S8.8 | Faith in Action: Picking Up Your Mat to Walk in the Miraculous
In this episode Carla delves into the concept of active faith, drawing from the book of John to illustrate the transformative power of moving in faith. Through a thought-provoking exploration of scriptures, Carla inspires listeners to embrace an active and trusting faith, urging them to pick up their mat and walk, stepping into the promises of God with courage and determination.
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Key Takeaways
The Living Word:
Carla emphasizes the dynamic nature of the Bible, highlighting how it continuously offers fresh revelations and insights based on the individual's season and God's guidance through the Holy Spirit.Setting Healthy Boundaries:
Active Faith:
Through the story of the invalid by the pool of Bethesda, Carla emphasizes the necessity of active faith, encouraging listeners to move beyond excuses and limitations while trusting in God's ability to make all things possible.Spiritual Perspective on Relationships:
Countercultural Faith:
Carla highlights that active faith often contradicts societal norms and religious legalism, urging listeners to boldly step into the miraculous and break free from the constraints of mere human reasoning.
The Good Fight of Faith:
Carla equips listeners with the understanding that active faith requires a steadfast fight against doubt, worldly expectations, and personal reservations, compelling them to claim the promises of God with unwavering conviction and determination.
Connect With Carla:
Inquire about 1:1 coaching ---> carlaagreswellness@gmail.com
Renewing Hope Course —-> https://www.carlaarges.com/renewing-hope
Come hangout on IG with me @carlaarges
Check out the blog
Resources:
5 Steps to Building Resiliency
Affirming Truths Facebook Community
5 Tips for Overcoming a Negative Body Image
Who You Say I Am Biblical Affirmation Cards
TRANSCRIPT
Carla Arges [00:00:08]:
Hey friends, welcome to affirming truth. I'm your friend and host, Carla Arges. This show is a safe place to share our struggles, grow in faith, and root our identity in Christ. My hope is that you will leave each episode feeling encouraged in your journey. Subscribe so you don't miss an episode and it would mean the world to me if you would leave a review. I am so glad you're here. Let's get started.
Carla Arges [00:00:35]:
Hey friends, welcome to this episode of affirming truths. I am so glad you're joining me. I am your friend and host, Carla Arges and I can't wait to share with you what's on my heart for today. I have been going through the book of John in my own personal Bible study, and this morning actually, I read something that jumped off the page to me in a new and fresh way because I've read John before. I've gone through the book of John before and this is why the Bible is so amazing and it doesn't become old. You can't read it and then be done with it because it truly is the living word of God. And depending on where you are in your season, God, through his holy spirit, will reveal different things to you through your study, which is amazing. It is the living word.
Carla Arges [00:01:33]:
I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for you to get in the word. And if you struggle with that, I have the Bible study 101 course available to you. Just go to carlarges.com. You can find all the details about it. It shows you different ways to study the Bible so you can find a.
Carla Arges [00:01:53]:
Methodology that suits your preference and your.
Carla Arges [00:01:56]:
Personality and your learning style. And it's just an amazing, actionable course. Okay? I was in John this morning, John five, and I read this section of scripture. I'm going to read it to you right now and then we're going to talk about it. Because here's the thing, friends. God requires us to have active faith. And I think so many of us are missing out on what God has for us because we are not active in our faith. Listen to this.
Carla Arges [00:02:31]:
I'm picking it up from John five, verse six. When Jesus saw him lying there, he asked him, do you want to get well, sir? The invalid replied, I have no one to help me into the pool. When the water is stirred while I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me. Then Jesus said to him, get up, pick up your mat and walk. Okay, so for some context here, there was a pool of water by the sheep's gate leading into Jerusalem. And it had been said that an angel would come and stir the water, and whoever was the first in the water would receive miraculous healing. And so, so many sick people came and sat by this pool and waited by this pool. And that's why the man said, I'm waiting here, but there's no one to help me into the water.
Carla Arges [00:03:29]:
The man had some sort of infirmity or injury that made him paralyzed in some way. We don't know the nature of his illness exactly, but he could not get himself to the water. And Jesus asked him, do you want to be whole? Do you want to get well? Now, that kind of seems like a silly answer.
Carla Arges [00:03:52]:
Of course, if Jesus were to ask.
Carla Arges [00:03:55]:
Us, do we want to be well? Do we want to be whole? Do we want our situation to be changed? Do we want to be healed in our pain, in our hurts, in our bodies, in our relationships, in our finances? The answer is definitely yes.
Carla Arges [00:04:11]:
Of course I do.
Carla Arges [00:04:14]:
But this man first came with the reasons why it's impossible. See, he was only looking at man's ability to help him and what seemed possible in his own eyes. So he didn't even answer the question, yes, I want to get well. I mean, I think it's pretty understood. We all want to get well. But he said, I have no one to help me. It's not possible. Oh, but with God, all things are possible.
