Set Your Mind On Things Above

Your truck will not start, your mind starts spiraling, and suddenly a simple Bible line feels impossible to live: “Set your mind on things above.” That real moment of panic becomes the doorway into a direct, hope-filled sermon from Valley Gospel Church in Springdale, Pennsylvania, where we get honest about distraction, worry, and the quiet pressure to perform faith for other people. 

Join Theodore Gardner as he unpacks a message many believers need to hear out loud: you’re enough. Not because you have it all together, but because salvation is God’s work, not your self-improvement plan. From there we dig into a powerful reminder for Pentecostal and Spirit-filled Christians: if you have accepted Jesus, you are 100% filled with the Holy Spirit. The challenge is learning to renew the mind so we stop living like we are using only a tiny fraction of the power, wisdom, and courage God has already placed within us. 

Using Ephesians 4, Philippians 3, and 2 Peter 1, we talk through what spiritual growth looks like in real life: forgetting what is behind, pressing forward, and adding daily “small hinges” such as prayer, worship, Scripture, fellowship, and obedience. We also ask uncomfortable but necessary questions about motives, authenticity, and whether our prayers come from the heart or from habit. Stay through the worship portion that follows and let it reset your focus. If this helps you, subscribe, share it with a friend who feels stuck, and leave a review so more people can find it.

Transcript

Welcome And Church Mission

SPEAKER_01 0:32

Hello, welcome to Valley Gospel Church. We are a non-denominational Pentecostal church located in Springdale, Pennsylvania. Our sole mission is to present the living truth of a risen Lord, Jesus Christ, to a remnant church and a lost world. So let's go into the service recorded live at Valley Gospel Church.

Getting Out Of God’s Way

SPEAKER_00 0:56

You know, the hardest part about getting up here is not the fear of public speaking or learning how to articulate every word. It's learning how to get out of the way and let God have the stage. I mean, this is a stage. You know, this is a a place for performers if it's not in church, right? But this is God's house, and uh, we're gonna get out of the way. I often wonder, like, where do these people get their messages from before they get up here? You know, and uh. But but he has to have a way, John, to get it to you. I mean, some people like maybe call it, like there'll be a soft breeze that comes through and should be moved by the Spirit. We gotta preach about the beauty of the earth or the creation. And other case other times he has to have something more severe and catastrophic happen. And then you said, Oh, now I hear from God. Well, in my particular case for this morning, some of you know this, but I left work last week on a Wednesday and pulled in the sheets, went inside and came out, and my truck wouldn't start. And I'm having a meltdown. I don't know who to call, what to do. I called Daniel. What's wrong? What's wrong? How do I know what's wrong? You know, he was at work. And then I called Bob and I called everybody I could. And then a small car pulls up beside me, and there's a decal on the back that says, set your mind on things above and not on earthly things. And I said, How can I do that right now? I'm having a meltdown. Barbie made me this to remind me. Wasn't real happy to say that, but set your mind on things above. She made that so to help remind me of this. But it's hard to do. It's hard to set your mind on things above all the time in the world that we're living in now. I was having a hard time right then. I was stranded and I didn't know what was going on. I was panicking. And, you know, the Spirit was probably saying, Ted, just take a breath. You know, just take a breath. But it's not always that easy to do. Amen.

A Breakdown And A Mindset Check

SPEAKER_00 3:30

Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we ask that you would come in today. Help to give your word, share your word, get to your point, not my point, and we'll give you all the praise at the end of service in Jesus' name. Amen. Life itself can throw you a lot of curves, and it can keep you dis distracted. But this decal said, folks, keep set your mind on things above. And uh I just wasn't able to do it that day. I couldn't do it. And even though I thought the message came from the Lord, I just I was panicking and worrying because that's what I do. That's what some of us do, right? But not today. We're not gonna, we're not gonna panic today. We're in the house of the Lord, we're in a safe place. I know all of your minds are are set on things above, right? Are they? I mean, I mean, uh are they really oh uh, you know, well, Sundays we come in here and before we even hear a word from the Lord, we give the Lord a word. I need a prayer for this. I need my finances fixed. I'm not feeling well. I got cable went out just before church, you know. And so we're sitting here as the Lord is sending his word out, and we're like, did I turn that oven on? Or you're on the phone, you know, my daughter's in college and she's calling me in the middle of service. So are our minds really set on the things above at this time? We get so distracted. But I'm gonna try to get your mind back on focus today. And uh so set your mind on this and listen.

