Lon Williams | Saved But Struggling | Week 4

Devotional

Day 1: When Healing Comes in Blurry Stages

The blind man’s first glimpse of shadowy figures reveals a truth: healing often unfolds gradually. Jesus didn’t rebuke the man for partial progress but leaned into the process. Spiritual growth, emotional restoration, and mental renewal rarely happen in a single moment. God works in layers, addressing deeper needs over time. What feels incomplete today may be the foundation for tomorrow’s clarity. Trust the slow work of grace. [46:45]

They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, he asked, “Do you see anything?” He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. (Mark 8:22–25, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you dismissed partial progress as failure? How might today’s small step prepare you for greater clarity tomorrow?

Day 2: The Miracle of “Some People”

No one knows the names of those who carried the blind man to Jesus, but their obedience changed a life. Healing often begins when ordinary people choose to act—texting a friend, showing up, refusing to let isolation win. You don’t need solutions to be part of someone’s breakthrough. Your role isn’t to fix but to faithfully point others toward the One who can. [49:26]

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2, ESV)

Reflection: Who needs you to “carry them to Jesus” this week? What practical step could disrupt their isolation?

Day 3: Needing More Than One Touch

When Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” He invited raw honesty, not performative faith. Some wounds require multiple layers of healing—counseling, community, time. Spiritual maturity isn’t pretending you’re fine but admitting, “I’m better than I was, but I still need more.” God isn’t frustrated by repeated asks; He’s committed to completing what He started. [01:12:59]

Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6, ESV)

Reflection: What area of growth feels frustratingly slow? How can you embrace patience without resigning to stagnation?

Day 4: The Courage to Say “Trees Walking”

The blind man risked sounding foolish by describing his blurry reality. Healing requires vulnerability—admitting you still wrestle with anxiety, grief, or doubt. Pretending you’ve arrived blocks further progress. Jesus meets honest “middle ground” confessions not with shame, but with another touch. [01:10:25]

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18, ESV)

Reflection: What struggle have you been minimizing? Who needs to hear your honest “I see trees” confession this week?

Day 5: Holding Hands With the Process

Jesus didn’t heal the man from a distance—He took his hand and walked. Our culture craves instant fixes, but God prioritizes intimacy over efficiency. Every small obedience—praying again, choosing gratitude, showing up—is your hand in His. The miracle isn’t just the healing; it’s learning to depend on the Healer. [01:22:25]

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22–23, ESV)

Reflection: What daily rhythm could help you sense God holding your hand? How might dependence become your victory?

Sermon Summary

Jesus meets the struggling in the middle and does not rush past it. Mark shows Jesus taking a blind man by the hand, leading him out, asking honest questions, and touching him again. The scene refuses the quick-fix script. The man first sees “people… like trees walking,” then, once more, Jesus lays hands on him and he sees clearly. Same Savior, same need, different pace. Healing shows up as a journey.

Sanctification frames that journey. Salvation is instant, but growth takes a lifetime. A person is a spirit who has a soul and lives in a body. The spirit is made new, but thoughts, memories, habits, and emotions learn to follow. Mental health is not static. It moves. Some days sit high, some low, most days ride the middle. The middle raises different questions. Not “Is God real?” but “Why do I not feel him?” Not “Am I saved?” but “Where is the victory and the healing?”

“Some people” become crucial in that middle. Mark does not name them. He shows what they did. They brought their friend to Jesus. They did not play Savior, they pointed to him. Community is not a luxury. It is part of the healing. Isolation is the enemy’s oldest trick. A church family, an inner circle, battle buddies, wise counselors, and biblically minded friends all serve one purpose: point a person to Jesus. Even Jesus chose Peter, James, and John in close.

Honesty moves the process forward. Jesus asks, “Do you see anything?” not for information but for truth-telling. Partial healing is not failed healing, it is healing in progress. Tools matter. Breathing exercises in a fight-or-flight body, scriptures memorized for anxious thoughts, practices that replace lies with truth, a growing desire to forgive when forgiveness once felt impossible. That is not nothing. That is grace at work.

Dependence is the goal. The miracle is not meant to be grabbed and run with. The hand is meant to be held. Jesus leads people through the middle and does not leave them there. If he touched once, he can touch again. Never underestimate what God can do when someone simply brings a person to Jesus.

