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Read Workbook

This video series is dedicated to the Creator of all
and to the Remnant of faithful followers of the Great I AM.
The Last Exodus, copyright 2003
Workbook Managing Editor/Author: Gwen Shamblin, M.S.; R.D.
Contributing Writers: Michael Shamblin, Elizabeth Shamblin Hannah, Brandon Hannah, Erin Shamblin
Editors: Teresa Langsdon, Elizabeth Shamblin Hannah, Amy Stites, Jayne Fiedler, Ph.D.
Desktop Publishing: Joe Langsdon, Ryan McCauley
Design & Graphics: Joe Langsdon, Gwen Shamblin, Ryan McCauley
Video & Audio Production: Gwen Shamblin, Michelle McDonald, Joe Langsdon
Assistants: Ryan McCauley, Brandon Hannah, Michael Shamblin, Elizabeth Shamblin Hannah, David Martin, Amy
Stites
Music Direction: David Martin, Michael Shamblin, Gwen Shamblin
All music written, produced and recorded by Michael Shamblin
Additional Vocals: David Martin, Elizabeth Shamblin Hannah
These servants of God Most High are aware that He is the only source of all information, ideas, financing,
technology, creativity, music, words, teaching and testimony. We are simply vessels before the Almighty God—
used only by getting selfish ambition and desires out of the way. With gratefulness we work for ZION—God’s
church and holy group of people.
Gwen and the other servants at Weigh Down
Copyright 2003 by Gwen Shamblin and Weigh Down Ministries
Weigh Down Ministries name and logo are trademarks. The Last Exodus name and logo are registered
trademarks.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or reproduced
in any way, including but not limited to photocopy, photograph, magnetic or other record, without the prior
agreement and written permission of the publisher.
This student guide and the compact discs that accompany it are provided to seminar participants upon payment
of applicable registration fees. If another person acquires copies of these materials from any source other
than The Weigh Down Workshop, and desires to participate in the seminar, all applicable seminar fees will be
expected in full for that person. Possession of the seminar materials does not eliminate any portion of the
required seminar fee.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL
VERSON. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of
Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America
Weigh Down Ministries
308 Seaboard Ln, Franklin, TN 37067
www.weighdown.com
ii
Week 2 Escape.................................................26
Week 3 New Creations.......................................42
Week 4 Living Lights.......................................... 58
Week 5 Total Obedience................................... 72
(Relationships & Authority)
Week 6 Zion......................................................90
Week 7 The Cross.............................................106
Week 8 The Last Exodus .....................................122
A Final Charge ....................................................138
Appendix ...........................................................142
Medical Information
General List of Strongholds
Reproduceable Food Recall Form
Puzzle Answers
What’s Next
Table of Contents
Let’s Get Started.................................................3
Basic Seminar Information
A Note from Gwen
Introduction
Weight Record
Week 1 My Captain.............................................10
iii
In Class
Each week you will be shown a video lesson, which will last approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes.
The information that is shared in these lessons has its foundation in God’s Word as it relates to our
lives. In addition, each video includes testimonies from people who are walking in total obedience to
God and have been set free from food and/or other strongholds. This complete life transformation
into “a new creation” (Ephesians 4:24) is happening in lives right now all over the world. You will not
want to miss any of these classes as you will be experiencing this same transformation. Make this
class your priority for the next 8 weeks! You will also want to be prepared for Satan’s tricks to keep
you out of class, out of the Word and away from the Saints. Plan on taking notes each week and be
sure to bring your Bibles. You will have homework each week that will help keep you in God’s Word,
finding out what He wants for you. After the video, spend any remaining time in confession, prayer,
and positive testimony. Be ready to share what God has done in your life that week—give Him the
praise for the blessings and jewels you received for obeying Him. May God bless you on this journey.
Must Read Before Starting the Class
Defective/Damaged Materials:
Please return any defective materials to your coordinator for replacement. Any lost or damaged materials must be ordered through the coordinator and require a replacement fee of $8.00 plus
shipping and handling, payable to the Weigh Down Workshop.
Refunds:
Please be aware that refunds for returned materials or class cancellations are not available
after the first week of class. The amount of the refund will be the seminar fee minus a return shipping
and handling fee. If the workbook is returned in used condition (i.e. writing in it, clear damage, wear
and tear), we will deduct a $19.95 replacement workbook charge.
Possession of Materials
The Last Exodus student guide and the compact discs that accompany it are provided to
seminar participants upon payment of applicable registration fees. If another person acquires copies
of these materials from any source other than the Weigh Down Workshop and desires to participate
in the seminar, all applicable seminar fees will be expected in full for that person. Possession of the
seminar materials does not eliminate any portion of the required seminar fee. Proceeds are used to
sustain and expand this ministry.
iv
About this Book
Your student guide is designed to be a tool for you to use every week as you seek out more and
more death-to-self and discover the peace of obedience and whole-hearted devotion to God. Each
week contains:
x Summary of each week’s video lesson, including scripture references
x Thought questions
x Journal pages
x Stumbling Stoppers
x A Cross to Sword Section
You will also have the opportunity to record your weekly progress and changes on other forms
such as:
x Weight Graphs - weigh in one time each week
x Spirit vs. Flesh Calendars (Explained in week 3)
x Jewels page to record the rewards for obedience
x Note pages to take notes and write your thoughts during the week’s video lesson.
x Troubleshooting pages (Explained in week 5)
By working on all of these sections as God leads you during the week, you will become more and
more grounded on the Rock so that nothing moves you from total obedience to Him. There is not a
formula or schedule for this workbook, but rather a constant focus on God and being led by His Spirit.
Find things throughout the week that help you with this focus on God’s will and off yourself, such as
music or other materials. If you have the need or desire for this, see the back of this book for purchasing additional resource materials. Most importantly, find the fellowship of like-minded believers
who will continue to challenge you and convict you as you live to please only the Father, just as Jesus
did. (John 14:31) Join the Weigh Down Ministries YOUTH Facebook page to talk to others who are
on this journey with you.
The time between weekly classes should be spent in independent, self-paced study. The most
important tool you will use during this study is your Bible. The scripture references in the class videos, compact discs, and student guide of The Last Exodus series are from the New International Version (NIV). We strongly recommend that you also use the NIV version during this study. (Call Weigh
Down at 1-800-844-5208 or visit the store at weighdown.com to get a new Bible to mark in.)
Please use every element of this seminar as a tool for breaking free from living for yourself, so
that every cell in your body will be completely surrendered to its Creator. As you begin to submit
your will to God’s will, you may find yourself tempted to run back to your old love—maybe out of
habit, or out of fear that God won’t supply your needs. Remember that those are the most important
times to turn and run instead to God—in prayer, by reading from His Word, listening to your compact
discs, reviewing your student guide materials, or journalizing your thoughts. You may feel this passion up to 20 times a day, finding yourself running to God each time. Wonderful! He does answer
prayer—although it is always in His time, not ours. Be patient and know that your efforts will be rewarded. It is this constant dependence upon God that will reveal to you how very loving and capable
He is. We must turn from the world and come back home to our Father!
v
A Note From Gwen
Dearest Se
ekers,
I am sing
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been grab
ncing—I am
bed by the
so excited
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that you ha
Last EXODU
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get to know
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in the Unive
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re going
rse:
most powe
Word and fin God Almighty!!! You
rful being
are going to
ding His Tru
th. This journ
be turning
get ready.
to His
ey is going
Here we go
to be aweso
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life once yo
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m
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u find the n
food or you
ew one. Ple
you.
r old way o
ase let me
f
know what
I can do fo
r
You are so
v
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ry precious
already be
to me! You
en praying
need to kn
for you. It is
joined this c
ow that I ha
by no mista
lass. God h
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as called y
to hear truth
have
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from His Wo
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are not burd
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ut the yoke
become a
nds
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special fello
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er is. May th
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ho are unifi
May you ha
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ve fellowsh
with no con
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th
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d and then
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This will b
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.
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So again w
elcome, an
God!!!
d let’s get re
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ll the way fo
r
My sincere
love and p
rayers,
vi
Welcome. You have made a wise decision. This program will definitely
help you get your life right with God. I have personally laid down many
things from these teachings, including overeating, lust, depression and always wanting to please others. The fulfillment, joy and purpose I have in my
life now has only come from getting in under God’s authority and doing it His
way! You have tried it your way long enough, now try living God’s way and
see how your life will be blessed.
Michael
Let’s Get Started... God is good, He is just, and He is powerful!! All
glory to my Father in Heaven! I love Him more than anything else in this
world! And I can guarantee you this: Obeying the commands of the Almighty
God is the ONLY way to go. No other way brings you peace—No other way
brings you joy!! Because of my love and obedience to the Father, I have
laid down a life completely centered around self-focus and the love of food.
I have now found a new life—and I have found that it is good! The Great
King HAS set up boundary lines for us all... and they have fallen in pleasant
places! (Psalm 16:5,6) I love my God—I obey my God—and I would have it
no other way! I cannot stop praising Him every day for allowing me to wake
up and have another day to serve Him!! Our God is so good! If you are
looking for this unstoppable peace and joy in your life... you have got to go
through this program! Don’t wait any longer! Join us in finding the fun in a
changed life!
Elizabeth
You are going to be so blessed by taking this class. Finally, an
answer that will set your heart free permanently from the things that burden
you. Before this teaching came into my life I was hooked on cigarettes,
bulimia and alcohol, and I craved the approval of my friends. On the outside
it seemed I had everything together, but if you looked closer I was deeply
depressed and desperate for an answer. I have now laid down those things
that once held my heart, and I live only for the one true God. The only way
to be set free is to turn your heart toward God and lay down your passions
for the world.
Erin
If you have been searching for a way to end the guilt of lying, disobedience to your parents and lusting, then you are in the RIGHT PLACE! You
will learn how to find true friends and no longer give into peer pressure. You
will also learn how to break the cycle of doing the same things every weekend
that you know are wrong. If it had not been for this teaching, I would still be
enslaved to all these strongholds. You have found the only program that will
change your life forever with permanent freedom from all the things you wish
you had never done or may still be doing. By putting into practice the principles you will learn in this eight week class, your life will be transformed before
your very eyes by an undying passion only for God Almighty!!!
Brandon
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A Note From the Weigh Down Staff
Welcome to The Last Exodus. We praise God that you have found your way here and are excited
to go on this journey with you. Many of you have probably wondered what the purpose of your life
was and have turned to the world for answers. This has led you to overeating, smoking, gossip, excessive TV and internet use, drugs, sexual sins and pornography and many other self-destructive behaviors. These things will leave you feeling more empty and depressed, rob you of your looks, money,
health, time and ultimately lead you to destruction. Only God can give you peace, purpose and blessings in your life. Your heart will be filled with a love for God and His will and you will no longer bow
down to created things or desire anything outside of His boundaries.
All throughout the bible and the teachings in The Last Exodus you will find that you cannot serve
two masters. You cannot serve God and food. You must make a choice and praise God He has given
us the ability to choose Him. The word of God also teaches us to surround ourselves with people
who love God with all of their heart, soul, mind and strength and to avoid surrounding yourself with
those who are deliberately defying God. You will find that as you surround yourself with the truth and
those who are doing the same, it is easier to walk away from disobedience to God and to love God
wholeheartedly. 1 Corinthians 15:33 “Do not be misled, bad company corrupts good character.”
You will long to be with others who love God as you will sharpen one another and you will desire to
hear the truth as much as possible. Praise God for the opportunity you will have to do this in The Last
Exodus.
We are excited you have decided to make God everything in your life. We are so excited and
can’t wait to see you lose your weight and greed for anything outside of God’s boundaries. We
look forward to witnessing the lives that will be transformed by the Spirit of God and to watching the
captives be set free. You will not only have a complete heart and life change, but you will find other
people your age who want to serve and obey God wholeheartedly. These will be friendships you will
have for life. We look forward to serving you on your journey.
Encouragement and Support
We encourage you to join the Weigh Down Ministries YOUTH Facebook page. This is a great
place for you to get encouragement from other young adults that have been where you are and have
decided to leave Egypt (or the love for the things of this world) forever. You will find the latest testimonies and receive support from the Weigh Down staff and others. You will also be able to make new
friends and fellowship with others from around the world who only want to do the will of God.
viii
Weight Record
The Last Exodus is all about truth and—by getting on the scales and weighing each week—you
will start telling yourself the truth. The scales will help you see who was the God of your temple each
week. God wants you to get your excess weight off by abiding in His guidelines of hunger and fullness, and if you abide you WILL lose weight! So, take the time each week to get on the scales and
record your progress. Remember, the scale is not your god, but it will help you to see who was the
God each week.
ix
Week One - My Captain
Sail Away
Take down the sails, let go of the rails
I don’t see no gales and I’ll tell you some tales,
Of a dark stormy night, then I’ll blow out your light
Sail away…
On the open sea, I’m so carefree
Cause the Captain can see, where we need to be,
And I want to be, on the open sea
Sail away…
Sail away – I just do what I’m told
Float away – when the night gets so cold
I just wait for the night, to turn into the day
With my Captain I’ll sail away
On foggy days, my mind’s in a haze
I ask for a sign and the Captain He says,
There’s no land in sight, but the boat is alright
Sail away…
Some days will get tough, and some seas will be
rough
When your body is tired, and your mind’s had
enough,
Just head for the light, in the dead of the night
Sail away…
Michael Shamblin
10
Write down the major points that personally hit your
heart from this week’s video and audio.
11
Scriptures used in this
week’s lesson:
1 John 2:17
The world and its desires
pass away, but the man
who does the will of God
lives forever.
Exodus 34:14
Jeremiah 5:22-25
Genesis 19:26
Psalm 81:6-10
You are about to go on
an
exciting journey!
This is a journey away from the pull of the refrigerator or any other
stronghold, which is anything that may be an idol in your life (a general
list of strongholds can be found in the appendix). A journey that will
lead you to the One who truly deserves your attention and love—God!
As you put these lessons into practice, you will know they are truth.
Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’ They [the
Jews] answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never
been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”
Jesus replied, “ ‘I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to
it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.’” (John
8:31-36). Do not be afraid, this is exciting!!
Freedom is within your reach.
Deuteronomy 30:11-14
1 Corinthians 3:16
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Colossians 2:16, 20-23
Colossians 3:5
Mark 7:14-23
Matthew 5:29-30
The first Exodus occured when God rescued the Israelite slaves
from the hands of Pharaoh in Egypt. Exodus 3:7-8 says, The Lord said,
I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them
crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about
their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand
of the Egyptians and bring them up out of that land into a good and
spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey… God heard the cry
of His people and sent Moses to ask Pharaoh to release them so that
they could worship God. Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he was unwilling
to let his slaves go. God had to send incredible plagues that caused
great destruction to the land and to the Egyptians before Pharaoh
would release the Israelites. Read for yourself the powerful story of
this incredible journey out of Egypt found in Exodus 12 and 13. God
knows that you are suffering. The Last Exodus is about leaving Egypt
(the love of this world) which is food or anything else, and going into the
Promised Land, where the world no longer calls your name, and God is
your Captain, your All in All. He wants to be your Hero, your Rescuer,
and your Knight in shining armor—
He wants to be your
EVERYTHING!!
Through The Last Exodus, you will learn how to make God your
everything by transferring your passion for food or any other stronghold
to a pure, wholehearted passion and devotion to the Creator of the
Universe.
12
The main problem comes from not knowing who we are and that
our body is not our own. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 says, Don’t you know
that you yourselves are
God’s temple and that
God’s Spirit lives in you?
If anyone destroys God’s
temple, God will destroy
him; for God’s temple is
sacred, and you are that
temple. We did not make
ourselves and we cannot
save ourselves. This is
not your brain, your body,
your mouth or your mind
to do with as you please.
It is God’s brain, God’s
body, God’s mouth and God’s mind. Every thought and every action
must glorify the One who made us—God Almighty. We
are told in Mark 12:30 to love God with all our heart, all our soul, all
our mind and all our strength. When you finally choose a master, it will
be so simple to stop overeating because you will clearly hear the voice
of the One you love, loud and clear.
Definitions:
idols: A passion for
anything in this world
that is placed before
God.
Zion: Jerusalem, the
City of God, God’s
People or His church
Rebuilding the Wall:
Read Ezra and
Nehemiah. After
sinning, which caused
the destruction of
Jerusalem, the exiles
went back to build the
city of God again. That
is our goal - to build up
the church with true,
pure saints.
Exodus 20:4 says, You shall not make for yourself an idol in the
form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the
waters below. And Ephesians 5:5 says, For of this you can be sure: No
immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any
inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Paul says in Philippians
3:19, Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their
glory is in their shame. So, God says in the TEN COMMANDMENTS to
have no idols—no other bosses or masters or loves before Him. Food
has become an idol in this country and the stomach has become a god.
We have grown greedier and larger. We have stretched our stomachs
out or have become dependant on throwing up the food. If we are to
obey THE WORD OR COMMANDS OF THE CREATOR, we must reverse
this!!
There is hope and you
can turn this around!
When your devotion has truly been transferred from food or other
idols, you will experience the joy and peace of being in the land flowing
with milk and honey. If you believe there is a powerful, jealous, to be
feared, loving God in the heavens, then wouldn’t you want to do what
He says? If you follow in the footsteps of the Son of God, Jesus Christ,
you will please God and that is all you need to live for. God is your
captain.
Stop controlling your own life
and let God steer your way.
13
Nathan Powers
I just praise God for another day to be alive! Who are we? I had
grown up going to a “Christian school” all my life, but I was living a life
totally opposite of what God wanted me to be doing. I felt so hypocritical because I claimed to be a Christian, but I disobeyed God with
my actions. I overate; I occasionally lied to my parents
and teachers, and I had a horrible outlook on life. My
life was miserable! When I graduated high school, I
weighed around 265 or 270 pounds. I was pushing the limits of wearing normal clothes from some
of my favorite stores. This was so depressing.
I was desperate for a change, but
I
did not know where to turn.
During Christmas of 1999 a
friend gave me the Rise Above
book, and so I was introduced
to the truth that the Weigh
Down Workshop was teaching. It was the first thing
that ever truly turned me
to God and really reading
His Word. It was amazing
that after thirteen years at
a Christian school, I had only
used the Bible as a history
book. Through Weigh Down and The
Last Exodus, I started losing weight: hunger and
fullness just made sense. It was so natural because
it was God’s way to weight loss, and it brought
about immediate results! Immediately, I started losing
weight. There were temptations along the way through
the desert, but when I got to the weekend and realized
I had lost 8 pounds that first week, it made it all worth
it. It seemed like everyone else in my freshman class in
college was gaining weight as I was quickly losing. However, the greatest benefit was definitely the renewed
relationship with God Almighty. Weigh Down also helped
me find a group of friends that were pushing me onward
with love and encouragement! I really needed that fellowship when
times got tough, but in the end it was all worth it!! The weight loss of
120 pounds was merely a side benefit to the joy that I have now from
obeying God. I just want to give praise and glory to His Holy name! So,
read Philippians 3:13-14, hang in there and keep fighting! If you need
any encouragement, please e-mail me at [email protected].
14
Welcome to the “Stumbling Stoppers” section of The Last Exodus!
There will be a section like this one every week, which will be used to
encourage all of you out there who are going after this walk of complete
obedience and wanting to lay it all down! Each week there will be a
key scripture for finishing off those last little bits of self inside and to
push you along the path of purity. Sometimes it can be very frustrating
or even overwhelming when you feel like you are really going after this
obedience, when different things seem to keep popping up. You should
know that you are being refined in God’s great Refining Fire. This isn’t
going to last forever and you WILL be imitating Christ more and more
each week! How exciting! Let’s read the key scripture for this week
which is in Romans 6:19-23.
...Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to
impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery
to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you
were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap
at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things
result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have
become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the
result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
You used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and
wickedness! Your eyes were looking at things they should not have
been, or your hands were feeding your body food you didn’t need! But
no more! Now you must offer the parts of your body to righteousness
(doing what God wants), which will lead to holiness! If there still has been
a part of you that is hanging on to doing what you want to do this week,
then make the change now! Offer the parts of your body to holiness and
righteousness.
You don’t have a choice anymore. You must offer your body as
a living sacrifice and DO the will of the Father. You will find that each
week it is going to get easier and easier to do the will of
God. This is because each time you make the right choice
and kill what you want to do when you are tempted, you
kill a little bit more of self that is inside you, and you
birth a little more of the Spirit inside you! Keep this
up and you will find that it is going to get easier and
easier to do what God wants, and eventually, it will be
shocking to you to even consider doing your own will
during the day and not God’s. Make His will your
food and realize that He is who makes you happy.
Doing your own thing will only leave you feeling
depressed and angry, like Cain. Remember what it
feels like to be doing God’s will and knowing that
He is pleased with you. That is all that matters!
15
Hey guys! This is Elizabeth here to help you get ready for this
upcoming week!! Let’s prepare our minds for the tests that will come
our way… and let’s get ourselves READY and ALERT in order to be able
to PASS those temptations when they arrive!
The Temptation:
More than likely, you are getting tempted with that food when you
come home from school and are home alone.
There you are in your house—and there’s no one around...
so the Battle begins. You feel the temptation come over you... an
overwhelmingly heavy feeling of greed for that food—you want to go
and eat EVERYTHING in the refrigerator AND in the pantry! But you
KNOW you are not hungry…
The Way Out:
1.FIRST: IMMEDIATELY FLEE the area where you are being tempted—
get out of that Kitchen! Go into your bedroom or some place where
you can be alone to gather your thoughts together in order to pass
this test! You have to concentrate from the beginning and think all
the way through what you are going to do.
2.SECOND: DECIDE NOT TO EAT UNTIL YOUR STOMACH GROWLS.
The faster you decide to OBEY, the faster the temptation goes away!
