Week 1: Day 5
Week 1 Day 5
Nourished in the Words of Faith
Day ___________________________ Date ___________________________
On day two, we learned it does not profit us to be occupied by food. The reason we are over weight is that we have become too focused on the food and berating yourself when you can’t control how much you eat. Dieting has not made us less focused but more. We are infatuated with the latest diet fad, and this takes our focus off God the one who truly deserves our devotion.
Read I Timothy 4:1-8 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; 5 for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. 6 If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. 7 But reject profane and old wives' fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. 8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.
According to the passage, should we abstain from certain foods such as carbohydrates, meat, and fat? __________________________
God created all foods and we can eat with thanksgiving. God is the same yesterday today and always. I have heard Christians say you should be a vegetarian, because Daniel abstained from the Kings food and only ate grains and veggies. He did that because of Jewish laws, but we are under the new covenant and this passage proves it. The Bible says ALL creatures, which means ALL creatures!
According to I Timothy 4:3 above, how are we to receive the gift of food God has provided? __________________________________________________ _________________________
When you run to the food for comfort and you’re not hungry, you gain weight. What kind of spirits does the Bible say you are listening to when you abstain from certain foods God gave you to enjoy? (Verse 1) __________________________________________________ _____
Look at the line that says nourished in the words of faith. The word nourished is defined as; to promote the growth and development of... Has the circumstance of your being overweight made you feel nourished?
List some of the reasons you turn to food when you’re not hungry.
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We run to food because it gives us a feeling of being nurtured and nourished. We think it gives us comfort and love. How do you feel after going on an eating binge? _______
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Does it feel you have promoted the growth and development of your life in any way? _______ It depresses you and makes you feel ashamed, heartbroken and tired all the time. It makes you down on yourself and gives you a reason for self-abuse. You are going to learn, you’re not a slave to your sin. You have been listening to the greatest liar ever. Satan is the father of all lies.
Once your body stops growing its surprising how little food we need to sustain us. You’ve probably been eating at least twice as much as you need, maybe more.
As mentioned earlier, the dictionary defines nourished as; to promote the growth and development of... the dictionary leaves it blank, so you can fill it in. I always thought nourished had something to do with food. I associated food with comfort. I think we all do.
Review, I Timothy 4:1-8, the Bible says to promote and develop the growth of the spirit by the words of faith. Think about the previous diets you’ve been on; was the focal point what you look like? We have been trying to fix the wrong problem, being preoccupied with how we look. We’ve put the solution to our weight problem on the back burner. The answer is to develop our spirit before any thing else, then all else will right itself. Luke 11:9-13 says, Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.
Every time Jesus healed someone, He was always more concerned about their spiritual condition. Read the following passage.
Mark 2:1-12 And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. 2 Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. 3 Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. 4 And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.
5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."
6 And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 "Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
8 But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, "Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, "Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, "Arise, take up your bed and walk'? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"--He said to the paralytic, 11 "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." 12 Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!”
Jesus took care of the paralyzed man’s spiritual need before healing the physical by saying “your sins are forgiven.” Physical healing is important to Jesus but it was secondary to spiritual healing.
Mark 5:34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”
When we think of the word peace, we think of peace of mind. The word Shalom, is the Hebrew word for Peace, but it means much more. It means completeness, it means salvation. It means a restored relationship.
Remember we can only nourish our spirit by things of the Spirit. Nourishing our spirit is critical. When our spirit is well nourished, we won’t need to try to fill it with food that doesn’t satisfy.
I Timothy 4:8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things.
The Dictionary defines godliness as being devoted to God. God will be taking the pounds off while the spirit’s being filled. The weight will naturally decrease.
If you don’t exercise you will still lose weight, although you may come to a point were you want to, because it will make you feel better but remember it only profits a little so don’t put exercise over your daily devotion.
