PASTOR KAREN'S NOVEMBER MESSAGE

 

What if you were:

• invited to participate in something that would improve your overall health, reduce brain fog, reduce inflammation, and would potentially reduce the amount of medication that you are taking? Would you accept the invitation?

• given an opportunity to replace your negative thinking with a God-honoring mindset or in other words, develop mastery over the quality of your thoughts. Would you embrace that opportunity?

 
Did you know:

• One in two Americans suffer from some chronic disease - heart disease, diabetes, cancer, dementia, autoimmune diseases, depression, thyroid, hormonal,  and/or skin problems, to name a few?

• The National Institute of Health spends $800M a year trying to discover the cause of obesity. Could it be the 29 pounds of french fries, 23 pounds of pizza, 24 pounds of ice cream, 53 gallons of soda, and 24 pounds of artificial sweeteners consumed every year by the average American that contributes to obesity?

• for the first time in history, as many people are suffering from the result of too much food as malnutrition?

• diabetes, heart disease, and other “lifestyle-based diseases” now kill more people than infectious diseases worldwide?

• your body is a temple (1 Corinthians 6:12-13a + 20) and the condition of your body/temple is a part of your Christian witness?

 
Have you ever considered that:

• food is medicine?

• food is the most powerful drug on the planet?

• food can cure chronic diseases, and it works faster, better, and cheaper than any drug - and all the side effects are good ones?

• every bite you take is a powerful opportunity to create healing or infirmity?

• real, whole food that comes from the earth - food that was created by God - heals, while industrial-processed food created in factories by man harms?

 
Have you ever heard of Pastor Rick Warren, founder of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA? Pastor Rick also authored The Purpose Driven Life and The Purpose Driven Church. Pastor Rick, in conjunction with several leading physicians, nutritionists, and exercise physiologists, created The Daniel Plan (named for Daniel of the Old Testament who was a servant of God and a prophet - see Daniel 1:8-21). Daniel didn’t simply choose to eat healthier; he made that choice based on his faith, with a clear focus and the support of his friends.
 
The Daniel Plan is the only eating plan that I have found that incorporates a faith connection with successful eating for more long lasting and consistent results. Faith is the foundation of The Daniel Plan and learning to rely on God’s power is the key to lasting change. The Daniel Plan was not designed as a weight-loss program. When you focus on health, healing and weight loss happen automatically.
 
The Daniel Plan is far more than a way of eating. It is a lifestyle program based on biblical principles and five essential components: food, fitness, focus, faith, and friends. Faith and friends are what the designers of The Daniel Plan call the “secret sauce” that make this eating plan more effective. When you have God and the accountability of a group helping you, you now have far more than shere willpower helping you make positive changes, and you are far more likely to succeed in leading a healthier lifestyle.
 
If you are interested in exploring the personal value of this health style, please plan to join others in your church family on Monday, November 6 at 2:00 PM in fellowship hall for the first of six sessions that will explain the importance of incorporating what you choose to eat (food) with the blessing of your faith, the support of your friends, a movement toward focus, and choosing to embrace a way of fitness that you find you may enjoy.
 
Let’s do ministry together!
 
You are loved,
Pastor Karen

 

 

 

 

 

 

PASTOR'S OCTOBER MESSAGE:

In order to express our love for God, we are called to be obedient to His Word (2 John 6).  If you are like most Christians, there are certain areas of God’s commands that you struggle to obey. 

 

Oftentimes, we as Christians struggle with forgiveness.  Matthew 6:14-15 makes it clear that if we do not forgive, we will not be forgiven.  How many times do we continue in our unforgiveness long after we cannot even remember what the offense was that caused this unforgiveness of a friend or a family member?  Do we have a clear understanding of what caused the unforgiveness or do we merely have one side of the story?  Do we nurture an offense that was merely a part of a conversation and was never meant to offend, but we became offended because we were convicted?

 

Perhaps another struggle is with keeping the Sabbath holy. This time of rest apart from “work” is truly a gift of God and is a refreshment that gives us the nourishment that our soul requires to be healthy.  Is it because there is always so much to be done that we fail to bask in God’s gift of rest and relaxation?  Perhaps part of what we are doing could be put on the back burner or God never intended for us to take on that responsibility.

 

A somewhat separate, but equally important command is: Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing . . . (Hebrews 10:25).  Corporate worship is critical for the health and well being of not only the individual, but for the church as a whole.  There may seem to be many worthy events that interfere with our attending worship on Sunday, but are they?

 

Maybe none of the above resonate with you.  Perhaps you have a very different struggle. I pray that God reveals your struggle to you as He has to me.  Then may the Autumn winds blow around us and take our struggles far away from us.  And in its wake may you be blessed with a peace that passes understanding.

 

Let’s do ministry together.

 

You are loved,

Pastor Karen