WEBVTT - Developing The Right Anchor Thoughts | Joel Osteen 0:00:00.400 --> 0:00:03.160 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to 0:00:03.200 --> 0:00:06.360 our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you 0:00:06.440 --> 0:00:09.040 enjoy today's message, why don't you be a blessing and 0:00:09.080 --> 0:00:11.840 share it with a friend. Reappreciate you and pray for 0:00:11.920 --> 0:00:14.920 God's very best in your life. Will God bless you? 0:00:15.280 --> 0:00:17.720 It is always a joy that coming to your homes. 0:00:18.040 --> 0:00:20.400 We love you and we're believing that this year is 0:00:20.440 --> 0:00:22.759 going to be your best year so far. I hope 0:00:22.760 --> 0:00:25.200 you'll get in agreement with it as well. If you're 0:00:25.239 --> 0:00:27.640 ever in our area, stop by and be a part 0:00:27.640 --> 0:00:29.880 of one of our services. We'd love to have you. 0:00:30.120 --> 0:00:32.800 But thanks for tuning in today. I'd like to start 0:00:32.800 --> 0:00:35.159 with something funny each week, and I heard about this 0:00:35.320 --> 0:00:38.920 minister that was out bear hunting. He searched and searched 0:00:38.960 --> 0:00:41.680 all through the woods, but didn't see any sign of 0:00:41.720 --> 0:00:45.080 a bear. Finally, in frustration, he threw his gun down 0:00:45.560 --> 0:00:48.600 and went down to the stream to cool off. About 0:00:48.600 --> 0:00:52.840 that time, he saw this huge, grizzly bear racing toward him. 0:00:53.280 --> 0:00:56.240 He fell on his knees and said, God, please protect me. 0:00:56.880 --> 0:01:00.200 I'm asking you God to convert this bear in to 0:01:00.240 --> 0:01:05.360 a Christian. Miraculously, the bear frozen its tracks, put up 0:01:05.400 --> 0:01:08.040 both paus toward the heavens and said, thank you Lord 0:01:08.120 --> 0:01:09.520 for this food I'm about to eat. 0:01:11.440 --> 0:01:13.920 All right, hold up your bibles. Let's say it like 0:01:13.959 --> 0:01:17.200 you mean it. This is my Bible. I am what 0:01:17.280 --> 0:01:20.200 it says I am. I have what it says I have. 0:01:20.720 --> 0:01:23.440 I can do what it says I can do. Today 0:01:23.480 --> 0:01:26.640 I will be taught the word of God. I boldly 0:01:26.720 --> 0:01:30.840 confess my mind is alert, my heart is receptive. 0:01:31.240 --> 0:01:34.959 I will never be the same. In Jesus' name, God 0:01:35.000 --> 0:01:38.119 bless you. I want to talk to you today about 0:01:38.160 --> 0:01:43.040 the importance of getting rid of negative mindsets. Every one 0:01:43.080 --> 0:01:46.880 of us has what I call our anchor thoughts. These 0:01:46.880 --> 0:01:50.520 are the core thoughts that we believe about ourselves. Has 0:01:50.560 --> 0:01:53.480 to do with our self image, how we approach life. 0:01:54.200 --> 0:01:57.000 These thoughts come with us out even really having to 0:01:57.040 --> 0:02:00.320 think about them. We believe them so long it's just 0:02:00.400 --> 0:02:04.000 like we're on autopilot. But the problem with some people 0:02:04.400 --> 0:02:09.080 is their anchor thoughts are negative. When they're on cruise control, 0:02:09.200 --> 0:02:14.280 so to speak. They go around thinking, I'm unattractive, I'm undisciplined, 0:02:14.680 --> 0:02:17.760 I'll never get out of these problems. You can't trust anybody. 0:02:18.400 --> 0:02:22.120 They don't realize it's their own thinking that's keeping them 0:02:22.160 --> 0:02:27.520 in mediocrity. You cannot have negative anchor thoughts and expect 0:02:27.520 --> 0:02:30.760 to live a positive life all through the day. The 0:02:30.800 --> 0:02:33.360 thoughts that should be coming up in us or I 0:02:33.400 --> 0:02:38.440 am blessed, I am victorious, I am valuable, I am talented. 