Make Him Known- Pt 3

Sep 27, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Stay in the Room with Your Withered Hand

The man in the synagogue didn’t retreat when religious tension thickened. He lingered where Jesus was present, his withered hand hidden yet hopeful. Brokenness often tempts us to withdraw, but healing begins when we remain near the One who restores. Like cracked clay jars, our flaws don’t disqualify us from God’s touch. The synagogue benches held both critics and Christ, but the man chose proximity over pride. Restoration comes not by hiding our damage but by staying where grace dwells. [36:55]

And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.
(Mark 3:3–5, ESV)

Reflection: Where do you feel “withered” today—a place you’re tempted to hide? What would it look like to stay in Jesus’ presence with that weakness exposed?

Day 2: Marred Screens and Mended Stories

A cracked iPad still displays light through its fractures. Like that shattered screen, our flaws don’t negate God’s purpose—they become canvases for His redemption. The mason-turned-beggar carried a withered hand, but Jesus saw beyond his limitations to the testimony waiting to unfold. Brokenness isn’t final. Every scar, every failure, becomes part of a narrative declaring: “Look what God restored.” [49:00]

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
(Romans 3:22, ESV)

Reflection: What “cracked” part of your story feels too damaged to use? How might God repurpose that very brokenness to reveal His glory?

Day 3: Never Cast Out, Always Called Closer

Religious gatekeepers scrutinized the man’s worthiness, but Jesus issued a better invitation: “Come here.” No deformity, sin, or shame disqualified him. The same voice that called a beggar forward still speaks over those lingering in shame’s shadows. Faith isn’t about earning proximity—it’s trusting the One who says, “I’ll never turn you away.” [52:28]

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
(John 6:37, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you believed lies about being “too damaged” for God’s nearness? How does Jesus’ promise to “never cast out” reshape that narrative?

Day 4: Stretch When It Makes No Sense

The man’s healing required an absurd act: stretching a useless hand. Faith often demands obedience before understanding. Like Peter casting nets after a fruitless night, we’re called to act when logic says “quit.” Miracles hide in the tension between our confusion and Christ’s command. [01:04:14]

And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish.
(Luke 5:5–6, ESV)

Reflection: What is Jesus asking you to “stretch” today that feels illogical? What fear keeps you from obeying despite the uncertainty?

Day 5: Your Story Is Someone’s Lifeline

Hugo died before hearing a testimony that might have changed eternity. Our stories—raw and redeemed—aren’t just for us. Like the healed man who left the synagogue with a restored hand, we carry living proof of grace. Silence isn’t an option. Someone’s future hinges on your courage to say, “Let me tell you what God did.” [59:13]

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
(Proverbs 3:5–6, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your circle needs to hear your story of brokenness and redemption? What’s one step you can take this week to share it?

Sermon Summary

Mark 3:1-5 puts a man with a withered hand right in the middle of a room full of religious tension. Jesus enters the synagogue, and the religious leaders are not looking for somebody to get help. They are looking for a reason to accuse Him. The man needs a touch, but everybody else is arguing about rules, timing, and what day it is. Jesus shows that every day is a good day to get right with Him and every day is a good day to get healed.

The synagogue becomes a picture of God’s house. God’s house is for people with withered hands, withered hearts, withered minds, warts, wrinkles, shame, addiction, and scars. The man’s disability could not keep him from getting close to Jesus. The call is simple: never let disabilities or inabilities affect proximity to Jesus. Some people do not yet know how to take the next step, but faith can begin by staying in the room long enough to get touched.

Romans 3:22 exposes the real condition of every person. Sin has marred everybody, like a cracked and broken screen that cannot be made whole by dressing it up. The glory of God is the weight of who God is, and every person has fallen short of it. Grace becomes real when brokenness becomes real. The beggar standing before God becomes a picture of every soul that cannot lift itself up, yet Christ says, “Whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”

Jesus then calls the man out of the shadows: “Come here.” The man must rise up, stand out, and step toward Christ while critics are watching. Revelation 12:11 connects victory to the blood of the Lamb and the word of testimony. A testimony does not rest on church attendance or being a pretty good person. Salvation rests on Jesus, who bled and died on the cross. Somebody needs to hear what Christ has done in the middle of addiction, marriage trouble, grief, fear, and failure.

