WHEN FAITH MAKES ROOM.
Announcements:
BAPTISMS
Sunday, January 18th
EMMAUS + LIFE GROUP MERGE
Thursday, January 22nd 7pm
SPANISH SERVICE
Sunday, January 25th 12:15pm
Icebreaker — “Faith Snapshot”
Ask everyone in Life Group to think about a moment when they acted in faith—big or small.
Go around and ask each person to share the moment in one sentence.
“Faith often starts with one small action. Just like the paralytic’s friends, God honors the steps we take, even when we can’t see the full outcome.”
How God Uses Faith To Make Room.
1. Faith Is Seen Before It’s Rewarded.
Mark 2:5, James 2:17
Faith is more than something we feel or say. It’s persistent, visible, active, and evident by what we do. The friends of the paralytic didn’t just hope or pray; they moved. They carried their friend, faced the inconvenience of the crowd, and even climbed and tore the roof to get him to Jesus. This demonstrates that faith isn’t passive and oftentimes moves before the miracle. Many of us wait for results before taking the first step, but God responds to faith that obeys even when the outcome is uncertain. Faith requires courage to act when the natural circumstances say “impossible.” It’s evidence that we trust in God with our hands, our feet, and our time, not just our heart. When we take visible steps of obedience, we invite God to respond in ways that words alone cannot produce. Faith becomes the bridge between impossibility and the miraculous.
Reflection Questions:
What first step of faith have you been postponing?
[NEXT STEPS CARD: EMMAUS, BAPTISM, LIFE GROUP, DREAM TEAM]
What action can prove your belief this week?
2. Faith Shows Up Through Compassion.
Mark 2:3–4, Galatians 6:2, 1 John 3:18
Faith expresses itself through love in action. The paralytic’s friends weren’t concerned only with their own experience. They carried another person’s burden with great inconvenience to themselves. True faith often asks us to move outside our comfort zones and into the lives of others. This is where God’s power is often released: when faith is motivated by compassion. Acts of love, service, and burden-bearing demonstrate faith to God and bring others into the room for miracles. In many instances, miracles don’t come because of what the person receiving it does, but because someone else’s faith acted on their behalf. Faith and love are inseparable. God’s kingdom advances when we don’t wait for perfect circumstances or convenience, but instead when we choose to act for someone else’s good. Compassion is a doorway that makes room for God’s power in the lives of others. When we actively carry burdens, pray for the helpless, or step in to serve someone in need, we demonstrate the reality of our faith and participate in God’s miraculous work.
Reflection Questions:
Who can you pick up this week?
Are you available - to act on faith for someone else’s healing?
3. Faith Receives Salvation Before Solutions.
Mark 2:5, Romans 10:9 [NKJV]
Faith is ultimately about surrender. The greatest miracle isn’t always physical healing, but rather transformation. Jesus addressed the paralytic’s sins first, even before healing his body. Salvation, surrender, and forgiveness come before temporary fixes. Too often we focus on the immediate: health, finances, relationships, but God invites us to first allow Him to transform our hearts. When faith makes room, it prioritizes the eternal over the temporary. True faith trusts God’s timing and wisdom, recognizing that surrender opens the way for salvation which then produces lasting solutions. Miracles without surrender can be temporary, but when we submit fully to Jesus as Lord, the miracle extends beyond present circumstances to eternity. Faith moves in both the seen and unseen—not only in what God does for us today, but about what He is accomplishing in our hearts for eternity. When we lay down pride, burdens, or “our mats,” we make room for God to act on every level: body, mind, and soul.
Reflection Questions:
What burdens or “mats” in your life might be keeping you from surrendering to Jesus fully?
Are you more focused on temporary solutions than eternal transformation?
How can you trust Jesus to save before solving your problems?
WEEKLY DECLARATION:
“This week, I choose a faith that moves and makes room for God to act in my life. I will take steps of obedience, even when I cannot yet see the outcome, trusting that every action of faith positions me for breakthrough. I commit to carrying others with love and compassion, laying down burdens, investing my time, and opening doors for miracles in their lives as well as my own. I surrender fully to Jesus, allowing Him to save my soul before solving my problems, and I will not settle for temporary relief when eternal transformation is available. I lay down pride, fear, and every obstacle, stepping boldly into the room God is preparing for me. I declare that His presence, power, and provision will flow in my life, and that faith in action, love in practice, and surrender of heart will guide every step I take. Amen.”
