Joseph Mueller: All right, well, thank you all for coming here. And this is 0100 in your mind. Hope that doesn’t surprise you.

You got to the right place. And we’ll go ahead and jump right in here. We’re going to talk about your brain a little bit today.

Your brain is a pretty amazing organ. Just a few brain facts here for you. It’s been said that the brain is the most complex thing ever discovered in our universe.

And when you think about everything that’s out there, that’s pretty incredible. Your brain contains about 100 billion microscopic cells called neurons. So many would take you over 3,000 years to count them all.

So don’t even try. If the average person thinks 50,000 thoughts per day, which there’s differing views on that, but that’s kind of the middling range of what people suggest, then that means every hour you think over 2,000 thoughts. That would be about an average of 34 thoughts every minute.

Looking at the room, some of you obviously are not thinking that many thoughts each minute. And the ladies are probably thinking twice that many. this amazing brain that god has given us is is really the control center of everything that you do in your life in fact that’s why in proverbs chapter 4 in verse number 23 it says keep thy

heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life and that word heart is the idea of it’s it’s of your your mind and we’ll talk a little bit more about that in a moment but that proverb there, keep your heart, we could literally say keep your heart with all keeping. In other

words, make keeping your mind what it should be, the priority in your life, because it’s going to affect every other issue of life. And as we were kind of, I was working on this topic for this session, I realized, whoa, this is really a big, big topic because it kind of touches everything.

So we’re not going to be able to do that, but I trust we’ll be able to look at some things that will help us here. I want you to realize when we’re talking about your mind, probably what for many of us comes to mind is our thoughts as far as mental purity, when we’re thinking about things in the moral arena.

And that certainly is a big part when we’re thinking about our mind. And perhaps I’m going to share a little bit of my own testimony a few moments that may be emphasized a little bit, But it’s not just that that we’re talking about when we’re talking about the need for 0100 in your thoughts. We’re talking about far more than that.

We’re talking about things like worry, anxiety, depression, fear, anger. The list could go on and on. Your thoughts cover a huge gamut of life.

And if I could put it simply here, you need to realize today when we’re talking about 0-100, your mind is really the battlefield where 0-100 is fought. It really is. It’s the place where you either win or lose because that’s, again, it’s from what you think affects what you do.

You’re making choices with your brain, with your will. Am I going to depend on myself or am I going to depend on Jesus? Am I going to yield to my will, what I’ve come up with, or am I going to yield to his will?

And they’re decisions that are made really in your brain, and it’s a battle that can only be won through 0100. So let’s pray here for just a moment and ask the Lord to help us here. Lord, we need you right now.

Lord, would you help us make it so clear what you’re wanting to say to us today? would you make the steps that we can take to win the battle in our brain lord crystal clear we’re trusting in you lead us in this time would it be exactly what each one that’s here needs speak specifically to each heart i pray in your name amen now listen i’m no expert

on the brain i i don’t have that kind of degree or study underneath my belt but i’ve learned a few things over the last couple of years that has been very helpful to me in understanding maybe the that the Lord’s brought me on over the last 15 years personally. And so I want to share a couple of those things with you. And that’s really, there’s more than two parts of the brain,

but two parts of the brain I want to talk about here for just a moment this morning. Something, are you ready for this? Some of you did not come ready for this.

Something called the prefrontal cortex. And another part of your brain called the limbic system. Okay, do we have any like medical people in the room?

All right, someone’s motioning in the back. All right, so hopefully I’m right in what I say here on this. The prefrontal cortex, that’s the part of your brain that does the reasoning, that makes the decisions, that does the actual rational thinking.

Should I do this? Should I not do this? Oh, that’s a good idea.

That’s not a good idea. It’s the one that actually, part of you that thinks logically. Okay, now that’s good to understand, and that we need to develop that, and school is helping you with developing things like that.

And maturity is maybe being able to actually think rationally more often. And I hate to break this to you, but they say your prefrontal cortex isn’t really fully developed until you’re in your 20s. So some of you junior hires, there’s a medical explanation for maybe why you sometimes have a hard time thinking rationally, okay?

I’m just throwing that out there. Okay, so we can almost think of this, the prefrontal cortex is supposed to serve as kind of the brakes on the car of your brain, so to speak. So it’s the thing that’s supposed to say, not a good idea, don’t do that.

You know, okay, and you go ahead and do it anyway sometimes. But that’s your prefrontal cortex. Now, that’s something that as you’re this week, God’s been speaking to you.

