Fitness Training For All

Surrounded by Jen's! 

Now that summer is nearing the end, we usually have the best shaped bodies of our lives.

I said usually… In July, I had a meltdown of some sorts. Instead of continuing the regiment of waking up at 5:00 a.m. and going to Training For Warriors for a 6 a.m. workout, I went on vacation with the family to California with full intentions of going to the hotel gym to workout.

In two weeks of vacation, my temptations got the best of me. I gained 13 lbs. I will say the feast of seafood was quite delicious at Fishermans Wharf in San Francisco!

When I returned home, I realized what a mess of  two weeks of vacation it was for me, eating wise. Everything I learned from the gym, including my nutrition intake when right out the door.

Since July, I had to redevelop that discipline to train and eat right again. I only allow for one cheat day and the rest of the week I am working hard at maintaining what I have lost. It’s not always easy. I know the UMW will be having a bake sale real soon at the Craft Festival on October 6, but instead of eating bad all week, I eat healthy, leading up to October 6 so that I can have some of those goodies! Last year, I devoured the Chocolate Pecan Pie!

I’d like for you to reflect upon 1 Timothy 4 as you read this.

Paul was hoping to visit with Timothy while in Ephesus, but since he did not, Paul writes him a letter giving Timothy practical advice about ministry.

Let’s look at 1 Timothy 4: 6-16.
6 If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
11 Command and teach these things. 12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them,[c] so that all may see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Paul is setting Timothy up with a prescription for success. I appreciate this disciplined approach to living as a follower of Jesus. Paul is essentially saying three things to Timothy in this part of the letter:

1. Put these things before the brothers.
2. Train yourself for Godliness
3. Command and teach these things so that you can track your progress, keep a close watch.

What does Paul mean by “put these things before.”

Paul's refuting the false teachers Timothy was facing. You see, if we go back just a few verses to verses 1 through 5, Paul was specifically calling out those who condemned marriage and eating certain foods.

In the church at Ephesus, there were two things being denied and forbidden. One was eating meat, and the other was marriage. Some people were teaching that if you became a vegetarian and single, then you would be closer to God. How about that? Married people, don't get any ideas! Gnostics at the time were teaching this. They believed that if you refrained from these behaviors, then you were close to God. The focus was more on the body and not the spirit. Paul was instructing young Timothy to discipline the spiritual side of oneself as well, that it couldn’t be just one area of your life that you focused on.


One year ago I weighed nearly 300 lbs. and my life was crashing in front of me.
I weighed 286 lbs. and I had no more energy. I was spent.
I was pre-diabetic. High blood pressure.
Headed towards a stroke.
My grandma had a stroke at the age of 44 and at the time, I was 43.

I knew I had to put this all behind me because I knew I was headed for disaster.

Then I was introduced to the gym. Not only has this gym helped me physically, I am more alert, I have a deeper relationship with my wife, I am a much healthier pastor to take on all that church planting has in store for me.

With my trainers, Colin and Adam, with Wes and Jenn (who is getting a sweat hug!!) 

Energy level is back! 

I am not a pre-diabetic anymore.
My blood pressure is normal.
I have the energy to go all day now without a break.
The discipline of the gym has helped me focus on life so much more and what God has equipped me to do.

Paul instructs the Romans and us to think holistically here. (Body, Mind and Spirit)

Romans 12:1-2 12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies (Body, Mind and Spirit) as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Transformation takes place when we put the things of the world behind us and strive for something more.

Transformation just doesn’t happen though. It takes discipline and it takes training. 

Before training, there was no way I was able to do more than a few push ups. However, with training and discipline, I now can do push ups with 70 lbs on my back. It didn’t just happen all of a sudden. This took continued practice.

It’s the same with our spiritual lives. Are we satisfied with just going to church for one hour on Sunday? What would it look like if we all were engaged in a small group, growing spiritually?

#2 Train Yourself For Godliness:

A follower of Jesus is one who walks in, right living. In order to live righteous, it’s crucial that we exercise our faith.

As a spiritual being, we must exercise ourselves, spiritually too, towards godliness. Paul helps us see that as he uses a metaphor of an athletic.


We are to exercise ourselves in godliness as much as an Olympic athlete exercises their body. Think of the time and energy, effort and dedication an Olympic athlete puts into their training. Their sport is their life. So it is to be with us as followers of Christ: godliness is to be our life. All of our energy, effort, time, and dedication should be given over to godliness. God prods us to the exercise of godliness.

As Paul refuted to Timothy, bodily exercise is profitable, we are healthier and feel better about ourselves, but godliness is more profitable, far more profitable.
We should exercise our body regularly; we should keep ourself physically fit.
But the focus of our life as Christians is to live a godly life.

The reason for all that I am telling you this morning is clear: godliness bears fruit—great fruit—both in this life and in the life to come. If we walk in the Spirit, we bear fruit of God’s Spirit; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. God promises to bless while we walk upon this earth, and also when we receive the life to come. That alone makes me want to live a godly life! Because we are going to receive the fruit of our labor.



To live this way calls us to be consistent in our discipline. Don’t let anything hold you back in receiving that fruit. In verse 12, Paul writes to Timothy, “Don’t let anything hold you down Timothy. Some people will knock you down a level because you are young, but don’t let that stop you from being faithful.”


Paul tells Timothy to focus! But, this means we need to focus too. There are many distractions in our lives. There are the distractions of work, social media, sports, social pressures, the list could go on and on, and we all could say, I’m just too busy. I did for years as my justification as to why I couldn’t get to the gym. I kept saying, “I’m too busy.” However, I look back and now realize, “What in the world was I doing at 5-6 a.m. anyway?”

Distractions could have got the best of Timothy but Timothy was told to focus on reading the Scriptures, encouraging one another and teaching one another.
I’d like for you to think for a moment. How do you train spiritually? Do you set time to pray? Do you read the Scriptures? Do you fast? Do you worship? Do you spend time in small groups? Do you tithe? Do you serve? Do you visit those in need? Do you feed the hungry? So you seek justice?

Joining in devotion and Scripture at the gym before a workout.

These are what John Wesley called the “Means of Grace.”

What part of your life could grow by training spiritually?

Lastly, Paul told Timothy to “Command and teach these things so that you can track your progress, keep a close watch.”

I love this wording from Paul. Command.

Parangelle – means to declare, to order. Paul is saying, Order your life in a way and teach these things so that you can keep close watch.

As we look into the Scripture, we see the Bible mentions many times how Jesus went away to pray—sometimes early in the morning, sometimes overnight.

I’d like to challenge you as you read this. To take an inventory of your daily life. Where are you rushed? Where are you bored? Where can you pray? Where can you read? Where can you jump into a small group?

The thing is, I can’t make this decision for you.
It’s up to you to make the time… to put things behind, to train and to command your life.

See you at the gym! And in small group.