Called to Be Winners: Touch Jesus, Don't Quit

Music attaches itself to moments, and hymns have carried God’s people through seasons that tried to take them out. “It Is Well with My Soul” does not only belong at funerals or at the end of somebody’s life. The hymn can also stand over the death of old thinking, old fear, old disappointment, and all the stuff from the past that needs to be told goodbye. The line “whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say” says that the present situation is not the end of the story, because God is still progressive, still moving, and still doing greater.

Horatio Spafford’s story gives the hymn its weight. His losses were real, his grief was real, and his tears were not denied. The testimony was not that Christians never cry or never get disappointed. The testimony was, “don’t quit.” Winners do not quit just because life got hard, people got on nerves, money got low, or the season did not go the way it was supposed to go.

Mark 5 brings forward a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years, and that woman carries the mentality of a winner. Her body was hurting, her money was gone, her relationships were strained, and her social standing was broken, but she did not quit. The text says she suffered under many physicians, spent all that she had, and grew worse. Faith still made her do something that did not make sense to everybody else.

Winners sometimes must be irrational, because faith sometimes moves after the facts have been saying “stop.” Her history had twelve years of evidence that nothing was changing, but her faith refused to let yesterday’s failure decide tomorrow’s attempt. Human ability had reached its limit, and the power of God had to step in. Skills, talents, and gifts can open doors, but the anointing gives grace to stand in the room and destroys yokes.

Winners sometimes must be independent, because the woman said, “if I.” Mark 5 does not knock friendship, but it does show a moment where nobody carried her, nobody dragged her, and nobody went for her. Somebody else’s absence could not become the excuse for her disobedience. God had given her the shot, and she had to take it.

Winners sometimes must be impressive, because her touch stopped Jesus in the crowd. Many people were around him, but her reach pulled power from him. She did not need a watered down Jesus. She needed the one who could heal, make whole, drive out what torments, and bring an immediate change by the power of the anointing.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Winners do not quit The woman in Mark 5 had twelve years of reasons to stop hoping, but her endurance became part of her victory. Her winning was not first shown by what she possessed, but by the fact that she was still reaching. Faith does not erase tears, disappointment, or exhaustion, but faith refuses to let those things become the final word. [63:34]
• 2. Faith may look irrational The woman had a long record of failed attempts, spent money, and worsening pain, yet faith pushed her toward Jesus anyway. Faith sometimes acts after common sense has already counted up the evidence and said there is no point. Yesterday’s failure cannot be allowed to become tomorrow’s prison. [70:10]
• 3. Anointing goes beyond ability The physicians had knowledge, training, and ability, but her situation had reached a place where human help was not enough. Gifts and skills matter, but the anointing carries what talent cannot carry and breaks what effort cannot break. The believer’s work needs more than routine, competence, and hustle. [72:57]
• 4. Some steps require independence The woman said, “if I,” and that little word carried a whole decision. Friends are a blessing, but certain acts of obedience cannot wait for a crowd, a partner, or a cheering section. Another person’s absence must not become the excuse for delaying what God already placed in a life. [79:40]
• 5. One touch can make whole The woman did not need attention from the crowd, and she did not need all of Jesus’ garment. The hem was enough because it was connected to him. Her touch shows the difference between being near religious activity and actually reaching for the power of Christ. [85:14]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [13:39] - Worship and “It Is Well”
• [54:19] - Mark 5 Scripture Reading
• [56:10] - God Has Called You Winners
• [57:20] - Hymns That Carry Believers
• [60:18] - It Is Well Before the Funeral
• [61:45] - Horatio Spafford’s Loss and Testimony
• [63:34] - Winners Don’t Quit
• [67:51] - The Woman With the Issue of Blood
• [68:38] - Winners Must Be Irrational
• [75:35] - Winners Must Be Independent
• [82:25] - Winners Must Be Impressive
• [85:14] - Touching the Hem of His Garment
• [90:34] - Praying for Immediate Change
• [93:25] - Prayer Over Young Men

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.’” [54:32]

Luke 8:43-48
“And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. And Jesus said, ‘Who was it that touched me?’ When all denied it, Peter said, ‘Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!’ But Jesus said, ‘Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.’ And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. And he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.’” [01:17:06]

Isaiah 10:27
“And in that day his burden will depart from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck; and the yoke will be broken because of the fat.” [01:12:57]

Observation questions

1. In Mark 5, what details show how long the woman had been suffering, what she had already tried, and how those efforts turned out? [01:09:12]
2. What words in the passage show that the woman made a personal decision to act, instead of waiting on somebody else to move first? [01:16:20]
3. What happened in the crowd after the woman touched Jesus’ garment, and how did Jesus respond differently than the disciples? [01:22:58]
4. What parts of “It Is Well with My Soul” connect with sorrow, loss, and still choosing to trust God anyway? [01:01:00]

Interpretation questions

1. The woman had twelve years of evidence that things were not getting better, yet she still reached for Jesus. What does that say about the difference between faith and giving in to yesterday’s results? [01:10:10]
2. The woman said, “If I.” What does that suggest about moments when obedience cannot be delayed until support, agreement, or companionship shows up? [01:19:40]
3. Jesus was surrounded by many people, yet one touch caused him to stop. What does that reveal about the difference between being around Jesus and truly reaching for him in faith? [01:25:14]
4. The physicians had knowledge and ability, but the woman still needed something more. How does this help explain the difference between human skill and the anointing of God? [01:14:23]

Application questions

1. Where has quitting been looking tempting lately—health, family, money, grief, disappointment, or something else? What would it look like to say, even there, “I’m still reaching”? [01:03:34]
2. What is one area of life where past failure has been talking too loudly? How might faith look if yesterday is no longer allowed to decide tomorrow’s attempt? [01:11:07]
3. Is there a step that needs to be taken without waiting on another person’s approval, presence, or help? What has been delayed because somebody else has not shown up? [01:19:40]
4. What gifts, talents, or skills are already in hand right now? Where does there need to be a fresh dependence on God’s anointing instead of just trying harder? [01:30:15]
5. The woman did not need all of Jesus’ garment; she just needed to touch what was connected to him. What practices help move from being near spiritual things to truly reaching for Christ himself? [01:25:14]
6. “It is well” can be said over more than a funeral. What old fear, old disappointment, old mindset, or old wound needs to be told goodbye in this season? [01:00:18]
7. When help from people runs out, where does the heart usually turn next—self-reliance, discouragement, distraction, or prayer? What would it look like this week to reach for Jesus first instead of last? [01:11:57]