Scripture: Luke 14:23 ESV, Mark 16:15, Acts 1:8

Thoughts for Day Three:

Today we will connect the dots of Scripture for the past few days and see the Lord desires we be transformed by the Spirit in the way we think, to reflect the character and love of Jesus, and COMPEL others to come to the Lord’s house, by sharing the gospel and being a witness of Him to all the ends of the earth. All of them. Why does the Lord desire we not only come to His house but also compel others to join us there? Because there, He sets before us a table.

The Psalmist in Psalm 107:9 states, For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, and the hungry soul He has filled with what is good. In His house, at the Lord’s Table, He satisfies our hunger, a hunger we often attempt to fill with a variety of things other than the Lord’s Word. He also quenches our thirst, a thirst we may feel unquenchable but may have satiated if we turn our thoughts and attention to the Lord and the provision in His house. Along with the bread of life, we read in John 6:35 all who believe in Jesus will never thirst again, for His Holy Spirit will be like a river of living water within the believer, providing a promise to never thirst again.

Prayer: I pray we begin to see more clearly how the Lord may be calling us to specific areas of transformation as we set aside a period of time to be intentional and cooperative with Him, during this season of the Rise Up Commitment. If we have a difficult time grasping or accepting the Scripture we have read to this point, I pray we press into God and trust He will eventually cause the seeds He has planted within our heart to grow, sprout and bloom – in His time, while He extends grace to us. May our hearts and minds be accepting of the truth the Lord is calling us to be transformed and orient our lives around cooperating with Him to enable such a transformation. Lord, thank You for what You are revealing. Transform our minds from this day forward with Your Spirit, sanctify us by Your Word, and cause us to compel others to join us in Your house and feast on the eternal goodies You provide. Thank You Jesus, amen!

Fitness: Physical activity and exercise can really help hasten the "detox" period we will soon go through the first several days of the nutrition portion. Not sure what to do? Go for a 30 minute walk, at a pace that feels good to you. As was suggested in the preparatory emails, we don't have to do vigorous cardio or conditioning. We will be fine to do heart pumping walking for a bit (speed walkers unite!), especially during the first couple of weeks. When it's cold out and not everyone has access to a treadmill, perhaps consider purchasing a walking DVD (one of the gals in our group recently introduced me!). Here is one I found on Amazon: Leslie Sansone: Walk It Off in 30 Days.