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- 1. Teaching Notes by Joyce Meyer Joyce Meyer Ministries P.O. Box 655 • Fenton, MO 63026 (636) 349-0303 • (800) 727-9673 joycemeyer.org TN207 changeMaking Choices That Lead to Personal Growth
- 2. Copyright © 2009 Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored electronically, sold, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc.
- 3. March 19-21, 2009 Long Beach, California CHANGE Change Your Mind I. Nothing Changes Until Your Mind Changes. A. Romans 12:2 – God has a good life planned for us but we must learn to think right. 1. We don’t even know how messed up our thinking is until we study the Word of God and discover truth. B. Ephesians 4:22-24 – If you want to change your behavior then your mind must change first. 1. What you think about how to change must change. a. We can’t change by merely trying to change. b. We change by prayer (including repentance), studying God’s Word and leaning on the Holy Spirit to do the work in us. (More about this later.) C. Proverbs 23:7 – As a man thinks so is he. 1. Where the mind goes the man follows. D. We must believe (which comes from renewed thinking) that everything is subject to change except God Himself. 1. There is nothing or anyone in your life that is beyond change. CHANGE 1
- 4. 2. Ephesians 3:20 – God is able to do more than we dare to think or imagine, so we must be aggressively daring in our hopes and expectations. E. John 11:40 – Only believe and you will see the glory of God. 1. Glory is the manifestation of God’s most excellent things. F. Rare individuals who dared to believe things could change! 1. Nehemiah – The land was in a state of ruin. Their walls were torn down, which meant they had no protection from their enemies; and he dared to believe they could be rebuilt. a. Nehemiah 1:2-4; 2:17-18 b. They worked together, they prayed continuously, they fought enemies and opposition; but they finished the wall and the people once again rejoiced and were safe. 2. Joseph believed that God could work something good out of an evil and painful situation. 3. Daniel believed he would not be left alone in the lions’ den. 4. Peter believed he could be forgiven for betraying Christ and still be used by God. 5. A woman who was sick eighteen years believed she could be healed. 6. Paul believed that all Christians could do whatever they needed to do in life through Christ, Who is their strength. (See Philippians 4:13.) G. Romans 14:14 and Genesis 11:6 – Our personal thoughts become our personal reality. CHANGE 2
- 5. H. II Corinthians 10:3-5 – Take every thought captive. II. We Must Understand The Anatomy And Process Of Change. A. Change is a process and often a lengthy one. B. Change is frightening because we like to be in control and we don’t always know what will happen next or when it will happen. 1. Change occurs because we confront fear, not because we don’t feel it. Courage is the mastery of fear, not the absence of it. 2. The truth is that every man is afraid; and if he isn’t, then he is a fool. 3. We must absolutely know that we are not up to the task at hand without God! 4. David said, “What time I am afraid I will trust in God.” God tells us in His Word not to be dominated by fear, but He never indicates that we will never feel it. 5. Some people have said that the only thing we need to be afraid of is fear itself – but they are wrong! It is the absence of fear that we should fear; for if we have no fear then we are self-confident, and that is the single biggest mistake we can ever make. C. I recall how afraid I was the day I made the final decision to leave “normal” life and go into full-time ministry. 1. I wanted the change, but it was frightening beyond anything I could imagine. D. I recall how frightened I was the day I confronted my father about his abusive behavior toward me. I was so frightened that I thought I might faint, but I could not progress until I faced my “Goliath.” 1. I was stuck until I blasted out of the pit I was in. CHANGE 3
- 6. 2. It was a violent emotional time that eventually brought peace. E. Decisions made out of fear can cause long-term trouble. 1. I got married at the age of eighteen to a man I barely knew because I was afraid nobody would ever want me since I had been sexually abused. 2. I went on to have five years of emotional pain and torment. F. Change provokes all kinds of emotions! 1. We must not make decisions during emotional highs or lows! 2. Let emotions subside and then decide!! 3. Think about an emotional decision you made that caused a lot of trouble for you. a. I have purchased things out of emotions that to this day I think, “Why did I do that?” b. After the emotions subsided, I realized I didn’t need it and didn’t want to take care of it, but had no way to get rid of it. G. When things change you must give yourself time to get used to the new way of doing things, or the new responsibility, or the new people in your life, etc. 1. I came to the point after thirty-two years in ministry that I wanted less responsibility at the office, but then I felt upset and frustrated when decisions were made without me. 2. People want peace and quiet as they get older; and then when their children leave, they grieve over having an empty nest. CHANGE 4
