26-0222p - Detailed Summary

Jim greets the congregation warmly, expresses gladness to be back, and announces the continuation of the sermon series with "Wholesome Thinking, Part 2."

Jim reviews the morning sermon, which defined wholesome thinking and examined negative emotions such as worry, fear, and anxiety. He notes these are often called the most common Christian adult sins but clarifies they are natural emotions, becoming sinful only when excessive and unmanageable, as they harm others and reflect a lack of faith in God. Jim shares personal struggles with public speaking anxiety from youth through adulthood, including school experiences where he sought escape routes, failed speech classes, and officer training at the sheriff’s department where anxiety caused hives and visible flushing during presentations—one classmate even pointed it out mid-speech. He describes another camera-recorded speech as feeling like facing a firing squad. Jim recounts becoming a Christian at 22 after his sister planted a seed, joining the No Bottom Road Church of Christ with his wife Ruth, and soon being asked to give an invitation despite his fears. He connects this to biblical figures like Moses, who resisted speaking to Pharaoh with excuses until aided by Aaron, and the apostle Paul, who admitted coming to the Corinthians "in weakness and fear and with much trembling" despite his prior boldness.

Jim emphasizes that mild fear, worry, or anxiety is natural and can be overcome by thanksgiving, petition, and prayer to God. He cites Jesus' invitation in Matthew 11 to come to Him when weary for rest, David’s call to seek the Lord’s strength continually, and the agricultural metaphor of yoking a new animal with an experienced one to illustrate partnering with Jesus through His word, prayer, and teachings.

By trusting God’s promises—such as asking in Jesus' name—and maintaining a joyful attitude as Paul urged, believers can replace oppressive negative emotions with the peace of God that transcends understanding. Jim transitions to "good" negative emotions like sorrow, sadness, embarrassment, remorse, shame, and guilt, which signal wrongdoing and, when resolved constructively, lead to repentance, healing, and salvation.

Jim lists sinful emotions that separate people from God—jealousy, envy, covetousness, greed, selfishness, lust, hatred, malice, anger, rage, bitterness, arrogance, pride—and describes them as symptoms of soul sickness requiring immediate repentance. Repentance occurs through self-realization, confrontation by others, or conviction by the Spirit via God’s word. It demands immediate cessation of sin, replacement with good deeds, and a humble, contrite heart as described in Isaiah 66:2. He quotes Proverbs 28:13 and 1 John 1:8-9 on confession and renouncing sin for mercy and cleansing, stressing sincere prayer, humility, and an oath-like commitment to forsake sin. Jim ties this back to Jeremiah 4:14, urging believers to wash evil from their hearts through repentance, prayer, and confession rather than dwelling on wicked thoughts, and to take every thought captive to obey Christ as Paul instructs.

Jim corrects a slip ("race" to "grace"), attributes it humorously to cold medicine, and reminds listeners to compare incoming thoughts immediately to God’s word and reject those that are unwholesome.

Jim examines Bible characters who fell because they dwelt on evil thoughts. Cain stewed over his rejected sacrifice, became angry and jealous of Abel, ignored God’s counsel, and murdered his brother. Simon the sorcerer, fresh from baptism, harbored bitter envy and tried to buy the Holy Spirit’s power, earning Peter’s rebuke for a heart not right before God and being captive to sin; Jim applies Proverbs 14:30 (envy rots the bones) and notes Simon forfeited peace for worldly ambition. He references David’s unrepented sin causing physical and spiritual anguish ("bones wasted away") until confession brought relief, and Proverbs 17:22 on a crushed spirit drying up bones. Jim observes that unchecked unwholesome thinking causes physical illness, bad choices harming others, and cites Noah’s era where every thought was evil continually (Genesis 6:5), leading to destruction except for Noah’s faithful family. He quotes Romans 1:20-25 on humanity’s futile thinking, darkened minds, and exchange of truth for lies, resulting in impurity. Isaiah 55:7-9 contrasts God’s higher thoughts with man’s, calling the wicked to forsake their ways for pardon.

Jim stresses replacing evil thoughts with Scripture, citing Hebrews 4:12 on the living, active word piercing to judge thoughts and intentions. By filling the mind with God’s word, believers evaluate themselves honestly, cultivate wholesome thinking, and discover true peace.

Jim closes with Jeremiah 6:16—stand at the crossroads, ask for the good way, walk in it, and find rest for your souls—then extends the invitation for those needing prayers or wishing to confess Christ, as the congregation prepares to sing.