Cedric Pisegna - As You Think, So You Are (01/21/2026)
Father Cedric teaches from Romans 12:2 that true transformation comes through renewing the mind—rejecting worldly negativity and embracing Christ’s positive, faith-filled thinking. Stories like Amy Bockerstette’s «I’ve got this» mindset and his own overcoming of anxiety show that positive self-talk, cognitive replacement with Scripture, and claiming «we have the mind of Christ» empower us to face fears, mental struggles, and limits. In Christ, we can overcome low self-esteem, depression, and irrational fears—not by avoiding but facing them—cooperating with the Holy Spirit to be lifted up and live with passion.
Opening and Scripture
Welcome to «Live with Passion»! I’m Father Cedric Pisegna, the host of the program. So glad that you decided to tune in. I want to talk about getting your mind renewed. This comes from Romans chapter 12. Paul says, «I appeal to you therefore by the mercies of God to present yourselves as a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good, acceptable, and perfect». I am proclaiming a series and it’s called, «Be Lifted Up».
And I’ve talked about prayer and I’ll talk about other areas that we can be lifted up, but one of the main areas where we need to be lifted up is in our minds, our thoughts.
The Power of Positive Thinking
People get stuck. They get negative. They get down on themselves. They think they can’t do it. I heard this true saying that I really like. There are two types of people in life, and they’re absolutely right, those who say they can and those who say they can’t. And whatever you say, whatever you think, you’re right. If you say you can do it, you’re probably going to do it. If you say you can’t do it, you’re probably not gonna be able to do it. I was watching a golf tournament on television that I really enjoyed. It was the Phoenix Open.
And let’s see, there was Gary Woodland and there was Matt Kuchar. They were on the 16th hole, and the 16th hole is a par 3. Big crowd, sometimes they get 30,000 people surrounding it. It’s like an amphitheater in golf. And they had a young girl with them. Her name was Amy Bockerstette. Amy’s probably 18, 19 years old and she has Down Syndrome. And in front of everybody else, she’s a pretty good golfer, they understood. And they brought her out on that hole, she hit her tee shot in front of everybody, went into the front bunker. And they we’re gonna take the ball out and she said, «I can do this». She said, «I’ve got this». So she hits the bunker shot, everybody’s clapping, it went up on the green about 10 feet away. Second shot, it’s a par 3, and then she lines up on the putt and she says, «I’ve got this. I can do this».
She said it out loud. They had her mic’d. She made the putt and everybody cheered, thousands of people cheering. The pros were goin', «You are really something». And she said, «I’ve got this». And I was inspired by Amy. It’s that whole thing about when you think positive, when you say you can do it, oftentimes you can. Not all the time, I’ll be realistic, but you’re not gonna be doing it if you’re thinking negative. «I’m tired, » or «I can’t achieve, » or «I’m past my prime, » or «My best days are behind me, » you know, all that kind of thing, that’s not going to do it. But I really believe that in Christ, you’ve got this. Whatever your trials, whatever sand traps you’re facing, whatever crowds you have to go in front of, just like Amy, and she did that in front of all those people, and she kept saying, «I’ve got this». Maybe that ought to be the title of this program, «You’ve Got This».
Scriptures on Renewing the Mind
You have to think that way first, and that’s what the Scriptures tell us. There’s many Scriptures about the mind that I just want to just share with you. Colossians 3, «Concentrate on what is above». Now, how do we concentrate on what is above when we can’t even see what it’s above? Talkin' about heaven. It’s the things of heaven. This is the way the angels think. This is the way God thinks. Jesus thought that way. For example, he said, «All things are possible for the one who believes». Jesus, we don’t usually think about him this way, but he’s the most positive person that ever lived. If you want to talk about positive people, read the Scriptures. Paul the Apostle, Peter the Apostle, James, these are all positive writings. Other Scriptures, Philippians 4, this is the Apostle Paul, «Think about what is noble, what is worthy, what is righteous».
Think about things that have integrity, because oftentimes what we do is we allow, «Don’t be conformed to this world, » we just heard from Romans. «Be transformed by the renewal of your mind». Oftentimes, we think about what the world gives us. Tune into the news, for example. I love to watch the news, but how much news is too much? Don’t be watching the news all day long. You’re gonna become negative and down. You gotta get away from that. Don’t be conformed by this world. I love music, but some of the lyrics and some of the music aren’t worth listening to. Listen to good music, Christian music. And then engaging in gossip and all that. Well, I could go on forever about this being conformed to the world. I love 1 Corinthians 2. This verse is so life-changing for me. «We have the mind of Christ». See, this is what God is trying to do in us, renewing us in our minds, our thoughts.