- 7. 3. When women go through the “change of life,” it is putting it mildly to say they tend to get emotional!! They feel everything from insane, to fat, to wanting to commit murder. They want to be left alone one day and the next day they are upset because they are lonely. They want to get out of the house, away from kids, and work with real people. Then they constantly complain that working is way too much for them in their delicate condition. They cry for about three days each month for no reason and yet for every reason. H. But...eventually change produces the new thing we wanted and we can finally enjoy it. III. When The Brook Runs Dry It Is Time For Change. A. I Kings 17:7 – Elijah was fed for a season by a brook of running water, but eventually the brook dried up and he had to move on. 1. What God led him to was nothing like what he was used to, and certainly not what he would have expected. B. When our brook dries up, we are no longer being fed by what we are doing. 1. We feel dissatisfied, discontent and unhappy; and if we don’t make a change, we will begin to find fault with everything around us. We can easily start placing blame on others, when the truth is that we just need to follow God into a new place. a. We can also feel confused and start thinking, “What is wrong with me?” or even worse, “What is wrong with everybody else?” b. The brook drying up is one of the ways the Holy Spirit tries to speak to us. 2. I don’t mean that we always need to leave the place we are at physically. Often God is trying to change us or change the way we approach life, and He is using our surroundings to do it. CHANGE 5
- 8. a. We must be VERY careful during these times because we can easily assume something that is not true at all. b. Example: Just because I feel like a dry brook at work doesn’t always mean I need a different job. Maybe I need a transfer to a new department, a new challenge, or even a new attitude. c. Example: Just because I feel like my marriage is a dry brook doesn’t mean I need a different man. Maybe I need to create some adventure! 3. The ministry I loved for thirty years became like a dry brook to me, and all God wanted was for me to change the way I did it. a. I needed more rest and free time. b. My sons needed to come forward and begin to take more responsibility. 4. Things that can become dry brooks: a. Our behavior. (We get very weary of the way we behave.) b. A friend. (The season is over.) c. A church can be a dry brook if we are no longer growing or serving. When Elijah moved to the next thing God had for him it seemed like a demotion, not a promotion. So be more concerned about being where God wants you than you are about your position. CHANGE 6
- 9. d. Commitments that were right at one time but have lost their usefulness. Remember – very few things are intended to be forever (except marriage)!! C. We need change, we need adventure; and we frequently need to stir things up a bit. 1. Change something, and you might get excited again! 2. Romans 12:8 – Whatever we do, let us do it with enthusiasm and zeal. 3. Revelation 3:19 – When God chastises us, be enthusiastic and burning with zeal (changing your mind and attitude). D. Whatever God wants to change in you or your life, be excited about it because it will lead you to the next phase of your journey. 1. Change your mind about change so you can enjoy it. Some things will change whether you like it or not, so why not learn how to enjoy it!! CHANGE 7
- 12. Something Has Got To Change! I. What Do We Do When We Realize Things Are Not As They Should Be? A. Some people get angry, some get depressed or sink into self-pity, and some find someone or something to blame. 1. Do not allow yourself to get a victim mentality. 2. If you don’t like the way things are going in your life, make a decision to change what you can change. 3. I was very unhappy with my schedule due to the stress it was causing; and God said, “If you don’t like it then change it!” B. We should let go of what lies behind (once we realize it is not the best for us) and make the changes that need to be made in order to guarantee a better future. 1. John 8:31-32 – The Truth is intended to make you free – not make you angry and bitter. C. When I realized through God’s Word that Satan had robbed me of peace, joy, my childhood, righteousness, dignity and confidence; I became furious. 1. I felt cheated; and what was even more frustrating was that I realized I had wasted a lot of years in negative mindsets and emotions, and that I could never get those years back. 2. Isaiah 43:18-19 – I could change my thinking and expectation and see change in my future. II. People Who Changed Their Destiny A. Fate and destiny are really two different things. CHANGE 11
