“Get Up”

Scripture Focus: John 5:8 (NASB 1995)  “Jesus said to him, ‘Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.’”
 
Sermon Reflection:
In John 5, we meet a man who had been lying paralyzed for thirty-eight years. When Jesus finds him, He doesn’t offer therapy or pity. He gives a command: “Get up.”
 
That moment wasn’t just about physical healing; it was a divine invitation to leave behind everything that had held him down. The mat beneath him had become a symbol of his condition, his excuses, his past, and his comfort zone. But Jesus wasn’t simply interested in getting his legs moving. He was after something deeper his soul.
 
Don’t forget, in the sermon I  reminded us that many of us want healing, but delay obedience. We wait for clarity, for better conditions, or for things to make sense. But Jesus calls us to move before we fully understand. Just like the man at the pool and the paralytic in Mark 2, we are commanded to rise not because we’ve earned it, but because we’ve been forgiven.
 
Forgiveness is not a motivational word; it’s a spiritual reset. The voice that says “Get up” is the same voice that went to the cross to give us the power to do so.
 
 
 
How Should I Respond?
Ask yourself:
What mat am I still lying on?
What cycles, sins, or shame have I accepted as permanent?
Where have I delayed obedience because I didn’t have all the answers?
 
Jesus is not asking you to figure it all out. He’s asking you to trust His voice. If He has called you to “Get up,” your response should be immediate, even if your understanding is incomplete. His word is enough.
 
Maybe you’ve received healing, but you’ve been tempted to return to the very thing He called you out of. This is your reminder: Grace is not a pass, it’s a pivot. You’ve been healed to move. Walk in holiness. Walk in freedom. Walk in obedience.
 
 
 
Weekly Prayer:
 
Father, thank You for Your mercy that finds us in broken places. Thank You for speaking to places in our lives where we’ve grown comfortable in our dysfunction. Forgive us for the times we’ve delayed obedience or made excuses. Today, we hear You clearly: “Get up.” Help us to rise in faith, move forward in holiness, and walk boldly in the newness You’ve given us. Remind us that our mat is no longer our identity, Your grace is. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
 
 
 
5-Day Application Plan:
 
Day 1: Reflect
Read John 5:1–9.
Ask: What has kept me stuck spiritually, emotionally, or relationally?
 
Day 2: Repent
Read John 5:14.
Confess the sins or patterns that Jesus may be confronting in you. Ask Him to help you walk in freedom.
 
Day 3: Remember
Read Mark 2:1–12.
Meditate on the truth that Jesus knows your deepest need and has the power to forgive.
 
Day 4: Respond
Read John 9:1–38.
Practice moving in obedience even without full understanding. Journal what God is calling you to “get up” from.
 
Day 5: Rejoice
Read Romans 5:1.
Celebrate the peace you have with God through forgiveness. Thank Him for reconciling you to Himself.
 
 
 
Final Thought:
 
Don’t stay in the place where mercy is offered; receive it, respond to it, and rise. Jesus isn’t just calling your legs to move. He’s calling your life to change. The same voice that spoke to that man at the pool is speaking to you today. So get up. Grace already made the way. Now walk in it.