HAVING A PITY PARTY... THE BATTLE OF THE MIND
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
This lesson is not about clinical depression from a chemical imbalance that requires
professional help.
Do you know no 16 seed NCAA team has ever beaten a #1 seed? Someday, some team will break
that record. But upsets do happen: #14 seed beat #3 seed Baylor. March Madness 2015.
#14 seed UAB beat #3 seed Iowa State?
Life can only be understood by looking back. Life can only be lived by LOOKING FORWARD.
I. WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? ONE IS A LONELY NUMBER? PITY PARTY ME?
HOW DO WE DEFINE OURSELVES? ISOLATIPON IS DANGEROUS...
1 Kings 19:9 And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the
LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?
A. There was this little old lady that lead singing. Before she started the singing she
would say: NO BODY KNOWS THE TROUBLE I SEEN, THIS WEEK HAS BEEN TERRIBLE.
The family has been mean to me. The dog messed in the carpet. The devil's been on my back.
I just don't know if I can make it or not. Turn to page 120 and let us sing: VICTORY IN JESUS.
1 Kings 19:4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under
a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD,
take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
C. I am the ONLY ONE going through this mess.
No one has it as bad as I do... POOR OLD ME...
1 Kings 19:14 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children
of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword;
and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
D. GOD DECLARES TO THE PITY PARTY PREACHER, YOU ARE NOT ALONE...
I HAVE 7,000 IN ONE CITY THAT HAVE NOT BOWED TO BAAL. THEY HAVE NOT KISSED
THE WORLD'S SYSTEM. (1 Kings 19:18)
II. MY BANANA THEORY... BRINGS ON THE MIND GAMES OF DISCOURAGEMENT...
A. Our enemy has a detailed plan to destroy you and throw up your hands and fall back
into trouble.
B. THE DEVIL KNEW HE COULD NOT ATTACK ADAM AND EVER TOGETHER...
Our enemy is SUBTIL... sneaky,elusive, cunning, crafty, discerning...
He isolated EVE, caught her by herself, and opened a discussion of 1/2 truths...
Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had
made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
C. A banana is safe as long as he is hanging with the bunch. It is when he is isolated from
the bunch, the banana will soon be skinned.
D. JUDAS LEAVES JESUS & THE 12 --- ?
E. Samson left his mom and dad, and was in the room alone with DELIAH?
III. I AM THE ONLY ONE REALLY TRYING TO SERVE GOD, AND LOOK AT POOR LITTLE
OLD ME. PITY PARTIES WILL NEVER BRING VICTORY AND PRAISE.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (KJV) There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common
to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able;
but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
A. Today we tend to INDENTIFY ourselves as exclusive groups.
1. We are Baptist, Church of Christ, Methodist, Church of God, Assembly of God.
2. We claim orientation by sex: male, female, homosexual, bi-sexual.
3. We divide into groups by body style: skinny, obese, tall, short.
4. Then it seems we have plunged back into RACICAL IDENTENTY.
We are black, white, Indian, Chinese, etc.
5. The is a GENERATION GAP: children, teens, young adults, old folks?
6. In school there are band, football, basketball jocks, nerds, seniors, freshman.
7. We identify by the handicap we are forced to carry.
8. We break up into groups: single, married, divorced.
9. We have sickness clubs and discuss our pills, TV shows, and things we have found
on the computer and we self diagnose our problems.
10. Family breaks down: parents, children, husband, wife, in laws, out laws.
B. LET US COME TO A BASIC CONCLUSION: Differences can bring harm.
HOW MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF CHICKENS ARE THERE.
Roosters, hens, biddies, Rhode Island Red, Dominiquer, Bantam, Plymouth Rock,
Silkie, Leg Horn, Wyandotte, Brahma, Sussex, Jersey Giant, Easter Egger.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS THERE ARE NO DIFFERENCES.
THEY ARE ALL THE SAME. YOU ARE JUST CHICKEN.
C. WE ARE ALL SO DIFFERENT THAT WE CAN NOT SEE HOW WE ARE THE SAME?
1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT) The temptations in your life are no different from what others
experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand.
When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (MSG) No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course
of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down;
he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it.