He’s been giving you truth. And you’re lodging me, and you listen to Dr. Jim preach today and say, okay, this makes sense.

Yeah, 0% me, 100% God. I can’t depend on myself at all. This makes sense.

You’re lodging some things. You’re getting some information that you’re logically assimilating. But there is another part of your brain that dramatically affects the decisions that you make, and it’s your limbic system.

And this we could call the seat of your emotions. It’s kind of your emotional memory. I think what the Bible is referring to when it’s talking about your heart.

And it’s the part of you that, you know, when you’re thinking about something, reminds you how good that felt when you thought about that or when you looked at that image or when you whatever. It reminds you, oh, you remember that feeling you got, that feeling that came over you so strongly when that happened? It doesn’t remind you.

It’s not thinking logically. It doesn’t remind you about the negative things that happened as a result. but you’re remembering the good feelings.

And, of course, it’s also the part of you that flares up when you get angry, that just has that rise you feel inside, that whoosh, that makes your face turn red and all that. Okay, that’s your limbic system going on full drive. Now, I mention all of that not to bore you or to try to impress you because, frankly, just what I said is not very impressive.

But it helped me to understand that, to realize, okay, This is why sometimes I’m sitting here and I’m thinking, I know I shouldn’t do this, but I do it anyway. I know I shouldn’t be thinking these thoughts, but I go ahead and think them anyway. Because, let me ask you this, do you think when it comes to that moment,

is your prefrontal cortex, your rational thinking, or your emotional thinking stronger in the moment? What do you think? The emotional memory.

Right, the emotional thinking. That’s what is, that’s much stronger. It can easily overpower your logical thinking.

And that’s why we get in trouble. Because we have this from whatever, from past choices. And now it’s kind of built into us.

And that flares up. We start to get that feeling. We start to think about that feeling.

And so then we illogically go ahead and follow through anyway. And again, this could be you think about a certain image that you saw, and it stirs up that feeling within you. And so that’s why we feel dirty.

I think these wrong thoughts. And later we think, why did I do that? I shouldn’t have done that.

I wish I hadn’t done that. Well, now your prefrontal cortex, see, you shouldn’t have done it. But in the moment, you went ahead with it because that feeling was so strong.

It could be the same thing with fear. You know, God wants me to talk to this person about the gospel. And you think, yeah, I need to do that.

God wants me to do it. And you get to that moment, and it’s, why is 0100 so hard? Why does it seem so hard?

Because fear rises up, and it overpowers you, even though, you know, God told me to do it. it rises up inside of you. Have you ever felt like that?

I know I certainly have. I was in junior high when I was first exposed to pornography, and it was accidental, and I didn’t even know what I was seeing when I first saw it, but there was something about it that grabbed me. It made me feel a certain way, and so I

I went back to it and then I went back to it and before I knew it I was I was hooked and for several years of my life junior high and first several years of high school I was all the time looking at stuff I shouldn’t be looking at and that in of itself was bad enough but as a result of that

my thought life even when I wasn’t looking at stuff actively my thought life was in the trash and beyond that i started to have dreams that i don’t even want to mention i try not to think about that literally made me feel dirty all the time and i would i would hear preaching i would i would

tell myself i would i would look at something or i would be thinking about something and i think i never i’m never going to do that again i don’t want to do that i’m never never going to do it again. I hate this. And I maybe wouldn’t for a couple days.

And then opportunity arose and that feeling overpowered me. And so I literally lived this way. My parents didn’t know about it.

It was done in secret, of course, as these things always are. And I literally felt bound. Do you know what I’m talking about?

I felt bound. And I wanted out, but honestly, I didn’t think it was possible. I felt so trapped by it.

I felt so ashamed, so guilty. And my junior year of high school, or may have been the summer before my junior year, I don’t remember the timeline exactly, but Dr. Jim actually was preaching revival meetings at a church, not my church, but at a church near my church and I heard that he happened to be there so I thought I’ll go over on Tuesday night

and go here and preach and I got there and all this time I was called to preach I believe God wanted me to serve in missions that he had given me the gift of the evangelist and I was I was focused that was my plan I was planning on going to Bible college and be serving the Lord I was a good kid, grew up in a good Christian home.

On the outside, everything looked great. And I was the good kid in the youth group. You know what I’m talking about?

That was me. But inside, I was in so much turmoil and bondage. And frankly, I made no effect on my youth group.

