Total HealthChapter 15 – Part 2

The Keys to Consistancy

God’s Gracious Love

“ But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:8

“Be still and know that I am God.”

-Psalm 46:10

• Being still in God’s presence allows Him to speak to you.

• You can focus on the goodness of God and ask Him to speak to your heart.

• You will learn to hear His voice as you practice being still before Him.

• Remember to daily think about this verse this

week; Practice this verse!• Look at the other bible versions of this verse;• Let your meditations turn into prayers, talking

with God;• Ask God to reveal and show you special things

about it; • Consider defining key words in the verse;• He may encourage or correct you;• Write down what you think He may be telling you

about this verse

Our Blood Drive is Today

• Who is giving and/or gotten donors?

• T-Shirts

A-C-T-S• Do you have a hard time knowing how to pray?

Try this:

• Adoration: to worship and honor God for who He is.

• Confession: to ask God for forgiveness for thoughts, actions, behaviors that have not pleased Him.

• Thanksgiving: to give thanks to God for all He has done for you.

• Supplication: to bring concerns, worries and petitions before Him. To ask for guidance and provision for yourself and others.

Relationships with Others

• With whom you choose to “hang around” affects your spiritual fitness. When you spend time with people who do not hold the same values as you, it is like slowly changing the wind direction on the sail.

• You will not see the effects right away, but pretty soon you will find yourself off course!

• Get involved in a good youth group so you can be encouraged and strengthened to follow after God’s heart.

• What groups are you involved in?

What does the bible say…?

• It tells us to “not forsake the assembly of believers” -Hebrews 10:25

• Attending church is part of being spiritually fit. In church you experience corporate prayer, worship and you hear the Word of God preached.

God In, God Out (G.I.G.O.)

• Can be used to show that your relationship with God is not only meant to bless you but to bless others.

• God wants you to get “filled up” with Him and His goodness and then give it out to others.

Ideas for Practicing GIGO

1. Volunteer where there is a need.2. Send notes or make phone calls to

encourage people.3. Visit the elderly in nursing homes.4. Visit people who are in the hospital5. Lead a Bible study at school, home or

through your youth group.6. Tell people what the Lord is doing in your

life.

7. Share an encouraging scripture with a friend.

8. Write a teacher a thank you note for all he/she does for you.

9. Buy a small gift for someone special

10.Other ideas ________?

Praise and Worship

• People praise and worship the Lord indifferent ways.

• Get into the habit of expressing your love to God.

• Thank Him for all He has done for you and all He is doing for you now. Develop a grateful heart.

• Read the book of Psalms to understand how David gave praise and worship to God.

• Even if you do not think you can carry a tune, sing songs to God because all singing is beautiful to God.

• There is the power of God in your praises.

• “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabits the praises of Israel.” (Psalm 22:3)

2 Chronicles 20

• King Jehoshaphat and his people

Other ways to Praise GodYou can also praise God with your time and

money.

When you give of your time in a sacrificial way, He knows that you are doing it for Him.

When you give your money to the needs of the church and to others in need, He knows that you are sacrificing for Him.

Praise Him with joy in your heart and a giving attitude.

Keys to Consistency – The Battle Within

• Have you ever felt as if you were being pulled in two different directions?

• The apostle Paul felt the same way!

“For that which I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing that I hate… So, now, no longer am I the one that is doing it, but sin which indwells me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the wishing is present in me, the doing of the good is not.” -Romans 7:15-18

• Paul realized that there was a war going on in him. One part wanted to do right, (God’s right way of doing things – righteousness) his spirit; and the other part wanted to do what was wrong, his flesh.

• When you become a Christian and believe in the Lord, you have been set free from sin; that is, you now have the power to do what is right, you are not a slave to do what is wrong. (Romans 6:11-16)

You may be asking yourself….

• “What good is it then, if you say I am free from sin, but then I am still harassed and often defeated by sin in my heart?”

• The key here is that you are not left to fight this battle alone. If you have God on the throne of your heart, then you also have the enabling power of His Holy Spirit.

• Christianity is not a do-it-yourself project!

• You have the power of Christ in you to help you live a life that is pleasing to Him.

• The same Spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead lives and dwells in your mortal body!!!

Your Free Will

• God gives you a free will to make your own choices. Imagine you have a control tower inside of you. From this control tower come the instructions you are to follow for daily living.

• Your control tower is the Word of God. For you to know your instructions for living you must meditate on the Word of God.