According to the Word of God what is more profitable physical exercise or spiritual exercise? __________________________________________________ ________________
Write I Timothy 4:8 __________________________________________________ _
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The first day of this diet, we're reminded Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. In the same scripture it says do not be occupied with foods. Today we found spiritual well-being is more important than our physical well-being. Do you think you have the confidence in God, the creator and ruler of the universe to know what our bodies need? If you believe, you need to stop doing weird diets, which make you count calories, or have only certain foods in certain combinations at certain times of the day. Trust Jesus He declared all foods clean.
Read the following scriptures, use your own Bible to fill in the blanks.
Mark 7: 14-20 when He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear Me, everyone, and understand: 15 There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man. 16 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!” 17 When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. 18 “Are you thus without understanding also? 19&20 __________________________________________________ ____
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_______________ 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts. Adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, and evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”
The need or desire is not generated from the food. We don’t need to overeat; it’s the desire form within. The problem with being so preoccupied with how we look, and being obsessed with the physical is, it creates the obsession for dieting and food.
READ: Psalm 1 and 118:8-9
In light of today’s study, what was the scripture or statement in today’s lesson that most spoke to your heart? __________________________________________________ ________
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What steps of faith does God want you to take towards Him today? ____________________
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Rephrase the scripture or statement into an expression of faith_________________________
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Isaiah 55:9 __________________________________________________ _______________
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Week 2: Day 1
Week 2 Day 1
A Change of Heart, a New Creation
Day ___________________________ Date ___________________________
Even though I had been a Christian a long time, and reading my Bible almost everyday. I never thought to go to the Bible to resolve my weight problem. I didn’t consider it a diet guide. I would pray, asking God to help me with a particular diet, but I never thought of the Bible as the starting place. However, the more I read the Bible the more I realized it is a rich source of knowledge and insight for every known problem. The word is our guide for living every aspect or our life. This ancient document is just as practical today as it was six thousand years ago, Solomon wrote:
Ecclesiastes 1:9, 10 That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun. 10 Is there anything of which it may be said, "See, this is new"? It has already been in ancient times before us.
Read Psalm 118:8-9
It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in man, 9It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in princes.
Who should you put your confidence about losing weight in? ______ Read Colossians 2: 20-23 20 Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— 21 “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” 22 which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.
This scripture nails it; it’s exactly what we have been doing with our frantic dieting. Why are we living as if we don’t have all this knowledge and wisdom at our fingertips?
It’s not a food issue; it’s a head and heart problem. If there weren’t a consequence for overeating, we wouldn’t have difficulty in resisting it. It wouldn’t be forbidden. An addict is someone who can’t get enough; they want more, and more. How many people do you know who are addicted to water? We are rebellious. I don’t have a problem with praying to God for help finding my keys, yet somehow I always conveniently forget to pray for help in resisting the temptation to eat the last of my Mucho Grande Over Stuffed Big Fat Burrito.
In a recent study done in Switzerland. The participants were blindfolded while eating. They ate less and felt just as full. It was determined; when they couldn’t see what they were eating, they paid more attention to their inner cues.
The desire for forbidden fruit is our real problem. I read a story in my little daily devotional, “Our Daily Bread.” The title was forbidden fruit. It was about a resort hotel in Texas, they had a sign in each room saying “No fishing off the balcony.” Yet every day the hotel guests would throw their line into the water. When the management decided to just give up and remove the signs, the fishing stopped. We are a defiant people and need to have a heart transformation, if we are ever going to be successful at losing weight and the only way to have a heart or thought transformation is through the power of the most High God.
Let me ask you a question. Have you felt any of the diets you’ve tried before with all their rules and regulation worked on changing your heart?
Do you think your problem could be you have been trying to change the food and not your mind/heart? _________________
In other words none of these diets did anything to help you battle against the indulgences of the flesh.
The way to change your mind is easy. You are in the habit of thinking negatively and you need to break that habit. You have to get up every morning and say I am a beautiful creation of the almighty God. Look at yourself in the mirror and say I'm beautiful, thank you God for giving me such a fine-looking body. Every part of my body works so well.
