As we started the Daniel Plan, I shared parts of my health journey that led me to where I am today. I also shared how I am worried about your health and well-being, as well as my families.? As I started to determine ways to talk about health and faith, I remember sitting in a Books-A-Million just looking for books that could help. And that is when I came across the Daniel Plan. When I first saw it, I thought it was the Daniel Fast-which is truly 40 days of eating fruits and vegetables as is shared in Daniel 1:11-13- ?11?So Daniel spoke to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah:?12??Why not test your servants for ten days? You could give us a diet of vegetables to eat and water to drink.?13?Then compare our appearance to the appearance of the young men who eat the king?s food. Then deal with your servants according to what you see.? I have had friends do the Daniel Fast, but I didn?t think the congregation would get on board. What I loved about the Daniel Plan was the 5 principles of faith, food, fitness, focus, and friends. I truly believe these 5 principles are essential to everything in life. Everything.

I also want to share that I don?t believe we are done with the Daniel Plan. This was just the teaser into living a healthier life together. There is still so much more to explore and learn and integrate into our lives. My dream is for us to go deeper into what it means to be Daniel Strong and truly live a life that glorifies God in everything you do. This 40 days to a healthier life is just the beginning. So today, I wanted to spend some time in review and look at what some next steps can be for all of us.

The first essential is FAITH. The Daniel Plan starts with faith, because spiritual health gives us a foundation for building habits and perspectives for health in any area. Faith is the secret sauce of the Daniel Plan. It is what makes it different. Health is more than a program. Health comes from recognizing and using God?s power in your life and treating your body and mind with the care God intended you to be treated. Pg 33. And for many of us, we think our faith is good. And at this point in our lives, what else could be done. Maybe you think that my faith is solid, and I am comfortable where I am. Some of us have our understanding of faith and it has been the same for so many years that we can?t imagine our faith changing or growing. I want to remind you that if you are thinking along those lines in any way, then we have some work to do. I really want you to consider your faith. Your faith should always be changing, always growing, and always being challenged. Sometimes you step forward, sometimes you step back. But you know, faith is a life-long race. Let?s remember these words from Hebrews 12:1-2 ?So then let?s also run the race that is laid out in front of us, since we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us. Let?s throw off any extra baggage, get rid of the sin that trips us up,?2?and fix our eyes on Jesus, faith?s pioneer and perfecter. He endured the cross, ignoring the shame, for the sake of the joy that was laid out in front of him, and sat down at the right side of God?s throne.?

We know that where God guides, God provides. What God calls you to do, God equips you to do. God doesn?t need your strength and willpower, but God needs your commitment. God wants you to live an abundant life that includes a vibrant faith, a vibrant body, and a vibrant mind. In order for this to happen, you must rely on God and put your trust in God first.

The essential faith is remember that faith is active and not passive. Faith is something you do. Plugging into God?s power and asking God to open your eyes to the view of your life leads to growth, transformation, and new beginnings. Being active in your faith will transform you from the inside out.

The second essential is FOOD. I believe this has become my new favorite passage in scripture. ?So, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, you should do it all for God?s glory (1 Corinthians 10:31).? I have shared how we have come to a place where we will eat whole foods, few processed foods and if they are processed, and we need to be able to pronounce everything on the ingredient list and know what the ingredients are. Pastor Rick says this, ?The Daniel Plan is rooted in a very simple principle: Take the junk out and let the abundance in.? And ?our philosophy is that if it was grown on a plant, eat it. If it was made in a plant, leave it on the shelf.? This doesn?t mean you are depriving yourself, but instead you are changing the things your taste buds crave and what your body desires to be healthy. When it comes to food, I truly believe ?food is thy medicine and medicine is thy food.? Here are some facts about our health issues.

?One in two Americans suffer from some chronic disease. Heart disease; diabetes; cancer; dementia; autoimmune diseases; allergies; acid reflux; irritable bowels; neurological problems; depression; attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; thyroid, hormonal, and menstrual problems; skin problems including eczema, acne, and more. We spend almost $3 trillion a year on our health care system, and almost 80 percent of that is for chronic lifestyle preventable and reversible disease (pg 36).? This means that 80 percent of what ails us, can be improved if we change the food we eat. From the Daniel Plan, ?We are deeply concerned about our fat and sick nation, about our children?s and your children?s future. The best medicine for this ailment is something so simple, so easy, so healing, so affordable, and so accessible to almost everyone: cooking real, whole food in the home with your family and friends (pg 38).? I could talk about food for a really long time. But I am going to move to the next essential.

