A Sound Mind | Joel Osteen

Well, God bless you, and it's great to be with you today, and I hope you'll stay connected with us during the week through our daily podcast, our YouTube channel, and social media, and you can come visit us in person. We'd love to have you be a part of one of our services. But I'd like to start with something funny, and I heard about this lady, she'd just gotten out of choir practice, and she was so fired up, she put a honk, if you love Jesus, bumper sticker on her car. At the intersection, she was digging in her purse and didn't notice the light had changed. She said, I was so excited to find out the guy behind me loved Jesus. He started honking, so I rolled my window down way real big and said, I love Jesus too. She said, I found out a whole lot of people love Jesus. Everyone started honking. One man even screamed, Jesus Christ. She said, after we shared all that love together, I was the only one that made it through the intersection. Say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do. Today I will be taught the Word of God. I boldly confess, my mind is alert, my heart is receptive. I will never be the same. In Jesus' name. God bless you. I want to talk to you today about a sound mind. There are so many opportunities to live worried, afraid, wondering what's going to happen. You watch the news and see all the violence, suffering, division. Someone texted me last week and said, this is such a scary time to be alive. People are on edge, thinking what if the economy goes down?

What if the medical report doesn't improve? How can I accomplish my dreams? I don't have the connections. It's easy to let our mind be filled with negativity, doubt, fear. That's the enemy's favorite area to work in. He knows if he can control your thoughts, he can control your life. But Paul said in 2 Timothy, God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. A sound mind is a positive mind, a hopeful mind. It's a mind that's at peace, a mind that knows that God's in control and that He's ordering your steps. A sound mind is not focused on the problems, it's focused on the promises. It's not looking at how big the challenge is, it's looking at how big our God is. A sound mind is not discouraged over the bad break. It's expecting God to open a new door. It's not bitter over who walked away. It's knowing God has someone better coming. That's the way God created us to live, positive, peaceful, trusting. But so many people go around with a troubled mind. I don't see how this problem's gonna work out. A worried mind, what if my company has layoffs? A doubting mind, I'll never meet the right person. A negative mind, I can't break this addiction, I've had it for years. What kind of mind do you have? What are you thinking about all through the day? Your life is going to follow your thoughts. The Scripture says, let this same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus. This is an amazing promise. You can have the same mind, the same thinking patterns as Jesus did. He had all kinds of problems, but He didn't have a worried mind.

He had people betray Him. He didn't have a bitter mind. He stood before Lazarus, a man that had been dead four days, and called Him back to life. He didn't have a doubting mind. He trusted that His Father was in control. He believed that He was called, equipped, and empowered. He had a sound mind. He would have never fulfilled His destiny with the wrong thoughts playing all day long. Pay attention to what's playing in your mind. The enemy would love for us to go through life with a doubting mind, a fearful mind, a worried mind. Don't fall into that trap. You control the doorway to your mind. You can't stop negative thoughts from coming, but you can decide whether or not you're going to dwell on them. God is not going to do this for us. This is something we all have to do. Take control of your thought life. Be selective in what you're dwelling on. If the thought is negative, discouraging, bringing fear, doubt, confusion, dismiss it. Don't give it the time of day. Replace that thought with a positive thought. Replace it with what God says about you. You've seen your best days. It's all downhill from here. No thanks. My latter days will be better than my former days. God, I thank you that you're taking me from glory to glory that my path gets brighter and brighter Or you're never going to accomplish your dreams. You don't have the funding the connections the experience father Thank you that you're opening doors that no person can shut

Thank you that the right people are tracking me down that good breaks are headed my way This is our choice a doubting mind or a faith-filled mind Thoughts will whisper this sickness is permanent. Your health is going to keep getting worse. You saw the medical report If you dwell on that, it's going to create fear Negativity drain your energy take your joy Why don't you dismiss those thoughts? You're in control of what you think about Turn it around and dwell on what God says about you father You said that you're restoring health back into me You said the number of my days you will fulfill that with long life. You will satisfy me That's how you have a sound mind by being selective in what you think about And the scripture says to take every thought captive that goes against what God says Get a picture of that a negative thought comes fear worry doubt. You can't be passive Complacent you have to arrest that thought It's an intruder. It has no right to stay. You need to get your handcuffs out So to speak lock it up and send it away Take it captive indicates force Aggressive being on the offensive Could have said just don't think about it Don't pay it any attention But God was showing us how important it is that we'd be proactive That if we're going to have a sound mind, it's not going to happen automatically We're going to have to start locking up some things The Apostle Paul said give no place to the enemy Are there some intruders in your mind that you're allowing to stay? Are you giving place to negative? discouraging thoughts Imagine that worry that doubt that fear sitting on your couch feet up in the air Making themselves at home How would you feel if a burglar came into your house and started eating your food and sleeping in your bed?