So that we can be positive, achieve our potential, realize our destiny, become the best that we can be, affect people in a positive way, and worship God in our prayer life. We have the mind of Christ. And as you study Jesus, he was so positive. He changed people he brought blessing to people. People were healed, transformed, changed just by being with him. We have the mind of Christ. Claim that verse. I claim that all the time, especially when I face situations that are hard. I have the mind of Christ. I can do this.
Positive Thinking and Self-Image
Norman Vincent Peale has always been a good read for me. I enjoy reading his books. Of course, he wrote «The Power of Positive Thinking, » and in this book he talks about the number one thing that people struggle with is something called self-deprecation.
They get down on themselves, low self-image, low self-esteem, and because of it, they limit their lives. And it all starts in the mind. Psychologists tell us that the mind, our thoughts, determine our moods and our attitudes. Your attitude today, your mood today, came from your thinking. And our thinking also determines our self-image and our self-esteem. If you’re not feeling good about yourself, pay attention to the way you’re thinking. Because as it says in the Scriptures, Proverbs 23:7, «As we think, so we are». This is so important.
As we think, so we are, and that’s really crucial. Because I’ve dealt with a lot of negativity in my own life, self-image problems, self-esteem problems, thinking I can’t do it, but Christianity brought a revolution into my life. You see, I wasn’t really a follower of Jesus until I was 19 years old. Yeah, I was born and brought up Catholic and baptized as an infant, but I really wasn’t a follower. And when I gave my life to Christ, and that’s what Romans 12:1 says, «Dedicate yourself. Make a self-surrender to God, and be renewed in your mind». And when I gave myself to Christ, a revolution occurred. Of course, the Holy Spirit came, and that’s the beginning. The Spirit comes to do this work in our moral life, but also our minds. And my self-image changed, my destiny changed, the way I thought about myself, my potential, I started to realize it.
And it was a work of God in me, a renewal, if you will, of my mind. And one of the crucial verses, as I told you, was realizing that I have the mind of Christ. When the Spirit comes into you, that’s the Spirit of Jesus. The thoughts of the Spirit start percolating inside of you. It says that the Spirit brings to mind what Jesus taught.
Personal Boldness Through Renewed Mind
I remember one time I went into the office of the COO of a Christian network because I believe that God was calling me to be on their network, and I sat down in front of him. I never would have even knocked on the door before because I was so negative about myself. I didn’t think I could do anything. But I knew that I knew that God was calling me to proclaim the gospel on television, and I had already been on a couple networks, and I believed that God was calling me to be on his network.
And I went right in there and I started talkin' about my call, and what I’m trying to do, and reaching out to people, and changing their life, and touching them, and he looked at me and he said, «You know, you’re really kind of bold about yourself, aren’t you»? And I said this with all the humility that I could have, it wasn’t about me. It’s about the gospel, and it’s about transforming lives and reaching out to people. And I realize that God has put a gift in me to reach out to people, and I was bold and daring, even in front of that man, facing rejection, and now I’m on that network, all because I had the courage and the boldness.
Remember the Apostles? We have to obey God, not people. And they stood before the Sanhedrin, they stood before the people of their day, and they proclaimed Jesus. There’s this fire, the mind of Christ that comes into you. So it’s not we, we proclaim. «Not ourselves we proclaim, » Paul says, «but Christ who brings salvation». And that changes lives and it’ll change you. You’ve got this. Raising your children, your job, your destiny, the meaning of your life, you’ve got this.
Cognitive Replacement and Repentance
You have to consciously change your mind. In fact, that was Jesus’s first sermon. He talked about metanoia. «Meta, » another; «noia, » mind. Change your mind. You can be thinking, «Oh, I’m tired and don’t feel like doing anything today». Well, I get like that too and you know what I do? I get up and I say, «Thank you, God, that you’re renewing my strength like that of an eagle».
