November 13, 2006

2006 Virtuous Women's Retreat – Physical Fitness

Good Morning Ladies. I pray that you are having a blessed day in the Lord today. As Lori shared my name is Angela Willingham and I am the Executive Director of New Beginnings Health and Fitness Ministries, Inc. http://mynewtemple.org/home.html.

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to the Virtuous Women’s Retreat. I would also like to express my thanks to God and to Sis. Lori for affording me this awesome privilege of sharing with you.

For those of you who would like to know more about New Beginnings Health and Fitness Ministries, Inc., go to our website www.mynewtemple.org/home.html.

If you are ready to get started I would like to open with a word of prayer.

  Prayer

God, I thank you for the awesome opportunity that you have provided for these awesome women of God to be ministered to and encouraged this week. I pray God that every need that they have spiritually, physically, relationally and emotionally will be met. I pray for their schedules to be balanced so that they will have the time they need to attend the retreat and also to take care of the things that you have assigned their hands to do. I pray that as you encourage them, they can and will be an encouragement to others, so that this retreat spreads even farther than those that are on-line to participate. I pray for every workshop, speaker and participant to receive and deliver what you have ordained for such a time as this. I pray for Sis. Lori as you continue to guide her that this retreat will give you honor and glory and that your will, will be done in her life in the lives of the participants and in every workshop. I pray that you will use Lori mightily in the kingdom. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Today as promised we are going to talk about the physical component of our fitness journey. Our Theme for today is My Body, God’s Temple

In I Corinthians 6:19-20 the bible says “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

What condition is your body, God’s temple in?

What are you putting into God’s temple or on it that does not give God glory?

Where are you taking God’s temple that He does not want to go?

Each of us has been given one body and God expects us to take care of it. Many people believe that taking care of the temple of God is limited to eating and physical exercise, but taking care of God’s Temple requires more than that.

What other areas do we need to address with our bodies, God’s temple personally?

In 1 Corinthians, 6:18 the bible says, “Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.” When we commit any act of sexual immorality we have actually included the Holy Spirit in the act as an unwilling active participant because He lives in us. But sexual sin is not the only way a man defiles the body. We defile it with alcohol, gluttony, drug abuse, cigarette smoking to name a few.

What other things could our bodies be engaged in that do not give God glory?

In Galatians 5:16-21 the bible says, “I say then; Walk in the spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies and bursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” It is time for us to get past salvation only and give Him Lordship in every area of our lives. Is He sitting on the throne when we hang out with our friends or do we move Him out of the way at that time and give Him control again later when no one is around. Is He on the throne only on Sunday during church service and I remove Him on Monday morning when I get to work.

Where are you? Are you attempting to bring forth the Spiritual while operating in your own fleshly desires?

What am I doing that is stopping or hindering me from walking in the Spirit of God?

What practices have I adopted that are causing my flesh and my spirit to be at war?

Let’s make it even simpler than that. I am sure we have all heard the saying “you are what you eat.” What are you feeding your body? Is it on a diet of TV, alcohol, drugs, sex, profanity, pornography and violence? Whatever is inside of you, whatever you are feeding your body is what will come out. Wherever you take your body is where it will become familiar. If you take it to the club, if you feed it drugs, that is what will become familiar. Where are you taking it and what are you feeding it in the natural and spiritually? Remember God paid a high price for you. Are you living like it?

(What is God showing you that you need to leave alone, to walk away from, to give up so that your body can truly be His Temple.)

Every day when God wakes us up He gives us the opportunity to decide we will live for Him today. Will we feed our bodies, clothe, cleanse, anoint and package it in a way that gives God glory. Will I get up throw something on, half comb my hair and run out the door claiming that I am representing Him, but knowing all the time that He is not pleased with what He sees.

Cleansing our bodies by bathing or showering, brushing our teeth and combing our hair are things that are expected of us on a daily basis. We would not think to leave home without it. We consider that taking care of our bodies and God’s Temple. What is the difference between those things and eating 3 balanced meals a day plus a couple of healthy snacks and exercising to workout our physical bodies? All of these are ways that we take care of our bodies. We would not think to skip an appointment with our shower, comb or toothbrush, yet we think nothing of skipping meals and exercise.

Aren’t these all just as important if we want to keep our bodies healthy and strong? Aren’t these all ways to take care of the bodies that God has entrusted to us? We brag that we don’t smoke, drink or fornicate, but we will park illegally in a handicapped parking space to avoid walking a few extra feet to get much needed exercise. We will leave a shopping cart in the middle of a parking space rather than walk it back to the store or the place designated for their return, then complain that we are overweight and must get the weight off. We will go home and eat a huge dinner with snacks as the chaser, sit down to watch TV and complain we are still not losing the weight we want to lose as a matter of fact we are now gaining if we are honest about it. We have made friends with Snickers, Butterfingers, Breyers and Frito Lay, then we say, God, I don’t understand why I can’t lose this weight.