You’re Enough And Spirit-Filled

SPEAKER_00 5:19

God says this. The God who knew you before you were born says this. You're enough. It's just so simple. You know, we make so much out of everything, God says, You're enough. I spent most of my life, or most of the time, looking at my life through a rear-view mirror. I mean, it's hard to drive like this, you know, but that's how I spent most of my life, and many of you have done that too. Looking at the regrets and the things I wish I didn't do. And then, and then God finds a way to bring you into a place, whether it was down in Brackenridge or Harmer or here, He brings you into this and you look out and you go, I am nothing like anybody here. I need some work. I need to do more. I want to look better, I want to sound better, want to look more like a Christian. And so you set out to do more. Maybe pray more, sing more, sing louder when they're saying. I'm gonna sing louder than the rest, so they'll know that I'm a good Christian. I think if I can get more Jesus in me, I can be more like those that I think are filled with Jesus. Call that Daniel. Maybe I can get filled like the pastor and really be like a Christian. As I'm thinking like this, I feel the Spirit says, What are you talking about? He says, You want to you want to do more to get more. And it doesn't work like that. You don't have your mind set on things above. You have your mind set on earthly things. You're gonna do something. You didn't do it when you got saved. God did it. God died on the cross. But yet, for all the wrong reasons, we start doing all these things. Don't take this wrong. I'm not here to offend. But we do different types of ministries, and and some of us do them for the wrong reasons, like visit the homeless and or feed the homeless or go to nursing homes or or go see your friend or something. And we do it because we want to look more like a good Christian. But that's that's earthly thinking there. It's like we're so concerned about how we appear to somebody else. Can't just be you. I can't just be me. But not only did God say that you're enough, let me tell you something. If you've accepted the Lord as your Savior, you're 100% filled with the Holy Spirit. You're 100% filled. Whether you feel like it or not, whether you think you look like it or not, you are filled 100%. You can't get, Pastor can't get more than you, and you more than the pastor. You got it, it's in there. It's in there. You're 100% filled, you're enough, you're great. Now let me say this. All of you that are here today, that have 100% of Jesus in you, you ain't using but about 3% of it. We have it there. The power, the wisdom, the knowledge of the Holy Spirit. We're 100% filled. And you're a 97% of failure at using the power that God gave us. Sorry for the good news. But that's what it is. I am enough. I'm 100% filled with the Holy Spirit, but I use very little of it. Now let me talk about those things that I said that we do for the wrong reasons. Feeding the homeless, visiting the nursing homes and all this. They're not worthless. Matter of fact, they're so important to those who really have accepted the Lord and have been filled with the Spirit. It's when you use those things to try to look better on earth that it's wrong. Paul tells us in Ephesians 4. Be renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new man. See, once that transition happens, then, and you go feed the homeless or visit some sick people, that's for the right reasons. The mind plays so much into it. I always say this, I always say, yeah, I accepted Jesus into my heart, thinking it's this little thing here. But my mind has belonged to the devil for so long. It's like there's this playground up there. I love Jesus. No, you don't. I love Jesus. You don't look like it, you know, and there's this battle going on. And I have such a hard time. I'm fine, I'm good with salvation. But to renew my mind so that Christ can use me is a hard thing to do. Can't just sit here for 20 years waiting on the Lord to come back and say, Yeah, that was all right. Look, if you ain't moving forward, you could be slipping back. You know? I uh I first came to church quite a long time ago, and I snuck in and sat at the back row, and I seen everybody kept turning around like this every now and then. I said, heck with this. I moved up here. I said, I'm not gonna worry about people looking at me. I moved up to the front row. And uh, but you just can't sit there. I'm gonna let me pull up the word of God.