If you are going to be successful with this or any other part of your life, you have to be nice to yourself. Even if you don’t feel like you are beautiful, DO NOT ALLOW YOURSELF TO THINK THAT! You must, must get rid of all negative thoughts, start getting in the habit of complimenting yourself. You take yourself everywhere you go; you might as well enjoy it. Read Philemon 1:6 That the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.
Rewrite the previous scripture in your own words. __________________________________
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The verse says, "Every good thing in you is in Christ". God does not want you walking around thinking negatively about yourself. You can’t share your faith effectively, unless you acknowledge God has created you for good things, that you are good in Christ. You can’t be effective in sharing your faith if you have not acknowledged how wonderful God has made you!
Read, II Corinthians: 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
When you turned your heart over to Jesus and gave him lordship of your heart, you died to your will and the world’s rules and became a new creation in Christ.
Read Galatians 5:22,23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
I used to read this scripture and think, I have joy, peace, longsuffering… but when I came to the self-control fruit, I would think, Someday God would give me that gift. I believed a deception, and one day it dawned on me. I already have all the fruits of the Spirit. I received them when I asked God into my heart. We automatically get the fruits when we get saved, it’s part of the package. I realized I had been listening to that bully Satan. You have to understand that Satan is a liar. He is the accuser of the brethren
Read Revelation 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.
Read about what Jesus said about Satan when the Pharisees were trying to trip Him up with lies. John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
Satan lies to you and tries to make you feel condemned, don’t receive the accusations. Say, a scripture like “I am the righteousness of God” You will make mistakes, allow yourself that.
Read Romans 7 *Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? 2 For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. 3 So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man.
God opened my eyes to this passage one day, I had read it many times in the past and even heard it used in sermons, and they were all about condemning the sinful divorcé, but that is not what this scripture is telling us. It is using the adulteress and widow as an illustration of our death to the law. The Law no longer binds us; in fact, the law is what creates the desire to sin.
I am telling you completely give up dieting. Completely give up condemning your self for overeating. I know this is a scary concept, just to give it up and not be in control, but trying so hard to stop dieting has created the addiction. The more people try to diet, the fatter they get. Being overweight doesn't mean you are weaker than thin folks are, it just means you have tried harder to lose weight. Don’t believe me? Continue reading Romans 7 4 Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. 5 For when we were in the flesh, THE SINFUL PASSIONS WHICH WERE AROUSED BY THE LAW were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. 6 But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.
7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. 9 I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. 10 And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. 11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. 12 Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.
13 Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. 16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am!
Even Paul struggled with sin, we tend to think of him as “Saint Paul”, but he was a sinner saved by grace just like you and me. He goes through his list of sins in frustration with himself, then just as it seems he will be lost to hopelessness of ever recovering he ask in the last part of verse 24, Who will deliver me from this body of death? Ah… then he remembers, 25I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.
It’s a little hard to understand these verses in the New King James version; I like how the Message interprets it. The Message version was translated from the original ancient Greek in today’s English rhythms and idioms.
1-3 You shouldn't have any trouble understanding this, friends, for you know all the ins and outs of the law—how it works and how its power touches only the living. For instance, a wife is legally tied to her husband while he lives, but if he dies, she's free. If she lives with another man while her husband is living, she's obviously an adulteress. But if he dies, she is quite free to marry another man in good conscience, with no one's disapproval.
4-6 So, my friends, this is something like what has taken place with you. When Christ died he took that entire rule-dominated way of life down with him and left it in the tomb, leaving you free to "marry" a resurrection life and bear "offspring" of faith for God. For as long as we lived that old way of life, doing whatever we felt we could get away with, sin was calling most of the shots as the old law code hemmed us in. And this made us all the more rebellious. In the end, all we had to show for it was miscarriages and stillbirths. But now that we're no longer shackled to that domineering mate of sin, and out from under all those oppressive regulations and fine print, we're free to live a new life in the freedom of God.