3.THIRD: Get on your knees and pray to God that He provides a way
of escape and delivers you from this temptation! Ask Him to fill you
up better than that food can! And believe me, He’ll do it! Getting
fulfillment from God beats everything else on this earth! Remember,
as Jesus was tempted by Satan to eat, he said, Man does not live
on bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of
God (Matthew 4:4). You are going to learn how to REALLY LIVE
from DOING what God tells you to do—you will start to get more
of a kick out of seeing God smile at your actions than from anything
else!
4.LAST: Fill up your time with finding what the Spirit wants you to do,
and then go DO IT!! Maybe the Spirit will lead you to dig into the
Word to find what is on God’s mind, or maybe the Spirit will lead
you to play a love song and sing and dance before God if you are by
yourself! I LOVE to sing and dance before God when I’m all alone
in my room and no one is watching! It is so much more fulfilling to
PLEASE HIM than to eat that food, I promise! You’ve got to try it!
Or... the Spirit may lead you to write or call a saint to encourage
them—or see how you can serve your parents. Either way, you need
to get your mind off of yourself and your own desires, and FILL UP
with DOING the will of God... not by eating that food!
16
Fill in the puzzle based upon key words from this week’s video
Across
3 THE LEADER OF A SHIP OR BOAT
7 THE TITLE OF A SECTION IN YOUR WORKBOOK ABOUT TURNING TEMPTATION INTO VICTORY
8 JERUSALEM, THE CITY OF GOD, HIS PEOPLE, HIS CHURCH
11 WHAT APPLIANCE SHOULD YOU AVOID IN THE KITCHEN IF YOU’RE NOT HUNGRY
14 A COUNTRY, SYMBOLIC OF IDOLS THAT YOU HAVE HAD
15 PUTTING THE LAWS AND COMMANDS OF GOD BACK INTO THEIR RIGHTFUL PLACE; NEHEMIAH DID THIS
(THREE WORD PHRASE)
Down
1 THIS PHRASE WHICH STARTS WITH THE WORD “GREED” AND REPRESENTS SOMETHING THAT CANNOT
ENTER HEAVEN (SEE COL. 3:5)
2 ANYTHING THAT MAY BE AN IDOL IN YOUR LIFE, SOMETHING YOU WORSHIP OR ADORE MORE THAN GOD
4 “BEFORE I FOUND THIS PROGRAM I WEIGHED 265 TO 270 POUNDS” (NAME OF A PERSON)
5 GOD PROGRAMMED THESE INSIDE OF US. WE ALSO HAVE EVIL VERSIONS OF THESE THAT WE CREATE—
SEE I JOHN 2:17
6 COMPLETELY DEVOTED, PASSIONATELY COMMITTED
9 THE LEADER OF EGYPT
10 WHAT A TRUE CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCES AS A SERVANT TO GOD; OPPOSITE OF SLAVERY
12 THE STORY OF GOD’S RESCUE OF THE ISRAELITES
13 THE PLACE WHERE GOD RESIDES; SEE I CORINTHIANS 3:16-17
17
Homework: Work at your own pace.
However, your goal is to answer all of these questions in one week
God provides food to fuel our empty stomachs. Your body knows that you are overweight.
Therefore, it will only ask for a small amount of food each day so that it can use up the fat stores you
already have. Don’t expect to be eating a lot of food over the next 24 hours and don’t expect to
eat large meals each time you sit down. You will be amazed at how little food it actually takes to fuel
your body! Remember to be aware of your body’s cues while you are eating and stop as soon as you
start to feel full or satisfied.
1.
In the space below, write about the day you decided to leave Egypt.
symbolic of idols that you have had.
Egypt is
If food is your stronghold, remember that you need to find true hunger (a stomach growl) before
you eat again. Record the time you ate last.
How long did you have to
wait before you felt hunger?
_____________
____________
Did you wait for your stomach to growl every day this week? Yes___No___
How many times did you wait for hunger?____________
2. Describe your physical symptoms of hunger.
Remember, head hunger is a desire for God. Run to Him.
3.
Write down all the ways a thin eater eats. Use your CD from week 1 and your notes from the
lesson.
4.
Keeping your heart on God and finding out what His will is for you is the most important thing you
can do and is vital when breaking any stronghold (A stronghold or idol is something that you worship
18
or adore more than God.) Read Exodus 20:4 and then write this passage in the space provided.
5.
In your Bible, read and underline the following passages. Write them out in the space below.
Colossians 3:1-4
Galatians 6:7-10
Philippians 4:8
What do these scriptures tell you to focus on or put your mind on?
6.
According to this week’s lesson, what is an idol?
19
The passages listed below are just a few examples of what the Bible says about idols. Look up
these passages:
Exodus 20:3-5Colossians 3:5
Deuteronomy 4:23-24Deuteronomy 9:15-17
1 Corinthians 8:4-6
List your past idols (which you now know you have to lay down).
7.
Ephesians 5:5 says that “greed” is idolatry and cannot enter heaven. Write that verse out and
memorize it.
8.Read Matthew 6:24 and then write it out.
Why can you not bow down to both food and God?
9..
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 says, Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s
Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is
sacred, and you are that temple. Write down how you have abused your body (God’s temple) in
the past. How do you plan to glorify God with your body from now on?
10. Turn in your Bible to 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.
comfort spoken about in this passage.
20
Compare the comfort you think food gives you to the
11.Read
Psalm 81:8-11. This passage lets us know that God will take care of us, but we have to
listen to Him—and He also commands us in this passage to have no foreign gods. Meditate and
pray over this scripture. Lay down those foreign and alien gods so that He can fill you up.
12.Add
up (just guess) how many hours each day you spend thinking about food.
that number of hours by 7.
[ GOD!
______
_____ Multiply
Now, that is how many hours you need to
turn toward
13. Read all of these “do” scriptures.
Underline the word “do” in your Bible, for it is only those that
DO the will of God who will be saved. Underline all the action verbs.
James 2:17-24Luke 6:46-49
Titus 2:11Mark 9:42-49
Hebrew 10:26-31John 14:31
James 1:22-25Matthew 7:21-23
Ephesians 5:5
1 John 3:4-10
After reading these passages, what are God and Jesus commanding you to do?
14. SAVE THIS QUESTION FOR THE END OF THE WEEK!!
Describe how your relationship with God has
grown this week. How has He blessed you when you have looked to Him for His lead?
u Visit www.weighdown.com, click on “Join our Email List”, and follow the online instructions to
receive weekly e-mails from Gwen containing invaluable information to help you let go of your idols!
u Use your new workbook or journal for writing down everything over the next few weeks. Keep
your Bible by your side all the time for those moments when you need to truly satisfy your head
hunger.
u Be honest with yourself about WHY you want to eat if there really isn’t any true physical hunger.
Pick up The Weigh Down Diet book and read, “Help, I Feel Hungry All the Time!”
21
FOOD
God Created us
with physiological
hunger for food.
FOOD
If we try to
feed our
heart-hunger
with physical
food, we
pass up the
only thing that
can really satisfy
it—the spiritual food
of a relationship with
God.
1Timothy 4:1-4 says, The Spirit clearly says that in later times
some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught
by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose
consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people
to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God
created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know
the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be
rejected if it is received with thanksgiving... When you get hungry, think
about what food you would like. Be reasonable. If what you’re craving
is at a restaurant halfway across town, sometimes God has granted you
the time and the money to be this picky, but if not, please settle for the
next best thing. Sometimes, even leftovers will turn out to be delicious!
Whatever God provides is awesome! Listed below are some additional
helpful tips on how to feed your stomach.
1. Wait anywhere from one to thirty-six hours on your first hunger, and
then it will come approximately one to three times a day. Do not
fear—you will love the energy you feel from this and the delight from
being able to wait.
2. Hunger is a very natural burning, empty, hollow sensation just below
the rib cage. There is a build up of stomach acid, which will produce
a growl. If you have to bypass hunger due to work or social conflicts,
the sensation will come back around in forty-five minutes. While it
is normal to skip hunger once in a while, do not make it a habit. If
you haven’t felt hunger within 36 hours, eat a small meal and wait
for hunger again. You should feel it soon. After your first attempt,
don’t keep waiting 36 hours. Continue to decrease your food daily
until you feel stomach hunger. Do not be legalistic. We are working
on reducing food intakes to normal amounts for your body.
3. Family mealtime. If you are hungry before dinner, just bypass hunger.
If you are full at normal mealtime because of an irregular eating
schedule or because you tasted all your cooking—several times—then
just drink a glass of unsweet tea or diet drink and talk to the family.
4. Drink non-caloric beverages or diet drinks to help the sugar levels
drop normally so that you can get the hunger signal. Continual intake
of sugar through drinks like regular cokes, Gatorade and juice boxes
prevents you from sensing hunger. If you are sipping on these drinks
all day, it is like an IV bag in a hospital and your blood sugar will stay
elevated. Therefore your body will never know when you are truly
hungry. If you do not like diet drinks, try them for three straight
weeks—it only takes your taste buds this long to switch over. God
programs us to naturally like what we get used to.
5. Use a fork when you are eating. Put it down between bites and sip
your drink.
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6. Be attentive to when your body starts to get satisfied and STOP
eating when you are politely full, which is a satisfied feeling. You will
not need to change into sweatpants or loosen your belt.
7. Rate foods. Decide which foods you like best and eat those first,
saving the least favorite until the end. Generally, leave desserts until
last.
8. Wrap up the leftovers. You can have them the next time you are
hungry.
9. Use carryouts when eating out. Restaurants serve such large
portions. Some foods, especially pastas, taste better the next day.
Some just turn green in the fridge, and then you can easily throw
them away!
10.Do not serve yourself a five-course meal just because a medication
must be taken with food. Food needed with pills can be small amounts,
like one to three crackers. You do not need a banquet unless the
physician orders that. Do not waste food.
11.Expect your food consumption to decrease from 2/3 to 1/3 of what
you were eating as an overeater. As you progress, you may expect
your desire eating, or desire for food, to decrease over time.
Let’s get to the truth about what you eat and how much you eat in a typical day. Take your time
filling in these Food Recall Forms, remembering to include all 24 hours in the day. In other words, if
you go to bed and then get up in the night to eat something, you must record it—every food, drink,
and snack. If you did not lose weight this week then simple adjustments can be made. Additional
forms for this and upcoming weeks are available in the back of your student guide.
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Desert Hint: Remember to wait for hunger, then pray and invite God in every time you eat.
24
Desert Hint: You must remember that your body is God’s temple. 1 Corinthians 3:16
25
Week Two - Escape
26
Holy Nation
Speak oh Lord, and we will listen
With open minds, and open hearts
We put on our holy armor
At Your signal, the battle starts
And in Your Revelation
You talk of a holy place
We fight for the holy nation
Establish for God a space
For God a space
Train us Lord, to fight the battle
Train us Lord, to do your will
Train us up with love and mercy
Through the ages, you’re with us still
Michael Shamblin
Write down the major points that personally hit
your heart from this week’s video and audio.
27
week’s lesson:
Deuteronomy 28
Deuteronomy 29
Genesis 3
Deuteronomy 8:2
Matthew 7:7
John 15:1-7
Matthew 6:24
Exodus 20:1-4
Ezekiel 28:2
1 Thessalonians 1:9-16
Psalm 119:33-36
Genesis 19:15-29
Jeremiah 5:22-25
Hasn’t this been an awesome week?! You probably had no idea
how much of your mind and your time had been devoted to food or
other strongholds. But you have changed this week! You are a
new
creation!
You have been seeking God and losing interest in the
world—the food, man-made rules, praise of men, etc. Your obedience
through your actions has shown which god you have chosen to serve.
You chose God over food this week! Deuteronomy chapters 28 and 29
talk about blessings for obedience and what happens when you disobey
God. You have seen that God is everything and you can focus on what
His will is for you. Don’t forget this feeling—how happy you are and
what a wonderful feeling it is to be devoted to God instead of food or
other idols.
You did so well this week because you had a steady dose of
truth.
You understood the truth of who you are and who God
is. You are not a god. God Almighty is the only God—King of Kings
and Lord of Lords! If you followed instructions and let go of your idol
or idols and sought after God instead, then you felt peace and joy this
week. No more guilty eating! You found that you lost weight physically
and you lost the weight of carrying those idols. You were able to lose
weight eating regular foods. This gives you a lifetime of hope—no more
diets! You also found when you went to the Word of God, it really
spoke to your heart. This is because you laid down your old gods that
you had been depending on and turned to the One and only true God
and His Son, Jesus Christ. God is everything, and you must run to Him
and obey and trust Him with food, money, relationships, jobs, work,
etc. Keep running to God for EVERYTHING! If you don’t, you will be
miserable and depressed and you will not understand why bad things
keep happening to you. Stay focused. Run to God all week. Look for
your rewards or blessings and the love that has been waiting for you all
along. God’s jealous love has been right there and you did not even
see it!
Keep Running to God for EVERYTHING!
Please remember—God is looking for a group of people that
are meek and humble. God expects us to be grateful to be alive and
grateful for all the other blessings He has given as well. God had
Moses lead the Israelites into the desert because the desert is barren,
meaning there is nothing there. God wanted to bless them by taking
them to a land flowing with milk and honey, which means many blessings.
God called it the Promised Land. Before He would allow them to go
into this lush land with plenty of food and great wealth, He wanted to
test their hearts and show them that all they needed to do was focus
on Him. Deuteronomy 8:2 says Remember how the Lord your God led
28
you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to
test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you
would keep his commands. He saw what was in their hearts—they still
longed to return to Egypt. It was not enough that God had mightily
rescued them from the bondage of slavery. Many times, the Israelites
got mad at Moses and God because they were hungry and thirsty and
thought they were going to die. Go to your Bibles and read these
stories in Exodus 15:22-27, Exodus 16, and Exodus 17. The Israelites
complained that at least while they were in Egypt they had food and
water. They did not give God a chance to show off and provide for
them. They felt that they needed to take matters into their own hands
and take care of themselves. You have got to learn to wait on God!
When you do—it is great!
God is always better.
An example might be that you want to eat, but you deny yourself
and then God comes back in and rewards you. Or you might want to go
shopping but you don’t really have the extra money to spend—wait for
God, He will give you the desires of your heart when you are seeking
Him and waiting on Him to provide instead of grabbing for yourself.
These blessings, or jewels, might come in the way of somebody giving
you a compliment because of weight loss or in the case of shopping,
maybe the item you wanted so badly the week before is now on sale for
a great price and God has given you the extra money to buy it! God
can do so much better than anything we would want to do for ourselves.
Do Not Grab! Go to God with your wish and then wait on God!!
You are going to be entering into the desert of testing during
the next few weeks. God will allow this testing to see what is in your
heart. These tests will be very tempting. Remember in Genesis 3:1
when the serpent said to Eve, Did God really say, ‘You must not eat
from any tree in the garden?’ Yes, God really did say we are to obey
His commands. These temptations could last anywhere from 10 minutes
to an hour but DON’T FALL FOR IT!! Give it up! Put God first
and He will give it all back. Keep in mind; you have to give it all to
God—all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength.
You cannot look back to the food, even a little, and continue this focus
on God. It just doesn’t work.
You cannot serve two masters. In Matthew 6:24, Jesus said, No
one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the
other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other... You
cannot love something that God has made more than you love Him! You
are commanded in Exodus 20:3 to have no other gods before Him. This
is basic information for true Christians. God is jealous of your other
gods, lusts or loves. These false gods (food, drugs, pride, etc.) rob
you of your time and attention that the True God deserves.
God Rewards you when you
choose Him.
29
Know that God has provided a way of escape for you to leave your
idols. He rewards you when you choose Him and ultimately He is all you
need. Stay focused on Him. Pass your tests so that you can enter
into the Promised Land, which is where God gives it all back to you!
Don’t forget about God’s wonderful creations in nature. Animals and
birds obey the will of God and don’t have a problem with it. We have
been taught all along that because we are human, we cannot fully obey
God. Ridiculous! The animals have a lower IQ and are able to stay within
God’s boundaries, so we can too! Don’t give up—you can do this!
Leah Meadors
My name is Leah Meadors and I am 19 years old. Most of my life I
did not know God. I knew that He was in heaven and that we had to go
to church to honor Him, but that was it. He was not a part of my life. I
went day after day miserable, doing things my way, and then paying for
it. Then I went through The Last Exodus and my life was turned upside
down. I learned how to live for God and His will alone. I learned how to
obey, to love Him, and to glorify Him with my life. Before Weigh
Down and The Last Exodus, I was a deceiver—I could look
happy on the outside but I was messed up inside. I would be
around my friends all day and then I would go home sometimes
and cry because I felt all alone. I would be nice
to my friends to their face but then I would write
evil, mean things about them in my diary or
talk about them behind their back. I had the
appearance of a nice girl but I was not at all.
The Last Exodus has delivered me from so
much. Since hearing this message, I have
laid down praise of man, deceit, depression,
lust, pornography, reading things I should
not have been reading, slander, fear of man,
too much television, being disobedient to my
parents, and the list goes on. I have also lost
33 pounds in the process, but the weight is
not the big thing, it was my heart. Once I got
rid of all that horrible stuff in my heart, I found
God and the beauty of being inside His will. I am
happy and joyful now. I would not go back to the way
I used to live. I do not want to live for myself and be
unhappy, but I want to live for Him and be joyful. He is a
good God if we would only give Him a chance. He wants
to shower us with His love but He could not do that to
me while I was running after everything that belonged to
the world. The Last Exodus has given me a treasure—
it has taught me how to love God and show it with my
actions, my words, and my life. He is God and there is no better way
to live than to serve Him.
30
Brittany Meadors
Hi, my name is Brittany Meadors and I’m 15 years old. This
program has saved my life. Before I heard this message I was going
down a path of destruction at 110 miles per hour. No one ever told
me that the way I was living was going to destroy me in the end. Yet,
I thank God above because through Him, The Last Exodus was created,
and it has given me freedom.
As a little girl, I was boy crazy, over-emotional and had anger
problems. I was addicted to T.V. and caffeine; I was a
complainer and I knew how to get my way. Most people
wouldn’t believe that a girl who is only 15 could have gone
through all that in just a few short years, but they can…
because I did. But through this message in The Last Exodus
I have found God. The true God, the God that says that
purity is needed all the way! Through this, I learned how
to lay down all these idols in my life. I’m no longer boy
crazy, because God is my husband first and always, and
when He gives me a husband, I will treat that man like a
king and will obey him, but until then my focus is totally
and always on God. I have given all my emotions to God
and now I’m always happy. PRAISE GOD!! That is how
it is supposed to be! God wants happy people! No
more anger! I learned that I have NO right to get angry.
It isn’t about me anymore. Why should I get angry if
someone wrongs me or someone doesn’t do something
that I would want done? So, now there is no more anger
in my life. Now, T.V is for when God says I can. I have
given up the idol of watching cartoons all the time. I
used to watch every every episode of my fovorite show
and collected every shirt and poster, and more! I made
that a huge idol, which is now gone! I took my focus off of
the T.V and now it is on God! Every now and then I might
watch a little television, but it is definitely not an everyday
thing. The most awesome thing is now I have more time to
do other things! When I was in front of the T.V. all day, I
wasted my time, yet, this new freedom gives me more time
to get everything done! I was addicted to caffeine at a young age. I
would have coke about 6 times a day. Now, I drink when I’m thirsty
and I am not continually popping open a coke can. I have also found
that I enjoy diet caffeine free coke! I used to complain if I didn’t get
my way and to “persuade” many people into doing things my way—how
disgusting!!! Through this teaching, I found out that if I continued to
complain like that, I would not enter God’s Kingdom. He only wants
those who are grateful for what they have. So, now if I get something,
it is fine, if not, that is fine too—everything is in God’s timing. Now I
never have to worry if I overspend or not! Getting rid of all this and 7
to 9 pounds off my body has totally been awesome!
I have peace now, I don’t have to think about myself anymore, and
I am not depressed anymore. No more! No more! I would never ever
want to trade this relationship with God Almighty for anything else. I’m
free… I’m finally free… Thank you Heavenly Father… Thank you.
31
Since the theme of this week’s video is “Escape”, let’s look at how
to find a way of escape when you are tempted.
Read 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 again. It is so powerful. It makes you
see that obeying God is sooooo important. If you are tempted, God
provides a way out! He actually plans the test just for you. Then He
makes up a personalized way of escape—in other words, a way out of
the temptation—just for you! You are loved!
The best thing to do—once you are distracted—is to think about
others. There is no better way of getting off of self and getting back
on track than to use that time when you usually have problems and find
something constructive you can do for God’s Kingdom! So next time
you are faced with a temptation or you know that you have a problem
time during that day (a weak point that Satan can get in) make sure that
you fill up that time with doing something constructive for God and His
people. Whether it be calling someone to encourage them, getting in
God’s Word, or just using whatever gift you have to help the Kingdom
out, you will find that whatever was calling your name will disappear and
you will have a new passion in your life—Jerusalem.
To finish, let’s read 1 Thessalonians 5:14-18. And we urge you,
brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak,
be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for
wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for
this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Hey everybody, this is Elizabeth; let’s get ready for another week
and pass those tests when they come our way.
The Temptation:
You have been waiting all week to go to the party on Friday night
and enjoy the fine selection of food that has been prepared. When you
finally get to the party, you realize you are NOT HUNGRY, but you really
want to eat some of that cake, a hot roll, and those chips and dip….
What do you DO??
The Way Out...
1.CRY OUT TO GOD TO SAVE YOU
PRAY before you even leave your house for the party. BEG HIM to
provide a way of escape, and then LOOK FOR IT! CRY OUT to God
to SAVE YOU from that food—and HE WILL DO IT. Just try it and
32
watch Him come back in and rescue you!! But you have to CRY OUT
to Him and ACKNOWLEDGE that HE is your Savior (and that food is
NOT your savior) in order for Him to come in there and rescue you!!