0:02:38.800 --> 0:02:42.400 People like me I have the favor of God. If 0:02:42.400 --> 0:02:45.440 we're going to live in victory, our anchor thoughts have 0:02:45.520 --> 0:02:47.840 to be positive. Now, I want you to pay more 0:02:47.880 --> 0:02:52.000 attention to what comes up in you naturally. What do 0:02:52.040 --> 0:02:55.480 you expect each day? Do you go out with enthusiasm, 0:02:55.960 --> 0:03:00.440 excited about the day, or do you just drag around thinking, Ah, nothing, day, 0:03:00.720 --> 0:03:03.360 I've got to go to work. How do you feel 0:03:03.400 --> 0:03:07.519 about yourself? Down deep? Are you pleased with who you are? 0:03:08.320 --> 0:03:11.280 Do you know that you're valuable? Are you proud of 0:03:11.320 --> 0:03:15.680 your accomplishments? Or is that thought constantly playing You've blown 0:03:15.720 --> 0:03:18.320 it too many times, You're not where you should be, 0:03:18.400 --> 0:03:21.919 you haven't used your potential. No, those are the wrong 0:03:22.200 --> 0:03:24.919 anchor thoughts, and if we don't get rid of them, 0:03:25.200 --> 0:03:28.200 they will set the limits for our life. The good 0:03:28.240 --> 0:03:32.600 news is we can develop new anchor thoughts. The way 0:03:32.639 --> 0:03:35.520 we do it is when the negative thought comes back 0:03:36.120 --> 0:03:38.880 telling us that we've blown it too many times. It's 0:03:38.920 --> 0:03:40.920 going to be a lousy day. You don't have anything 0:03:40.920 --> 0:03:44.200 to look forward to. Instead of dwelling on that and 0:03:44.280 --> 0:03:47.320 letting it take root, you got to turn it around, 0:03:47.800 --> 0:03:51.160 get on the offensive, and start declaring, this is going 0:03:51.240 --> 0:03:53.800 to be a great day. I have a bright future, 0:03:54.120 --> 0:03:58.360 I am forgiven, I am valuable. God is pleased with me. 0:03:59.360 --> 0:04:02.840 Speak word words of faith over your life. That's one 0:04:02.840 --> 0:04:05.720 of the best ways to get rid of a negative 0:04:05.760 --> 0:04:08.880 anchor thought and form a new one, even if you 0:04:08.960 --> 0:04:11.840 do it under your breath. When that negative thought comes, 0:04:12.160 --> 0:04:15.960 you can interrupt it by speaking out just the opposite. 0:04:16.080 --> 0:04:18.440 But so many people today are stuck in a rut. 0:04:18.920 --> 0:04:22.440 They don't realize it's not normal to go around feeling 0:04:22.480 --> 0:04:27.080 wrong about themselves, not expecting anything good. But they've done 0:04:27.080 --> 0:04:30.839 it so long that's what comes up naturally. The only 0:04:30.920 --> 0:04:34.320 way we will change is by changing our thinking. We 0:04:34.440 --> 0:04:39.600 have to reprogram ourselves with the right information. See, our 0:04:39.680 --> 0:04:42.520 mind is just like a computer. You can go out 0:04:42.560 --> 0:04:46.000 and buy the most expensive powerful computer you can find. 0:04:46.560 --> 0:04:50.000 It can have the most memory, it can be the fastest, 0:04:50.080 --> 0:04:53.279 have all the latest gadgets, but if you program that 0:04:53.360 --> 0:04:57.040 computer with the wrong software, it's not going to function properly. 0:04:57.839 --> 0:05:01.400 We've all heard about these computer virus says they can 0:05:01.440 --> 0:05:05.360 get into a perfectly good computer and start to contaminate 0:05:05.400 --> 0:05:09.880 the software. Before long, your computer's slow, you can't access 0:05:09.880 --> 0:05:14.039 your files. All these problems occur not because it's not 0:05:14.120 --> 0:05:17.359 a good computer, not because it's defective or it was 0:05:17.440 --> 0:05:22.560 made improperly. No, it all happens because somebody reprogrammed the software. 0:05:23.240 --> 0:05:26.400 Somebody messed with the insides and filled it with a 0:05:26.400 --> 0:05:29.720 bunch of junk. Well, in the same way, you and 0:05:29.760 --> 0:05:33.320 I were made in the image of Almighty God. He's 0:05:33.360 --> 0:05:37.400 our manufacturer. When God created us, he made us to 0:05:37.440 --> 0:05:42.039 be victorious. From the very beginning. You have been programmed 0:05:42.080 --> 0:05:46.320 for success, for joy, for peace, for victory. But the 0:05:46.400 --> 0:05:50.200 problem sometimes is we've allowed the enemy to get in 0:05:50.360 --> 0:05:54.480 and reprogram our software. We've made the mistake of believing 0:05:54.560 --> 0:05:57.839 his lies. Like I'll never be successful, Joe, I don't 0:05:57.880 --> 0:06:00.640 have the education, I'll never be had. Y'all got so 0:06:00.680 --> 0:06:04.040 many problems, Or I don't feel good about myself because 0:06:04.040 --> 0:06:08.000 I've had so many unfair things happen all this junk 0:06:08.160 --> 0:06:12.200 is contaminating our software. Now we're not expecting good things. 