Fact vs. Faith Part 2

1)    Faith and Peace reside together in the mind that is focused on Him  - Isaiah 26:3“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts you”

1. Stayed – samak – 5564 – to prop, to lean upon, take hold of, stand fast.
2. Peace comes when  you place yourself:
   1. Under Gods guidance –
   2. Under Gods government –
   3. Under Gods provision - Trusting Him to fully take care of and satisfy you in every area of life – Psalm 112:7 “He shall not be afraid of evil tiding, his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord: His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire on his enemies.”
   4. Peace is not freedom from trouble - John 16:33
3. Peace is freedom without pain
   1. Who or what do you obey - Romans 6:5-16
   2. 1 Corinthians 7:23 “You were bought at a price do not become slaves of men”
   3. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17
   4. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

2)    You must combat every negative thought -

1. Anxiety in the heart causes depression – Proverbs 12:25
   1. Anxiety – deagah – 1674 – carefulness, fear, heaviness, sorrow; from daag – be afraid, take thought.
   2. Depression – shachah – 7812 – to depress, that is, prostrate, make to stoop
   3. Proverbs 17:22 “A merry heart does good like medicine”
   4. Nehemiah 8:10 “The Joy of the Lord is your strength”

3)    This battle to overcome anxiety is only going to be won through spiritual means - Philippians 4:6-9

1. Anxious – from the root word – merimna – 3308 – to take care, the idea of distraction; taking care; also associated with merizo – 3307 – to part, to disunite, divide –
2. Peace –
   1. Bringing all passions and emotions into harmony with what God says and with Who God is!
   2. Eirene – prosperity; to set at one again. From the verb that means to join.
   3. Peace comes from the confidence that you have in the grace and favor of God the it’s going to be all right!
   4. Meditate/think – logizomai – 3049 – to take an inventory

4)    **Your thoughts will dictate your words and your actions –

1. Sin starts in the heart and is the result of a bad seed left to grow –
   1. Matthew 5:27-30
      1. Look – blepo – 991 – to look at; behold, compares to 3700 – optanomai – to gaze with eyes wide open, as at something remarkable, voluntary observation, signifies an earnest but more continued inspection.
      2. Cut it off – it’s like if you have a disease and are faced with the choice of removing a tumor and living or letting it grow and dying.
      3. A thought itself is not the problem - James 1:12-19
         1. A seed unplanted will not grow
         2. But a thought left to itself like a weed will destroy and choke out all that is good – Mark 4:14-19

5)    You must lay aside the things that are weighting you down –

1. Hebrews 12:1-2
2. Mark 4:20 “But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

6)    To believe is not enough –

1. Demons know and tremble – James 2:19 - “Demons believe and tremble”
2. You must do - James 1:21-27
   1. Doer – poietes – a performer, from poieo – 4160 – to make or do, band together, commit, without any delay, execute, exercise, work; compare to 4238 – prasso – practice, perform repeatedly and habitually.
   2. Continue - Parameno -3887 – to stay near, that is, remain, be permanent or persevere

7)    You are the gatekeeper of your mind – Proverbs 4:23

1. Guard/keep -  natsar – 5341 – to guard, protect, maintain, watchman
2. No one is responsible for your heart like you are – Hebrews 4:13 “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”
3. You must protect and keep your mind as you would a precious jewel -
4. Stay free of offence, keep out bad thoughts – Proverbs 25:21-22
5. Focus on right thoughts Joshua 1:8
6. Surround yourself with those who sharpen and strengthen you –
   1. Proverbs 27:17
   2. 1 Corinthians 15:33 – corrupts – phtheiro – 5351 – to shrivel, wither, spoil, ruin, defile, destroy.
   3. Proverbs 13:20 “He who walks with wise men will be wise, but a companion of fools will be destroyed” – companion – raah – 7462 – gives the idea of a pastor or someone who rules you.
   4. Our fellowship is not to be with the world - 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 –
      1. James 4:4 “friendship with the world is enmity (an enemy) of God”
      2. 1 John 2:14-16
      3. Not one named a brother - 1 Corinthians 5:9-11

8)    You must know who you are according to God -

1. Matthew 5:13-14 – “You are the light of the world”
2. Romans 3:21-26 – “You are justified by faith, through grace”
3. Romans 5:17 “For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” NKJV
   1. Grace – charis – graciousness, favor, God’s divine influence upon the heart and its reflection in the life

9)    You must use your mouth to defeat every wrong thought of depression, of defeat, of fear:

1. Mark 11:22-24
   1. David did not let the giant talk without any response – 1 Samuel 17:42-52
2. God has not given you a spirit of fear nor is He trying to “teaching you something” by where you are walking if where you are walking was something your choices got you into - 2 Timothy 1:7
3. Take charge by taking your thoughts captive - 2 Corinthians 10:5-6
4. 2 Corinthians 5:7 “We walk by faith, not by sight”

Confidence will be the result of defeating every wrong thought and will open the door for you to trust God in all things -