Remember what my mom has said: Note the time on your watch…
the test WILL NOT LAST THAT LONG! And then you will be happy you
ran to GOD and not to that silly old food that can NEVER give back!!
2. Find your fulfillment in letting GOD REIGN during that party:
Keep your mind on the others at the party, instead of on yourself and
what you “can’t have.” Don’t be self-focused, but look for people
that are hurting and try to help them!! God may need you at this
party to help FuRTHer HiS KinGDoM! Don’t miss those precious
opportunities!!! It is so much more fun to OBEY GOD and get off of
yourself than it is to overindulge in that food and then be miserable
for the next two days!!
3. Remember the One–to-One ratio:
When you obey, you are happy and blessed! When you disobey, you
are miserable and are in danger of God’s face and favor turning from
you. Don’t miss out on His favor!
Find the words in the puzzle. When you are done, the unused letters will spell out a hidden
message. Pick them out from left to right, top line to bottom line. Words can go horizontally,
vertically and diagonally in all eight directions.
BE JOYFUL
BELT OF TRUTH
DESERT OF TESTING
DEVILS SCHEMES
DO NOT GRAB
EMOTIONAL EATING
ESCAPE
EXTINGUISH
FULL ARMOR OF GOD
GOLDEN CALF
JEWELS
PROMISED LAND
THANKFUL
TREASURE
WAIT ON GOD
WAYS OF ESCAPE
33
1.
Jesus is the way, the truth and the light. He came to give his life and blood for our forgiveness.
He shows us the way to heaven and to the heart of God. He also teaches us to say, “not my will
but yours be done”, even in the toughest of testing and suffering. Read Mark 14:35-36. What did
Jesus want to do? What did God want? What did Jesus do when his will differed from God’s will?
What should you do when your will differs from God’s will?
Did God answer Jesus’ prayer? Yes
___No___(See below for answer)
2.
Remember, God will allow you to go into the desert of testing. The desert is the perfect environment
to get to know God as opposed to the glitter of Egypt. Read Deuteronomy 8 and write verses
2 and 5 in the space below.
3.
Hopefully, you made no mistakes this week. God is God, but you are not. However, if you did
stumble, describe the pain you felt; in other words, if you ate when you weren’t hungry or you ate
beyond being satisfied. Was the pain only a physical pain or was there pain in your heart because
of what you had done?
Why does God let you feel pain? Read Hebrews 12: 5-12.
Answer: The answer is yes because what Jesus really wanted was not his will but for God’s to be
done. God got His way and sacrificed His Son for our obedience.
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From now on, turn to God instead of chocolate cake to fill your heart!
4.
1Corinthians 10:13 says, No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God
is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,
he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. How has God provided ways of
escape for you? Keep a list on page 39 throughout the rest of this class.
5.
God is jealous for your time, attention and passion. When you are loving a false god such as food,
it will always bring you pain. You need to remember the following:
1.Food is a false god.
2.You cannot bow down to the food because God commands you not to.
3.The food will never love you back or save you.
4.The food will rob you of joy, love, self-esteem and health.
What are some of the things that overindulging in food has robbed you of?
Example: Clothing or the pair of jeans you really want.
6.
We are told in Ephesians 6:10-18 to put on the full armor of God so that we can be prepared
for Satan’s tricks. Fill in the missing words below for this passage:
________
________
________
________
________
________
________
________
________
________
_______
________
________
________
________
________
________
________
________
_______
Finally, be
in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the
armor of
God so that you can take your stand
the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not
against
and blood, but against the
, against the
, against
the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the
realms.
Therefore put on the full
of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able
to
your ground, and after you have done
, to stand. Stand firm then,
with the belt of
buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of
in
place, and with your
fitted with the readiness that comes from the
of
peace. In addition to all this, take up the
of faith, with which you can extinguish
all the flaming
of the evil one. Take the helmet of
and the sword
of the
, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all
kinds of
and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for
all the
.
7.
Points to remember:
1.We’ve got to get it right before God. No grumbling or complaining.
2.We need to be THANKFUL that we even have the opportunity to have a relationship with God.
3. We need to be thankful that we get a reward when we do it right!!
In the space below, write out what happened to sinners in I Corinthians 10: 6-10:
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8.
John 15:1-2; 7-8 says, I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch
in me that bears no fruit, while every branch in me that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be
even more fruitful… If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it
will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be
my disciples.
a.What does it mean to remain “in” Jesus?
b.If you ask, it will be given—what is the “it” in your life that you really want?
c.Read John 15:1-14. According to this passage, how do you get your prayers answered?
9.Read Philippians 2 in your Bible.
What “jewels” did Christ receive? (See verses 9-11)
10. Be very honest and answer the following questions:
__________________________________
b.Today—Did you stop when you felt satisfied? ____________________________
c.Today—Did you get on your knees and pray for deliverance? ___________________
a.Today—Did you wait for hunger?
11.
Describe one battle or test that you won today.
What was the way of escape?
What was the reward (jewel)?
Is passing the test better than eating? (P.S. The answer is “Yes!!!”)
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12. Read the story of the golden calf in Exodus 32 and answer the following questions.
a.Should God’s children ever make an idol to worship?
______________________
b.Why did the Israelites make the golden calf? (See answer below)
c.What did Moses do when he got back to the camp?
d. What was the punishment God inflicted because of this idol being made?
13. Do you recall any of the tips that were given for when you are eating at home?
remember below. (Use your CD from week 2 or your notes from the video.)
List any that you
u If you know someone who has the Exodus Out of Egypt series, borrow the audiocassette
“Emotional Eating.” This will help you recognize head hunger for what it really is BEFORE you answer
it with unnecessary food!
u Make sure you are finding all the other Saints in The Last Exodus and encourage each other.
GET ON LINE at www.weighdown.com!!!! Call us at 1-800-844-5208 for more information.
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Answer: They were impatient—Moses was gone for 40 days and they wanted what they wanted,
when they wanted it. They were spoiled children.
Jewels
A jewel is a reward God has given you for being obedient. Prayerfully consider a jewel(s) you
have received since this class began. List them in the space provided below. You will want to reflect
on your jewels frequently and add to this list during the coming weeks. These symbols of God-given
victories will be a constant source of encouragement for you.
Example:
I received a compliment from my parents because I cleaned my room the first
time they asked.. I am able to wear a smaller jean size than I was able to before.
How has God blessed or rewarded you for your obedience? ________________________________
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Ways of Escape
Scripture assures us that God will help us when we are tempted. Many of you have discovered
that sometimes, when you begin to eat when you are not truly hungry, something will happen to get
in your way. Your food might fall off your plate and onto the floor or the whole shaker of salt dumps
onto your plate, ruining your food. You might be shopping looking for something to cheer you up and
you come across a blouse that you just love and feel like you have to have. However, the one blouse
that is in your size has a huge stain on it from someone else trying it on. These are God’s ways of
getting your attention—letting you know that He can do better for you than you can do for yourself.
Pay attention to these signs!!
Example:
I was going to eat some popcorn because I ‘thought’ I was hungry.
When I
opened the bag, the sack ripped, and all the popcorn fell to the floor.
Think back over the past couple of weeks and write down how God has given you ways of escape!!
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Desert Hint: Look for ways of escape and when you find them…TAKE THEM!!
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Desert Hint: If you feel ravenous, sip on 1 oz of orange juice before eating.
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Week Three - New Creations
Welcome Home
Welcome home my children, welcome to your family
Welcome home dears, welcome home my children
You have gained your senses, tired of useless living
Welcome home, lost sheep of Israel
Now you’ve found you’re way, found you’re way back home
Welcome home, lost sheep of Israel
Scattered here and there, scattered everywhere
Scattered everywhere, welcome home
You had been a stranger in a foreign country
Didn’t belong there, now you’re home my children
Now you praise the father, you have gained your senses
On the road now – journey homeward children
You had made wrong choices, you had been your own god
If you leave the darkness, if you’re in the true vine
You’ll be fed dears, you’ll be fed my children
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Michael Shamblin
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week’s lesson:
1 John 2:17
John 4:34
Romans 8:5-14
Galatians 5:16-18
Galatians 5:19-25
1 Peter 4:1-2
Jeremiah 5:22-25
Genesis 19:14-26
Matthew 18:3-4
Hebrews 10:26
James 1:22-25
1 John1: 5-10
1 John 2:1-2
2 Corinthians 5:15-17 says, And he died for all, that those who
live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them
and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly
point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so
no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the
old has gone, the new has come!
Praise God that you are all becoming new creations—people who
used to live for self indulgence, but now live for God! The changes are
incredible—from the weight loss to just being happier and more fun to
be around! If we want to continue to be a new creation, we have to
understand that all of this has happened because we are doing what
God wants instead of what we want! You are not just memorizing the will
of the Father, discussing it, or teaching it—you are DOING God’s will.
You must remain committed to doing only what God wants and eventually
your will (or doing what you want) will be put to death. This will not take
very long if, in humility, love and fear, you are determined not to do
things your way anymore.
It
takes a fear of God
to give up your will.
1 John 2:17 tells us, The world and its desires pass away, but
the man who does the will of God lives forever. This will be your theme
verse for the next several weeks as you continue to learn that the only
thing that matters is pleasing God by doing His will. Remember, doing
what you want to do is called “sins of the flesh” or “sin.” The Bible
calls doing what God wants you to do “walking in the Spirit”. So, what
does it mean to overcome sin by the Spirit of God? Read Romans 8:
5-14 and substitute the words “doing what God wants” for the words
“Spirit of God” or “Spirit”. Substitute the words “what you want” for
the word “sin”. When you read the passage this way, the whole thing
becomes so clear! The mind SET on what God wants WILL do what God
wants. If you have made up your mind to let God rule—you will wait
for hunger and stop when you are full. But if your mind is set on doing
things your way—you will continue to overeat.
So, how do you stop overeating, binging, being angry or
depressed or self-focused? By following God’s Spirit which is His will
and His wishes and not giving into your cravings!! An important key is to
stay in the Word of God, because when you want to live by His Spirit,
you have to know what it is that He wants. Spend time digging into
your Bible so that you know what God wants so that you can obey Him.
Don’t feel sorry for yourself. Concentrate on the choice—the
choice of who is God. Satan is going to try and tempt you to give in
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and do things your way. Choose God! If you are doing it God’s way
part of the time and your way part of the time, then you are ultimately
saying that you are lord and god over your body and life. Scary! Look
at Galatians 5:16-18, So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not
gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires
what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the
sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not
do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under
law. When you are only doing what God wants, then you are not doing
what you want because you can’t be doing both at the same time. How
awesome is that? When you know that you are doing it right, you are so
happy!
DON’T TAKE YOUR EYES OFF JESUS.
You have to maintain that focus! Don’t take your eyes off Jesus.
Read the account of what happened to Peter when he took his eyes off
of Jesus. This can be found in Matthew 14: 25-32. He lost his
focus.
When you get tired of messing up, you will stop overeating,
stop binging, stop whatever! 1 Peter 4:1-2 tell us, Therefore, since
Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude,
because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result,
he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but
rather for the will of God. You CAN be done with this struggle!
No more excuses! Stay focused on Jesus Christ. Don’t look
backwards or to the right or the left. We need to crown this powerful
King. Get rid of your own agenda or desires and follow His leading
today. God’s commands are not burdensome if you love Him. It is
simple: find the will of God and then do it. Keep pressing on to the
goal of becoming a new creation for God Almighty.
Find the will of God
and then do it!
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Jonathan Walters
Before hearing and living out this truth, I had lived a secret life
in service to sin. Being raised in a household where my father was a
preacher and leader of a local church that did not embrace teachings of
complete obedience, our family was ruled by secret sin. This type
of sin allowed us to appear godly on the outside while allowing the
idols of pride, overindulgence, lust, greed, envy and deceit to
rule in our hearts. I could find no answers from the leaders to
overcoming lust, pride and greed because they themselves bowed
down to these same idols.
Once I embraced the teachings of The Last Exodus and
began fellowshipping with saints that were totally obeying God,
I learned to no longer be a slave to sin. This teaching provided
me with answers on how to permanently lay down pride, lust,
greed, the love of money, pornography, praise of man, overindulgence, malice, over-spending and every type of envy for the
things of this world. God has come back in and has blessed me
with a precious and sacred marriage where God alone reigns,
stable and abundant finances, a beautiful home to raise a family
united in obedience to the One God, and an amazing family of
brothers and sisters in Christ who always encourages me to deny
sin. Submitting to authority has produced fruit in my job as I lift
up my supervisors, in school as I strive to please my teachers and
even more in my walk with God as I lift up the hands of my spiritual
leaders.
I now realize that God is the Sovereign Lord and that I can
have no other passions before Him. I wake up each morning in awe
that I was even allowed another day to serve Him and to walk in His
will. I vow to spend my remaining days having a heart that holds
onto no idols, that embraces complete obedience to our Almighty King,
and that always looks joyfully to Zion.
Jessica Walters
God has certainly pulled me out of the destructive fire and placed
me in His refining Fire, which produces life! I was raised attending
church service every Sunday and Wednesday. I attended a private
Christian school and was very active in volunteer work and extracurricular
activities. I was “doing” things to receive praise from others, and I
was “doing” things on my own terms. God was never the focus or the
reason for why I got up in the morning. I must say, my life may have
had the appearance of good, but inside, my heart was full of things
that are detestable to God, such as pride, self-focus, self-pity, greed,
lust, gossip, fear of worldly things instead of God, lying, legalism,
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materialism, worry, desire for man’s approval and un-submissiveness to
authority.
Through the teaching from Gwen Shamblin in The Last Exodus, I
have been set free from loving the world and have learned to transfer
my whole heart and focus over to the One True God Almighty! The
things listed above do not have a hold on me any longer. I have lost 15
pounds. I no longer take control of the weight with anorexia or laxatives
or battle with self-focused thoughts. I wake up excited about the day
God has given me. I love to hear instruction. I accept correction
gratefully, and I have found freedom inside God’s boundaries which
brings so much peace. God has blessed my relationships, finances, job
and school. He even saw fit to give me a loving husband who continually
encourages me by his obedience and love for Jesus and the Father. I
would not trade this new life for anything!
As long as God has given me today, then I have the chance to
crown Him as King. There is no good excuse why I should continue to
trample Jesus’ blood. I learned that there was no need for me to be
upset and then cause myself to sin even more, just as Genesis 4:6
reads, Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your
face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But
if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires
to have you, but you must master it.” The freedom in doing God’s will
is something that everyone has a chance at, but you must make that
choice! This message has taught me not only what sin and idols are, but
also how to overcome them. I have made the decision to no longer live
in the self-filled state that I had been in. God has given me today and I
have made the choice to DO His will.
I praise God for His Son, Jesus, who has shown us how to live a
perfect life under authority and for the grace that teaches me to say,
“NO” to ungodliness! (Titus 2:11)
Stumbling Vs. Deliberate
This week in “Stumbling Stoppers”, you will understand the
difference between stumbling and deliberate sins. Deliberate means
intentionally or on purpose. So, when you are deliberately sinning, you
are defying the God of the Universe and you know it! Hebrews 10:2627 says, If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the
knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful
expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies
of God. This tells you that a heart that deliberately sins against God
after receiving the truth will not make it into the Kingdom of heaven. It
should terrify you to think about this! If you are deliberately sinning you
must stop at once and get plugged back into God’s will.
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Now on the other hand, we have stumbling sins. Stumbling simply
means that it was not your plan to sin. People don’t purposely stumble
over a rock—they just didn’t know that the rock was there and it
tripped them up. Romans 9:33 says, ...See, I lay in Zion a stone that
causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who
trusts in him will never be put to shame. Jesus Christ is the Rock. He is
the Rock of submission to God alone. As time goes on, you will become
more coordinated and not stumble as much because you will be ready
for the potholes that catch you off guard.
It is so important that you know the difference between these
two types of sin. Deliberately sinning would be lusting after the food
and eventually allowing yourself to binge, while a stumbling sin would be
approaching a meal with an obedient heart and accidentally eating a bite
beyond full. Are you deliberately sinning? Repent now! Do not continue
kicking God off of His rightful throne! Did you stumble? Get back up
and do not allow yourself to get self-focused over it. Now that you
know what made you stumble, watch out for it and do not allow yourself
to stumble over it again! Until next week, make sure that you are not
deliberately sinning and watch out for those stumbling blocks!
Giving God your Wait
This is actually a common obstacle that participants call us with,
and I am sure that it will sound familiar to you as well. You actually want
to surrender to God, but you are losing control when it’s time to eat.
The Situation:
Let’s say that you have been really focused on God all day, waiting
until you feel a REAL growl before you eat. You have been waiting and
waiting, and finally—you feel it! So you sit down to eat…and you eat
too quickly, grabbing and overindulging. Before you know it, you have
overeaten…again…and you feel terrible.
The Root Problem:
While you were waiting, you probably didn’t spend that time
focused on Him. Instead, you focused on what you were going to eat
as soon as you were given that “green light” stomach growl.
The Solution:
From this day on, take DELIGHT in waiting. Give it
totally to God! Ask God to show you His Word and His stories about
people doing His will—those who were never focused on what they
would do as soon as He gave them some freedom. Plan ahead, but
don’t LUST ahead. You cannot be sitting there thinking about the plate
of spaghetti in the refrigerator and the cookies in the pantry. That is
lusting for food that isn’t even yours yet! The person focused on only
God during the wait understands that it’s not their body, it’s God’s. If
He wants them to eat something that day, then He will show them when,
what and how much.
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Find the words in the Puzzle. When you are done, the unused letters will spell out a hidden
BOSS
DELIBERATE
DELIGHT IN WAITING
ETERNAL LIFE
ETIQUETTE
FAITHFULNESS
FALSE LEADERS
FEARFUL EXPECTATION
GENTLENESS
KINDNESS
NEW CREATIONS
PEACE
SELF INDULGENCE
SELFISH AMBITION
SINFUL NATURE
SPIRIT OF GOD
STUMBLING BLOCKS
Spirit Calendar
The calendar on the next page is to be used for your daily journal of “Spirit vs. Flesh”. A “Spiritled” day is one in which you only did what God wanted. A “Flesh-led” day was one in which you lived
by your wants and desires. If you are not sure if it was an “S” or “F” day, mark “F”. When there is
confusion, there is sin. You will know if God is Lord and you are not. All of this will help you examine
yourself daily and stay in step with the Spirit and in doing God’s will.
Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to
it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the
misdeeds of the body, you will live... Romans 8:12-13
Spirit Calendar Instructions:
1. Erase your agenda with eating. Now you can make plans to go to lunch, but not to eat. You may have to order unsweet tea or a diet drink.
2. If you have completely crowned God—Mark “S”—Spirit rules.
3. If you have crowned yourself—Mark “F”— Flesh rules. If half the day is “S” and half the day is “F”, mark “F” for Flesh.
4. Mark “D” for deliberate or “on purpose” sin and “S” for stumbling or “unintentional” sin.
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Spirit Calendar
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However, your goal is to answer all of these questions in one week.
1.
Read the following scriptures and replace the following:
·The word “Spirit” with “the will of God”.
·The word “sin” or “sinful nature” with “what I want.”
Then go back and re-read these verses. This should help you set your mind on what God wants
so that you cannot please your sinful nature.
Galatians 5:16-25:
_________
_________
_________
, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature
So I say, live by the Spirit
. For the sinful nature
desires what is contrary to the Spirit
, and the Spirit
what is contrary to the sinful nature
.
They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the
Spirit
, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature
are
obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord,
jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and
the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of
is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
God. But the fruit of the Spirit
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong
to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature
with its passions and desires.
Since we live by the Spirit
, let us keep in step with the Spirit
.
_________
_________
_________
_________
_________
_________
_________
_________
_________
Galatians 6:7-9:
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to
please his sinful nature
, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows
to please the Spirit
, from the Spirit
will reap eternal life. Let us
not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
_________
_________
_________
Romans 8:5-14:
Those who live according to the sinful nature _________have their minds set on what that nature
_________desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit _________have their
minds set on what the Spirit _________desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind
controlled by the Spirit _________is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does
not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature _______cannot
please God. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature ________but by the Spirit
_________, if the Spirit of God ________lives in you. And if anyone does not have the
Spirit of Christ________, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is
dead because of sin_________, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the
Spirit ________of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ
from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit________, who lives
in you. Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature_______,
to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature_________, you will die;
but if by the Spirit ________you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because
those who are led by the Spirit of God ________are sons of God.
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2.
Again, “The Spirit” refers to God’s will. “Sinful nature” refers to doing what you want when you
want. God wants you to not be greedy and to only eat small amounts at hunger. Your will has
been to eat more food and even to binge. You must not give in to your will. You must commit to
stop doing what you want and doing only what God wants! You will not be able to do both as it
says in Galatians 5:16-18. In the space provided below, write out that passage.
3.
Satan will use any trick or lie to make you think that you cannot lay down your sin. In other words,
he will make you think that you cannot stop overindulging in food, alcohol, spending, etc. But
God says in Genesis 4:6-7, Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face
downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin
is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it. How is God saying that you
can get His approval in this passage?
4.
If you are truly becoming a new creation, then you believe that you CAN lay down rebellion to God.
However, there may still be some doubt about overcoming rebellion completely. Write out 1 Peter
4:1-2 and keep this near your heart.
5.Read Mark 7:18-23.
Now, in the space below, write out the passage in Colossians 2:16, 20-23.
Remember, do not let anyone judge you if you are eating regular foods—rather know that God’s
rule is to not be greedy. Thinking back over the past few weeks, what man-made eating rules do
you no longer follow?
6.
