Faith Over Fear
Faith for Physical Health
Pastor Ben Johnson - September 21, 2025
Matthew 6:25 (ESV) — Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life…nor about your body…
Faith for physical health isn’t about chasing PERFECTION or DENYING sickness. It’s about trusting God enough to HONOR Him with every choice we make in this body He’s redeemed.
The Challenge: Until we know WHOSE we are, we will struggle to know HOW to live.
1 Corinthians 6:12-20 (NLT) — You say, “I am allowed to do anything”- but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything. You say, “Food was made for the stomach, and the stomach for food.” (This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them.) But you can’t say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies. And God will raise us from the dead by his power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead.
Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! And don’t you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, “The two are united into one.” But, the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.
Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So, you must honor God with your body.
God’s Plan For Our Bodies
1. Because our bodies BELONG to God, we WORSHIP Him by offering them as living SACRIFICES.
Romans 12:1 (NLT) — And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.
Galatians 2:20 (NLT) — My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So, I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
2. Because the Holy Spirit DWELLS within us, we must treat our bodies as SACRED, not personal PLAYGROUNDS.
2 Corinthians 6:16 (NLT) — And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
3. Because we are STEWARDS, not OWNERS, we honor God by MANAGING our health and habits with faithful care.
1 Corinthians 4:2 (NLT) — Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful.
Proverbs 3:7-8 (NLT) — Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.
It’s His BODY, for His PURPOSE, for His GLORY.
Life Group Discussion & Questions
BREAKING THE ICE:
Would you rather give up coffee for a month or give up dessert for a month?
DIGGING IN:
Read Romans 12:1 and 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.
• What does “You do not belong to yourself” mean?
• If the Holy Spirit lives in you, how might that change the way you talk about or treat your body?
• What are some things that “pollute the temple,” and how can we guard against them?
• What’s one habit that helps you manage your health as a gift from God?
• What’s one area where you feel challenged to be a better steward?
BRINGING IT HOME:
Our takeaway says, “It’s His body, for His purpose, and His glory.” What’s a small, practical step you could take this week to live that out? How can we encourage each other as a group to stay faithful?