Sarah Jefferson – NorthStar Church Blog

Digging Deeper: Rise and Walk

Sarah Jefferson on April 11, 2025

“Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”

Mark 2:11 (NLT)

RISE AND WALK

Jesus’ command to the paralyzed man was simple, yet life-changing. This man had spent his life dependent on others. He had no control over his situation. Then, in an instant, everything changed.

Can you imagine what that moment felt like? After years of being unable to walk, suddenly his legs were strong. He didn’t just stand—he jumped up! And as he picked up his mat and walked out in front of the amazed crowd, he carried with him a powerful testimony of Jesus’ healing.

But Jesus’ words weren’t just about physical healing; they carried a deeper message. Just as the paralyzed man was unable to move before Jesus spoke, many of us are stuck in spiritual paralysis. We remain in the same struggles, bound by fear, guilt, or past failures. Yet Jesus calls us to rise.

He doesn’t just forgive us—He empowers us to live differently. He calls us to walk in faith, leaving behind whatever has held us down. The mat that once carried the man became a symbol of his healing. Likewise, the burdens we once carried can become testimonies of God’s power in our lives.

What is Jesus asking you to get up and walk away from today? Is it fear? Doubt? A habit that holds you back? Jesus has the power to heal and restore, but we must respond in faith.

Take time today to reflect on areas where you feel stuck. Ask Jesus to speak into your situation. When He calls you to stand, trust Him—because His words bring life.

Sarah Jefferson is married to Curtis and the mother to Grey, Sanders, and Collins. She is a rare Atlanta native, currently living in Acworth. Sarah began her career in public relations in the sports industry. Now, she is a high school English teacher Mt. Paran Christian School. When she’s not teaching, you can find her running or hiking the beautiful trails of north Georgia and spending time with her busy family.

Digging Deeper: The Power of Jesus’ Words

Sarah Jefferson on April 10, 2025

“Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’?”

Mark 2:9 (NLT)

THE POWER OF JESUS’ WORDS

When Jesus looked at the paralyzed man, His first words were not what people expected. Instead of immediately healing his body, Jesus addressed his spiritual condition: “My child, your sins are forgiven.”

This statement shocked the religious leaders. They believed only God had the authority to forgive sins, and they considered Jesus’ words blasphemy. But Jesus was revealing something greater than physical healing—He was demonstrating His divine power to restore both the body and the soul.

We often come to Jesus with our external problems, asking Him to fix what we can see. But Jesus cares just as much—if not more—about what’s happening inside our hearts. The man’s greatest need was not just to walk; it was to be spiritually restored.

Then Jesus went even further. To prove that He had the authority to forgive sins, He also healed the man’s physical body. His words carried both power and proof. When Jesus speaks, things happen.

Are you trusting in the power of Jesus’ words? When He says you are forgiven, do you truly believe it? Sometimes we hold on to guilt and shame even after Jesus has declared us clean. But His words are not empty—they have the power to change our lives.

Spend time in Scripture, listening to the words of Jesus. Let them sink deep into your heart. Because He says you are forgiven, you are forgiven. Because He calls you to peace, you can trust that He will provide it. His words are true, effective, and life-giving.

Digging Deeper: Faith that Moves Obstacles

Sarah Jefferson on April 9, 2025

“They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head.”

Mark 2:4 (NLT)

FAITH THAT MOVES OBSTACLES

The scene in this passage is one of desperation, determination, and deep faith. A paralyzed man needed healing, and his four friends were convinced that Jesus was the answer. But when they arrived at the house where Jesus was teaching, the crowd was so large that they couldn’t even get near the door.

Many people might have given up at that point. They could have said, “Maybe next time,” or “We tried, but it’s too difficult.” But these men refused to let obstacles stop them. Instead of turning away, they found another way—by climbing onto the roof, tearing through it, and lowering their friend directly in front of Jesus.

This is the kind of faith that moves mountains. It’s a faith that doesn’t quit when things get hard. These friends didn’t just believe Jesus could heal—they acted on that belief with bold determination.

How do you respond when you face obstacles in your spiritual life? Do you press forward in faith, or do you get discouraged and give up? Just like these friends, we are called to be persistent in seeking Jesus, even when challenges arise.

T.B. LaBerge wrote, “The greatest tragedy in humanity is when we do not wrestle with God. When we become so apathetic that we are but a limp rag doll in the hands of a mighty lover who wishes that we fight back; that we embrace Him and choose to find truth.”

