Detox Part 1 – Overcoming Toxic Thoughts

Pastor Scott Applegate

Sermon Notes:

Toxic: anything containing poisonous materials capable of causing sickness or death

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

• Our lives are shaped by our thoughts, good or bad

“Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life.” Proverbs 23:7 NCV

“All these evil things begin inside people, in the mind: evil thoughts, sexual sins, stealing, murder, adultery, greed, evil actions, lying, doing sinful things, jealousy, speaking evil of others, pride, and foolish living.” Mark 7:21-22 NCV

How to detox your thought life:

1. Identify and capture toxic thoughts
“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 NIV

Five areas of toxic thoughts:
• Anxious thoughts
• Inadequacy thoughts
• Lustful thoughts
• Angry thoughts
• Critical thoughts

2. Replace toxic thoughts with God’s word and truth
“ … Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8 NLT

• Does what I am thinking about line up with truth? True
• Does my thinking honor God and His purposes for me? Honorable
• Is my thought life righteous? Right
• Am I meditating on things that are holy and pure? Pure
• Is my mind filled with things that are lovely to Him? Lovely
• Would my thought be fit for hearing? Admirable

“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32 NLT

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:1-2 ESV

I need to know and believe what the Bible says about:

• God (Romans 11:33-36)

• Me (Zephaniah 3:17)

• Others (1 Samuel 16:7)

• Life (Luke 9:23-25)

• The future (Jeremiah 29:11)

• The past (Philippians 3:13-14)

• Life’s challenges (James 1:2-4)