THOUGHTS MATTER

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: Encouragement Instead of Condemnation
2. Discovering God's Love and Approval Through Jesus Christ
3. The Faultless Covenant of Grace
4. Knowing Your Righteousness and Union With Christ
5. Grace, Healing, and the Struggle to Believe
6. Preparing the Soil of Your Heart for Transformation
7. Putting On the New Man Through Renewed Thinking
8. Thoughts Matter: The Connection Between the Mind and Body
9. Pastor Lori's Revelation of God's Extraordinary Love
10. The Sponge Illustration: God's Love Filling Every Empty Place
11. The Endless Dimensions of Christ's Love
12. Replacing Worry With Thoughts of God's Love
13. The Gospel of Grace and the Ministry of Healing
14. Ministry Announcements and Gratitude
15. Closing Encouragement: Walk in Your Blessings

Introduction: Encouragement Instead of Condemnation

Pastor Leonard Rola opens the teaching by warmly welcoming everyone, joined by his wife, Pastor Lori Rola. He shares a personal moment from earlier that morning when his wife gave him a card that brought him to tears. Reflecting on the goodness of God, the love of Jesus, and the blessing of his marriage, he expresses how grateful he is for everything God has given him.

Rather than presenting another message about what Christians must do to please God, Pastor Leonard explains that their purpose is simply to encourage believers.

He recognizes that many Christians have spent years listening to teachings about what they are doing wrong, what they should stop doing, and what they need to do more often. While these messages may have been intended to help, they frequently leave people feeling inadequate and condemned.

Pastor Leonard reflects on the first thirty to thirty-five years of his own walk with the Lord. During that time, he repeatedly heard instructions about what pleased God and what displeased Him. Instead of experiencing freedom, his life became filled with guilt, shame, and condemnation.

The turning point came when God revealed the depth of His love and approval.

Pastor Leonard discovered that his relationship with God was not dependent upon his ability to perform perfectly. Jesus Christ had already accomplished the necessary work through His obedience, sacrifice, and offering.

The message he wants believers to understand is that they do not need another burden placed upon them. They need to discover what Jesus has already accomplished and how completely they are loved by their heavenly Father.

Discovering God's Love and Approval Through Jesus Christ

Pastor Leonard explains that the revelation of God's love radically changed his life.

For many years, he believed that God's approval depended upon his actions and spiritual performance. However, when he began to understand the finished work of Jesus Christ, he realized that his acceptance before God came through faith in Jesus rather than his own efforts.

Jesus had already done the work. His obedience, sacrifice, and offering were sufficient.

As Pastor Leonard embraced this truth, the guilt, shame, and condemnation that had dominated his life began to disappear. He emphasizes that these negative feelings no longer have authority over him unless he allows them to influence his thinking.

This change also affected what he chooses to listen to and read. He explains that he has trained his ears and eyes to recognize teachings that attempt to place believers back under condemnation. He encourages Christians to become equally careful about the messages they receive.

The goal is not to ignore Scripture or reject spiritual growth. Rather, Pastor Leonard wants believers to understand their relationship with God through the true gospel of grace instead of returning to a system of religious performance. His encouragement is to become established in the truth that God's love and approval are already theirs through Jesus Christ.

The Faultless Covenant of Grace

Pastor Leonard turns his attention to the new covenant of grace and explains why it is fundamentally different from the covenant of the law. He describes the new covenant as an agreement established between God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son.

The Father provided His will, and Jesus fulfilled that will through perfect obedience.

Pastor Leonard explains that covenants are established and sealed through blood. In the new covenant, Jesus ratified the agreement through His own blood.

Because this covenant was established between the Father and the Son, Pastor Leonard calls it faultless. Its success does not depend upon imperfect human effort.

He contrasts this with the covenant of the law, which involved human obedience and performance. He explains that the weakness of that covenant was the involvement of man's ability to fulfill its requirements. Under the new covenant, however, God's blessings are no longer dependent upon human achievement. Believers enter into this covenant through faith in Jesus Christ.

