March 8, 2024

“It’s All About Jesus!”
Mark 1:40-45 (Jesus and the Leper)
A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,” he said. – Mark 1:40 (NLT)
“Come Out of the Shadows”
One of my favorite quotes from the recovery movement is, “God can’t heal what we won’t reveal.” It’s such a true and powerful statement. So many people carry around private pain. They smile; they pretend that everything is okay, but inside they’re hurting. And hurting bad. Sometimes it’s a serious health issue that they just can’t bring themselves to talk about. Sometimes it’s a crumbling marriage that they’re too scared to admit. Sometimes it’s an issue with their kid that they’re trying to hide. Sometimes it’s an addiction that’s just too shameful for them to admit. So, they hide in the shadows. Not letting anyone get too close.
That’s why you have to appreciate the courage and faith of this leper. Lepers were ostracized by society. People were afraid of them and catching their disease. They weren’t allowed to get too close and were basically run off from everywhere they went. So they stayed in colonies outside of town. When they did venture into the city or village, they, too, hid in the shadows. But this man decided to take a chance. He made himself known. He didn’t try to cover up his disease or his desperation for healing. He’d heard of who Jesus was. Perhaps the stories of Jesus’ ability to heal even made the circles in the colony where he lived. On this day, he decided he was tired of hiding. So he came out of the shadows and threw himself on the mercy of Jesus. And that bold move of faith would change his life.
How about YOU? Aren’t you tired of hiding in the shadows? Aren’t you tired of carrying this pain around inside of you all by yourself? Maybe it’s time you came forward. Maybe it’s time you reached out for help. Maybe it’s time you stopped letting yourself be held captive by your shame, your fear, and your pride. Healing, wholeness, and a brand-new life may be just one bold step away. Come out of the shadows. Jesus will meet you there. That’s God’s Word for you today.

Recent

Archive

 2024

Categories

Tags

5000 Abraham All-in Andrew Beggar Bible Bystander Challenge Christian Christmas Conscience Dietoself Dry Ears Easter Family Free GPS Galilee God can God God’s plan God’s work God’s Good deeds He’s there Holy Spirit Howtogettoheaven I can’t Israel Jericho Jerusalem Jesis Jesusisyourshepherd Jesus Jews John Joseph Judea Kesus Kongdom Larry Bird Lazarus Levi Light Lord Lord’s Prayer Martha Mary Messiah Mother’s Day Nature News Nicodemus Opportunity Palm Sunday Peter Pharisees Philip Phillip Prayer Rocks Roman Samaria Samaritan Satan Soldier Sunday Thomas Walk Word Yeast Zacchaeus able above abundance accept action active acts addictions addiction admiration advice afraid again alliswell all alone always amaze amazing anger announce another answered anxiety anyone apologize application approval around arrogance arrogant asked attention attitudes attitude attraction audience authority average awe back bad baptism baptize barge in become beg behavior belief believe belong better beyond be big birth bitterness bit blessings blessing blind man block bluff born again born box bread breakthrough breath bridegroom bridge brokenness broken brothers brother business busy buyer call out calling call caregiver care caring cave celebrate chains changed changes change character charge child choices choice church clean clear climb closed hearts comfortable comfort commitment community companion compassion confused connect control conversation correction created creation creator credit crisis critics cross crowd cryout curses daily dare dark daughter day dead deal death debt decisions decision deeper defend defense depression desire despair despai desperation devil die different difficult direction dirt disagreement disappointment disciples discouragement disease distance divide divine doctor does donkey don’t waste doubt down doyouwanttogetwell? draw people in drift each earthly emotionalrollercoaster emotional emotions empty enemy entertain entitled entitlement envy equal escape eternal life eternal eternity every kind everyday everyone evidence example exceptional excitement expectations experience eyes eye failure fair faithful faith fall farmer far fasting father fatigue fear feeding feed feel feet festival fickle fire first world first five thousand five-thousand flavor flesh focus follow forever forgiveness forgiven forgive foundation freedom friends friend fruitful fruit fulfill further gather ghost gifts gift given up gives give glory godshapedhole goodness good gospel go grace grand idea grandparent grateful gratitude grave clothes grave great greed growing guilt handle hands hang ups happen hard work hardships hardship hard harvest have to head healer healing healthy health heal hears hearts heart hear heaven hell helpless help heroes hidden hide hiding highs holiday holy day holy home honest honored honor hopeless hope house how humble humility hungry hurting hurt if only image immediate impact important in-laws influence information insecurity inside instantly instructions integrity intention intercession interruption invite issues items itsalright jealousy joy justify kind king knows ahead know label lame lamp law lay lazy leanonGod leftovers leper liedabout life-change life limit linen listen living water longing looker looking loss lost loveGod loveJesus loved lovemorethanthese love lower lows lust made magnetic majesty make manna marriage mask matters meaning mercy ministry miracles miracle mirror mission misuse moment money moon more mother motives mount mouth move multiply name near needhelp need negative neighbor newlife new night notable obedience obey obstacle older old onestory onetruegod one open others other out overcome overflow over ownership pain palm paralytic parent party passion path tour guide paths path patience peace people perfume persecuted personal person physical piece places place plank plant plan pool possessions powerful power praise pray preach precious prepare presence present priceless pride private problems prodigal prophecy prophets protection provide provision purpose questionbehindthquestion questions question quickly quiet random reach react reason recincile reckoning recognize reconnect redeemer reflect relational relationships relentless remember repent resentment resilience respect respond response restoration restore rest resurrection return reveal rich right away righteous right risk road rock roof room royalty ruin rule sabbath sacrifice sad safety safe salt salvation same saveme save say scarcity school scripture searching search second-guessing security seeds seed seeing seen selfish sermon servant serve serving shadows shame share sheep shepherd sick significance signs simple sinners sinner sinner’s prayer sins sin sky small part small snake soil son sorrow soul sovereignty speak special spend spiritual birth spirit spread start star stereotype stewardship storms storm story stranger strength stress strong man struggle study stupid suffering summary superficial supply support surrender sync talents talent talk teachable teach temple temptation tempted tenacious tender testthespirits test thankful things thinking thirst thorn thoughts throne time timing together tomb tomorrow tongue-tied touch tough toys tradition tragedy transformed treasures trials tried troubled trust truth try turn two uncertain uncomfortable unconditional undeserving unexpected unfair unfinished unfulfilled unknown unseen us value view viral virgin visit voice vulnerable waiting wait wake up walking walkonwater warning water watwr waves ways way weakness weak wealth weary wedding weeds weep well wept what can whatcanidoforyou whatsbehindthehurt what what’s wheat when who will windows wine wink wisdom with witness woman workers working work world-changer world worry worship worthy wounded wrll wrong yourself you