A January New Year's Resolution series. In this series Jeff challenged his congregation to lose weight spiritually as well as physically. On the spiritual side, he covered four "fatty" areas where Christians need to lose weight: guilt, debt, fear, and mediocrity. On the physical side, Jeff challenged his people to lose 10 lbs. during the month of January and promised to lose work at it with them. He was weighed in each of these Sunday mornings by one of his board members...on an accurate doctors scale...on the platform...while the congregation watched...just before he spoke! Jeff ended up losing 14 lbs. that January and has since shed 50 lbs. over a two and a half year period.
5. Matthew 6:34 Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes .
7. Ephesians 6:12 This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.
9. Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are.
13. Isaiah 40:27-28 Why would you ever complain , O Jacob, or, whine , Israel, saying, "God has lost track of me. He doesn't care what happens to me"? Don't you know anything? Haven't you been listening? God doesn't come and go. God lasts.