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7 But I can hear you say, "If the law code was as bad as all that, it's no better than sin itself." That's certainly not true. The law code had a perfectly legitimate function. Without its clear guidelines for right and wrong, moral behavior would be mostly guesswork. Apart from the succinct, surgical command, "You shall not covet," I could have dressed covetousness up to look like a virtue and ruined my life with it.
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8-12 Don't you remember how it was? I do, perfectly well. The law code started out as an excellent piece of work. What happened, though, was that sin found a way to pervert the command into a temptation, making a piece of "forbidden fruit" out of it. The law code, instead of being used to guide me, was used to seduce me. Without all the paraphernalia of the law code, sin looked pretty dull and lifeless, and I went along without paying much attention to it. But once sin got its hands on the law code and decked itself out in all that finery, I was fooled, and fell for it. The very command that was supposed to guide me into life was cleverly used to trip me up, throwing me headlong. So sin was plenty alive, and I was stone dead. But the law code itself is God's good and common sense, each command sane and holy counsel.
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13 I can already hear your next question: "Does that mean I can't even trust what is good [that is, the law]? Is good just as dangerous as evil?" No again! Sin simply did what sin is so famous for doing: using the good as a cover to tempt me to do what would finally destroy me. By hiding within God's good commandment, sin did far more mischief than it could ever have accomplished on its own.
14-16 I can anticipate the response that is coming: "I know that all God's commands are spiritual, but I'm not. Isn't this also your experience?" Yes. I'm full of myself—after all, I've spent a long time in sin's prison. What I don't understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can't be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God's command is necessary.
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17-20 But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.
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21-23 It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God's commands, but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.
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24 I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question?
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25 The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.
The real mistake comes when you let Satan condemn you and keep you down there. Get back up, praise Jesus for this freedom, ask Him for forgiveness, and He will forgive you. Jesus never condemns you. He may show you where you are sinning so you can cry out to Him and ask for help, he doesn’t condemn. The dictionary defines the word condemn as, "To pronounce unfit for use".
Read how the King James Version interprets it.
Romans 7:8 (KJV) * *8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. ([from dictionary.com]desire, (R.V., "coveting"); Col. 3:5 (R.V., "desire"). The "lust of concupiscence" denotes evil desire, indwelling sin.) For without the law sin was dead. **11For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
So what causes the compulsion to overeat? ************______________________________________ _
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The sin is not just overeating; it’s also worrying about overeating or about being thin. Its sin to overeat and it’s also a sin to worry so much about your overeating. When we obsess about looking or being a certain way and don’t trust God and His timing we become obsessed with the thing that takes up so much of our thought life. God wants you to be thin, but He also wants you to learn from being overweight.
We need to let it go, and here is how you do that. Every time you eat and even when you are thinking about eating, you need to pray. Ask God to help you to stop eating when you are full. Ask Him to help you recognize fullness, and ask Him to help you stop when you are satisfied, then, and this is the hard part, die to your will.
Romans 8:36-39 As it is written: “ For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
What does the phrase “die to your will” mean to you? ________________________________
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I Corinthians 6:12, 13 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 13 Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
And
I Corinthians 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.
Read John 3:17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Read Colossians 2: 20-22 again, Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— 21 “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” 22 which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men?
How many diets have you been on that didn’t parish with use? When you first start a diet, you are filled with hope. You have faith knowing this is the one. Then about three weeks into it or so, you give up. You need to keep up the positive thoughts going. Keep saying to yourself, I am a new creation, that old person is dead. I am strong in Christ Jesus. When you were born again you received the fruits of the Spirit, one of those fruits are, self-control. You need to have faith that you received it. Say I have self-control and say it to yourself often. Put up little sticky notes to remind you to say it. Instead of being occupied with the diet and what you eat, be occupied with the goodness God has placed in you.
Philemon 1:6 That the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.