«Thank you that even though I will run, I won’t faint, and I walk and I’m not gonna be weary». That’s right from the Scriptures. And what you have to do is you have to have cognitive replacement therapy. Therapy is when you… it’s like a healing. You have to help yourself develop the mind of Christ. Or you can be feeling anxious, and worried, and fearful. What I do is, instead of that, I replace those thoughts. Cognitive replacement therapy. Reframing is another way to put it. One time I put a picture on the wall and it didn’t really look good. And then I got a frame for it, and then I put it on the wall. I said, «Wow, that looks totally different». You can be totally different by reframing your thoughts. Instead of being worried, or fearful, or anxious, you think peace, shalom, healing, calm, tranquility, grace. You must understand that you are responsible for your thoughts.
Now, I understand thoughts just come, and it’s called self-talk. We’re doin' it all the time. We’re talking to ourself, thoughts come. I understand it’s like a river that’s flowing. Sometimes we don’t seem to understand why different thoughts are coming. I heard a saying one time that I really like. It said, you know, you can’t stop the birds from flying overhead, but you can stop 'em from landing on your shoulder. We are responsible for our thoughts. Yeah, a lot of 'em may come, but we don’t have to dwell on them. And it’s the same way with the cognitive replacement therapy. You can be thinking one thing and then change it. Remember what I said? Jesus’s first sermon, it was metanoia.
This is Mark chapter 1, verse 15. He comes into the Galilee with the message, «Repent and believe in the good news». The word «repent, » «metanoia, » have another mind. And yes, he meant change your mind regarding sin, change your mind regarding morality. Of course he meant that, but he also meant change your mind regarding being positive, and what you can do in life, and realizing your destiny. You’ve got this.
Phil Mickelson’s Example
Thinkin' about golfer Phil Mickelson, Hall of Famer, and he’s getting a little bit older now. He’s considered a senior golfer at age 50. He won the first two events on the senior tour. Think he’s the first one to ever do that.
Well, he was playing the PGA at Kiawah Island. This is a regular tour event, the PGA, which is one of the four majors. He’s playing with all these guys, but the fact that he was 50 years old, then you can be thinking, «Oh, my best days are behind me and I can’t keep up with these young bucks, » and all that type of thing. Phil Mickelson became the oldest person to win a major tournament at age 50. He focused, he stayed calm, and he stayed positive. Be renewed in your mind. And don’t say, «My best days are behind me. I’m too old now and I can’t do it». You can do it. You’ve got this. We can go forward. Be lifted up in your mind.
Addressing Mental Illness
This series is all about that. See, the Spirit is breathed on us to renew us and to lift us up. We all know that there are problems in our society right now. One of the problems is the mass shootings. Let me shift gears just a little bit. Mass shootings. I was looking at the statistics. In the year 2020, there were 20,000 shootings, and some of these have been mass shootings in the United States. They’re always looking for a motive. Whenever we get a mass shooting, you know, first thing that comes out, «We don’t know why they did this. What’s the motive»?
I can tell you, most times the motive is, the reason why these mass shootings, mental illness. People are struggling with their mind. Mental illness is epidemic in our society today, especially since the pandemic. One out of four people, it’s reported, are suffering with mental illness of some sort. Mental disorders, things like depression, anxiety, panic attacks, obsessive compulsive, schizophrenia, bipolar. You name it, it’s going on everywhere. And it’s been in the news a lot lately. I get people writing me, saying, «Father Cedric, preach about mental illness. What are we going to do? I’m taking care of a child who’s struggling with mental diseases. And how do I handle that»?
And let me just tell you that God sees your tears and he knows what you’re going through, and there is hope. You’ve got this. You can do it, one day at a time. Well anyway, in the news, some of the celebrities are coming out with their struggles with mental illness, with the disease of the mind when it kinda goes awry sometimes. For example, Princess Di struggled with bulimia, an eating disorder. And now Prince Harry, he’s been traumatized with anger. Bubba Watson won the Masters. He struggles with fear. He doesn’t like being around crowds, yet he pushes himself to get out there. That’s one of the things you have to do when you have a mental illness. When you’re struggling with fear, or anxiety, or whatever it may be, you have to push yourself. You can’t just let it hold you down.
Remember, you have the mind of Christ. Cognitive replacement therapy. Others, really quickly. I think about Naomi Osaka, number two tennis player in the world at this time as I’m filming this, and she withdrew from the French Open. She won her first round match but she had to deal with all the press who kept asking her these probing questions. And she’s a very shy person, she didn’t want to deal with it anymore, and she withdrew. She has depression. She has fear. She withdrew also from Wimbledon in 2021. And that’s the thing about mental illness. It’s debilitating, it’s paralyzing, and it brings you down into a little box. But I want to tell you there is help. God is there to help you.
