Price of Admission

"Then Peter answered and said to Him, 'See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?'" --Matthew 19:27

Read: Matthew 19:23-30

I love the story that Pastor Rick Warren tells about his epiphany of the importance of his health. For those who may not know, Pastor Rick is a wonderful man and leader of one of the largest churches in the world. His commitment reaches millions. Well, one day a few years ago as he became exhausted while baptizing dozens of his church members, he realized two things: 1) His congregation was heavy, and 2) he was out of shape.

That sparked the beginning of a remarkable ministry called The Daniel Plan, which I'm blessed to be a part of. But Pastor Rick's sense of urgency toward better health was risky. The idea of spending time talking about the body in church is as popular as it is practiced. But we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Pastor Rick and other leaders whose lives are a stirring testament to God's call for healthy stewardship.

The brutal truth is, we can't blame our deficiency of health on the bible's deficient plea to honor it. And how serious we are at honoring the body is directly correlated to how serious we think God was when He commanded it. So make no mistake, for Pastors to admit that the body is something to honor and to address the issue within the confines of their church, there's a cost. It may mean they themselves will have to change eating habits or set an example of a more active lifestyle, and/or it may mean some tough sermons to deliver. But in the end, those who are inspired to obey God in this area are merely the ones willing to pay the price of admission.

--Jimmy Peña

WHAT ABOUT YOUR CHURCH?

As we've established, the message of our health as a means of praise is sometimes a tough one to hear -- but that doesn't make it any less necessary. Look around. Is your congregation in need of a heart check in the care of the bodies the Lord built? To find out how to bring PrayFit founder Jimmy Peña's convicting health evangelism into your next Sunday service, write us here! And to get a preview of the man and the message, click here.

WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: 5-10-15 Build muscle and test your mettle with this quickie workout Push-ups. Squats. Crunches. These three foundation movements, when performed in the same workout, will hit most of your major muscle groups. And the more muscle you train, the greater the change in your body you provoke. This week's workout simply calls for you to perform these three exercises in order, as many times as you can in 10 minutes. Follow along with us:

5 Push-Ups 10 Squats 15 Crunches --As many rounds as possible in 10 minutes.

It's as simple as it looks. Do five push-ups, 10 squats, then 15 crunches. Flip over onto your chest and start the entire sequence again. The goal is to complete as many rounds as possible in 10 minutes, taking as little rest as you can along the way. By keeping the pace high, you get the strength-building benefits of these resistance moves while also amping up your metabolism. Try the routine -- again, it's only 10 minutes -- and post your thoughts and experiences to the comments section below.

NOTES & TIPS: Perform this workout twice per week on non-consecutive days. Once you can get 10 rounds in 10 minutes, take your goal to 11 minutes and/or add one rep to each exercise. If you feel lightheaded, terminate the workout and try again tomorrow.

>> To see how these exercises are performed, click here.

A Precarious Position

"For you, Lord, have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling." --Psalm 116:8

Read: Psalm 116

Today, on a short walk around our complex with my girls, my oldest daughter ran ahead a bit. When I finally caught up to her, she was halfway up a small embankment, princess dress, flats and all. This small hill is a familiar one to us -- we use it as a shortcut on our walks to the neighborhood play area -- but we usually hike it together because it's a bit too steep for 2- and 3-year-olds to manage on their own.

"Mya, stop right there," I said calmly as she struggled with the ascent. "Your shoes are very slippery, baby, let me help."

She turned to me and momentarily lost her footing. Once determined to proceed to the small summit on her own, Mya now looked to me in desperation, reaching out to me for help. While the climb to the top would certainly have been no picnic, coming back down had its own set of dangers -- if she were to do it alone. Taking her small hand in mine, we carefully negotiated the slope and continued on our walk together.

When we walk with God, we enjoy balance and security. When we trek ahead without Him, we often find ourselves in daunting, precarious positions. But no matter how steep the climb, no matter how dangerous the descent, when we get stuck He'll always be there to offer His hand to help us down so we can continue on our walk...together.

--Eric Velazquez

DID YOU KNOW: This summer, PrayFit founder Jimmy Peña was selected as the first advisory board member to Pastor Rick Warren's The Daniel Plan. This worldwide faith-and-fitness initiative by Warren's team at Saddleback Church, helped participants lose 260,000 pounds in 2011. For the full story and more on The Daniel Plan, click here.

WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: BODY TONING SYSTEM You can always browse our fitness page for cool workout ideas to take into the week. But if you're looking for something more structured that can take your body on a journey, we've got just the thing for you. PrayFit 33-Day Body Toning System (Lionsgate) is a more advanced system that toggles between targeted exercises that build lean muscle and high-intensity cardio to blast through body fat. By repeating these intervals, you’ll see results faster than you would by doing cardio alone. This DVD will help you improve steadily each day, building your fitness and your faith. This DVD incorporates toning exercises with “PrayFit Minutes” – encouraging, weekly devotionals aimed at helping you become healthy in body and strong in Spirit.

“If you thought the first DVD was fun, effective and challenging, you won’t believe our newest edition,” says Jimmy Pena. “Thomas Nelson Publishers, one of the most respected names in Christian publishing, is exclusively releasing our second DVD through retailers everywhere. We hope you order it and are blessed by the message and workout. Get ready. You are going to love it!”

