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Get Off My Back – Dr. Jamal Bryant – Sunday, November 30

Written on . Posted in Sermon Notes.

Scripture: Luke 13:10–13

Dr. Bryant preached from Luke 13 about a woman who had been bent over for 18 years—not simply from a medical condition, but from a spirit of affliction. Jesus saw her, called her forward, spoke freedom over her, and then laid hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

Key Points

  • “A monkey on your back” can represent burdens like stress, depression, financial pressure, relationships, mistakes, or trauma—anything that weighs you down and keeps you bent.

  • Dr. Bryant emphasized that sometimes the enemy can’t break you, so he tries to keep you bent—lowered posture, lowered hope, lowered confidence, unable to “look up.”

  • He connected chronic back pain to unprocessed stress and responsibility, teaching that what you carry in your mind often shows up in your body—especially in your back.

  • A powerful warning: don’t keep bending to fit spaces you’re too big for (toxic circles, environments, relationships, or cycles that require you to shrink).

  • One of the sermon’s biggest encouragements: She came to church in pain—and Jesus saw her. God sees hidden suffering, silent endurance, and the weight people carry.

Turning Point

Dr. Bryant highlighted the order in the text:

  1. Jesus saw her

  2. He called her forward

  3. He declared her free

  4. He laid hands on her

  5. Immediately she straightened up and praised God

He preached that freedom can be spoken before you can feel it, and that a sign of deliverance is restored ability to praise, stand, and look up.

Core takeaway: God sees you, calls you forward, and can lift what’s been weighing you down—so you can stand up straight, look up again, and praise.