0:06:12.520 --> 0:06:16.400 We have low self esteem, we feel inferior. But understand 0:06:16.880 --> 0:06:20.719 there is nothing wrong with you. Just like that computer, 0:06:21.279 --> 0:06:24.440 you are not defective. You are not a mistake. When 0:06:24.480 --> 0:06:27.880 God made you, he said you were good. The problem 0:06:27.960 --> 0:06:31.279 is not the hardware, it's the software. You have to 0:06:31.440 --> 0:06:34.479 change your thinking. You have to know deep down in 0:06:34.560 --> 0:06:38.440 here you have worth, you have value, and no matter 0:06:38.480 --> 0:06:41.680 what's come against you, you are a victor and not 0:06:41.760 --> 0:06:45.359 a victim. Now I know people that have I know 0:06:45.520 --> 0:06:48.720 people that have been through rejection and unfair things, and 0:06:48.760 --> 0:06:52.119 they allow that negative recording to play over and over. 0:06:52.360 --> 0:06:55.200 You're not good enough, you don't have what it takes. 0:06:55.279 --> 0:06:58.280 It's your fault. They go around with low self worth, 0:06:58.600 --> 0:07:02.799 low self esteem. Now, you may have been through unfair things, 0:07:03.279 --> 0:07:07.240 people may have rejected you, but don't allow anyone or 0:07:07.279 --> 0:07:10.480 anything to keep you from knowing who you really are. 0:07:10.920 --> 0:07:13.880 You are a child of the most High God. God 0:07:13.920 --> 0:07:16.960 has breathed his very life into you. You have his 0:07:17.240 --> 0:07:21.240 royal blood flowing through your veins. People may have tried 0:07:21.280 --> 0:07:23.960 to push you down. You may have been in an 0:07:24.000 --> 0:07:27.600 abusive relationship where somebody was always telling you what you 0:07:27.640 --> 0:07:30.440 couldn't do and what you weren't going to become. But 0:07:30.600 --> 0:07:34.400 understand that didn't change who you are. You are still 0:07:34.480 --> 0:07:37.800 the apple of God's eye. You are still his most 0:07:38.000 --> 0:07:42.760 prized possession. It doesn't matter how unfair it was. God 0:07:42.960 --> 0:07:46.240 still has a great plan for your life. He still 0:07:46.280 --> 0:07:49.360 has you in the palm of his hand, and He's 0:07:49.440 --> 0:07:52.800 promised if we will stay in faith, if we'll get 0:07:52.880 --> 0:07:56.240 rid of the negative anchor thoughts, he will take what 0:07:56.440 --> 0:07:58.840 was meant for our harm and he will use it 0:07:58.880 --> 0:08:01.920 to our advantage. I talked to a young man a 0:08:01.960 --> 0:08:06.880 while back. He was so insecure, felt so inferior, and 0:08:06.920 --> 0:08:10.080 it stemmed from the fact when he was born his 0:08:10.280 --> 0:08:13.800 parents really wanted a little girl. He was the youngest 0:08:13.840 --> 0:08:16.840 of five brothers, and of course his parents loved him, 0:08:17.080 --> 0:08:19.760 but deep down he felt like he was a mistake. 0:08:20.440 --> 0:08:23.320 His parents weren't planning on having any more children. All 0:08:23.360 --> 0:08:25.480 of a sudden, he showed up. He said, Joel, I 0:08:25.520 --> 0:08:27.880 don't even know if I'm supposed to be here. I 0:08:27.960 --> 0:08:30.239 was an accident to begin with, and my parents wanted 0:08:30.240 --> 0:08:33.080 a little girl. On and on, all these thoughts were 0:08:33.120 --> 0:08:36.600 playing in his mind. You're a mistake. You're not valuable, 0:08:36.960 --> 0:08:40.560 you don't have anything to offer. No, please don't believe 0:08:40.600 --> 0:08:44.480 those lies. The scripture says in Jeremiah, God saw you 0:08:44.840 --> 0:08:47.960 before you were ever formed in your mother's womb. He 0:08:48.040 --> 0:08:50.959 knew you and planned out your life before you ever 0:08:51.000 --> 0:08:53.880 showed up on planet Earth. You are not a mistake. 