Stepping into Wholeness: Embracing Gospel-Centered Growth
Summary
Five years of ministry at Calvary Temple have been marked by a deep desire to see lives transformed, not just through programs or events, but by cultivating a community that is gospel-centered and scripture-saturated. The journey has not been without its challenges—navigating a global pandemic, fostering a building that serves the community, and encouraging a congregation to live on mission. Yet, the most significant growth has come from individuals who have chosen to step out of passivity and into active pursuit of God’s calling.
Drawing from John 5:1-9, the story of the man at the pool of Bethesda, we are reminded of our human tendency to wait for healing, to gather in groups defined by our needs or limitations, and to hope for someone else to move us toward wholeness. Like those who waited by the pool, we often find ourselves sorted into categories—by society, by circumstance, or even by our own self-perception. But Jesus disrupts these categories, calling us out from under our “porticos” and inviting us to take responsibility for our spiritual growth.
True wholeness is not merely the absence of pain, but the presence of peace—a heart at rest, a conscience that is clear. The gospel offers us this peace, but it also calls us to action. We are not meant to be passive recipients, waiting for revival or for someone else to stir the waters. Instead, we are called to “stir up the gifts” within us, to do the work of cultivating our relationship with God, and to step forward in faith.
When individuals take responsibility for their spiritual lives, the church as a whole is transformed. This kind of growth breaks cycles, shifts cultures, and brings restoration not just to individuals, but to entire communities. It is not about self-improvement for our own sake, but about giving God the glory as we invest what He has given us. The four G’s of the gospel—God is good, great, glorious, and gracious—remind us that our identity and security are found in Him alone. As we move forward, may we leave behind the categories and limitations that have defined us, and step boldly into the healing and purpose Christ offers.
Key Takeaways
- Stepping Out of Categories and Porticos
Society and circumstance often sort us into categories—by our struggles, our backgrounds, or our perceived limitations. Yet, Jesus calls us to step out from under these “porticos” and refuse to let them define us. Our true identity is found at the cross, where all are made equal, and we are invited to live beyond the labels and limitations imposed by ourselves or others. [30:32]
- Taking Responsibility for Spiritual Growth
It is easy to wait for someone else to move us toward healing or spiritual maturity, but God has already given us everything we need through His Spirit. The call is to “get up and walk”—to actively pursue growth, stir up the gifts within us, and tend to our own spiritual gardens. Passive waiting leads to stagnation, but intentional pursuit leads to transformation. [37:04]
- Healing Begins with Honest Self-Confrontation
Spiritual healing starts not with confrontation of others, but with honest self-examination. We must face our patterns, beliefs, and the cycles that keep us under our porticos. Becoming God’s blueprint for our lives requires courage to confront ourselves and a willingness to do the hard work of change. [38:41]
- Restoration is Both Personal and Communal
As individuals purpose to grow and take responsibility for their spiritual lives, the entire church is strengthened. This collective movement breaks cycles, shifts cultures, and brings restoration to the broader community. The work we do in our own hearts has ripple effects that extend far beyond ourselves. [41:35]
- Living in the Four G’s of the Gospel
God’s goodness, greatness, glory, and grace free us from the need to look elsewhere, to control, to fear others, or to prove ourselves. Embracing these truths anchors us in Christ and empowers us to move forward in faith, leaving behind the limitations of our past and stepping into the fullness of life He offers. [43:07]
Youtube Chapters
[00:00] - Welcome
[19:03] - Reflections on Five Years of Ministry
[20:33] - Building a Gospel-Centered Community
[22:16] - The Pentecostal Heart for Restoration
[23:15] - What Does Wholeness Really Mean?
[24:00] - Peace vs. Pain-Free Living
[24:36] - The Pool of Bethesda: Waiting for Healing
[26:05] - The Human Tendency to Gather in Groups
[28:11] - Lessons from Lady Bird: Sorting and Categories
[29:38] - Society’s Categories and Our Identity
[30:32] - Jesus Levels the Playing Field
[33:42] - Moving Beyond Reliance on Others
[36:21] - Stirring Up the Gifts Within
[38:41] - Healing Begins with Self-Confrontation
[41:35] - Restoration as a Church Family
[43:07] - The Four G’s of the Gospel
[44:11] - Prayer for Healing and Moving Forward
[45:06] - Benediction and Final Encouragement
Study Guide
Small Group Bible Study Guide: Stepping Out and Moving Forward in Christ
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### Bible Reading
John 5:1-9
(The story of the man at the pool of Bethesda)
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### Observation Questions
1. In John 5:1-9, what was the man at the pool of Bethesda waiting for, and how long had he been in that condition?
2. According to the sermon, what were the “porticos” and what did they represent for the people gathered there? [[24:36]]
