This past Sunday, I issued a challenge to the Bridge Church family: Give me 10 weeks, and I'll promise you growth. Sounds easy huh? The thought originates in some real-life experience...some real-life weight loss experience, to be exact. Here's the story... (OK, just pretend that you care & keep reading!)
About 10 years ago, I needed to lose some weight. (Actually, I still do...but that's not the point here.) A health-conscious fitness-nut friend challenged me to devote 10 weeks to a dramatic, but reasonable, lifestyle change. He promised that if I would follow his instructions, I would see significant weight loss and improved overall fitness. I agreed. (I pretty much had to, because I was running out of clothes that fit...and I couldn't afford any new ones! Can I get a witness?)
The plan was simple:
1) No sugar (or soft drinks, candy bars, cookies, ice cream, or anything else that tasted sweet).
2) Exercise a minimum of 5 days/week, including both cardio and weight training. (I had never done either one.)
3) Make "better bad choices" (for example: pretzels instead of chips; carrot sticks instead of candy bars; diet drinks instead of regular; skim milk instead of whole; regular Cheerios instead of Honey Nut; need I go on?) And Numero Quatro... (This was the big one)
4) Keep a JOURNAL of it all! (every bite I ate, every mile I ran, every pound I shed, every notch in my belt...EVERYTHING!) He knew something that I didn't, but was about to learn: Journaling produces accountability, which is the key to discipline, which is the key to success.
So, I started right away. I was so desperate for change that I was ready for anything! So, I crossed my fingers, closed my eyes, and climbed on the scale to find out exactly where "ground zero" was. It was scary! But I was not to be deterred. Starting that day, I ate better, exercised more, journaled regularly, and felt more healthy. I was sure that the results would be great, and I couldn't wait to see how much weight I had lost in just 2 days!
But there was one more piece of advice that my "trainer-friend" shared: You can't get back on the scale for at least 4 weeks. What?!? Why couldn't I weigh after a few days, or even after a couple of weeks? Because my friend knew it would take time to see results--and he didn't want me to become discouraged by slow progress, and end up quitting in frustration. So I agreed (reluctantly).
Four (long) weeks later, I climbed on the scale and was shocked to realize I had lost 16 pounds! It was really working! Now that I had seen some results, I knew I could go the distance. I was ready for the long haul. Before long, people started to notice I was slimming down. Then my clothes started fitting better. Then I even started feeling stronger. Then I started posing in front of the mirror without my shirt on... (OK, I better stop there before you start having disturbing mental images. What's that? Too late? Sorry about that.)
The point is this: I was GROWING! (or in this case, shrinking--but you get the idea.) I believe the key to it all was the JOURNAL.
So, I started thinking... How many of us are frustrated by our lack of spiritual growth? We want to be spiritually "fit," but often seem to fall back "out of shape." We wish God felt closer to us. We feel lethargic at church. We wonder why our prayers aren't answered. We confess that the Bible seems dull, if we even try to read it at all. But if we could just STOP and LOOK at ourselves, we might see the true problem: SPIRITUAL LAZINESS.
Now, back to where we started, here's the challenge: Give me 10 weeks, and I'll promise you growth! I could give a list of simple steps to be followed (like the example above), but we're all at different levels in our spiritual maturity, and we all have different needs. Anyway, here's a few ideas:
1. Read the Bible for _____ minutes each day. (fill in the blank...but make sure it stretches you)
2. Pray for ____ minutes three times each day. (you eat 3 meals a day, right?)
3. Listen to a worship CD, or worship music from your ipod.
4. Turn off the TV 30 mins earlier at night, and spend some time reflecting on the day.
5. Try to memorize a verse of Scripture. (something that strengthens your faith)
6. Listen to a sermon from your favorite pastor while driving, instead of the radio.
7. Create a Top 10 List of the most urgent prayer needs (but don't include any needs of your own--only others!)
(I could go on and on making suggestions, but you need something that's personally tailored to your needs and "fitness level.")
And don't forget the most important part: KEEP A JOURNAL of it all. By keeping a record of your "exercises," you will be more likely to hold yourself accountable.