0:08:54.200 --> 0:08:59.040 You're not an accident. You are a person of divine destiny. 0:08:59.160 --> 0:09:02.960 You have an assign There is something you can accomplish 0:09:03.160 --> 0:09:07.080 that nobody else can. That's why your fingerprints are not 0:09:07.280 --> 0:09:10.880 like anyone else's. You are an original and people may 0:09:10.920 --> 0:09:15.240 have rejected you, but know this, God has already accepted 0:09:15.600 --> 0:09:19.560 and approved you. And just because something unfair happened, that 0:09:19.640 --> 0:09:23.800 didn't change God's plan. You're still wearing your crown of favor. 0:09:24.160 --> 0:09:27.160 You still got on your robe of righteousness. And I 0:09:27.160 --> 0:09:30.920 love what David said. Even if my mother and my 0:09:31.080 --> 0:09:34.760 father forsake me, God will adopt me as his very 0:09:34.800 --> 0:09:39.160 own child. What am I saying today? Don't let what's 0:09:39.200 --> 0:09:43.720 happened in your past contaminate your software. When those lies 0:09:43.760 --> 0:09:47.520 come telling you you're not valuable. God doesn't care about you. 0:09:47.600 --> 0:09:50.040 Why would he allow that to happen? No, just turn 0:09:50.080 --> 0:09:53.319 it around. God. I know you are good. You promised 0:09:53.320 --> 0:09:56.120 in Isaiah you would pay me back double for every 0:09:56.200 --> 0:09:58.760 unfair thing that's happened. So God, I want to thank 0:09:58.800 --> 0:10:01.040 you that I'm coming out with twice the joy, twice 0:10:01.080 --> 0:10:04.480 the peace, twice the victory. God, I believe my future 0:10:04.559 --> 0:10:07.240 is so bright I need sunglasses to look at it. 0:10:08.320 --> 0:10:12.880 Let's reprogram our computers. Let's get rid of all the viruses. 0:10:13.920 --> 0:10:17.240 I heard a story about a lady that constantly struggled 0:10:17.240 --> 0:10:20.160 with her self worth. She didn't feel like she was 0:10:20.200 --> 0:10:23.320 good enough, like she ever fit in, and she went 0:10:23.360 --> 0:10:26.160 around with no sense of purpose, wondering why she was here. 0:10:26.679 --> 0:10:30.920 Come to find out, these insecurities came from the fact 0:10:30.920 --> 0:10:34.079 of being born out of wedlock. Her mother and father 0:10:34.160 --> 0:10:36.840 were not married, and one day she saw on her 0:10:36.880 --> 0:10:41.120 birth certificate that little box that was checked not legitimate. 0:10:41.880 --> 0:10:46.760 Those words became ingrained in her thinking as a child 0:10:46.920 --> 0:10:49.679 and a teenager. Even when she got married. She told 0:10:49.840 --> 0:10:53.200 how she felt so insecure. Every time she tried to 0:10:53.200 --> 0:10:56.120 move forward, those words would ring out in her mind. 0:10:56.360 --> 0:11:00.680 You're a mistake, you weren't wanted, you're not legit, you're 0:11:00.720 --> 0:11:04.160 not valuable. She didn't know any better. She believed it. 0:11:04.600 --> 0:11:07.640 Year after year. It was keeping her in bondage, affecting 0:11:07.679 --> 0:11:11.680 her personality, affecting her marriage. One day she heard me 0:11:11.960 --> 0:11:14.640 talking about what I'm telling you today, that you don't 0:11:14.679 --> 0:11:18.040 have to believe those lies. Your worth and value doesn't 0:11:18.080 --> 0:11:21.200 come from people. It comes from Almighty God. And she 0:11:21.280 --> 0:11:24.920 said on the inside, it was like something exploded. The 0:11:25.000 --> 0:11:28.680 scripture says, when you know the truth, it will make 0:11:28.720 --> 0:11:32.760 you free. That day she recognized that one thought was 0:11:32.800 --> 0:11:35.920 holding her captive. She decided to do something about it. 0:11:36.360 --> 0:11:39.160 When that lie came back, telling her that she had 0:11:39.200 --> 0:11:43.439 no value, she was a mistake, had no future. Instead 0:11:43.480 --> 0:11:46.800 of dwelling on it and letting it depress her, she 0:11:46.960 --> 0:11:50.160 started talking back to the enemy. She said, no, I 0:11:50.160 --> 0:11:53.199 am not a mistake. I am not an accident. God 0:11:53.320 --> 0:11:57.120 