Personal Struggle and Overcoming
I think about, for example, one of our men. He was a Catholic priest and he lived in our local community where I lived. We used to have faith sharing, and we all sat around a table one time and he shared with us that he was dealing with depression. And I thought to myself, «Wow, you would hardly ever know it, » because he’s always so upbeat, and he smiles a lot, and he’s always at prayer. He doesn’t just shut himself in his room. And you might think to yourself, «Well, wait a minute, Father Cedric. He’s a priest, and if he has faith, he’s given his life to Jesus, shouldn’t have depression». Well, the way I think about it is if you give your life to Jesus, if you’re a person of prayer, if you’re dedicated to God, you can face depression. You can face anxiety. You can face panic. You can face whatever mental illness or disease that you might have in your life.
You can face all the ups and downs of life. See, there’s a strength when God is with you. And I know that from my own life because I’ve had to deal with a mental illness in my own life. And that mental illness has to do with fear, and panic, and anxiety. I’ve had social phobia since high school, and this almost prevented me from becoming a priest because I knew that I was gonna have to get up there in front of all those people. And I had panic attacks. How am I going to do that? And the interesting thing is God doesn’t, bzzz, and just take it away. And believe me, I’ve prayed for that, and if you have a mental illness, you’ve prayed for that. But God does something even better. He walks with us in the struggle.
That’s how you develop a personal relationship with God. It’s not just on the mountaintop, Mount Tabor. It’s in the valley. And as you’re going through the valley, you learn trust. You find out that God is trustworthy and reliable. You can lean on the everlasting arms. You know that your tears are kept in his bottle. And as you go through these things and as you suffer, that he sees the whole thing. And part of the reason why I have had my mind renewed is because I’ve hit low moments of suffering and it brought up a new determination that I’m not gonna stay there. And that’s part of the Spirit’s work in me. And now I’ve pretty much progressed to the point where I preach on national TV live at times and I’m proclaiming these programs to you on television.
I remember one time in college, I met a girl who confessed in front of everybody that she was afraid of kittens. Kittens. Little, teeny kitty cats are the most innocent and precious things that you can ever see, and she was afraid of 'em. And that’s the thing about mental illness, it’s irrational. Fears are irrational. But if you’re afraid, you still feel it just like it was a snake. I remember one time I met a woman and I was so proud of her because… I want to talk about being renewed and lifted up. You don’t have to stay stuck there. She lived in Connecticut and she drove all the way to Florida to see me preach one of my parish missions, and she has a fear of bridges, crossing over bridges. I was so proud of her because she did it. She didn’t yield to that fear. And what happens is that’s the way you overcome your fears, by facing them.
I used to get vertigo. I’d be up there preaching and I’d feel dizzy, and it would make you want to not get up there in front of people. And what I did is, instead of running from it, I faced it. Gave myself some good experiences where I showed myself that I could do it, and then I started to overcome it. The way that you overcome isn’t by running. It’s by facing. And I wanna proclaim to you that you can be lifted up in negativity, mental illness, scrupulosity, obsessive compulsive disorder, wherever you’re stuck, anxiety, fear. And that’s what this program is all about. The grace of God is here for the renewal of your mind and the Holy Spirit is here to lift you up. But you have to cooperate.
As I said, you are responsible for your thoughts. Maybe you inherited this. We don’t know exactly where mental illness comes from, but we do know, as Proverbs tells us, that as we think, so we are. And if you’re gonna be stuck in this, you’re gonna stay that way. But if you take responsibility for your mind, keep giving yourself to Christ, you will find a renewal. You allow the Holy Spirit to work. God sees your suffering. He knows what you’re going through, but he’s with you to help you, to encourage you, and to bring transformation in your life. As we think, so we are. And in the name of Jesus, I am praying that wherever you’re stuck, whatever you’re facing, that you will go forward, face your fears, and realize, like Amy did, whatever sand trap you’re in, whatever putt you have to make, I’ve got this. You can do it. There are two types of people that are 100% right: those who say they can and those who say they can’t. And I believe that you’re an overcomer. Don’t just live, live with passion.