Your Body is a Temple

Biblical Health & Wellness
Youth Tier 2 | Ages 11-16

Course Overview

Yahuah designed our bodies as temples for His Spirit. This course teaches biblical principles of health, nutrition, rest, and wellness that honor our Creator and help us live abundantly.

Lesson 1: Your Body - A Temple

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have of Elohim, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify Elohim in your body."
Created in His Image

Yahuah created humans uniquely. We are made in His image (Genesis 1:27), and our bodies are designed to be dwelling places for His Spirit.

  • Our bodies are not our own - we are "bought with a price"
  • How we treat our bodies reflects our respect for Yahuah
  • Health affects our ability to serve Him
  • Physical and spiritual health are connected

Temple Care Principles

  • Nourish: Feed your body good food (Leviticus 11)
  • Rest: Keep the Sabbath rest (Exodus 20:8-11)
  • Move: Physical activity and work
  • Avoid: Harmful substances and practices
Practice Questions

Lesson 2: Clean Foods

Leviticus 11:47 - "To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten."
What Makes Food "Clean"?
CategoryClean (May Eat)Unclean (Do Not Eat)
Land AnimalsSplit hoof AND chews cud (cattle, sheep, goat, deer)Missing one or both (pig, rabbit, camel)
Water CreaturesHas fins AND scales (salmon, tuna, bass)No fins or scales (shrimp, crab, catfish)
BirdsClean birds (chicken, turkey, duck)Birds of prey, scavengers (eagles, vultures, owls)
InsectsJumping insects (locust, grasshopper)Crawling insects

Why Clean Foods?

Science confirms what Yahuah knew all along: clean animals are healthier to eat. Unclean animals often carry more parasites, toxins, and diseases.

Lesson 3: Foods to Avoid

Leviticus 11:7-8 - "And the swine... is unclean to you. Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch."
The Pig: A Case Study

The pig is specifically called out in Scripture. Why?

  • Pigs eat anything - including garbage and waste
  • They don't sweat - toxins stay in their flesh
  • Digestion takes only 4 hours (not enough to eliminate toxins)
  • High in parasites (trichinosis, tapeworms)
  • Their fat stores toxins

Shellfish Warning

Shellfish (shrimp, lobster, crab, oysters) are bottom-feeders and filter-feeders. They absorb toxins, heavy metals, and bacteria from the water. This is why they cause food poisoning more than almost any other food!

Lesson 4: Water & Hydration

John 7:38 - "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."
The Importance of Water
  • Your body is about 60% water
  • Water is essential for every cell and organ
  • Helps remove toxins and waste
  • Regulates body temperature
  • Aids digestion and nutrient absorption

How Much Water?

A good guideline: Drink half your body weight in ounces daily. If you weigh 120 lbs, aim for 60 oz (about 8 cups) of water.

Lesson 5: Rest & Sabbath

Exodus 20:8-10 - "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of Yahuah thy Elohim."
Why Rest Matters
  • Yahuah rested on the seventh day - He set the example
  • Our bodies need regular rest to heal and restore
  • Sleep is when the body repairs itself
  • Weekly Sabbath provides physical AND spiritual restoration
  • Lack of rest leads to weakened immunity, stress, and disease

Sleep Guidelines for Youth

  • Ages 6-13: 9-11 hours per night
  • Ages 14-17: 8-10 hours per night
  • Consistent bedtime helps your body's rhythm

Lesson 6: Exercise & Movement

1 Timothy 4:8 - "For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things."
Understanding 1 Timothy 4:8

Paul isn't saying exercise is bad - he's saying godliness is MORE important. Physical exercise has "some" profit, but spiritual health has eternal value.

Benefits of Physical Activity:

  • Strengthens heart, lungs, and muscles
  • Improves mood and mental clarity
  • Helps maintain healthy weight
  • Builds bone strength
  • Improves sleep quality

Biblical Examples of Physical Activity

  • Walking: Yahusha walked everywhere; so did the disciples
  • Work: Most biblical people did physical labor
  • Farming: Planting, harvesting, tending animals
  • Building: Noah built the ark; Solomon built the Temple

Lesson 7: Mind & Emotions

Proverbs 17:22 - "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones."
The Mind-Body Connection

Your mental and emotional state directly affects your physical health:

  • Stress weakens the immune system
  • Joy releases healing hormones
  • Worry can cause physical illness
  • Peace promotes healing and health

Philippians 4:8 - Mental Health

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

What we focus our minds on affects our whole being!

Lesson 8: Avoiding Harmful Substances

1 Corinthians 6:12 - "All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any."
What to Avoid
SubstanceHarmScripture Principle
Alcohol (excess)Impairs judgment, damages liver, addictiveProverbs 20:1 - "Wine is a mocker"
TobaccoCauses cancer, heart disease, addictionDefiles the temple (1 Cor 3:16-17)
DrugsAlter mind, damage body, cause addictionSorcery = pharmakeia (Gal 5:20)
Caffeine (excess)Disrupts sleep, causes dependencySelf-control is a fruit of the Spirit

Pharmakeia Warning

The Greek word "sorcery" in Galatians 5:20 is pharmakeia - related to drugs and potions. Yahuah wants our minds clear, not altered by substances.

Lesson 9: Natural Remedies

Ezekiel 47:12 - "And the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine."
Yahuah's Medicine Cabinet
RemedyBiblical ReferenceUse
HoneyProverbs 24:13Wounds, sore throat, energy
Olive OilJames 5:14Skin, anointing, cooking
AloeJohn 19:39Burns, skin healing
HyssopPsalm 51:7Cleansing, respiratory
Garlic/OnionNumbers 11:5Immune support, infection

Prevention First

The best medicine is prevention! Eating right, resting well, staying active, and trusting Yahuah keep us healthier than any remedy.

Lesson 10: Living Abundantly

John 10:10 - "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
The Abundant Life

Yahusha came to give us abundant life - not just eternal life later, but quality life now. This includes:

  • Physical health: Caring for our bodies as temples
  • Mental peace: Trusting Yahuah with our worries
  • Spiritual vitality: Walking with Him daily
  • Healthy relationships: Loving others well
  • Purpose: Using our health to serve Him

3 John 1:2

"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."

Yahuah desires both your physical AND spiritual health!

Practice Questions

Answer Key

Lesson 1

1. A temple of the Holy Spirit 2. We are bought with a price; our bodies are not our own; glorify Yahuah in our bodies

Lesson 10

1. Physical health, mental peace, spiritual vitality, healthy relationships, purpose 2. Personal answers 3. Our bodies are His temples; health affects our ability to serve Him; He loves us