Your Raggedy Scar is a Beautiful Thing || Pastor Tom Golden

Isaiah 53:4-5 4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. In today’s sermon, Pastor Tom Golden emphasized that Jesus has already experienced all the troubles we face in life. Isaiah predicted Jesus’s coming 700 years before His birth, describing how Jesus would carry our deep distresses and sorrows. When Jesus went to the cross, He took on all our sins—everything we have said, done, or thought that was sinful—so that we could be saved. This gift of salvation is free, unlike anything else in this world. Read More ... Pastor Tom shared the story of Nathaniel, who initially doubted Jesus because He was from Nazareth, a place thought to produce nothing good. But when Nathaniel looked into Jesus’s eyes, he knew He was the Messiah. This teaches us that it doesn’t matter where we come from; Jesus saves us and brings good from our lives. Pastor Tom illustrated this with stories of Wendy Stoker, a professional high diver born without arms, who overcame tremendous odds to succeed, and Alex Smith, a professional football player who shattered his knee during a game. Despite the worst knee injury in football history and a severe infection that nearly led to amputation, Smith defied the odds and returned to the field less than two years later. These stories remind us that Jesus understands our struggles and sees our scars. Despite our pasts, our scars testify to how Jesus saved us by His grace.