- 13. 1. The world talks about fate with the attitude that there is nothing that can be done about it. 2. Christians talk about destiny, and we realize that through making right choices we can shape our destiny. a. Our destiny is our destination in life. It is the place where we will finish. b. How we finish is more important than how we begin or even where we are right now. B. Jacob started out in life totally wrong, but along the way he made a change that enabled him to end up right. 1. Genesis 32:22-28 – Jacob changed! C. Paul (formerly Saul) started out totally wrong, but he changed. He ended up writing two-thirds of the New Testament, and literally being a world changer. 1. Acts 7:58; 8:1, 3; 9:1, 4, 17, 22 – These scriptures clearly show the amazing change in Saul, who became Paul. D. The ability to change is one of the greatest privileges we have as human beings. 1. Start saying, “I can change,” or “Things in my life can change!” III. God Promises To Turn Things Around. A. Isaiah 61:7-8 – God hates injustice and robbery, and He promises us double for our trouble. 1. Our choices now can affect the future generations. B. God will always do His part, but will you do your part? 1. Joshua 1:2-3 – I have given you the land. Now you go and take it. CHANGE 12
- 14. 2. It is like I said to my daughter recently, “I have some gifts at the house for you. You need to come and get them.” 3. They were hers; but if she would not put out the effort to come and take them, then she would be without them. C. Possess means to occupy by dispossessing the current occupants. 1. Israel fought many wars to possess what God had given them, and we will do no less. 2. II Corinthians 10:4 – The weapons of our WARFARE! 3. Daniel 7:25 – Satan seeks to wear out the saints of the Most High God. 4. He wants to press us down (to depress us), to discourage us, weaken and defeat us. D. Isaiah 60:1 – ARISE!! Get up from the depression and prostration that circumstances have kept you in. E. Judges 6:6-16 – The Israelites were oppressed by the enemy due to their fears. God called one man (Gideon) to deliver them; and he was not only afraid, but he had a very bad attitude. 1. God needed someone who would change their mind and attitude. 2. He needed someone (just one person) who would stand up to the enemy and say, “My God is bigger than this problem!” 3. Judges 7:9 – God told Gideon to ARISE! F. I Samuel 16:1, 12 – God is never without a plan! 1. Samuel was mourning, but God was planning! G. II Kings 7:3-8 – Four lepers said it is better to do something rather than sit here and die! CHANGE 13
- 15. H. Luke 19:1-7 – Zacchaeus had a disadvantage, but he aggressively pursued a way around it and found favor with God. 1. He had the option of feeling sorry for himself and being bitter, but he made another choice and helped form his own destiny. Closing Statement: If you don’t like the way things are going in your life then CHANGE IT; and if you can’t change it, then at least CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE toward it. CHANGE 14
- 18. The Greatest Change Of All I. Becoming A New Creature A. II Corinthians 5:17 – We are new creatures (altogether), old things pass away and the new has come. 1. We are changed inside and need to learn to live inside out! 2. Ephesians 1:3 – We are equipped by God with everything we need to live in a brand new way. B. Ephesians 1:3-14 – Everything that we need to live a good life is given to us “in Christ” and the Holy Spirit guarantees the full possession of it. 1. Some people say that it is hard to live the Christian life; but actually, it is impossible!! 2. That is why he gives us His Holy Spirit (strength, help, ability, power, and might). a. Apart from Him we can do nothing! b. It is not by might or power, but by My Spirit says the Lord. c. To succeed we must learn the power of helplessness. C. II Corinthians 5:20-21 – He gives us His righteousness and we must grow into what is ours by the grace and mercy of God. PROP: Use “Large White Coat” here. D. We are instructed to “put on” some things and “put off” others. 1. That basically means we are continually changing and being molded into His image. CHANGE 17