Renewing Your Mind To Grow

SPEAKER_00 11:03

That comes in handy sometimes when you're up here. I'm gonna read something from I'm gonna read something from Philippians. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do, forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Amen.

unknown 11:37

Hallelujah.

SPEAKER_00 11:43

Pushing forward. But we can see the value of all those little things that we do. Adding more of him into our lives, being more active into the ministry, more time with the Lord, more time in prayer, more time in fellowship. All these are important, but not for salvation, of course, but needed for spiritual growth. I'm gonna consult the Bible one more time. My friend Peter says this. For this reason, this this reason, set your mind on things above now. For this reason, make every effort, how many efforts? Every effort to add to your faith, goodness. And to your goodness, knowledge, and to knowledge, self-control, and to self-control, perseverance, to perseverance, godliness, and to godliness, brotherly kindness, that's a hard one. And to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in an increasing measure, you know what I'm saying, uh, increasing measure, not what you got when you got saved, I'm talking about increasing after time. If you add to this increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective, unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Christ. But if anyone does not have them, and there's always got to be a flip side, he is nearsighted and blind and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to make your calling and election, sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall. And who's called here? Everyone here is called. Everyone here is enough. Everyone here is filled a hundred percent with the Lord Jesus Christ. Yeah, even you back there in the back, I see you. You're filled a hundred percent. You may not feel like you're there, you might not think you belong up here. This is a spot for anybody that God calls to bring a message. Who can receive one? Every one of you, any one of you. Well, we've got to add these things. Peter, Paul, Bob, John, they all tell you, get more Bible in you, get more church. Now for salvation. Get more time with the Lord. Get out of the sights of the enemy. He's always there. If you don't, you can't keep your mind set on things above. The minute some of us walk out of here, you I was at Denny's one day. There's a group of Christians over here. You can tell, some of them even had their Bible and big crosses on over there. And we're all sitting down here, and I said, You just come out of church. They said, Yeah. I said, What are you talking about? I don't know. So was their mind set on things above while they were in church? Then why are you in church? If you ain't here to hear from the Lord, then why are we here? It's hard though. It is hard. You know, I'm not like them. The message ain't for me. Look, I'll guarantee you this. It may not be for all of you. It may not be for some of you, but it's at least for one of you, or God wouldn't have sent it. Amen. And you know who I care about bringing the message to? The one God wants to hear it. But these things, let me let me tell you about these things.

