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Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative ... · Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative about myself from my own mouth! (Say this aloud). Now

Jun 11, 2020

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Page 1: Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative ... · Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative about myself from my own mouth! (Say this aloud). Now

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Page 2: Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative ... · Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative about myself from my own mouth! (Say this aloud). Now

Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative about myself from my own mouth! (Say this aloud). Now it’s on you to do it! From Pastor Andy McQuitty’s sermon on 01.23.11: “Satan is a real and powerful being. He’s not the guy in a red suit, tights and carrying a pitchfork, and he would like nothing more than for us to think of him as superficial and blasé. Make no mistake, Satan is the SOURCE of war … against God and against His creation.”

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Page 3: Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative ... · Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative about myself from my own mouth! (Say this aloud). Now

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Page 4: Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative ... · Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative about myself from my own mouth! (Say this aloud). Now

Have  you  no-ced  that  the  condi-on  of  your  mind  changes?  One  -me  you  may  be  calm  and  peaceful,  and  another  -me  anxious  and  worried.  Or  you  may  make  a  decision  and  be  sure  about  it,  then  later  find  your  mind  in  a  confused  condi-on  concerning  the  very  thing  you  were  previously  so  clear  and  certain  about.        Because  it  seems  that  the  mind  can  be  in  so  many  different  condi-ons,  it  is  helpful  to  know  when  our  minds  are  normal.  Our  minds  are  not  supposed  to  wander  or  be  upset,  confused,  full  of  doubt  and  unbelief,  or  anxious,  worried  and  tormented  by  fear.  Since  we  know  that  we  can  do  something  about  our  thought  life,  we  can  also  learn  to  deal  with  abnormal  thinking  paFerns  immediately  upon  their  arrival.    

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Page 5: Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative ... · Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative about myself from my own mouth! (Say this aloud). Now

When  a  person  receives  Christ  as  his/her  personal  Savior,  the  Holy  Spirit  comes  to  dwell  in  them.  Our  minds  are  not  born  again  when  we  are  saved,  they  must  be  renewed.  Satan  will  aggressively  fight  against  that.  The  Holy  Spirit  knows  the  mind  of  God  and  reveals  His  wisdom  to  us.        Imagine  two  people  in  a  room  together.  One  is  trying  to  whisper  a  secret  to  the  other.  If  the  room  is  filled  with  a  loud  noise,  even  though  the  message  is  being  communicated,  the  one  wai-ng  for  the  informa-on  will  miss  it  simply  because  there  the  room  is  too  noisy  to  hear.  Unless  they  are  really  paying  close  aFen-on,  they  may  not  even  realize  that  they  are  being  spoken  to.  

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Page 6: Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative ... · Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative about myself from my own mouth! (Say this aloud). Now

We  can  pray  with  our  spirits,  which  lead  us  to  pray  with  our  minds,  or  vice  versa.  When  we  make  ourselves  available  to  God  for  prayer,  the  mind  aids  the  spirit  and  they  work  together  to  get  the  knowledge  and  wisdom  of  God  to  us  in  a  way  that  we  can  understand  it.      Your  mind  and  your  spirit  work  together.  The  mind  should  be  kept  peaceful,  but  be  alert.  Isaiah  tells  us  that  a  mind  stayed  on  the  right  things  will  be  at  rest.  This  becomes  impossible  when  it  is  loaded  down  with  things  it  was  never  intended  to  carry.        Think  it  over:  how  much  of  the  -me  is  your  mind  normal?  

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Page 7: Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative ... · Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative about myself from my own mouth! (Say this aloud). Now

Another  condi-on  of  the  mind  that  is  abnormal  is  for  it  to  be  wandering  all  over  the  place.  An  inability  to  concentrate  indicates  mental  aFack  from  the  devil.    Many  people  have  spent  years  allowing  their  minds  to  wander  because  they  have  never  applied  principles  of  discipline  to  their  thought  life.  An  inability  to  concentrate  could  be  the  result  of  years  of  leVng  your  mind  do  whatever  it  wants  to,  or  it  could  be  symptoma-c  of  other  things  like  vitamin  B  deficiency  or  extreme  fa-gue.    To  “guard  your  steps”  or  “keep  your  foot”  means  to  keep  your  balance  –  don’t  allow  yourself  to  get  off  track.    How  many  -mes  do  we  “zone  out”  in  church,  class  or  conversa-ons?  When  you  allow  your  mind  to  wander,  you  might  miss  something  that  you  really  needed  to  hear.  This  is  a  prime  example  of  Satan’s  mind  war.  To  overcome  this  hurdle,  download  the  sermon  podcast!  

