Unstoppable Faith [We Are Access] — Pastor Barry Baugh

Devotional

Day 1: Faith is personal but never meant to be private.

Your relationship with Jesus is a deeply personal decision, but it was never designed to be kept to yourself. It is a faith meant to be shared, lived out, and told to the people around you—your family, your coworkers, and your friends. This living faith is what makes real the things we hope for and serves as the proof of what we cannot see. When you choose to live out your faith, it has the power to change not only your life but also the lives of those you encounter. [06:37]

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation.
Hebrews 11:1-2 (ESV)

Reflection: Who are the people in your immediate circle—family, coworkers, or friends—with whom you have been hesitant to share your faith? What is one practical way you can begin to live out your faith in their presence this week?

Day 2: The heart of Jesus is for all people to be found.

The mission of Jesus was clear: to seek and to save those who are lost. His heart beats passionately for people, and His desire is for everyone to know Him. It is possible to be in close proximity to Jesus, to gather in rooms full of faith, and yet still miss His heart if we lack compassion for others. Our faith should always lead us to care deeply about the people Jesus cares about, ensuring we never become a barrier to someone else's encounter with Him. [12:38]

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
Luke 19:10 (ESV)

Reflection: In what ways might your current routines or comfort in your faith community unintentionally create a barrier for someone else to encounter Jesus? How can you adjust to better reflect His heart for those who are seeking?

Day 3: Real faith finds a way where there seems to be no way.

Genuine faith is characterized by persistence and creativity. It does not give up when faced with obstacles but looks for another path forward. The friends of the paralyzed man refused to be stopped by the crowd or the blocked door; they were determined to bring their friend to Jesus. Their boldness and willingness to be an interruption created an opportunity for a miracle to take place. [15:37]

And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay.
Mark 2:4 (ESV)

Reflection: Is there a person you have been praying for who feels like an 'impossible' case? What is one new, persistent step of faith you can take this week to help carry them to Jesus?

Day 4: A miracle in someone's life can be connected to your faith.

God often uses the faith of His people to bring about transformation in the lives of others. The paralyzed man received his healing because his friends had the faith to believe Jesus could do it and the determination to bring him. You may never know how your simple act of obedience and faith could be the very thing God uses to perform a miracle in someone else's story. [20:31]

And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Mark 2:5 (ESV)

Reflection: Think of a time when someone's faith helped you in your own journey. Who is one person God might be inviting you to believe for in faith right now, and how can you actively carry them to Him?

Day 5: People can walk in broken but leave changed by Jesus.

The church is called to be a place where people can come as they are, no matter their condition, and encounter the life-changing power of Jesus. The man who was lowered through the roof could not walk in, but he walked out completely transformed. Our mission is to create space and be bold so that those who are hurting can have a genuine experience with Christ and leave forever changed. [22:27]

And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
Mark 2:12 (ESV)

Reflection: As you consider our upcoming gatherings, what is one tangible way you can help create space—whether through your seat, your service, or your invitation—for someone to have a life-changing encounter with Jesus?

Sermon Summary

The Access Church series "We Are Access" frames a clear mission: become a community that goes all in to bring heaven down to the city. The congregation receives a direct call to move beyond private faith and live a visible, active faith that changes neighborhoods. A personal cycling story of endurance and needing help models the posture of practical care—faith shows itself in actions that carry others. Scripture anchors the call: Hebrews 11 defines faith as the substance of hope and the proof of the unseen, and Mark 2 illustrates faith lived out through three groups—an obstructing crowd, four determined friends, and a paralyzed man lowered through a roof.

The crowd represents well-meaning proximity without compassion; being near Jesus without reflecting his heart leaves people unnoticed. The four friends model disruptive faith: when doors close, they climb the roof, rip a hole, and lower their friend to Jesus. Their persistence shows that genuine faith refuses to accept barriers that keep people from encounter. The paralyzed man receives healing not only because of his presence but because of others’ faith; Jesus addresses the deeper need—forgiveness of sins—before physical restoration, demonstrating that spiritual renewal undergirds outward change.