It is so sad that in the United States, people are more occupied with diets and thinness than ever before and we have never been fatter. As I mentioned earlier, one diet says eat carbohydrates (sugar) and very little fat and another diet declares, eat only Protein (fat) and very little sugar. Another diet says, only eat fat and carbohydrates in certain combinations and certain times a day (Talk about being occupied) all of these diets have Doctors and experts who can, and will substantiate their claims with an appearance of wisdom. God is not the author of confusion!
I Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.
Jesus doesn’t want us to be burdened by all these rules. That’s why Jesus died so we don’t need to live by laws and regulations. In reality, all these laws do is make us more engrossed on the forbidden like the people at the resort who fished off the balcony.
Review Colossians 2:23, The last part of this passage holds the real key 23These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.
In your own words, express what the preceding three passages mean to you. _____________
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All of these rules and regulations are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. Consider the diets you have been on, have any of these "man-made" rules made you desire less food? __________________________________________________ ________________
They all have an appearance of wisdom; however, they do little to change the heart. All they do is cover up the problem they don’t heal the wound.
We have tried all the world has to offer; now it’s time to turn to Jesus. He is the only one who can transform you and heal your wounded heart.
Read Matthew 11:28-30 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." We are heavy laden by all the rules and regulation of dieting. In Jesus, we can have rest from the burden.
Notice Jesus doesn’t say learn about me, He says learn from me. That suggests a relationship. In your own words, write what the phrase, “learn from me” means to you. ____ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ _________________________
How has your being overweight made you feel Punished? ____________________________
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Let’s see what Bible has to say about this old sinful nature.
Read Romans 6:1-23 1What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Do you feel like a slave to overeating and your weight? ______
When I was overweight I didn’t want to go any were or do anything, nothing fit right, I felt like people were thinking bad things about me.
Being a slave to sin brings death, and always leads to bad things Being a slave to God always leads to good things, Sin equals: fat, self hate, fights, by contrast Righteousness equals: being thin, healthy, self love, love of others, etc. When sin has control over you, it affects your life and the life of your family, you want to stop but you can’t. You are a spiritual slave to it. Those who are without Christ are slaves to sin, but we who are believers in Christ are free from this bondage. Because Jesus has set us free. When you are following Christ and doing His will, you feel full of vitality. Everything feels light and clean and the whole world seems so much better. You have to receive this in faith.
Fill in the following blanks with the words me and I. Romans 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over _____, for ____ am not under law but under grace.
You are free from sin it does not have power over you. The Bible says you are in control you can make a decision. I am sorry to say I use “I Can’t” and I have the power and authority to say, “I will”. Say the preceding scripture to yourself and Satan, whenever you feel helpless to resist his lies.
John 8:36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
This scripture says we are free, yet we still hold on to the chains that used to bind us. The lock is broken but we are holding the chains together because Satan has us convinced we are still bound by them. He is a liar, but, we are not blameless, we allow him to convince us with a lie, because it gives us great excuses. Jesus makes it clear, we are without an excuse, He has set us free. Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
When you seek to gratify your own desire we become a spiritual two year old, you want what you want, when you want it! You are being prideful you don’t want to submit to Gods plan for your life.
We fight against this nature all the time but there is a right and a wrong way to fight. It’s only through faith we can be set free from this bondage and become a new creation in Christ, its not rules its power.
Luke 9:23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
When baptized unto Christ, it symbolizes the old man dieing to self and arising as a new creation. There are many scripture references on the new man, read the ones I have listed pray, spend time in quiet meditation with God ask what He wants to show you.
READ: Romans 8, II Corinthians 5:17 and Colossians 3:10-17
In light of today’s study, what was the scripture or statement in today’s lesson that most spoke to your heart? __________________________________________________ ________
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What steps of faith does God want you to take towards Him today? ____________________
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Rephrase the scripture or statement into an expression of faith_________________________
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I Corinthians 10: 31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
Hi Everyone,
deception works to keep us confused and searching for the next diet "secret".