Carla Arges [00:04:46]:
Then Jesus said to him, get up, pick up your mat and walk. You know what this man did? He picked up his mat and he walked. He was made whole. Imagine if he had questioned God. Imagine if he said, this was crazy. I don't know who you are. I'm not going to pick up. I'm going to fall down if I try to do that.
Carla Arges [00:05:09]:
He picked up his mat and he walked.
Carla Arges [00:05:13]:
His faith was active.
Carla Arges [00:05:16]:
How many of us are missing out on the miracles Jesus wants to do in our life because he's asking us to pick up our mat and we're not doing it. We're still so stuck on the excuses on why it's not happening. We're so stuck at looking at the impossible situation that we're not trusting a God of the impossible who makes all things possible.
Carla Arges [00:05:43]:
Faith is active.
Carla Arges [00:05:45]:
It's active in the face of impossible. It's active in the face of prosecution, persecution. It's active in the face of society's judgment, even within the church. You see what happened in this story. This man picked up his mat and he walked. There should have been celebration over his healing, but the Pharisees, the keepers of the law, the law in which they had added to said, you're breaking the Sabbath by carrying your mat. They weren't concerned about what God had just done. They were concerned about the man breaking their rules.
Carla Arges [00:06:32]:
They weren't at awe in Jesus for healing. They were condemning Jesus because of what he did on the Sabbath. You see, God's call for us to act in faith is going to look to others like we're doing something wrong. Sometimes it's going to break out of legalism within the faith community. It's going to be countercultural around us.
Carla Arges [00:07:00]:
But faith is active.
Carla Arges [00:07:04]:
You cannot say, yes, Lord, I die to self, I pick up the cross, I follow you and then not move. You can't say to God, I want healing, I want reconciliation, I want restoration, Lord, please, and then not pick up your mat and move. There was no lightning bolt that came. There was no outward sign that anything has happened. There's no even indication that the man felt any differently. Doesn't say that in the word.
Carla Arges [00:07:45]:
All it says is that he picked.
Carla Arges [00:07:47]:
Up his mat and was immediately made whole.
Carla Arges [00:07:50]:
He was healed, he acted in faith.
Carla Arges [00:07:56]:
Where is God telling you to move in faith and you're not going, how are you cutting off your own blessing and your own miracle and your own healing? Because you are not being active in your faith. And this isn't about praying more. This isn't about reading your Bible more. This is about actually doing something, going where God is calling you, releasing what God is asking you to release.
Carla Arges [00:08:31]:
Active faith.
Carla Arges [00:08:34]:
Pick up your mat and walk. Not pick up your mat and stand, not pick up your mat and wait around and walk. We need to walk in authority that Jesus has given us into the promised land.
Carla Arges [00:08:56]:
God has promised us and do it by faith.
Carla Arges [00:09:02]:
We love to read Jeremiah 29 where.
Carla Arges [00:09:04]:
It says that, I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord plans to give you a future and a hope.
Carla Arges [00:09:13]:
And yet when God says, here's the first step of the plan, so many.
Carla Arges [00:09:21]:
Of us don't move.
Carla Arges [00:09:23]:
No, that's too hard. No, I don't see how that's possible. No, that's not the way I would.
Carla Arges [00:09:31]:
Do it and we don't move. What if people judge me? What will people say if I do this and we don't move?
Carla Arges [00:09:42]:
We don't pick up our mat. Where is God calling you? Don't you know that being in his will is being in the abundance of blessing? Don't you know that walking in, his plan is to walk as close to him as possible on this side of eternity? Pick up your mat friend and walk.
Carla Arges [00:10:07]:
Take that active step of faith wherever.
Carla Arges [00:10:10]:
God is calling you to, where God is wanting to make you whole and you can't see it yet.
Carla Arges [00:10:18]:
Step out in faith as if it's already done.
Carla Arges [00:10:22]:
Step out in faith as if it's already done. That is my encouragement for you today to pick up your mat to have active faith. And my affirming truth for you is, I will pick up my mat and walk in the power of the almighty. We read in one Timothy 612, fight.
Carla Arges [00:10:47]:
The good fight of faith.
Carla Arges [00:10:49]:
Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession. In the presence of many witnesses, you.
Carla Arges [00:10:58]:
Have confessed to be a follower of Christ. Follow him. Fight the good fight of faith. It is a fight.
Carla Arges [00:11:07]:
We have to fight against reason. We have to fight against what is seen. We have to fight against the world's expectations. We have to fight against our own ideas.
Carla Arges [00:11:18]:
We have to fight that good fight of faith. We have to take hold of the.
Carla Arges [00:11:23]:
Eternal life, of the promises God has promised us.
Carla Arges [00:11:29]:
We have to be active. So, friend, that thing that you're waiting.
Carla Arges [00:11:36]:
On for God to do, he's waiting on you to take that first step. So pick up your mat and walk.
Carla Arges [00:11:45]:
I'll talk to you next time.
Carla Arges [00:11:51]:
Thanks for joining me today. I hope we're already friends on social media, but for not come find me on Instagram at Carla Arges or at affirming truth. Can't wait to see you back here next week. Bye.