Pray for America, I once was blind but now I see, John 9:35-41

Devotional

Day 1: Bread Broken in Sinful Hands

Jesus reclined at the table with disciples who would betray, deny, and abandon Him. Dust clung to their sandals from roads walked in doubt. Yet He took bread, gave thanks, and broke it: “This is My body given for you.” The hands receiving this gift still carried greed’s residue and fear’s sweat. He served those mid-failure, mid-sin. [36:44]

The cross proves God’s love isn’t earned by clean hands. Jesus died for Peter’s denials, Thomas’ doubts, Judas’ betrayal—and your worst moments. His body was broken not for the worthy, but for rebels still clutching pride.

When you feel disqualified from grace, remember: Communion was instituted for sinners. Jesus invites you to His table as you are, not as you “should” be. What shame are you clutching that He’s already taken?

“While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
(Romans 5:8, ESV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus aloud for loving you at your worst moment this week.
Challenge: Write Romans 5:8 on 3 sticky notes—place them where you’ll see them hourly.

Day 2: Grape Juice on Unworthy Lips

The disciples drank the cup Jesus called “the new covenant in My blood.” Their throats tightened knowing they’d failed Him. Yet He pressed the cup to their lips anyway. The tart juice symbolized what they couldn’t earn—a debt paid before they’d repented. [37:08]

God’s love runs toward you like the father sprinting to his prodigal son. The cross wasn’t Plan B after you “improved.” It was His first move while you mocked Him. Every sip of communion declares: “I’m loved not because I’m good, but because He is.”

You’ll never be “holy enough” for grace. That’s why it’s called grace. When will you stop trying to sanitize your soul before approaching Him?

“He took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.’”
(Luke 22:20, NIV)

Prayer: Confess one specific sin as you drink juice today—taste His forgiveness anew.
Challenge: Take communion at home tonight using bread/juice. Say aloud: “This proves He loves me.”

Day 3: Muddy Eyes Opened Twice

The blind man blinked as daylight pierced his healed eyes. But he still called Jesus “sir” until Christ revealed Himself. Then he cried “Lord!” and worshipped. Physical sight came through mud and spit; spiritual sight through a question: “Do you believe?” [50:35]

Jesus pursues the rejected. He found the man cast out by religious leaders. True healing isn’t just changed circumstances but transformed vision—seeing Christ as Lord, not just a miracle worker.

You may see Bible facts clearly yet miss the Savior. When did you last weep at His feet in worship?

“The man said, ‘Lord, I believe,’ and he worshiped him.”
(John 9:38, NIV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to reveal one area where you’ve been spiritually blind.
Challenge: Text someone: “How have you encountered God recently?” Listen without judging.

Day 4: Blind Leaders Grabbing Canes

Pharisees sneered, “Are we blind too?” clutching their Torah scrolls. Jesus warned their self-righteousness kept them from true sight. They studied Messiah’s prophecies but missed the Messiah eating with them. Knowledge without humility breeds blindness. [43:34]

America’s confusion stems from minds “blinded by the god of this age” (2 Cor 4:4). We combat darkness not through arguments but kneeling—humbling ourselves as needy children.

What biblical truth do you “know” but fail to live? Pride often wears the mask of superiority.

“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers.”
(2 Corinthians 4:4, NIV)

Prayer: Intercede for one leader/celebrity trapped in spiritual blindness. Name them aloud.
Challenge: Delete one app/account feeding pride for 24 hours. Use that time to pray.

Day 5: Ashes Before Healing

God’s formula for national revival starts with ashes—not rallies. “If my people humble themselves…” precedes prayer. The blind man’s healing began with mud-paste humiliation. America won’t see until we kneel. [45:01]

Humility isn’t self-hatred but honest admission: “I need rescue.” Like Zacchaeus climbing a tree to see Jesus, it’s embracing our smallness before His greatness.

What area of life still screams “I’ve got this!” to God? Brokenness precedes breakthrough.