So I looked good on the outside. I had no power on my life. And I went to hear Dr.

Jim preach that night. Again, having a heart, wanting to serve the Lord, wanting to have God speak to me. I got there that night, and he told us to turn to Colossians 2, in verse number 6.

And he preached a simple message, As ye therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him. And it probably wasn’t the first time in my life, but it was the first time that maybe I understood, or first time that it hit home to me, the simple truth that you heard preached today, though it wasn’t that message, it was maybe the seed thought of that message,

that the Christian life is just like salvation. Just like you depended on Jesus completely to save you from your sin, the Christian life is all about depending completely on Jesus to deliver you of whatever the need is in your life. And God was knocking on my door that night.

And something happened in my heart. because I had been thinking, there’s no way to get out of this. I don’t know how I can do this.

I knew, yeah, I need to talk to mom and dad. I had heard enough preaching about sin in the camp and all these things. I thought there’s no way I can do that.

But that night, God began me on a journey of realizing that I can have victory in my mind by depending on Jesus. And after that service, I don’t remember the exact timeline. It was the next day or a couple of days later, but God was deeply working out.

And I ended up telling my parents what was going on. I opened up to them and said, this is the struggle I’m having. This is what I’ve been doing.

And it wasn’t like that solved the problem immediately. But can I tell you this? It started me.

and now 15 years later I can stand here today as a testimony and tell you God can take anybody’s mind no matter how filthy it is and can cleanse you and restore you and he can make you usable in his hand Jesus can take your thought problems whether it’s whether it’s moral, mental purity issues, whether it’s fear, whether it’s anxiety,

no matter what it is, he can take your thought problems and he can free you from that powerful feeling that welled up that said, you have to do this even though you know you shouldn’t do it. He can free you. He did it for me.

I’m not anybody special. And he can do it for you. Take your Bibles and go to Ephesians chapter number 4.

We need to go here quickly. Ephesians chapter number 4. And verse number 17, we’ll start right there.

We’re going to read several verses, and please bear with me. I’ll try to explain quickly, maybe make a few comments as we read through rather than coming back just for sake of time. verse number 17 here the apostle paul says this i say therefore and testify in the lord that you walk not as the as other gentiles walk unsaved people in the vanity the emptiness

of their mind the lack of fulfillment okay this is talking about the way that lost people think having the understanding oh there we go think thought processes darkened being alienated from the life of god through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart and notice verse 19 who being past feeling that’s the idea of being calloused

they’ve indulged in this so long that now they don’t even they don’t even maybe feel guilty about it or they don’t even they think oh this is no big deal why do we go further and further into sin maybe we start with one thing and then oh that doesn’t give us the thrill anymore so we go to

the next thing and that now that doesn’t give you then we go to the next thing why does that happen because we get calloused to one thing that’s what it’s talking this is how the lost world lives that’s why we see the mess that is out there and unfortunately we sometimes have in our own lives who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness. That’s just riotous, riotous living, ungodly living,

to work all uncleanness with greediness, sinful living for yourself, doing what you feel like doing, no matter whether it’s right or wrong. That’s how the world lives. That’s how the world thinks.

But that’s not how God’s people should think. Notice verse number 20. It says, but ye have not so learned Christ.

That’s an interesting phrase, and I don’t have time to get into all the details, but essentially what this is saying, that’s not what someone who knows not just about Jesus, but who knows Jesus experientially lives like. You’ve learned something different because you’ve learned to know Jesus. And Jesus wants to deliver you.

He goes on, If so be that ye have heard him. So you learn Jesus when you heard him. This is talking about salvation.

It says, and have been taught by him, or been taught in him, in who he is. That’s our Christian growth. As the truth is in Jesus.

In other words, can I put this here? You’ve been taught, you’ve learned that truth is all about Jesus. The truth is Jesus.

That’s what we’ve heard in these last two days. that’s what you heard just preached the christian life is all about jesus you say well is this talking about our thinking absolutely let’s read on 22 that she put off concerning the former conversation the old man okay so that what we just read the way unsaved people live which is corrupt according to the deceitful lust we’ll

come back to that in just a moment and notice verse 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind that word renewed literally means to be made new to be renovated okay like somebody took that old nasty bathroom in your house and they took and they made it look like a brand new bathroom

that’s what we’re talking about renovated that’s what god wants to do in your mind he says that can happen for you verse number 24 and that she put on the new man which after god is created in righteousness, and true holiness. Really quickly, we have two things here. We have put off the old man, and everything was associated with it, right?

