Weight Loss with the Bible - Stage 1 ~ The first 2 weeks

I'm really excited you've decided to enter this endeavor. Not just to lose weight, but to change your lifestyle so you can live the most abundant life possible.

I'm not a weight loss expert or a nutritionist, but believe it or not, I've studied the stuff for a long time because I've had a lot of problems with food addiction. Over the last 10 years or so I've made small lifestyle changes that have gradually brought me where I am now. What you are about to read is my first attempt to combine the strategy and information found on SparkPeople with scripture and Bible Study.

I love the points on SparkPeople. For some strange reason, they motivate me to DO something toward my healthy lifestyle. So, you'll find points that you can earn every day. I encourage you to meet with others who are striving toward a healthy lifestyle and go on this journey together. When you meet each week, if you report your points to each other, you'll actually be telling one another whether or not you did something to contribute to your new healthy lifestyle.

You're going to start with Stage 1. SparkPeople calls it "Fast Break." This stage will give you 2 weeks to make small, slow changes in your life. Each week you'll have an article or two to read, scripture to study and small goals to reach each day just to get you started. In week 3, we'll move on to Stage 2. This stage is called "6 Healthy Diet Habits." I'll get you more information on that stage when we get there.

Click here to read what SparkPeople has to say about Stage 1: Fast Break and sign up . I encourage you to use the tools at SparkPeople to help with your goals, but you certainly don't have to.

The most important thing you can do in the next couple of weeks is set a few small goals for yourself and do your best to meet them. To get the full benefit, I hope that in addition to those three goals you'll make a commitment to be an active part of a small group make a commitment to be there every time they meet, share your thoughts at every meeting and encourage every other group member to share their thoughts.

So, are you ready? Are you prepared to change your life forever? Are you primed to commit to the best YOU you can be for Christ?

Here we go!

Stage One Week One: How's Your Self Esteem? Bible Study

Self Esteem is one of those topics the world talks about all the time, but what does God think about my self-esteem? We hear so much about Christians being humble and meek that often we think self-esteem is a "worldly" value, but this week let's look at what the Bible says:

1. As you read each of these verses, take them personally. Each one was written just for you!

Genesis 1:27 ~ What does it mean for you personally that you are created in the image of God?

Psalm 139: 13-14 ~ What are your thoughts when you consider that God knit you together from scratch, and He made you wonderful.

Jeremiah 31:3 ~ Remember this verse was written for you. God knew that you'd be reading it today and wanted you to realize how much he loves you!

2. After reading just these three verses, how do you think God wants you to look at yourself?

3. How often do you eat or eat things you know aren't really good for you because you don't feel good about yourself? How might your eating trends gradually change if you used these verses to remind yourself of how special and important you are to God?

4. How do you think it makes God feel when we second guess our self-worth?

5. If you question your self worth, what things can you do this week to begin to realize how important you are in God's eyes?

Recommended SparkPeople Reading for this week:
Improve Your Self Esteem with Journaling
Why Do We Beat Ourselves Up?

Download Worksheets to go along with this study - here: This is the link

Stage 1 Week 2: Have you been made new?

Hopefully this past week you've begun (if you haven't done it earlier in your Christian journey) to realize that you were hand crafted by God as a precious jewel, a valuable treasure. I pray if you remember one verse from last week, you'll remember that in Jeremiah God said He "loves you with an everlasting love. You are irreplaceable as far as your creator is concerned.

Our problem is that as somewhere in our life we've learned some habits that aren't healthy. We've kind of messed up what God created perfect. The good news is that Jesus came to make us just like new again. Stop and think about it. If you bought a fine watch and after many years it started gaining time, would you take it to any old jewelry repairman if the person who handcrafted it was available to make the adjustments. And especially if his services were free!

Let's take this week to look at having the Craftsman of our Lives helping us make the adjustments we need to live a full and abundant life in Him.

1. Read Ephesians 4:17-24 - We're going to look at this scripture from the angle of healthy living, so let's reword the first three verses to relate more closely to a healthy/unhealthy lifestyle (without compromising the Word of God)

So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the ______________ do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all ____________, they have given themselves over to ____________ so as to indulge in every kind of _________, with a continual ________ for more.

2. Make of list of futile "dieter" thinking? Which ones are you willing to give up?

3. In verse 23 Paul says to be make new in the attitude of your minds. What kind of attitude toward dieting and weight loss do you need to change so you are living to be healthy instead of being concentrating on losing weight?

4. How can a new attitude help you put on a "new self"?

5. Of all the changes you've talked about this meeting what one thing can you adapt to your new healthy lifestyle?

This week's recommended reading:
Stop Dieting and Start Living
Smart Substitutes Calorie Chart

The worksheets and leader's guide is here: This is the link

This Bible Study hasn't been endorsed by SparkPeople and is in no way related to SparkPeople or any of SparkPeople's affiliate websites. To read about SparkPeople's terms of service, please refer to SparkPeople's Website for all the details.