Practical application follows: make room in gatherings so strangers can encounter Christ, act boldly for others even when it disturbs the comfortable, and prioritize invitations to the upcoming Easter services. The church receives a direct challenge to trade self-centered routines for sacrificial interruptions that create space for miracles. The narrative culminates with testimonies of amazement and a communal invitation to commit or recommit to Christ, emphasizing that communal faith and individual responses together produce visible transformation.

Overall, the emphasis lands on a faith that moves—faith that finds a way, sacrifices convenience, and invites others into a life-changing encounter with Jesus. The call to action centers on boldness, compassion, and practical invitations that prepare the city to witness things never seen before.

Key Takeaways

1. Faith must be lived outwardly Faith that stays private cannot change communities. When belief translates into tangible actions—carrying someone, lowering them through a roof, refusing to leave—the invisible hope becomes visible rescue. Living outwardly means prioritizing others’ encounters with Jesus above personal comfort. [05:25]
2. Real faith finds a way Obstacles expose the shape of faith: proximity that only looks matters little, but persistence that creates paths bears fruit. The four friends demonstrate that faith treats closed doors as temporary, not final; resourcefulness and sacrifice belong to faithful people. Expect resistance, prepare to be disruptive, and keep pressing. [15:37]
3. Create space for spiritual encounters Rooms full of people mean nothing if hearts stay closed; the priority must be making room—literally and spiritually—for strangers to meet God. Moving aside, adjusting schedules, and welcoming interruption embody a community intent on others’ transformation. Designing gatherings for seekers invites the supernatural to show up. [23:55]
4. Invite urgently and boldly Evangelism moves from occasional hope to disciplined obedience when invitations become routine and urgent. The coming Easter services provide a concrete window to invite someone and to act on the conviction that people matter to God. Boldness creates opportunities for miracles and for life-turning decisions. [25:15]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:23] - Series Overview: We Are Access
[02:27] - Personal: Century Ride Testimony
[05:25] - Defining Faith (Hebrews 11)
[07:29] - Mark 2 Context: Jesus at Home
[13:32] - Four Friends: Disruptive Faith
[20:15] - Healing: Forgiveness and Restoration
[23:55] - Practical Steps and Easter Invite
[29:03] - Response: Prayer and Commitment

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading: Mark 2:1-12 (ESV)
And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Observation questions

What were the three distinct groups of people present in this story and what was the primary action (or inaction) of each?
What specific, physical obstacles did the four friends face when trying to get their paralyzed friend to Jesus? [08:40]
What was Jesus’s first response to seeing the paralyzed man lowered before him, and what was the reaction of the religious leaders to this statement? [20:15]
What was the final, public result of this miraculous healing on the people who witnessed it? [22:49]

Interpretation questions

The crowd was physically close to Jesus but was described as being part of the problem. What does it mean to be near Jesus but far from his heart? [11:26]
The friends’ faith was described as “disruptive.” Why was their method of getting their friend to Jesus necessary, and what does this show us about the nature of genuine, active faith? [15:37]
Jesus chose to address the man’s spiritual condition before his physical one. What does this reveal about the priorities of Jesus and the nature of true, lasting healing?
The story ends with the people being “amazed” and saying they had “never seen anything like this.” What kind of faith and actions in a community lead to this kind of awe and testimony?

Application questions

Faith that stays private cannot change communities. [05:25] In what specific, practical ways can your faith become more visible and active in your neighborhood or workplace this week?
Real faith finds a way where there seems to be no way. [15:37] Who is the “paralyzed man” in your life—the person you have been praying for but have maybe given up on? What is one new, persistent, or “disruptive” step you can take this week to help carry them toward Jesus?
We can sometimes be the crowd, coming to church for an experience but missing the heart of Jesus, which is people. [12:06] How can you personally help “move aside” or “create space” in your life and schedule, especially for the upcoming Easter services, to ensure someone else can have an encounter with Christ? [23:55]
Sometimes the miracle in someone else’s life is connected to your faith. [20:31] How does this truth change the urgency and importance of praying for and actively helping the people God has placed around you?
The call to invite others is urgent and bold. [25:15] Who has God laid on your heart to invite to an Easter service? What is the one fear or obstacle holding you back from asking them, and how can you trust God to help you overcome it?
What would it look like for our church to become a place where people are carried in broken but walk out changed? [22:27] What is one tangible way you can contribute to making that a reality?