- 19. 2. Benjamin Franklin said, “When you’re finished changing, you’re finished.” E. “Put off.” 1. Ephesians 4:22-24 F. “Put on.” 1. Galatians 3:27 – Put on Christ Jesus. 2. Ephesians 4:24 – Put on the new nature. 3. Ephesians 6:11, 13-14 – Put on the armor of God. 4. Colossians 3:12 – Put on behavior. 5. Colossians 3:14 – Put on love. 6. Colossians 3:10 – Clothe yourself with the new man. PROP: In this section use the “Large White Coat” again, the “Ragged Coat,” and the signs requested from Nathan. II. Equipped By The Spirit A. I Samuel 10:6-7 – Saul was turned into another man when the Spirit of God came upon Him. 1. The Spirit equipped him to do whatever God asked him to do. B. When God calls us He equips us, and we must never doubt that. 1. A girl wrote and said, “I believe God has asked me to do something that will be difficult, but I don’t feel that He has given me the strength to do it. What should I do? Should I go ahead and take action believing I have what I need, or should I keep waiting?” CHANGE 18
- 20. 2. God parts the water when we put our foot in it! Joshua 3:13-16 – When the priests bearing the ark put their foot into the Jordan River, then the waters parted. 3. When I quit my job to prepare for ministry you might say, “I put my foot in it.” C. Some people never experience the fullness of their destiny because they wait for feelings to give them courage rather than acting on God’s Word to them. D. Luke 5:1-7 – Peter acted solely on God’s Word, totally disregarding his own thoughts, feelings and desires. He saw a miracle that day! III. Christ In You A. Colossians 1:27 – Christ in us is the mystery of the ages. 1. His presence turns us into another creature entirely. B. The one thing we need more than any other is to know who we are! 1. We are children of God!! 2. We are anointed, and that anointing will abide with us. 3. We are forgiven. He has cast all of our sins behind His back and remembers them no more. 4. We are the righteousness of God in Christ. 5. We have wisdom from God. 6. We have the mind of Christ. 7. We don’t need to compare ourselves with anyone else. a. Galatians 3:26-28 – There are no distinctions between us. CHANGE 19
- 21. b. Ephesians 2:13-15 – When we are recreated in Christ, there is no dividing wall between others and ourselves. c. Philippians 3:3 – Put no confidence in the flesh, but only in Christ Jesus. 8. We are seated in heavenly places with Christ. 9. We have peace from God! 10. God loves us unconditionally and forever. Nothing can ever change that. 11. He has created each of us special. Each of us is unique, and that is a good thing. 12. We all have gifts, talents and abilities. 13. We are justified (made just as if we never sinned). C. Study and confess the Word of God until all of these become revelation instead of information. IV. The Greatest Change Of All A. Being changed from a selfish, self-centered, self-absorbed, self-conscious, self-pitying person to one who has intense love for others is the greatest miracle we will ever see. 1. It is even greater than seeing blind eyes open or the lame walk. B. I John 4:12 – No one has ever seen God. But if your love for one another is seen by the world, then they have seen God. C. Put off the old man and put on the new man! 1. Remember that it is a process; and don’t forget to celebrate your victories. CHANGE 20
- 24. Courage To Change I. The Key To Change Is To Move Beyond Fear. A. Courage is not the absence of fear; it is facing it and doing what you need to do. 1. We are all afraid! 2. Every hero we read about in the Bible was afraid, and they faced their fear and moved ahead in faith. B. The key to peace is to change what you can change, accept what you cannot change, and have the wisdom to know the difference. 1. This statement was painted on a sign that hung above my grandmother’s matchbox in her kitchen. It ministered to me greatly during the years of my abusive childhood. 2. I am not even sure why, but it gave me courage to go on! I knew I could not change the situation, but I was determined that I would survive it. C. It takes courage to change things, but it also takes courage to accept what you cannot change and determine to have a good attitude anyway. 1. Matthew 19:26 – With man some things are impossible, but all things are possible with God. II. I Can Partner With God In My Own Change. A. I cannot change myself, but I can cooperate with the Holy Spirit. 1. Philippians 2:12-13 – Work out your own salvation with the help of the Holy Spirit. B. I can study and I can pray! CHANGE 23