Sitting on your back porch watching your television He wouldn't be there five seconds before you would say excuse me. You are not welcome here This is my house. You have to leave right now If he didn't leave on his own you'd call your wife, I mean you'd call 9-1-1 That's how you need to see these negative thoughts They're intruders They're trying to keep you from your destiny worry fear doubt That's going to limit your vision cause you to give up on dreams live stressed out where you don't enjoy your life It's time to make some arrest Lock up some negative thoughts get those intruders out of your mind They're not going to go on their own. You have to force them out Refuse to dwell on them refuse to let the negative play It's interesting when God says we don't have a spirit of fear That word fear in the original language is only used one time in the scripture All the other times it says fear that word is talking about not dreading something bad that's coming It's referring to what we think not anticipating the negative But when God said you don't have a spirit of fear that word for fear implies being passive Complacent not putting forth effort that's required And a sound mind in several versions is translated a disciplined mind It refers to self-control and self-discipline God is saying if you're going to have this sound mind that I'm giving you if you're gonna stay in peace full of faith Expecting my favor, then you can't be passive Complacent and just think whatever comes into your mind. You have to be disciplined. You have to exercise self-control God has already provided us a sound mind a peaceful mind a believing mind The question is are you going to keep the intruders out and think about what he's promised? Are you going to lock up those destructive thoughts and not give the enemy any place? Some people are allowing way too much worry Those worrisome thoughts have their own bedroom in your mind. So to speak they eat dinner with you Every night they greet you first thing in the morning. They ride to work with you go on vacation with you

Why don't you send them an eviction notice? I'm sorry But your time here is up, I've let you stay way too long, now you're gonna have to leave. No more waking up with worry. Try a different approach and wake up with hope. Wake up with faith, wake up with gratitude. You get up in the morning, instead of letting those worry thoughts play, Father, thank you for another beautiful day. Thank you that I'm alive. Thank you for my family. Thank you for good health. Lord, I'm excited about this day. Worry can't stay in a house full of faith. Discouragement can't stay in a house full of gratitude. Negativity can't stay in a house full of hope. Maybe you've allowed doubt a place in your mind. It's been there so long, it's taken up residence. You don't think that you can accomplish your dreams, the obstacles are too big, you're not talented enough. That doubt is causing you to settle for mediocrity and quit believing for what God put in your heart. It's time to serve doubt and eviction notice. Start locking up those thoughts. Your mind is the enemy's playground. He's gonna feed you all kinds of defeat, lack, you can't do it. You've made too many mistakes. You've missed your chance. Quit giving him a place.

Take control of your thought life. Program it with what God says. I am blessed, I am talented, I am forgiven, I have a bright future. When you think like that, you're evicting doubt, fear, worry, you're giving a room for faith, for hope, for victory. Make sure you have the right tenants living in your mind. I don't know, Joel, I never get any good breaks. I'm not good in math, I'll never pass this course. I can't pay my house off. I'm so worried about my children. And I know those are valid concerns and I'm not making light of them, but I also know that giving a place to fear, doubt, and worry doesn't do anything productive. It'll cause you to get stuck and not see the great things God has in store for you. And I know people that are so disciplined when it comes to their career. They're productive, excellent, and on time. I know people that are disciplined when it comes to parenting. They're always there for their children, making sure they have everything they need at their ball games, great supporters. I know people that are so disciplined when it comes to their physical health. They eat right, exercise, they're always at the gym. We can be so disciplined in all these other areas,

which is great, but when it comes to our thought life, sometimes we're undisciplined. We let any thought in, we end up living worried, insecure, troubled. What if you had that same discipline in your thinking? You're so responsible in your career, your parenting, your health, be responsible in your thought life. Quit giving space to thoughts that are limiting you, causing you to live worried, afraid, intimidated. When my father passed and I stepped up to pastor the church, I had never ministered before. I'd spent those 17 years behind the scenes, but deep down, I knew I was supposed to do it. But all these thoughts flooded my mind. You're not qualified. You don't have the training. Nobody's gonna listen to you, Joel. You're not like your father. You don't have that big personality. The enemy is not going to let you move forward, take new ground without opposition. His main battlefield is the mind. He'll whisper lies, hoping that you'll take the bait and start dwelling on them. I had to make a decision. Was I going to give those thoughts access to my mind? Was I going to keep dwelling on them, let them take up residence and limit my future? Or was I going to lock them up?

