Podcast Summary: The Daily Blade, Ep. #273

Joby Martin // Stewarding Your Body To Love God And Serve People
Released: January 16, 2026
Hosts: Joby Martin & Kyle Thompson

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the biblical call to love God with all aspects of one’s being—including physical strength. Pastor Joby Martin draws from scripture to encourage men to view stewardship of their bodies not as mere self-improvement but as an act of obedience, equipping them to love God and serve people more fully. He warns against two common pitfalls: neglecting the body and idolizing it, emphasizing the purpose of physical health within the Christian walk.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Shema as an Evaluative Tool (00:20–01:00)

• Reference: Deuteronomy 6:4-5 ("Shema, O Israel...")
• The Shema challenges believers to love God with heart, soul, mind, and strength.
• Physical stewardship ("strength") is often the most neglected aspect among Christians.

Bodily Training: Value and Limitations (01:00–02:00)

• Scripture Cited: 1 Timothy 4:8 — “Bodily training is of some value; godliness is of value in every way...”
• Physical health matters but is not of ultimate value compared to godliness.

Stewardship Beyond Finances (01:30–02:30)

• "The way you treat your body is actually a matter of stewardship." (Joby Martin, 01:31)
• Just as with finances, believers are called to manage—not own—their bodies for God's purposes.

The Responsibility of Men (01:50–02:50)

• Men should ask themselves:
  • Can I protect my family?
  • Am I physically able to serve and go on mission?
  • Will I live long enough to maximize my ministry?
• Scriptural Basis: 1 Corinthians 9:26-27 — Paul disciplines his body to remain qualified.

The Two Ditches: Neglect vs. Idolatry (03:05–04:00)

• Neglect: Treating the sacred (body) as common—likened to sacrilege.
• Idolatry: Making an idol out of physical health or appearance.
  • "Idolatry is when you treat something common as if it is sacred." (Joby Martin, 03:48)
• Both extremes miss the point of biblical stewardship.

Memorable Analogy (04:00–04:40)

• Using Bible pages to start a campfire is shocking because the book is sacred; likewise, neglecting the body treats what Christ has purchased "with His blood" as commonplace.

The Purpose of Bodily Stewardship (04:40–05:10)

• The ultimate goal is not personal achievement, but to fulfill roles as "provider, protector, prophet, priest, and servant-king"—and above all, to obey the command to love God and others.
  • "A part of the way that we love people is physically—like going to visit them in jail, taking them things when they need it, feeding the poor." (Joby Martin, 04:55)

Practical Self-Evaluation and Application (05:10–06:00)

• Joby introduces a grading system (A/B/F) and urges listeners to assess:
  • Heart (relationships)
  • Mind (mental/intellectual/spiritual input)
  • Soul (walk with Jesus)
  • Strength (physical health)
• Self-Reflection Questions:
  • What do I need to cut out that’s hindering my relationship with God?
  • What do I need to add—exercise, church attendance, forgiveness, etc.?
• The focus is on loving God with all, not self-improvement for its own sake.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On Stewardship:
  "A steward is not an owner. A steward is a manager for a time. And all the finances that we have are a grace gift from Jesus given to us. It’s not ours. It’s only on loan from God. And so, what we do with our finances reflects what we value about God. And so let me ask you, the same thing is true for your body."
  — Joby Martin, (01:30–01:58)

• On Physical Stewardship:
  "If you neglect your physical body, it is sacrilege. You are treating something that Christ purchased with his blood as if it is common."
  — Joby Martin, (04:11–04:25)

• Regarding Idolatry and the Body:
  "Idolatry is when you treat something common as if it is sacred. That’s what it is. But on the other side of that... when you treat something sacred, which is your body, like it is common, that is called sacrilege."
  — Joby Martin, (03:44–03:53)

• On Loving God and Others Through Stewardship:
  "The reason that we should train... is so that you could be obedient to the Great Commandment, that you could love God and love people. And a part of the way that we love people is physically."
  — Joby Martin, (04:41–04:57)

Important Timestamps

• 00:20–01:00: Introduction to the episode’s focus—physical strength in the Shema.
• 01:00–02:00: Value of bodily training as per 1 Timothy 4:8.
• 03:00–03:50: Discussion on neglect and idolatry in the context of physical stewardship.
• 04:00–04:40: Campfire analogy illustrating sacrilege.
• 05:10–06:00: Self-evaluation prompts, A/B/F grading, and application questions.

Tone & Takeaways

• Tone: Direct, pastoral, illustrative, and challenging; urgent yet encouraging for men to rise to scriptural standards.
• Key Takeaway: Stewardship of the body is not about vanity or personal achievement, but about faithfulness to God’s call to love Him and serve others with every aspect—including your physical self.
• Final Encouragement:
  "This is not so that you can be a better version of you. This is so that you can respond to the One True God by loving God with all." (Joby Martin, 05:50)

Closing Remark

Joby Martin concludes with a prayer that 2026 would be the listeners’ best year ever as they commit to loving God with heart, mind, soul, and strength.