A Withered Hand in the Synagogue

In Mark 3, Jesus encounters a man with what is described as a “withered hand” in a synagogue. There is not much further description regarding the condition of this man. The main point is, his hand was physically injured. As it was the day of the Sabbath, many witnesses present had expectations that Jesus would not heal this man. After all, it was the day of rest! Contrary to their expectations of how Jesus would behave, He asked the man to stand up and stretch out his withered hand. Once the man stretched out his hand, he was healed (Mark 3:1-5).

While there are many facets to this story, there are two mindsets displayed that I find to be incredibly relevant to us today. First, there is the pharisaical perspective. While nobody wants to be compared to a Pharisee, the reality is, sometimes we have false expectations of how God is going to treat us. In reality, however, God’s plan is often very different than what we anticipate. In the context of this story, the Pharisees did not expect Jesus to heal the man with the withered hand on the day of the Sabbath, as it was outside the realm of Old Testament law. As Jesus was doing a new, beautiful thing amidst creation, the Pharisees were preoccupied with what they wanted Jesus to be like. This text makes me wonder how often I am too preoccupied with my own life to allow God’s plan to come to fruition. For example, while my expectation may be for God to give me a promotion, find that perfect spouse, or pay off school, that is not necessarily His plan for my life right now. If I am selfishly believing that God will fit the mold of who I want Him to be, I may be like the Pharisees in the story and miss the beauty in Jesus’ perfect plan.

Secondly, there is the man with the withered hand. Physically, he is weak and in need of restoration. To receive a healing, however, he needed to take a step of faith. In verse 3, Jesus tells the man to “stand up in front of everyone.” Furthermore, in verse 5, Jesus instructs the man to “stretch out his hand.” Taking into account that Jesus is all powerful and can heal without a single word spoken or single action taken, it may be assumed that Jesus had a specific purpose in using this particular approach. While details of the man with the withered hand’s emotional state are not identified, it is evident that Jesus wanted the man to display his trust in God by boldly stepping out in surrender. Personally, I know I have gone through times that I needed God’s help or healing but was too stubborn or hesitant to ask. After all, God is not always predictable. However, what we must not lose sight of in this story, nor in our own lives, is that God is faithful. Through the man with the withered hand’s step of faith, he was able to find healing and restoration.

Are you in need of healing today? Are feelings of fear or disbelief holding you back from experiencing the fullness of God’s plan for your life? I challenge you to examine where you fit in this story. If you can relate to the Pharisees or the one in distress, I encourage you to pray and surrender your struggles to God. While we may not always know how things will pan out, God is always faithful. Furthermore, when we are willing to step out in boldness for His glory, He may bring restoration.  

Written by: Tamara Sturdivant

Edited by: De Ann Sturdivant

The Social Church- Part 2

Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.  Romans 12:13

As our series, “The Social Church,” continued on Sunday, we learned about the two types of “shade” described in Genesis 18. In this account, supernatural visitors show up at Abraham’s tent. In verse 4, Abraham declares, “Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree.” A subsequent flurry of activity occurs as Abraham creates a safe and welcoming environment for his guests. The visit ends with a promise and a bright future.

In the next chapter, the guests make their way to the home of Abraham’s nephew, Lot. In Genesis 19:2, Lot says, “My lords . . . please turn aside to your servant’s house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning.” And again, a flurry of activity mirroring what happened in Abraham’s tent begins to occur. But then things begin to go horribly awry. If you missed the message or are unfamiliar with that portion of scripture, be sure to listen to the podcast and read Genesis 18-19.

Abraham’s hospitality involved inviting the visitors into the shade of a safe environment. Lot practiced hospitality as well. However, due to decisions he had made and ways he had allowed his heart to be affected by his surroundings, his “shade” was not safe for the visitors.

We were left with two follow-up questions to ponder:

How safe are you?

What does it look like to invite people into your shade?

Many years ago, I was in the Church and without people (listen to the first podcast in the Social Church series if you’re not sure what I mean). Soon, hospitality was extended to me and I was invited into the shade. That shade ended up being unsafe. And it stung. So, I recoiled.

I had a choice to make. 1) Never step into the shade again or 2) keep stepping into the shade with wisdom, discernment and the understanding that people (myself included) are works in progress.

I chose the latter. But I also added an addendum to that. I vowed to always try to be a provider of safe shade to those I extended hospitality to. 

Believe me, I don’t think I have this “shade” thing all figured out. I err on the side of extreme caution, often at the expense of enjoying shade with others. My introverted nature and task-oriented temperament do not serve me well in this regard. I need to work on this. Diligently.

I’ve been encouraged and challenged to examine the way I invite visitors into the shade and, in doing so, providing them a safe and welcoming environment to connect and grow.