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Page 8: Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative ... · Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative about myself from my own mouth! (Say this aloud). Now

Wondering  leaves  a  person  in  indecision,  and  indecision  causes  confusion.  Wondering,  indecision  and  confusion  prevent  us  from  receiving  from  God,  by  faith,  the  answer  to  our  prayers  or  needs.  As  Chris-ans,  we  are  to  believe  -­‐  not  doubt  or  wonder.  Do  something  posi-ve  instead  of  wondering  about  everything  imaginable.    

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Page 9: Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative ... · Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative about myself from my own mouth! (Say this aloud). Now

We  have  discovered  that  wondering  and  confusion  are  rela-ves.  Wondering,  rather  than  being  definite  in  thought,  can  and  does  cause  doubt  and  confusion.    Wondering,  doubt  and  confusion  are  undesirable  ac-vi-es  for  us  as  Chris-ans.  Think  about  it  –  if  you’re  constantly  going  back  and  forth  and  never  making  a  decision  that  s-cks,  you’ll  be  double  minded  and  uncertain  about  everything.        Be  decisive  –  make  a  decision  and  s-ck  to  it  …  also  known  as  the  “C”  word:  commitment.  Singles  are  notorious  for  agreeing  to  something  then  changing  their  mind  to  opt  for  the  ”beFer,  best  deal.”    A  very  wise,  respected  master  of  wisdom  once  said,  “Do  not  try,  do  …  or  do  not.”  -­‐  Yoda    

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Page 10: Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative ... · Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative about myself from my own mouth! (Say this aloud). Now

“Don't  fool  yourself  into  thinking  that  you  are  a  listener  when  you  are  anything  but,  le;ng  the  Word  go  in  one  ear  and  out  the  other.  Act  on  what  you  hear!  Those  who  hear  and  don't  act  are  like  those  who  glance  in  the  mirror,  walk  away,  and  two  minutes  later  have  no  idea  who  they  are,  what  they  look  like.”  -­‐  James  1:22  MSG    Joyce  Meyer  tells  a  story  about  blessing  an  associate.  “How  can  I  bless  her?”  Her  eyes  fell  to  a  new  red  dress  –  s-ll  in  the  bag.  “Surely  this  is  a  coincidence”  she  thought.  Several  weeks  went  by  and  she  was  thinking  about  her  associate,  and  again  her  mind  went  to  the  red  dress  –  s-ll  in  the  bag,  unworn.  She  realized  that  God  had  been  telling  her  what  to  do,  and  she  was  deliberately  ignoring  it.  She  relented,  gave  the  associate  the  dress,  and  immediately  felt  a  sense  of  peace.  

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Page 11: Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative ... · Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative about myself from my own mouth! (Say this aloud). Now

Reasoning  is  one  of  the  “busy  ac-vi-es”  in  which  the  mind  engages  that  prevents  discernment  ad  revela-on  knowledge.  There  is  a  big  difference  in  head  knowledge  and  revela-on  knowledge.  Reasoning  is  not  the  normal  condi-on  in  which  God  wants  our  mind  to  reside.  Be  aware  that  when  the  mind  is  filled  with  reasoning,  it  is  not  normal.    

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Page 12: Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative ... · Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative about myself from my own mouth! (Say this aloud). Now

We  usually  talk  about  doubt  and  unbelief  together  as  if  they  are  one  and  the  same.  Actually,  although  they  can  be  connected,  the  two  are  very  different  things.    The  same  dic-onary  notes  that  one  of  the  two  Greek  words  translated  as  unbelief  is  always  rendered  “disobedience”  in  the  RSV  transla-on  of  the  Bible.    As  we  look  at  these  two  powerful  tools  of  the  enemy,  we  see  that  doubt  causes  a  person  to  waver  between  two  opinions,  whereas  unbelief  leads  to  disobedience.  We  need  to  be  able  to  recognize  which  one  we’re  dealing  with.  

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Page 13: Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative ... · Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative about myself from my own mouth! (Say this aloud). Now

Doubt  is  not  something  God  puts  in  us.  The  Bible  says  that  God  gives  every  man  “...a  measure  of  faith.”    When  God  tells  us  to  do  something,  the  faith  to  believe  it  or  do  it  comes  with  the  Word  from  God.  He  gives  us  the  ability  to  believe  we  can  do  it.  It’s  not  that  we  don’t  have  faith,  it’s  just  that  Satan  is  trying  to  destroy  our  faith  with  lies  (an  endless  supply  of  fiery  darts).        