chose me before the foundation of the world. I am valuable, 0:11:57.200 --> 0:11:59.880 I am accepted, I am approved. I know I have 0:12:00.160 --> 0:12:04.760 bright future. She started speaking these words of faith over 0:12:04.800 --> 0:12:08.520 her life. She told how she never left the house 0:12:08.559 --> 0:12:12.000 in the morning without saying, no weapon formed against me 0:12:12.080 --> 0:12:15.680 will prosper. I have royal blood flowing through my veins, 0:12:15.920 --> 0:12:19.040 and no matter what my birth certificate says, I know 0:12:19.200 --> 0:12:22.200 I am legitimate. I am a child of the Most 0:12:22.240 --> 0:12:25.840 High God. You know what happened. A new self image 0:12:25.880 --> 0:12:29.480 began to form. She began to see herself as God 0:12:29.559 --> 0:12:35.000 saw her, accepted, approved, valuable, more than a conquer. It 0:12:35.040 --> 0:12:37.920 didn't happen overnight, but little by little she got more 0:12:37.960 --> 0:12:41.720 and more confident. Today she's totally free. But the fact 0:12:41.880 --> 0:12:45.120 is she could still be back where she was, low 0:12:45.200 --> 0:12:48.959 self esteem, low self worth if she had not made 0:12:48.960 --> 0:12:53.080 this decision to rise up and shake off the negative, 0:12:53.280 --> 0:12:57.080 destructive thoughts. You can do the same thing. Some of 0:12:57.120 --> 0:12:59.880 you have been through unfair situations and now you're just 0:13:00.000 --> 0:13:03.760 sitting back in mediocrity. You don't really feel good about yourself. 0:13:04.280 --> 0:13:07.640 But listen, today is a new day. Why don't you 0:13:07.679 --> 0:13:10.480 do what she did. Draw that line in the sand, 0:13:10.920 --> 0:13:14.480 shake off the destructive thoughts, and start declaring every day 0:13:14.840 --> 0:13:17.679 I am the apple of God's eye. I have a 0:13:17.840 --> 0:13:21.480 future and a destiny. I know good things are in store. 0:13:22.280 --> 0:13:24.880 You got to get your anchor thoughts up if you 0:13:24.920 --> 0:13:28.080 want to come up higher. I read where these researchers 0:13:28.240 --> 0:13:32.440 tested children ages two to four. They found that ninety 0:13:32.480 --> 0:13:36.920 five percent of them were highly creative and capable of 0:13:37.040 --> 0:13:41.440 abstract thought and imagination, and they were amazed at the 0:13:41.559 --> 0:13:47.520 high percentage of bright, intelligent, innovative children. But what's interesting 0:13:47.679 --> 0:13:50.640 is they tested those same children at seven years of 0:13:50.679 --> 0:13:54.320 age and they found that only five percent were still 0:13:54.360 --> 0:13:59.280 highly creative. Their conclusion was simple. The children had been 0:13:59.320 --> 0:14:02.240 beaten down by life. They had been told what they 0:14:02.240 --> 0:14:05.600 couldn't do and what they weren't going to become, and 0:14:05.640 --> 0:14:09.640 now they had developed these negative anchor thoughts. The fact 0:14:09.760 --> 0:14:13.120 is the same thing can happen to every one of 0:14:13.200 --> 0:14:16.719 us if we don't stay on the offensive. Life has 0:14:16.760 --> 0:14:22.400 a way of trying to push us down through rejection, disappointments, setbacks, 0:14:22.840 --> 0:14:24.800 and if we're not careful, we look up and we're 0:14:24.840 --> 0:14:27.840 not expecting good things. We don't feel good about who 0:14:27.840 --> 0:14:31.040 we are. We've given up on our dreams. Now we've 0:14:31.080 --> 0:14:34.240 got to learn to get back to our original setting. 0:14:35.200 --> 0:14:37.920 I know one time with my computer, I got it 0:14:37.960 --> 0:14:40.800 so far out of whack. I tweaked it here and 0:14:40.840 --> 0:14:43.080 tweaked it there, and I got into areas that I 0:14:43.160 --> 0:14:46.440 knew nothing about and made some adjustments, and after about 0:14:46.480 --> 0:14:49.960 six months I had to have somebody come over and 0:14:50.080 --> 0:14:55.240 put my computer back to the original factory settings. After all, 0:14:55.320 --> 0:14:59.360 nobody knows more than the manufacturer about how that computer 0:14:59.560 --> 0:15:02.640 is supposed function. Well, that's what I want to help 0:15:02.720 --> 0:15:07.240 you do today. Get you back to your original factory settings. 