Ever feel like you're at war with your own body? Join us as Matt Edmundson unpacks why God cares about your physical self way more than you might think.

In this service, Matt shares his "baggy belly" wake-up call and explores the biblical truth about our bodies that challenges both gym obsession and spiritual neglect. From ancient Greek philosophy to modern confusion about identity, we explore why separating the body from the soul overlooks God's remarkable design.

Matt doesn't shy away from the struggles - from his own missing finger section that still feels constrained 20 years later, to the deeper questions about disability, ageing, and when our bodies don't work as they should. But he also reveals the hope found in understanding that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, created in God's image.

Journey with us through:

• [03:00] Matt's gym motivation story
• [05:00] The Great Body Deception in culture
• [09:00] God gets His hands dirty creating humans
• [15:00] Your body as a temple of the Holy Spirit
• [18:00] Why the incarnation changes everything
• [25:00] Three practical responses
• [30:00] Conversation Street with Anna and Will

[03:00] When Kids Tell You About Your "Baggy Belly"

Matt shares the moment his younger children patted his stomach to make it wobble and asked about his "baggy belly" - sending him straight to the gym the next day.

"I never really liked the gym. I tried it a few times, but I was never that motivated to go until that fateful day... Let me tell you, I was in the gym the next day and I've not really left since."

What we explore:

• The complicated relationship many have with fitness
• Why caring about physical health can feel "unspiritual"
• The tension between body and spirit in Christian thinking
• How we try to mitigate guilt with sermons at the gym

Key takeaway: The struggle to balance physical and spiritual health is real, but maybe we're thinking about it all wrong.

[05:00] The Great Body Deception

We unpack how both secular and religious thinking get the body wrong - either making it everything or making it nothing.

"If all we are is just these complex biomechanical machines produced by random purposeless evolution, then our bodies really have no inherent meaning or worth or value."

Real talk about:

• The paradox of secular thinking about bodies
• Why we create a "real person" vs body split
• The "meat skeleton" mentality and its dangers
• How ancient Greeks saw bodies as prisons

Key takeaway: Both body worship and body denial miss God's design for integrated wholeness.

[09:00] God Gets His Hands Dirty

Discover the profound truth in how God created humans - not speaking from a distance, but forming us with intimate care.

"The Creator of the universe got His hands dirty, forming and shaping and crafting the human body with the intimate care of a master artist."

What changes everything:

• God didn't stuff souls into bodies like letters in envelopes
• The Hebrew word "nephesh" - dust becoming a living soul
• Why God declared physical bodies "very good"
• Your body bears God's image, not just your soul

Key takeaway: You're not a soul stuck in a body - you're an integrated being crafted by God's own hands.

[15:00] Your Body: A Temple, Not a Prison

Paul's radical response to the Corinthian church transforms how we see our physical selves.

"Your body isn't just a shell, it's a temple. A temple is a sacred space where the living God dwells, and that actually really, really matters."

Practical implications:

• What temples meant in Paul's day
• Why what we do physically impacts us spiritually
• The mystery of "two becoming one flesh"
• How heaven and earth intersect in your body

Key takeaway: Your body is a sacred space where the Holy Spirit dwells - treat it accordingly.

[18:00] The Incarnation: God's Final Word on Bodies

Jesus taking on flesh settles the debate about whether bodies matter to God.

"God didn't save us by helping us escape our bodies. He saved us by taking on a body himself."

The ultimate proof:

• The scandal of God becoming flesh
• Jesus permanently united divine and human nature
• Christ's resurrection included His body
• Even glorified, Jesus cooked breakfast on the beach

Key takeaway: The incarnation is the ultimate affirmation of human bodily dignity.

[25:00] Three Ways to Honour God With Your Body

Matt offers practical steps for living out this radical truth about our bodies.

"Try this simple exercise every morning: place your hand on your chest and pray, 'Lord, thank you for this temple. How can I honour you with my body today?'"

Starting today:

• Repent of wrong thinking (worship or despising)
• Receive God's love for your current body
• Respond with faithful stewardship
• One morning prayer that changes everything

Key takeaway: God loves you in your current body, with all its limitations - now steward it for His glory.

[30:00] Conversation Street: Making It Real

Anna Kettle and Will Sopwith unpack Matt's message, sharing personal stories about body image, acceptance, and finding wholeness.

"Learning to love and accept your body in all its imperfection... that can be a challenge. And yet it still deserves dignity." - Anna

Honest conversation about:

• Will's journey with self-image and repentance
• Anna's struggle with infertility and body expectations
• Finding wholeness in limitation
• Why dignity matters for all bodies

Key takeaway: Wholeness comes through acceptance and recognising that even our limitations can draw us closer to God.

Connect with Crowd Church:

• Website: crowd.church
• Instagram: @crowdchurch
• Location: Liverpool, UK