The story of the Bible is fascinating. God is the main character and He created us to partake in His glory. Unfortunately, at the beginning, we disobeyed and created a chasm between God and us. The problem of the story was sin, and it hindered our ability to fully enjoy the glory and majesty of our Father. The whole story of the Bible follows God's solution to the problem of sin: His promise of a Seed (Gen. 3:15), His choice of a people (Gen. 12:1-3), and His revelation of the fulfillment of that promise in Jesus Christ (Heb. 1). In His sovereignty, He chose the Israelite people to be carriers of the promise for all nations and, when they rejected the person of Jesus, The Father chose to extend the Promise to us, the Gentiles, as the vessel through which He brings people to salvation and eternal life. Instrumental in God's plan was His revelation of the Law in Deuteronomy. The Law helps us see the character of God: what He values, who He cares for, and the motive behind the Law. The Law has always been most concerned about the heart (Deut. 6:1-7), and it was meant to stir the hearts of the Israelite people, that it might go well with them. The Law was fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ (Matt. 5:17). He gave us the perfect example for the holiness that is required of us, and it is because of Christ that we can be presented blameless before God. We are not to abuse this grace but to live in the freedom that comes from living in accordance with God's commands. When I think about ChristFit and CrossFit, I'm reminded that strength was never meant to be used selfishly. One of the consistent themes we see in the Law is God's care for those that are weak and disadvantaged, particularly widows, orphans, and foreigners (Deut. 10:18). When I think about ChristFit and CrossFit, I'm reminded that strength was never meant to be used selfishly. Strength and health should be used to help the disadvantaged (James 1:27). Our goal in training our bodies in CrossFit through ChristFit is to use that strength to help others. Be thankful for the health we have been blessed with and use it to further the Gospel. As believers, we have been entrusted with a great promise of good news. As ChristFitters, we have the health and strength to proclaim the Good News to the rest of the world. Be bold this week and partake in God's glory by living in accordance with His commands.
--Zachary Atkins
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Hi my name is Nick Parsons. I have a relationship with Christ and I struggle with performance, lust, pride, and selfishness. For those who attend Regeneration, you understand this format of how we introduce ourselves. Regen is a recovery ministry at Watermark where it disciples and teaches you the 12 Biblical foundations to help you turn over your sinful patterns and/or addictions to God to deepen your relationship with Jesus Christ. I’ve recently finished the first 3 steps and would like to share what the Lord has taught me through these steps. They’re called the ABC of Regen. Before entering Regen, I recognize some sinful patterns in my life that I didn’t know how to break the chains from. I’ve been walking with Christ for years now and on one hand you would think it somehow gets easier and that I can manage my own struggles. How quick the Lord is to humble me according to His Word, John 15:5 Jesus says I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. The other part of me entered into Regen thinking I would submit my list of struggles to God and he would help me recover instantly. BOOM there you have it, end of story. Haha not so quick as we know God loves his children and in order for me to understand the depths of His love I was going to have to be patient with God. God is teaching me to trust Him during this season and Hebrews 12:5-7 says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” Endure hardship as discipline. God is treating you like his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? In the last 5 months here is what the Good Lord has taught me thus far with ABC steps. A – Admit: We admit we are powerless over our addictions, brokenness, and sinful patterns – that in our own power our lives are unmanageable. Romans 7:18 states For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but cannot carry it out. B – Believe: We come to believe that God is the one whose power can fully restore us. Jeremiah 29:13 states you will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. C – Commit: Committing ourselves in Trusting Christ with our lives and wills by accepting his grace through Jesus Christ. Ephesians: 2:4-5 states but because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive in Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved. If you don’t see it, the correlation with the ABC steps also represents The Gospel. God showed His love for us through Jesus Christ (John 3:16). When we soften our hearts to confess and believe (Romans 10:9) to accept Gods Grace (Eph. 2:8-9), we can therefore Trust our King wholeheartedly (Prov. 3:5-6) with our lives. In summary, our Loving God has humbled and softened my heart to show me I am weak, powerless over my struggles, and unable to lead myself. However in Christ, Brothers and Sisters, You and I are Unique (Gen. 1:27), Loved (Jeremiah 31:3), Valued (1 Corin 6:19-20), and Secured (John 5:24). This is why I am CHRIST-fit and thanks for letting me share. Joy is really a fruit of what we decide to do in our lives as it says in Galatians 5:22-23-“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” So I would like to encourage you to use these keys to build joy in your life. 1) Connectedness – To God and Others. We need God and others to meet needs in our life. There are over 59 "one another’s" stated in scripture, just to name a few “Encourage one another, confess to one another, spur one another, love one another, etc… We ultimately need God in our lives because he is our ultimate satisfaction. If we begin to isolate and not allow God and others in our lives, the result is a loss of joy. Proverbs 13:12- “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” 2) Renewing our minds Romans 12:2-"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Renewing our minds with God’s word allows us to have an eternal perspective and not personalize what is happening to us like Paul, who was in prison when he wrote Philippians 3:12-“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” 3) Have goals We don't need a strict to-do list or aspire to perfection, but we need goals that stretch us and improve us. Whether it’s spiritual, health, education, or your job--test yourself. James 1:3-4 says, “knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” 4) Be a giver! I know when serving or investing in others it’s given me great joy. It helps take my thoughts and eyes off of me. God has given me so much and chooses to use a wretch like me, so why not express what he has done for me by serving and growing his kingdom. Acts 20:35 says, “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive'." Athletes in Action is a ministry that strives to see Christ-followers on every team, in every sport, and in every nation. They have a huge presence—97 countries, 35 U.S. professional sports team, and on 205 college campuses. Athletes in Action is a Campus Crusade for Christ (Cru) ministry. This past Sunday, we were fortunate to have Jon McWhorter, who serves as the Campus Director at University of North Texas for Athletes in Action, join us at ChristFit Unashamed. Jon was kind enough to share with us his vision for how the Lord will work through Athletes in Action in the Dallas Fort Worth area. Jon and his wife, Carmen, will be pouring into collegiate athletes on the UNT campus—sharing the Gospel and making disciples. This ministry is something near and dear to Carmen as she was a collegiate golfer at UNT. She struggled with the demanding schedule of a college athlete and finding time to get involved with fellow believers where she could be discipled and encouraged in her faith. Both her and Jon share a calling to provide athletes with opportunities to know the Lord and grow in their faith. Sharing the Gospel wasn’t always easy for Jon. During his college years, Jon always took a back seat when it came to having conversations with others about his faith. He attributed it to not feeling qualified and fear of man. I think we can all relate. How many times do we pass up opportunities to share the good news because we are afraid of rejection or we are afraid we don’t know enough or we won’t be able to answer tough theological questions? What we forget is that it is GOOD NEWS! I love what 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God did not give us a Spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” We can trust that God will use us, our words, and our stories to glorify Him. Our responsibility is to share the Good News…God does the rest. Only God can save. Whew! As Jon said on Sunday, we only need to trust God, validate the message, and follow through. Will you share the good news with someone this week? If you are interested in Athletes in Action, please reach out to Jon via e-mail ([email protected]). There are several ways you can get involved. Currently, Jon and his wife are developing their team of financial and prayer partners. In order to get started at UNT and the other 20 campuses around DFW, Jon and Carmen have to raise support to fund their salaries and ministry expenses. We would love for you to pray about how the Lord might lead you to partner with this ministry. God may call you to give financially (https://give.cru.org/0878425), to pray, to share with others who may be able to contribute, or all three. We hope you were as encouraged as we were by Jon and the work God is doing through Athletes in Action.
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