MARINE
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WWW.MILITARYSFRS.ORG
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“Spiritually Fit - Ready to Serve: Marine” Copyright © 2020 Campus Crusade for Christ, Inc. All rights reserved.
THIS BOOKLET IS NOT AN OFFICIAL U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLICATION. Published by Cru Military, a division of Campus Crusade for Christ, Inc. Cru Military, 100 Lake Hart Drive, Orlando FL 32832, USA. For more information visit our website at www.crumilitary.org, call 757-928-7200 or 800-444-6006 (toll-free in the USA).
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), © 2001, Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishing. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (TLB) are taken from the Holy Bible, The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved
ISBN 978-1-57334-135-6
Printed in the United States of America
SFRS MARINE
WWW.MILITARYSFRS.ORG
Spiritual fitness is critical both for mission success and for your own personal success. As a United States Marine, you will face many challenges—personally and in your military service. This guidebook and the website, www.militarySFRS.org, offer resources and guidance to enable you to be spiritually fit and ready to serve. This guidebook defines being “spiritually fit” as being in a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ, which empowers you to be “ready to serve” those around you.
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as of 2020-12-11
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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3 Spiritually Fit Ready to Serve ..................................... 1 Marine Corps Core Values ........................................... 4 Marine Total Fitness ................................................... 6 The Bible ................................................................... 8 1.0 Identity of a Faithful Warrior ................ 10 2.0 Becoming Spiritually Fit ........................... 16 • 2.1 Who is God?.................................................................................. 18 • 2.2 How to Know God..................................................................... 20 • 2.3 The Power Source ..................................................................... 32 • 2.4 Spiritual Breathing .................................................................... 38 • 2.5 Six Key Promises ........................................................................ 45 3.0 Building Spiritual Fitness ........................ 52 • 3.1 The Battle Ground ..................................................................... 54 • 3.2 Your Enemies in this Spiritual Battle ................................ 55 • 3.3 Strategies for Victory .............................................................. 58 • 3.4 Spiritual Fitness Drills .............................................................. 62 o Drill #1 — Put Jesus First ...................................................... 63 o Drill #2 — The Word ............................................................... 64 o Drill #3 — Prayer ....................................................................... 66 o Drill #4 — Witnessing ............................................................. 68 o Drill #5 — Fellowship .............................................................. 70 o Drill #6 — Obedience ............................................................. 72 4.0 Ready to Serve ............................................ 74 • 4.1 The Great Commission ........................................................... 76 • 4.2 Marriage and Family ................................................................. 78 • 4.3 Dealing with Adversity ............................................................ 80 • 4.4 Suicide Awareness.................................................................... 84 • 4.5 Resistance to Combat Trauma ............................................ 86 5.0 Spiritual Ammo Bunker .............................. 87 Endnotes ................................................................. 96
Marine Corps Core Values
Honor Courage Commitment
The Marine Corps Core Values1 reflect the values that God desires for you to live out. Marines are called to live out these core values in every area of their lives. What you will discover in the following pages is that God embodies these core values; you can even say that they come from him. You will see that true honor is not just living with integrity, it is righteousness bestowed upon those who are connected to God and his family. As you read about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, you will understand what ultimate courage looks like. The whole teaching of the Bible communicates God’s relentless commitment to his creation, and excellence in all he does.
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“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
— Philippians 4:8 (NLT)
Honor “This is the bedrock of our character. It is the quality that empowers Marines to exemplify the ultimate in ethical and moral behavior: to never lie, cheat, or steal; to abide by an uncompromising code of integrity; to respect human dignity; and to have respect and concern for each other. It represents the maturity, dedication, trust, and dependability that commit Marines to act responsibly, be accountable for their actions, fulfill their obligations, and hold others accountable for their actions.”
Courage “The heart of our Core Values, courage is the mental, moral, and physical strength ingrained in Marines that sees them through the challenges of combat and the mastery of fear, and to do what is right, to adhere to a higher standard of personal conduct, to lead by example, and to make tough decisions under stress and pressure. It is the inner strength that enables a Marine to take that extra step.”
Commitment “This is the spirit of determination and dedication within members of a force of arms that leads to professionalism and mastery of the art of war. It promotes the highest order of discipline for unit and self and is the ingredient that instills dedication to Corps and country 24 hours a day, pride, concern for others, and an unrelenting determination to achieve a standard of excellence in every endeavor. Commitment is the value that establishes the Marine as the warrior and citizen others strive to emulate.”
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Marine Total Fitness
THERE ARE FOUR KEY AREAS OF FITNESS (PHYSICAL, SOCIAL, MENTAL, SPIRITUAL) WHICH SUPPORT THE RESILIENCE OF A MARINE.
RESILIENT MARINES MEET THEIR DUTIES SUCCESSFULLY, WHILE DEPLOYED OR IN GARRISON. INTHISBOOKLETYOUWILLBEFOCUSINGONYOUR SPIRITUALFITNESS.
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The goal of the Military Total Fitness is to increase awareness of the areas of Marine Total Fitness2 and to provide potential resources for improvement.
Physical Fitness (Body) reflects a Marine’s ability to physically perform the tasks assigned individually and as a unit.
Social Fitness is demonstrated by a Marine’s ability to successfully interact with peers, families, and their communities.
Mental Fitness (Mind) incorporates a Marine’s self-confidence, strong coping, and decision-making skills.
Spiritual Fitness (Spirit) is the foundation upon which meaning and purpose of life are built. Spiritually fit Marines and their families are equipped to meet the unique challenges of Marine life.2
These four areas form an interconnected and indivisible unit —You. If one area is neglected or weakened, the efficiency and strength of the entire system is compromised. Think of a car. It’s made up of several components, each of which is vital: engine, transmission, axles, wheels and tires, steering, brakes, etc. If even one malfunctions, you wouldn’t want to drive it. In the same way, it is imperative that you nurture and develop each sphere of fitness in your life, especially the spiritual!
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The Bible
OUR FOUNDATION
The Bible is more than one single book. It contains 66 smaller books within 2 sections: The Old Testament and the New Testament. The books in the Old Testament were written before Jesus was born. The books in the New Testament record the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and the early years of the Church.
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