It’s time to change our thinking and recognize that my body is the God’s Temple. He has set me apart to look like He wants me to look. He has set me apart to be the size He wants me to be. He has set me apart to eat in a way that gives Him glory. I have not been created and set apart to make Hagen Daz, Breyers, Dreyers, and Frito Lay rich. I have not been set apart to drown my hurts and loneliness in food. We have not been set apart to wear clothes that are too small and expose parts of our bodies that should be reserved for private viewing by our spouses.

What parts of my body am I failing to hold out as though they belonged to God?

God what parts of my body do not look like you want them to? Is my stomach to big? Are my thighs to big? What God?

God show me your plan for me to lose the weight and tone my body.

What will you begin to do today to bring your body into alignment with God’s will, purpose and plan?

  New Beginnings Testimony:

I used to believe that the size of the package didn’t matter. All that mattered was how well you wrapped it. You can look good at any size and even draw attention. I still believe you can look good at any size, but God gave me a new revelation. New Revelation-While we might look good at any size, are we healthy and is looking good at any size what God wants for us? Our health matters!

Are you healthy? How often are you visiting your doctor because your lifestyle choices have you at an unhealthy disadvantage? How much medication are you on and the diagnosis could be helped by a change in eating habits and exercise?

I am not overweight because I eat too much. I am overweight because I eat too little. I work through lunch and never realize I missed it most of the time. What does this whole health thing mean to me? I need to prioritize eating and working out. My metabolism is rebelling against me and it has been for several years. Starving yourself will not get the job done. You will have to ask God what your specific issue is, but we need balance.

My body is not my own, it has been bought with a high price. My body cost the very blood of Jesus on Calvary. The price that was paid can never be repaid and that sacrificial act can never be reversed, but I can do something different to honor and show my appreciation for the sacrifice that was made for me.

My personal goal is to get healthy and wrap that new package. If you think you are cute already imagine how much cuter you will be when it looks like God wants it to look. The bible says we are royalty. I am a Queen. It is time to look like it and live like it as a witness to others of how good God is.

What is Jesus’ sacrifice worth to me?

Is it worth cutting out some sugar, flour, fat and adding some exercise?

Is it worth the time necessary to exercise to reduce the size of my arms, my hips, my stomach and my thighs?

Losing weight and getting in shape seem like such a small price to pay in response, to say thank you for the price that has been paid for us.

  Prayer:

God, please rid my body of all sins, such as smoking, drinking, cheating and anything else that does not give You glory. Take away the very desire that is inside me to do that which I know is wrong in Your sight and is not what You want for me. Show me the sins that are even being committed by the members of my body such as my tongue. Show me where my feet are trying to go in a direction that is contrary to the direction You have for me. Show me where my hands are touching dead things with no spiritual value and I continue to try to hold on to them for fear of letting go.

Show me the actions that I take that keep me stuck where I am. Identify the things I listen to, such as gossip and music that keeps my body from honoring You. Show me the books, TV shows and movies I enjoy that keep my focus on the wrong things, those that do not give you glory. Show me the activities I participate in that grieve you because I am taking Your temple in a direction you do not want to go. Prick my spirit when I am out of order, make me uncomfortable in my bad choices. Forgive me for not asking You for direction and guidance as it relates to my body. Forgive me for not allowing You to sit on the throne in every area of my life.

Forgive me for taking control away from You. Lord, I want to say thank You for the high price that You paid for me. My temple was not cheap it cost You, Your life. Help me to get my focus on the things that give You glory, not on being looked at or told that I’m cute. Not on my insecurity but help me to get my focus on what pleases You. Show me the areas of my life where I am dishonoring You right now; in word, action or deed. Remind me when I would think to skip an appointment at the gym or to eat the meals I need to eat that I am doing it to please You and no one else. Remind me of the price that was paid. Soften us God that our hearts will be turned toward you in every area of our lives. Keep drawing us unto You God, physically, emotionally, spiritually and relationally. Keep after me until my body, my emotions, my spirit and my relationships look like you want them to look. Don’t let me go until I look like You. Remove every thought and relationship I have tried to hold onto that does not give You glory. In Jesus Name. Amen

If you would like to respond to anything that we have said or have any specific questions for us that you are unable to ask during the session we encourage you to visit our website and go to the message board. For further discussion contact angela@mynewtemple.org or write to us on the message board http://mynewtemple.org/aMessages.html.

Ladies we need God and each other to get through some of the things we have to get through. Maybe you will find a sister that has already been through what you are going through.

Now we have worked out spiritually and I want to challenge you to work your bodies out physically by going through a exercise routine you have established for yourself or going to our website and working out for at least 20 minutes three times per week.

Final Word- 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature, old things have passed away and all has become new.” 

Journey with us to your New Beginning

Have a blessed day.