And that’s something he’s saying, you should do this. And then we have two verses later, put on the new man. But in the middle, we have something really interesting.

And I’m not going to go into the grammar, but those two put off and put on are both aorist tense, which means it’s talking about a decision we make in a point in time. It’s we’ll just leave it there okay in the middle we have something different it says be renewed it’s present tense but it also is passive does that mean anything to you grammar people out here what does passive mean

somebody help me what is passive what does it mean a passive verb something’s receiving the action right so the subject is not doing the action the subject is receiving the action put on okay they’re all infinitives but put on is doing the action put off is you doing the action but being renewed you’re receiving the action you know why because you can’t renew your own mind

Jesus has to do that for you. It’s impossible for you to renew your own mind. See, if I was going to give you a point one, it’s here.

Allow God to renew your own mind. When we see we’re given a command to do something that’s passive, it’s a command of allowance. He says that you need to be renewed.

Allow yourself to be renewed in the spirit of your mind. Would you let God do that? Whether it’s worry or fear or mental impurity or anxiety, whatever it is, Would you let God renew your mind?

You can’t do it for yourself. You can’t fix the problem yourself. He has to do that for you.

See, when you think thoughts, it actually wears pathways into your brain. And so when you thought one way for a long time, whether you keep thinking about this image that you saw, and you think that way again, or whether you have those thoughts of fear,

When this happens, I think it literally is wearing a rut into your brain that makes it easier for your mind to go down that path again the next time. And so what you need God to do when he renews your mind, when you think thoughts, the brain changes. And we need God, by his grace, to help you to wear new ruts that are biblical thinking in your brain.

instead of the old ones that are the way the world thinks. And you know what that takes? A miracle.

That takes a miracle. But what did we just hear preached by Dr. Jim?

We have a God who does miracles. And he’ll do it for you, young person. You can’t fix your brain, but God can.

And how does he do it? When we take practical steps to get out of the boat. practical steps to get out of the boat.

Not that we’re trusting those steps, not that we’re trusting some formula. Well, if you do this and do this and do this and do this, you’re going to get a renewed brain. That’s not how it works.

God has to renew your mind. But he does give us some practical steps we can take that will help us, that there will be those steps out of the boat that he can use to do the miracle in our life. And so what are some of those practical steps?

Here’s number two. We’re going to look now at verse 22. Get rid of the lifestyle choices that feed your mental issues.

That’s what he says. He says, put off concerning the former conversation, the old man. The way you used to live, the way you used to think, the way that ungodly people think, you’ve got to get rid of that, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts.

So you’ve got to get rid of that lifestyle of indulging in sinful desires. Those things that promise fulfillment, of looking at those images, of reveling in your anxiety, of finding your friends and talking about how bad life is together, whatever it is, you’ve got to deal with those things. And that doesn’t necessarily solve your brain problem.

All it does is keep from putting more gasoline on the fire that’s already burning. And we think, I’ve got all this problem. I’ve got problems with thoughts.

And we keep on looking at the same stuff. We keep on watching the same movies or going to the same social media channels or listening to the same depressing news or whatever it is that you do that gets you triggered. and we need God’s grace to say you know what this I’ve got to stop going here so so here’s a

practical step for you to help you get out of the boat on this what is it that triggers your wrong thinking your fear your anxiety your your mental impurity what’s it what are the things what is it that triggers it that that you know I look at this boom I have that I have the I get into wrong

thinking what is it take time to sit and say God would you show me what it is what feeds my wrong thinking and say all right I’m gonna if that’s what it is I’m gonna do what I can to not allow that to be part of my life okay so if the problems on your phone guys viewing stuff on your phone you need to deal with that that

problem you might have to get rid of the phone or get accountability on the phone or whatever it is we we’ve got to get deal with that problem okay I can’t spend more time that we’re gonna we have to move so quickly here for sake of time But you’ve got to deal with that. Get rid of the lifestyle of indulging in sinful desires.

But here I really want to, this is so important, get rid of the lifestyle of secrecy. Get rid of the lifestyle of secrecy. You see, we want to protect our image.

We want to try to make ourselves look good. And so even when things are bad on the inside, we try to look like the good kid on the outside, right? This is kind of what we do.