Jesus finally tells the man, “Stretch out your hand.” The very hand that carried his weakness, loss, and embarrassment becomes the hand he must extend toward healing. Faith does not always make sense. Simon had fished all night, yet at the word of Jesus he cast the net again. Christ calls people to reach again, tell the story, seek prayer, repent, and trust Him even when logic cannot explain the path. The withered hand becomes restored, and the man’s weakness becomes evidence of God’s glory.

Key Takeaways

1. Stay in the room broken [52:28] Faith does not always begin with strength, clarity, or a cleaned-up life. Faith sometimes means refusing to leave when the heart is ashamed, confused, or tired. Christ does not cast out the person who comes needy and marred. The room where Jesus is present remains the right place for broken people. [52:28]
2. Bring weakness closer to Jesus [39:01] Disabilities, failures, and private shame often make people hide in the corner. The withered hand shows that weakness must not determine distance from Christ. Jesus receives those who cannot fix themselves. Nearness to Him matters more than appearing put together. [39:01]
3. Tell what Jesus has done [59:13] A testimony is not a sales pitch for a perfect life. A testimony tells the truth about mercy meeting a person in the place where sin, addiction, fear, or pain had taken hold. Christ uses ordinary words spoken in faith to plant seeds in someone else’s life. The blood of the Lamb gives the testimony its power. [59:13]
4. Stretch out the wounded hand [01:04:26] Jesus asks people to respond with the very weakness they would rather conceal. The man’s withered hand carried the memory of what he had lost, yet that was the hand Christ told him to extend. Real surrender reaches toward God without pretending to be strong. His strength meets people right where their weakness is exposed. [64:26]
5. Trust God beyond human logic [01:07:32] Faith does not ignore wisdom or Scripture, but it refuses to make human understanding the final authority. Simon cast the net again after an empty night because Jesus said so. Christ sometimes calls people to a place, a testimony, or a step that does not make sense at first. Obedience opens the way for God to show what human logic could not see.

## [67:32]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[35:17] - Making Him Known Out of the Shadows
[36:55] - Jesus and the Man With the Withered Hand
[38:06] - God’s House Welcomes the Broken
[39:58] - Never Let Shame Keep You Away
[41:23] - Religion Versus Mercy
[45:16] - Stay in the Room
[46:28] - Marred by Sin, Restored by Grace
[52:28] - Christ Never Casts Out the Needy
[54:35] - Rise Up and Tell Your Story
[59:13] - Salvation and the Power of Testimony
[61:40] - Respond Even When It Makes No Sense
[64:14] - Stretch Out Your Hand
[70:50] - Stay, Stand, and Reach Out
[73:54] - A Prayer of Repentance and Mercy

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Mark 3:1-5
“Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.” [34:48]

Romans 3:22-23
“the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” [46:09]

Revelation 12:11
“And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” [56:34]

Observation questions

In Mark 3:1-5, what different motives are seen in Jesus, the man with the withered hand, and the religious leaders? [41:23]
What does Jesus ask the man to do before his hand is restored, and how do those commands move him from the background into the center of the room? [54:52]
According to Romans 3:22-23, what condition do all people share before God, regardless of how put together they may appear? [49:33]
What two things does Revelation 12:11 connect with overcoming, and what role does a believer’s testimony have in that victory? [56:07]

Interpretation questions

Why does Jesus respond so strongly to the religious leaders’ hardness of heart when a hurting man is standing in front of them? What does this show about the difference between protecting religious appearances and showing mercy? [41:46]
How does the truth that all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory keep a group of believers from comparing brokenness, looking down on others, or pretending to have it all together? [50:14]
Why might Jesus call the man to come forward and stretch out the very hand he had likely tried to hide? What does this reveal about faith, weakness, and surrender? [01:03:33]
Revelation 12:11 points to the blood of the Lamb and the word of testimony. Why must a Christian’s testimony be centered on what Jesus has done rather than on being a good person or attending church? [59:40]