Small Hinges That Swing Big Doors

SPEAKER_00 15:36

These, this, this little added time that you give God in the morning, that extra prayer, that that call to a friend. These are hinges. You say, well, I'm gonna steal this that I heard from another pastor. Big doors swing on small hinges. And you start to build up these hinges. You got to pray more hinge. Seek God more hinge. Sing louder, another hinge, and you put them hinges on that door that's holding back the Holy Spirit. The one that you don't let operate. That fear of baptism of the Holy Spirit. Uh, somebody told me this morning it's what, Pentecostal Sunday? Is that what it is? Pentecostal Sunday, when the Spirit fell in, they'd come out speaking in tongues, and 3,000 were added unto the church. My God, what if that happened here? One day, 3,000 added. Well, where are you gonna build more room, Jeff? Where are we gonna put them all? But we we keep that door closed. You know, we all want to do something for God. We want to do some for God, but we don't want to do all for God because I gotta work. I gotta get up at five in the morning. I gotta cut grass after church today. My mind is set on earthly things. I'm not set on heavenly things. The war is coming. The world is in chaos. And we're going, yeah, I gotta cut grass. I don't care about the world. But we're called, you mentioned it today. Go into the harvest, be a laborer for the Lord. I'm looking out and I'm like, you're all wonderful people. We all talk about I love the church and I love you. I don't know how many want to get their hands dirty with this. The rejection. Haven't we had enough of that in our lives? Hey, you want to hear about Jesus? No, they shut the door in your face. Don't want to hear it. We don't want to go through that. I don't want to see you get your beard pulled out. People spit on you. I don't want to see you nailed on the cross, but Christ said this, follow me. I'm like, uh, I ain't going up that hill. That's a treacherous journey, that path. But that's what he says. Follow me. Set your mind on this stuff. I'm like, I don't know if I. I don't know, that's tough, man. Confession. I haven't done it. I haven't traveled very far up that road, that journey to that hill on Gagatha. My Lord, it's been painful enough just trying to get to church without going to the cross. I struggle with so many things. But we've got to put those hinges on there. We've got to get that wisdom and that knowledge and that power of the Holy Spirit so we can handle the battle that's coming on. According to Peter, if we don't add these little things, we're keeping the door closed. Then trouble comes down the track. Like my truck breaking down. I respond earthly. Many of us do. But I need to focus more on heaven daily. I'm inspired today. I don't, I don't. I'm inspired today, not to do better. I'm inspired today. I want to get better. I want to get better. How do you get better? You go to the healer. Help me in my disbelief, my unbelief. Help me in my laziness. Help me in my sometimes not even wanting to go share the gospel with somebody. I know that they need them. I neglect a sick person. Somebody will say, My friend needs prayer. I don't stop and pray because I don't know them. I don't know what I'm praying for. I don't can't picture them. That's why I always encourage people, stand in the gap. Give me somebody I can lay my hand on. It's hard. But you say, I see people going, praying, praying. And I ask myself, how serious is it? I mean, is it one of those kind of prayers that really digs into your heart? Like, oh my God, Tommy's in the hospital. Do you feel it? Or, Lord, some guy named Tommy is in the hospital. Yeah, there's 400 other people on the same floor. Are you praying for one of them or all of them? Are you praying at all? Are you really talking to God? Or are you putting a text on your phone? Praying. We're all praying. I'm sorry. But I'm being honest. Sometimes I just turn the phone off because I know I can't do it right. And the worst thing about serving God in any way is when you think you got God, but it's you and you pretend being a fraud, being a fake. Getting up here, oh, I got a word from God. It better be if you're up here. You know what I'm saying? It ain't no joke. This is real. Oh, this is real. Every one of you were called to do the same thing. Maybe, I don't know when they started building stages and altars. Used to be Jesus sat down in the amphitheater. He was at the bottom, and everybody else was higher than him. But somewhere along the line, they started to exalt themselves. Now I'm not putting this down. I know this is what we do. But some churches you go in and they're up in some bird's nest up there talking down on you. You know? They look down. I seen them up there on TV looking. Hello. Yeah. You need help. You're all sinners. I'm all right, though. I'm a vicar of Christ. You know. We got to take this serious. This is not a joke. The battle's coming. And I asked the Lord, Am I ready? I'm going to share a story.

Honest Prayer And Readiness For Battle

SPEAKER_00 21:46

I'm not not much longer. Please just stay with me. I'm going to go back in some time. Not too far back. Israelite looking after And they were Egyptians watching after them And they were terrified and cried out to the Lord you were What have you done?

Closing Blessing And Contact Info

SPEAKER_01 27:18

Thank you for listening to this week's podcast. We pray it was an encouragement and a blessing to you. You can contact us at Valley Gospel Church at 1069 Butler Logan Road in Springdale, Pennsylvania at 15144. We invite you to listen to this week's worship service that follows and tune in for next week's podcast.

Worship And Glory Filling The Temple

SPEAKER_02 27:41

In 2 Chronicles chapter 5, King Solomon had just completed building the temple. And the Ark of the Covenant was brought into the Holy of Holies by the priests. And then a worship service ensued. The scriptures say that the Levites were praising. And there were singers who were appointed to sing in the choir. And they were accompanied by a hundred and twenty priests that were playing trumpets. And there were others who were playing other instruments like cymbals and lyres and harps. And it says that the band and the choir were united as one to praise and thank the Lord. And that the song that they sang was the Lord is good. His mercy endures forever. They probably sang that phrase over and over again. And it says at that moment the glory of the Lord filled the temple with a bright cloud and it was so heavy that the priests wouldn't even minister. They had to stop so this morning church as we pray as we worship as we sing and as we pray let the the praises and the worship rise from our hearts and I know we can expect the glory of the Lord to fill this temple.