0:15:07.440 --> 0:15:14.080 They're found right here in God's word, our creator, our manufacturer, 0:15:14.160 --> 0:15:18.040 says this about you. You are blessed, you are anointed, 0:15:18.480 --> 0:15:22.640 you are equipped, you are valuable, you are talented, you 0:15:22.680 --> 0:15:26.440 are creative. You have the favor of God. Whatever you 0:15:26.560 --> 0:15:30.400 touch will prosper and succeed. You are strong in the Lord. 0:15:30.720 --> 0:15:33.200 You are well able to do what God has called 0:15:33.240 --> 0:15:36.560 you to do. That's getting you back to your original 0:15:36.960 --> 0:15:40.200 factory settings. Well, you say, Joe, I don't feel like that. 0:15:40.560 --> 0:15:42.680 I've got a lot of problems. I've had a lot 0:15:42.680 --> 0:15:45.960 of unfair things happen to me. No, this is what 0:15:46.120 --> 0:15:49.040 faith is all about. You may not feel it, but 0:15:49.120 --> 0:15:52.120 you need to start believing it. Start talking like it, 0:15:52.480 --> 0:15:55.720 start walking like it, start thinking like it. Then God 0:15:55.760 --> 0:15:59.200 can bring that to pass. Too often, like these children, 0:15:59.520 --> 0:16:02.040 we've allowed the pressures of life to push us down. 0:16:02.640 --> 0:16:05.600 We go through a disappointment. We think it's never gonna 0:16:05.600 --> 0:16:08.520 get any better. I've reached my limits. Or maybe somebody 0:16:08.560 --> 0:16:11.960 mistreats us somebody lies about us. We go around down 0:16:12.040 --> 0:16:15.560 thinking life's just not fair. All these things, little by 0:16:15.600 --> 0:16:19.520 little are trying to contaminate our software. We look up 0:16:19.560 --> 0:16:22.240 and we're not expecting good things. We lose our sense 0:16:22.280 --> 0:16:25.640 of worth and value. The good news today is you 0:16:25.760 --> 0:16:29.880 getting a tuna. We're getting you back to your original settings. 0:16:30.120 --> 0:16:33.040 But you've got to do your part and quit dwelling 0:16:33.200 --> 0:16:36.560 on the negative lies and start dwelling on what God 0:16:36.640 --> 0:16:40.440 says about you. It says in Psalms all day long 0:16:40.760 --> 0:16:44.360 we should meditate on God's word. That means we should 0:16:44.400 --> 0:16:48.320 go around thinking, I am blessed, I am valuable, I 0:16:48.360 --> 0:16:51.520 am victorious. God always causes me to try out, what 0:16:51.560 --> 0:16:56.320 are we doing reprogramming our computer? When that lie comes 0:16:56.320 --> 0:16:59.600 telling you you're not gonna be blessed, don't listen to him. 0:16:59.600 --> 0:17:03.240 You don't, You've made so many mistakes. No, talk back 0:17:03.280 --> 0:17:06.600 to the enemy. I am forgiven, I am redeemed, I'm 0:17:06.680 --> 0:17:10.440 the righteousness of God. He has made me worthy. You 0:17:10.560 --> 0:17:14.080 got to replace the negative thoughts with thoughts of hope, 0:17:14.440 --> 0:17:17.439 thoughts of faith, thoughts of victory. When we get up 0:17:17.480 --> 0:17:20.359 in the morning, the first thing we should do is 0:17:20.440 --> 0:17:23.760 set our minds in the right direction. Just like you 0:17:23.880 --> 0:17:26.280 reboot your computer every once in a while to get 0:17:26.359 --> 0:17:28.960 rid of all the jump, we should get up and declare, 0:17:29.160 --> 0:17:31.720 this is gonna be a great day. I am strong, 0:17:32.160 --> 0:17:35.560 i am anointed. I'm ready for anything that comes my way. 0:17:36.359 --> 0:17:39.200 That's what the scripture says in Colossians three, verse two. 0:17:39.720 --> 0:17:43.679 Set your mind and keep it set on the higher things. 0:17:44.560 --> 0:17:47.320 I found. If you don't set your mind the first 0:17:47.400 --> 0:17:50.240 part of the day, the enemy will set it for you. 0:17:50.800 --> 0:17:53.359 That's why we have so many viruses and so many 0:17:53.400 --> 0:17:56.399 negative anchor thoughts. I mean, how many times have we 0:17:56.440 --> 0:17:58.520 waken up and the thought comes to us it's going 0:17:58.560 --> 0:18:01.600 to be a lousy day. You got so many problems. 