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My food, said Jesus, is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. (John 4:34). Jesus
was talking about establishing a church (a body of saints) that wants to let God’s commands and
living will or His wants live through them. God is like a Boss and His employees need to do what
He wants so that His Business or Kingdom will survive. What is your food—or what do you really
like to do? What do you get excited about? Try to imagine transferring this passion over to just
working for the True Church—a place that is idol-free. Write how your time will be spent differently
as you are now doing Kingdom work.
7.
Galatians 5:22-26 says, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong
to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the
Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying
each other. Describe how you have seen the fruits of the Spirit grow in your life.
Which ones do you still need to work on?
8.
Look up the following scriptures and write down what happens when you turn to the True God for
everything—comfort, joy, help, defense, direction and life.
Isaiah 54:11-17
Isaiah 58:6-12
Proverbs 16:3
Proverbs 16:7
Proverbs 21:21
Psalms 103: 17-18
Psalms 112
9.
Recall from last week’s Life Lesson, the tips that were given for when you get home from school.
In the past, you would just head straight to the kitchen and get something to eat. How did this
segment suggest handling after school snacks? (Listen to last week’s CD.)
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10.At any meal, no matter where you are, always remember to glorify God through your politeness,
etiquette, manners and by not having any greed in your heart. Try to recall some of the manners
that were discussed in the scene at the restaurant and write them out in the space below.
What were some of the tips that were given for stopping when you know you are satisfied?
11. The
mind set on what God wants, will do what God wants. Read James 1:13-15 in your Bible.
After reading this passage, write down what happens if you set your mind on doing what you want?
(Listen to this week’s CD)
12.Read Psalm 119:9-16 and 1 Peter 4:1-2.
You can be done with sin. Using these verses, along
with 1 Peter 1:22, write down how to be blameless, sinless and pure.
13. You must always be focused on the truth.
What is the truth about deliberately sinning or rebelling
(doing what you want to do) against God? Write out the following passages in the lines below:
Romans 6:22-23
Romans 2:5-10
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Galatians 6:6-8
Matthew 5: 29-30
Hebrews 10:26-31
14.When
you are struggling with staying in the boundaries that God has given you, remember that
even nature (the ocean, the birds, etc) stays within the God-given boundaries. Read the following
scriptures and meditate on the fact that nature does look to God for everything, and that it makes
sense that you need to look to God for everything—even more than the birds.
Jeremiah 5:21-22
Psalm 104:24-30
Matthew 6:26
15.Read Jude verses 3-4.
Describe how sin has slipped into the church through false leaders. Who
is a false leader? Read the following scriptures and list their characteristics here:
False leaders: (Jeremiah 23:1; 23:9-14 {especially vs 14}; 23:16-21)
False leaders whitewash and dishearten the righteous and encourage the wicked. (Ezekiel 13:22-23)
True leaders (Jeremiah 23:22) turn the people or the church-goers from their sins.
u Use the Weigh Down at Home’s “Pocket Temptation Book” when you feel head hunger or start
wanting to believe that you deserve to eat when your body is NOT calling for food!
u Visit weighdown.com and go to the Testimonies area to read about other saints who are in
the Promised Land.
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Desert Hint: Try stopping halfway through your meal.
Look up from your plate and chat with those sitting around you.
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Desert Hint: Becoming a new creation means that you
are no longer following your will.
but God’s instead!
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Week Four - Living Lights
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Heavnly Lights
Heavenly people, heavenly lights
Lord of the days and Lord of the nights
Praise the Father, through all the fights!
Feel the Holy Spirit flow
Lead us where you want to go
Feel the Holy Spirit say
Praise Him for another day!
Everyone knows that God is above
Sent us His son to show us His love
He is anointed, by the spirit dove!
Michael Shamblin
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week’s video:
Matthew 5:14-16
Revelation 20:11-13
Revelation 20:14-15
Genesis 3:19
John 3:19-21
Jonah 2:7-8
Romans 8:5-7
Matthew 6:24
1 John 1:5-7
1 John 2:5
1 Peter 1:22
We are called to be living lights! Jesus said, You are the light of
the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. (Matthew 5:14) Matthew
5:13 says, You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its
saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is not good for anything,
except to be thrown out and trampled by men. Jesus, your Lord, has
called you to be the salt of the earth. That means we are the spice of
life. People are going to want to be around us! We are to be a city
on a hill. Notice how bugs are drawn or attracted to light. Babies are
attracted to light. Everyone is attracted to light. The world is living in
darkness (not under the will of God), and desperately needs someone
to show it the way out. Jesus is the way out—he is our light. He has
shown us how to get out of the darkness of self and self-gratification
and then to live only for God and His Church or for His Kingdom. Jesus
would go to death for the sake of God and His Church. We are to pray
for God’s will to be done on earth just as it is in heaven. Pray for a
place on earth where God gets to be King. He does not make you bow
down and worship, but gives you a choice. God expects for us to make
the right choice and gives warnings of eternally grave consequences if
you don’t.
Make the choice—God rules over your life and your food. If
you love Him, you will obey Him in this “greed for food” issue. Your
stomach cannot be your god. John 14:15 lets you know that love for
God is obedience. 1 John 5:3 says, This is love: to obey his commands
and his commands are not burdensome. These commands lead to peace
and joy.
if you love god you will obey him.
Just remember, the most important thing you can do is to
acknowledge God. This means that you admit that God is the rightful
Lord and Leader and Master of your life. It also means that whatever
He asks of you is fair—He is LORD. He is Lord over your body—your
eating—your desires. He is Lord over your time and your relationships.
You are to love those He gives you to love. You replace your desires
with His desires because He is LORD. When you do this—you let His
Spirit or personality run through you—which is love for everybody. You
have joy everyday and peace about anything going on because you know
that whatever is happening has been screened and approved by God—
no matter what.
Whatever happens has been
approved by God
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1 John says, Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his
brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the
light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. (1 John 2:9-10).
You must love God first—others second. 1 Corinthians 13, a famous writing from our brother Paul,
says that you could be the smartest, the most religious and best speaker, but if you do not have
love—you are nothing. Look at this, If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not
love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom
all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am
nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I
gain nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3.
The main point of 1 John is that you are in the light if you obey God. It is also a warning not
to love the world—it is passing away.
Kimberly Vick
Hi, my name is Kimberly Vick and I would love to tell you about the changes in my life since a college friend shared this message with me. Once I started to apply the principles taught in the Weigh
Down Workshop; I not only lost all my weight but also had a complete heart
change. I used to always make sure that I had what I wanted for myself,
going to any lengths to get it. I would lie, cheat, and talk my way into
everything. Once I entered college, God stripped
everything from me. I went from having a bunch of
friends to having none. I went from having something to do all the time, to sitting in the dorm
room crying because I was alone. I went from 98
pounds in high school to well over 166 in college. I finally stopped weighing myself because
it just kept going up. I couldn’t stop eating no
matter how hard I tried. In high school I was
able to control my weight through anorexia and
bulimia. Eventually, no matter what diet I tried
or what I did, the scales continued to go up.
God brought me to this point to teach me that
I had to run to Him because nothing else was
going to fill me up. I learned that there is only
true peace through obeying Him and that nothing would ever be right if I didn’t turn to Him for
everything. It is an incredible feeling to listen
to your body for hunger and fullness! I have also learned to turn to God when I
wanted to eat when I was not hungry. I’ve lost all my excess weight—58 pounds!
And now I realize that this life is not about me but about glorifying God and obeying His commands. Once I learned to obey God and look for His wants and needs
instead of my own, I saw how He would come back in and bless me with things
that I used to try so desperately to get for myself. You might remember my sister Mindy from the videos; she lost 60 pounds by following these principles! We
have the best relationship after years of hating each other because all we want now is to glorify God.
It is incredible how God gives back! I have a purpose in life! I now know who God is and I only want
to live for Him. I hope that you are doing awesome, and if you have any questions or just want to talk
about God, please email me at [email protected]. Keep living for God and looking for His will!!
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This week in “Stumbling Stoppers” we want to impress upon your
mind the importance of your attitude in every situation! As believers and
children of God, we need to always have the attitude of Christ Jesus. In
our daily walk, each one of us needs to make sure that we are thankful
for everything that we have! God has given us so many blessings that
there is no way that we could ever thank Him enough for them all!
A scripture that I would like for everyone to learn this week is one
that many of you probably already know—Philippians 4:11-13. Paul is
talking here about his attitude. It says…
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be
content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need,
and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being
content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether
living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me
strength.
Paul was an amazing man! What an attitude he had! There was
nothing you could do to keep him down! If he was in jail, he was
thankful; if he had plenty, he was thankful; if he lived, it was for Christ,
if he died, it was gain! I hope we all have that attitude and are imitating
him and other godly people that we see.
The important thing about your attitude is that it greatly affects
how you do in this life. If you get your mind right, then everything else
will follow. Set your mind on doing things God’s way and on pleasing
Him! I pray that Satan is not lying to you or trying to get you down
or making you feel left out. Don’t listen to the lies from the devil, but
continue to live your life to please God and love your fellow brothers
and sisters who are DOING the will of God! Continue to develop a good
attitude and you will find that it will help in ALL things. Have the faith
that Paul and other righteous men and women had, and keep getting
back up; fighting harder! If you accidentally mess up and stumble over
the Rock of Christ in something, get right back up and learn from your
mistakes and do better! Continue to grow in righteousness and holiness
NEVER give up!
Until next week, make sure that you glorify
and
God by making the right choice when you are tempted!
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Hey guys! It’s EliZaBetH again! Praise GoD that He has
continued to test your heart… that must mean that He still adores you
and is very interested in seeing WHO you really love and want to obey!!
But remember that Satan wants your heart as well. Get ready to pass
your tests this week so that you make God look good, and so that you
do not break HIS heart!!
Look at EverYthiNg from HiS perspective,
so that you will WANT HIM TO RULE!
The Temptation:
You have just come home from school or work, so you think it’s
time for you to be able to sit back, watch TV, relax, and have “YOUR
TIME”. BUT… your parents ask you to clean the kitchen and finish your
homework. Your automatic response is to have a bad attitude, delay
obedience, or even to NoT do what your authority has asked at all…
SCARY! Your excuses are, “I’m too tired,” or “I never get to do what
I want,” or “They ask too much of me.” Well…this attitude will NEVER
make it into Heaven… only a thankful heart that obeys immediately will
enter… so what do you do??
The Way to Make God Happy!!!
FiRST: BE HUMBLE!! Remember your place! You did not create
yourself… you were created to serve!! Realize that YOU are the child
and your PARENTS are the ones that God has given the authority to
right now. I remember my mom used to tell me… “Now you are the
daughter, Elizabeth, and I am the mom. One day you will get to be the
mamma and you will want your kids to obey you, but right now you are
the child…so you have to obey me.. but don’t worry! If you obey me,
you will be blessed.” I soon found out that she was RIGHT!! I did get
blessed when I obeyed! It was so much fun to find that mystery!!
Remember the parallel of your authorities and God: When you obey
your parents, you are obeying GoD ALMiGHTY!! When you disobey or
have a bad attitude, God is watching and knows that you would do that
to HIM as well. Assume that your authorities have the better idea; after
all they have been around longer. Assume that they are smarter, wiser
and their way IS the RiGHT way… it’s all a matter of HUMILITY!! Always
think of others as better than yourself so that you can easily JUMP to
do what they are asking of you…in fact, go even further and LOOK for
what you can do for them!! You will be blessed if you do…
SECOND: Obey immediately. Do NOT delay your obedience so
that you can feel the JOY, peace and fulfillment that comes from making
God smile. Remember what we’ve been taught: if you obey WHEN YOU
want to—that is NOT obedience. That means you still want to be the
god and you do not trust in your authorities’ (or God’s) timing. TRUST
and obey IMMEDIATELY.
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THIRD: Make SURE you have a GOOD ATTiTuDE! You can obey all
day, every day—but if you don’t have a good attitude… your heart is
revealed and your work means nothing. Remember that God is watching
for THANKFUL children.
SO… OBEY IMMEDIATELY—WITH A GREAT, HAPPY AND
THANKFUL ATTITUDE!! If you do this… YOU WILL BE BLESSED!
Across
9 TO GIVE UP, TO
STOP FIGHTING,
WHAT JESUS
ALWAYS DID
WITH HIS WILL
12 WHAT YOU
HAVE WHEN
YOU ASK GOD
AND DO NOT
RECEIVE WHAT
YOU ASKED
FOR...JAMES
4:3
13 “THOSE WHO
CLING TO
WORTHLESS
IDOLS ________
THE GRACE
THAT COULD BE
THEIRS.”
14 “NO ONE CAN
SERVE ________
________.”
15 CHAPTER 14
IN THE RISE
ABOVE BOOK
16 WITHOUT LOVE, PAUL SAYS WE ARE THIS...I CORINTHIANS 13
17 MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN WHO SHINE THROUGH THEIR
OBEDIENCE TO GOD
Down
1 WHAT JESUS CALLS US AS BELIEVERS IN MATTHEW 5:13
2 PAUL WAS CONTENT NO MATTER WHAT THESE WERE...PHILIPPIANS 4
3 YOUR OUTLOOK...CAN BE GOOD OR BAD BUT SHOULD ALWAYS BE GOOD
4 “MY SISTER MINDY LOST 60 POUNDS. I LOST 58 POUNDS!”
5 GOD’S LAWS, HIS DECREES...I JOHN 5 SAYS THESE ARE NOT BURDENSOME
6 WHERE THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE...I PETER 3:12
7 A HORRIBLE QUALITY, SELF-FOCUS, THE OPPOSITE OF WAITING FOR GOD’S TIMING
8 PSALM 90:12 TELLS US TO GAIN THIS
10 LOVE KEEPS NO _______ OF WRONGS (1 CORINTHIANS 13:5)
11 LOVE ALWAYS _______ (1 CORINTHIANS 13:7)
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Spirit Calendar
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1.
People who love darkness only want to hide out and not be seen because of their evil deeds. They
don’t like the truth and they certainly don’t like the light. They only want self to rule. John 3:1921 backs this up. In the space below, write the difference in those who love darkness and those
who live by the light.
2.
Hebrews 11:6 says, And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes
to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Find a quiet
place where it is just you and God. A lot of times, being outside will let you realize the creation
around you and this will help you understand that God is God. Go back and read Hebrews chapter
11 in its entirety. In the space below, list each person mentioned and how they were blessed by
their faith.
3.Read Psalm 90:8-12.
How many years?
Did God allot a specific number of days for man’s life?
How does this passage tell us we may gain a heart of wisdom?
4.
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When you are being obedient, you can pray in the powerful name of Jesus Christ and your prayers
will be answered. Look up the following scriptures and write out what happens when a righteous
man or an unrighteous man prays.
Isaiah 1:15
1 Chronicles 5:20
1 Peter 3:12
_____________________________________________
Proverbs 15:8
______________________________________________
Psalm 109:7
Proverbs 28:9
Psalm 66:18
James 4:3
5.
_____________________________________________
______________________________________________
As children, we have no idea the lengths our parents and other adults go to in order to keep us
healthy and safe. It is the same way with God. As children of God, we cannot conceive of the
lengths He has gone to protect us from many things. God has been extremely patient, but if we
continue to hold onto other idols, His patience will run out. Read the following passages in Jonah
and write out what happens when you continue to hang onto other loves and then what happens if
you turn.
Jonah 2:8-9
_____________________________________________
Jonah 3:3-10
6.
The passage in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 shows us that we can have the appearance of righteousness
but still totally miss the mark. Fill in the blanks of this passage with the words that are missing.
_____
_____
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not
, I am only a resounding gong
or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge,
and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not
, I am nothing. If I give all I
possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not
, I gain nothing.
_____
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Self can be at the root of all actions instead of love. You must make yourself nothing and
God everything in order to develop a love relationship with Him.
7.
Love is the most powerful force on earth. Misdirected or fake love is a drain. It is so empty and
will leave you wondering, “What is wrong?” Let’s go through 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 and, using a
dictionary, we will define the words that are used to describe the opposite of love.
Love
Love
Love
Love
Love
Love
Love
does not boast: glorifying one’s self (even in testimony)
is not rude: discourteous, offensive, bad mannered
is not self-seeking: looking for one’s own gain
is not easily angered: bad-tempered, moody
keeps no record of wrongs: has expectations, holds grudges
does not delight in evil: rebellion to God
ALWAYS-protects, trusts, hopes and perseveres.
If God is the center of your day, it is impossible to NOT be patient. Impatience is self-focus. If
God is your everything, how can you be anything other than kind and good to His people? If you
love God, you can’t be envious of what He gives others. You can’t boast of anything but Christ;
you know all is given by Him and you cannot take credit for anything. You cannot be rude—that is
offensive to God. You can’t be self-seeking because you can’t serve two masters. Let God take
care of you. You can’t be easily angered except for Godly anger; God will avenge any wrongs
done to you. You keep no record of wrongs because that is only ammunition for self-gain and selfpreservation. Love rejoices in the truth, protects God, trusts God, hopes in God and perseveres
for His sake.
8.
Do you display these qualities of love?
_______________________________
Are you lacking in any of these areas?
_______________________________
When you surrender your life to God, HE will make you shine and then you are able to pass this light
onto someone else! This is the true light of laying your life down to make others shine. Write out
the following passages in the space below.
1 John 2:3-6
1 Peter 1:22
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9.
The following passages talk about those who are the light of the world. In the space below, write
out what these passages tell us to do.
Matthew 5:14-16
Luke 8: 16
Luke 11:33-36
John 8:12
1 John 1: 5-8
List any other Scriptures God has shown you to about being a light.
u Watch video lesson 11 entitled, “God’s Temple” from the Weigh Down at Home series. As
your heart makes these permanent changes to line up with His will, your actions will change too and
you are on your way to becoming a new creation! You will no longer rely on your own strength and
weapons, but you will be strengthened through Christ and use the weapons He provides.
u Read chapter 14 in Rise Above called “Heaven’s Kiss”. Look at your relationship with God
from His perspective! Have you been giving God some of your day and some of your focus and
some of your heart? It is time to give Him what He deserves—ALL OF IT!!
u Don’t forget to go online at www.weighdown.com Read the incredible testimonies of people
who are totally sold out for doing everything God’s way. If you have not signed up or would like
more information, call us at 1-800-844-5208.
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Desert Hint: Commit yourself only to pleasing God.
Keep your thoughts on His will and off of the food.
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Desert Hint: Get a carryout for the rest of your meal and share it with a friend.
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Week F
ive - Total Obedience
F
aithful Evermore
Faithful Evermore...that is the city we adore,
Oh Lord—Jesus we are yours
What a mighty God, He has spoken to my face
And He asked me, “Who will build my place?”
And I said “I will.”
To my brothers in the war,
you will win the fight I’m sure
All the people will adore
And the house shall be called Faithful Evermore
And the house shall be called Faithful Evermore
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Come rebuild the wall—all of God’s children
great and small
Oh Lord—sing Hallelujah!
Michael Shamblin
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week’s lesson:
1 Corinthians 15:27
Philippians 2:5-11
Mark 14:32-36
Luke 4:1-13
Luke 14:26-27
Luke 14:33
1 Peter 2:21-22
2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1
Exodus 34:10-14
Hebrews 10:26
Isaiah 40:27-31
Luke 15:11-32
Matthew 24:42-44
James 4:8-10
Luke 22:42
Hebrews 8:7-11
“Relationships”
Wow! Can you believe that we are at week 5? If you want to go all
the way with laying your will down and doing only what God wants, you
need to realize that who you hang around with is a very important part
of ending the struggle. You have a great advantage when you surround
yourself with true Christians—people who walk in the path of self-denial
as Jesus Christ did.
The Bible tells us in Philippians 2:6 that Jesus could not think
about ruling his Father. The fact that Jesus had been with Him a long
time and even had power himself did not make him think he could trump
God. Look at Luke 4:1-13. Satan tempted Jesus for forty days in the
desert. He had every opportunity to do what he wanted; however, he
chose to obey God his Father. Even when Jesus was facing death, he
humbly asked that the cup be taken from him but was very willing to go
all the way to death on a cross. He knew his death was going to be
humiliating and painful, yet told God, “not what I will, but what you will.”
Jesus chose to obey
God his Father.
“Not what I will, but what you will” describes the real Jesus. This is
what Christians are called to do—follow or imitate Jesus. Jesus walked
a path of denying himself and doing only what God wanted. His reward
is that he is sitting at the right hand of God. We are commanded to
follow in his steps, but the world wants to get you on the wrong path of
having multiple gods.
They don’t realize that they encourage you to be a “god” too—
adding to the list of multiple gods. Having more than one God to
rule is polytheism. Pagans are polytheistic—but Christ followers are
monotheistic—they believe in one God! The world wants you to rule
over God by indulging yourself and encouraging you to destroy your
body. Why? Satan rules them and his ultimate goal is to trick you into
destroying your physical life, that is why kids have thoughts of suicide.
Satan attempts to destroy your spiritual life as well.
Romans 13:1-3
GOD’S CHURCH IS TO BE PURE.
All throughout scripture, both Old and New Testaments, God
separates His people out from polytheism. God’s church is to be
pure. If it is not, the church morphs into the rebellious world. Clearly,
you cannot leave the world, but God knows what He is doing when
He commands us to separate from rebellious people as much as we
can. Go back and read 1 Corinthians 5:6-13. In this passage, we are
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commanded to separate from those who call themselves “brothers” but are openly defiant. It is very
important that you make the right choices in who your friends are and who you are going to date. It
is your responsibility to find pure fellowship; this is not something your parents or anyone else can do
for you.
Do whatever it
takes to seek God.
It is time for us to get serious about the people we hang out with. Do whatever it takes to seek
and stay near God. Remember James 4:7-8, Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and
he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners,
and purify your hearts, you double-minded. We are commanded not to forsake God for other loves,
other passions or for self. When you go by His leading, you will not over-shop, over-talk, overeat,
overspend, over-lust, overwork or under-work. There are no worries when you are Spirit-led and
submitting to authority.