“If my people…will humble themselves and pray…then I will hear from heaven.”
(2 Chronicles 7:14, NIV)

Prayer: Kneel while praying today—physically posture your heart before God.
Challenge: Write down three areas of pride. Burn the paper while asking for humility.

Sermon Summary

God’s goodness pursues people long before any human decision occurs. That pursuit shows itself in the cross: Christ died for sinners, not for the deserving, and that act creates the only pathway into relationship with God. The cross does more than promise love; it proves it by paying the debt humanity could not settle. Communion stands as a vivid reminder that salvation meets people at their worst and welcomes those who recognize their need for grace. The bread and cup represent both the cost of redemption and the availability of forgiveness for imperfect people who approach with humility.

Spiritual sight differs from mere physical sight or religious knowledge. Scripture illustrates how people can see with their eyes yet remain blind in heart when pride or self-righteousness closes them to truth. True sight begins with an invitation and a question that opens a heart to receive an encounter with Christ, not simply information about him. An actual encounter transforms knowledge into worship; when the blind man truly saw, worship followed naturally.

Pride blocks spiritual vision and keeps guilt intact, because claiming sight while refusing to humble oneself resists the cure. Humility becomes the posture that allows grace to enter and change behavior. National and personal renewal requires both confession and a willing turning away from wicked ways so that healing can follow. Prayer functions as a corporate and individual medium through which God may remove spiritual blinders, renew thankful hearts, and lead people into authentic, responsive relationship. The invitation remains open: faith begins with a question, and the believer’s response ushers in sight, worship, and a life shaped by gratitude and service. Those who accept the invitation receive not only forgiveness but also the impulse to live differently, to be more forgiving, and to serve from a heart made humble by grace.

Key Takeaways

1. God pursues before humans respond God initiates relationship by seeking people even when they remain distant or sinful. That pursuit removes the illusion that salvation is merely human effort and reframes it as a divine invitation. Responding becomes possible because God has already made the first move, revealing grace that calls for a humble answer. This reality shifts worship from duty to grateful response. [23:57]
2. Christ's death initiates relationship The cross pays the debt humanity could not pay and thus creates the possibility for restored fellowship with God. It proves love by action rather than mere words, transforming legal standing through substitutionary payment. Recognition of that payment reframes identity from unworthy to forgiven and compels a lived response of gratitude. [24:26]
3. Communion welcomes imperfect people Communion remembers a finished work that covers ongoing imperfection and invites those who admit need to participate. It marks inclusion for the humble rather than eligibility for the self-righteous. Approaching the table becomes an act of trust in mercy, not a badge of moral adequacy. [29:25]
4. Humility opens spiritual sight Pride hardens the heart and blinds people to truth, while humility loosens stubborn resistance and creates space for revelation. Admitting weakness functions as the doorway to grace and genuine repentance. A teachable spirit allows God to move, heal, and guide both individuals and communities. [45:01]
5. Faith begins with a question Spiritual awakening often starts with honest curiosity or doubt that invites an encounter, not argument. Questions open doors for God to reveal himself; they signal hunger rather than closure. An inviting question becomes the seed of belief when met by Christ’s presence and truth. [58:09]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[22:26] - Announcements and Testimonies
[23:27] - Communion Preparation
[23:57] - God’s Pursuing Goodness
[24:26] - Why Christ Died
[29:25] - Communion for Imperfect People
[41:53] - Spiritual Blindness in America
[58:09] - Faith Begins with a Question
[76:55] - Invitation and Closing Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
John 9:35-41 (ESV)
35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” 38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.”

Observation Questions

What does Jesus say about the relationship between physical sight and spiritual sight in John 9:39?
How does the healed man’s response to Jesus differ from the Pharisees’ response in this passage?
In the sermon, what contrast was highlighted between “knowledge of God” and an “encounter with God”? [49:01]
According to 2 Chronicles 7:14 (referenced in the sermon), what four actions does God require for healing a land?

