Sermon: Push Through It

God is the author and finisher of faith, and victory belongs to the people of God. The call is to stay in the fight, not throw in the towel. Yet faith cannot stand still and expect to arrive at everything God has promised. Genuine faith involves action. Believers must be intentional, take a step, and walk in the word while trusting God to direct their path.

Mark’s account of the woman with the issue of blood gives that faith a face. Twelve years of suffering had drained her strength and emptied her resources. Physician after physician had failed to make her better. But when she heard about Jesus, she moved. Her condition was real, her weakness was real, and her disappointments were real, but none of them had the final word. She pressed through the crowd believing that touching his garment would make her whole.

Past failure can keep a person looking backward while God’s promise stands ahead. The answer is to rebound, get back up, and keep moving. The woman also pressed quietly. Her condition exposed her to resistance under the ceremonial laws, so she did not announce her intentions to everyone around her. Wisdom sometimes means keeping quiet rather than giving the wrong people an opportunity to interfere.

The hardest resistance, however, can be the fight within. Discouragement, fear, and spiritual opposition can hinder prayer, fasting, and attention to the word. Perseverance through those struggles builds character and stronger faith.

Lasting strength requires more than being in the space of God. Feeling his presence in church is not the same as being connected to him in the heart. Repentance, baptism in Jesus’ name, and receiving the Holy Ghost belong to that call. Spiritual maturity should bring greater wisdom, anointing, and faith, not retreat. The church’s children need believers who will push through and recover a life of earnest prayer.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Genuine Faith Must Take A Step. Hearing God’s word and feeling encouraged are not the same as acting on it. Faith becomes visible when a believer moves toward what God has made plain, trusting him to direct the path. Standing still can leave a person stuck even after receiving a word that calls for movement. [13:17]
• 2. Past Failure Cannot Have Final Say. The woman’s repeated disappointments gave her plenty of reasons to expect another failure. Yet she reached toward Jesus rather than allowing yesterday’s losses to settle what could happen next. Like a player taking a rebound, a believer can get back up without pretending the missed shots never happened. [25:12]
• 3. Wisdom Sometimes Moves Without An Announcement. The woman’s condition made the crowd a possible obstacle as well as a physical barrier. Her quiet approach shows that determination does not always need an audience. Sharing every intention with the wrong people can invite interference, while discretion leaves room to keep pressing toward what God has placed ahead. [29:35]
• 4. Connection With God Must Outlast Sunday. Being in a place where God’s presence is felt is not the same as having a heart connected to him. A passing feeling cannot carry a believer through every struggle that arrives during the week. Prayer, the word, and a living relationship with God sustain a faith that keeps its joy beyond the church doors. [36:59]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [06:37] - Victory Belongs to the People of God
• [07:21] - The Woman With the Issue of Blood
• [09:39] - Push Through It
• [11:17] - Intentional Faith Takes Action
• [16:18] - Moving Beyond Exhausted Resources
• [20:56] - Beyond Trying Into Doing
• [24:39] - Rebounding From Past Failure
• [28:16] - Quiet Wisdom in the Crowd
• [33:25] - Winning the Internal Fight
• [35:48] - Struggle Builds Character
• [36:59] - Connected to God Beyond Church
• [42:29] - Growing Stronger in Faith and Prayer

Bible Reading

Mark 5:25-34
“And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, 'If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.' And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, 'Who touched my garments?' And his disciples said to him, 'You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, "Who touched me?"' And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, 'Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” [06:37]

James 2:17
“So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” [13:30]

Proverbs 3:6
“In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” [12:32]

Observation questions

1. In Mark 5:25–28, what had the woman endured before hearing about Jesus, and what did she do after she heard about him? [07:57]
2. What actions made the woman’s faith visible, and how do those actions connect with James 2:17? [13:17]
3. What obstacles did the woman face beyond her physical weakness, and why might drawing attention to herself have made reaching Jesus harder? [28:16]
4. What difference is described between feeling God’s presence at church and having a heart connected to him throughout the week? [37:05]

Interpretation questions

1. The woman reached for Jesus after years of disappointment. What does her response show about trusting Jesus without pretending that past suffering was not real? [25:12]
2. How do James 2:17 and Proverbs 3:6 help explain the difference between taking a step of faith and simply pushing ahead with a personal plan? [19:06]
3. The woman approached quietly but later told Jesus the truth in front of others. What can her example show about when discretion is wise and when openness matters? [29:31]
4. Many people surrounded Jesus, but he singled out the woman’s response of faith. What does this suggest about the difference between being near spiritual activity and personally trusting him?

Application questions

1. Genuine faith takes a step. Is there something God has made clear in his word that you have been putting off? What could one small, faithful step look like this week? [15:25]
2. Past disappointment does not have to decide your next response to God. If you feel comfortable sharing, what setback has made it harder for you to move forward, and what might “getting back up” look like now? [26:24]
3. Wisdom sometimes means moving without an announcement. Is there an area where you need more discretion about what you share? Who could offer trustworthy prayer and counsel without discouraging faithful action? [29:49]
4. Sometimes the hardest resistance is the fight within. When you want to pray or spend time in the word, what thoughts or distractions tend to stop you? What would help you respond to that struggle this week? [34:16]
5. Connection with God must outlast Sunday. What does your relationship with him look like on an ordinary weekday, especially when you do not feel encouraged? What simple change could help you make room for sincere prayer and Scripture? [37:20]
6. Growing faith can strengthen the next generation. Is there a child or young person in your family or church you could pray for regularly? How might you also encourage them through your presence and example? [43:01]