God is calling His people to step out of the comfort of what is familiar and refuse to settle for a “normal” that lacks His power and presence. The temptation to return to old patterns, routines, or ways of thinking is strong, especially after seasons of revival or encounter, but the Spirit is inviting us to live in a continual state of risk, faith, and expectation. Like Peter, who could have gone back to fishing after his failures, we are called to move forward, carrying the authority and anointing that comes from being filled with the Holy Spirit. The world doesn’t need another normal church; it needs a people so ruined by God’s love and power that they cannot be satisfied with anything less than His supernatural life breaking out in and through them. [32:02]
Acts 3:1-8 (ESV)
Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.
Reflection: What is one “normal” habit, comfort, or routine God is asking you to leave behind so you can step into a new level of faith and risk with Him today?
In the kingdom of God, the places that seem most risky or intimidating are often the very places where God’s presence and power are most evident. The world may label certain environments, conversations, or assignments as “dangerous,” but for those who are ruined for Jesus, these are opportunities to bring light, healing, and transformation. God is raising up a people who are not threatened by darkness but are themselves the threat to darkness—people who are trusted with trouble and who see every challenge as a chance for God to show Himself strong. When you step into the places others avoid, you discover that God’s authority and peace go with you, making you unstoppable for His purposes. [57:04]
Psalm 23:4 (ESV)
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Reflection: Where is God inviting you to step into a “dangerous” or uncomfortable place this week, trusting that His presence will make it safe and fruitful?
God is not just the God of the past or the future—He is the God of right now, ready to move in power and bring transformation in this very moment. When we surrender to His lordship and make ourselves available, He can do the impossible through us, whether it’s in our city, our nation, or our own hearts. The stories of nations being changed, miracles breaking out, and lives being restored are not just for history books—they are for today. God is looking for people who will believe Him for the miraculous, who will ask big, bold things, and who will act in faith, knowing that He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think. [01:02:48]
Isaiah 43:19 (ESV)
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
Reflection: What is one area of your life or community where you need to believe that God wants to move “right now”? How can you partner with Him in faith today?
To be “ruined” in the kingdom sense is to be so deeply marked by an encounter with Jesus that nothing else can satisfy or distract you. When God ruins you, the things of this world lose their grip, and you become available for His purposes in ways you never imagined. This kind of transformation cannot be manufactured by self-effort, therapy, or worldly wisdom—it comes only from surrendering to the love and lordship of Christ. When you allow God to ruin your plans, your comfort, and your expectations, He fills you with His Spirit and uses you to bring hope, healing, and breakthrough to others. [26:08]
Philippians 3:7-8 (ESV)
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.
Reflection: In what area of your life do you sense God asking you to surrender control so He can “ruin” you for His purposes? What would it look like to say yes?
The world is not changed by words alone but by the demonstration of God’s power and love through His people. It is not enough to talk about what Jesus can do; we are called to step out and let Him work through us in real, tangible ways. Whether it’s praying for healing, sharing your testimony, or meeting practical needs, God wants to use you to make the gospel visible and irresistible. When you are ruined for Jesus, you become a vessel for His miracles, and your life becomes a living testimony that points others to Him. [53:05]
1 Corinthians 2:4-5 (ESV)
And my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
Reflection: Who is one person you can intentionally serve, pray for, or share your story with this week so that the gospel is demonstrated, not just presented?
There is a unique and powerful sense of God’s presence in this house—a sense that Bethesda is not just a church, but a gathering of eagles, a people marked by sacrifice, unity, and a hunger for more of God. Like Isaac re-digging the wells, this community has pressed through seasons of argument and hostility, and now stands at the threshold of breakthrough and victory. This is a new season, a turning of the page, where the “normal” of the past will not suffice for the challenges and opportunities ahead. God is calling us to dig deeper, to let Him establish a new normal—one marked by miracles, boldness, and a willingness to be “ruined” for His purposes.
To be “ruined” in the kingdom is not to lose value, but to be so transformed by an encounter with Jesus that the world’s enticements lose their grip. It means being so marked by God’s love and power that we cannot go back to business as usual. Like Peter, who after his failures and restoration, walked in a new authority, we are called to step into situations with what we carry from God, not just what we possess in the natural. The world doesn’t need more programs or affluence; it needs the power and presence of God demonstrated through His people.
This call to be ruined is a call to risk, to step into dangerous places with the confidence that in the kingdom, dangerous places are actually the safest. We are not the threatened—we are the threat to darkness. God is looking for those who will let Him disrupt their comfort, who will not settle for a manageable, predictable faith, but will be bold enough to bring heaven to earth in every sphere of influence. The stories of radical obedience—whether washing the feet of a stranger or a student releasing miracles in a public school—remind us that God moves through those who are willing to be interrupted, inconvenienced, and sent.
Now is the time to refuse to go back to normal, to recognize that God is the God of right now, and to let Him ruin us for anything less than His purposes. The church is called not just to save and serve, but to solve, to be the most sustainable vehicle of transformation in the world. When we surrender fully to the Lordship of Jesus, He takes our ordinary and makes it extraordinary, using us to impact eternity in ways we could never imagine.
Acts 3:1–10 (ESV) — 1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.
2 And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple.
3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms.
4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.”
5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them.
6 But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”
7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong.
8 And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.
9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God,
10 and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
Add this chatbot onto your site with the embed code below
<iframe frameborder="0" src="https://pastors.ai/sermonWidget/sermon/embracing-a-new-normal-ruined-for-gods-purposes" width="100%" height="100%" style="height:100vh;"></iframe>Copy