Reboot: Restructuring Your Mind for Success | Troy Gramling

TLDR;

This sermon encourages listeners to focus on transforming their minds in the new year by aligning their thoughts with God's truth. It highlights the importance of controlling thoughts, setting minds on godly principles, renewing them through scripture, and preparing for the mental battles against negative influences. The message emphasizes that changing the way we think can transform our feelings, actions, and ultimately, the outcomes in our lives, leading to a more fulfilling and God-centered existence.

• The way we think impacts the way we live.
• Start with thinking, not feeling, to change your life.
• Set, renew and gird your mind with God's word.

Introduction: Embracing Transformation in the New Year [0:01]

The speaker starts by expressing excitement for the new year and the upcoming series based on the book of Luke. He encourages participation in the accompanying devotions and reminds listeners about the daily insights shared on Instagram. The core message is about transformation rather than stagnation, emphasizing that a conscious decision to change is necessary to avoid repeating the same struggles. The series will address the mind, body, soul, and spirit, providing a holistic approach to personal development.

The Power of Mindset: Lottery Winners and Mike Tyson [2:34]

The speaker illustrates the importance of mindset by referencing lottery winners and Mike Tyson. He notes that 70% of lottery winners go broke within five years because winning the lottery doesn't change their way of thinking about money. Similarly, despite his wealth and skill, Mike Tyson declared bankruptcy and ended up in prison because he "always expected to lose everything." These examples underscore the idea that our thoughts significantly impact our lives and outcomes.

The Wrong Way to Think: Feelings vs. Truth [7:33]

The speaker addresses the common mistake of letting feelings dictate thoughts, which then influence actions and results. He explains that starting with feelings can create a negative cycle, affecting relationships and self-perception. Instead, he advocates for starting with thinking, which is a decision we can control. By choosing to think based on God's truth rather than feelings, we can positively impact our actions and, consequently, our feelings and results.

Setting Your Mind: Aligning with God's Truth [12:18]

The speaker emphasizes the importance of setting our minds on things above, as commanded in Colossians 3. He likens this to setting a destination in a GPS, guiding our lives in the right direction regardless of our feelings. He quotes 2 Corinthians, highlighting that our battles are not fought with worldly weapons but with God's power to tear down strongholds against truth. The enemy distracts and convinces us to think on things that are not true, so we must take every thought captive and align it with Christ.

The Enemy's Weapons: Lies, Fear, and Distraction [18:10]

The speaker identifies three weapons the enemy uses against us: lies, fear, and distraction. Lies make us feel inadequate, fear manipulates us into inaction, and distractions divert our attention from what truly matters. Despite these tactics, the speaker assures that we can overcome these weapons by choosing to reject them and embrace God's truth. He references Ephesians 4, urging listeners to throw off their old sinful nature and renew their thoughts with the Spirit.

Practical Steps: Scripture, Speaking, and Examples [23:26]

The speaker provides practical steps for setting our minds on God's truth, including choosing a scripture each day, speaking it out loud, and writing it down. He gives examples such as focusing on God's faithfulness, peace, and promises. He encourages listeners to set their minds on these truths to combat feelings of loneliness, guilt, or anxiety. He uses the analogy of being outside in the rain to illustrate the confidence that comes from being rightly positioned in God's will.

Renewing Your Mind: Transformation from Within [29:59]

The speaker emphasizes the need to renew our minds, as stated in Romans 12, by not conforming to the world but being transformed from the inside out. This transformation involves a total renovation of our thinking, replacing destructive thoughts with good ones. He notes that this process may not feel natural at first, but intentionality is key. He explains the cycle of thoughts creating feelings, which drive behaviors and produce results, and stresses the importance of keeping this cycle in the right order.

The Power of Perspective: Joshua, Caleb, and Financial Discouragement [35:07]

Using the example of the 10 spies who died in the wilderness, the speaker contrasts them with Joshua and Caleb, who entered the promised land. The difference was their perspective: the spies felt fear and saw themselves as grasshoppers, while Joshua and Caleb focused on God's promise and acted in faith. He applies this to financial discouragement, urging listeners to challenge negative thoughts with God's truth and act in obedience rather than withdrawing in fear.

Girding Your Mind: Preparing for Battle [41:23]

The speaker uses the analogy of girding up the loins of your mind from 1 Peter 1, explaining that it means preparing for action in a battle. He relates this to muscle memory in athletes, emphasizing the importance of rehearsing God's promises so that when challenges come, we respond with faith instead of panic. He stresses that rehearsing fear leads to panic, while rehearsing God's promises leads to continued declaration of His truth.

Thinking Like Jesus: The Father's Will, Eternal Realities, and the Needs of Others [45:00]

The speaker encourages listeners to have the same mind as Jesus, focusing on the Father's will, eternal realities, and the needs of others. He challenges listeners to evaluate their thoughts and actions, asking whether they align with God's will in dating relationships, conversations, and spending habits. He emphasizes that God's goal is not to make us comfortable but to make us more like Him, and that we are always one choice away from a different future.

Conclusion: Making the Decision to Think Differently [50:08]

In closing, the speaker reiterates that the battle is in the invisible realm of our thoughts. He urges listeners to make the decision to think differently, aligning their thoughts with God's truth. He prays for God's help in defeating the enemy and taking captive destructive thoughts, so that listeners can live the abundant life God has created them for.