We want people to think that I’m a good person. and so we have things in our life in secret that need to be put out in the open not out in the open for everyone in the world to know but there need to be people in your life that you go to and you say I’m struggling with this and some of you you’re wearing a mask

and you need to go to somebody not a peer but somebody who can help you mom or dad pastor, youth pastor you need to go somebody and you need to take off the mask say this is the issue you know what that is that’s a step out of the boat because that’s scary you mean I actually need to be honest with somebody about the fact that I’m struggling with suicidal thoughts yeah

take off the mask and you know you’ll find what will happen what happened in my life God starts to do a miracle when you take off the mask. Get rid of the lifestyle of secrecy, of trying to be something that you’re not. Some of you need to make a beeline and find someone to be honest with and be accountable with.

Being accountable with someone isn’t the answer long term. Jesus is the answer. But being accountable is a step out of the boat where you can experience Jesus.

by uncovering your sin. You’ve heard preaching about that. God wants to do that miracle in your mind.

Second thing really quickly here. Embrace the reality of who you really are in Jesus. Embrace the reality of who you really are in Jesus.

Verse 24, And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Young people, today you are righteous. You are holy, truly holy.

Yeah, right. You don’t know my brain. That’s what he said.

That is who you are. But sometimes what’s happening in our brain, we are so ashamed by that we think that’s who I really am. I’m a filthy person.

And God says, that’s not who you really are. And we think, this is just how I’m always going to be. It’s who I am.

No, it’s not. You’ve got to identify the lies of the enemy. Sit down.

There’s another step you could take to get out of the boat. Sit down and say, why do I think the way that I think? What do I think about myself that makes me desire these other things?

What is it that I think about myself that makes me filled with anxiety? I feel like I’m worthless. Nobody cares about me.

I’m nothing. Everybody hates me. Everybody’s against me.

I don’t matter to anybody. Those are lies. That may be true of people, but it’s not true about God for sure.

He died for you. We heard that yesterday. Identify the lies that you believe that lead to those wrong thoughts.

But not only that, we need to then intentionally, and that word intentionally is key, Meditate on Bible truth that counteracts those lies. So if you’re thinking, man, nobody cares about me. You know what you need to do?

Daily. Open up the word of God. And look at the reality that he says that you’re accepted in the beloved.

That he chose you in Jesus. That he does care for you. That you’re loved with an everlasting love.

Find truth in the word of God that counteracts those lies and make it your own. I’m not talking about positive thinking. I’m not thinking, well, this is, I’ve got to think better.

That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about agreeing with God, agreeing with Jesus, saying what you say is true, not what I’m thinking. God, Jesus, all right, I’m siding with you.

I’m taking your side, not mine, about who I am. and purposely focus on Jesus. He is the answer.

You know why we so often struggle with those wrong thoughts, whatever they are? Because we’re thinking about the wrong thoughts, the fact that we’re struggling with the wrong thoughts. We sit there thinking, I’ve got to stop this.

Man, I’ve got to stop thinking these thoughts. I just cut it out, Mueller. Come on, you can’t think that way.

To think, stop thinking that way. You’ve got to think. It’s like me saying here, don’t think about pink elephants.

Don’t think about their big pink ears. Don’t think about their long pink trunk or their pink pounds. Don’t think about any of that.

Don’t think about pink elephants. Now, what are you all thinking about? And that’s what we do with our sin, with our thought issues.

I’ve got to stop thinking about this. You know, if you’re thinking about Jesus, if you’re purposefully saying, I’m going to meditate on Jesus today. I’m going to put that verse I read in my devotions that God spoke to me.

I’m going to put that on my phone as my screen background. I’m going to keep that in front of me so I can be thinking about that all day. You know what happens?

If you’re thinking about Jesus, you can’t be thinking about that. What practical step could you take to purposefully meditate on who Jesus is in your life? All day.

And you know what will happen if you’ll take some of those practical steps out of the boat? If you’ll purposefully meditate on Jesus, you know what happens? He changes your mind.

He changes your mind. If your relationship with Jesus becomes as real and as fulfilling, as satisfying to you, as that feeling that you got when you looked at that image, you know Jesus can satisfy you more than that does for the moment. But you’ve got to purposely seek after him with all of your heart.

Young people, pursue after Jesus. Make him your focus. Say, it doesn’t matter what we heard preached last night.

It doesn’t matter what it is. I’ve got to find God. Jesus, I need you today.

You’re my only hope. Do that. And God, he’ll literally renew your mind.