In the past you saw what you wanted and grabbed
it. It is the quick way to what you want. But from now
on you must go to God first. To get to God you have
to go through Jesus, which means you have to submit to
authority like Jesus submitted to God. Jesus would say
“Not my will but Yours be done.” to go to God through
Jesus means you stay under authority and stay pure. you
will get what you want and it will be even better since you
waited on God. (See Isaiah 40:48)
Jaclyn Smith
My name is Jaclyn Smith and I am 14 years old.
I used to overeat, fight with my younger brother, argue
with my parents, be disobedient, lie, cheat on schoolwork,
gossip, complain, pout and want my own way. I was
conceited and disrespectful. In 6th and 7th grade I
struggled in school with keeping my grades up and had
a really hard time in 6th grade with friendships. I was
always in the middle of someone’s gossip and had
my feelings hurt a lot. I cried a lot because I
couldn’t figure out who my friends were. The
truth is I was the one in the middle of the
gossip and keeping things stirred up by my own
behavior. Looking back on it makes me so sad
because now I can see my want for being the center of attention, and being the one
“in the know” was what I loved.
Since I came into this message and began fellowshipping with people that are
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totally obeying God, my life has changed dramatically! I have lost 17
pounds, my grades in school are better than they have ever been (I just
found out I am on the honor roll!!) and I don’t struggle like I used to with
all those things. I have friends who DO the will of God and they are the
best relationships I have because they keep me accountable to what
God wants from me. I read my Bible and pray to God easily now—it is
what I WANT to do, not what I HAVE to do.
My relationship with my parents is better than it has ever been and
there is more peace in our house than. I love looking for ways to please
God through love and obedience to my authorities.
Two passages of scripture that God uses to keep me going toward
Jesus’ pattern of total obedience and love for the Father are:
Philippians 2:14-16a Do everything without complaining or arguing,
so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without
fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like
stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life...
and
John 3:30 He must become greater; I must become less.
I don’t understand why anyone would not want to live like this—I
want everyone to know how great God is and how much I love Him. I have
found out that through loving obedience, the blessings are abundant. I
love God and feel closer to Him than ever before. He is so awesome!!
Bria Thatcher
At 6 years old, I already had hate in my heart for my brother
and had started a pattern of lying; I had no friends and was
disobedient to my parents. I did not truly know God or His
ways until my parents attended a Weigh Down seminar in
2002 and my life has been different ever since. My parents
immediately put the principles into practice and began sharing
this message with me and teaching me how to listen and follow
in Christ’s footsteps. As I was learning how to be a better
daughter, sister, friend and person, I kept Genesis 4:7 in
my heart and on my mind often, “If you do what is right, will
you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin
is crouching at your door, it desires to have you, but you
MUST master it.” It has been a blessing to be raised in this
teaching and have answers for how to overcome sin and how
to find answered prayers. By putting my whole heart into
this relationship and this walk with God, my life has been so
blessed! I have lost 15 pounds. Also, my relationship and
friendship with my brother has transformed from an ugly and
quarrelsome tolerance of each other to a friendship full of
joy, love, and laughter! My relationship with my parents
has changed from not liking them and their simple tasks
to now adoring them and longing to do things for them,
anticipating their needs at home and in public. I’ve learned
from Gwen Shamblin that if I don’t obey mom and dad here,
it reveals in the heart that I wouldn’t obey God in Heaven. I
can honestly say that I love obeying my parents now and I have
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found great blessings back from God in that! Another blessing is that
God has given me dear friends who I get to share in this pursuit of
God’s Will together, and we get to serve others together which is so
fun. It is a joy to have friendships that are not self-serving or thinking
that I deserve something from them, but to have friendships where we
get to be each other’s cheerleaders to follow in the paths of Christ.
I no longer lie and have found there is no greater joy than to tell the
truth in everything. Sometimes telling the truth may hurt because it can
be embarrassing or scary, but telling a lie hurts more because of all
the damage that it will do to my relationship with God, with my family,
and with my friends. These are just a few examples of how my life has
changed because of putting this message into practice in every area of
my life. I have seen what the world has to offer and do not want any
part of it. This is THE truth and I am fully committed to God Almighty
and His Kingdom!
May God and His Son, Jesus Christ, be forever praised,
Bria Thatcher
Welcome to week 5’s “Stumbling Stoppers” section! This is
Michael Shamblin and I would like to talk to you about something that
has been key in my life and has helped me immensely. In fact, I know for
sure that I would not be where I am today if not for this. Of course,
what I am talking about is fellowship.
I can’t say enough about how much it has helped me to hang out
with people of like mind in my own personal walk. Here in Nashville, I can
assure you that the guys and girls I hang out with are people who are
going to push me forward spiritually. I encourage you as well, no matter
what your age, to find the people who are DOING the will of God, and
then to get around them and imitate them.
I know that there is no possible way I could have laid down as much
sin as I have without constantly being around righteous people who
were pushing me onward. The youth group I hang out with is constantly
raising the bar on righteousness, and we are constantly pushing each
other to go further and to be more dead-to-self. The scripture for this
week is an obvious one that I am sure you know by now: 2 Corinthians
6:14-15.
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do
righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what
fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is
there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have
in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there
between the temple of God and idols?
Verse 17 says: Therefore come out from them and be separate.
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2 Corinthians 7:1 tells us, Since we have these promises dear friends, let us purify ourselves
from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.
Make sure you are not hurting yourself by hanging around people who are going to influence
you to have other passions in your life besides God and His Kingdom. Those aren’t your friends!
Your friends are those who push you to be more righteous! If you are still struggling with something,
maybe it’s time you change who you hang around with, which is a command of Jesus Christ. You will
not believe the difference it makes spending a week with someone who still has other loves besides
God in their lives, and spending a week with people who only have a passion for God and being totally
obedient. There is no comparison folks, so, don’t underestimate the influence of those you hang
around with. It effects you more than you think. Until next time, this is Michael Shamblin, signing off!
Example
If we really want to do things God’s way, then we stop overeating. We must spend some time
seeing where we stumble. What this exercise may reveal is that we do not want it God’s way! We
may discover that we have some major repenting to do so that we will want to do it God’s way. Once
we are past that decision, then we need to do some creative things to avoid temptation. It is easier
on us if we avoid the situation rather than resist the temptation. In other words, if your problem is
overeating at 10:00 at night when everyone has gone to bed, then go to bed with everyone else and
read your Bible. Here is an example:
I am at school and feeling overwhelmed and pressured; basically my ‘nerves’
SITUATION:_______________________________________________________________________
are rattled because of an urgent assignment from my teacher; I want to run to the vending
__________________________________________________________________________________________
machine for some chocolate candy or the peanut butter crackers that I keep in my locker for
________________________________________________________________________________________
‘emergencies.’
______________________________________________________________________________________
YOUR WILL OR GOD’S WILL?: Here is the big question. You have got to be honest and
decide if you really want God to be God. If you do, write that in the space provided... “I want to do
God’s will more than doing what I want to do.” Remember to write down whose will you want and also
write out clearly what the will of God is.
am telling myself lies and choosing to believe them. Lie #1 - I tell
ROOT PROBLEM(S): I ________________________________________________________________
myself
that food will ‘comfort’ me and calm me down. Lie #2 - I think that I ‘deserve’ to
____________________________________________________________________________________________
take
care of myself because no one else will.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
SOLUTION(S):
I_______________________________________________________________
need to refuse to tell myself and believe lies and instead run to God, the
ONE who will truly help calm down and comfort me; I need to pray, to run to God’s Word, to DO
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
what my teacher has asked me to do, with a Christ-like attitude of considering others better
________________________________________________________________________________________________
than myself.
________________________________________________________________________________________
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Troubleshoot your own situations so that you can change your behavior and heart. Remember,
change your
and your body will follow.
SITUATION:
YOUR WILL OR GOD’S WILL? (Be honest. Decide if you really want God to be God.
Write down whose will you want and also write out clearly what God’s will is for this situation.)
ROOT PROBLEM(S):
SOLUTION(S):
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Struggling with Bulimia or Anorexia
Hi, this is Erin. I know that a lot of you out there have struggled
with controlling your weight by using methods that are harmful to your
body. You have seen all your friends and family try to control their
weight by diets or exercise and it left them nowhere, but struggling.
So you panicked—you tried the diet pills, plans and aerobic routines.
These did not work, so you thought that you would get smart and
just not eat at all or opt to throw it up!!! This method has left you in
even more pain and feeling more desperate. You CAN be free from all
struggling today!!
The Root
This can be a tricky diagnosis. You need to get down on your
knees and ask God to identify the root of your actions. Control usually
comes down to several things going on in your heart. You have spent
so much of your time worrying about your body, thinking about how to
control the food, and how to fix what you messed up. Your mind is
consumed with self-analyzation, fears and food. The reason you run to
bulimia or anorexia is that you trust in yourself more than you do
in God s perfect plan. This has left you miserable!
The Way Out!!
1. Let’s get started with training your mind!! You have spent hours
thinking about the food, how to control every meal, and your body!
You get up in the morning and your thoughts are consumed with
food. Where the mind is, the heart will follow. You need to focus,
focus, focus!! The only way out of this is to transfer your mind
over to God. Every time you are tempted to worry or think about
your body or food, you need to push that thought out of your mind
immediately, and pray to God for help. Tell Him exactly what you are
thinking, then let go of the worry and watch God come back in and
save you!! If you allow those thoughts to linger, you are feeding a
lust and you might eventually go to the food, resulting in a binge. To
save yourself, you run to any method that might get rid of the food
quickly, such as throwing up.
2. You no longer are allowed to SAVE YOURSELF!! So far, you have
not been a good god!! You have gotten nowhere trying to take
care of this food issue by your own means of control. If anything,
you have gotten more depressed!! Your heart has a root of selfprotection or wanting to save yourself. You don’t trust that God
can take better care of you. Learn to cry out to God and
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let Him rescue you. Have faith—He is a living God. Jesus
Christ completely entrusted himself to the One God who could save
him. He surrendered everything—body, soul and mind to THE GOD.
Jesus now sits at the right hand side of God Almighty. Develop your
faith in the One God who can save you. Do not have faith in self!!
3. Relearn the basics. Some of you have been binging and have trained
yourself to eat large amounts of food. You need to learn to eat
small amounts at every meal. You will feel so good. For those of
you who have been skipping the growl, you are picking and choosing
when to obey, and not allowing God’s leading. Just let go and trust
that your body will be fine!! You need to eat
when you have that growl!! Go back and write
out the basic tips that were taught to you—like
putting small amounts on your plate and slowing
down when you eat!! Carry them with you in your
purse or backpack. Read them before a meal.
If you mess up, DO NOT get self-focused. Wait
for that growl and start over with these steps!!
You can retrain yourself to be a thin eater!!
Notes:
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Across
3 HAVING MORE THAN ONE GOD TO RULE
5 HOW MUCH KAREN KUBICHAR LOVES GOD
6 JAMES CHAPTER 4 WARNS US OF BEING THIS
7 SAVING YOURSELF
8 TO EXAMINE, TO EMULATE, TO BE LIKE
10 THE WEIGH DOWN DIET BOOK’S CHAPTER REINFORCEMENT...IT’S ABOUT SELF-EXAMINATION
11 WHAT OBEDIENT SERVANTS OF GOD HAVE WITH EACH OTHER
14 JACLYN SMITH USED TO LOVE GOSSIP AND TO BE THIS
15 JESUS WALKED THIS PATH AND ONLY OBEYED GOD
16 OVERSTEPPING, THINKING YOUR IDEA IS BETTER THAN GOD’S
17 DEUTERONOMY 28 AND 29 TELLS US ABOUT THESE...THEY’RE OPPOSITES OF EACH OTHER
Down
1 YOU MUST FIND THIS, REQUIRES SEPARATION FROM REBELLIOUS PEOPLE
2 GOD CREATED FOODS TO BE RECEIVED WITH THIS—WITHIN HIS BOUNDARIES...I TIMOTHY 4
4 TO HAVE THIS IS TO BE COMPLETELY LED BY GOD’S SPIRIT, NEVER LOSING YOUR FOCUS
9 THEY KISS EACH OTHER AND GO HAND-IN-HAND
12 THE VALUE OF THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE AS YOU DIE TO YOUR OWN WILL...JESUS DID THIS WHILE
BEING INNOCENT
13GOD IS THE ULTIMATE ONE OF THESE...HE USED THIS TO PUT ALL YOUR FOOD FLAVORS
TOGETHER
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Spirit Calendar
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1.
Grumbling is not only embarrassing to our generous Heavenly Father who has given us so much
already, but it is a sin that is not to be played around with. After Job was stripped of nearly
everything, he still did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing. Read Job 1 and pay special
attention to Job’s reactions to everything that happened in verses 20-22. When things don’t go
the way you expected them to, remember to count your blessings instead of griping about what
you lost. Write down some of the things you are thankful for in the space provided (life, breath,
etc..) so that when you are tempted and get down, you can go back and look at this list and be
thankful for what you still have left.
2.
Have you made a decision in your heart to no longer rule God and to get totally under His Lordship?
Yes
No
Why or why not?
3.
Have you made the transfer from considering SELF to considering Kingdom work? Yes
No
Why or why not?
4.
What types of things make you feel like “you deserve” which sprouts into “you want” which eventually
gets to “you grab”? What types of things tempt you, get you off track from your humble “I don’t
deserve anything” attitude, and make you feel like you deserve more? Figure out where the lies
come from. Could it be your friends, your family or your own desires that get you into that “I want”
attitude? Write down where the lies come from so that you may FLEE from those places and those
people or conversations that make you focus on yourself.
5.
Do you feel that you worship and hang out with saints, people who would never tempt you to feel
like you deserve anything: such as more friends at school, a better job, a better marriage, etc.
Are you with people who make you feel disappointed about the amount of food that God has given
you to eat? Or do you feel that you are around people who don’t expect people to struggle with
God’s will? Do they say, “Don’t be so hard on yourself…you’re okay…don’t worry so much…
God doesn’t really care about that…you can make your own decisions, “ etc. in order to cover
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_____ _____
_____
_____
up for their guilty feelings of defying the King? Evaluate the company you are with. If they aren’t
the truly humble who encourage you to only do the will of the Father, then you need to separate
off. Read and summarize the following passages:
1 Corinthians 5: 9-11
Ephesians 5:5-7
Acts 2:40
Proverbs 24:1-2
Jeremiah 51:6-7
2 Timothy 3:1-5
6.
Philippians 2:5-11 tells us that Jesus could not comprehend ruling his Father. Jesus had been with
Him a long time and had power himself, but still didn’t think of trumping God’s commands. Write
this passage out in the space below:
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7.
Go to your Bible and read the account of the temptation of Jesus found in Luke 4:1-13. Write out
the response Jesus gave each time Satan presented him with a new temptation.
8.
Jesus walked a path of self-denial and did only the will of God, which is why he is sitting at the right
hand side of God. There are rewards for denying yourself. The biggest one would be eternal life!
What are some of the rewards God has given you for denying yourself? Go back to page 38 and
list these jewels there.
9. We have been brought up in this country to have no fear of anything and that includes God Almighty.
We have been incorrectly taught that God loves us no matter what our condition. God is love,
but there is a point when He will turn away if we continue to deliberately or intentionally keep on
sinning. You need to obey God—and love God—and the way that you will turn from food or any
other stronghold is when love and fear kiss each other. In other words, you understand how blessed
you are to even be alive and how horrible it would be if God turned His face from you. Fearing God
is a beautiful thing! Look up the following scriptures and see how fear and love go hand in hand.
Deuteronomy 6:1-3
1 Samuel 12:24
Psalm 34:9
Psalm 103:11; 17Psalm 111:10Psalm 128:1
Proverbs 22:4Isaiah 33:6Jeremiah 32:39-40
Acts 10:34-35
2 Corinthians 7:15
10.God tells us in Deuteronomy 30:11-20 that what He has commanded of us is not too difficult.
Write out verses 19-20. Make sure to note the blessings for choosing life and what happens when
you choose to disobey.
11.Read Deuteronomy chapters 28 and 29 about curses and blessings. You could get cursed and
miss a blessing or multiple blessings if you don’t do what God has said. Make a list below of what
God could take away from you if you don’t obey. Do you know people who have played around with
obeying God? What has happened in their lives?
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12.What is your picture of grace and how does it line up with the Word of God? Before you answer,
write out the following passages.
Titus 2:11-14
Ephesians 6:24
Jude verse 4
What was grace changed into in Jude verse 4?
____________________________
Finish the book of Jude and describe what happened to the kind of men who changed the grace of
God into a license to sin.
u In The Weigh Down Diet book, read the chapter titled “Stay Awake” (pp. 159-172). This
chapter is about self-examination and how to maintain your spiritual strength in this battle. Are you
loving the Lord with ALL of your strength?
u Read chapter 13 of Rise Above, entitled “The Remnant” (pages 269-301). In Noah’s day,
the people really did not believe that the wnole world could actually flood, but it did and they
were left on the ourside of the ark as the rain fell and gathered around their feet. Hebrews 11:7
states, By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his
family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by
faith. Do you have a holy fear of God and this kind of faith in Him?
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Desert Hint: Jesus Christ wouldn’t even think about defying the God of the universe…would you?
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Desert Hint: Don’t forget to look to God before you eat one bite.
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Zion
Week Six - Zion
We are those who build the wall
Build it up for Zion
We are those who build it tall
Never let it fall!
And we will cry—for our Lord of
Lords
Die—for our King
And we will cry—for our Lord of
Lords
Die—for our King
We are those who walk by faith
Sing if you’re for Zion
Like all those who walked before
Zion we adore!
We are those who love the Lord
Love the God of Zion
We will fight until we’re done
Fight until we’ve won
Michael Shamblin
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week’s lesson:
Ephesians 5:5
Matthew 5:13-16
Psalm 16:2
Philippians 2:6-11
1 Samuel 15:22-23
Psalm 42:1-2
Proverbs 29:25
Exodus 34:14
Genesis 4:6-7
Matthew 6:33
Psalm 81:8-16
John 4:34
John 14:21
Matthew 7:21
Psalm 137:5-6
Hebrews 12:1-12
Did you watch your company and seek out the saints this week?
It is essential to gather and share with people who are sold out for God
because it helps you keep on track! Go to the Weigh Down Ministries
YOUTH Facebook page and talk to other saints. You will be challenged
when you see others who are more submissive, more respectful to their
parents or other authorities, or are not drawn to food. It is convicting
to be with people that put others and their needs ahead of their own.
You don’t know what you can really do until you are around these types
of people who are raising the bar.
You must understand that really turning and giving your body,
soul and mind back to God is the most important command of your life!!!
Partial obedience is torture. On the other hand, full obedience 24/7
will keep you in a happy state of mind all the time. We all want to feel
accepted. If you look for acceptance or approval from man, you may
have a few moments of happiness, but you need to know that the only
being you need to look to for approval and acceptance is God Almighty.
Only He can answer prayers and give you eternal life as well as peace
on this earth as long as you are on it.
Partial obedience is torture.
How do you get to the place where you can ignore the loud
but worthless noises of the world and be looking only for God’s
acceptance? It takes reading the Bible, praying for understanding
and seeking Godly knowledge so that you will know what to do. Read
through scripture and look for those individuals whom God loved and
thought were special and imitate them. The common thread for these
people was that they obeyed God in everything. They lived for His
approval. These people were focused - they gave all their heart, soul,
mind and strength over to God alone.
God is a jealous God. Exodus 34:14 says, Do not worship any
other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. He
wants you to choose Him. He should not have to compete with anything
else in this world. Do you understand that you will never please people
because eventually the people you are seeking that approval from will
turn on you? When you please God, you will have His approval, and it
will open up a whole new world.
When you please God,
you will have His approval.
True religion is simple; you just have one focus, one mindset, and
one job—to take care of God’s Kingdom. Looking for what God wants
and His approval is the same as seeking the Kingdom of God. Jesus
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commanded us to seek FIRST the Kingdom of God and THEN everything
else would be added unto you. Throughout history God has started
over with a pure group of people (those called away from the world
of multiple gods to serve the true God) to establish Jerusalem or the
church. Satan’s biggest tool is to deceive the church so that it teaches
a religion that talks about God but does not obey His commands.
Matthew 7:21-23 says, Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my
Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord,
did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons
and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew
you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ In truth, Jerusalem or Zion is the
just the opposite of this false religion. It is a small group of people who
only want to do what God says. Jesus said the road would be narrow.
This is not about you just getting the food right. It is about
you getting this and then helping others come to God too. The most
important thing we can do to get away from overeating, sexual sins,
drugs, etc. is to see that God is hurting for someone to love Him
wholeheartedly.
Remember any pain you have experienced
in your life and know that God has had 1000 times more. You need to
worry more about His heart—be concerned with what God does not
have and how Satan is belly laughing at Him because so few will love Him
with their whole heart. Many people put God second or third or last on
their list.
Make Jerusalem your highest joy!
Let Zion be your greatest concern and forget yourself. Make
Jerusalem your highest joy—then He will give you joy and you will no
longer eat for comfort. Remember to obey God with this food—this is
your test. God is checking to see if you will have no other gods before
Him, the GREAT GOD OF THE UNIVERSE. Live only for the words “…
Well done good and faithful servant.” You can do this! You were
chosen to have this cross because you CAN do it. So, just DO it!
David says in Psalm 137:4-6, How can we sing the songs of the
Lord while in a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right
hand forget its skill. May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I
do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy.
