If You Want to Change Your Life, Start with Your Body

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES God's Prescription for a Healthy Life

If You Want to Change Your Life, Start with Your Body By Rick Warren — Apr 7, 2016 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God — this is your true and proper worship” (Romans 12:1 NIV). For change to happen in any area of your life, whether it’s financial, vocational, educational, mental, or relational, you have to begin with the physical. Why? Because your body affects your behavior. Your muscles affect your moods and your motivation. Your physiology can actually affect your psychology. Romans 12:1 says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God — this is your true and proper worship” (NIV). The problem with a living sacrifice is that it can choose to crawl off the altar. We do this all the time. We offer ourselves to God, and then we take ourselves back. This is not a once-for-all offer. You’ve got to do it four, five, or maybe 10 times a day! So what is your “true and proper worship”? There are three things you can do with your body that the Bible says are acts of worship: Cleanse your body. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 7:1, “Let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” You cleanse your body by controlling what you allow in your mind through what you watch and listen to and in your body by what you eat and drink. Care for your body. Ephesians 5:29 says, “No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church” (NLT, second edition). Keeping your body in shape is an act of worship to God. Control your body. “Each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable” (1 Thessalonians 4:4 NIV). Control your body so that it doesn’t control you. There is no reason to say, “I couldn’t help myself!” No matter what kind of change you want to make in your life, it will require energy. To have the energy to meet your goals, change has to start with your body. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over What are the practical ways you can honor God through your body today? What are the small ways you need to work on controlling your body? What are the big ways? How does Christ “feed and care for the church”? Why do you think God wants you to do the same with your body? Our Gift: The Daniel Plan Hardcover Book The Daniel Plan is an innovative approach to achieving a healthy lifestyle where people get better together by optimizing their health in the key areas of faith, food, fitness, focus and friends. LEARN MORE Complete Audio Series (Purchase) Includes all complete sermons from the Rick Warren God's Prescription for a Healthy Life teaching series. LEARN MORE Series Summary Message 1: Why We Need Each Other Message 2: ​​​​​​​Getting Your Ship Out of the Harbor Message 3: Setting Goals In Faith Message 4: What It Takes to Really Change Message 5: God's Prescription for Health Message 6: Winning With the Hand You're Dealt Message 7: The Awesome Power of Focus Message 8: The Awesome Power of Forgiveness Message 9: The Awesome Power of Faith PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at rickwarren.org. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including "The Purpose Driven Church" and "The Purpose Driven Life," read by more than 100 million people in 137 languages. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered across America. This devotional © 2016 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences  |  Unsubscribe