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[SPEAKER_00]: In today's first 15, we're going to look at how spending time alone with God every morning, provides a daily opportunity to renew our minds to the goodness of God, the goodness of this life, and the moment by moment potential of living in real relationship with God.

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[SPEAKER_00]: I pray that after today's time your mind is clear and focused on truth and that your emotions and actions are marked by abundant life as a result.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to the first 15 podcast.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Our Scripture for today comes from Philippians 4, verse 8, Scripture says.

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[SPEAKER_00]: finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable.

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[SPEAKER_00]: If there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Your mind is the battleground on which the war for your emotions, purpose, effectiveness, and fullness of life is one or lost.

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[SPEAKER_00]: It's your mind that is attacked daily by the enemy.

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[SPEAKER_00]: It's your mind that the world is trying to influence for its own benefit.

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[SPEAKER_00]: and it's your mind that the Lord desires to renew daily in order for you to live in a abundant relationship with Him.

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[SPEAKER_00]: So if the mind is truly a battleground, how do you come out the winner?

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[SPEAKER_00]: How do you come out victorious over Satan and his schemes?

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[SPEAKER_00]: Scripture says clearly that to achieve victory over your mind, it must be continually renewed by the power of God's Word.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Romans 12 to states do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.

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[SPEAKER_00]: That by testing, you may discern what is the

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[SPEAKER_00]: God puts conforming to the world and being transformed by the renewal of your mind in opposition.

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[SPEAKER_00]: There is no gray area.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Your mind is either being one for the kingdom of God or lost to the world.

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[SPEAKER_00]: You are either thinking pleasing thoughts to God or not.

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[SPEAKER_00]: You are either experiencing the abundant life Jesus made available to you or not.

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[SPEAKER_00]: For a long time, the idea of renewing my mind felt exhausting.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Honestly, reading the Bible was incredibly boring for me.

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[SPEAKER_00]: But I discovered that the Bible is only as life giving to me as I am willing to be transformed by it.

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[SPEAKER_00]: until we actually sit down, open our hearts, and allow ourselves to be transformed by God's word, we will never experience the life that comes from victory in our minds.

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[SPEAKER_00]: The thoughts that plague you, the thoughts that rob you of freedom, peace, and joy will never leave you until you allow your mind to be renewed by God's word.

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[SPEAKER_00]: To ignore the war being waged around us, is to lose the war.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Our enemy longs for us to become complacent against his attacks.

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[SPEAKER_00]: He longs for us to believe sinful thoughts, wrongful attitudes and lies are just a part of life on earth.

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[SPEAKER_00]: He knows he has no power against the ability of God's word to transform us.

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[SPEAKER_00]: so how do you renew your mind?

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[SPEAKER_00]: Philippians 4-8 says, finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

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[SPEAKER_00]: set your thoughts on the things of God.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Begin every day by setting your mind on the wonderful character of the living God and your new identity in Christ.

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[SPEAKER_00]: If you will allow God's word to be the foundation of your thought life by spending your first moments meditating on Scripture, the battle for your mind will be one for the kingdom.

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[SPEAKER_00]: the negative thoughts and insecurities you face daily will flee from you in the glorious light of God's truth.

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[SPEAKER_00]: That's God's promise for you today and every day.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Take time today to meditate on scripture and experience the transformative power of grace over your thoughts as you enter into guided prayer.

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[SPEAKER_00]: As we begin, meditate on 2 Corinthians 5, verse 17, repeat it over and over again, even out loud, put yourself in the Scripture and allow its truth to impact the way you see yourself and your world.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Scripture says, therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.

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[SPEAKER_00]: The old has passed away, behold, the new has come.

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[UNKNOWN]: Thank you.

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[SPEAKER_00]: and next.

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[SPEAKER_00]: In what way do your thoughts or life not line up with the truth of 2 Corinthians 517?

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[SPEAKER_00]: In what ways do you see yourself as anything but a new creation?

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[SPEAKER_00]: In what ways do you identify with your sin rather than the freedom afforded you by the blood of Jesus?

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[SPEAKER_00]: And last, journal or reflect on what God shows you.

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[SPEAKER_00]: take these areas of your life and submit them to the truth of Scripture.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see yourself as He sees you.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Allow your perspectives to be changed by the Lord in order to see yourself as He does.

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[UNKNOWN]: Thank you.

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[SPEAKER_00]: God's word is trueer than how you feel, and if you will align your life with the truth of Scripture, it will begin to powerfully affect your emotions.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Emotions are the result of the way we think.

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[SPEAKER_00]: We feel loved because we believe we are loved.

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[SPEAKER_00]: We feel joy because we believe there is cause for joy in the same way when we believe a lie from the enemy, our emotions are powerfully impacted.

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[SPEAKER_00]: When we believe we'll never get victory over a sin that no one loves us or that we're not good enough, our lives begin to bear the fruit of those lies.

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[SPEAKER_00]: But there is power when we root ourselves in the Word of God.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Transcendent joy and peace come when we establish God's Word as our basis for truth.

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[SPEAKER_00]: May your day be marked by a new freedom as the result of renewing your mind.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Thanks for listening to today's podcast.

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[SPEAKER_00]: I'm Josh Miller with First 15.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Given that our thoughts are internal to us and can't be seen by others, I find I often let terrible ways of thinking fester in my own mind with little to no action against them.

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[SPEAKER_00]: I let a lie about myself in security, a false narrative, have its way, and it's only after it's done its damage that I go back and realize what was happening the whole time.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Renewing our minds is a real gift God has given us an opportunity to thrive internally so we can thrive externally as well.

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[SPEAKER_00]: So as you go about your day, try and take just one or two additional moments to stop, assess your mind and correct any lies you're believing with the truth of God's word and character.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Have a wonderful rest of your day

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[UNKNOWN]: You