Change Your Life in 90 Days

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Is anyone tired of hearing about the newest weight loss system? How about the latest fitness craze. Truth is, most care immensely more about what they look like, rather than who they are. I have fallen into that trap and will do it again.

When I was a young boy playing peewee football for the Isle of Palms Rec department, we all went to the yearly awards banquet. I had never been to one of these before and I wanted to look just right. So, I took a bath, washed and brushed my hair (and yes, I did used to have hair!), and got dressed in some casual clothes. As we were leaving, I started doubting my choice of wardrobe. Suppose this was a more formal affair? Suppose everyone else was dressed up and I wasn't? So, I tried to call my friends and teammates to find out what they were wearing. By the time I was making the phone calls, everyone had obviously already left. All I could think about was what I would look like that night. I was one anxious little fellow. So, my mom dressed me appropriately and off we went. When we arrived, i pretty much looked like everyone else. But, truthfully, no one really cared. This was a football banquet and it was all about going with your parents to get some awards and eating some dinner. it didn't matter what we looked like, as long as we were clean and neatly dressed.

Here's the lesson: as long as you look presentable and clean, what we look like is not nearly as important as we make it out to be. But there is something that is much more important: our character. Who are we deep inside?

For the most part, once we mature, we are who we are. But there is one way to change our lives: by the supernatural power of the Spirit of God. He works in many ways in our lives, but none more than the way He works through the Bible. The Bible was given us not to have some cake on special occasions, but to be bread for daily use. It is intended to change our lives.

Colossians 3:10 tells us that "you are living a brand new kind of life that is continually learning more and more of what is right and trying constantly to be more like Christ." The more we learn about Christ, yield to Him and His will, the more we change into His likeness.

Hope you'll join us for these next 90 days as we read through the New Testament. There have already been many reports as to how the Lord has spoken in a clear and direct way in these last few days as people have opened their hearts and minds to God. It's truly an awesome thing to be a part of.

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE 90 DAY READING PLAN HERE

Let's see what God can do in our lives as we make the Word of God a daily part of our lives. I'm sure He's ready to change us beginning today.

Learn about S.P.A.C.E. P.E.T.S. for Devotional Reading HERE

Pastor Trey Rhodes

Coming this week...

Let's get smart with our money and learn practical and biblical principles to free ourselves. Sermon series begins this Sunday, January 13, 2012 at 10:30 a.m.

Small groups start back this week. Be sure to get to yours this week!

Calling our community this Thursday, January 17th at 6:30 p.m. What a great opportunity to minister and serve our neighbors spiritually.

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DASH to the Diet that Works

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After all the gorging on fatty, high calorie foods during the Christmas season, we should all be motivated to lose a pound here and an inch there. According to U.S. News and World Report, the best way to do that is with the DASH diet. It's simple, they affirm it this way:

The DASH diet offers menus that feature vegetables, fruits and low-fat dairy products, as well as whole grains, fish, poultry and nuts. Limited portions of red meats, sweets and sugary beverages are allowed as well. (Read more here in the NY Daily News)

Sounds simple enough. But here's the problem with this as well as any other diet. It's easy to be motivated to start losing weight and inches, the hard part is keeping it off. This is from someone who has fought "the battle of the bulge" for years. I have come to discover that the simpler the diet, the more I am able transform my motivation to momentum. Once the momentum begins, my lifestyle then helps me keep off the extra pounds longer and easier. It's all about keeping momentum.

I learned this "diet" from the Fitness Together team of Brian and Josh Durbin here in Mount Pleasant. Eat 4 to 5 low fat, low salt small meals, don't drink sugary drinks, allow for anything in small portions (one or two bites of cake on occasion), eat all the vegetables and fruit you want (moderation with bananas), and exercise, both cardio and fitness. Once you start and make it a lifestyle, it's much easier to continue. You can live life healthy and energetic.

As we begin the new year, I am praying not for motivation to live for Christ, but momentum to live for Christ. There are few things more frustrating than driving an old beater, clunker car that can't keep going. You know,  that car that takes constant repairs and calls to AAA to keep it going. You might drive it for a week, but before you know it, you're back down at the repair shop to get it running again. Kind of like Uncle Buck's car...

Do you ever feel like that resembles who you are in Christ? Always trying your best to keep it running, but never quite being able to get there? For you, the challenge for 2012 is to transform your motivation to momentum.

Paul understood that early in his Christian life. There were constant obstacles he faced that all had potential to slow him down and de-rail him from his walk with Christ. In the book of Acts we can read how he overcame that tendency:

But their suspicions didn't slow Saul down for even a minute. His momentum was up now and he plowed straight into the opposition, disarming the Damascus Jews and trying to show them that this Jesus was the Messiah. Acts 9:22 (MSG)

He kept the main thing, the main thing: pointing desperate people to the loving Savior, Jesus Christ. When our tendency is to get de-railed and lose our momentum, do like Paul, tell others about Jesus. That means sharing with your friends, your co-workers, and your neighbors. It is that kind of lifestyle can and does maintain momentum.

Let's keep it simple, help others transform into Christ-followers and that will make all the difference in your life as well. That's maintaining momentum.

So this year,  we are dubbing our year "Momentum 2012." It's all about

• "Mo" friends and 
• "Mo" disciples. 

It's pouring our lives into the lives of others as we get to see them experience God's transforming power in their lives.

Here's your challenge: don't walk out of church and small group motivated, move that motivation to momentum and you'll expereince your best year ever. Who knows? You might even see your own life change in ways you never thought possible. It's all about momentum.

Gaining momentum in 2012,

Pastor Trey Rhodes

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