INTRODUCTION

No matter where you are in life, young, middle-aged, or older, we all experience the same thing. Our bodies are not what they used to be. Some feel pressure to look a certain way. Some feel their bodies slowing down. Some are dealing with pain, sickness, or daily limitations.

And this raises an important question: What does God say about our bodies? 

In 1 Corinthians 6, Paul writes that the body is neither an instrument of indulgence nor a prison awaiting escape. It is a vessel consecrated for the Lord, a temple indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and a seed destined for resurrection glory. To live as resurrection people in a Good Friday world is to honour the body God has entrusted to us, and to trust that He is not yet finished with it.

DISCUSSION

1. What is one word that describes how you currently feel about your body?
   
   
2. Read 1 Cor 6:12-15. Paul says not everything is helpful and we should not be mastered by anything.
   
   a. What are some things today that can “control” or dominate our bodies (e.g. habits, food, screens, desires)?
   
   b. How do you personally experience this?
   
   
3. Read 1 Corinthians 6:13-15, 19-20. These verses teach that the human body is designed for holy, spiritual union with Christ, not for selfish or immoral desires. It emphasises that our bodies are not personal property but are purchased by God to be honoured as His temple, destined for resurrection.
   
   a. What does it practically look like for you to live as if your body belongs to God and not to yourself (e.g. sleep, diet, sexuality, screen time)?
   
   b. How does knowing God values your body affect your sense of worth?
   
   c. The Psalms call us to worship God with our whole bodies, e.g. kneeling, raising hands, singing, dancing (Ps 63:4, Ps 95:6, Ps 100:2, Ps 149:3). Do you mostly worship God in your mind rather than with your body? What is one physical expression (e.g. raising hands or kneeling) you can try?
   
   
4. Read 1 Corinthians 6:14. Paul writes that the same God who raised Jesus will also raise us. Our bodies are not simply decaying toward the grave but are, like in transit, being prepared for resurrection.
   
   How does seeing your body as moving toward resurrection (not just decline) change how you view ageing, illness, or physical limits?
   
   
5. Based on this passage, what is one area where you feel God calling you to respond:

• Physical care (rest, food, health)
• Habits or addictions
• Sexuality
• Worship
• Technology use
  
  What is one practical step you can take this week to live out: “My body is for the Lord”?

WHAT WILL YOU DO

This week, ask the Holy Spirit where He is inviting you to surrender.  Then carry these three truths into every day until they take root in you: 

• This body is the Spirit’s temple. 
• God is not finished with this body. 
• This body will be raised. 

Jesus Himself is the model. Through His incarnation, crucifixion, bodily resurrection, and ascension, He is still bearing the scars of love. He shows us that our bodies are not something to fix or escape, but something God is redeeming. He is still at work in you, and the seed He has sown will one day flower into resurrection life.

MEMORY VERSE

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honour God with your bodies. – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20