SPEAKER_04 28:58

Let it rise hallelujah let the glory of the Lord rise among us let the glory of the Lord rise among us let the glory of the Lord rise among us let the praises of the King rise among us let it rise let it rise let it rise hallelujah let it rise let the songs of the Lord rise among us let the songs of the Lord rise among us let the toy of the king rise among us let it rise hallelujah Jesus and let it rise and let it rise of the Lord rise among us let the glory of the Lord rise among us let the praises of the King rise among us let it rise Let the songs of the Lord Rise Among Us Let the songs of the Lord Rise bungus like the joy of the king Rise Among Us let it rise let it rise let it rise Let the glory of the Lord Rise among us Let the glory of the Lord Rise among us of the king Rise among us let it rise Let the songs of the Lord Rise among us like the songs of the Lord Rise among us like the joy of the king Rise among us let it rise Hallelujah Let it rise one more time let it rise all our children sing our children singing glory glory Hallelujah he raids at another time children singing glory glory hallelujah he raids yes Lord It saw us children singing glory glory Hallelujah he raids Oh yes Lord Hallelujah Jesus Lord Alright Colin all the powers of darkness and all the powers darkness they tremble at what they've just heard yes yes they do because all the powers darkness they can't drown out a single word Sing it again sing it again and all the powers darkness they tremble at what they've just heard your praises hallelujah and all the powers darkness they can't drown out a single word I'll sing it another time would you and all the powers of darkness they tremble they flee at what they just heard all the powers of darkness they can't and never will drown out a single word It's all got children singing glory glory hallelujah he read it's all got children singing glory glory hallelujah he ran another time it's all got children singing glory glory hallelujah he reigns hallelujah cheetah it's all us children singing glory glory hallelujah he rains rise among us let the glory of the Lord rise among us let the praises of the king rise among us let it rise yes Lord we praise your name Jesus but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth who else stop God Almighty let me tell you the news my heads have been a wet with the midnight dunes and I've been down on my bending knees I'm talking to the man up from a gallery and my God spoke and he spoke so sweet I thought I heard a shot full of angels feet he put a water hand up upon my head a great God Almighty let me tell you what he said going I laid my burdens down I'll sing it oh glory glory since I laid by I laid my birds down my friends don't see me oh I like they used to lay it by I laid my birds down my friends don't see me oh like they used to ho since I lay back I lay by Burns down sing it down glory glory oh yeah oh since I laid by Burst down I lay the town oh well glory glory oh alleluia oh since I laid by happy will be happy over there we will shout and sing God's praise everybody will be happy over there Everybody will be happy will be happy over there we will shout and sing God's praise everybody will be happy over there yes Lord thank you Jesus thank you thank you Jesus And the Holy Spirit descended on him in the bodily form like a dove and a voice came from heaven you are my beloved son with you I am well pleased may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope yes Lord Well oh we gotta rather shout out we gotta right single raise our hands and praise Jesus name we gotta ride a shower we've got a right sing we've got a right to raise our hands and praise Jesus name yes Lord oh death where is thy stand oh grave where is thy victory up to the walls of Jericho He marched with a spear in hell up over that ramp horn of Joshua crying Cause the battle lay the end of my hands up in the lamb around the sheephorns began to blow the trumpets began to sound old Joshua shouting and the walls came up top of the glory glory sing it now hallelujah hallelujah host it's alone I laid by birthday Well glory oh oh alleluia host it's high I lay by birthday I love to sing your praise Lord Oh I just love your name yes it fills me with peace watches over me like a sweet gentle ray I love to sing your praise Lord It brings a victory no matter what I face through all of my days I love to sing your brain It's all got children singing glory glory I think blue race yes it does it's all got us children singing glory glory Hallelujah race at another time it's all got children singing glory glory Hallelujah Hallelujah It's all got us children singing glory glory hallelujah be race Jesus this is the day the Lord is made let us rejoice and be glad in it for the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord Oh will not everybody will be happy we'll be happy over there we will shout and sing God's praise everybody will be happier oh well now everybody will be happy we'll be happy over there we will shout and sing God's praise everybody will be happy over there we will shout and sing God's praise everybody will be happy over there we will shout and sing God's praise everybody will be happy over there