Blake Zanoni
I was a normal high school student; to those around me I looked
happy and successful. I had many friends but I also had many idols. I
was living a lie. My heart was full of lust, I had a love of food and was
70 pounds overweight, I drank alcohol on a regular basis, I smoked
cigarettes and marijuana, I viewed pornography on the internet for hours
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at a time, I had anger toward people who were different
and I routinely talked back to my teachers and parents like
I was above them. I did all this thinking
that it was okay with God, after all,
everybody around me was doing the
same things. I look back now and
see how disgusting my life had
become and how disappointed
God must have been in me. I
praise Him for giving me a
second chance.
The teachings in this
program have literally saved my
life. I have now lost 70 pounds! I
have the life that I had always been
striving for but could not find on my
own. When you learn that God is God
and we are not and that nothing in
this world belongs to us and you give
everything over to Him, then He comes
back and blesses you. The key is simply
obedience to God’s commands. If you are struggling
with anything that you know is not right or you do not
have peace and joy in your life, you must try this program.
Are you taking the discipline that you are undergoing from the
Father and thanking Him for it? The Refiner’ s fire can get very hot
sometimes, but you should know that it is for your own good that this
is happening. No matter what comes your way, you need to keep giving
God 100% of your body, mind, soul and strength.
As far as authority goes, you need to be obeying your parents and
always looking to see if there is anything that you can do to help them.
Realize that God is training you up through all of your authorities,
whether it be through your parents, bosses or teachers. You need to
obey them like you would obey God.
Remember what we have talked about these last 5 weeks and apply
it to your everyday life. Offer the parts of your body for righteousness
instead of wickedness. Remember that when you are tempted, you
just need to find something that needs to be done (and there is
always something that needs to be done) for God’s house
and help out God’s Kingdom and saints.
Finally, make sure that you are not deceiving yourself, but instead
are taking a good hard look at where you are and where you need to be.
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Don’t let Satan discourage you by saying that you can’t do this—because YOU CAN! Keep in mind
that God is your Father and He will discipline you to refine you.
Remember what Paul says in Hebrews 12:4-9: In your struggle against sin, you have not yet
resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement
that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose
heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he
accepts as a son.” Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not
disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are
illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us
and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!
Submit to the Father s discipline so that your spirit will live! Be thankful
that you have a God in Heaven who loves you enough to care for you and discipline you. How blessed
you are!
change your
SITUATION:
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ROOT PROBLEM(S):
SOLUTION(S):
“F
ace The Attack of Lust”
Hey guys, this is Michael. I am well aware that the sin of lust is
everywhere in today’s society. Growing up in modern day America, or
anywhere in the world, for that matter, has shown that this age-old sin is
now reaching a critical point. I know that the guys in particular (and also
a good portion of girls) have had to lay this down as they have come
into this message of obedience to God.
In order for you to win this battle, you are going to have to learn
something important. You are going to have to learn the fear of God.
You need to realize that if you do not change your path right now, God
is going to have to start taking things away from you, and you are going
to suffer for it. Believe me, things are going to keep getting worse for
you if you continue lusting outside of God’s boundaries. Read some of
the chapters in Proverbs, especially the ones about adultery, and see
where this sin leads—the grave. You must overcome this temptation
now and rise above that desire that you have. Replace it with a desire
to do God’s will and become pure! Remember—pure feels better than
temptation and sin! Those are words that mom wrote several years ago
in a song and they are still true today. When you go to bed tonight,
you can rest easy if you stayed pure today. You will never be at peace
in sin and lust. You must pass this test, so just imitate all those who
have gone before you and have completely laid it down and moved on!
You can do it, and you HAVE to do it!
Remember, it s all about ZION God s pure and holy
city of saints who DO His will. Impurity will not enter.
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You Can overcome!!!
Hello everyone, this is Brandon. Overcoming lust was something
that I was always led to believe or outright told that, “all guys do
that,” or “you’re only human so your going to mess up.” Well, all that
is a lie straight from Satan himself. I believed all those things because
what the church lifted up and honored were the kids that were the
most rebellious. During the week and on the weekends, these kids did
exactly what they wanted to do, then made themselves look like the
best when it came time for church. Seeing this hypocrisy and hearing
these lies constantly led me to think that grace was here to cover up
the times when I sinned, instead of what it is TRULY for—to STOP
sinning by saying “NO” to ungodliness (Titus 2:11-14). I was relieved
and excited when I heard, through this truth, the strong verses like
Romans 6:1, Hebrews 10:26, and 1 John 3:6-10. For the first time in
my life I was hearing the truth right out of the Word of God!
Overcoming lust—meaning never lusting after or for something
that is outside of God’s boundaries—is very possible and my life is a
living example of that! My life is very blessed because I have decided to
let God rule in my life! Psalm 37 says, Delight yourself in the LORD and
he will give you the desires of your heart. God is such a generous God
if you give Him your devotion and passion. I went from waking up every
morning, lusting after things God had not given me, to now, waking
up every morning, longing to fall on my face and pray to the God that
created me and ask Him what He wants for the day.
The way I overcame this habit I had for years was by
surrounding myself with other people, guys namely, who had overcome
this stronghold of lust. We would talk about how we had overcome
temptations that day and encourage each other to continue going
forward. As you will learn through The Last Exodus, every time you
do things God’s way (birthing Spirit) instead of doing what you want
(birthing flesh) it becomes easier to overcome the next time you are
tempted! I would put scriptures up all over my dorm room that scared
me to death if I even thought about sinning. So, the place I lived was
surrounded with truth that kept me on the right path, and the friends
I chose were not those that were rebellious or hypocritical, but were
the ones that made God their everything and proved it with their lives.
These thoughts and pictures plague you and rob you from the blessings
of God Almighty. May God bless you as you seek His face and strive
to make your life holy and pleasing to Him!
So guys, the key to stopping these things that you hate doing and
turning around whatever situation the sin in your life has gotten you in is
this: surround, immerse, baptize, communicate with and befriend those
who love this truth and are DOING it!
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Notes:
APPROVAL
CAIN SYNDROME
CHURCH
CODDLE
CONSEQUENCES
DISCIPLINE
JEALOUS
PARTIAL OBEDIENCE
PRODIGAL
RESPECTFUL
SAINTS
SERVANT
SUBMISSIVE
TRUE RELIGION
ZION
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Spirit Calendar
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1.
You will always be IN the world, but you don’t have to be OF the world. That is why it is so
important to surround yourself as much as possible with people who are sold out for God alone.
These people help you continue to raise the bar and help you go deeper in your relationship
with God. Are there people in your life who coddle your sin? Do they make you think that being
overweight is due to a genetic defect or the tremendous amount of stress in your life—basically
saying that you have not done anything to be in the state you are in? Read Ephesians 5:3-11 and
pray about the people who influence you. Are they people who only point you to God and what He
wants? Write your thoughts in the space below.
Read Matthew 10:34-39 and Luke 14:25-27.
2.
Wayward children/people will eventually know that doing things their own way will only get them into
trouble; and over time, if this behavior continues, will leave them empty, hardened and unloving.
Turn in your Bible to Luke 15:11-31 and read the story of the prodigal son. This young man had
so much pain from doing things his own way that he was ready to be led by the Father. Describe
how you have been a prodigal son. Remember the pain and consequences from doing things your
way. Contrast that with the joy and peace you have when you are obeying God.
3.
Every book of the Bible tells us what to do in order to live a holy life. Read the following scriptures
and write in the space below what the Bible tells us to do.
Genesis 4:3-7
Romans 8:12-14
Colossians 3:1-17
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2 Timothy 2:22-24
__________________________________________
Philippians 4:8-9
1 Peter 1:13-17
These are just a few such scriptures. List other scriptures that tell you how to live a holy life.
4.
We can only be looking for acceptance and approval from God alone. Seeking approval from man
is a dead end road. There are several examples in the Bible of people who sought only God’s
approval. Let’s look at several examples and see what made them stand out in God’s eyes:
Noah - Genesis 6:9-9:1; Hebrews 11:7
Abraham-James 2:23; Genesis 22:1-18
King David-1 Kings 3:6; Psalms 78:70-72; 2 Samuel 6:12-23
Job-Job 1:8-22
According to the video, why was Jesus esteemed?
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5.
The Bible also points out who God was not pleased with. This week’s lesson gave the example of
King Saul. Read the account of what happened to King Saul in 1 Samuel 15.
What did God command Saul to do? (Verse 3)
What does Saul actually do? (Verses 7-9)
What happened to Saul as a result? (Verse 26)
6.
Even though Jesus was and is the Son of God, he still submitted to God’s wishes and commands
and said, “not my will but yours be done.” And even though the sea is vast, powerful and strong,
God still gives it limitations and barriers that it will not dare cross (Jeremiah 5:22). Why is it that
you sometimes do not follow the limitations that are set up for you?
Turn to Philippians 2:6 in your Bible. Meditate on this passage. Think about how every time you
give in to a temptation, you actually: 1) think your body is your own 2) think you are equal to God
and 3) must believe that you are higher than Jesus, who made it clear that it was all about God’s
will and not his own. We are to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
7.
As you have been in sin, have you fallen for the lies that say, “You’re okay to continue in the state
that you are in”? Do you realize that if you continue in rebellion, this is the path to destruction?
Read Jeremiah 7:1-15. Sin had crept into their temple as it has crept into our present day churches
(Jeremiah 11:13). How do you see sin being allowed in churches today? For example, there is
just as much divorce inside the church as out in the world.
8.
Unfortunately, the truth of TOTAL obedience has not been taught in many of our present day
churches. You know this because of the sin that is left in the churches. How can you recognize
a true leader of God as opposed to a false leader disguised in sheep’s clothing? Read Matthew
7:15-27.
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9.Read Genesis 4:2b-5.
Do you see the difference between Cain and Abel? Abel obeyed because
he loved God, but Cain struggled with the sacrifice because he loved himself more than God and
therefore did not pass the test. Then he was depressed over his failure to comply with what God
wanted. Can you relate to the “Cain Syndrome”? Do you give to God what you want to give instead
of what He asked for?
10. Do you ever give your parents, your spouse, your boss, your co-workers, etc. what you want to
give them and not what they really want? Look for your authority’s approval and God’s approval
this week. Write down what it feels like to disobey verses obey.
11. The Israelites were promised that if they loved just God and no other gods and showed this love
by obeying His commandments, then they would be well taken care of. There is nothing wrong with
wanting a good life and wanting your needs met, but when you start bowing down to other gods in
hopes of a good life is where the True God of the Universe draws the line. He wants to take care
of us, but He must have our love and obedience. Read Psalm 81:8-16. There are several “if”
statements in this passage. Write out in the space below what God says He will do if His people
follow and obey. For additional reading, go to Deuteronomy 28 to find blessings for obedience
and curses for disobedience. Now, we don’t want to go there—do we?!!
12.Read Luke 13:22-25.
According to this passage, will few
____or
many
____be saved?
u Read Chapter 7, “Backstroking the Red Sea”, in your Rise Above book. Somewhere along
that hot journey, did you forget who God is? Did you exchange The God for another? Repent and
turn back to the One True God of the Universe!
u Go to the Weigh Down Ministries YOUTH Facebook page and share what God has done in your
life since you started this class. Log on or call us at 1-800-844-5208 for more information!
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Desert Hint: You must flee from temptation and run to God, quote the lies verses the truth, write
them down, and refer to them regularly.
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Desert Hint: Don’t take your mind off of God and His Kingdom for one second or else, you run the
risk of getting off track!
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The Year of the Lord
In the year of the Lord and His favor
We will see our Christ our Savior
Even though our foe stands and rages
We will fight the fight of the ages
In the year of the Lord and His favor
We will show Christs love to our neighbor
No more pride will dwell on the mountain
And his love will flow like a fountain
In the year of the Lord and his favor
Christ will free the slaves from their labor
Ancient ruins will lose all their sadness
And will flow with the oil of gladness
Lord we wait so patiently and
Give us peace to fight the battle here
In the year of the Lord and his favor
We will see our Christ our savior
Even though our foe stands and rages
We will fight the fight of the ages
Michael Shamblin
Week Seven - The Cross
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week’s lesson:
1 Peter
Matthew 16:24-27
Luke 14:25-33
John 12:23-28
Ephesians 6:10-20
Luke 9:57-62
Matthew 10:37-39
Ephesians 4:17-24
Revelation 14:1-5
It is time for the message of the cross. The cross has a deep
message, and this message is what will help you understand who you are
and what is happening to you. When you come to know God, Jesus and
the Holy Word, you commit to forsaking the world and begin to devote
yourself to being a follower of Christ—a Christian. You are
again
born
like an infant in a whole new realm. All your life you thought that
you had been living, but you have been like a fetus (an unborn baby in
the mother’s tummy) waiting to be born. Just on the other side of your
rebirth, you are handed a cross. All crosses look different and inflict
different amounts of pain—that is just part of the cross. You will learn
to honor those with a heavier cross and, if possible, help lighten their
load.
We must get prepared for this birth, this death and this cross,
which is the seal that you have been accepted into the training camp for
eternal life. We are in a war, and self-denial should be as familiar as the
air you breathe. We face death daily one way or the other. The key is
to embrace death so that it has no sting. We are in an age-old, Star
Wars-size spiritual battle that will not stop until Jesus comes back. Each
person who has been accepted into this Kingdom training camp will have
to be trained in battle to extinguish flaming arrows. You will learn to
fight, but not with weapons of this world.
THIS IS NO ORDINARY CALLING.
You realize that this is no ordinary calling. You have been
given an invitation to be called a warrior elite for God. We could not
dare accept the most honorable of invitations into the most elite,
the wealthiest and most powerful Kingdom without the strictest of
training. Your spiritual senses will have to be built up. It will take great
concentration for those who have devoted themselves to this spiritual
West Point training.
We have got to be trained and battle ready with the truth.
What is the truth? The truth is that you have been born for the
Kingdom and you are being trained for this battle. Level one combat is
temptation. You are trained to understand that a temptation means that
you have been hand-picked for war. Painting this mental picture in your
mind will help: When the temptation begins, you are ushered into a giant
coliseum where there are hundreds of thousands of spiritual spectators
present. Half of them are saints, half of them are demons. Above you is
a Jumbo-Tron that displays all your thoughts, which can be seen clearly
from every direction. Whether your thoughts are noble or progressing
to the gutter, they are displayed throughout the entire temptation.
YOU HAVE BEEN
BORN
KNIGDOM!
On your first
trip to theFOR
coliseum,THE
the newly “born
again” soldier
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does not know how to dodge or avert the arrows. So, you are hit
with a burning desire or lust for money, food, sex, attention, or the
desire to consider self. The skilled
level one trainee will have his eyes
closed to the world and looking to
the face of God and the footsteps of
Jesus. You must become skilled at
dodging these flaming arrows or pulling
them out immediately if you do get hit.
Once a saint has many arrows left in his
mind and heart for an extended period
of time, he is weakened, confused and
eventually subject to death. These
people must be helped and attended
to by the more spiritual saints. If they
don’t receive help, their chance for training becomes their death.
If you accept your mission, you will receive
more jewels in your crown.
The cross has been despised and rejected over the centuries.
If you look clearly at the shape of the cross, you will see that it is not
just the shape of death. It is a mighty sword! So even though some
are given a heavier cross to bear than others, all it means is that they
are given a heavier sword to dodge the flaming arrows of temptation
and beat more demons back! If you have been called to this level, you
will have the opportunity to develop more character on this earth. If
you accept your mission, you will receive more jewels in your crown.
Never again look down upon your cross; if you embrace it, it becomes
the shape of a sword! Remember, the larger the cross, the larger the
sword, and the more damage you can do to the dark side.
For most of us, the cross we have been handed is not
physical, it is mental. We must be like Jesus and Paul and tell those
demons, who are whispering lies, the TRUTH. We need this training!
Resistance is what builds up muscles. The greater the resistance, the
stronger you get. This resistance is making us into the fighting men
and women that will stand against the gates of Hades and not flinch.
Just because you were unprepared for this level of combat does not
mean that you cannot get up to speed very fast. You cannot give up—
the battle has just begun! Stand up and live up to your calling! Don’t
be defeated by it. Battle onward holding your cross/sword high!
The greater the resistance,
the stronger you get!
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Maxine Whitney
Hello! My name is Maxine Whitney and I am 20 years old. Before
finding Weigh Down, I was overweight, angry, depressed, selffocused, rude, and mean to everyone…including my parents and
siblings. By the sixth grade, I weighed 160 pounds, had tried
several diets with my mom, was on two anti-depressants, and
had been through anger management classes (which ironically
only made me more angry). I was teased at school, which
increased my sadness and depression because I didn’t know
how to look inward and change. Despite being raised attending
church and having the desire to live for God, we were never
taught the truth of how to identify and overcome sin or shown
how to put God first in our lives. Thanks to our merciful
Heavenly Father, my mom (who had tirelessly sought for
answers to help us!) found Weigh Down! Together we took
The Last Exodus class. The class TRANSFORMED my life!!!
Through applying this message, I have lost over 50 pounds
of excess weight and am free from all that I listed above!
God has blessed me in school and has given me a beautiful relationship back with my
parents and siblings! I am a New Creation! I have a whole new focus and purpose in life!!
To this day, my life continues to only get better as I have continued to listen to Gwen
Shamblin’s teachings, which are from God, and apply them! It’s absolutely the most amazing
concept: obedience to God in exchange for a personal relationship with Him with priceless
answered prayers, and then eternal life!! I now have JOY and PEACE and LOVE in my heart. Praise
GOD!!!
Paul Watson
My name is Paul Watson, and I first heard the Weigh Down message from
my mother in 2001. I was 11 years old and I resisted it because I did not think
that it was “the cool thing” to do at the time. Later, I had the opportunity to
meet other kids my age and older who were walking this message out and it was
obvious that God’s will was “the cool thing to do!” I started laying down sins
in my life which included pride, anger, jealousy, greed, anti-authority, and so
much more. For once, I felt like there was peace and purpose in my life! God
took 30 pounds off of me and my relationships with my family were all starting
to strengthen. Regrettably, when I reached an age of being able to go out on
my own, I chose to taste the world and I abandoned all of the Truths that I was
taught in this message. All of my old sins plus more quickly returned. Again I
found myself overweight and steeped in anger and resentment. But I knew too
much at this point, I could not run away from the Truth, and my convictions always
stuck with me. God knew what He was doing, as I continued to fight with myself
after every wrong decision I made. I had become so miserable and discontent with
everything in my life. Without God, I couldn’t find the will to do anything. I didn’t
want to wake up each morning, and I didn’t want to go to work. When I was at work,
I didn’t want to go home. I had lost all sense of peace. By the grace of God I was
able to return to this message, and I have clung on to every word that has been
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given. I have dug deeper than ever into the Truth, never wanting to go back to the world because I
know that it has nothing to offer. Since returning wholeheartedly, my life has been so blessed! I have
lost 50 pounds. Peace has returned, and I can truly say that I have a purpose, and that purpose is
to love and serve God with my life! This life that I get to live is SO BEAUTIFUL and I know that it only
comes from loving and obeying God. I know what is being taught here is the Truth because I have
tried everything else, and this is the only message that has borne good fruit! I cannot praise God
enough!
Abigail McDonald
I praise God for finding this truth and freedom at the age of 21. For the first 20 years of my
life, I had gone to church my entire life, but it never taught me to truly know and obey
God. My life was so sad and depressing, because I was so self-focused and a control
freak. I was always worried about how I looked, so I tried everything to control my
weight—exercising, dieting, starving myself and throwing up my food. None of the
methods ever worked. In fact, I would always end up gaining my weight back! In high
school I started hanging out with some ungodly people. By the time
I was nineteen, I was smoking, drinking, and dating a guy that my
entire life revolved around. There was nothing about my life that
was glorifying to God—and nothing I could find here on earth was
filling me up with happiness.
But now, after coming into this incredible truth, I have
learned what the point of my life is! It is to obey and please God
Almighty—which is so much fun! Now I know that God made my
stomach to growl when I am hungry, and I am able to stop when
I am satisfied. I have lost 40 pounds by eating within God’s
boundaries! I now fill up on God instead of alcohol or cigarettes.
My life revolves around God and going to Him for everything and
seeing what I can do to build up His Kingdom. I have fallen out of
love with myself and in love with the God of the Universe!!
Greetings to all of those who are DOING the will of the Father
and who truly belong to the family of God! This is Michael! Here is a
scripture I would like to share with you from John 8:31.
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold
to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will
know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
There is a lot said in that one verse. Jesus is talking to all of those
who believe in him. If you hold to his teaching which means—if you obey
him, THEN you are really his disciples. This week I want to encourage
you to take up your cross and follow Christ by obeying what he says to
do. Don’t memorize it or underline it, DO it! There is no better way
to prove to God that you are for real than by choosing God’s way over
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your way when the two ways don’t line up. You have GOT to show God
that you are a true disciple if you want to make it into the Kingdom of
Heaven.
By now, I hope that you are making real progress in your obedience
to God and seeing many changes in your life for the better. You need
to be changing every single week for the better, and “from one glory to
the next.” If there are still things you are working on or stumbling over,
keep getting back up—and remember, it really is a choice about which
God you want. Do you want to be a god on earth, or let food be the
god, or sex, or sports, or anything here on earth? Or do you want God
to be the God? It truly is just a choice. Only you can decide if you
want to serve the ONE true God of the Universe or some dumb, lifeless
idol that will NOT save you on judgment day! I tell you, there is no
other way to make it to heaven except to follow the footsteps of Jesus,
take up the cross that God has given you and walk with it. Don’t be
deceived. You will “reap what you sow,” as it says in Galatians. Every
time it gets hard, just remember that there are a lot of people watching
you in heaven, not to mention God, Jesus, and all the angels. Satan
also has his eye on you. The next time you are tempted to save yourself
in a situation, prove to God and everyone that you would rather die than
disobey. We have got to stand firm and show the world that God’s way
IS better and that He IS a good God! I encourage you to take up your
cross along with the rest of your brothers and sisters around the world
and follow Christ.
change your
SITUATION:
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ROOT PROBLEM(S):
SOLUTION(S):
Put Your Battle Armor On!!