- 25. 1. II Corinthians 3:16-18 – Continue in the Word and you will be continually changed! 2. Pray – ask for help daily. When the Holy Spirit convicts you of sin, be quick to repent and ask for help. 3. The Holy Spirit is like the “stain remover” we need to get the spots off of our life. a. II Corinthians 3:18 PROP: Rag and stain remover solution. b. If I get a stain on my clothes and I keep trying to get it off without a stain remover, all I do is rub it deeper into the material. c. We cannot change without God’s help! C. Philippians 1:6 – He Who began a good work in you will complete it. D. Galatians 3:1-3 – We cannot reach perfection by dependence upon the flesh. E. I can say “NO” to myself and ask God to give me the strength to go through the pain of not getting my way. 1. God cannot say “NO” for me – I must make the decision! 2. I cannot give myself the strength – only God can! 3. I Corinthians 15:31 – Paul died to self daily. 4. Galatians 6:14 – I am crucified to the world and the world is crucified to me. F. Colossians 3:5 – Kill the flesh! 1. Examples of things I have killed by starving them to death: CHANGE 24
- 26. a. Self-pity – I stopped feeding it. b. Smoking cigarettes – I stopped smoking and let my flesh scream. c. Reasoning – the moment I felt confused I stopped trying to get an answer and waited on God to give me one. d. Rebellion against authority – I began by doing what I was asked to do whether I liked it or not. Next, I graduated to doing it without murmuring. Then I learned to do it with a good attitude; and finally, with joy. e. Being nosey – I reminded myself that it was none of my business and that I would probably be happier if I did not know anyway. G. Learn to recognize when you have entered “works of the flesh.” 1. They always produce frustration. (See I Peter 5:5b-7.) 2. They don’t work! It is like digging wells that have no water in them. 3. There is no grace! No flow! No ease! Everything is labor, labor, and more labor; and the labor is in vain. H. John 9:4 – We must work the works of God and stay busy with His business. 1. It takes a lot of courage to change what you can, and to accept it when you cannot change it. III. Accept What You Cannot Change. (This Requires A Lot Of Courage.) A. Philippians 4:11 – Paul learned to be content (satisfied to the point where he was not disturbed no matter what state he was in). CHANGE 25
- 27. 1. He may have still wanted change; but for the present, he accepted things the way they were. B. Do you have the courage to wait on God to do what you cannot do and ENJOY THE WAIT? C. You cannot change people. They can only change if they want to change! 1. God guarantees each man or woman free choice. 2. Not being able to change people is possibly one of the most frustrating things that we deal with in life. 3. Some scriptures that comfort us: a. Psalm 37:5 – Commit your way unto the Lord; trust also in Him and He will bring it to pass. b. Isaiah 55:8 – My thoughts are not your thoughts, and My ways are not your ways. c. Matthew 19:26 – …all things are possible with God. D. Most people would certainly say, “The world needs to change.” 1. Mahatma Gandhi said, “Be the change that you want to see in the world.” 2. We should do what we can do. Never be passive! 3. Have the wisdom to know what you can do and what you cannot do, and don’t spend your life frustrated. 4. We can pray, we can cast our vote, and we can work to bring justice where there is injustice…but ultimately, we must trust God to be in control. 5. Psalm 37:1-13 – This Psalm promises us that evil will be defeated in the end and the righteous will inherit the earth. God laughs at the wicked for He sees their day of defeat. CHANGE 26
- 28. IV. The Spirit And Power Of Elijah A. Elijah appeared at a critical moment in Israel’s history. 1. Baal worship had spiritually gutted the nation. The cultish priests and priestesses had settled into every political position. God’s altars had been dismantled. His prophets were in hiding. His worshipers were a mere handful, and behind all of this chaos and immorality were two people – Ahab and Jezebel. 2. Elijah came from Gilead (a nobody from no place in particular) but he was armed with the confidence of God. 3. James 5:17 – Elijah was a man just like us. B. Courage replaced fear and timidity. 1. The people saw Elijah’s courage, and it birthed courage in them. 2. Four hundred years later it was said of John the Baptist, “He will go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah.” (See Luke 1:17.) 3. The people thought John the Baptist was Elijah returning. They thought Jesus was Elijah returning. What they were actually seeing was the spirit and power that Elijah came with. 4. It is amazing what one man or woman can do with courage and simple confidence in God. C. Moses, Abraham, Noah, Esther, Ruth, Peter and Paul were actually all men and women just like us. 1. Start doing what you can do instead of talking about what somebody else needs to do. CHANGE 27
- 29. Closing Comment: If you don’t like something, change it…if you can’t change it; change your attitude toward it…change the way you think about it! “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” CHANGE 28