0:18:01.760 --> 0:18:04.400 You lost your temper last week. Your boss doesn't even 0:18:04.600 --> 0:18:07.840 like you. If you don't stay on the offensive and 0:18:07.960 --> 0:18:10.880 set your mind in the right direction, you'll go out 0:18:10.920 --> 0:18:14.719 and have a lousy day. Many people don't realize you 0:18:14.760 --> 0:18:17.119 don't have to dwell on every thought that comes to 0:18:17.160 --> 0:18:20.720 your mind. You can choose what you're going to think about. 0:18:21.400 --> 0:18:25.120 If the thought is negative and discouraging, you should immediately 0:18:25.200 --> 0:18:28.840 get rid of it and then replace it with a positive, 0:18:29.080 --> 0:18:33.560 faith filled fault. If you're not disciplined in your thought life, 0:18:33.680 --> 0:18:36.520 you will never live a life of victory. And that's 0:18:36.520 --> 0:18:39.960 why the scripture says we have to guard our minds. 0:18:40.280 --> 0:18:43.480 We have to know how to cast down these strongholds, 0:18:44.080 --> 0:18:47.000 because what happens is when we dwell on a negative 0:18:47.040 --> 0:18:49.800 thought long enough, it gets a hold of us and 0:18:49.840 --> 0:18:53.520 it'll keep us from God's best. I know people that 0:18:53.600 --> 0:18:57.120 have had a parent or another authority figure in their 0:18:57.160 --> 0:19:02.119 life speak negative things over them. They didn't know any better, 0:19:02.320 --> 0:19:05.439 they believed it, they went around dwelling on it, and 0:19:05.480 --> 0:19:08.760 today it's setting the limits for their life. Just the 0:19:08.800 --> 0:19:10.879 other day, a man came up to me and he 0:19:11.000 --> 0:19:15.119 told how his father was very negative toward him. The 0:19:15.200 --> 0:19:19.000 father never encouraged him, never said anything good about him, 0:19:19.119 --> 0:19:22.320 but he's always putting him down, telling him what he 0:19:22.400 --> 0:19:26.520 wasn't going to become. And those words are like seeds. 0:19:27.240 --> 0:19:30.400 When we speak them out, they take root, and whether 0:19:30.520 --> 0:19:33.159 or not they come to pass depends on if we 0:19:33.320 --> 0:19:37.639 water them by continually thinking about them and constantly dwelling 0:19:37.680 --> 0:19:41.920 on it. But just because somebody has spoken something negative 0:19:41.960 --> 0:19:45.159 over you doesn't mean it's going to come to fulfillment. 0:19:45.480 --> 0:19:47.919 It depends on what you do with it. You have 0:19:48.000 --> 0:19:51.840 the final say. Nobody can keep you from your destiny 0:19:51.960 --> 0:19:56.640 except you. And if someone has spoken negative words over 0:19:56.680 --> 0:20:00.479 your life, a parent, a coach, a spouse, a teacher, 0:20:01.000 --> 0:20:04.400 don't allow it to take root by constantly dwelling on it. 0:20:05.080 --> 0:20:09.240 This gentleman let his father's words keep him in mediocrity 0:20:09.520 --> 0:20:13.919 for years. They became a stronghold in his mind. He 0:20:13.960 --> 0:20:17.480 told how even on his father's deathbed, the father looked 0:20:17.480 --> 0:20:20.160 at him and said, you're never gonna amount to anything. 0:20:20.560 --> 0:20:23.160 Look at your brother. He didn't, and you want either. 0:20:24.000 --> 0:20:29.720 Those words cut like a knife. For years, he was angry, bitter, insecure, 0:20:30.280 --> 0:20:33.080 afraid to step out and take a new position. He 0:20:33.160 --> 0:20:37.359 had all these bondages because of those negative words. And 0:20:37.440 --> 0:20:41.119 we know how a father's words or parents' words carry 0:20:41.240 --> 0:20:44.720 incredible weight in a child's life. But the good news 0:20:44.840 --> 0:20:49.840 is God's word supersedes man's word. Now, a couple of 0:20:49.960 --> 0:20:53.760 years ago, he heard me speaking the blessing over people's lives, 0:20:54.160 --> 0:20:56.760 kind of like I'm doing today, telling you that you're equipped, 0:20:56.800 --> 0:21:00.159 you're annoyinged, you're well able, And he said some and 0:21:00.280 --> 0:21:03.280 broke loose on the inside. All of a sudden, he 0:21:03.359 --> 0:21:06.480 realized he didn't have to be bound by those words. 