Was I going to see them as an intruder and not give them the right to stay? I did what I'm asking us to do. Instead of believing those lies, I said, no thanks. You're not welcome here. You say I'm weak, unqualified, not enough, but I know who I am. I am strong in the Lord. I can do all things through Christ. I'm equipped, empowered, and anointed. I have royal blood flowing through my veins. I've been crowned with favor. The Most High God is breathing on my life. When you think like that, doubt can't stay. Inferiority has to go. Fear has no place. But had I allowed those lies, I wouldn't be up here today. Don't miss your destiny because you're giving place to the wrong things. Our mind is like a house. It has all these different rooms in it. Something is occupying each of us. room. Imagine there are four bedrooms. One has fear living in it. It moved in during the pandemic. Another has guilt living in it. It's been there since you made that mistake. So down on yourself. Another room there's inferiority. It's been there since you were a child when people made you feel less than told you how you weren't attractive. You would never do anything significant. What would happen if you would start evicting those wrong tenants? How much higher will you go if you'll evict the doubt? Those thoughts telling you that you'll never get well, never break the addiction, never see your family restored. Those are lies. You have to lock them up. They're intruders. They have no right to stay.

How much more will you accomplish if you'll evict the unworthiness? Thinking you don't deserve to be blessed. You've made too many mistakes. What could you become if you'll evict the not qualified thoughts? Not talented enough. I don't have what it takes. Get those thoughts out of your house. Your mind is valuable real estate. It's time to send the eviction notice. I'm sorry, but you're done here. I have some new tenants moving in immediately. It's faith. It's hope. It's victory. Here's the key. You will go no further than you think you can go. You will be no more valuable. You will live no more secure, no more confident than how valuable you think you are. The truth is you are made in the image of Almighty God. He calls you a masterpiece, one of a kind, a prized possession. But if you let the wrong intruders in your mind, if you let inferiority, not good enough, not attractive, if that occupies a room, you won't discover who you really are. When we believe to lie for a long time, the scripture calls it a stronghold. It's a thinking pattern that's keeping us from our destiny. You have to pull down the stronghold. You have to evict the intruder. And it's good to ask yourself, why do I feel this way? Why do I feel like I'm inferior, not up to par, not qualified? Maybe it's because the enemy told you what he told me, but you let the lie take root. You gave the intruder permission to stay. Now he has a room in your house. The good news is you're the landlord. You get to decide who stays, inferiority or confidence, not good enough or a masterpiece, unqualified or well able. Maybe you need to ask yourself, why am I so worried? Why am I so afraid and on edge, thinking something bad's about to happen? That's a room you've let the enemy occupy in your mind. And the problem with letting fear and worry in, it's not only taking your peace, but you draw in what you constantly think about. Faith works in the negative just as it does the positive. That negative frame of mind is going to draw in defeat, bad breaks, disappointments. Why don't you evict that tenant? God has you in the palm of his hand. Nothing can snatch you away. A thousand may fall at your side, 10,000 at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You can say with David, the Lord is my light and my salvation. I will not fear. The Lord is the strength of my life. He's fighting your battles right now. His angels are surrounding you. He holds victory in store for the upright. When you let those thoughts occupy a room, you're going to be peaceful, calm, secure. You're going to enjoy your life. Take inventory of what's occupying your house. Some of us have faith, hope, trust. That's good, but we still have that one room of worry. Worry doesn't want to leave. He's stubborn. We know God's on the throne, but we're still a little on edge. What if my business