>> For other PrayFit products to help boost your faith and fitness, click here.

EYES WIDE OPEN

November 4, 2011Read: Ephesians 1

"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened." --Ephesians 1:18

As I prayed and waited to board my plane en route to the New York City Marathon yesterday, a scene from one of my all-time favorite shows, Friday Night Lights, came to mind. Before the big game, coach asked his young quarterback if his eyes were closed when he threw last week's touchdown pass. The kid's response: "No sir. My eyes were open. My eyes were wide open."

Well, I suppose that scene came to mind because that was my simple prayer -- that the Lord would open the eyes of my heart this weekend in New York. As a writer, not a runner, I know my purpose at the marathon isn't necessarily to have a fast start or even a strong finish, but rather to listen from start to finish. Indeed, after 26.2 miles, I want to be more focused on my walk than my run. May that be your prayer too. Whatever race lies before you today at work, school, or home, let's just try to see Him. All we want to do is see Him.

--J.P.

P.S. When they announced my flight, I turned and who was standing next to me? Pastor Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life. We chatted a few minutes, he asked about PrayFit, and I praised what he's doing at Saddleback Church in the area of health. Thank you, Lord. My eyes are open. My eyes are wide open.

PRAYFIT WEEK IN REVIEW Time to cherry-pick from a week's worth of faith and fitness

Faith

>> PURPOSE OVER PROCESS: Know the destination, savor the journey

>> ELLA'S GRIN: The Lord watches over us, pausing on moments too good to pass up

>> REASON FOR THE CALL: We represent Him in how we live, speak and move

>> ROAD WARRIOR: Because He traveled, we will get home

Fitness

>> 3 MILES: How did you fare in this week's fitness challenge?

>> KID ACTIVITY: How much is enough?

>> DEPRESSION: Beat the blues with a few minutes of exercise

>> MARATHON FUN FACT: How close was the closest finish at the NYC Marathon?

PRAYER REQUEST: PrayFit Nation, we ask that you join us in praying for founder Jimmy Pena as he tackles the course at this weekend's New York City Marathon. Please pray that he is kept safe from injury and that with each footfall, he strides with his eyes (and heart) wide open. We're so proud of you for undertaking such a feat, brother!

--Team PrayFit

THE VERY IDEA

July 18, 2011 Read 1 Corinthians 9

"No, I beat my body and make it my slave." --1 Corinthians 9:27

Last week I had the unique opportunity to be interviewed by The L.A Times on the subject of faith and fitness. Whether or not my input makes the article, I'm not sure, but it was an honor to be asked to participate. During the course of the conversation, the subject fell upon "why." Why the recent surge in the church toward taking care of the body? First the government, then schools and now the church. Together we named famous pastors that are now leading their congregations toward abundant health, and it dawned on me: We shouldn't even be having this conversation. Healthy living is not a new concept.

Long before PrayFit wrote its first devotion, and well before Rick Warren committed to losing weight, the very idea of taking care of the body that carries the soul was God's. It was His plan all along. We have no right, no stake to claim, and no sense of ownership to the idea that something so fearfully and wonderfully made deserves better attention and upkeep. Sure, Abe Lincoln might have been honest, but he didn't invent the truth. Mother Teresa gave to the poor, but she didn't design love. Our bodies were given to us so that we can serve God in all we do. The fact that the church is just now paying attention to the idea doesn't make us leaders, it makes us late.

--J.P.

WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: BOXING

You may not have any interest in the Sweet Science, but the fact remains that boxers are some of the best conditioned athletes on the planet. They have to be. The whole-body demand of jabbing, slipping, bobbing and weaving for any length of time, over time, makes them stronger, leaner and tougher than those who practice other sports. PrayFit partner and endorser Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero boasts a physique that is equal parts form and function from all of his years spent in the gym. But if you don't have the dough, or desire, to dive headlong into a franchise boxing gym membership, you can use this 12-minute, at-home solution to start building a pugilistic physique.

Why 12 minutes? Well, here, each minute will represent one "round" -- and high-profile, championship fights are always 12 rounds.

Straight punches - 1 min.

Crunches - 1 min.

Straight punches - 1 min.

Bicycle crunch - 1 min.

Straight punches - 1 min.

Plank - 1 min.

Using a stopwatch or timer (www.gymboss.com), go through this workout circuit-style, taking little to no rest between moves. After the final move, stand up and get right into the entire circuit once more, for a total of 12 rounds. Perform this workout three times per week for max results.

Straight punches: A series of jabs and crosses (lefts and rights) delivered at eye level at an imaginary target at arms length. Throw as many punches as you can with good form in the scheduled minute of work. For more detail on boxing punches, click here.

ADVANCED OPTION: Finish off your workout with three sets of push-ups (any style) to failure, resting no longer than a minute between sets. Tally your number and try to beat it next time out.

DID YOU KNOW?: High-intensity boxing workouts can burn 750-1000 calories in one hour. Find a gym near you at www.boxinggyms.com.

Robert Guerrero handling Michael Katsidis in his HBO Pay-Per-View televised bout back in April. Photo by Tom Hogan – Hoganphotos/Golden Boy Promotions. (www.hoganphotos.com)