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Week 1 Sermon Questions For Groups

February 10, 2019

Mastermind: Winning The War In Your Mind 

Introduction: 

It’s all in your head. But what if that’s a good thing? Have you ever thought about winning the war in your mind? Most of life’s battles are won or lost in the mind. Our thoughts have power when we give them power. To win the war in your mind, you need to be able to identify the strongholds that are holding you back, name the truth that will demolish that stronghold, and renew your mind so, with the power of Christ behind you, you can rewire your brain to become the person God designed you to be.

Bottom Line: Your life is always moving in the direction of your strongest thoughts.

Something To Talk About: 

Thoughts are powerful—especially the ones you think about yourself. Are you telling yourself the truth about who you’re created to be? Learn how to take your thoughts captive:

  1. Identify the number one stronghold that is holding you back: What is the number-one lie or stronghold that’s holding you back? What happens, and why is this so important? The life that you have is a reflection of the thoughts that you think. Your life is always moving in the direction of your strongest thoughts. If you want to change your life, change your thinking. Change your thinking and you change your life. Proverbs 23:7 (GNT) says, “…What he thinks is what he really is.” As you think, so you become. If you think you can’t, you probably won’t. If you believe through Christ that you can, you can. If you believe that you’re a victim, always suffering at the hand of some outside circumstances, you will be a victim. If you believe that you can overcome through the power of Christ, you can overcome. For almost all of us in almost every situation, most of life’s battles are won or lost in the mind. Would you say we are more worldly, thinking about the things of this world, what benefits me, what I get, what I have, what I want, or are you more eternal-minded, thinking about what benefits the kingdom of God, how I can be a blessing to others, how I can use my life to bring glory to my heavenly King. Think about what you think about, because your life is moving in the direction of your strongest thoughts. In other words, what comes into your mind comes out in your life. Identify the strongholds, the lies, the deceptions in your mind and change your thinking, creating new pathways with new God-honoring thoughts, and suddenly, the God truth becomes the default instead of the lie becoming the default.  
  2. Name the truth that demolishes that stronghold: We’re not gonna travel the old, unhealthy, unhelpful path. Instead, we demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God. We take captive every thought, and we make it obedient to Christ. We capture any wrong thought. I’m not going down this negative pathway. This does not lead to God’s destination. I’m choosing a different road. And the more I travel God’s truth, the more I believe it, the more He renews my mind, the more He changes my thinking, the more I’m able to walk by faith and not by sight, the more His Spirit guides me, the more His word directs me, the more His truth demolishes any strongholds. 

Discussion Questions 

  1. What can you do to be more aware of what goes into your mind?
  2. Do you agree or disagree with the “garbage in, garbage out” philosophy? Why?
  3. Romans 12:2 talks about our minds and our way of thinking being transformed. What do you think that means?  
  4. How do you personally battle negative thinking? What have you found that works? Identify one of your strongest negative behaviors and think of a new path to take next time you have the chance. Then, try it out. 
  5. What’s one practical way you can learn to think and act more like Jesus this week?
  6. Ask God to change you by starting with your mind. Ask Him to renew it by restoring faith, hope and purity in Him. 
  7. What’s one change you could make this week to secure your mind more? 
  8. What part of this message resonated with you? 
  9. What can we do this week to put this message into practice? 

Take One Thing Home With You

There is an ages old principle that says when you put garbage into your mind and life, garbage will come out. The opposite also applies: when you put good things into your mind and life, then good things will flow out. Your mind matters and what you put into your mind will ultimately make the difference in which actions you take. 

Our minds work like computers where we are able to store unbelievable amounts of information. It is common knowledge that computers cannot output something that it was not programmed to do. So, what goes in is what comes out.  Same is true with our minds. Your mind matters and what you put into your mind will ultimately make the difference in which actions you take. If the TV and movies we are watching and the magazines we are reading and the music we listening to are communicating the message that don’t line up with God’s message, it won’t be long before those ideas are spilling out in our conversation or action and our mouths.

Our minds are a powerful source of positive energy.  If we take the advice of Romans 12:2, “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”, we can begin to think these thoughts with the mind of Christ.