True Healing: Transformation Through Christ's Power

"Everywhere we look, people are searching for something to make them whole, whether it's through medicine, therapy, relationships, success, even distractions that numb the pain. But deep down, we all know that there are wounds that are too deep, there are problems that are too big, and there are burdens that are too heavy for any human solution to fix. And this is where the gospel enters into the story of life. It's not another help strategy, but it is a radical invitation into grace." [00:29:18]

"Luke is not just giving us a medical case study. He's painting a picture of something much deeper. This man's physical paralysis is a reflection of the deeper human condition. There is a spiritual paralysis that affects us all. Think about the comparisons Luke's trying to make. He's outside the temple but unable to enter. How many of us have felt like that at some time with God? Close but never quite in." [00:34:16]

"He is dependent on others to carry him to this place. How often do we feel stuck, unable to change on our own? And then he's learned to settle for less. He's asking for money when what he truly needs is physical healing. And isn't that how many of us approach life? We assume that the best we can do is just to cope. We adjust to the brokenness of this world thinking it's just the way that things are. And we aim for comfort when God is offering transformation." [00:34:49]

"The lame man thinks his greatest need is just financial help, but Peter and John are about to offer him something far greater. And so this man is a picture of a world apart from Christ, longing for something more, but unable to reach it. We live in a culture where people recognize their brokenness, but they look to everything except Jesus to fix it. Some turn to self-improvement, thinking if you read the right books, you follow the right influencers, you adopt the right habits, that that's going to make you whole." [00:36:51]

"The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in the world today. Here's what that means. There is no brokenness too deep that Jesus cannot restore. There is no past too dark that Jesus cannot redeem. And there is no person too far gone that Jesus cannot reach. The early church knew this. That's why they didn't try to market themselves or rely on strategy. They simply preached Christ and he worked through them." [00:41:28]

"Peter says, why do you stare at us though it was our power or our godliness that we made this man walk? Peter is saying, don't look at me, look at Jesus. The miracle is the invitation, but repentance is the response to that invitation. See, Peter wastes no time in getting into the heart of the issue. He tells the crowd very plainly, you handed him over to be killed. You disowned the holy and righteous one. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. That is a bold move." [00:45:44]

"Repentance is not just about admitting guilt, it is about receiving grace. Look at the words that Peter uses. Your sins will be wiped out, not just covered, not just managed, wiped out, completely erased. He says, times of refreshing will come. It's not shame. It's not condemnation. It is refreshing. So Peter is showing them that the miracle that they just witnessed is a picture of what Jesus wants to do to them spiritually." [00:47:29]

"Peter and John didn't perform a miracle just for the sake of amazement. They weren't putting on a show. They were inviting people to see what life in God's kingdom looks like, and the truth is this. The story isn't just about what happened then. It is what is still happening now, because the same Jesus who healed that man, who transformed Peter and John, who empowered the early church, is the same Jesus still at work today." [00:52:39]

"Peter and John were willing to stop. They were willing to notice. They were willing to engage. They were willing to be interrupted, even in a holy matter as much as going to pray. Are you? Who in your life is longing to be seen, to be loved, to be invited into something? Maybe it's a co-worker going through a hard time. Maybe it's a neighbor who always seems to be alone. Maybe it's even someone sitting next to you in church." [00:54:53]

"You don't need to be a Bible scholar. You don't need to have wealth or power or a perfect life. You don't have to have it all figured out. What you have is enough. And if you have Jesus, you have everything you need to invite others into his grace. And then number three is, will you point them to Jesus? When people see love and joy and grace in your life, where will you direct them? Will you make much of Jesus?" [00:55:59]

"The way we see and love and serve others can be the very thing that God uses to draw them to himself. And so this week, ask yourself these questions. Who needs to be seen? What can I offer? And how can I point people to Jesus? Because healing is still happening. Grace is still changing lives. And God is using ordinary people to invite the world to experience it." [00:56:42]

"Because when Jesus heals, he doesn't just fix us. He invites us into something greater. This time of service, we take communion. We do this each and every week because one, we're commanded to, but secondly, it invites us into this understanding, a tactile response to understanding the grace of Jesus Christ." [00:56:48]