sermon outline: diet

[UnchartedSpirit]

I was thinking about the way people get compleately frantic about their weight and other health this season, and I wonder, as most people, how about our spiritual health? I haven't come up with much of a solution...but I created this spiritual food pyramid that people could use to help improve their overall welfare. It also goes chronogically:
Bread of Life: Reading of Gods word (also sided with milk?)
Water of Life:Faith and Fellowship with Jesus Christ
Fruit of the Spiritevelops Godly Character
Salt of the Earth:Express Godly Character?
Light of the World:Okay its not a food, but this the zenith outcome of all the efforts using the above diet.
Does there need to be any adjustments to this?

 

[Helen]

I think there may be a few errors here...

First of all I like your idea, though! Except I don't want to be 'skinny' spiritually!

Here is what Jesus says about the food and drink:

"I am the bread of life. he who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." John 6:35

The fruit of the Spirit is the RESULT of the Spirit's work in our lives, not something we partake of.

Salt was a euphemism for wisdom in biblical times. The phrase 'lose saltiness' is used four times in the NT but only translated as 'lose saltiness' twice. The other two times that Greek phrase is used are in Romans 1 and 1 Corinthians 1 where they translate 'become foolish' or 'became fools.' So salt, being wisdom, is something James tells us we can get from God for the asking.

The Light of the World is, of course, Christ Himself. Also our food and drink, spiritually.

Nevertheless, I like your basic idea and it would be fun to expand on it in perhaps a slightly different way.

 

[natters]

That's a great idea! You could maybe also include meat (Heb 5:12-14), honey(Psa 119:103, Rev 10:10), fish (Matt 7:10), and other similar Biblical symbols for God's instruction.

 

[Linda64]

As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: (1 Peter 2:2)

 

[Hope of Glory]

"I am the bread of life. he who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." John 6:35

This triggered something that made me go look up the tense of the words. Those who are believing (present, active, participle) will never be thirsty. "Believe" when it's a present, active, participle, is faith.

What is faithfulness on our part? It's obeying the commandments of God. Acts 5:32 says that the Holy Spirit will be given to those who are obeying him. ("Obey" is a present, active, participle.)

Throughout the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit is typified by water, and John 6:35 is saying that those who are faithful (those who are obeying) will never thirst; they will never want for a fulness of the Holy Spirit.

I like this food pyramid idea!

 

[Brother Ian]

It could preach.

 

[UnchartedSpirit]

Well, at least someone could preach. I'm not even a deacon yet!