• When you yield to temptations and sin you are not allowing the Word of God to be in your control tower and help guide you out of the situation.

Keys to consistent Christian Living

• Consistent is defined as: possessing firmness; free from irregularity, variation, or contradiction.

• So living a Christian life consistently would mean having a solid and stable lifestyle pleasing to God.

• Although the Bible contains many principles for living, the following are five keys to help you live a consistent Christian life.

1. Renewing the Mind

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” -Romans 12: 2

Practice, Practice, Practice

• Part of any training is practice. You have heard that practice make perfect.

• If you practice the skill improperly you will never perfect your skill.

• Remember, perfect practice makes perfect!

• In the same way, if you allow your mind to think on things that are not pleasing to God, you will be deceived (to lead away, to trick or to mislead) and after deception comes the act or behavior – sin (James 1:14-15). But if you fill your mind with godly thoughts, your lifestyle will reflect the peace of God.

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy- meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”

-Philippians 4:8-9

When you yield to temptations and sin you are not allowing the Word of God to be in your control tower.

Important to Remember…

• God does not expect perfection when it come to your thought life or your behavior.

• He has, however, called you to godliness. Godliness springs forth from the hear of man (all your soul: mind, will and emotions).

• The mind feeds the soul.

“Keep your heart will all diligence, for out of it springs the issues of life.” -Proverbs 4:23

• If you fill the mind with thoughts that are pleasing to God, your heart will not deceive you and you will be better able to live a victorious Christian life.

• “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” - 2 Corinthians 10:4-5

Every single time…

The temptation to do something you know is wrong begins in your thoughts. If you fill your thoughts with the Word of God you have more strength and power to overcome the temptations that you will face.

Practical Steps to Renewing Your Mind

1. Study, meditate and memorize the Word of God.

2. Spend time in prayer.

3. Listen to edifying (uplifting) music.

4. Read edifying material

5. Discipline your tongue to speak what is edifying. (speak blessing and life not cursing and death)

2. Growing in Christian Virtues

“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ… for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” - 2 Peter 1: 5-11

Wow!! Does God expect you to develop all of these qualities?

• If you thought that your life with God was a list of only “do’s and don’ts” then you would be discouraged from the very start.

• God wants each one of His children to pursue (seek after) these good virtues. Growth in all areas of the Christian life is progressive, that is it is worked out over a period of time and the growth is never finished. (Sanctification)

• The great thing about seeking godly virtues is that Jesus is your source of power.

• He enables you to “put on” godly character.• Your responsibility is to make a commitment

to seek Him.

• Do not focus on developing these traits in your own strength but focus on your relationship with God and you will develop the character of Christ.

Practical Steps to Developing Godly Virtues

1. Recognize the source of your strength is in Jesus.

2. Ask God to keep your motive pure (not for selfish gain.)

3. Keep your expectations of yourself reasonable. When you make a mistake (which you will) pick yourself up and try, try again!

4. Study Proverbs 2 and ask God to give you His divine wisdom in your life.

3. Discipline

“ Training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character.”

Training in a sport or specific skill is hard work. You must apply yourself to certain skills and discipline yourself to practice these skills.

You learn as you go along.

In the same way, spiritual fitness requires discipline to develop godly skills.

Praying, developing godly character, making time to praise God and reading the Bible takes discipline and practice.

It is not easy, but the rewards are great.

4. Perseverance (Patience)

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” -James 1: 2-4

God is with you.

• God said, “ I will never leave your or forsake you.” He is helping you along the way.

• Be patient with your progress. There may be times you slip back and lose ground or you fall and stumble. Others may pass you. If you hold steady and endure the hardships you will reach your destination God has planned for you.

5. Have a Vision ( a motivating cause) for Your Life

• The bible says in Proverbs 29:18 that without a vision, the people perish.

• Think about your personal life. In practical ways you try to keep a vision ahead of you to help keep you motivated.

• Does summer vacation or a holiday help keep you motivated in school?

• How about a job? If you can see that there is an end to a project or a responsibility then you have more motivation to finish.

• Without a vision or motivation cause, a person will grow careless and apathetic.

• Do you have a sense of destiny for your life? Do you know that you have a specific purpose on this earth?

• “ Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”

- Habakkuk 2:2-3

Homework

• Read pages 400 to 406

• Answer Explain questions 7 – 11

• Journal Daily in Prayer Journal