3. What did Jesus say to the man at the pool, and how did the man respond?
4. The sermon mentioned that people often gather in groups based on their needs or limitations. What are some examples given of how we sort ourselves or are sorted by others? [[29:38]]
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### Interpretation Questions
1. Why do you think Jesus asked the man if he wanted to be made well, instead of just healing him right away? What does this reveal about Jesus’ approach to healing and wholeness? [[24:36]]
2. The sermon talks about “stepping out from under our porticos.” What does it mean for someone today to step out from under their own “portico”? [[30:32]]
3. The pastor said, “Passive waiting leads to stagnation, but intentional pursuit leads to transformation.” How does this idea challenge the way people often approach spiritual growth? [[37:04]]
4. How does taking responsibility for your own spiritual growth impact the wider church community, according to the sermon? [[41:35]]
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### Application Questions
1. The man at the pool had been waiting for someone else to help him for 38 years. Are there areas in your life where you are waiting for someone else to “move you toward wholeness”? What would it look like to take a step forward yourself this week? [[33:42]]
2. The sermon challenged us to “stir up the gifts within us.” What is one gift or passion God has given you that you have not been using? What is a practical way you could begin to use it? [[36:21]]
3. The pastor described “porticos” as places or categories that can define or limit us. What is one label, limitation, or category you feel stuck under? What would it look like to step out from under it? [[30:32]]
4. Honest self-confrontation was described as the starting point for healing. Is there a pattern or belief in your life that you need to confront? How can you invite God into that process? [[38:41]]
5. The “four G’s of the gospel” were shared: God is good, great, glorious, and gracious. Which of these truths do you struggle to believe the most, and how does that affect your daily life? [[43:07]]
6. The sermon said that when individuals take responsibility for their spiritual lives, the whole church is strengthened. What is one way you can encourage someone else in your group or church to grow spiritually this month? [[41:35]]
7. The pastor asked, “Would you rather live at peace every day or be pain-free?” How would you answer that question, and what does your answer reveal about your understanding of wholeness in Christ? [[24:00]]
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Closing Prayer Suggestion:
Invite the group to pray for courage to step out from under their “porticos,” to take responsibility for their spiritual growth, and to experience the peace and wholeness that Jesus offers.
Devotional
Day 1: Jesus Calls Us Out of Our Porticos
Jesus meets us in our places of limitation and calls us to step out from the categories and cycles that have defined us, inviting us to wholeness and new identity in Him. The story of the man at the pool of Bethesda reminds us that we often find ourselves sorted into groups by our struggles, infirmities, or the labels society places on us. Yet, Jesus does not leave us there—He levels the playing field, seeing us not by our limitations but by our potential in Him. No matter how long we have waited or how stuck we feel, Jesus’ invitation is to rise, leave behind the old definitions, and walk forward into healing and purpose. [33:42]
John 5:1-9 (ESV)
After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath.
Reflection: What is one label or limitation you’ve accepted that Jesus is inviting you to step out of today?
Day 2: Take Responsibility for Your Spiritual Growth
God has already given us everything we need for spiritual growth and healing, but we must choose to take responsibility, stir up the gifts within us, and walk forward in faith. Too often, we wait for someone else to move us, for another word, another event, or another person to help us grow. Yet, the call is to get up, do the work, and cultivate our relationship with God. Spiritual maturity comes not from passivity but from intentional pursuit—tending to our own spiritual garden, investing in prayer, worship, and the Word, and making the decision to move forward. [37:04]
2 Timothy 1:6-7 (ESV)
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
Reflection: What is one practical step you can take today to actively pursue your own spiritual growth?
Day 3: Use What God Has Given You
God entrusts each of us with gifts, resources, and opportunities, expecting us to invest and cultivate them for His glory rather than burying them out of fear or complacency. The parable of the talents reminds us that God is not pleased when we do nothing with what He has given us. Instead, He calls us to steward our lives well, to invest in our spiritual growth, and to use our gifts to bless others and advance His kingdom. True healing and transformation begin when we confront our patterns and take action, trusting God to bring the increase. [38:41]
Matthew 25:14-30 (ESV)
“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Reflection: What is one gift, resource, or opportunity God has given you that you can intentionally invest or use for His glory this week?
Day 4: God’s Goodness Frees Us from Striving
Because God is good, great, glorious, and gracious, we do not need to look elsewhere, be in control, fear others, or prove ourselves—His character is the foundation of our peace and freedom. When we truly believe in the sufficiency of God’s nature, we are released from the endless striving to fix ourselves or earn approval. Instead, we can rest in His love, trust His sovereignty, and live out of the security that comes from being His children. This truth transforms our daily lives, relationships, and the way we see ourselves and others. [44:11]
Psalm 34:8-10 (ESV)
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
Reflection: In what area of your life are you tempted to strive or prove yourself, and how can you rest in God’s goodness and grace today?
Day 5: Healing Begins with Honest Self-Confrontation
Spiritual healing and growth start when we honestly confront our own patterns, beliefs, and cycles, choosing to step out from under the porticos that have kept us stuck and into the new life Jesus offers. It is easy to blame circumstances or wait for others to change us, but true transformation comes when we allow God to search our hearts and courageously face the things that need to change. This summer, let it be a season of intentional growth—spending time in the Word, worship, and prayer, surrounding yourself with people who encourage you, and putting in the work to become more like Christ. [41:35]
Psalm 139:23-24 (ESV)
Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
Reflection: What is one pattern or belief you need to honestly confront and bring before God for healing and transformation?
Quotes
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