Freedom From Your Negative Thoughts

You Do What You Do Because of What You Think of You

Scripture References

Primary text

• Proverbs 23:7
• John 8:44
• Ephesians 4

Other references

• Luke 21:37
• Luke 22:39

Overview

Our consistent behaviors flow from our self-perception. Craig Groeschel shows that the main driver behind every habit—good or bad—is the story we believe about who we are. Satan attacks that story with lies; Jesus replaces it with truth. Lasting change therefore begins not with willpower but with a Christ-centered identity: change what you think of you, and you will change what you do.

Main Points

Identity steers every action

• Secondary motivators—obligation, desire, desire for approval—do influence us, but the primary motivator is identity.
• Refrain:

  “You do what you do because of what you think of you.”

• Three subconscious questions precede almost every decision:
  1. What kind of person am I?
  2. What kind of situation is this?
  3. What does a person like me do in a situation like this?
• Illustrations: alarm-clock responses, healthy vs. fried-chicken menu choices, donut table at work, online spending patterns.

The enemy’s strategy: distort your identity

• Proverbs 23:7 shows thought precedes being; John 8:44 reveals the devil as “the father of lies.”
• When you fail, Satan doesn’t say, “You did something wrong”; he says, “You are wrong.”
• Distorted identity ➜ destructive habits ➜ further distortion—a vicious reinforcing loop.

A Christ-centered identity breaks the loop

• Who God says you are demolishes who the devil says you are.
• Blockquote refrain the pastor used:

  “If you want to change what you do, change what you think of you.”

• Christ-centered identity ➜ Christ-honoring habits ➜ reinforced Christ-centered identity.

Biblical picture: Jesus and His nightly habit

• After exhausting ministry days, Jesus repeatedly chose prayer (Luke 21:37; 22:39).
• His internal script: “I’m the kind of person who seeks intimacy with my Father.”
• Habit was automatic because identity (“person of prayer”) was settled.

Practical application: “Who before do”

• Decide who you want to become in Christ, then let every small action be a “vote” for that identity (James Clear analogy).
• Examples offered:
  • “I am a mom who is fully present and wholly intentional.”
  • “I am a teenager who walks in purity.”
  • “I am a man of God who lays down my life for my family.”
  • “I am a person who never skips workouts.”
  • “I am a Christian who reads God’s Word daily.”
• Each time you act in line with that statement—ignoring a phone buzz during family time, opening your Bible at dawn—you reinforce the new self.

Throw off the old; put on the new (Ephesians 4)

• “Throw off” former ways corrupted by deception; “let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes”; “put on” the new nature created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
• This is not behavior modification but spiritual transformation fueled by truth.

Personal moments & stories

• Story: High-school parking-lot fight—pastor’s identity as a Christian compelled him to break it up.
• Story: Grief after his father’s death led to a sharp word to Amy; the immediate thought was “I’m selfish, she’d be better without me”—example of identity lies resurfacing.

Key Truths

• Lasting change always starts on the inside; beliefs birth behaviors.
• Satan’s main weapon is a lie about who you are; Jesus counters with liberating truth.
• A distorted identity produces destructive habits; a Christ-centered identity produces holy habits.
• Small, repeated actions are votes for—or against—the person you are becoming.
• Scripture declares every believer a new creation, God’s workmanship, and more than a conqueror.

Response

• Identify and write one Christ-centered “who” statement describing the person you aim to become.
• Reject every internal accusation that contradicts Scripture; declare God’s truth out loud.
• Choose one small daily action that aligns with your new identity and practice it consistently.
• When you fail, refuse shame; remember identity in Christ and start again immediately.
• Encourage others by speaking identity-shaping truth over them.

Closing

Groeschel urged listeners to silence the devil’s lies and step into Jesus’ truth: you are forgiven, chosen, empowered, and made new. Change begins the moment you throw off the old story and live from your God-given one.

“Step out of the old nature, step into the new nature, and be who Christ created you to be.”

Prayer

The pastor led a salvation prayer, inviting anyone far from God to confess sin, receive forgiveness through Jesus, be filled with the Spirit, and live wholly for Him.

Resources

• Craig Groeschel, “The Power to Change: Mastering the Habits That Matter Most” (forthcoming)
• James Clear, “Atomic Habits”