Pastor Leonard also warns about the danger of mixing the two covenants. He recalls how teachings that combined law and grace caused him to experience years of guilt and condemnation.

He encourages believers to recognize that their covenant relationship with God rests upon what Jesus has already accomplished. The work is finished, and believers are invited to rest in that finished work.

Knowing Your Righteousness and Union With Christ

Pastor Leonard continues by encouraging believers to focus on two essential truths: how deeply God loves them and how righteous they have become through faith in Jesus Christ.

He explains that righteousness is not something believers must continually work to achieve. It is something they have received through their union with Christ.

He reminds listeners that believers have been united with Jesus in His death, burial, and resurrection. Through that union, they share in the new life made possible by His resurrection.

Pastor Leonard emphasizes that believers should meditate upon this reality rather than continually examining their failures and shortcomings. He also reminds them of their identity in Christ.

1 John 4:17 “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.”

This Scripture expresses the truth Pastor Leonard wants Christians to understand about their union with Jesus. He encourages believers to recognize that they are loved, accepted, righteous, and united with Christ. Rather than striving to become acceptable to God, they can rest in the acceptance already provided through Jesus.

Pastor Leonard believes that when Christians become established in God's love, their righteousness, and the abundance of His grace, they will begin to experience the supernatural work of God in their lives. He urges listeners to stop concentrating on what they believe they lack and instead become increasingly aware of what they already possess in Christ.

Grace, Healing, and the Struggle to Believe

Pastor Leonard addresses a common concern among Christians who are seeking healing or experiencing difficult circumstances. Many believers have been told that they are not receiving because they do not have enough faith. He challenges this way of thinking by pointing to two encounters recorded in the Gospels.

The first involves a man suffering from leprosy who approached Jesus for healing.

Mark 1:40–42 “And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean. And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.”

Pastor Leonard points out that the man believed Jesus possessed the power to heal him, but he was uncertain whether Jesus was willing. Despite this uncertainty, Jesus responded with compassion and healed him.

Pastor Leonard emphasizes that the man's imperfect understanding did not prevent Jesus from demonstrating His grace. He then discusses the father who brought his son to Jesus after the disciples had been unable to deliver the boy from an evil spirit.

Mark 9:23–27  “Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.

But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him; and he arose.”

Pastor Leonard draws attention to the father's admission that he believed but also struggled with unbelief. The father had already experienced disappointment when the disciples failed to help his son. Nevertheless, he brought his need to Jesus. Rather than rejecting the man because his faith was imperfect, Jesus delivered his son.

Pastor Leonard explains that grace is centered upon what Jesus does rather than what human beings accomplish. His point is not that believing is unimportant. He encourages believers to trust the truth of the new covenant and the finished work of Christ.

However, he wants listeners to understand that God's grace should not be turned into another performance requirement in which people are condemned for supposedly failing to believe strongly enough.

Preparing the Soil of Your Heart for Transformation

Pastor Leonard uses the illustration of soil to explain the importance of what believers allow into their minds. He refers to an earlier teaching in which he discussed the different levels of fruitfulness described by Jesus.

Matthew 13:23 “But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

Pastor Leonard compares the mind to a garden in which thoughts and beliefs are planted. He explains that the truth of God's grace must be planted in good soil if believers are to experience the fruitfulness God desires for them. Thoughts rooted in condemnation, fear, religious performance, or a misunderstanding of God's character can interfere with the way people understand and experience His love.

This is why renewing the mind is so important.

Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Pastor Leonard emphasizes that transformation comes through the renewing of the mind. He and Pastor Lori want to help believers clear away thoughts that contradict the truth of their new covenant. He describes this process as cleaning the soil of a garden so that the right seeds can grow. Their teaching is intended to assist the Holy Spirit in helping believers recognize and embrace the truth. When the mind becomes increasingly filled with God's love, grace, and righteousness, transformation begins to take place.