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Page 14: Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative ... · Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative about myself from my own mouth! (Say this aloud). Now

Abraham  waited  for  God  to  fulfill  His  promise,  but  it  didn’t  happen  overnight.  He  and  Sarah  had  doubts,  and  that  hatched  a  carnal  plan  for  offspring.  She  “gave”  her  Egyp-an  maid  Hagar  to  Abraham,  and  Ishmael  is  the  result.  Things  didn’t  go  well,  and  13  years  later,  Sarah  had  Isaac.  They  were  enemies  then,  and  the  results  can  be  seen  in  the  modern  day  conflict  between  Israel  &  Arabs.    In  -mes  of  spiritual  warfare,  don’t  make  your  decisions  based  on  your  thoughts  or  feelings,  but  check  with  your  spirit.  Keep  your  eyes  focused  on  Jesus,  lest  you  sink  or  be  overcome  by  the  storms  of  life.  Faith  is  a  gin  from  God    doubt  is  a  choice...it  is  Satan’s  warfare  tac-c  against  our  minds.    Genesis  16-­‐21  …  full  story  of  Abraham  &  Sarah,  Hagar  &  Ishmael,  Isaac    Romans  4:18-­‐21  Against  all  hope,  Abraham  in  hope  believed  and  so  became  the  father  of  many  naHons,  just  as  it  had  been  said  to  him,  “So  shall  your  offspring  be.”  Without  weakening  in  his  faith,  he  faced  the  fact  that  his  body  was  as  good  as  dead—since  he  was  about  a  hundred  years  old—and  that  Sarah’s  womb  was  also  dead.  Yet  he  did  not  waver  through  unbelief  regarding  the  promise  of  God,  but  was  strengthened  in  his  faith  and  gave  glory  to  God,  being  fully  persuaded  that  God  had  power  to  do  what  he  had  promised.      MaFhew  14:24-­‐32  “…and  the  boat  was  already  a  considerable  distance  from  land,  buffeted  by  the  waves  because  the  wind  was  against  it.  Shortly  before  dawn  Jesus  went  out  to  them,  walking  on  the  lake.  When  the  disciples  saw  him  walking  on  the  lake,  they  were  terrified.  “It’s  a  ghost,”  they  said,  and  cried  out  in  fear.  But  Jesus  immediately  said  to  them:  “Take  courage!  It  is  I.  Don’t  be  afraid.”    “Lord,  if  it’s  you,”  Peter  replied,  “tell  me  to  come  to  you  on  the  water.”    “Come,”  he  said.  Then  Peter  got  down  out  of  the  boat,  walked  on  the  water  and  came  toward  Jesus.  But  when  he  saw  the  wind,  he  was  afraid  and,  beginning  to  sink,  cried  out,  “Lord,  save  me!”    Immediately  Jesus  reached  out  his  hand  and  caught  him.  “You  of  liVle  faith,”  he  said,  “why  did  you  doubt?”  And  when  they  climbed  into  the  boat,  the  wind  died  down.      

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Page 15: Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative ... · Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative about myself from my own mouth! (Say this aloud). Now

It’s  impossible  to  have  joy  and  peace  while  living  in  doubt  and  unbelief.  The  double-­‐minded  man  is  unstable  in  all  his  ways  and  never  receives  what  he  wants  from  the  Lord.  Make  up  your  mind  that  you  will  not  be  double-­‐minded...don’t  live  in  doubt.      God  has  a  great  life  planned  for  you.  Don’t  let  Satan  steal  it  through  lies!  Instead,  refute  arguments  and  theories  and  reasoning  and  every  proud  and  lony  thing  that  sets  itself  up  against  the  [true]  knowledge  of  God;  and...lead  every  thought  and  purpose  away    

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Page 16: Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative ... · Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative about myself from my own mouth! (Say this aloud). Now

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Page 17: Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative ... · Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative about myself from my own mouth! (Say this aloud). Now