Think about the people in your life who need Jesus. Are you willing to bring them to Him, even if it requires effort and creativity? Faith is not just about believing—it’s wrestling to put faith into action, trusting that Jesus is the answer.

Digging Deeper: Jesus Sees Our Faith

Sarah Jefferson on April 8, 2025

“Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, ‘My child, your sins are forgiven.’”

Mark 2:5 (NLT)

JESUS SEES OUR FAITH

This passage is unique because Jesus doesn’t respond to the faith of the paralyzed man—He responds to the faith of his friends. Their belief, determination, and action led to their friend’s life-changing encounter with Jesus.

Imagine the love and commitment these friends had. They carried him through the streets, struggled through the crowd, and even broke through the roof just to place him before Jesus. They didn’t just believe in Jesus’ power—they acted on it. Their faith wasn’t passive; it was bold and persistent.

What does this tell us about the nature of faith? Faith isn’t just about believing for ourselves; it’s also about interceding for others. Sometimes, people in our lives are too weak, broken, or discouraged to seek Jesus on their own. In those moments, our faith can help carry them to Him.

Who in your life needs to be brought to Jesus? Maybe it’s a friend struggling with doubt, a family member going through hardship, or someone who feels distant from God. Your prayers, encouragement, and actions can help bring them closer to Him.

Just as the paralyzed man’s healing began with his friends’ faith, God can use your faith to impact others. Be persistent in prayer, in love, and in bringing others to Jesus—no matter the obstacles.

Digging Deeper: Making Use of the Time

Sarah Jefferson on April 7, 2025

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”

Ephesians 5:15-16

MAKING USE OF THE TIME

I have the pleasure of teaching 10th-grade World Literature. In our devotions, we have been reading the book Sit, Walk, Stand by Watchman Nee. At the young age of 17, Watchman Nee was radically saved. Just two years later, he began his ministry—sharing the gospel, teaching the Bible, and writing about our Jesus. From 1922 to 1950, he wrote 62 volumes.

What’s worth noting is that Watchman Nee didn’t do all of this in the kind of environment we live in today. He was sharing the gospel in China, where it was against the law to speak about Jesus. Eventually, in 1952, he was imprisoned for doing so, and he would later die in prison.

During one of these devotion times, a student asked me, “Mrs. Jefferson, do you think it’s harder to be a Christian in a Christian school or a public school?” While many of you reading this may not be wrestling with that particular question, it’s certainly one worth sitting with. If we broaden it, perhaps the deeper question is: Is it easier to be a Christian here in the United States compared to other places in the world? Is it easier in the South, or even in the Acworth/Kennesaw area?

The more I’ve thought about this, the more I believe the real question we should be asking is, “What are we doing with this great opportunity we’ve been given?” Ephesians 5:15–16 implores us: “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”

If we belong to the Lord, then through the work of His Spirit in sanctification, He will bring every area of our lives under His authority. It may be a slow process, but as 2 Corinthians 3:18 reminds us: “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

Let’s aim to impact this world for Christ, understanding that how we live truly matters. We are not aiming for perfection, but we should look different today than we did yesterday, last month, or even last year.

Digging Deeper: The Overflow

Sarah Jefferson on January 10, 2025

“I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 1:6 (CSB)

THE OVERFLOW

I know what you might be thinking: I have remembered my why. I have asked for changed thinking. I am trying to lock eyes with Jesus and wrestle out what I say I believe. But what’s next?

Pray for Endurance

“For you need endurance, so that after you have done God’s will, you may receive what was promised.” – Hebrews 10:36
Sometimes, the hard things we walk through last a moment or days, but other times they last years. Pray for endurance.

Just Do the Next Right Thing

“Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness!” – Lamentations 3:22-24
My grandmother used to tell me, “Do not yield to the temptation of looking at everything at once, as if everything would happen at once and all the events of the day are crowded into an hour.”

We glorify the Lord in whatever He ordains, one step at a time. Walk in today’s mercy, believing that tomorrow will have new mercies for all it holds.

Wait and Watch

“I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the lookout tower. I will watch to see what he will say to me and what I should reply about my complaint.” – Habakkuk 2:1
Get on your watchtower, waiting and looking for the Lord to work. Be expectant.

There is a fascinating study I read about the topography of tears. Researchers photographed 100 tears under a microscope, revealing an amazing spectrum. Tears of grief looked entirely different from tears of joy. Tears of liberation were distinct from tears of release. Even tears from laughter, change, or cutting onions had unique structures.