Putting On the New Man Through Renewed Thinking

Pastor Leonard continues by explaining the Apostle Paul's instruction to put on the new man.

Ephesians 4:23–24 “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

He describes this instruction as getting dressed in the spiritual identity believers have already received through Jesus Christ. Just as people put on clothing, believers are encouraged to put on the understanding of who they are in Christ.

Pastor Leonard explains that the new man has been created in righteousness and true holiness.

This is not something believers must manufacture through their own efforts. Instead, they need to renew their minds to recognize what is already true of them through their union with Jesus. He encourages listeners to become dressed in their Christlikeness.

When someone asks what specific steps they must perform to accomplish this, Pastor Leonard directs their attention back to the renewing of the mind. The Holy Spirit works through the truth of God's Word to help believers recognize their identity.

Pastor Leonard explains that right thinking produces transformation because believers begin to see themselves according to the truth of the new covenant. This leads directly into the central subject of the teaching: the importance of thoughts.

Thoughts Matter: The Connection Between the Mind and Body

Pastor Leonard shares something Pastor Lori recently told him that significantly influenced the way he thinks. He explains that she had been studying the importance of thoughts and the relationship between thinking, speaking, and the body.

According to Pastor Leonard's account of their conversation, Pastor Lori explained that the body responds to thoughts as well as spoken words. He describes this in terms of the body's cells, neurons, and other physical structures. To illustrate the point, Pastor Leonard talks about speaking healing over his hips and knees. He might verbally declare that his hips and knees are sound, whole, healed, and free from pain.

However, at the same time, his thoughts might be focused on the pain he is experiencing. He recognizes the contradiction between speaking words of healing and inwardly thinking that healing has not occurred.

Pastor Leonard presents this as an important reason for paying attention not only to spoken words but also to internal thoughts. He connects the illustration with several passages of Scripture.

Colossians 3:2 “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”

Ephesians 4:23 “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.”

Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Philippians 4:8 “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.”

Proverbs 23:7 “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.”

Pastor Leonard uses these Scriptures to emphasize that thinking is a significant part of the believer's spiritual life. He wants Christians to understand that their thoughts should agree with the truth they confess. He encourages believers to continually bring their attention back to God's love, their righteousness, their holiness, and their union with Jesus Christ.

The central encouragement is to allow the truth of the new covenant to shape both spoken words and inward thinking. The pastors present the relationship between thoughts and the body as part of their teaching and personal understanding; their specific claim that the body cannot distinguish thoughts from spoken words should not be taken as an established medical fact.

Pastor Lori's Revelation of God's Extraordinary Love

Pastor Lori begins her portion of the teaching by sharing something she experienced during a recent time of prayer. She explains that as Pastor Leonard was speaking, she sensed the Holy Spirit directing her to share a slightly different emphasis than she had originally planned.

Her focus remains on the importance of renewing the mind, but she approaches it through the extraordinary love of God. Pastor Lori emphasizes that believers cannot hear about God's love too often. Even meditating on His love several times a day may not fully express how important this truth is.

She explains that her purpose is not to give people another religious obligation. Instead, she wants the Holy Spirit to use the truth of God's love to remove the negative thoughts and beliefs that have become established in their minds. She refers to the passage in Ephesians describing the dimensions of Christ's love.

Ephesians 3:18–19 “May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height. And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”

Pastor Lori reflects on the astonishing magnitude of Christ's love. She describes it as deeply intimate, far-reaching, enduring, inclusive, and beyond human measurement. Rather than asking listeners to concentrate on every detail at once, she encourages them to allow even one description of God's love to become meaningful to them.

One phrase or realization may be enough for the Holy Spirit to begin changing the way a person thinks. Her desire is for believers to move beyond simply hearing that God loves them and begin experiencing a deeper awareness of that love.