Application questions

What “withered hand” may be tempting you to hide right now—fear, addiction, grief, family trouble, shame, depression, or another weakness? What would it look like to bring that need closer to Jesus instead of allowing it to create distance? [39:49]
When life is tense, confusing, or painful, what helps you stay in the room with Jesus rather than withdrawing from church, prayer, or godly relationships? Who could help you remain close to Him this week? [52:55]
Is there a person or situation where you have been more focused on rules, appearances, or criticism than on someone’s need for mercy? What could a more compassionate response look like? [42:04]
What is one part of your story that shows Jesus meeting you with mercy? How could you prepare to share that story simply and honestly with someone who needs hope? [59:28]
Jesus calls people to step out even when critics are watching. Where might fear of other people’s opinions be keeping you quiet about your faith or hesitant to ask for prayer? [56:34]
What is one step of obedience that may not fully make sense to you right now but is consistent with God’s Word—reaching out for help, seeking forgiveness, repenting, asking for prayer, or trying again? What would it mean to “stretch out your hand” in that situation? [01:05:38]

Sermon Clips

38s

#HolySpiritStory

“There's something when the Holy Spirit empowers me to tell my story and I walk in I re it's like God saying, well done, thou good and faithful servant. I've casted so many seeds, man. Not all of them's come up, but I've casted a few seeds and the seeds come up and respond even if you don't understand. There's a response that needs to take a place in the heart of every believer, And it needs to be a response that says, God, I'm gonna stay in the room. God, I'm gonna walk a little closer. And God, I'm finally gonna reach out in my weakness. We've all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”

22s

#StayInTheRoom

“I'll give you three things to do. Number one, stay in the room even though you're broken. Stay in the room. Don't leave the room when you're broken. Don't leave the room when you can't figure out a parent. Don't leave the room when you can't forgot your budget. Don't leave the room when your emotions are going crazy. Stay in the room even though you're broken. Stand out in faith and tell your story.”

36s

#PrayerPartners

“And I talked to him and and I thought, oh, does your team know? Does your prayer partners know? Oh, I said, who's the four around your mat? See, I use this stuff outside of this church. Who's the ones that you're gonna call out to in your weakness? Who's the one you're gonna text today, church, and say, I need your prayers. I'm going through something. Because if the devil has it his way, you'll just sit in the corner and you'll just keep your weakness covered. And sometimes it's responding and saying, God, here it is. I've I've seen it a 100 times. Every test is a testament.”

22s

#ReachAgain

“And they're like, man, I'm tired. She's some of us walked into church today. We're tired. But we're trying to make a logic of our faith. And finally, they see, say, just throw it on the other side. So you say, but but preacher, I've I've reached in my weakness. I've I've given a church chance. I've given a God chance, but the results didn't follow. We'll just reach again.”

27s

#RepentanceJourney

“No. I believe in repentance. Church, your story needs to involve a time you're walking this way, and you turn around and walk this way. And I know in my first few years, you'd have saw me and said, oh, I don't even know, but I knew down on the inside. I knew on the inside of me. My boys at 29 years old, three weeks later, we're sitting in my house listening to worship music, Jerry, and my son looked at me. He was six years old, he said, dad, you're different.”

35s

#ShowYourScars

“I can see He's got a withered hand, and he's walking into church like this. See, some of us today, we can walk into church with our burdens and our problems and things that happen, and we hide him because that's a natural thing to do. I can see him walking around society going, I don't want anybody to see my hand. I don't wanna see I don't wanna see the the scars. You see, sometimes it's the scars that everybody needs to see. Sometimes our family, our loved ones, they're waiting for you to reach out your hand.”

30s

#TellYourStory

“And Monday at lunchtime or Monday at break time, you're going to get an opportunity. How do I know? Because I prayed for it in Jesus' name. And and and God's it's gonna be a setup, and you're gonna have a choice to make. Do I stand up and stand out and stand up and tell my story and tell about what God's done for me? Or am I gonna retract? Am I gonna stay in the corner? Because when Jesus calls you out, there's purpose for everything. And he'll call us out to stand up.”

28s

#ObeyGod

“I've never understood some of the things that God asked me to do, but when he asked me to do them, I just did what he asked me to do. We have to be so careful that we don't filter everything through through reason. Now listen, I'm not now we need to take things in light of the word of God. Like, you you need to line up with the Bible, and if you don't know, normally it means no until you talk to somebody and there's safety in a multitude of counselors.”

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