Spirit to teach you and instruct you, this is how we fill our
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  minds with Christ Jesus.
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  We feed on it. In Psalm 119 and
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  105, he says, Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.
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  Sometimes the way seems incredibly evasive.
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  Sometimes you just feel like you don't know. But again, in John 14, 6, he said, I am the way.
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  And I am the truth. And I am the life.
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  And in John 1, 14, he said, the word was made flesh and dwelt among us.
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  So as we read the word and study the word, he is unfolding in front of us the way that we should go.
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  We must focus our mind on what he says. In Psalms 119 11, he says,
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  thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee.
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  There are times getting your hand on the word of God is hard to do.
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  Maybe you don't have the time in the instant.
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  Maybe when faced with that temptation, you can't say, I need a sidebar or a
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  timeout and give me 10 minutes to read.
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  But you can allow the Holy Spirit to bring to remembrance those things that
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  you have need of when you have need of it and he can't bring to remembrance
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  that which you've never known,
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  but knowing the word of God will will throw the red flags up will give you the
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  pause will give you the break that you need to allow your mind to settle in
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  on its purpose to be godly and to be holy.
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  And knowing what God says and having memorized it in your heart is a true barrier
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  and weapon to keep you from falling into the traps of the devil who walketh.
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  About as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.
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  But greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.
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  And we must allow our mind to focus on who God is to the point that he impermeates our heart.
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  He impermeates our life. He is our life. He is our purpose.
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  He is the way. And we are following him
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  not begrudgingly we are obeying him not because we're
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  afraid of punishment but we follow him because we know hook line and sinker
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  that his way is the best way we are obeying him because we know that obeying
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  him will give us the life he has promised of joy unspeakable and full of glory
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  it's a commitment out of love not of obligation.
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  Then, my friend, if we really put these things into practice,
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  you're going to be praying all along the way because you'll be asking,
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  Lord, help me to understand what I just read.
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  Help me to get what I just studied so that I can put it in my life.
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  And you're going to have a prayer life of constant communication.
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  In fact, Thessalonians tells us that we're to pray without ceasing.
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  That's an attitude of the heart.
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  We need to be so close to Jesus we hear him when he whispers.
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  But we can't do that if all we have is junk and distraction and white noise in our head.
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  We need to have the truth that brings peace and assurance.
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  We need to have his grace that gives us permission to be human yet holy.
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  We need his mercy that forgives us, and we need to be covered in his love.
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  We need to drip the essence of the love of Jesus over everyone in our lives.
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  And we should be leaving a footprint when we walk out of a room that points others to Jesus.
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  Our words, our actions, our thoughts, all need to be in alignment with what
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  God says out of a heart of love and devotion.
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  For you've never been loved and never will be loved like Jesus loves you.
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  His love never ends. It's unconditional, and it comes with amazing rewards and
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  benefits and blessings.
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  In Proverbs 3, 5 through 7, he says, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart,
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  and lean not unto thine own understanding.
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  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
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  Be not wise in thine own eyes. Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
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  Trust him, love him, obey him, be holy, take him at his word,
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  call on him in Jeremiah 33, three, and he'll answer you.
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  Come boldly to the throne of grace that you may find help in time of trouble in Hebrews 4, 16.
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  He isn't trying to evade you.
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  He wants to invade your hearts.
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  He wants to be part
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  of your every thought and part of your entire being he
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  wants you to be transformed from worldly to godly and he's doing everything
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  he can to have you choose him and it begins with what you put in your head it
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  begins with how you discipline your thought life It begins with what your eyes
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  feed upon and your ears consume.
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  In 2 Corinthians 10.5, he says, Casting down imaginations and every high thing
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  that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, bringing into captivity every
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  thought to the obedience of Christ.
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  Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.
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  We must heed proverbs
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  4 23 which says keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues
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  of life renew your mind through christ jesus choose jesus choose holiness,
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  and trust fully on him who will bring it to pass.
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  Remember you are loved. Jesus loves you.
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  Music.
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  In today's podcast. You can visit the show notes for quotes from today's podcast
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  and scripture references.
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  We pray today has been a blessing and we encourage you to reach out to us through
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  our app, our website, or our Facebook page.
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  You can find our app by searching for Woman at the Well Ministries in your app
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  store or through our website at watwm.org.
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  We're on Facebook at facebook.com slash w-a-t-w-m.
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  If you visit our website, you'll be able to subscribe to Bible Bits,
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  a daily devotion written by Kim and delivered Monday through Friday by text message.
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  Woman at the Well Ministries is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving
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  our Heavenly Father, and it is through your loving and generous support that
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  our ministry continues to bless others.
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  To learn how to partner with Woman at the Well Ministries, please visit our website.
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  Thank you to the Gospel Group Fudge Creek for letting us use their hit song, Happy Girl.
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  We greatly appreciate your prayers. We are praying daily for our listeners.
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  Remember that God loves you. You are loved.
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  Music.