Sermon Clips

See the very door this paralyzed man could not enter through, he walked out of. This man had an experience with Jesus and it changed everything. And here's how the story ends in Mark chapter two verse 12. It says, they were all amazed. The crowd, the people that were there, they were all amazed and they praised God. Exclaiming, we have never seen anything like this before. Church family, what if this was our story that said, we have never seen anything like this at Access Church before. [00:22:27] (36 seconds) #NeverSeenAnythingLikeThis

Can I tell you something church family? Real faith finds a way where there seems to be no way. If we are Access and we're all about people, we're gonna find a way where there seems to be no way. Their friends said, hey, I don't care that the door is blocked, we're gonna get you to Jesus. Because Jesus has something on the other side of the door that you need. And they were willing to interrupt a moment to experience a miracle for their friends. [00:15:37] (32 seconds) #FaithFindsAWay

And I love this story because what if Access Church became the church where people are carried and broken, but they walk out changed? What if this was our story at Access Church, that because of our faith being lived out, that the people that we invite, the people that we talk to, the people that we share our faith with, they might walk in different. They might walk in different and broken and hurting, but they walked out changed. [00:21:59] (28 seconds) #CarriedAndChanged

Let's be a church that moves aside as the crowd should have. Let's be the type of church that we create space so that people can encounter Jesus. It might mean that man, we might have to for Easter, we might have to go to a different service time so that we can have this these these rooms filled with lost people, so that they can have an encounter with Jesus. Let's not be the type of people that we're just so concerned about us because we all do it from time to time, myself included. [00:23:43] (35 seconds) #MakeRoomForJesus

We see the four friends. And so what does the scripture tell us? Scripture tell us tells us that they hear about Jesus, they see Jesus at Peter's house, and so the difference between crowd and the four friends is that the crowd brought themselves and their four friends brought somebody that said, hey, we heard about this Jesus, we believe in this Jesus that can heal you, and so we're to bring you along the ride with us. The difference was that the four friends knew someone and had someone in mind, and they brought him to Jesus. The crowd just brought themselves. [00:13:29] (29 seconds) #BringOthersToJesus

Each one of these people that we see in this portion of scripture, they lived the faith that they believed. If you're taking notes this morning, church family, here, I want you to write this down. Your life changes when faith becomes the very thing you live out. That your life changes when faith becomes the very thing you live out. Again, your relationship with Jesus is a personal decision, but it was never meant to stay private. That you and I, we are called to live this thing out and tell people about Jesus. [00:06:42] (34 seconds) #LiveOutYourFaith

Church family, if I can maybe challenge you a little bit. If our faith fills rooms but empties compassion, we have missed the heart of Jesus. That we can have faith. We can be like the crowd. That we wanna come and have an experience and an encounter with Jesus. But if we miss people because of it, we have missed the heart of Jesus. [00:12:06] (22 seconds) #FaithWithCompassion

Church family, can I ask you a question this morning? Who are you carrying to Jesus? Who in your life are you carrying to Jesus? You're gonna find a way where there seems to be no way, because we are Access, and we are people of faith, and we have the heart of Jesus, and we care about people. And so we're gonna do whatever it takes. My second question for us is, what are you willing to do for people? [00:16:09] (29 seconds) #CarrySomeoneToJesus

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Unstoppable Faith [We Are Access] — Pastor Barry Baugh

Devotional

Day 1: Faith is personal but never meant to be private.

Day 2: The heart of Jesus is for all people to be found.

Day 3: Real faith finds a way where there seems to be no way.

Day 4: A miracle in someone's life can be connected to your faith.

Day 5: People can walk in broken but leave changed by Jesus.

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Unstoppable Faith [We Are Access] — Pastor Barry Baugh

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