NEW YEAR, NEW YOUWeek 5: Connecting Well

Dr. Cole Bradburn, D.C.

CONNECTING WELL

Be AppearancelessIf you rely on how you look to decide how you feel, you are always a bad hair day away from miseryTrying to look your best is not a bad thing. Look in the world and see how much $$ is spent on how people look.When you become caught up in how you look, you also tend to get caught up in how others look.

“But the Lord said ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the

things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance,

but the Lord looks at the heart.”

-- 1 Samuel 16:7

However, if your appearance determines your self-esteem, self-worth, and health you are limiting yourself and building on a foundation of sandThere is no peace in a life spent wishing you were what you are not

CONNECTING WELL

Be WantlessNot to be in want is not to be human!As you begin to desire more and more, what you desire begins to drive your thoughts, control your actions, and determine your emotions.Do not be a slave to your wants. Want what God gives you, and trust that He will give you all you need & more than you ever wantedPhilip 4:11

“Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am”You can’t work your way into Heaven. Constantly seeking more will often cause you to look past what is truly important. Don’t be a miserable achiever

CONNECTING WELL

Be AcceptancelessDo what is right, not what is acceptable

The desire for acceptance has led many astray (kids stealing candy, teenagers smoking)Do not follow the blind, lead them by looking to the Bible for what is right.“Be completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing in one another with love.” -- Eph 4:22 Peter 1:5-7Phillipians 4:8-9

Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. (2 Peter 1:5-7)Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things. Put into practice and the peace of God will be with you. (Phil 4:8-9)

CONNECTING WELL

Be ResultlessBetter to have 1 win & 20 losses than no losses & no wins! To begin enjoying all of life more, pay more attention to enjoying playing the game and less attention to how it turns out. Joseph had only a 1 and 3 record (.250), but wound up in the hall of fame. At first, Joseph suffered nothing but losses, but his faith and trusting in God’s overall plan let him look past his winless streak and bring victory for millionsLoss - Joseph was cast into a pit by his own brothersLoss - His brothers, wanting to make a profit, sold Joseph into slavery in EgyptLoss - Potiphar’s wife tried to lure Joseph into committing adultery. Joseph defied her and feeling scorned, she had him arrested on rape charges and locked in prison.Win - Joseph was made the highest official in the king’s court and overseer of all of Egypt. Using his gifts from God to interpret dreams, he saved Egypt and surrounding nations from a famine that would have cost countless lives.

When he reunited with his brothers he did not exact revenge. He overcame the losses and understood the divine will of God in his life. He fed his brothers and said “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Gen 50:19-20).So happiness is staying focused on your mission, not your results.

CONNECTING WELL

Be PridelessGOD/meThere is no one who understands you more or knows your needs as well as God.We are almost totally unaware of how our thoughts and actions will impact the world and our future.God is moving millions of people in billions of directions and knows the outcome of every moveRelease leadership responsibilities to God to see His will done in your life. Create peace, not stress.Philip Thinking vs. Andrew Thinking

“God opposes the proud but gives grace

to the humble.”--James 4:6

We tend to fall into the trap of thinking we are so brilliant and so capable that we can run the show for ourselves!If we depend only on what we see & understand, it will be impossible for us not to make error after error.

CONNECTING WELL

Be TimelessYou wake up by an alarm, cook by the microwave, get paid by the hour, and eat by the clock.If you are feeling like you are always running out of time, you are right! This feeling of hurry creates stress so intense it can be deadly.

Slowing down to pay attention to God, your family, & your health will begin creating peace

What does trying to defeat time cause?Hurry, Rage, Failure, StressRemember, God is older, wiser, and while He appears to move slow at times, He is always right on time.

It took the Israelites forty years to get across the desert. And guess what, they got there right on time.

Everything comes in season, in God’s time, as He intended.

You who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow...Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” -- James 4:13-15

CONNECTING WELL

Be FearlessRemember King Jehoshaphat’s five steps to being fearless --2 Chronicles 20

1. Take your problems to God (20:2)

2. Turn to God for answers to your problems (20:12)

3. It’s God’s battle, not yours (20:15)

4.With God be fearless (strong & courageous) (20:16-17)

5.Let God be glorified in victory (20:24-26)

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be

discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you

wherever you go.”--Joshua 1:9

Your problems ahead of you are never as great as the Power behind you

CONNECTING WELL

Be Faithful - 3 types of faith1. I’ll believe it when I see it faith. If

you need to see God or have a need for Him to perform miracles to believe in Him, then you have no faith.