Hey guys! It’s Elizabeth here again to remind you to get
PuMpEd up for passing your tests this week!! It may get hard at
times, but remember… you’ve been given EveRytHiNg you need to pass
these tests… so let’s do this!! Don’t forget to put on your full battle
armor every morning by doing what Jesus Christ did—pray on your
knees asking God to save and deliver you from temptations!!
The Temptation:
You are tempted to look horizontally at what others have that you
don’t have…so you begin to feel sorry for yourself. You start to get
SELF-FOCUSED and depressed and you want to isolate yourself off from
everybody—or you may want to gain attention for yourself. You find
yourself going back to the old mindset of when you dwelled on yourself
and had pity-parties for what you didn’t have but thought you deserved.
An ungrateful, jealous, self-absorbed and horizontally-focused attitude
has come back… but YOU KNOW God wants you to get out of this…
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The Way Out!!!
FIRST: COUNT YOUR BLeSSiNGS! Go back in and
remember everything that God HAS given you. Do NOT look at what
others have… but praise God for what you STILL have left—arms, legs,
friends, breath, another day to SERVE HIM, etc.!!! Know that God
could take all of this away from you, so PRAiSE HIM while you still have
the chance and be TRULY thankful for His generosity without asking for
more.
DO NOT LOOK HORIZONTALLY AT WHAT
OTHERS HAVE ANYMORE.
SECOND: Change your outlook on life IMMEDIATELY and stop
thinking about YOURSELF!! You are not allowed to think about your
own wants and desires anymore… start setting your mind ONLY on
what pleases God. Who is going to help Him get what He wants??
Remember, God set it up to where you do not always get what you
want… but if you are looking for what HE WANTS—then you will always
be happy! (And what He wants is for you to NOT be focused on
yourself, but to be HAPPILY serving Him and others…) The best way to
get off of yourself is to go love and help someone else who is hurting!
Now… you are on your way to thinking ONLY about the
desires of GoD ALMiGHTy and NOTHING about SELF.
Enjoy the freedom and the JOY that comes from ObeYiNG our
KiNG and not your own will!!
Notes:
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Across
4JERUSALEM
5 THE HOLY PLACE WHERE THE MOST HIGH DWELLS, PSALM 46
7 WHERE YOUR SPIRITUAL FIGHT TO BE RIGHTEOUS TAKES PLACE
9 THE SHOTS FIRED AT YOU BY SATAN
12 EVERYONE WHO RELIES ON THE GOD OF ISRAEL IS A CITIZEN HERE, ISAIAH 48:2
14 “I DIDN’T UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANT TO BE ‘BORN AGAIN’”
15 “MY DELIGHT IS IN HER”
16 ALSO CALLED “THE ROCK OF ISRAEL”, ISAIAH 30:29
Down
1 AFTER GODLY JUDGES ARE RESTORED, GOD’S PEOPLE WILL BE CALLED THIS, ISAIAH 1:26
2 WHAT YOU DO WHEN YOU LIVE UP TO YOUR CALLING, HOLDING YOUR CROSS/SWORD HIGH
3 AFTER GODLY COUNSELORS ARE RESTORED, GOD’S PEOPLE WILL BE CALLED THIS, ISAIAH 1:26
6 YOUR SPIRITUAL FIGHT TO BE HOLY IS DISPLAYED HERE
8“MARRIED”
10 GOD’S CALLED-OUT, THE PEOPLE WHO DO GOD’S WILL, HIS CHURCH ON THIS EARTH TODAY
11 COMPLETELY TURNING FROM DOING THINGS YOUR WAY TO DOING THINGS GOD’S WAY
13 THE DESIRE TO DO SOMETHING YOU SHOULDN’T DO
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Spirit Calendar
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1.
There is only one narrow door that leads to life. Jesus tells Nicodemus in John 3:5-8 that in order
to see the Kingdom of God, you have to be born again of the water and of the Spirit. This means
that you have to be baptized into the water of repentance and then you have to surround yourself
with the will of God. Write out John 3:5-8 in the space provided below.
To be “born again” is to put off the old and put on the new—to go from one way of life to a
completely new one. It is to be a complete change and you must surrender yourself to the will of
God, thereby becoming a new creation.
2.Read Ephesians 4:1-5.
What does this passage say about how we need to live our lives: as a prisoner or slave to the Lord?
3.
You have been told that the New Jerusalem will only be experienced when you go to heaven. However,
the picture of the New Jerusalem (the church here on earth) is best drawn by all of the many names
in the Bible that reference Jerusalem. Those names describe the state of the people’s hearts
that are to live there, or they describe the devotion that God felt toward His called out. In other
words, the names used to reference Jerusalem describe God’s love toward this selected, chosen
group of Abraham’s children and the expected, foundational characteristics that should embody
people hand-picked for a relationship with the One True God. Review the following scriptures and
names to get a feel for how beautiful Jerusalem and the New Jerusalem (Christ’s precious church)
should be. It is a heart-breaker because we have missed the mark again! Nothing impure was to
be in her. These people were set apart and loved by God as a bridegroom loves his bride.
u“Jerusalem” is used 600 times; “Salem” means “the city of Peace.”
u“Zion” is used 100 times in the Old Testament; “Zion” is another word for the “New Jerusalem”
or the church—a community of saints who are regarded as sacredly devoted to God. “Zion” means “perfect or ideal, sunny and raised up.”
Look up all of the following passages that give names that refer to the New Jerusalem—God’s
pure church:
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uCity of God—Psalm 46:4, 48:1, 87:3; Hebrews 12:22; Revelation 3:12
uHoly Mountain—Isaiah 2:3, 30:29, 27:13, 11:9, 56:7; Zechariah 8:3
uHoly City—Isaiah 48:2; Matthew 4:5, 27:53; Revelation 11:2 Jerusalem was the city where the
God of the universe chose to put His name!
uThe City of Truth—Zechariah 8:3
uCity of Righteousness, Faithful City—Isaiah 1:26
uHephzibah meaning “My Delight is in her” and Beulah meaning “Married”—Isaiah 62:4
uThe City of David—describing the type of heart God was looking for.
uIsaiah 62:12: They will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord; and you will be
called Sought After, the City No Longer Deserted.
4.
Those in Zion or the New Jerusalem are to be pure and holy. Read the following scriptures and
write out what God is looking for.
1 Peter 2:2-12
Hebrews 12:14
1 Peter 1:14-16, 22
5.
Can we be holy and pure? Read the following passages in your Bible: 1 Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians
1:4; 1 Peter 1:15-16; Revelation 22:11; Matthew 5:48
6.
The cross has been a shame and disgrace to the world, and you do not understand the cross you
have been handed. Your cross may be that you have a debilitating disease and you are shunned
by society, or your cross could be to have a lower income and therefore are left out of social
situations, etc. God ordains all of these crosses, so there can be no shame or disgrace in the
cross you have been handed. Write the following scriptures in space provided:
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Matthew 10:38
Luke 9:23
7.
Something you must remember is that your battles are not private or hidden from the heavens,
but rather your life is on a movie screen in the heavenly realm. Recall the mental picture of being
ushered into the giant coliseum and the Jumbo-Tron where all your thoughts are being displayed for
all to see. Read the account of King David and Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11. King David’s downfall
came when he laid down his sword and shield and lost his focus on the war.
Why was God angry at King David? Read 2 Samuel 12; especially verse 14.
How have you handled your flaming arrows of temptation this week?
u Get your Bible and read 2 Corinthians 10:3-6, especially the part that says, The weapons
we fight with are not the weapons of the world...they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
What are some weapons God has given you to help fight your strongholds? What makes them
different from (and stronger than) weapons that non-Christians use in the world? (Hint: scripture
says they have “divine” power)
u If you have the Weigh Down at Home series, watch video lesson 8 called “The Value of
Suffering.” There is an unbelievable value to the suffering you go through as you die to your own
will and dedicate yourself to God’s will. It is from our suffering that we grow stronger; it is in our
submission that we become free.
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Desert Hint: Be mindful of your thoughts. What does your mind wander to during the day?
Make sure that focus goes right back to God!
Desert Hint: Learn how to recognize those spiritual battles
and put on your battle armor every morning!
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Week Eight - The Last Exodus
The Last Exodus
Walking past the blocks of stone
Where I used to call my home
Now we’re free to sing in our own way
Children playing in the streets
They now are here no more
Up and run we’ve left and gone away
Look and see all the travelers
Winding their way across the sand
Dance with those happy groups of travelers
Their going back to their own land
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After years of walking round
Here we are on solid ground
Such a joyful happy sound I hear, I hear
Some have come and some have gone
But I know it won’t be long
Til we all stand strong without a fear
Michael Shamblin
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week’s lesson:
Mark 4:1-20
John 15:1-7
Hebrews 12:4-11
2 Peter 1:3-9
Matthew 13:24-30
Galatians 5:7-9
Isaiah 66:2-6
James 1:13-15
Job 31:1-12
Ezekiel 20:30-31
John 15:1-8
Other Scriptures used
in this lesson:
Definitions:
Counterfeit church - a
place that is filled with
deceit and teaches
the lie that serving and
ruling “self” is great—
tells people if they sit
on God’s throne it will
glorify God and that
they would be “taking
away” from God’s
perfect sacrifice—it
glorifies self, keeps
people busy with manmade ministries—a
place void of “new
creations” and God’s
love.
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Welcome to week 8, the last week of this video series. My prayer
is that you continue fellowshipping with the saints in your class. These
people will help you continue down this path of purity before God
Almighty. If you are the last one left in your class, call us at 1-800844-5208. We would love to put you in contact with a group of likeminded believers!
You have gained a great deal of knowledge during these past
7 weeks. It is a fact that you have now learned how to die to your
own will and then allow the Spirit of God to live through you, and with
this knowledge comes great power. “With great power comes great
responsibility”—This is a classic line from the movie “Spiderman” as well
as other literature, but it is so true. You have been given a great power
to fight off demons and make the choice to surrender your will to God’s
will.
With Great Power Comes
Great Responsibility.
If you have been called to represent the most high God, then
you realize that God is enough. The blessings that He chooses for you
are enough, in fact, more than enough. We cannot take any of His gifts
for granted, especially His greatest gift, which is love. You could have
everything in the world but not have love. If you don’t have love, having
everything is empty and meaningless because you have no one to share
it with. If God is your first passion and love then He will give love from
others back to you. God has so much love for those that love Him
back. Hosea 2:14-23 paints a beautiful picture of this. If we seek Him,
He will be found by us. But if we forsake (abandon or leave) Him, He will
reject us forever—1 Chronicles 28:9. Make sure the only place you go
is to God—seek Him for ANYTHING and EVERYTHING!
You are going to be tested for the rest of your life. Praise God!
This testing will not be hard one day if you don’t give up. Abraham was
one of God’s most faithful servants. God had promised Abraham a son,
but the test came when he had to wait on God—almost 100 years—for
this son. He was tested again to see if he had made his son into an
idol. Abraham passed this test with flying colors because he responded
so quickly to the request to give up his only son. Abraham had many
years of practice being tested, and therefore he had become quick
at responding. With each test came greater faith in God. Abraham
trusted God with his son, and God blessed that. Jesus is sitting on the
right hand side of God, because he had faith that God would give back
to him if he gave it all up, including his life, for God.
YOU ARE GOING TO BE TESTED FOR THE
REST OF YOUR LIFE.
Our faith must be strong enough to take this death-to-self-walk,
patterned after Jesus Christ and know that blessings may not come until
we are in heaven. 2 Timothy 4:8 says, Now there is in store for me the
crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award
to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed
for his appearing. So, heaven must be our ultimate goal. Spend some
time imagining your mansion in heaven. Imagine the conversations you
will have with the greats of the Bible: Moses, Abraham, Peter, Paul,
Jesus, etc… Think about your heavenly family. Think about the length
of time you will live in heaven versus the length of time on earth. This
is eternity we are talking about here. It should be a no-brainer—obey
God’s commands and do things His way and not your own—and you will
get the reward of heaven—living forever with God and His Son, Jesus
Christ!
HEAVEN Must Be Our
Ultimate Goal...
Let’s take a quick review of what you have learned over the past 8
weeks:
uYou are not a god.
uYou have to make God Lord and put His will above your own—not
your will, but God’s be done. Jesus taught us to die to our wills.
Our will wants to eat when we are not hungry.
uWhat is God’s will? He has lines or boundaries for eating that are
very generous and we should stay inside them and not complain. His
boundary with food is hunger and fullness.
u We need to seek His will and obey it—with obeying authorities,
parents, teachers and especially God first.
u We do not need to look for a feeling from this world—but only from
God.
u We need to separate ourselves from people who get their feelings
from disobeying God, especially if those people call themselves
followers of Christ.
uRemember that we have to transfer this passion for food and looking
for a feeling over to a new passion and feeling. We need to take on
God’s love, and His love is Jerusalem, Zion, or His church.
u You have to be careful looking for God’s church, for there are so
many false teachers and false churches.
of TOTAL OBEDIENCE.
Look for the fruit
uTotal obedience is the key. Partial obedience is obeying Satan and
will not get you through the narrow door.
u Total obedience means that you have chosen God to rule instead of
yourself or food or lusts of any kind.
uFinally, your purpose is to know that you were born to fight for God
ruling on this earth. Your cross is a sword—intended to be accepted
as your calling and your way to help Zion expand on earth. Remember
that Zion is a place where there are not multiple gods—but a place
on earth where God rules and He is God and the people are His
people and His alone.
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Wes Whaley
My name is Wes Whaley. I wanted to give my testimony about what
God, through his Son Jesus Christ, has done in my life in just a year
and a half. To give you a little background, I am 25 years old and am
originally from Nashville, Tennessee. For the first half of my life, I was a
disgusting idolater who was not only hurting myself, but God as well. I
was so busy trying to please myself with idols that I was blind to
doing the will of God. First off, I was filling my life with “self” and
a pride that said I was in charge, not God. I took it upon myself
to fill up the hole that was in my heart with food, pornography,
television and movies. I had “self” that destroyed my body by
making me 80 pounds overweight. The extra weight caused
my knees to hurt. I would run out of breath walking up a
small flight of stairs. I had stretch marks all over my body
from all that weight ripping my skin apart. Because I did
not have any energy left, I became lazy. I would just sit in
front of a television screen, a computer screen, or a movie
screen and get fatter and fatter. The extra
fat made me feel worse and worse, and
instead of turning to God, I turned to lust
to make me feel better about the weight. I
lusted after girls on the computer and tried
to escape reality by watching movies and
television shows. The absolute worst thing
about all of this is that during this whole
time of worthless “self,” I was calling myself
a Christian. I was sitting in a church that
allowed me to believe I was okay, even though
in my heart I knew I was not. I would ask for
forgiveness for all the horrid things I did that
week but then turn around and do them again
and again. It must have been so disgusting to
God that I kept repeatedly abusing the sacrifice
that His Son had made for me. I knew this false grace
message was not right and my old church was not
teaching me the path to truth—freedom in Christ—
freedom FROM sin.
Then a year and a half ago I was introduced to
Mrs. Shamblin’s book, Rise Above, and to Remnant
Fellowship, and I KNEW this was the truth.
God was angry at us and at what the world had
done to His Church. He was tired of my sin in His
house. He was tired of seeing any idols in my heart that
were in front of Him. After reading Rise Above, I knew how to put God
first in my life instead of 6th. Mrs. Shamblin just took the Word of God
straight from the Bible and helped me see that food was a big idol for
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me that had to be destroyed, chopped up into pieces and burned. I
applied all of Mrs. Shamblin’s techniques, which are just God’s techniques, and have lost 80 pounds and have not gained one back! Praise
God that He not only made physical repairs but spiritual repairs as well.
I also got rid of lust, pornography and the bulk of television and movies
that I was wasting time on. Now all my free time is spent searching for
the will of God through prayer and reading His will in the Bible and serving the saints. I do not want to overeat, lust, overspend, waste time,
or put idols in front of God anymore. I do not want to live outside
God’s boundaries for even one second. I am a new creation in Christ
and I love every second of it. You will find nothing but joy and fulfillment if you are doing God’s will because He will bless you in everything
you do. I know The Last Exodus will be a blessed tool in which God will
speak to many, many other people. Their lives will be changed just as
Rise Above and The Weigh Down Diet have totally changed mine.
Welcome to the final week of The Last Exodus and the final session
of “Stumbling Stoppers!” This is Michael and I hope that these short
segments have been helpful and encouraging to you and that these
videos have pushed you to go all the way with obedience to God! For
the last week, I want to recap all of the points that I have made leading
up to this week. So here is what we have talked about:
First of all, remember to offer the parts of your body to
righteousness leading to holiness instead of doing evil with them. You
are now slaves to Christ and God and you must obey!
Second, remember that when things get tough or you are tempted
to do your own thing, use whatever gift you have to serve the Kingdom
of God and to help others out. This will make laying down sin easy and
will replace your former passion with a passion for God and His Kingdom!
Third, the difference between stumbling and deliberate sin was
discussed. If you have stumbled, get right back up and know that you
will not allow yourself to stumble over the same thing again. If you are
deliberately sinning—STOP IT and repent! Remember Hebrews 10:2627.
Fourth, we talked about how God disciplines those He loves. Since
you are children of God, submit under His discipline and refining and
know that it is for your own good! He loves you enough to discipline
you!
Fifth, I talked about attitudes, so make sure that you have the right
attitude in everything you do! Remember the example of Paul and how
he went through many hardships for Christ. Realize that you need to be
thankful no matter what circumstances you are in!
Sixth, we talked about how it is truly only those who DO the will of
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God who are His disciples. If you are not doing His will, then you are not
a disciple of Christ. It is not those who talk about it or memorize it, but
those who DO the will of God who make it to heaven.
Seventh, we talked about the important issue of fellowship!
Remember that who you hang out with has a great influence on who
you become. Do you really want to make it to heaven? Then get around
those you know are doing it! It’s simple!
And finally, we come to week eight. I hope that all of you go out
and apply what you have learned to your lives. Don’t just listen to the
Word, but DO what it says! Don’t let sin rule you, but let God rule you.
You have not even come to God if you are still making decisions for your
life. Make sure with the time you have left here on earth that you are
living to please God, not yourself or man! I pray that you all continue
in this walk and grow in righteousness as God intended. Stay in touch
with the Saints and come to see us in Nashville.
change your
SITUATION:
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ROOT PROBLEM(S):
SOLUTION(S):
F
ace the Attack and Overcome!
Greetings to you, soldiers in the Heavenly War. It’s Elizabeth here, and I know that our time is
coming to a close, but remember—you have many friends praying for you to PASS your TESTS from
here on out, and we aren’t going anywhere!! All of us may be scattered across the land, but we all
have one common goal: to make sure that GOD REIGNS and RULES here on this earth, just as He
does in Heaven. Know that we love you and are here for you!! The war is not over… so let’s keep
truckin’ onward!!
The Temptation:
It’s DiNNeR TimE and you have not eaten since 11:00 that morning, so you feel you DESERVE
to eat dinner out with your friends tonight at your favorite restaurant!! However, your stomach is NOT
growling… so you know you’re not truly hungry yet! You REALLY want to eat that food even though
God has not given the permission to eat—yet, after all, you plan on only eating a small amount and
that won’t make you gain TOO MUCH WEIGHT. So what do you DO???
The Way Out:
1.Don’t listen to the lies that say, “Oh it doesn’t matter.. I’ve got sooo much to lose
anyways...I’ll just start over tomorrow.” Listen to the TRUTH: It’s about GETTING RID OF THE GREED
FOR THAT DAY!! So take one day at a time, and get rid of ALL GREED.
2.Remember what we’ve been taught in the basic Weigh Down concepts: Every day is set up as
a test from God to see WHO you will obey: God, or yourself (Satan.) Even though you may not gain
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TOO much from eating just a small amount when you’re not supposed to—the point is that you would
be DISOBEYING God if you did that—and you would be showing the greed in your heart—and NO
GREED will enter Heaven. (Eph. 5:5)
3.REMEMBER that all of the Heavenly Hosts are watching you. Jesus, Paul, Peter, and John are
cheering you on and WaiTiNG for you to CHOOSE GoD and OBEY HIM! Be SURE you do NOT let them
down!!!!
Helpful Tips:
1. If you go to dinner when you’re not hungry, keep your MIND on the other people at the
table. Find out about their day, what God is teaching them, and look for ways to help THEM! This will
get your mind OFF the food and onto His saints.
2. Remember: the food will always be there and you can always come back to your favorite
restaurant when you are TRULY HUNGRY! Obey TODAY and it will be SO MUCH EASiER tomorrow!
ABRAHAM
BOUNDARIES
COUNTERFEIT
FELLOWSHIP
LIKE MINDED
MANSION
NEW CREATION
PIG PEN
PRODIGAL SON
RESPONSIBILITY
RIGHTEOUS JUDGE
RISE ABOVE
SPIDERMAN
SPIRITUAL SENSES
THE LAST EXODUS
TOTAL OBEDIENCE
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Spirit Calendar
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Notes:
1.
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Turn in your Bible to Luke 15:11-32 and read the parable of the lost son. Summarize this passage
in the space below.
God does not bless you while you are in the pigpen. Get out of the pigpen and come home prodigal
son! After reading the story of the lost son, when did God give the ring, the robe and the filet
mignion?
2.
All through the gospels we see scriptures from Jesus Christ our Lord warning against rebellion to
God’s commands. Your homework is to familiarize yourself with the following scriptures and write
out a brief description of each passage.
Matthew 11:20-24
Mark 9:42-48
Matthew 21:28-32
Luke 12: 4-5
Luke 13:1-3
John 5:14-15
John 12:25-26
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3.Read 1 Corinthians 3:10-17.