Written by: Jaime Hlavin

Edited by: Tamara Sturdivant

The Social Church

Scanning a room, there is not a single face you recognize. People are laughing, chatting, and having a good time. It seems that everyone knows each other, and you are just another face in the crowd. Have you ever felt like this? I know I have. Moving from one state to another right before entering middle school was one of the most challenging times of my childhood. I left behind all my old friends, and was placed in a new school, surrounded by ALL new faces. While this was scary at first, I was blessed to have a few people reach out to me and spark a conversation (some of whom are still my friends today!)

Fast forward to my life now, in which I have settled into having a few very close friends. I am relatively comfortable with the relationships I have, and don’t typically put much thought into the fact that I was once without any friends. While I believe there have been numerous occasions that the Holy Spirit has challenged me to seek out the one in the crowd who looked a bit lonely, I am sad to say that more often than not, I have used my introversion and shyness as an excuse to bypass the opportunity of practicing hospitality. The truth is, introversion and shyness do not excuse me from the responsibility of making people feel welcome. In fact, the Bible is extremely clear in describing how we, as Christians, must approach others. As Hebrews 13:1-2 states, “Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” This is a command to all of God’s people; not just those who are “comfortable” with welcoming strangers. Therefore, we must take it seriously. In Matthew 25:43 this command is taken a step further by indicating that practicing hospitality (or choosing not to) is a direct representation of our care and love for Jesus. As Jesus states in a parable, “I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.” In this passage, Jesus is stating that if we do not value His people, we are not valuing Him.

Coming to terms with the fact that it is my responsibility to practice hospitality, and that how I do so ultimately reflects how I care about God was a bit difficult for me. Nevertheless, I have reached the conclusion that if this is what God has called me to do, I need to be doing it!

This week, I made it a personal goal to get to know one person I haven’t talked to before. As socially awkward as I may be, this was not overwhelmingly difficult once I took the first step to talk to them. It was actually really refreshing to listen to someone’s story for the first time, as well as share my own. It is my hope that this is only the beginning of my efforts to practice hospitality. People help people grow, and introvert or not, community is a necessary part of life.

Church, I challenge you to step outside your comfort zone to practice hospitality. Whether that means helping someone with a project, giving someone an encouraging word, or just simply saying hello, let’s be a church that cares about people. Ultimately, a church that values people is a church that values God.

Written by: Tamara Sturdivant

Edited by: Brigit Edwards

The Next Thing Now

It has been a full 48 hours since Freedom Christian unveiled the incredible opportunity to expand into a multi-site church campus. I personally still find much of it difficult to fathom. God’s timing, His faithfulness, and His provision have all left me, and I’m sure most of our church family, absolutely speechless.

But in the midst of all this newness and as we all prepare for a whirlwind of change to come about, there is another constant, amazing idea of faith that has left me in awe.

Many of us know the story of the woman who reached out to touch Jesus’s robe, and was healed because of her faith. Many of us know the story of Hagar, the struggling servant whom God saw. Many of us know of the Israelites, wandering the desert and waiting on God before arriving at the Promised Land. Many know the story of the gospel—the fulfillment of a prophecy given to the entire world by a God of faithfulness. Few of us might realize that this Sunday, we SAW all of these stories take place.

Though in the coming months there will be a relaunch, and our congregation will pour into our new Washington campus, this journey did not begin with us at Freedom Christian. It began with the unmovable faith and dedication of 8 people. 8 people in a church in Washington Twp., MI refused to stop gathering together in worship, even in the face of adversity. 8 people were so severely committed to God’s will, to each other as the body of Christ, and to remaining a place where those in their area could come and meet Jesus, that they would not abandon their corner of the Kingdom of Heaven.

If I learn nothing else in this life, I hope the one thing I do learn is how to have faith like that. In my lifetime there have been very few circumstances in my faith that have required such a clear display of dedication and steadfastness. In the face of all of the preconceived notions about my age group, or Western Christianity, or this “stay until it doesn’t make YOU happy” culture we live in, I pray I learn to be constant. I pray I know how to wait on the Lord and walk in understanding that I built my house on the Rock, no matter the weather or conditions. In all of the excitement and steps we have in front of us, I pray not one of us forgets the faith of a few that brought this opportunity to many.

 I pray our walls echo with solidarity and unwavering commitment and unity to the things of God.

I can’t help but wonder, if my faith were Moses’s, would the Israelites still be in Egypt? If I were the woman, would I have traded avoiding the chaos to be ill on my own terms? Would I have seen the God who sees me? So I urge you, church, join me in reflecting on the challenge these 8 wonderful men and women of God have presented to us to live a life of faithfulness. 

Written by: Brianna Vanderveen

Edited by: Jenelle Kelly