March 31, 2010Read: Romans 8

"You, however, are not controlled by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.” -- Romans 8:9

I love watching the Gatorade© commercials.  They show athletes giving everything they have to either train for sport or in the heat of competition.  And, you can actually see the neon green or orange Gatorade© pouring out of them as they sweat!

The commercials always end with their tag line, “Is it in you?”  The implication is that somehow this drink is going to make you perform better on the field.  Do you have what it takes to be a champion?  Do you drink Gatorade©?  Is it in you?

As a Christian, God tells us that the Spirit of God, the very essence of Christ, is in you! The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead comes to dwell in you. And this isn’t some kind of temporary thing. When you give your heart to Jesus, the Holy Spirit breathes life into your spirit. He literally brings you back from the dead – spiritually that is. Sin brings death, but the Spirit brings life.

And the really cool thing is that the Spirit gives you power! Power to choose God’s road over the road of sin – to perform better in life! He makes you a champion over sin!

Every day you are given a choice. Will you be led by the sinful nature or will you be led by the Spirit of the Living God. And when you choose God’s way, it will be obvious to everyone that there is something different about you!

Is it in you?

Pastor Jimmy Page serves as the VP of Field Ministry and National Director of Wellness for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). For nearly 20 years, he has been a leader in the medical fitness industry, operating wellness facilities affiliated with Sinai Hospital and Johns Hopkins. He currently hosts a daily radio segment and podcast called Fit Life Today, offering a blend of spiritual and physical health principles that promote abundant life. In 2010, Jimmy published "Wisdom Walks: 40 Life-Changing Principles to Live and Give." Wisdom Walks is a field manual for mentoring the next generation and can be found soon at www.wisdomwalks.org.

LONG-ING FOR BETTER ARMS How to target the outer head of the biceps

Yesterday we focused on the long head of the triceps, the one most responsible for the shape (and size) of the back of the arm. Today, we move to the other side and work the long (outer) head of the biceps.

This particular muscle of the arm is at work most when the arm is stretched backward, behind the body. Imagine sitting on an incline bench with your arms hanging straight down to the floor. By having your arms in that position, it puts a pre-stretch on that head of the biceps.

Incline cable curls, close-grip barbell curls, incline dumbbell curls and drag curls are all good examples of moves that will help target that particular muscle. And for a frame of reference, if you flex your biceps, the muscle at the very peak of the biceps musculature is today's long head. So, in essence, this muscle is the one most responsible for how high a biceps looks in its flexed position.

Next time you're at the gym, try this peak-focused workout which will highly stress the long head.

Do 2-3 sets of each exercise, performing 10-15 reps each set. Rest as little as 30 seconds and no more than 2 mintues between each set. Try taking your last set to absolute failure. Barbell Curl Close-grip barbell curl Incline Cable Curl Smith Drag Curl Preacher Curl