Over 100 people took the weight challenge last Sunday at 217church!  We are counting up all the pounds we lost and then we are going to have a HUGE party June 3 to celebrate what God has done!  Did you know that more people will die from heart disease this year than any other cause? Why? We eat a lot of junk! The truth of the matter is most of us treat our bodies like a human dumping ground as opposed to a temple of the Holy Spirit. We “calorie up” with sugar saturated drinks, eat way to much fast food, and exercise for some of us consists of going for a run…from the couch to the refrigerator. This is not God’s best for us. God cares about our bodies and he wants us to take care of what He has given to us. Tired of those extra few pounds you are carrying around?  Sick of low energy days and unhealthy habits?  Do you have high cholesterol or high blood pressure?  Have you had enough?  It’s time for a heart change, a literal one! It’s time to ask God, “What do you want me to do with my body?”

What does Physical health look like for us?

“whoever loves discipline loves knowledge…” (Proverbs 12:1 ESV)

Most of us eat what we want, when we want and we use the argument, “it’s my body, so I will do what I want with it.” This is not true, it’s a lie from the culture.  It’s not your body, your body belongs to God and he desires for you to use it to glorify Him.  Discipline can create a marvelous dependance on God as long as your motivations are correct.  but most of us struggle with the nasty ‘D’ word, DISCIPLINE. Here are a few things that helped me as I have started new habits and increased my own discipline factor.

• Be Honest With Yourself- That means we have to address the brutal facts.  You can’t get to where you want to go unless you are honest with where you are.  Know these 5 numbers.  Your weight, waist, blood pressure, blood sugar, & cholesterol.  Get a good doctor to help and monitor these vitals and prevent disease!
  

• Don’t Compare – Nothing will discourage you more if you try and compare yourself to other people.  Some people are gifted to be vegans.  Some people are genetically predisposed to be thin.  Stop worrying about everyone else and what the magazine adds tell you to be and seek God for his plan for your health and nutrition.  What worked for someone else may not necessarily work for you.  Seek God!

• Take it Slow- One mistake we usually make is we pull the plug and make drastic changes all at once.  Then we fail miserably and pile on the guilt later and claim, “we tried.”  Unfortunately, most of us want instant results and instant gratification.  It didn’t take you a week to gain that extra fifty pounds or have high blood pressure so it is going to take more than a week to remedy the problem.

• You Need A Buddy – Seriously, don’t even try and change a major habit on your own.  You need the support and accountability of a friend who will let you succeed and sometimes fail without piling on the guilt.  You need someone who you can model your health after and someone who will celebrate with you.  Isolation = failure.

Treating our bodies well is not an option, its a requirement of those who want to follow Jesus!  The big target on the wall is writing a LIFE TRANSFORMATION VISION for your Physical Health.  You should be doing this in your small group this week. Pray, then write the God inspired vision He has given to you, then make it happen!

^“I urge you therefore brothers in view of God’s mercy to present your bodies a living sacrifice, this is your spiritual act of worship.”        Romans 12:1-2

You are a part of something incredible!  Credit Cards are being cut up, debt is being paid off, people are giving at levels that we have never seen before at 217church!  Are you maximizing your life for the advancement of the message of Jesus?  This Sunday is about nutrition and exercise!  Post your workouts here and be encouraged!

I have to admit, this is really fun!

Josh