Body Surprised! Chapter Summaries

What would enable and encourage you second by second, minute by minute, year after year to eat sensibly and push yourself out the door to exercise? The answer may be here in this Bible study: Body Surprised! My healthy self is inside.

I. WISH SUCCESSFULLY (Introduction)

Is there a spark of hope inside of you wondering if there are better things ahead? There are! Make the sky the limit with a set of wild wishes for your body's shape, health, strength and fitness. You are a valuable and important person who needs to be healthy to impact our world. Wish big and expect to be surprised! These whimsical wishes can become your reality the right motivation and vision. This first chapter introduces the Bible study and gives directions and tools for planning proper eating, reasonable exercise and spiritual growth.

II. WONDER AT YOUR CREATION (Week 1)

Discover how you look to the Artist who created you, and created you on purpose. He loves you and values you, just the way you are. He offers renewal and health to your body and your soul. You and I are daughters and sons of the mighty, powerful God who created our remarkable and individual selves. He wants the best for us and will fight fiercely for us, and our well being.

III. BUILD WITH LIVING STONES (Week 2)

Your relationship with God becomes intimate when you give your life to Him. God becomes part of you. Astonishingly, God even calls your body His living space -— His holy temple, His home. Our God who is everywhere, all of the time, connects these many “homes” all over the world. We become building blocks of a larger temple whose structural integrity depends on each one of us and our committing to be spiritually and physically healthy.

IV. REACH INSTEAD OF DAYDREAM (Week 3)

Have you ever thought you wanted to lose weight, exercise and get healthy more than you wanted anything? It starts there, like the beginning of an ambitious maze. But, we have to do more than endlessly wander through the puzzle. There has to be an end, a finish, a goal. Planning and setting goals is a demanding, yet critical, process. These efforts mirror God’s own actions. He promises His guidance to set Godly goals and His daily renewal to reach them.

V. FIND COURAGE (Week 4)

God means us to be strong, courageous, and supported, rather than debilitated by anxiety, worry or fear. God’s great gifts to combat these cripplers are spiritual and physical exercise. Combined, they heal and rejuvenate our bodies, minds, hearts and souls.

VI. RUN THE RACE (Week 5) What are the traits of an Olympic athlete? Olympians are risk-takers and they make staggering sacrifices. These world-class athletes are tenacious, steadfast, self-controlled and they act immediately, and precisely, to their coach’s instructions. Few of us -— very, very few -— reach the almost impossible level of an Olympian. Yet, we are told in the New Testament to seek Olympian attributes. Why? God revolutionizes the world with people who connect with Him and who seek and develop these qualities.

VII. LIVE THE IMPOSSIBLE (Week 6)

The battle rages and we are in there fighting, wearing the insignia of Jesus and the armament God claims as His very own. Never surrendering, we confront our limitations and claim what is possible only through Him. We believe God, who spoke the universe into being, will give us victory over our struggles. Call for more to join our challenging quest!

CRAFT WITH INDISPENSABLE TOOLS Appendix

      • Challenge Charts to plan, track and reward your progress.

    • Exercise Tips to help you choose the exercise that fits.

    • Calorie Burn-off Chart to calculate how many calories you will burn in 30 minutes of various activities.

    • Clues to Successful Eating to explain what every diet program should include.

    • Resources to find additional help