goes down? This medical report's not changing. I thought I'd have the promotion by now. Can I encourage you? God has never failed you in the past, and he's not going to start now. All that worry is doing is causing you to be uptight, not sleep well, run your immune system down. It's time to serve worry and eviction notice. Let peace in. Let faith in. Every time worry comes back, use that as a reminder to thank God that he's working on what you're concerned about. You'll hear that knock on the door. Hey, it's me again. Worry. What about that child? They're still off course. What are you going to do? Father, thank you that as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Thank you. My children will fulfill their purposes When worry knocks answer back with faith What if there's a recession man? What if you don't get that contract? What if your company downsizes? How are you gonna make it? Sorry fear. You're not welcome here father. Thank you that your Jehovah Jireh the Lord my provider Thank you that you're supplying all of my needs that I will lend and not borrow See Philippians 4 says the peace of God which passes Understanding will guard your heart and mind in Christ. Jesus Peace should be one of the rooms in our mind When you have peace, it's guarding you. It's keeping you from fear worry and doubt One time in the scripture Peter was arrested and put in prison for sharing his faith King Agrippa had already killed James one of the Apostles when he saw how that pleased the people He had Peter arrested. He was in the deepest part of the dungeon Hands and feet in chains The next day he was going to be brought to trial Peter knew his life could be over in 24 hours He saw what they had done to James now. He was next in line You would think he would be so worried Panic pacing the floor But Peter understood this principle fear came knocking at the door. He said no. Thanks. I'm gonna stay in peace I know God is still in control God won't let you get in a problem that he can't bring you out of The scripture says while Peter was sleeping an angel came and woke him up How could he be sleeping knowing the next day he could lose his life that's peace that passes understanding

That's what happens when you take control of your thought life. You'll have peace in the midst of the storm When you stay calm when you could be worried stressed out can't sleep. You're showing God that you trust him That's when he'll make things happen that you couldn't make happen The angel opened up the prison doors chains fell off his feet Peter walked out a free man But when you're in a difficult situation Your health your finances a relationship you can be sure worry will come knocking at the door Panic fear. What are you gonna do? This is bad There's no way out if you let fear in if you give place to the enemy He'll tell you all the worst-case scenarios That sickness is going to be fatal That contrast you lost is gonna sink you you'll never recover from this breakup in Those challenging times more than ever you have to be disciplined in what you allow in Don't let the negative play Don't start envisioning everything that could go wrong Don't spend four hours googling that sickness finding all the bad reports. You don't need that negativity in you Keep the door closed. You need your mind filled with faith with hope father Thank you that you're fighting this battle that you being for me is more than the world being against me Thank you that what you have purpose for my life will come to pass. I Talked to a young couple. They've been trying to have a baby for many years, but she couldn't conceive They had been to several doctors and everything seemed fine. The doctors were puzzled as to why she couldn't get pregnant She was so discouraged. She said Joel my mother had a terrible time conceiving My grandmother had the same problem from the time. I was a little girl I was always afraid that I wouldn't be able to have a child Job said the thing I feared came upon me When we give fear a room in our mind When we let those destructive thoughts become strongholds what we're fearing can become a reality That thought I'll never have a child was an intruder That's the enemy doing what he does the best trying to plant lies doubts fears Hoping that you'll give it a place in your mind

Victory is won or lost in our thinking You may have negative things in your family line, but you have to say father. Thank you that I'm the exception Thank you that this barrenness is not staying in my family this addiction this lack this depression father Thank you that I'm a difference maker that I'm a barrier breaker that you're doing a new thing that I will live whole free victorious Clear out those negative rooms Get those intruders out of your mind put some new tenants in faith hope and victory That's what I told this young woman. She had to get rid of that stronghold and quit going around thinking thinking that she couldn't have a baby. Instead, she tried a different approach. She started dwelling on what God said about her. Father, you said the fruit of my womb is blessed. You said you'd make me the happy mother of children. You said that no good thing would you withhold because I'll walk uprightly. So Lord, thank you that our baby is on the way. Just as fear can draw negative things in, faith can draw positive things in. About a year later, she walked into the lobby up there holding this beautiful baby girl in her arms, beaming from ear to ear. Are there some intruders occupying your mind? Are there tenants you need to evict? Don't let a stronghold, a lie that's taken root, keep you from your destiny. Pay attention to what you're giving room to. When negative thoughts come, don't be passive. Be disciplined in what you think about. Start locking up those thoughts.

You have a destiny to fulfill. There's a calling on your life. God has an assignment for you to accomplish. The enemy wouldn't be fighting you if he didn't know there is greatness in you. He's gonna do his best to get you worried, doubting, fearful, discouraged. That may be the way it's been, but this is a new day. Some rooms are being cleaned out right now in our mind. Strongholds are coming down. Wrong tenants are being evicted. I believe and declare you have a sound mind. Like Peter, you're gonna sleep through the storms. Like this young woman, things that have hindered your family line are being broken. You're about to see promises come to pass, healing, favor, breakthroughs, the fullness of your destiny in Jesus' name. And if you receive it, can you say amen? I'd like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make you my Lord and Savior. If you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. We'd love to send you some free information on your new walk with the Lord. You can text the number on the screen or go to the website,

but I hope you'll get into a good Bible-based church and keep God first place.