Tears and Transformation

Acts 9 details Jesus’ calling on Saul’s (Paul’s) life. Saul was blinded, and when the scales fell from his eyes, his restored sight immediately propelled him to become a world-changer for God’s kingdom.

While Saul had literal scales causing blindness, we too are often spiritually blinded. What if our tears held the scales? What if those very tears were the remedy for healing our sight? As the scale-filled tears fall, they give way to vision—clarity to see Jesus. Like a blind person seeing for the first time, the blur is removed: clarity, focus, vision… Jesus.

I don’t want this study on tears to minimize the pain you might be experiencing. It certainly doesn’t capture the depth of some of my hardships. But I want to elevate the truth that each tear has been accounted for and holds a purpose.

We serve a good Father who allows the circumstances of our lives to filter through His hands. He is our only hope.

Digging Deeper: Work Out Your Salvation

Sarah Jefferson on January 9, 2025

“Therefore, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose.”

Philippians 2:12-13 (CSB)

WORK OUT YOUR SALVATION

When my mother-in-law died, I couldn’t even process her passing because my mother immediately fell ill. Then, eight months later, she also went to be with Jesus. Layered grief is unlike anything I have ever experienced. I tried to read my Bible, but I couldn’t understand any of it. I couldn’t listen to praise and worship because I couldn’t stop crying. And if I’m being fully transparent, I was disappointed with God’s plans for my life.

Elizabeth Elliott often said in her talks, “Sometimes life is so hard you can only do the next thing. Whatever that is, just do the next thing. God will meet you there.” When life feels a lot like you’re living in a snow globe and everything is turned upside down, it can be tempting to walk away. But the enemy of our souls is never closer than when we suffer.

There is no checklist for getting through hard circumstances, but we must continue to work out our salvation. Here are a few things that helped me:

Continue to lift your eyes to Jesus. I found it helpful to listen to podcasts and sermons that pointed me back to Him.
Surrender. This is hard but necessary.
“Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.” – James 1:2-3
Oftentimes, my prayers were simply, “Jesus, I trust You.” I had no idea what He was doing in my life, but I knew He was faithful.
Wrestle with what you say you believe.
“Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful.” – Hebrews 10:23
Find someone to walk alongside you who will continue to point you to Jesus. Don’t suffer alone! NorthStar pastors can help guide you to the right ministry to help you hold fast to Jesus.
Stay teachable.
“Carefully consider the path for your feet, and all your ways will be established. Teach me your way, Lord, and I will live by your truth. Give me an undivided mind to fear your name.” – Psalm 86:11
We often do not have because we do not ask (James 4). So, ask the Lord to teach you how to glorify Him in this hard season.

“Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do his will. And I know that I will not be put to shame.” – Isaiah 50:7

All I can tell you is that Jesus is near to the brokenhearted, and the cleft of the rock is real. It’s the only thing that makes the heartbreak beautiful and purposeful. What once was the valley of the shadow of death, I now see as the valley of vision—a place to see Jesus.

Determine to see Him in this hardest pain.

Digging Deeper: Lock Eyes with Jesus

Sarah Jefferson on January 8, 2025

“Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Hebrews 12:1 (CSB)

LOCK EYES WITH JESUS

We are now three days into talking about the hope of heaven. We have clarified that the hope of heaven doesn’t remove the pain of this life. It simply yet profoundly reminds us of our why, simultaneously giving peace in the midst of deep, penetrating loss and disappointment. Because our only purpose in this life is to glorify God in whatever He ordains, we cannot live for others, the things or pleasures of this world, or even the beautiful gifts God gives. Yesterday, we saw that the key to knowing God’s plans and purposes for our lives requires that our thinking aligns with God’s thinking.

But how do we do all of this? We follow Jesus’ example:

“Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” – Hebrews 12:2

You see, the overflow of locking eyes with Jesus is a life aglow with His glory. It takes our eyes off our circumstances and places them on the only sure thing in this world—Jesus Himself. We begin to see the beauty of His character, the blessings in His promises, and the peace in His presence.

“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.” – 2 Peter 1:3

Have you considered that as Jesus followers, we can share in His divine nature and escape the world’s corruption? That’s the hope that lights up the darkest nights. That’s the hope the world needs.