Thanks for taking the challenge. Let's see what God can do in your life--and in our church--in 10 exciting weeks!
About 10 years ago, I needed to lose some weight. (Actually, I still do...but that's not the point here.) A health-conscious fitness-nut friend challenged me to devote 10 weeks to a dramatic, but reasonable, lifestyle change. He promised that if I would follow his instructions, I would see significant weight loss and improved overall fitness. I agreed. (I pretty much had to, because I was running out of clothes that fit...and I couldn't afford any new ones! Can I get a witness?)
The plan was simple:
1) No sugar (or soft drinks, candy bars, cookies, ice cream, or anything else that tasted sweet).
2) Exercise a minimum of 5 days/week, including both cardio and weight training. (I had never done either one.)
3) Make "better bad choices" (for example: pretzels instead of chips; carrot sticks instead of candy bars; diet drinks instead of regular; skim milk instead of whole; regular Cheerios instead of Honey Nut; need I go on?) And Numero Quatro... (This was the big one)
4) Keep a JOURNAL of it all! (every bite I ate, every mile I ran, every pound I shed, every notch in my belt...EVERYTHING!) He knew something that I didn't, but was about to learn: Journaling produces accountability, which is the key to discipline, which is the key to success.
So, I started right away. I was so desperate for change that I was ready for anything! So, I crossed my fingers, closed my eyes, and climbed on the scale to find out exactly where "ground zero" was. It was scary! But I was not to be deterred. Starting that day, I ate better, exercised more, journaled regularly, and felt more healthy. I was sure that the results would be great, and I couldn't wait to see how much weight I had lost in just 2 days!
But there was one more piece of advice that my "trainer-friend" shared: You can't get back on the scale for at least 4 weeks. What?!? Why couldn't I weigh after a few days, or even after a couple of weeks? Because my friend knew it would take time to see results--and he didn't want me to become discouraged by slow progress, and end up quitting in frustration. So I agreed (reluctantly).
Four (long) weeks later, I climbed on the scale and was shocked to realize I had lost 16 pounds! It was really working! Now that I had seen some results, I knew I could go the distance. I was ready for the long haul. Before long, people started to notice I was slimming down. Then my clothes started fitting better. Then I even started feeling stronger. Then I started posing in front of the mirror without my shirt on... (OK, I better stop there before you start having disturbing mental images. What's that? Too late? Sorry about that.)
The point is this: I was GROWING! (or in this case, shrinking--but you get the idea.) I believe the key to it all was the JOURNAL.
So, I started thinking... How many of us are frustrated by our lack of spiritual growth? We want to be spiritually "fit," but often seem to fall back "out of shape." We wish God felt closer to us. We feel lethargic at church. We wonder why our prayers aren't answered. We confess that the Bible seems dull, if we even try to read it at all. But if we could just STOP and LOOK at ourselves, we might see the true problem: SPIRITUAL LAZINESS.
Now, back to where we started, here's the challenge: Give me 10 weeks, and I'll promise you growth! I could give a list of simple steps to be followed (like the example above), but we're all at different levels in our spiritual maturity, and we all have different needs. Anyway, here's a few ideas:
1. Read the Bible for _____ minutes each day. (fill in the blank...but make sure it stretches you)
2. Pray for ____ minutes three times each day. (you eat 3 meals a day, right?)
3. Listen to a worship CD, or worship music from your ipod.
4. Turn off the TV 30 mins earlier at night, and spend some time reflecting on the day.
5. Try to memorize a verse of Scripture. (something that strengthens your faith)
6. Listen to a sermon from your favorite pastor while driving, instead of the radio.
7. Create a Top 10 List of the most urgent prayer needs (but don't include any needs of your own--only others!)
(I could go on and on making suggestions, but you need something that's personally tailored to your needs and "fitness level.")
And don't forget the most important part: KEEP A JOURNAL of it all. By keeping a record of your "exercises," you will be more likely to hold yourself accountable.
Thanks for taking the challenge. Let's see what God can do in your life--and in our church--in 10 exciting weeks!
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