Fit For Life by Trinity Cheltenham

6 WEEK GROUP STUDY GUIDE 1

CONTENTS PAGE Getting fitter... Spiritually

Physically

Mentally

Emotionally

Financially

Relationally

Health Targets

Group Prayer and Praise Notes

Notes

Acknowledgements

Scripture quotations noted NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations noted MSG are taken from The Message. Copyright © by Eugene H.Peterson, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001 2002. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations noted NLT are taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Second Edition. Copyright © 1996, 2005 by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois, 60189. All rights reserved.

GETTING FITTER...

SPIRITUALLY

KEY VERSE TO REMEMBER

‘I’ve loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love.’ John 15:9 (MSG)

WELCOME ●●

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Introduction to the sessions and how they are going to work Open in prayer

What seems to get in the way of your spiritual growth?

WARM UP ●●

What did you find most helpful in this week’s material?

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What questions did it raise for you?

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What things have helped you to grow most as a follower of Jesus, and what choices have you been required to make along the way for that growth to happen? What is motivating you at the moment to want to grow spiritually?

WORK OUT READ John 15:1-15

DISCUSS ●● In this passage, what kind of relationship does Jesus want us to have with Him? ●●

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What words come to mind besides ‘love’ to describe the kind of relationship He is illustrating? Which of these aspects of this relationship would you like to see develop in your own walk with Jesus? What does He promise will result from this kind of relationship with Him? What do you understand Jesus to mean by ‘fruit’? He mentions ‘no fruit’, ‘fruit’, ‘more fruit’, ‘much fruit’. Talk about different areas of your life and where your ‘fruit-bearing’ is on this scale. 4

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How does the fruit growing process work? Describe what this close relationship looks like in practice. Why do we have to remain in His love, and how do we do it? What does it mean for ‘His word to remain in us’ and how do we ensure that happens? Why is pruning necessary? Have you experienced ‘pruning?’ Can you describe what happened, what it felt like, and what it led to? Can you identify if and what God is pruning in your life at the moment? How do you spend time with God? Do you have a daily time with Him and if so what is your normal routine? What typically interferes with this? Do you need to adjust your diary to make time to spend with Him, and if so, how do you need to do that? How would you like the time you do spend with Jesus to develop?

WEIGHT ROOM What one thing will you commit to doing this week to make sure your relationship with Jesus is able to grow?

WARM DOWN ...Pray together. 5

QUOTES AND RESOURCES “We all want progress, but if you’re on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.” C. S. Lewis “It is the acknowledgement of our humanity and our frailness that places us in a position to have a personal encounter with the living God.” Os Hillman ‘See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!’ 1 John 3:1 Read: Walking With God — John Eldredge Read: Can You Hear Me? — Brad Jerzak Read: 365 Devotional: Reckless Love — Heidi Baker

FOR FURTHER FITNESS Try fasting at some point this week. Spend the extra time that you gain with Jesus, seeking His face, His word and His heart for you and see what happens!

GETTING FITTER...

PHYSICALLY

KEY VERSE TO REMEMBER

‘Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?’ 1 Corinthians 6:19 (NIV)

WELCOME ●● ●●

Recap last week’s session ‘Getting Fitter…spiritually’ Open in prayer

Why do you think most Christians tend to put more emphasis on their spirit or mind as opposed to taking care of their bodies? How does it affect you to know that too much stress can increase your risk of various health problems?

WARM UP ●●

What did you find most helpful about this week’s material?

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What questions did it raise for you?

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Why is it important to look after our bodies?

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Can you identify the impact that stress has on you personally, your body and your life? What are the sources of stress that you are currently experiencing? Are these ongoing challenges, or temporary ones?

WORK OUT READ Psalm 23

DISCUSS ●● What inspires you in particular about this portrait of God that David paints? ●●

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Describe a time when you have experienced the ‘shepherd-like’ care of God. What do you find yourself worrying about and what are you struggling to trust God with? How does the promise of v1 apply to your situation? 8

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What would surrendering this area of concern to God look like, and what would it mean for you? What promise will you claim this year to help you trust Him more? Can you describe a time when God has ‘made you lie down’? How effective are you at planning rest into your schedule? We were reminded that the ingredients to Biblical rest are; resting your body, refocusing your spirit, and recharging your emotions. What priority do you give to each of these areas and how do you go about it? How has beauty helped to recharge your soul in the past? What could you do to make sure you are exposing yourself to more beauty on a regular basis? Can you identify ‘enemies’ that you need to let God deal with? What would letting God ‘defend’ you look like? What would you need to do differently? How would your day look different if you expected goodness and mercy to be following you?