I don’t want to make light of our suffering. Some of us have endured wave upon wave of unbearable grief. Life is hard, but do not grow tired of doing good (Galatians 6:9). Get into God’s Word and lock eyes with Jesus so that, like Paul, you can say:

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 3:13-14

Only when we lock eyes with Jesus do we see the hope of heaven. Only then can we press on. When we build altars in the wilderness, continually surrendering our will to His, we’ll look back and see that by His grace, mercy, and the empowering of His Spirit, we were walking on the water, hand in hand with our Savior.

Thank you, Jesus!

Digging Deeper: Changed Thinking

Sarah Jefferson on January 7, 2025

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then, you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Romans 12:2 (NLT)

CHANGED THINKING

When Joni Eareckson Tada spoke at the Wheaton College Elizabeth Elliott Memorial Service, she said she knew there was more to suffering than understanding the reasons why God allows it or how you can benefit from it. She recognized that true maturity, true joy, and true contentment have less to do with a mechanistic assessment of God’s plan and purposes for your life and more to do with being pushed into—and at times shoved and pressed up against—the breast of Jesus Christ until your heart begins beating in rhythm with His. It’s not a tidy, orderly list but something very messy: an earnest grappling and wrestling with the angel of the Lord until He touches us in heart and hip.

She said, “When you are decimated by affliction, when you are down for the count, you learn Elizabeth’s doctrine. The Bible’s answers are never to be separated from the tender, sweet, holy, precious God of the Bible—food and drink to those of us that God places on altars of affliction.”

Tada, as you may recall, dove into the Chesapeake Bay at the young age of 16, broke her neck, and has spent the majority of her life paralyzed in a wheelchair. Now 75 years old, she has endured stage 3 breast cancer and currently lives with chronic pain in spite of her paralysis. Without a doubt, she has learned about the hope of heaven.

Romans 8:28 tells us we serve a sovereign God who is weaving all the events of our lives together for our good and His glory. But how can some of this be good? In the throes of life’s hardest moments, Scripture offers profound insight into God’s thoughts versus our own.

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” – Isaiah 55:8-9

Yet, when you are staring at the effects of adultery, a cancer diagnosis, the loss of a loved one, or a wayward child, it’s hard to imagine how such hardship can be seen as good. Romans 12:2 offers the key:

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Philippians 4:8 adds this powerful command:

“Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”

If His thoughts are not our thoughts, then the prayer becomes, “God, change my thinking on this. You are the good thing You will not withhold. Give me eyes to see You in this impossibly hard season. Help me to fix my thoughts on Your promises and character.”

After all, He is our only hope in this life.

Digging Deeper: Remember Your Why

Sarah Jefferson on January 6, 2025

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV)

REMEMBER YOUR WHY

“But what does hope mean?” I practically begged my mentor and spiritual mother of nearly 40 years.

After decades of following Jesus, the layered grief of losing my mother-in-law and my mother within eight months of each other had left my head in a million places, uncertain of everything I thought I knew. Everyone kept talking about the “hope of heaven,” and I believed our mothers were there—in the very real place of heaven, in the presence of Jesus. But this hope wasn’t easing the pain I was left with.

In her kind, gentle, but confident voice, Susan replied, “Sarah, this is when you fall back on what you know.”

So, friend, let’s do just that. When life feels completely upside down, overwhelming, and absolutely nothing like you imagined, go back to the beginning. Trust the process.

Who made you? Genesis 2 tells us it was God who made us.
What else did God make? Genesis 1 tells us God made all things.
Why did God make you and all things? Isaiah 43:7 reminds us that we were made for His glory.

We were made by an intentional, loving God who sees the beginning from the end. Nothing surprises Him—not the loss, the diagnosis, the broken relationships, the financial hardships, the distant marriage, the infertility, raising teens, or the loneliness. He is aware of it all.

When we remind ourselves that we were created by an all-knowing God, who made us to glorify Him in whatever He ordains, we remove ourselves from the center of the story. This life is not about us! It’s not about our wants and desires, or even our “rights.” It’s certainly not about our happiness or what’s fair. It’s about Jesus and His glory. Glorifying God is our one great calling.

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
Blessed is the man who trusts in You!” – Psalm 84:11

The good thing He does not withhold is Himself. Pause and sit with that for a moment. Living for His glory begins with sitting—the secret to the true Christian experience. You see, before we can live for His glory, we must prioritize being still (Psalm 46:10), begging like Moses (Exodus 33) to see His glory in the very place we doubt it might be.