The Sponge Illustration: God's Love Filling Every Empty Place

Pastor Lori shares a personal illustration that came to her while she was praying and meditating on the fullness of God's love. She and Pastor Leonard had recently purchased some new yellow sponges. The holes throughout the sponges were particularly noticeable.

As she prayed, she began picturing one of those sponges.

She explains that the Holy Spirit used the image to help her understand how God's love fills the places in people's lives where they have experienced hurt, rejection, disappointment, or unmet emotional needs. She describes the holes in the sponge as representing the human need for love and acceptance. People were created with a desire to be loved.

However, experiences throughout life can leave them feeling empty or wounded.

Pastor Lori mentions that these experiences may begin in childhood or arise through other painful circumstances. People may spend years searching for acceptance and affection from others, hoping those relationships will fill the empty places within them.

During her time of prayer, Pastor Lori sensed God showing her that His love was sufficient to fill every one of those places. She understood that she did not have to depend upon another person's approval to experience the fullness of God's love.

The illustration became especially meaningful as she imagined the love of God filling every opening in the sponge until it overflowed. She connects this picture with the fullness described in Ephesians.

Ephesians 3:18–19 “May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height. And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”

Pastor Lori emphasizes that God's love is not limited or insufficient. It is abundant enough to fill every empty place. The experience was so meaningful that she was eager to share it with Pastor Leonard, either that evening or the following morning.

She wants believers to understand that the love they are seeking is already available to them through their relationship with God. Her encouragement is to meditate upon that love and allow the Holy Spirit to bring its truth into the deepest areas of their thinking.

The Endless Dimensions of Christ's Love

Pastor Lori continues reflecting on the descriptions of God's love that have become so meaningful to her. She emphasizes that His love is deeply intimate.  It is not distant, impersonal, or merely theoretical. God's love reaches into the personal experiences and needs of each believer.

She also describes His love as far-reaching, enduring, inclusive, and endless. It cannot be completely measured or understood by the human mind.

Ephesians 3:18–19 “May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height. And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”

Pastor Lori explains that this love pours into believers, fills them, and overflows.

She encourages listeners to consider the individual words used to describe God's love and allow the Holy Spirit to make those truths personal. For one person, the word intimate may be especially meaningful. For another, it may be the realization that God's love is enduring or without limit. She also points toward God's power at work within believers.

Ephesians 3:20 “Now unto him that can do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,”

Pastor Lori encourages believers not to doubt God's power to work within them. She explains that His love is already present, and the renewing of the mind helps believers become increasingly aware of that love. Her emphasis remains on recognizing and experiencing what God has already provided rather than striving to obtain something through human effort.

Replacing Worry With Thoughts of God's Love

Pastor Lori briefly turns to Philippians chapter four to reinforce the importance of directing thoughts toward the truth of God's love. She reminds listeners not to allow worry to dominate their thinking.

Philippians 4:6 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

Her encouragement is simple: think about how much God loves you. Rather than allowing anxiety, disappointment, or painful memories to occupy the mind, believers can direct their attention toward the love already present within them through Christ.

Pastor Lori returns to the illustration of the sponge. She encourages listeners to allow the Holy Spirit to fill the empty places in their awareness with the truth of God's love.

Pastor Leonard expresses appreciation for what she has shared, particularly the connection she made between thinking and the body. He asks whether she has another passage from Proverbs or Solomon concerning thoughts.

Pastor Lori indicates that she does, but they decide to save further discussion for another teaching. Both pastors acknowledge that they have much more to share about the importance of thoughts. They conclude this portion of the message by encouraging believers to continue meditating upon God's love and allowing their minds to be renewed.

The Gospel of Grace and the Ministry of Healing

As the teaching draws toward its conclusion, Pastor Leonard announces an upcoming healing service at New Life Church. The service is described as an opportunity for people experiencing physical or mental difficulties to receive prayer. He encourages listeners to attend and to invite anyone they know who may need healing.

Pastor Leonard explains that he believes the Lord is leading the ministry toward a greater demonstration of God's healing power through the preaching of the true gospel. He connects this conviction with the Apostle Paul's statement about the power of the gospel.

Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

Pastor Leonard emphasizes that the gospel itself is the power of God unto salvation. He believes that proclaiming the finished work of Jesus and helping people rest in God's love will lead to demonstrations of His power. He shares several testimonies of healing that he and Pastor Lori have experienced or witnessed. These include accounts of healing from cancer, including a condition described as incurable, diverticulitis, life-threatening COVID, a torn rotator cuff, kidney stones, a hernia, and an intestinal condition called colonic inertia.

Pastor Leonard presents these experiences as evidence of God's goodness and willingness to heal. He emphasizes that their confidence is rooted in God's love and the truth of His Word rather than human effort.

The pastors express their belief that healing is part of the way God's kingdom is demonstrated. They invite those who need prayer to come expecting an encounter with God's power. These healing accounts are personal testimonies shared in the sermon, not independently verified medical findings.

Ministry Announcements and Gratitude

Pastor Leonard shares several announcements before concluding. He first reminds listeners about the healing service at New Life Church.

The service is announced for Friday, October 16, at 7:00 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. Earlier in the announcement, he also says October 13, but he repeats October 16 as the date of the service. He encourages everyone to invite people who need prayer for physical or mental healing.

Pastor Leonard then explains that the ministry's former Facebook page, New Life Ministries MHV, had been removed. He says that he does not know why the page disappeared.

The ministry is working to rebuild its Facebook presence under Rola Ministries, connected with Pastor Lori's page. He asks listeners to find the page, like it, and share it with others so the ministry can return to streaming live on Facebook.

Finally, Pastor Leonard invites Pastor Lori to express their appreciation to everyone who supports the ministry.

Pastor Lori thanks listeners for their love, generosity, and encouragement. She describes their support as an extension of God's love and explains that it helps the kingdom of God grow and spread.

The pastors emphasize that the ministry is not simply about them personally. Their desire is for the message of God's grace and love to reach more people. They close by expressing their love for everyone watching and looking forward to sharing another message.

Closing Encouragement: Walk in Your Blessings

Throughout “THOUGHTS MATTER,” Pastors Leonard and Lori Rola return to the same central encouragement: believers should become increasingly aware of God's love and the righteousness they have received through Jesus Christ.

Pastor Leonard reminds listeners that the finished work of Jesus has established their relationship with God. They do not need to live under guilt, shame, and condemnation or continually strive to earn God's acceptance.

Instead, they can rest in the new covenant of grace.

Pastor Lori adds that the way believers think matters because their thoughts influence how they understand and experience the love of God. Her illustration of the sponge provides a memorable picture of God's love filling the places where people have experienced pain, rejection, disappointment, or emotional emptiness.

Together, the pastors encourage Christians to renew their minds through the truth of God's Word. Their message is not intended to place another requirement upon believers.

Rather, they want people to recognize what God has already provided through Jesus Christ and allow the Holy Spirit to transform their thinking. The teaching concludes with an encouragement to live in the awareness of God's goodness, love, grace, and blessings. Pastor Leonard's final words remind listeners to walk in their blessings, every one of them.

We hope this teaching, “THOUGHTS MATTER,” by Pastors Leonard and Lori Rola has encouraged you to recognize the extraordinary love God has for you and the importance of renewing your mind through the truth of His grace. Remember that your relationship with God rests upon the finished work of Jesus Christ, not your own performance. As you grow in your understanding of His love, allow the Holy Spirit to help you replace thoughts of guilt, shame, fear, and condemnation with the truth of who you are in Christ.

Thank you for taking the time to read this message. If this teaching has blessed or encouraged you, please share it with your family, friends, and anyone who needs to be reminded of God's unfailing love. May you continue to rest in His grace, grow in the knowledge of His love, and walk in every blessing He has provided through Jesus Christ.