Thesis
Drawing from Jesus's encounter with the lame man at the Pool of Bethesda in John 5, Pastor Daniel argues that experiencing your best year is not primarily about circumstances changing around you — it is about your willingness to stop making excuses, take personal responsibility, and obey what God is already asking of you. True transformation begins when we stop blaming others, invite Jesus into our most uncomfortable places, and trust that the same Spirit who raised Christ from the grave is at work making us genuinely new from the inside out.
Key points
- 1
Jesus asks the lame man 'Do you want to get well?' — a question that forces honest self-examination about whether we truly want to change.
- 2
The man's response — blaming others for why he hasn't been healed — mirrors exactly how we make excuses for staying stuck in our own lives.
- 3
Jesus commands the man to stand up, pick up his mat, and walk — healing requires our active participation and willingness to leave old patterns behind.
- 4
The religious leaders' anger over the healed man carrying his mat on the Sabbath exposes how man-made religion misses the point of who Jesus truly is.
- 5
Jesus later finds the man and tells him to stop sinning, revealing that His deeper purpose was never just physical healing but the forgiveness and transformation of the soul.
- 6
Salvation is a free gift, but discipleship — following Jesus daily, dying to yourself, and doing the hard things — will cost you more than you realize.
- 7
The people and environments we surround ourselves with profoundly shape us, and changing those influences is often essential to experiencing what God has for us.
Outline
Setup: The Pool of Bethesda
Pastor Daniel introduces the scene in John 5, explaining the Pool of Bethesda — its name meaning 'house of mercy or grace' — and the urban legend that drew thousands of sick people hoping to be first into the water when an angel stirred it. He paints a vivid picture of chaos, desperation, and the rat race of people clawing to get ahead.
The Question: 'Do You Want to Get Well?'
Jesus singles out the man who has been lame for 38 years and asks what seems like a foolish question. Pastor Daniel explains that Jesus already knew the man's heart — that despite appearances, there were things he was refusing to do that would have led to his healing.
The Excuse: Blaming Others for Being Stuck
The man responds not with 'yes' but with a list of reasons why it is other people's fault he hasn't been healed. Pastor Daniel connects this directly to how we blame spouses, friends, and circumstances instead of taking responsibility for the areas of our lives where we are stuck.
The Command: Stand Up, Pick Up Your Mat, and Walk
Jesus bypasses all the excuses and commands the man to get up and leave — an invitation that would change everything about his life, his friendships, and his livelihood. Pastor Daniel challenges the congregation that discipleship is costly and that real change requires obedience, effort, and changing the environments and people we surround ourselves with.
The Real Point: Soul Transformation, Not Just Physical Healing
The story's deeper purpose is revealed when Jesus finds the healed man and tells him to stop sinning. Pastor Daniel explains that Jesus's physical healings were always a doorway to the greater work of forgiving sin and transforming the soul, and that without accepting that free gift, all behavior change is merely surface-level modification.
The Invitation: Do You Actually Want to Be Made Well?
Using an analogy about a dog trainer who trains the owner, not the dog, Pastor Daniel brings the message home: we cannot ask God to fix everything while we do nothing. The fullness of life God offers is on the other side of our willingness to stop making excuses and walk in obedience. He closes by asking the congregation directly: 'Do you actually want to be made well?'
Memorable moments
if you really want 2019 to be the best year ever and you are asking and praying for things in your life to change, you better be willing to change some things about you
the biggest lie that the enemy will tell you is that it's not your fault why you are where you are
It is such a lie from the pit of hell to believe that the mess that we are in is the best that god has for us
You and I can only sit in a barbershop long enough before we eventually get our haircut
Jesus does not want to modify your behavior. He wants to transform you from the inside out
our blessings, our our our fullness of life is right on the other side of our willingness to walk in obedience and our willingness to do the things that we know we're supposed to do
Application
Pastor Daniel closes with a direct, personal challenge: stop making excuses for why you are where you are, and start doing the things you already know God is asking of you. That might mean taking responsibility in a struggling marriage, addressing an addiction, changing the people you do life with, or simply being obedient to the last thing God told you to do. Salvation is a free gift, but following Jesus daily costs something — and the life on the other side of that obedience is the one you have always dreamed of. The question Jesus asked the lame man is the same one He is asking you right now: Do you actually want to be made well? If the answer is yes, stop waiting for your circumstances to change first, and take the step He is already inviting you to take.