Interpretation Questions

Why does Jesus use the metaphor of blindness to describe the Pharisees’ spiritual condition, even though they were experts in Scripture?
The healed man worships Jesus immediately after recognizing Him (v. 38). What does this suggest about the connection between true spiritual sight and worship?
The sermon emphasized that “pride blocks spiritual vision” [45:01]. How does the Pharisees’ question in verse 40 (“Are we blind too?”) reveal their pride?
How does 2 Chronicles 7:14 connect humility to national or personal renewal?

Application Questions

In what areas of life do you find it hardest to admit weakness or need for God’s help? How might pride be keeping you from receiving grace in those areas?
The sermon mentioned that “faith begins with a question” [58:09]. What honest questions about God or faith have you hesitated to bring to Him? How could you start exploring those questions this week?
The healed man’s story shows that encountering Jesus changes how we respond to Him. What practical step could you take to move from “knowing about God” to actively seeking encounters with Him (e.g., prayer, serving, Scripture meditation)?
How does regularly participating in communion remind you to approach God with humility rather than self-sufficiency? [29:25]
The Pharisees resisted Jesus because they felt spiritually “complete.” What habits or relationships could help you stay humble and open to correction?
If “God’s goodness pursues people long before any human decision” (sermon summary), how might this truth change how you view someone in your life who seems far from God?
The sermon linked confession and turning from “wicked ways” to healing [45:01]. Is there a specific attitude or behavior God is asking you to surrender this week? What would that look like in practice?

Sermon Clips

43s

#EncounterOverKnowledge

“You walk in your house, your your heater hasn't been off, maybe you're just coming back and boy, it's cold. Cold, I wanna be warm. So you somebody hands you the manual to the air condition unit, heating unit and said, well, read this. Oh, and it's gonna tell you all about how it heats the house. But is that the same as turning on the heater? Knowledge of the heater, Is that gonna be warm? No, that's the same thing as the Bible sitting on the shelf or just reading. Until you encounter it. Until you turn it on and you feel the power, the heat coming out. Will you enjoy it? Knowledge by itself is not gonna do you any good.”

59s

#ValleysLeadToRevelation

“So, you may feel like an outcast but you are never out of the reach of god. Rejection by people often comes before the revelation of god. How many of you came to know the lord because your life was so good? Anybody? Anybody How many of you came to know the lord because your life was so bad and you're and I I remember life was chaotic and I just I prayed to god. I said, god, god, if this thing is real, Show me. See, sometimes with the revelations comes through our hardships. Most people come to know the lord because they're going through a valley. They're not rotting high on the mountain top. Is those valleys in hard times in our life?”

28s

#LoveStepsInToRescue

“I was thinking today, if if you have children that are older, getting older as a parent, know, maybe sometime they went financially irresponsible and they kinda made a few bills or debts that they could not pay back pay back. And we may step in as a parent because we love them love them and say, I wanna help you out. I'm gonna bail you out. I'm gonna pay the debt that you could not pay. And we help them get out that situation.”

39s

#TheCrossProvesLove

“And you see that's what the our heavenly father does. We live the life of sin. We're born into sin. And it was a debt that we could not pay. But yet he stepped in and said, I'll pay. I'll pay pay that for you. Another thing I wanna talk about is the cross is proof. Proof. And not just a promise. Promise. Of how much he loves you. The cross says it says it demonstrates his love. It doesn't say that it doesn't just say it. It doesn't just promise it. It proves it. How many of you have ever heard someone say, oh, I love you.”

Ask a question about this sermon

Christian Fellowship Church🔹Pastor Scott Cheramie This sermon · AI assistant

How does God pursue sinners before their repentance?

What distinguishes spiritual sight from mere knowledge?

Why does humility unlock God's healing and revival?

Pray for America, I once was blind but now I see, John 9:35-41

Devotional

Day 1: Bread Broken in Sinful Hands

Day 2: Grape Juice on Unworthy Lips

Day 3: Muddy Eyes Opened Twice

Day 4: Blind Leaders Grabbing Canes

Day 5: Ashes Before Healing

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Pray for America, I once was blind but now I see, John 9:35-41

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