Anxiety  and  worry  are  both  aFacks  on  the  mind  intended  to  distract  us  from  serving  the  Lord.  The  enemy  also  uses  both  of  these  torments  to  press  our  faith  down,  so  it  cannot  rise  up  and  help  us  live  in  victory.  Some  people  have  such  a  problem  with  worry  that  it  might  even  be  said  that  they  are  addicted  to  worrying.  If  they  don’t  have  something  of  their  own  to  worry  about,  they  will  worry  over  someone  else’s  situa-on.    Jesus  said,  “I  am  the  Vine,  you  are  the  branches….”  (John  15:5).  How  long  can  a  branch  survive  if  it  is  broken  off  the  vine?  When  we  abide  in  Him,  we  enter  the  protec-on  and  rest  of  God.  The  life  of  abiding  is  peaceful,  ressul  and  fruisul  life.  Enter  in  and  enjoy  your  life  while  God  works  on  your  problems!      “It’s  absolutely  impossible  to  worry  and  live  in  peace  at  the  same  Hme.”  –  Joyce  Meyer    

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Page 18: Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative ... · Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative about myself from my own mouth! (Say this aloud). Now

Webster  defines  worry  as  “to  torment  oneself  with  or  suffer  from  disturbing  thoughts;  fret,  to  seize,  esp.  by  the  throat,  with  the  teeth  and  shake  or  mangle,  as  one  animal  does  another.”      Satan  aFacks  us  with  worry  because  he  knows  that  if  he  can  get  enough  of  the  wrong  things  going  on  in  our  mind,  we  won’t  be  as  effec-ve  and  accomplish  the  things  that  God  has  told  us  to  do.    If  we  know  the  Word  of  God,  we  can  counter  the  aFacks  of  the  enemy.      These  Scriptures  encourage  us  when  we’re  concerned  about  whether  or  not  God  will  come  through  and  meet  our  needs.  He  lets  us  know  that  we  don’t  have  to  set  our  minds  on  money  or  wondering  how  to  take  care  of  ourselves...He  will  take  care  of  these  things  for  us...He  has  promised  never  to  fail  us  or  forsake  us.  Do  your  part,  but  don’t  try  to  do  God’s  part.  The  load  is  too  heavy  to  bear,  and  if  you’re  not  careful,  you’ll  break  under  the  weight  of  it.    

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Page 19: Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative ... · Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative about myself from my own mouth! (Say this aloud). Now

Passivity  is  the  opposite  of  ac-vity.  It  is  a  dangerous  problem  because  the  Word  of  God  clearly  teaches  that  we  must  be  alert,  cau-ous  and  ac-ve  -­‐  that  we  are  to  fan  the  flame  and  s-r  up  the  gin  within  us.    A  passive  person  thinks  they’re  doing  nothing  wrong  because  they  are  not  doing  anything.  Therein  lies  the  problem!      Take  the  example  of  physical  exercise.  You  know  what  you  need  to  do  to  get  healthy  –  maybe  even  doctor’s  orders,  but  the  more  you  think  about  it,  the  more  you  don’t  want  to  do  it.  The  longer  you  put  it  off,  the  worse  you  feel  and  you  REALLY  don’t  want  to  do  anything.  All  you  can  see  is  the  nega-ves  (like  geVng  sweaty  or  being  sore)  instead  of  the  posi-ves  that  will  result  from  taking  care  of  yourself.      Making  the  decision  to  act  is  the  easy  part.  Taking  ac-on  is  where  the  real  work  comes  in.    

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Page 20: Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative ... · Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative about myself from my own mouth! (Say this aloud). Now

You  will  not  change  your  behavior  un-l  you  change  your  thoughts.  Don’t  just  “empty”  your  mind  and  give  Satan  a  foothold  –  fill  it  up  with  God’s  Word.  Failure  to  exercise  “the  will”  will  ul-mately  result  in  the  believer’s  defeat.      “Behavior  never  lies.”  –  Richard  Flint      You  must  have  backbone  and  not  just  wishbone!  Many  believers  want  the  good  life,  but  they  are  passively  siVng  around  wishing  that  something  good  would  happen  to  them.  Onen,  they  are  jealous  of  others  who  are  living  in  victory  and  are  resensul  that  their  own  lives  are  so  difficult.  If  you  desire  victory  over  your  problems,  you  must  be  ac-ve  -­‐  not  passive.  Right  ac-on  begins  with  right  thinking.  Don’t  be  passive  in  your  mind.  Start  today  by  choosing  right  thoughts.  

