John 4 - The Truth Will Set You Free, The Woman at the Well

 

Today during our table study and discussion time we are focusing on the interaction between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well from John 4.  What can we learn from how Jesus approached and talked to this woman?  What can we learn from her reactions?

Well here is the situation they were in . . .

The shortest route between Jerusalem in the south and Galilee in the north required walking through Samaria.  For Jews in Jesus' day, this region was definitely on the "wrong side of the tracks."  Samaritans were despised by Jews and did their best to return the compliment.  Jesus seemed to go out of his way to challenge these traditional animosities.  He showed up at the well of Sychar just as a woman arrived.  

Here is what happened . . .

Remarkable.  Jesus didn't reveal the secret to King Herod.  He didn't request an audience of the Sanhedrin and tell them the news.  It wasn't within the colonades of a Roman court that he announced his identity. 

No, it was in the shade of a well in a rejected land to an ostracized woman.  His eyes must have danced as he whispered the secret.

"I am the Messiah."

The most important phrase in the chapter is one easily overlooked.  "Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did.  Could this be the Christ?""

Don't miss the drama of the moment.  Look at her eyes, wide with amazement.  Listen to her as she struggles for words.  "Y-y-y-you a-a-a-are the M-m-m-messiah!"  And watch as she scrambles to her feet, takes one last look at this grinning Nazarene, turns and runs right into the burly chest of Peter.  She almost falls, regains her balance, and hotfoots it toward her hometown.

Did you notice what she forgot?  She forgot her water jar.  She left behind the jug that had caused the sag in her shoulders.  She left behind the burden she brought.

Suddenly the shame of the tattered romances disappeared.  Suddenly the insignificance of her life was swallowed by the significance of the moment.  "God is here!  God has come!  God cares . . . for me!"

That is why she forgot her water jar.  That is why she ran to the city.  That is why she grabbed the first person she saw and announced her discovery.  "I just talked to a man who knows everything I ever did . . . and he loves me anyway!"

The disciples offered Jesus some food.  He refused it - he was too excited!  He had just done what he does best.  He had taken a life that was drifting and given it direction. 

He was exuberant!

"Look!" he announced to the disciples, pointing at the woman who was running to the village.  "Vast fields of human souls are ripening all around us, and are ready now for the reaping." (From Six Hours One Friday by Max Lucado)

1. How did Jesus demonstrate his love for this woman?
2. How did the woman react to her encounter with Jesus?
3. In what ways can you identify with the woman in this story?
4. What does this story reveal about God's attitude toward sinful people?
5. When have you felt God's concern and love for you?
6. What keeps you from showing God's love to others?
7. How does the woman's response to Jesus inspire you?

When we least expect him in our lives, Jesus shows up.  Sometimes when we are actively trying to avoid anything that would remind us that our lives are not as they should be, we find Jesus waiting in the very place we have run to hide.  Jesus never forces himself on us, but he does have an uncanny way of interrupting our thoughts and actions with truthful questions and challenging ideas.  Think about the times Jesus has showed up in your life, as a way of starting a life-changing episode with you.

For more Bible passages on God's mercy and love for sinners, see Exodus 34:6; Deut 4:31; Luke 1:50; 19:1-10; John 3:16; 8:3-11; Eph 2:1-6

(All of this is from The Gospel of John by Max Lucado)

Being a Disciple

What does it mean to be a disciple?  We have established the Biblical mandate to make disciples and explored what a disciple is.  Essentially, we are to accept the teachings of Christ and assist in spreading those teachings to others because God entrusted us with this mission.  So, now we have our mission, how do we make it happen?

In order to spread the teachings of Christ to others we have to enter into relationship with them.  Heartland’s Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG), the thing around which we as a community are called to rally, is “To Advance a Discipling Movement in Our City by Inviting Everyone Into a Life-Changing Relationship Over the Next Five Years.”  The Strategic Plan and the BHAG are unpacked in greater detail here.  Let’s highlight a few things.  Heartland’s expression of this mission is through a discipling movement where one person disciples another, and that one disciples another, and that one disciples another, etc. reaching beyond our group, beyond our church community, into our city and beyond.

The word inviting is used very intentionally.  We are not trying to sell our specific brand of theology.  We are not pushing people to do or believe things they are not ready for.  We are extending an invitation, which requires that we are willing to have someone come along side us in our faith walk.  This leads us to the phrase “life-changing relationship.”  There is that relationship word again.  The Apostle Paul tells us how the Apostles did relationship, saying “...Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.” (1 Thessalonians 2:8).