WEIGHT ROOM Take a moment to ask God to highlight two things you can put into practice this week in an attempt to reduce the level of stress in your life. Write down what you are going to do.

WARM DOWN ...Pray together.

QUOTES AND RESOURCES “Our adversary majors in three things: noise, hurry and crowds. If he can keep us engaged in “muchness” and “manyness,” he will rest satisfied.” Richard J. Foster “Getting stress out of your life takes more than prayer alone. You must take action to make changes.” Joyce Meyer “Pray, and let God worry.” Martin Luther “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” 2 Cor 12:9 (NLT) Read: The Rest of God — Mark Buchanan Read: Look Great, Feel Great — Joyce Meyer

FOR FURTHER FITNESS Set aside some time this week to think about your Sabbath. Decide with God what changes you need to make to ensure “biblical rest” is part of your ongoing rhythm of life, and tell somebody else what you’re going to do differently.

GETTING FITTER...

MENTALLY

KEY VERSE TO REMEMBER

‘Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.’ Romans 12:2 (NIV)

WELCOME ●● ●●

Recap last week’s session ‘Getting Fitter…physically’ Open in prayer

What role do you think our mind plays in our growth as followers of Jesus? Can you describe a time when God changed your mind about something which led to a change in your life?

WARM UP ●●

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What did you find most helpful about this week’s material? What questions did it raise for you? Have you thought about the concept of managing your mind, and if so, how do you go about it? Can you identify the main sources of food (either junk, toxic or healthy) that form the main part of the diet for your mind?

WORK OUT READ 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

DISCUSS ●● What 3 words are used to describe the mind, making it clear where the war we are fighting takes place? ●●

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Can you describe a way your thought life has been used by the world, the flesh or the enemy to disrupt your communication and relationship with God? Who or what around you influences your thoughts in a negative way? What indications are there in this passage that God has saved us for victory and not defeat? 12

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What methods have you used in the past to gain victory in your thought life? Have they been successful or unsuccessful? If certain arguments in our heads need to be demolished, and thoughts need to be taken captive, we clearly shouldn’t believe everything we think because not everything is true. How do we identify what needs confronting? Is this something you are used to doing? What does it mean to take ‘thoughts captive’ in practice?

READ Philippians 4:6-8

DISCUSS ●● What do you spend time thinking about? Where does your mind wander when it wanders? ●● ●●

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What does God want us to think about? Where do we find these things, what are they and what helps us to fix our mind on them? How are you being hurt or helped at the moment by what you are fixing your mind on? How can you train yourself so that it is more natural to focus on God’s truth rather than the things of this world? Why does thinking about other people help get our minds into better shape? Pick a particular struggle you are facing and describe how it would be different if you saw it from God’s perspective.

WEIGHT ROOM What changes do you need to make this week to your diary, to your relationships, or to your attitude that will help your mind to be renewed?

WARM DOWN ...Pray together.

QUOTES AND RESOURCES “Your input will determine your output, so guard what you put in and you won’t be put out.” Peter Sinclair “You cannot have a negative mind and a positive life.” Joyce Meyer “Men and women are not prisoners of fate, but prisoners of their own minds.” Franklin D. Roosevelt Read: The Battlefield of the Mind — Joyce Meyer Read: The Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind — Bill Johnson

FOR FURTHER FITNESS Memorise 4 different promises from the Bible this week. Note down what you learn from this experience.

GETTING FITTER...

EMOTIONALLY

KEY VERSE TO REMEMBER

‘Pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.’ Psalms 62:8 (NLT)

WELCOME ●● ●●

Recap last week’s session ‘Getting Fitter…mentally’ Open in prayer

Which end of the emotional spectrum do you tend towards: emotionalism or stoicism? How do you see this play out in your life?

WARM UP ●●

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What did you find most helpful about this week’s material? What questions did it raise for you? Do you see emotions as a blessing or a burden? Explain. What part do your emotions play in your relationship with God? Can you describe a recent experience of when an emotion you have had has ended up influencing and shaping your decisions in a way that wasn’t God’s intention for you ? What was the outcome?