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Page 21: Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative ... · Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative about myself from my own mouth! (Say this aloud). Now

Much  torment  comes  to  people’s  lives  because  of  judgmental  aVtudes,  cri-cism  and  suspicion.  Rela-onships  are  destroyed  by  these  enemies.  Once  again,  the  mind  is  the  baFlefield.  Thoughts  -­‐  just  “I  think”  -­‐  can  be  a  tool  the  devil  uses  to  keep  a  person  lonely.  Being  judgmental,  opinionated  and  cri-cal  are  three  sure  ways  to  see  rela-onships  dissolve.  People  do  not  enjoy  being  around  someone  who  needs  to  voice  an  opinion  about  everything.      Do  you  always  see  what  is  wrong  instead  of  what  is  right?  Judgment  and  cri-cism  are  evidence  of  pride,  and  that’s  a  biggie.  When  the  “I”  in  us  is  bigger  than  it  should  be,  it  will  always  cause  problems.  If  we  have  an  exaggerated  opinion  of  ourselves,  we  look  down  on  others  and  value  them  as  “less  than”  we  are.  

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Page 22: Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative ... · Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative about myself from my own mouth! (Say this aloud). Now

It’s  entertaining  to  people  watch.  We  form  opinions  of  people  by  their  looks  &  behavior.  Where  it  crosses  the  line  is  when  you  suddenly  become  the  authority  in  other  peoples’  business.  How  would  you  feel  if  a  neighbor  or  co-­‐worker  suddenly  started  telling  you  how  to  live,  dress,  do  your  job,  etc.?  Just  because  you  have  an  opinion  –  and  we  all  do  –  doesn’t  mean  that  you  have  to  express  it.      MaFhew  7:1-­‐2  “Do  not  judge,  or  you  too  will  be  judged.  For  in  the  same  way  you  judge  others,  you  will  be  judged,  and  with  the  measure  you  use,  it  will  be  measured  to  you.”    

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Page 23: Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative ... · Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative about myself from my own mouth! (Say this aloud). Now

We  look  at  ourselves  through  rose-­‐colored  glasses  but  look  at  everyone  else  through  a  magnifying  glass.    We  make  excuses  for  ourselves,  but  when  we  see  someone  else  doing  the  same  thing  we  are  without  mercy!  We  can’t  change  others  -­‐  only  God  can.  We  can’t  change  ourselves  either,  but  we  can  cooperate  with  the  Holy  Spirit  and  allow  Him  to  do  the  work.  Step  one  is  to  face  the  truth  the  Lord  is  trying  to  show  us.    John  2:23-­‐25  “Now  while  he  was  in  Jerusalem  at  the  Passover  FesHval,  many  people  saw  the  signs  he  was  performing  and  believed  in  his  name.  But  Jesus  would  not  entrust  himself  to  them,  for  he  knew  all  people.  25  He  did  not  need  any  tesHmony  about  mankind,  for  he  knew  what  was  in  each  person.”    We  have  the  Holy  Spirit  in  us  to  remind  us  when  our  thoughts  are  going  in  the  wrong  direc-on.  Suspicion  cripples  an  en-re  rela-onship,  and  usually  destroys  it.  We  need  balance  in  human  rela-onships,  and  should  use  wisdom  and  discernment  in  our  dealings  with  others.  While  we  don’t  have  to  throw  our  lives  open  to  everyone  we  meet,  we  don’t  have  to  look  at  everyone  with  suspicion  either.  

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Page 24: Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative ... · Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative about myself from my own mouth! (Say this aloud). Now

Words  and  thoughts  are  like  bone  and  marrow  -­‐  so  close  it  is  hard  to  divide  them  (Hebrews  4:12).  The  things  we  think  about  onen  come  out  of  our  mouths,  and  some-mes  make  us  look  foolish.  Jesus  said  that  He  came  in  order  that  we  might  have  and  enjoy  life.  Begin  to  operate  in  the  mind  of  Christ,  and  you  will  step  into  a  whole  new  realm  of  living.    

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Page 25: Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative ... · Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative about myself from my own mouth! (Say this aloud). Now

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Page 26: Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative ... · Repeat after me: I will never EVER speak anything negative about myself from my own mouth! (Say this aloud). Now

 NEXT  WEEK…  Now  that  we’ve  made  a  decision  to  choose  right  thoughts,  we’re  going  to  look  at  the  types  of  thinking  that  would  be  considered  “right”  according  to  the  Lord.  If  we  want  to  follow  in  Jesus’  footsteps,  we  must  begin  to  think  as  He  did.  Think  that’s  impossible?  The  Bible  tells  us  that  we  have  the  mind  of  Christ  -­‐  a  new  heart  and  spirit.    

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