This relationship is not so much about a mentor and mentee, but two people (or a group of people) come alongside one another and intentionally and consistently practice four things: 

• Abiding...in Jesus as our lead discipler
• Grounding...ourselves in the Bible as the main text
• Shaping...our lives together through prayer
• Committing...to an accountable relationship

Author Greg Ogden writes that, “This intimate, highly invested experience brings together three ingredients that the Holy Spirit will use to form Christ in you: vulnerability, truth and accountability.” (Discipleship Essentials: A Guide to Building Your Life in Christ)

Ogden goes on to say that in order to form a true discipling relationship you have to be vulnerable with one another.  You have to “open your life in a self-revealing way to other believers, giving permission for the Spirit to work in you.”  The truth necessary in this relationship is revealed in God’s word, the Bible.  Accountability is huge.  Ogden explains that “accountability involves entering into a mutual covenant with others in which you are giving each other authority to hold one another to your commitments.”  

To sum it up, two or more people immerse themselves in the Word and meet together regularly to ask one another, “What’s God telling you and what are you going to do about it?”  

Which relationship(s) in your life can you become more intentional about, moving from friends or acquaintances to fellow disciples?

Using Your Photos: Cards and Gifts

Alert! Alert! There are sixty-seven days until Christmas! There is a lot to think about surrounding the holidays and it’s right about this time of year when I start “thinking” about getting my list organized. I am NOT one of those early shoppers, even though I REALLY want to be! Try as I might….
Wherever you are in your planning, I hope you find some ideas below. This information is a continuation of my presentation from the October 3rd Practical Skills Sharing Day.
 
Tips for Christmas cards on a budget:

• Swap with a friend to get your family photo.
• Don’t forget to shop your closet for outfits.
• Print your family photo as a 4x6 and write on the back with a metallic sharpie. Send it as a postcard ($.32 each). People mainly like the photo anyway!
• Hand out as many cards as you can vs. mailing them.
• For a more professional/economical look go to http://www.simplytoimpress.com for single-sided cardstock cards. Save 20% site-wide till Oct. 22nd! http://www.photocardcafe.com/index.php is another site.

Professional-quality card resources:
 
http://www.peartreegreetings.com
http://www.tinyprints.com
http://www.inababycarriage.com   
http://www.minted.com
https://pinholepress.com

Gift Ideas:
 
Accordion albums $15.99  http://www.mpix.com/products/funstuff/accordionmini
Photo calendars (one sheet) $2.39 http://www.mpix.com/products/calendars/photocalendars
Canvas Gallery Wraps starting from $34.99 http://www.costcophotocenter.com/gifts/gift_landing.aspx?q=1iyjY7s5fI,qODxXVC1sosaPAIa79Ermqa,TAGJ1DrJk-
Holiday photo ornaments $10 http://www.mpix.com/products/funstuff/ornaments
Iphone cases (sales right now! $29.71) https://www.shutterfly.com/photo-gifts/custom-iphone-cases

There are lots of DIY photo gift ideas if you just Google it or look on Pinterest.com. Check out these cute Polaroid photo magnets from http://www.ambrosiagirl.com/blog/tiny-polaroid-magnets/

 

If you go to any of the above websites you will get lost in the vast amount of products and ideas. What I’ve given you is just a start. The most important thing is to DO SOMETHING with your images. (I keep telling myself this too!) Start small. Baby steps!
Denise Williams

John 3

 

Today we have Frann Wohlers coming to share with us her depth of experience and Biblical knowledge as we dive into John 3 together and learn more about Christ's ultimate purpose on earth to offer salvation to people . . . to give us spiritual life, to be made alive in Christ.

Click these links for: 

• Today's Handout

• Discussion Questions

In John 3:1-13 we get to observe a conversation between Jesus and "a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews (v1)" who was curious about Jesus.  The Pharisees were leaders who were highly zealous for ritual and religious purity according to both the Mosaic law and their own traditions.  "A ruler of the Jews" refers to Nicodemus's membership in the Sanhedrin, the main ruling body of the Jews in Palestine; a kind of supreme court.  So Nicodemus was one important dude among the Jewish rulers.

They no doubt had a spirited discussion under the protection of night so as no one would know about Nicodemus's growing curiosity about Jesus.  Jesus gently confronted Nicodemus with his need to be born again and further demonstrated His identity as God's messenger.  In v3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" and then in v5 Jesus repeats this statement and clarifies " . . . unless one is born of water and Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God."  This is imagery referring to our need to be cleansed and purified before entering God's kingdom.

The point of this is that God's Kingdom is open to anyone and everyone.  The spirit (often referred to as the 'wind' in both Hebrew and Greek) is on the move and no one can control it or keep up with it.  However, its effects can be seen.  With Jesus, comes a new way of knowing that only comes from heaven.  Jesus is the ladder which joins the two dimensions of God's world, the heavenly and the earthly.  When we see or imagine Jesus hanging on the cross or "lifted up" as referenced here in John, we see the result of the all the sin and bad stuff in which we and our world are all stuck.  AND we are seeing what God has done about it.  We are seeing what God's own love looks like.  When Jesus died on the cross, that was the full and dramatic display of God's own love.  (Source: John for Everyone, Part One by N.T. