In this final session of this 8-week Worship & Exercise Combined small group we’ll do the following:
- Review the discussion points from the previous sessions
- Share and celebrate testimonies of what God has done in your life both physically and spiritually during this group.
- Consider how God can send you into you gym, workplace, community, school and many more places to BE LIFE – the life of Christ to others.
KEEP THESE PRACTICES ACTIVE IN YOUR FITNESS LIFESTYLE
Praying while you exercise is done the same way you do it at church or at home. The difference is that you’re moving your body (perhaps vigorously and with great effort). Ideally let God lead you instead of having a set routine. But for starters use the A.C.T.S.S. model.
Your regular exercise is a great way to strengthen your commitment to being the life of Christ to others routinely. Others are your family and friends – near your age or older OR younger including children. But, others are also your co-workers, classmates, neighbors, those in your community and beyond. If you’re in the fitness business others are your clients, patients and members.
The practice of communion (the taking of sacraments) gives you the opportunity to remember the words and actions of Jesus Christ. There are several ways to be in communion while you exercise: Cast your cares, burdens and frustrations upon Christ, Let God silence your noise, Focus on the nature of God, Ask God to strengthen your ability to listen and Enjoy God’s presence.
You wouldn’t think about exercising and then not eating. You have to fuel it to sustain it. It’s the same for your spirit. You have to fuel it well too. How? Get the truths of the Bible inside of you, nourishing your spirit. It’s not just a good book. The Bible is fuel. We suggest 3 ways to feast on the Bible, liquid diet, sets & reps and both.
f you’ve ever had a personal trainer you know that you’ve got to pay attention. A trainers jobs is to help you have proper form, avoid injuries and achieve the outcomes you’ve both agreed to reach. Doing faith and fitness together has to be more than just you being encouraged, inspired and being in the presence of God or others. Attentiveness is active listening, maintaining focus and committing to achieve the outcomes you and God have for you and others.
If you want to maintain a certain level of fitness then progressively adding weight or increasing the difficulty or challenge – doing more is key to overloading your muscles and achieving growth. God wants you to adapt spiritually to new challenges and opportunities continually for the rest of your life. God’s design is that we never stop growing in Christ.
Think about what people typically identify as successful fitness outcomes – what they want to achieve: reduce or eliminate obesity, gain muscle and be stronger, live longer and better, be more active with less pain and less exhaustion and to look better. Faith and fitness outcomes are similar but on a spiritual level.
TESTIMONY TIME – SHARE ABOUT YOUR WORSHIP & EXERCISE EXPERIENCE
Use the following questions as tools to help you reflect on your time during this group and how it has shaped you:
- When you initially joined this group what prompted you to do so? What did you think it would be like and how was it different from what you thought it would be? Did you ever consider quitting, not attending are not fully participating AND what were your reservations, challenges or aspects you didn’t like? How has that changed over time?
- What would say has been the most beneficial aspect of this group for you? Which of the sessions particularly resonated with you or prompted you to start considering how you can better integrate worship into your exercise?
- Share about you current journey in faith with Christ. Where do you want to work on personal spiritual growth next? How can the group pray for you?
HOW TO ‘BE LIFE’ – THE LIFE OF CHRIST TO OTHERS
God can use us in many ways if we’re not just willing be eager to be usable. That’s how we exercise our spiritual muscles and give God our spiritual strength for the greater purpose that takes us beyond salvation into being fruitful. Here are a few ideas to consider:
- Be friendly and see how God can make that friendship grow. Invite someone to exercise with you – and do it often.
- Offer positive encouragement to others exercising. Intentionally dialogue with others and be attentive to how God can guide your conversations.
- Use your physical strength and wellness to do good outside of the gym. Decide how you can be physically and spiritually useful to someone OUTSIDE of the workout space in everyday life.
- Start and grow a list of people you know for whom you can regularly pray and with whom you can connect regularly in person (ideally) or by phone, email or text.
SEND TIME
You’ve put in the effort, you’ve learned the skills and you’ve thought about how you can move forward from here. Now, as a concluding act of this group take time together as a group to pray 1-by-1 for each person and corporately send them into service for God.
When it is your turn share how you feel God is calling you and how you think God may best be able to use you to help others and give them the chance to discover God. After you’ve shared, someone in the group can lead in prayer for you and the whole group can join.