WORK OUT READ Psalms 6:1-10 Psalms 13: 1-6 Psalms 22:1-5

Psalms 32:1-3 Psalms 34:1-5 Psalms 42:1-2; 9-11

DISCUSS ●● What are the different emotions that David is identifying before God? ●●

What kind of scenarios might have produced these feelings in him?

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What are the dangers of suppressing our emotions?

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What are the dangers of not being able to identify 16

them? What are the dangers of being shaped by them? ●●

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Can you identify a time when you have felt God’s presence in your life, and another when you wanted to but didn’t. Was your response to God different and if so why? How easy do you find it to identify and share your emotions with God and with others? Why do we find it easier to hide the things that we wrestle with rather than revealing them to someone else? What is the difference between revealing the way we are feeling and being shaped by the way we are feeling? What evidence is there in these Psalms to point to the fact that David has learned to manage his emotions? What was the outcome of his ability to manage his emotions? How often do you confront and channel your emotions? What can you learn from David? How would the outcome of the recent experience you described earlier have been different if you had identified, confronted and channelled the feeling you acknowledged?

WEIGHT ROOM What step can you take this week that will move you forwards towards greater emotional health? Share what you intend to do with someone else in your group.

WARM DOWN ...Pray together.

QUOTES AND RESOURCES “I don’t want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them.” Oscar Wilde “If you keep your emotions locked in a box, then when you want to open it one day you’ll find that they’re gone.” MD Arnold “Feelings are much like waves, we can’t stop them from coming but we can choose which one to surf.” Jonathan Mårtensson “Let’s not forget that the little emotions can be the great captains of our lives and we obey them without realizing it.” Vincent Van Gogh Read: Wild at Heart — John Eldredge Read: Enemies of the Heart — Andy Stanley Read: Soul Keeping — John Ortberg

FOR FURTHER FITNESS Set aside some extra time this week to spend with God. Pick a scenario that you feel strongly about and write your own psalm...your prayer to God; write down how you are feeling with as much raw honesty as you can; and then write down your sense about how God would have you confront those feelings from His treasury of truth and love.

GETTING FITTER...

FINANCIALLY

KEY VERSE TO REMEMBER

‘Honour God with everything you own, give Him the first and the best.’ Proverbs 3:9 (MSG)

WELCOME ●● ●●

Recap last week’s session ‘Getting Fitter…emotionally’ Open in prayer

When it comes to money, are you more of a saver or a spender?

WARM UP ●●

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What did you find most helpful about this week’s material? What questions did it raise for you? Why do money issues cause so much stress in people’s lives? Why can it feel so threatening to talk about our relationship with money? Which of the ‘what not to do’s’ with money is most relevant to you and why?

WORK OUT READ Luke 16: 1-14

DISCUSS ●● Frequently in His stories, Jesus describes God as a rich man, or wealthy owner who has entrusted money to a manager, or a servant. Do you think about your money as being ‘entrusted to you’ like that? Explain. ●●

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What difference does it make/should it make when we consider our money to be on loan from God? How could the manager in the story have been a better steward of the money? What keeps you from taking an honest look at your finances? What do you need to do about it? 20

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What difference would it make to your financial habits if you asked God each day what He wanted you to do with your money? What does your response tell you about the way you see God? What does the way the manager treated the rich man’s money say about the way he felt about the rich man? Why does our use of money reveal how much we trust God? What are the ways your own life reflects that you trust God with your money? Look at v 10-11. Jesus is saying that the way we handle money reveals something else. What is it? How have you seen God bless the hard but honest decisions you’ve made about money? How can we use our money to get people to heaven?

WEIGHT ROOM What practical step could you take this week to grow in your stewardship of God’s money?

WARM DOWN ...Pray together.

EXTRA QUOTES AND RESOURCES “When I have money, I get rid of it quickly, lest it find a way into my heart.” John Wesley “Money is like manure. You have to spread it around or it smells.” J. Paul Getty “There are people who have money and people who are rich.” Coco Chanel “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have.” Heb 13:5 (a) Read: Money and the Prosperous Soul — Stephen de Silva Read: Money, Possessions and Eternity — Randy Alcorn Read: Your Money Counts — Howard Dayton

FOR FURTHER FITNESS Ask God to give you an opportunity to be recklessly generous this week, to use your money to help people on their way to heaven. Ask Him for courage, be brave, and go for it!

