I know I'm a little slow in posting this, but here's our recap from two weeks ago. A BIG thanks to Emilee for keeping us going on these recaps! :)
Two weeks ago, we talked about the show ‘The Biggest Loser’. Have you seen it?
If not, don’t worry, we’re not calling people losers. On the show, overweight contestants compete to win a cash prize by losing the highest percentage of their body weight. Every episode, contestants are faced with temptation. For example, will they eat a fattening food in exchange for a call home? There are also reward challenges where individuals or teams compete in races or tests of knowledge. At the end of the episode, the team with the lowest weight lost meets to vote of a member of their team. After contestants have spent three months on the ranch, and four months continuing their regimen at home, they re-unite to see who has lost the most overall weight.
This show is all about resisting temptation for the better good. Let’s talk about different temptations – which of these would be the hardest for you to resist? Why?
1.
A refrigrator full of your favorite foods when you’re trying to diet.
2.
Facebook messages from four friends when you’re trying to study.
3.
A group of girls gossiping about a person you have a story about.
4.
Buying something you love even though you have other things like it.
Today we’re not going to talk about losing weight, but instead we’re going to talk about losing temptation.
-Lose the mouth: If you are easily provoked or unkind, you need self-control over your speech.
-Lose the attitude: If you follow your impulses or give into self-centeredness, you need to exercise self-control over your attitude.
-Lose the appetite: If a habit is controlling you and making you compromise, you need to exercise self-control over the appetites that drive you.
When we talk about being ‘total losers’ this week, it’s a good thing! Don’t revert back to negative self-talk again!
The most exciting part of The Biggest Loser is seeing the contestants ‘before’ and ‘after’. The difference is amazing! Our version of this show invites us to change our behavior. A person with little or no self-control is not very attractive.
LOSE THE MOUTH: THE BEFORE PICTURE
“But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language.” –Colossians 3:8.
Write down the type of speech you have trouble controlling (gossip, anger, criticism, crude language, etc.)
THE AFTER PICTURE
“Let the words of Christ, in all of their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise. Use His words to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus.” –Colossians 3:16-17
Circle the action words that show how our speech can be transformed.
Here are four suggestions straight from the passage:
1.
Let the words of Christ live on your hearts and make you wise.
2.
Use His words to teach and counsel each other.
3.
Sing psalms and hymns to God with thankful hearts.
4.
Represent Jesus in whatever you do or say.
How do these things have an impact on your speech? Write down which one of these things you can do to control your speech.
LOSE THE ATTITUDE
When you don’t have self-control over your self-centeredness, things can get pretty ugly.
“For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful…They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control…They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. -2 Timothy 3:2-5
How many traits of a self-centered person can you find in this passage? There are ten!
1.
Loves only themselves
2.
Loves money
3.
Boastful
4.
Proud
5.
Scoffs at God
6.
Disobedient to parents
7.
Ungrateful
8.
Unloving
9.
Unforgiving