The third essential is FITNESS. We all know we need to exercise. But the truth is that most of us don?t. In fact, more than 70 percent of us are not exercising regularly enough to maintain our health. Like food, exercise works better than medicine. What keeps us from getting our regular dose of exercise? Mainly because most of us don?t look forward to doing it. Instead, we are really good at saying these things-

?Who has time or energy to exercise regularly??

?I?ve tried to exercise before, but I just can?t seem to make it a habit.?

?Exercise isn?t a lot of fun; it?s really a lot of work!?

?When I exercise, all I feel is pain.?

The prophet Daniel was a strong man. In body, mind, heart, and spirit, he found his power, purpose, and strength in devotion to God. No matter where he was or what he was doing, he lived with passion and singular focus: to honor God in all he did. Whether he found himself in the comfort of the king?s court or in the darkness of a lion?s den, Daniel was ready and able to follow God with commitment, devotion, and strength rarely seen. He was fit to serve, whenever, wherever, under extreme difficulty, and in any and all circumstances. He was Daniel Strong. But like all of us, he wasn?t born with this strength. Rather, he nurtured it by following God?s plan and design for his life. Daniel was recognized early for his potential and was chosen as a young boy to serve the king of Babylon. He diligently trained physically, intellectually, relationally, and spiritually with the purpose to be the best he could possibly be. With a strong body, a strong mind, a strong character, and most of all a strong faith, Daniel honored God in all he did?and you can too (pg 40).

The American College of Sports Medicine has discovered that moving your body even just a little bit on a regular basis impacts not only your physical health, but also your intellectual, emotional, social, financial, and spiritual health. Let?s find more ways to move with God!

The fourth essential is FOCUS. ?From now on, brothers and sisters, if anything is excellent and if anything is admirable, focus your thoughts on these things: all that is true, all that is holy, all that is just, all that is pure, all that is lovely, and all that is worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8).? What a powerful verse! Part of staying focused is being able to develop mastery over the quality of your thoughts. Thoughts lie?they lie a lot! It is often your uninvestigated thoughts that drive depression, anxiety, fear, and overeating that derail progress toward better health. Your thoughts, your brain, can sabotage your overall well-being. Your mental health is vital for your overall health. Negative thoughts, positive thoughts, or lack of thought can consume you. Depending on which one consumes the most of your mind, you could make or break your health before you even get started. Whatever gets the most of your mind?s attention will direct many other areas of your life. When your brain works right, you work right. When your brain is healthy, your ability to focus increases and your make better decisions. So many distractions compete for your attention, so it is important to renew your mind and focus on God?s plan and priorities for your life. With understanding the focus essential, it is important to know your motivation and reasons for becoming healthier. Once you know why you care, why you must be healthy, your motivation literally provides the fuel for staying focused. So ask yourself why you must be healthy. Is it to live in God?s will? To have greater health and mental clarity? Is to be a role model for someone you love? Is it to be around long enough to watch your grandchildren become adults?

With every thought you have, your brain releases chemicals. Every thought. Negative, angry, and hopeless thoughts produce negative chemicals that make your body and mind feel bad; by contrast, positive, happy, and hopeful thoughts produce a completely different set of chemicals that help you feel relaxed, happy, and in control of your impulses. The power your thoughts have are amazing on the outcome of your life. Boost your brain health, and you will boost all your other efforts for a healthier life.

And the last essential is FRIENDS. Being in relationship with others is the secret sauce to getting your health under control. When it comes to your health, every body needs a buddy! The journey towards health always works better in community. Research shows that people getting healthy together lose twice as much weight as those who do it alone. The two things that set the Daniel Plan apart from every other ?diet? are faith and friends. And the Daniel Plan is a lifestyle that is attainable and maintainable. God never meant for us to go through life solo, and that includes our journey toward better health. When you join with a few neighbors, some parents/grandparents from your kids? schools, start a group in the office, sign up for small group, gather as a family, then the social connection improves your journey to better health. When you are surrounded by people who have the same values, goals, and health habits, you are going to progress farther than you could on your own. A safe group of friends is also a place where God promises to be with you. Remember these words from Matthew 18:20, ?For where two or three are gathered in my name, I?m there with them.?

Faith+Food+Fitness+Focus+Friends is the combination to 40 days to a healthier life with God. And it is just beginning. If you are interested in continuing this journey, I want to know. Barbara and I would love to make that happen for more of us. Living into a new lifestyle takes work. But is completely possible when you start with God?s power in your life. God will give you the power to change your life, to set new patterns and reactions. All of the 5 essentials are inter-connected and everything is possible with God. It is my prayer that we will all continue this journey together to become healthier in every area of our lives. Let us pray.