Embracing God's Healing Touch and New Identity

Last week, our church came together for Serve Day, a beautiful demonstration of what it means to be the hands of Jesus in our community and beyond. Over 1,400 of us revitalized a local school, packed 100,000 meals for children in Kenya and Panama, and shared countless moments of joy and service. But as we celebrate these outward acts, we’re also invited to consider what it means for God’s hands to work not just around us, but within us.

Scripture tells us that God’s hands are a symbol of His provision, power, and presence. We marvel at the beauty of creation—the sunsets, the ocean views—but it’s a different matter when God’s hands draw near to our own lives. Many of us have built walls—emotional, spiritual, and relational—out of fear. We fear being exposed, rejected, or having to face our wounds and failures. These walls may feel like fortresses, but in truth, they often become prisons, keeping us from the healing, freedom, and community God desires for us.

Jesus, the perfect representation of God, shows us what the Father’s hands are like. When He encounters the leper in Matthew 8, He doesn’t recoil or keep His distance. Instead, He reaches out, touches the untouchable, and makes the unclean clean. This is a radical reversal: in Jesus, what is unclean is made clean, not the other way around. No part of our lives is too messy, too hidden, or too small for His healing touch.

We often think God only cares about the big things, but Jesus invites us to bring everything—big and small—before Him. The small things we hide can grow and disconnect us from God, but nothing is too insignificant for His attention. When we let down our walls and allow Jesus close, He not only heals but also gives us a new identity. We are no longer defined by our failures or struggles, but by His love and our status as His children.

Change can be uncomfortable and even frightening, but Jesus meets us in our fear with a gentle touch, saying, “Don’t be afraid.” Like Peter, when we find ourselves sinking, the simple prayer, “Lord, save me,” is met with an immediate, compassionate response. The greatest miracle is not just physical healing, but the transformation of a life—moving from disconnection to belonging, from “that’s close enough” to full surrender. Jesus’ hands, ultimately pierced for us, invite us to trust, surrender, and experience the fullness of God’s love and restoration.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Walls Built from Fear Become Prisons, Not Fortresses We often build emotional, spiritual, and relational walls to protect ourselves from pain, rejection, or exposure. While these walls may feel like they keep us safe, they actually isolate us and prevent us from experiencing the freedom, healing, and community God intends. True courage is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to let down our walls and allow God and others to draw near, even when it feels risky. [10:22]
• 2. Jesus Reverses the Flow: The Clean Makes the Unclean Clean In the ancient world, contact with the unclean made the clean unclean, but Jesus turns this on its head. When Jesus touches what is unclean—whether it’s a leper, a hidden wound, or a shameful secret—He brings cleansing and restoration. No part of our lives is too untouchable or too broken for His healing; what we hide in shame, He invites into the light for transformation. [18:45]
• 3. Nothing Is Too Small for God’s Hands We may believe God only cares about the “big” issues in our lives, but Jesus demonstrates that every need, no matter how small, matters to Him. The small things we hide or try to manage on our own can grow and disconnect us from God, but He invites us to bring everything to Him. Trusting God with the small things is an act of faith that opens us to deeper healing and connection. [21:57]
• 4. Our Identity Is Transformed by God’s Touch When Jesus heals and restores, He also redefines our identity. We are no longer to identify ourselves by our failures, wounds, or struggles, but as new creations—loved, chosen, and purposed by God. This shift from “I am my failure” to “I am God’s child” is both liberating and challenging, requiring us to embrace change and step into the new life Jesus offers. [24:53]
• 5. God Responds Immediately to the Sincere Cry for Help When we find ourselves overwhelmed, sinking, or at the end of ourselves, the simple prayer, “Lord, save me,” is met with an immediate and compassionate response from Jesus. He does not shame us for our lack of faith, but reaches out with love and rescue. The greatest miracle is not just circumstantial change, but the transformation of our hearts and the assurance that God’s hands are always ready to catch us. [29:56]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:32] - Serve Day Recap: Impact and Stories
• [02:10] - Why Serve in Affluent Communities?
• [04:00] - God’s Hands: Provision, Power, and Presence
• [06:10] - Our Thresholds for Closeness
• [09:00] - The Walls We Build: Fear and Isolation
• [11:39] - Courage Over Fear
• [12:53] - Jesus’ Hands: The Exact Representation of God
• [15:55] - The Leper’s Encounter: Confidence and Compassion
• [18:45] - Jesus Makes the Unclean Clean
• [20:55] - The Danger of Small Hidden Things
• [21:57] - Nothing Too Small for Jesus
• [23:41] - New Identity in Christ
• [25:44] - Jesus’ Gentle Touch in Our Fear
• [27:22] - Peter Walks on Water: Sinking and Rescue
• [29:56] - God’s Immediate Response
• [32:18] - A Deathbed Miracle: God’s Saving Hand
• [34:48] - The Greatest Miracle: A Life Transformed
• [36:30] - From “Close Enough” to Surrender
• [37:38] - Closing Prayer

Bible Reading

Matthew 8:1-3 (ESV) — > When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

2. Psalm 19:1 (ESV)
> The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

3. Matthew 14:28-31 (ESV)
> And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Observation Questions

1. In Matthew 8, what does the leper believe about Jesus’ ability and willingness to heal him? What is unique about Jesus’ response?
2. According to Psalm 19, what does creation reveal about God?
3. In the story of Peter walking on water (Matthew 14), what happens when Peter becomes afraid, and how does Jesus respond?
4. The sermon described different kinds of “walls” we build in our lives. What are some examples of these walls mentioned?

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do people often build emotional, spiritual, or relational walls, and what does the sermon say these walls actually do to us?
2. The leper in Matthew 8 says, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” What does this reveal about how we sometimes view God’s compassion versus His power?
3. The sermon says that Jesus reverses the flow: “the clean makes the unclean clean.” What does this mean for how we approach our own hidden struggles or shame?
4. When Peter cries out, “Lord, save me,” Jesus responds immediately. What does this teach us about God’s response to our sincere cries for help?

Application Questions

1. The sermon said, “Walls built from fear become prisons, not fortresses.” Are there any areas in your life where you’ve built walls out of fear? What would it look like to let those walls down, even a little?
2. Jesus touched the leper—someone considered untouchable. Is there a part of your life you feel is “too messy” or “too unclean” for God? What would it take to bring that part into the light and let Jesus touch it?
3. The message emphasized that “nothing is too small for God’s hands.” Are there small things you tend to hide or try to manage on your own? What is one small thing you could bring to God this week?
4. The sermon talked about moving from “I am my failure” to “I am God’s child.” What is one old identity or label you need to let go of, and what new identity does God offer you instead?
5. Change can be uncomfortable and even scary. Is there a step of faith or change you sense God inviting you to take, but you feel afraid? What would it look like to ask for Jesus’ gentle touch and courage in that area?
6. When have you prayed a simple, desperate prayer like “Lord, save me”? How did God respond? If you haven’t, what’s holding you back from praying honestly and simply today?
7. The sermon ended with the invitation to move from “that’s close enough” to full surrender. What is one practical way you can move toward greater surrender to God this week?