GETTING FITTER...

RELATIONALLY

KEY VERSE TO REMEMBER

‘Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.’ 1 Peter 4:8 (NIV)

WELCOME ●● ●●

Recap last week’s session ‘Getting Fitter…financially’ Open in prayer

When it comes to personal conflict, are you a ‘hider’ or a ‘hurler?’ (Do you withdraw or does everyone know about it?!)

WARM UP ●●

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What did you find most helpful about this week’s material? What questions did it raise for you? What are the main joys and challenges in forming and growing healthy relationships? How does being distant or being defensive or being demanding damage relationships?

WORK OUT READ ‘Unfriendly people care only about themselves.’ Proverbs 18:1 (NLT) ‘You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.’ James 1:19 (NLT) ‘Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.’ Philippians 2:3 (NIV) ‘There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.’ Proverbs 18:24 (NLT) ‘Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.’ Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NLT) 24

‘Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.’ Colossians 3:13 (NLT)

DISCUSS ●● From these verses what are some of the qualities of healthy relationships? ●●

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Which of these particular qualities in a friend are most important to you and why? Which of these qualities would you like to develop further to grow as a friend to others? How would you rate your listening skills? What gets in the way of taking time to listen to others? How do you show others that you are truly paying attention to what they are saying or doing? Who are the people in your life who will call you to help them in a time of need? What keeps you from being available and present when friends around you might be in crisis? What are some of the ways to show compassion to a friend who is struggling? With whom do you have conflict? What do you think might be the cause of his or her hurt? Why is it so hard to offer forgiveness to someone who has not asked for it? How can you move past this? How is it different to forgive from the heart rather than just the head? Can you describe an experience of this? How does your attitude on forgiveness change when you consider how Christ forgave you?

Here is another quote on friendship; “Casual friends are the result of circumstances, Close friends are the result of choices” Rick Warren. The following verses highlight three characteristics of close friendship. They sharpen us mentally: “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” Proverbs 27:17 (NLT) They support us emotionally: “A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.” Proverbs 17:17 (NLT) They strengthen us spiritually: “Spur one another on towards love and good deeds.” Hebrews 10:24 (NIV)

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How do have you done this for someone else and how have they done it for you? Can you think of examples of how it has happened, and what else we could do to put these characteristics into practise? Do you tend to be more procative in your relationships or reactive? What initiative do you need to take to grow as this kind of friend?

WEIGHT ROOM As you think about your relationships, ask the Holy Spirit to show you who you need to forgive. Share this with someone else in the group and pray together.

WARM DOWN ...Pray together.

QUOTES AND RESOURCES “You can’t stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.” Winnie the Pooh “Kindness is in our power, even when fondness is not.” Samuel Johnson “Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a permanent attitude.” Martin Luther King, J “There are big ships and small ships. But the best ship of all is friendship.” Unknown “Insomuch as anyone pushes you nearer to God, they are your truest friend.” Author Unknown Read: Boundaries — Cloud & Townsend Read: Keeping your Love On — Danny Silk

FOR FURTHER FITNESS Ask God to show you someone in your circle of relationships who He wants you to go out of your way to bless this week, then do it!

HEALTH TARGETS Where would you like to be 3 months from now, in each of these areas? Write down your target and a step you will take to move you in that direction. SPIRITUALLY TARGET

STEP

PHYSICALLY TARGET

STEP

MENTALLY TARGET

STEP

EMOTIONALLY TARGET

STEP

FINANCIALLY TARGET

STEP

RELATIONALLY TARGET

STEP

GROUP PRAYER AND PRAISE NOTES This is the place where you can write each other’s requests for prayer. You can also make a note when God answers a prayer. Pray for each other’s requests. If you’re new to group prayer, it’s ok to pray silently or to pray by using just one sentence:

“God, please help______________ to_________________.”

DATE

PERSON

PRAYER REQUEST

PRAISE REPORT

NOTES

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS & THANKS The inspiration for this initiative has primarily come from Saddleback Church in California who have piloted it, developed it and made the material available to others; some of the material in this booklet has been drawn and adapted from their resources.

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