0:21:06.920 --> 0:21:09.840 He did what we're talking about. He said today, Joel, 0:21:09.880 --> 0:21:13.560 I am free. I'm not angry, I'm not bitter, I'm blessed, 0:21:13.600 --> 0:21:16.399 I'm happy, and I'm rising to new heights. What did 0:21:16.440 --> 0:21:20.600 he do? He reprogrammed his computer. He got rid of 0:21:20.640 --> 0:21:25.560 the viruses. Friends, don't let other people keep you from 0:21:25.600 --> 0:21:28.560 fulfilling your destiny. It's not up to them, it's up 0:21:28.640 --> 0:21:31.960 to you. It's great when we have other people encourage 0:21:32.000 --> 0:21:34.480 us and cheer us on. I was blessed to be 0:21:34.600 --> 0:21:37.600 raised by parents that loved me and spoke good things 0:21:37.600 --> 0:21:41.119 over my life. But if you didn't get that, it 0:21:41.160 --> 0:21:44.640 doesn't have to keep you from becoming all God's created 0:21:44.640 --> 0:21:48.280 you to be. Your earthly father may not have spoken 0:21:48.320 --> 0:21:51.640 positive things over you. You may not have received the love, 0:21:51.840 --> 0:21:55.120 the affection, the affirmation you needed. But let me tell 0:21:55.160 --> 0:21:59.080 you what your heavenly father says. He says he's proud 0:21:59.119 --> 0:22:02.760 of you. He says you can do all things through Christ. 0:22:03.160 --> 0:22:05.879 He says your best days are not behind you, but 0:22:05.920 --> 0:22:08.280 they're still out in front of you. Why don't you 0:22:08.359 --> 0:22:11.600 get in agreement with God and start declaring every day 0:22:11.960 --> 0:22:15.760 I am blessed I am valuable. I do have a 0:22:15.800 --> 0:22:19.880 bright future. We've got to get back to our original 0:22:20.240 --> 0:22:24.600 factory settings. I'm asking you to not let other people, 0:22:25.160 --> 0:22:30.439 don't let time, don't let unfair circumstances cause you to 0:22:30.520 --> 0:22:34.240 forget who you really are. Now, I know this gentleman 0:22:34.359 --> 0:22:36.840 was in his fifties, and he felt like he had 0:22:36.880 --> 0:22:40.560 wasted all these years. Now he was on the right track, 0:22:40.640 --> 0:22:43.399 but he had these other dreams that he thought he 0:22:43.520 --> 0:22:46.520 was too old to pursue. Now, I told him about 0:22:46.520 --> 0:22:50.159 an article I had read. These researchers dug up a 0:22:50.200 --> 0:22:53.920 bag of seeds that they found enclosed in an air 0:22:53.960 --> 0:22:58.520 tight capsule. These seeds were over twenty five hundred years old. 0:22:59.000 --> 0:23:01.960 They were amazed at how well preserved the seeds were, 0:23:02.520 --> 0:23:05.840 and in their curiosity, they decided to plant one to 0:23:05.880 --> 0:23:09.440 see if it could still be alive. Much to their amazement, 0:23:09.880 --> 0:23:13.960 that little seed, over twenty five hundred years old, in 0:23:14.000 --> 0:23:17.480 a few days, took root and over time blossomed into 0:23:17.480 --> 0:23:22.360 a full, beautiful plant. That tells me the dreams God 0:23:22.400 --> 0:23:25.359 has put in your heart, the seeds of hope, the 0:23:25.440 --> 0:23:29.200 seeds of victory. They may have laid dormant here after year, 0:23:29.520 --> 0:23:32.440 but you got to know the seed is still alive. 0:23:32.840 --> 0:23:36.840 It's just waiting for someone to believe, for someone to 0:23:36.840 --> 0:23:40.080 put the right actions behind it. Some of you think 0:23:40.119 --> 0:23:43.440 you've blown it too many times. Life hasn't treated you fair. 0:23:43.680 --> 0:23:46.280 You think you got to sit back and settle for mediocrity. 0:23:46.800 --> 0:23:50.400 God is saying it's never too late. The seed may 0:23:50.400 --> 0:23:53.640 have been pushed down by people that didn't believe in you. 0:23:54.280 --> 0:23:58.399 It may have been delayed by unfair circumstances. Maybe it 0:23:58.440 --> 0:24:01.560 didn't take root because of your own poor choices. But 0:24:01.600 --> 0:24:04.960