Dock Resource Kit
Sunday sermon, 15 September 2024
Summary
This week, Phil spoke to us about true holistic well-being in Christ, drawing from 1 Thessalonians 5. He reminded us that God's design and desire is for us to be well—spirit, soul, and body—and that this wholeness is not about external circumstances but rooted in our relationship with God. While our culture is obsessed with wellness, the Bible offers a vision of well-being that encompasses every aspect of our lives. Through Jesus, we are invited to experience real peace, joy, and gratitude, even in the midst of life’s challenges. Phil encouraged us to pursue wellness together, as a community, leaning on God and one another to live fully and faithfully.
Dock Discussion Questions
In what ways does our culture’s obsession with well-being align with or differ from the Bible’s vision of holistic wellness?
How have you experienced God’s peace or wholeness in difficult seasons of your life? What practices helped you stay grounded?
1 Thessalonians 5 calls us to "Rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances." Which of these is most challenging for you, and why?
How can we, as a community, better support one another in pursuing holistic well-being—spirit, soul, and body?
Long-form, editted transcript
Introduction and Scripture Reading
Hey, we're going to open God's Word together, and I’m excited to do that with you. I want to pick up where we left off last week. If you weren’t here, no worries. Last week, we were thinking about thankfulness—the impact that gratitude has on our well-being. We pulled some of that from the Psalms, and we also looked at 1 Thessalonians 5, which we’re going to return to today.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." Jumping to verse 23, "May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." That was from the New International Version. I also love how the Message Version paraphrases it: "May God Himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole—put you together, spirit, soul, and body, and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ."
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Personal Reflection on Well-being
So, how are you doing today? Are you well? I feel really well, actually. I’ve had a tough season, but lately, I feel good. Some of you might know that I recently had major surgery on my right knee. It was a tough recovery—I was non-weight-bearing for six weeks, and being on crutches was hard. Physically, it was a struggle, and that impacted my mind and spirit as well. Health challenges can do that, can’t they?
But over the last month, there’s been a remarkable turnaround. I feel healthier and more energized. I’ve been working on both my physical and spiritual health, and I’ve put things in place to support my well-being. I'm paying attention to my exercise, diet, sleep, and boundaries around work and communication. I feel more whole, more well-rounded.
Our Cultural Obsession with Well-being
Our culture today is obsessed with well-being, and it’s become a multi-billion pound industry—fitness trackers, yoga retreats, mindfulness apps, self-care routines. But despite good intentions, this fixation on wellness can actually lead to more stress. It can feel like a pressure to achieve perfection in every area of life.
I recently met someone who was launching a wellness brand, and while she was excited about her individual practices, she seemed lost and unhappy. It made me think: what does it really mean to be well? What is true, holistic well-being?
God's Design for Well-being
The good news is, the Bible has a lot to say about this. From the very beginning in Genesis, after each day of creation, God declared His work "good." This word "good"—“tov” in Hebrew—reflects wholeness, completeness, and harmony in creation. Everything was perfectly ordered and in right relationship with God, humanity, and the environment.
But, of course, that wholeness was disrupted by sin, which brought brokenness into the world. However, that’s not the end of the story. Throughout the Old Testament, God’s desire for wholeness remains. We see it in His commandments and His promises to restore wellness to His people. Deuteronomy 5:32-33 says, "You shall be careful, therefore, to do as the Lord your God has commanded you... that you may live, and that it may be well with you."
God’s design is that we be well, and His desire is that we be well. He has done everything required for us to experience wholeness. The prophets speak of a future Messiah who would come to restore this well-being, and of course, they were pointing to Jesus.
Jesus: The Source of Wholeness
Jesus is the embodiment of God’s goodness. Through His life, death, and resurrection, He made a way for us to be restored to wholeness—spirit, soul, and body. This is the holistic well-being that God offers us.
In 1 Thessalonians 5, Paul prays, "May the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole—put you together, spirit, soul, and body." He’s reminding the church that God cares about every part of us, and that well-being is holistic. We are not just a body, not just a mind, not just emotions or spirit—we are all of these things together.
The All-Encompassing Nature of Wellness
Wellness, as God designed it, is all-encompassing. It’s not about external circumstances—it’s something deeper. Paul’s instructions in 1 Thessalonians 5 reflect this. He talks about being ready to meet Jesus, about how we live, how we pray, how we work, how we care for our bodies, and how we encourage one another.
No matter how toned your abs are or how much you read your Bible, if you’re not forgiving your neighbor or caring for your body, something is missing. God desires wholeness in every aspect of our lives.
Well-being Despite Life's Challenges
And this wellness is available to us today, regardless of our circumstances. Paul says, "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances." These practices—joyfulness, prayerfulness, thankfulness—are marks of a life that is well. God’s will is that we would experience this, even in the midst of trials and challenges.
Life is tough, and I’ve just come through a really tough season myself. Paul’s words weren’t written to a comfortable church—they were written to a church facing persecution and social pressures. He encourages them to remain joyful, prayerful, and thankful through it all. And that’s God’s desire for us too.
The Story of Horatio Spafford: "It Is Well"
You may have heard the story of Horatio Spafford, who wrote the hymn "It Is Well with My Soul." After losing his business in the Great Fire of Chicago and then tragically losing his four daughters in a shipwreck, Spafford penned the words of this hymn as he passed over the spot where the ship had sunk. "When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll; whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, it is well, it is well with my soul."
His story reminds us that while life may bring storms, with our faith in God, we can always say, "It is well with my soul."
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How Are You Today?
So, how are you today? Where do you need God’s touch of wholeness in your life? Is it in your physical body, your mind, or your soul? God’s design is that you be well—spirit, soul, and body.
Let me encourage you to lean into that today. Make intentional steps toward wellness in Christ. Whether it’s practicing gratitude, nurturing your physical health, or seeking support where you need it, remember that faith and wellness are not individualistic. We do this together as a community.
Imagine a community where we don’t just wish each other well, but actually help one another to be well—where we pray for each other, carry one another’s emotional burdens, and encourage healthy habits for our bodies and spirits.
That’s the kind of community we’re called to be here. In October, we’ll be starting a new discipleship series based on the Beatitudes in Matthew’s Gospel—Jesus’ instructions for living well. We’ll also be offering resources for small groups or Bible studies to engage more deeply with these topics. If you’re interested, let us know, and we’ll help you get connected.
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Concluding Prayer
Father, thank You that You care deeply about every part of who we are. God of peace, we ask that You sanctify us completely—spirit, soul, and body. Help us to live in the wholeness that You offer through Jesus Christ. May we be well. Amen.