4.
According to this passage, what is the foundation of the Church?
Turn in your Bible to Matthew 13:1-9. In the space below, describe the four soils talked about in
this passage.
Whick type of soil is your heart?
Now read John 15:1-8. This scripture says that Jesus is the vine, and God his Father is the
gardener. How do you remain in the vine?
What happens if you do not remain in the vine?
5.Read Psalm 119 and answer the following questions:
a.How can you keep your way pure? (Verse 9)
b.What did Satan use to attack David? (Verse 69)
c.What did David do when he was attacked? (See anser below)
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At the end of the 40 year desert journey, God’s children entered the Promised Land. This was the
land that God had promised to the Israelites as the reward for their faithfulness. The Promised Land
is also symbolic of where your will and the will of God are married and become one. Temptations
will lessen because you have learned to trust God for everything! What was once a temptation
no longer plagues you, and you are free to live life without shame or a heavy heart. Turn in your
Bible to Joshua chapters 1, 3, and 4 to read the account of the Israelites crossing over into the
Promised Land. Write out Joshua 4: 24 in the space below.
*Answer: He kept going to the Word.
6.
During the course of the last 8 weeks, do you feel that you have entered the Promised Land? Why
or why not.
7.
Go back and review the scriptures that were used in each week’s video lessons. List the scriptures
that hit your heart the most.
8.
Write down the names, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of the saints in your class and of those
whom have met in the chat area of the Weigh Down website and Weigh Down Ministries YOUTH
Facebook page. Keep in daily contact with these people because they will help you stay on this
path of righteousness and total obedience to your Creator, God Almighty!
NameNumberE-mail
u In the Rise Above book, read chapter 10, “Cloud and Fire”. You will see that God grew
angry and frustrated at the Israelite’s attempts to do things their own way instead of submitting
to His plans. Write down all the reasons why NOW is the time to make the full choice to respect
His decisions and obey Him!
u Focus on being totally humble before God. Remember who He is and who you are. Do not
let anyone falsely flatter you into thinking you deserve something—you owe God everything!! Be
humble, grateful and appreciative.
u Your fellow classmates in The Last Exodus have become a pure fellowship for you—a group of
like-minded believers. Continue meeting with these people—they will tell you the truth and keep
you on this incredible path of total obedience to The One who made you.
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Desert Hint: You have not been called to carry just any cross, but the cross of Jesus Christ which is
“Not my will but Yours be done.”
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Desert Hint: As you grow in this truth, you must train up those spiritual senses for battle!
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AF
inal Charge...
Satan will try to get you to isolate yourself and get you to bow down to the Great I Am on your
own. He will tell you that you do not need fellowship and will also tell you that it doesn’t matter what
fellowship you attend—just so long as you go to one! Oh, does that scare me for you. Please know
that to me there are many themes of the Bible. But if I were to tell you the top two true messages,
they would be, #1: that you must choose God as THE GOD of your life and have no other gods
before you and #2: that there must be a community of believers together because God wants to dwell
among men—and that Christians need each other to function as a body under the ONE HEAD—Jesus
Christ. The hand cannot say to the foot, “I have no need of you.” We need each other so that the
gifts can be used and so that we can grow up in the Lord and become strong. I could not do without
my fellow Christians. But I have the Bible’s narrow definition of a Christian: one who has chosen only
God as the Lord and one who no longer bows down to SELF or other gods or food or things of this
world. The Apostle John would say that, The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he
commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made
complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus
did. (1 John 2:4-6) In chapter 3 verse 10 of 1 John, he says, This is how we know who the children
of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child
of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.
When you find a true child of God who is doing right and walking as Jesus did and not continuing
in sin (1 John 3:9), then you have found a saint. I pray that you find several and get together and
help one another. The road is narrow and the door is small. There are few that will enter through
the narrow door—but wide is the road to destruction. You must lay down the “volume” lie; you
cannot be pulled by the large crowds. God called a few out of the world to come to His isolated
hill of Jerusalem to be His chosen few to love Him. God knew that the world was Satan’s for a short
period of time. But the world and its desires will pass away and the man who chooses to do the will
of the Father will live forever with God in heaven. (1 John 2:17) When you first come across this idea
of the narrow road, it is hard. You have to transform your mind and understand that not all will be
saved. Most of the crowd yelled, “Crucify him, crucify him” and the world asked to spare the sinner.
The world wants God to curve the test and let them do what they want to do. Yes, they were given
the breath of life for 70 years—they ought to have the right to run the show! Arrogance beyond
arrogance is in the heart of man. We will crucify those that are humble and exalt the sinners. Recently
a preacher was caught in an awful crime and many of the preachers/pastors in the area backed him up
and said that “everyone is a sinner at heart.” Do you realize what they were defending? Mind you,
this preacher did not confess his crime and express remorse—he just got caught red-handed. Do
you think that 100 years ago, if a preacher got caught stealing horses that all the pastors in the
area would come to his defense and say, “We are all just horse thieves at heart.”?! Do you think
that anyone would fall for this 100 years ago? The other preachers had to have sin in their lives to
want to back up this preacher so that he would not lose his job. I am certain that trying to uphold
someone who has been in the pulpit and is blatantly sinning is very telling. Jesus walked the narrow
road and if you bear the name of Christ and he is your Lord, then you will walk as Jesus did down the
road that said, “Not my will but God’s be done.”
Look at how narrow it all is. God commanded us to touch no unclean thing—meaning anything
that did not choose Him as God. We were always called to separate from the world. That is one of
the main tests of the 70 year-long job interview for the kingdom of God. Study this passage that is
one of the many like it: Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and
wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there
between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement
is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has
said, ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.
Therefore come out from them and be separate’, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will
receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.
Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates
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body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. (2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1)
The Apostle Paul references the quoted scriptures from Isaiah 52:11, Ezekiel 20:34,41, and
2 Samuel 7:8-13. Jesus and Paul always backed up what they were saying from the writing of the
prophets of old. God has always called a people to come out and be separate from a world that has
mixed and multiple gods. He wants a nation of people—an ekklesia—a called out church or body of
people that will choose Him as their only God. How modest is this?! How humble is our God. He
doesn’t demand His created beings to bow down to only Him and He only expects for a few to
choose Him and many to reject Him. I feel for God and the pain of it all. He asked us to be separate
because He knew how tempting it would be to exchange Him for other gods and our own love of SELF.
God was asking us to be separate, for ourselves and for Him. For ourselves: a little rebellion leavens
the whole lump. If you stay around people that are lax with bowing down to God—you will follow
suit. If you stay around people that would not take a bite over—you will follow suit. We are sheep
and we follow those around us. That is why God commanded leaders to expel the rebellious from
among the fellowship. But this command was also for the kingdom of God: God cannot dwell among
the rebellious. Do you like the company of children who hate your commands or employees who hate
your commands? You cannot lead. God cannot lead us if we are our own boss or are rebellious—
that is why we have no fellowship with darkness. God is the light of all knowledge and all wisdom.
People that rebel are walking in the darkness of a few cancerous cells that have pulled away from the
authority of the BRAIN or THE HEAD. God’s command is right—we must fellowship with true believers
and we must be in a fellowship that cares enough to expel the immoral (rebellious to the commands
of God) brother or brothers. Ask God and He will lead you and know that He is pulling together the
exiles away from the counterfeit churches as we speak, forming a large army of obedient children
of God; God will dwell among them and they will receive all the blessings prophesied by Moses in
Deuteronomy 29 and 30. When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come upon you
and you take them to heart wherever the Lord your God disperses you among the nations, and when
you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your
soul according to everything I command you today, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes
and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you.
(Deuteronomy 30:1-3)
Until the next video series—may you
totally surrender to God!
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To the saints who love to obey our Lord and Savior...
Well, I know that our time here during this video series is coming to a close... BUT DON’T STOP
NOW!! You have GOT to keep going after this TOTAL OBEDIENCE to God by continuing to SURROUND yourself with TRUTH!! Stay in contact with every saint you have found—the ones that are
DOING the will of God with you. If you do not have anyone nearby, remember that you can ALWAYS
contact Michael and me and many other kids your age by writing to us at [email protected].
And the BIGGEST thing that will help you as you journey onward on this walk of obedience to
Christ will be getting on the Weigh Down Ministries YOUTH Facebook page!! There you will be able to
chat with many other kids your age, and they will encourage you along the way!! And if WE can help
you in any way, call us at Weigh Down at 1-800-844-5208.
You have GOT to continue to surround yourself with the truth—we cannot stress that enough.
You are so highly influenced by those around you, and so you have GOT to find the ones that are
PURE and HOLY and who WANT to go ALL THE WAY with ToTaL ObEdieNcE to God Almighty!!
Know that we are HERE FOR YOU... and we are praying for all of the saints daily—that we will
ALL find each other eventually and be able to fellowship together via email, online, and Lord willing,
in person one day!! God is so good to His children—those that DO His will... so know that if you
continue down this path of obedience to God’s will, then you WILL be HIGHLY BLESSED. So NEVER
give up!! Know that the war for your soul will continue... and the journey has just begun...
I love you all soOoOoOo very much...
May the God of ALL protect and bless every one of you as you continue to seek, find and DO his
will every day.
To the immortal, all-knowing, and all-powerful God and His perfect Son, the Christ—our Messiah be praise, honor, and glory forevermore.
Elizabeth Hannah
Don’t quit now!!!
Guys, the class is almost over but the journey and excitement of surrendering your will to that of
our perfect GOD just began! Whatever you do now that this class has ended, do not listen to those
lies that got you in the shape you were in before this class began. Remember daily how miserable life
was before you heard and participated in this class and be thankful for EVERYTHING God has given
you. Continue to count your blessings, being thankful for any situation God has put you in, for it is all
screened by Him anyway. Having a good attitude through the testing is a great opportunity to show
God that you are choosing His side, the right side. This realization is key to getting the rest of the
weight off and keeping it off forever!!! Praise God for each of you and I can’t wait to hear from or talk
to each of you! Call us, e-mail us, visit us anytime! We can’t wait to meet other saints that are sold
out and love the same God that we love!! May God bless you as you continue to seek His will!!!
Brandon Hannah
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Keep Seeking God!
We have had so much fun these past weeks telling you about our own Exodus stories, and how
to make God your everything. Now that the class is coming to an end, please remember to keep
seeking God with all of your heart, all of your soul, all of your mind and all of your strength. That is
the greatest commandment. You know that all things come from God and turning to this world has
left you empty and drained. Keep looking at your own heart and finding ways to make it pleasing to
God. You will take nothing with you and all that will matter on judgment day is a PURE HEART, with
only one passion inside—God!! He owns it all, the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10). If you
will let go and trust in Him, He will come back and bless you even more. God commended those who
lived by faith!! Those who trusted in God and God alone made His heart melt (Hebrews 11)! Faith is
not a mental acknowledgement, but is proven by your actions. Whether you run to food, popularity,
athletic ability or anything else, your actions will prove if you waited on the Lord. If you do, you will
be blessed highly!! Remember that giving up your will is fun!! Keep going guys! We have been through
those trials and temptations and we promise to help you along the way. Do not hesitate to call us or
write us!! We would be happy to hear from you!!
Erin Shamblin
“GET INVOLVED!!!”
Hey guys! Now that you have heard the truth and have seen some of the fruit that has come from
this message, it is time for you to get involved! As it says in Proverbs 27:17, as iron sharpens iron,
so one man sharpens another. I know that getting around like-minded people helped me whip those
last few pounds of greed and lust! The best and fastest way for you to get your life back on track is
to become a member of the Weigh Down Ministries YOUTH Facebook group. Another thing that will
help your walk will be to log on to Truthstream. David Martin, a fellow musician and long time friend
of mine has been putting hours and hours of material into this cool 24 hours-a-day web broadcast.
Just think, the next time you are up at 2:00 AM and want to binge, you can log onto Truthstream using your password and listen to Gwen, Michael, Brandon, Erin, Elizabeth and many others share the
truth with you! Once you join the Facebook group, and get to know those people on the videos and
in your workbook, you will see that they are people just like you, who came out of the same problems
and sins. The difference is that they had a supportive network of friends who were telling them to
quit doing things their way and do them God’s way! Who you hang out with is huge! Make the right
choice and get involved in the Weigh Down Ministries YOUTH Facebook group today!
Michael Shamblin
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Appendix
General Medical
You may have joined this program because the stronghold of food, or other addictions, is
having a physical impact on your body as well as your spirit. If this is the case, we recommend
that you consult your physician for a medical examination before you begin. Also, if you have any
preexisting health conditions such as, food allergies, diverticulitis, cirrhosis of the liver, diabetes,
bowel resections, chronic ulcers, kidney disease, chronic constipation, etc., please continue to be
under your physician’s care and guidelines for food and medication. For example, if you have chronic
constipation, you must keep eating fiber. If you have ulcers, take your medication and do not eat the
foods that upset your stomach. Reducing the intake of excessive amounts of food will be a positive
change, but the body that has become accustomed to excess may experience some unfamiliar feelings
during the transition. God has made our bodies to be sensitive to what and how much of anything we
need, but this internal system must be resurrected! Be patient and trust God to ultimately satisfy you
far better than anything the world can offer.
Some physical conditions may be alleviated when you lose weight and start eating regular foods
in smaller amounts. For example, if you have high cholesterol or triglyceride levels, losing weight
permanently could possibly alleviate the problem. Spastic colon and ulcers may improve as you
eat the volume of food that your body calls for. Joint and muscle problems are improved in some
cases. People on cortisone and/or who have lupus will still lose weight, but the weight loss may be
slower. Diabetics going through this program will reduce their food intake, bringing the insulin/food
ratio closer. As a result, many have been able to reduce or even eliminate their medications. It is
very important to understand, however, that the process of regulating insulin must be done under
a physician’s supervision. Also, medications that should be taken with food usually require only
small amounts—e.g., one to three crackers. Please consult your physician for care of any of these
conditions.
The Weigh Down Workshop has helped many anorexics and many more bulimics to let go of
control, and they have watched themselves become at peace with their bodies. They’ve lost their
focus on food and their obsession for thinness, trading this in for a focus on and devotion to God.
While individuals with anorexia or bulimia can certainly benefit from this program, they should remain
under the care of their physician.
This seminar was developed to address the heart’s addiction and dependence upon the things of
the world as a comfort and a delight. Ephesians 5:18 warned the early Christians not to get drunk on
wine but to “be filled with the Spirit.” These Christians did not have access to antidepressants as we
know them today, but the principle is the same. God’s people have adopted an alarming stance on
the liberal use of medications for the pain of an undirected heart. Instead of heeding the warning to
stop loving something on this earth, we have embraced medications to numb the symptoms of sin—to
a fault.
If God causes your heart to question, we suggest that you take your concerns to your physicians
and counselors to prayerfully determine how to best treat your personal situation.
142
General list of strongholds
A stronghold is something that you cling to on this earth when you should cling only to God
Almighty. You depend on it or you love or you worship it or your use it for comfort, pleasure,
indulgences, a high, or to feed “self”. You can worship anything on this earth. Anything can become
an idol, from money, needing the praise of man to making yourself an idol. What your heart longs for
or what your mind is consumed with is your god. We all need to take a good, hard look at the inner
sanctuary of our hearts—the secret places—and find out what makes our pulse rate go up.
In the end, there will be a day when Jesus comes back for those who have made Him their
beginning and end—their Alpha and Omega—their All-in-All. I pray that everyone of you finds God the
Father through Jesus Christ His Son and that you obey His commands and live for His will, not your
own desires and strongholds.
All of these strongholds listed below are addressed on the videos and audiocassettes of the
EXODUS from Strongholds series. For more information, see page 146.
Substance abuse strongholds
1.Food
2.Cigarettes
3.Alcohol
4.Drugs
5. Medicine cabinet
6.Antidepressants
7. Diet pills
Emotional strongholds
1.Depression
2. Self-focused fears
3.Thinness
8.Self-focus
9. Self-pity
Sexual strongholds
1.Pornography
2.Lewdness
3. Sexual lust
4.Promiscuity
5.Adultery
6. Homosexuality
Controlling strongholds
1. Anger
2.Pride
3. Credit cards
4.Nagging
5. Power
6.Control
7. Approval of men
8.Gambling
9.Greed
10.Shopping
11.Gossip
12.Deceit
13.Malice/revenge
14. Excessive exercise
15. Overbooked calendar
16.Anorexia
17. Bulimia
18. Love of money
19.Overspending
20. Praise of men
21.Lying
22.Theft
23. Social Status
24.Careers
25. Children or spouse
(Excessive focus)
26. Materialism (cars, clothes,
Houses)
27. Disrespect for authority
28. Misplaced loyalty
29.Slander
30.Mocking
31. Selfishness
32. Boasting
33.Projection
34. Selfish ambition/
sabotage
35. Compulsive behaviors
36. Murder
Marital strongholds
1.Nagging
2. Lack of submission
3. Misplaced loyalty
4. Marital discord
5. Selfishness
Miscellaneous strongholds
1.Workaholism
2.Laziness
3.Procrastination
4.Television
5.Computers
6. Soap operas
7.Sports
8.Hobbies
9. Love of animals
10. Religion
143
144
Puzzle Answers
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 8
Week 7
145
It’s Easy to Stay Connected!
Use your technology to stay focused on God and connected to other
youth who are going after a relationship with God.
Join the Weigh Down Minstires YOUTH Facebook group—the 24/7
newsfeed is filled with testimonies, encouragement, sharing, and
answers from the office. Reach out and become a member.
Get the Weigh Down App or Zion Youth App—instant
access to classes, encouragement, and more!
Look for and share Weigh Down’s pins on Pinterest.
Twitter—Follow “GwenShamblin,” “WeighDown,”
“MichaelShamblin,” and “ElizabethRFC.
Download Godly music—Get Michael Shamblin’s albums All In,
Life from Death Concert, Golden Streets, & Ring the Changes.
You will be focused on God, His desires and His Kingdom every
time you listen to them.
Watch inspiring videos on GwenShamblin, the
Remnant Fellowship Church, MichaelShamblin, and the
WeighDownWorkshop YouTube Channels.
Find Weigh Down’s before and after pictures on Instagram!
146
Ask Your Parents If You Can...
uuStay in class—repeat this class or call Weigh Down to see what class is right for you.
uuStart a free 30-day trial for our monthly subscriber program, Truthstream, that gives you access
to the truth through powerful instruction, encouragement, testimonies, and music 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
uuWatch the “You Can Overcome” show on Wednesdays at 6:20 pm Central on RemnantFellowship.TV
Books
uuHistory of the ONE TRUE GOD Complete Set—This book is Volume One of History of the ONE
TRUE GOD Series. Please check our website for additional volumes.
uuWeigh Down Diet—Practical advice to help you on the path from physical hunger to spiritual
fulfillment. uuRise Above —Look inward into your own heart and learn to transfer your devotion to the food
over to a wholehearted devotion to God Almighty. You truly fall in love with what you focus on,
so prepare to change your mindset, which then will change your heart.
uuThe Legend to The Treasure—This book will change the way you evaluate your weight, finances,
marriage, and all relationships. Let your eyes be opened to The Treasure and be permanently
set free. This book is also used in a 16-week advanced study. Seminars
uuWeigh Down Basics—A six-week home study filled with Weigh Down’s groundbreaking approach
to weight loss. Learn how to replace the greed for food with a passion for God. uuExodus Out of Egypt: The Change Series—Eight-week seminar. Practical tips, hints, and advice
on weight loss and dealing with “problem” foods or tempting situations during the day. uuExodus From Strongholds—Twelve-week seminar. Break free from any stronghold (over-drinking,
nagging, anger, drugs, praise of man, etc.) in your life—permanently.
uuBreakthrough—Eight-week advanced weight loss seminar for those who have plateaued in their
weight. This seminar will emphasize personal accountability and responsibility and will help you
go all the way.
uuThe Legend to The Treasure—An advanced study—based on nautical symbolism that helps the
participant steer his ship in the right direction toward a deeper relationship with God.
uuWeigh Down Advanced—Ten-week seminar. Discover the root of any remaining pull toward your
strongholds and take your relationship with God to the next level. uuFeeding Children Physically & Spiritually—Children, parents, and parents-to-be all will benefit from
this information. Parents can spare their children a lifetime of overeating, restrictive dieting,
and following man-made rules which often lead to anorexia and bulimia as well as overweight.
uuZion Kids Series—A collection of videos that will transform the whole household, for it is full
of God’s music and knowledge of God and worship to Him. Gwen used these principles based
upon the Bible’s mere Christianity message in raising her own children, Michael and Elizabeth.
147
Websites & Free Resources
uuWeighDown.com—Visit our website for the most up-to-date information on coming attractions,
media events, free weight loss lectures, and special events. uuGwenShamblin.com—For more information on the author, Gwen Shamblin.
uuRemnantFellowship.tv —“You Can Overcome”—a free interactive, LIVE online TV show hosted
by Gwen Shamblin every Wednesday at 6:20 pm Central Time. Log on to watch LIVE and to
see replays. uuRemnantFellowship.org—For more information on the Remnant Fellowship, the Church that sponsors Weigh Down Ministries, e-mail questions to [email protected].
uuWeighDownatHome.com—Free Online weight loss class.
uuWeighDownRadio.com—Weigh Down Web Broadcasting (WDWB)—Free 24/7 online encouragement.
uuWeighDownChronicles.com—Daily words from Gwen.
uuE-mails from Weigh Down—Sign up for Weigh Down’s weekly encouragement e-mails at www.
WeighDown.com. They include important announcements and special discounts. Remnant F
ellowship
Remnant Fellowship Churches were established in 1999 and are now in over 150 locations
around the world. They sponsor world outreach to those seeking a strong connection to the One
True God in these trying days and the life to come. Call 1-800-844-5208 or visit our website at
www.RemnantFellowship.org.
148

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