Waiting At The Water | Bayside Church

He'd been waiting 38 years. Lying by a pool. Hoping for a miracle. And when Jesus finally showed up, He didn't put him in the water — He asked him a question that sounds almost cruel: Do you want to be healed? In this message from our Gospel of John series, Pastor Michael Metcalf walks through John 5:1-18 and the healing at the Pool of Bethesda. But this isn't just a story about a man who couldn't walk. It's about everyone in this room who's been waiting, waiting for the diagnosis, the breakthrough, the relationship to heal, the prayer to be answered — and looking for healing in the wrong place. Pastor Michael unpacks why not every sick person actually wants to be well, how our dysfunction can become more comfortable than future freedom, and the psychological phenomenon of "learned helplessness" that keeps us stuck in patterns we could step out of. He gets honest about his own seasons of anxiety, depression, and the isolating weight of waiting — and makes the case that the man at the pool was talking to the Way Maker while asking to be put in the water. The difference between being stuck and finding healing isn't trying harder. It's finding the right source. ABOUT BAYSIDE CHURCH Bayside Church exists to reach wide, teach deep, and unleash compassion. Join us at one of our campuses throughout the Sacramento region or online. FIND US ONLINE Website: https://granitebay.baysideonline.com Instagram:   / baysidegranitebay   Facebook:   / baysidegranitebay   Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... To support this ministry and help us continue to reach people all around the world, click here: https://www.baysideonline.com/onlineg... Stay Connected Website: www.baysideonline.com Bayside Church Facebook: www.facebook.com/baysidechurch Bayside Church Instagram: www.instagram.com/baysidechurch