Principles of Biblical Health: Spirit, Soul, and Body  3 John 1:2 (NASB)
² Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. In this series we will examine the principles from God’s Word for our spirit to be born again, our souls to prosper and our bodies to be well. I am not a doctor but I believe there are foundational steps we can take from the word of God to be in better health.  When our born again spirit gives godly principles to our soul to follow, our bodies will be healthy. These principles will be laid out in the first message, “No more excuses.”  Today I want to invite you to join me for one month of “Pastor Greg’s health challenge.” 

September 9, 2007:        No more excuses
Our beliefs will determine our actions.  It is amazing what we can convince our selves to believe.  Change never happens until we unmask the excuses and make a decision to do something different with our lives. The catalyst for change is different for different people, but everyone who makes a change to live a healthier life has a moment when they decide, “No more excuses!”  In this message In this message I will give my testimony of why I had to make a choice to change my nutrition and begin a journey to better health. 

September 16, 2007:      How you look might reflect how you feel…about yourself 
Many people have health problems because of emotional trauma they have experienced in their life. Somehow, food became a place to find comfort and refuge. In some lives, the more a person eats, the more they hate who they have become and they give up trying to improve their life because they have given up on who they are. The Bible teaches us that those who are in Christ are free of condemnation, have a new nature, and new power to overcome the circumstances of their past. This picture of being a new creation in Jesus Christ is essential in finding the emotional healing that will bring lasting change in one’s life. This in turn will affect the way we eat and take care of our self.  Many will find the outward change possible once the inner healing occurs.  This message of hope in Christ is for those who long for this healing. 

September 23, 2007: Hope for the ADD and ADHD
An estimated 2.4 million children between the ages of 8 and 15 in the
U.S. have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but fewer than half of them have been diagnosed or are receiving appropriate treatments, researchers report from WebMD Medical News Sept. 4, 2007.  The stress in the families with children with this diagnosis is tremendous.  What can a parent in this situation do? The Bible gives us instructions on how to raise our children.  Many people focus on behavior but God’s word really gets to the next level of “emotional responding.” In this message parents will be given tools to bring lasting change in their child’s behavior and the atmosphere in the home in the first week. 

September 30^th, 2007:  Laughter is good Medicine
There are numerous statistics that show the healing power of laughter and the destructive power of anxiety and fear in our lives.  The key to change is to recognize the source of our problems and make a decision to become a joyful person with a positive outlook in life.  God’s Spirit can give you the power to make this change.  Let’s learn to laugh and gain good health by putting this into practice. 

Pastor Greg’s Health Challenge I am looking for volunteers who will join me in making a decision to change their nutritional habits for the next month.  Everything that is on this list is something that is simple to follow but could result in feeling much better immediately including having more energy, potentially losing weight and seeing positive changes in your blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides.  What to drop from the daily nutritional choices

• All soda pop, diet or regular
• All processed sugars, artificial sweeteners etc.
• All fast food restaurants
• Pastries, chips and candies
• Simple carbohydrates (white bread especially)
• Creamy salad dressings high in fat

What to add to the daily nutritional choices

• Fresh fruits (avoid canned products)
• Fresh vegetables (avoid canned products)
• Low fat proteins
• Look for lots of color on your plate from natural foods
• Use olive oil and vinaigrette dressing
• Eat complex carbohydrates when choosing breads and pastas
• Eat snacks that are nutritional and blend protein and carbs while being low in sugars
• Drink lots of water throughout the day add lemon
• Yes, fresh tea or coffee in moderation without adding sugar
• Stevia is a naturl sweetner

When to eat

• Try to eat 4-6 times a day every three hours apart (Three meals max the rest are snacks.)
• Set your portions to be the size of your fist for your meals
• Avoid heavy meals after 6:00 PM

How to exercise

• Walk 20 minutes a day every day
• Or Run 20 minutes three days a week (elliptical, treadmill, bike jump rope etc.)
• Exercise with weight resistance, bands, or isometric exercises three times a week at 30 minutes a session.
• *  See your doctor before adding exercise

Are you ready to join?  Email me at pastorgreg@skywaychurch.com and join the team!