Key Takeaways

1. Healing often happens in stages. Healing in Mark 8 comes in steps, not in a single snap. Jesus allows progress to be seen and named, then touches again. The pace is purposeful, not a failure in heaven’s power. The process is part of the gift. [79:09]
2. Jesus leads in the middle. The middle is not a holding pen, it is a place where Jesus takes a hand and walks a person forward. He guides out of old patterns and into new sight. The way out is with him, not ahead of him. Leadership looks like a hand, a walk, and a next step. [65:56]
3. Some people carry you to Jesus. Unnamed friends become part of the miracle by bringing the hurting to Christ. They do not heal, fix, or preach; they show up and point to the Healer. Community becomes a conduit for grace when it steers hearts toward Jesus, not toward self. Isolation starves what fellowship mends. [48:13]
4. Small steps are real progress. Honest gains are not counterfeit because they are partial. Desire to forgive, a practiced breath, a verse spoken against a spiraling thought, are signs that grace is working. Do not cancel today’s growth because tomorrow is still unfinished. Call it what it is: healing in motion. [72:59]
5. Dependence on Jesus is the goal. God gives miracles, but he aims for hearts that keep holding his hand. The mature life does not outgrow need; it deepens trust. Keep coming, keep asking, keep receiving. One touch before means another touch can come again. [82:10]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[40:51] - Series context: Save the Struggling
[41:48] - Salvation is instant, growth lifelong
[42:34] - Spirit, soul, body overview
[43:51] - Life in the middle
[46:16] - Mark 8: Healing in stages
[47:03] - Trees walking and honest answers
[48:13] - Some people bring the blind man
[50:50] - Why community matters for healing
[55:59] - Inner circle and battle buddies
[59:45] - Tools that point to Jesus
[72:59] - Partial healing is progress
[79:09] - Once more, Jesus touches again
[82:10] - Dependence over instant fixes
[84:57] - Stand to seek healing and prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Mark 8:22-25 (ESV)
22 And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24 And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” 25 Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.

Observation questions

In Mark 8:22-25, what specific actions did Jesus take to heal the blind man, and how did the man describe his initial healing?
The sermon emphasized that healing often happens in stages. What details in this passage support that idea? [46:16]
What role did the “some people” play in bringing the blind man to Jesus, and how does the passage highlight their importance? [49:01]
How did Jesus respond when the man’s vision was only partially restored?

Interpretation questions

Why might Jesus have chosen to heal the man in stages rather than instantly, and what does this reveal about His approach to our struggles? [46:16]
The blind man’s honest answer (“I see people like trees walking”) was part of the process. Why is honesty about partial progress important in spiritual growth? [10:25]
How does the involvement of the unnamed “some people” challenge our understanding of community’s role in healing? [49:26]
What does Jesus’ willingness to “touch again” teach us about His patience and commitment to our ongoing transformation? [19:09]

Application questions

Who are the “some people” in your life that have pointed you to Jesus during a struggle? How could you intentionally support or thank them this week? [49:47]
Partial healing is still progress. What small step forward (e.g., a memorized verse, a breathing exercise, a desire to forgive) have you recently experienced that you can acknowledge as evidence of God’s work? [12:59]
Isolation is called the enemy’s “oldest trick.” What practical step could you take to deepen your connection with a church family, small group, or trusted friend this month? [55:59]
Jesus asked the man, “Do you see anything?” as an invitation to honesty. Where do you need to vulnerably admit, “I’m not fully healed yet, but here’s what I do see”?
Dependence on Jesus is the goal, not self-sufficiency. What daily habit or prayer could help you hold His hand in your current “middle” season? [22:10]
The sermon mentioned replacing lies with truth. What specific lie about God, yourself, or your circumstances do you need to confront with Scripture this week? [16:51]
If you’ve experienced a “first touch” from Jesus in the past (e.g., a answered prayer, a moment of peace), how does that memory encourage you to trust Him for a “second touch” in your current struggle? [19:55]

Sermon Clips

33s

#HealingInProgress

“``It wasn't like, okay, you're just healed. And so what I want you to realize and write this down, partial healing is not just failed healing, it's healing in progress. We tend to think it's either all or nothing. No. No. God is healing. This life is about becoming whole. It's about maturing. It's about growing. It's about learning to thrive. It's about learning to use my my mind of Christ. It's about learning to use my heart of Christ now. It's about learning to be his hands. Right? It's not just like instant and it all goes away.”

36s

#DependOnJesus

“Listen, our goal in life, you gotta understand this, as we deal with mental issues, emotional issues, and body issues, think about this, the goal isn't just that God would just heal you like that, like he did your spirit, and like he's going to do our body when he makes or gives us brand new bodies. No. The ultimate goal, news flash, is dependence on Jesus. It's dependence. It's needing Jesus. It's it's hungry for him. God, I I wanna take your hand. I don't want to. I don't feel like it. Blah blah blah. Nope. That's the goal.”

32s

#SanctificationIsALifelongJourney

“We're also a body and a soul. Soul meaning will and motions and mind. And, listen, when we get saved, our thoughts don't change. Our feelings don't change or all of that. And so salvation salvation is instant, but the Bible maturity and growth, sanctification is a lifetime of growing and healing. And that should take the pressure off of, am I doing something wrong? I believed on Jesus, therefore everything should be fixed. In fact, once we know how we're kinda wired and designed, that helps us on can we can address those.”

47s

#SameTouchAgain

“And I want you to believe again today that the same touch that touched you once can touch you again. It's the same God. It's the same Jesus. Get to Jesus. Get to be in that realm of being touchable, if you know what I'm saying. If you find yourself, man, every Sunday, I come forward for prayer, for anxiety, and you know what? After prayer, for anxiety, I still have some anxiety. Well, that's okay. That's okay. Good job. Good job coming. Good job. I mean, you gotta know God hasn't given up on you at all. One touch. One touch. He's working. He's moving.”

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Lon Williams | Saved But Struggling | Week 4 | June 7th, 2026