IV. ISOLATED AND DISCOURAGED? HOW WILL I FEED MY BODY? MY MIND? MY SPIRIT?
A. THERE IS A BATTLE OF DAILY LIVING: DISCOURAGEMENT...
1. What does DISCOURAGEMENT mean?
2. How often do we face discouragement?
B. Does practice make perfect?
The more we practice DISCOURAGEMENT the better we are at it...
HABITUAL --- RE-INFORCED...
V. THERE IS A BATTLE IN EVERY MIND...
DISCOURAGEMENT IS AN ATTITUDE, A STATE OF MIND...
A. If I were an artist and I painted a picture of DISCOURAGEMENT,
what would the picture look like?
B. WHERE DOES DISCOURAGEMENT START?
HOW LONG WILL WE STAY HERE?
C. WHO HAS THE KEYS THAT LOCK OR UNLOCK DISCOURAGEMENT?
Philippians 4:8 (KJV) Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever
things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Philippians 4:8 (NLT) And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on
what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that
are excellent and worthy of praise.
VI. CAN YOU IMAGINE? LET US LIST THE BENEFITS OF PITY PARTIES, I AM THE ONLY
ONE LEFT? THE DISCOUARGEMENTBATTLE OF THE MIND IS COUNTER PRODUCTIVE...
A. Does discouragement help build better families? Better people?
B. Imagine a new process:
1. David knew discouragement: ZIG LAG was a terrible dark day.
I can only imagine David penning: The LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, I SHALL BE DISCOURAGED?
What do you say David?
1 Samuel 30:6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because
the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David
encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
2. Paul faced a terrible battle of shipwrecks, abandonment, disappointments, beatings...
Can you imagine PAUL PENNING THE WORDS:
I CAN DO ALL THINGS BECAUSE I AM DISCOURAGED? What do you say Paul?
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
VII. WE MUST COME TO THE REVELATION OF TRUTH THAT DISCOURAGEMENT TENDS
TO WEAKEN FAITH AND STRETCHTEN DOUBT AND WORRY.
A. EACH DAY IS A NEW DAY, WE MUST ARISE OVER THE NEGATIVE, DOOM AND GLOOM
FEELINGS IN OUR MIND.
B. If depression is a state of mind, can it effect our thinking and our behavior...
Proverbs 23:7 (a) For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:
C. Would it be nice to know when you got up in the morning that OUR ENEMY would
dread what we could do with that day.
DON'T WASTE TODAY! IT WAS DESIGNED TO BE GLAD AND REJOICE...
Psalm 118:24 This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
D. DISCOURAGEMENT OPENS DOORS THAT SHOULD BE LOCKED AND SEALED CLOSE.
Psalm 22:3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
E. PRAISE RELEASES GOD'S PROMISES.
SING --- SING PRAISE...
Psalm 47:6 Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises.
E. DISCOURAGEMENT AND PRAISE NEVER CO-EXIST...
Psalm 147:1 Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and
praise is comely.
F. COME, LET US SING PRAISE AND THANK GOD FOR HIS MERCY AND PROMISES.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
VIII. LET'S HONESTLY EVALAUTE WHAT DISCOURAGEMENT BRINGS IN TO THE CAMP.
IS PERFECT PEACE AVAILABLE?
A. Why would God's people with GOD'S PROMISES GO IN THEIR TENTS AND CRY
ALL NIGHT?
Numbers 13:31 But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people;
for they are stronger than we.
B. We must realize the MIND GAMES THAT OUR ENEMY IS KNOCKING US DOWN.
Isaiah 26:3 (KJV) Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because
he trusteth in thee.
CONCLUSION: Are we defeated before we walk out. Do we have a GRASSHOPPER MENTALITY.
We must realize OUR MINDS HAVE GREAT CONTROL OVER OUR WORDS, THOUGHTS,
and BEHAVIOR. The thoughts and THINKING PATTERNS of your mind will sooner or later lead to
ACTION and REACTIONS to what we see and feel. ONE PERSON GETS ANGRY AND QUITS?
ANOTHER PERSON TAKES THE NEGATIVE AND THRIVES TO A GREAT VICTORY.
Blessed are those that expect nothing, they will get exactly what they expected.
Those that think it can't be done, will be passed by those doing it.
God will not PRY NEGATIVE OUT OF YOUR MIND and HEART ===
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
This lesson is not about clinical depression from a chemical imbalance that requires professional attention.