2.Believer faith - you can believe only what you do not see.

3.Ph.D. faith (past having doubt) - When you have Ph.D. faith, you know God is as real as the chair you are sitting in, and you see concrete evidence of Him in all things. You know God will provide for your needs and answer your prayers.

“If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not

stand at all.”-- Isa 7:9

Exercise your faith - Get your Ph.D. by marveling at creation, see God and His presence in this world and in your body.Talk to God as if He is really there, because He is.

CONNECTING WELL

Be Hopeful.Rather than having excuses for why it would be impossible for you to overcome the stress in your life, with hope you can be daring enough to do what is necessaryWhatever you feel is possible is possible. Whatever you think is impossible is impossible. Think big.With hope, you are differentA hopeful attitude turns your:

errors into educationoppositions into opportunityfears into fascination

“Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk

and not be faint-- Isa 40:31

The right path is rarely the popular path, remain hopeful and God will lead you a different wayDefinition of hope - Phillipians 4:11 - “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”

Love God so much that you are inspired to be obedient

THE SPIRITUAL TRIATHLON

PRAYER TIMEThere is power in the spoken word.

Going to your Father and talking to Him as if He is alive and real, which He is, is a major way of building your faith and getting results in your life.

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” --Eph 6:18.

THE SPIRITUAL TRIATHLON

BIBLE TIMEAll the best ways of attaining peace and handling life’s challenges are written in the Bible. When accepted in full faith, the Bible is a source of power for all good, bad, and indifferent times. Do not wait until you encounter difficult times and then begin searching out God for answers. Seek Him first.

Many examples, metaphors, and illustrations necessary to a less stressful and more productive life are in the Bible.

THE SPIRITUAL TRIATHLON

QUIET TIMEWestern society often looks at other cultures that live in poverty or exist without cell phones, Internet, movies, and “modern” essentials of advanced civilization, and wonder how they do it.These other “less advanced” cultures look at our “modern” society and wonder how we do it.

How can people live in cities with all the noise, distractions, and without as much real evidence of the presence of God.

Modern life allows for no quiet peaceful time in nature. This can make it very difficult to really hear, see, and feel the presence of God. God is always with you. When you are in the silence, you are more likely to also be with Him.

THE SPIRITUAL TRIATHLON

Why in the Morning?God is supposed to get your first fruit, and best fruit. Give Him the best part of your day and you will have an amazing day. He deserves more than a little part left over at the end of your day or week.

How would your spouse feel if you met with them only on Sundays/Wednesdays for a couple of hours?

In the morning you can connect with God before all the distractions of daily living set in.

Coffee With Jesus

Spiritual Triathlon

Spiritual Health

MentalHealth

PhysicalHealth

Can having a bad diet cause disease?Can being completely sedentary cause disease?Can negativity, worry, doubt, and pessimism cause disease?Can a life without Jesus cause disease?

Spiritual Health

MentalHealth

PhysicalHealth

Can eating right, moving well, thinking positive, and connecting well ever cause disease?Can it fight disease?Can it cure disease?

BE HEALTHY, BE PREPARED

If we are on a Spiritual battleground, don’t you think we need all our ammo (Spiritual health, mental health, physical health)?If you were the enemy, where would you attack...where someone is weak or where they are strong?

his purpose is to kill and destroy. One way is to deceive as many as possible about their bodies [temple]. How?Healthfulness of foods, beliefs about DNA, cholesterol, vaccination, the aging process, and the nature of true health.

Spiritual Health

MentalHealth

PhysicalHealth

Spiritual health then is tethered to mental/physical health, and limited by their shortcomings. The Father’s message for you is Life, and Life more Abundantly. Spiritually abundant, mentally abundant, physically abundant.

INSPIRED OBEDIENCE

You can do so much more for the Kingdom this way

Obedient in:your time with Himhow you train your mindhow you train your bodywhat you put in your body

1 Corinthians 6:20

We were all bought with a price, one that could never be repaid. For this price, we are told to honor God with our bodies. With His help, I want to be as good of an investment as possible.

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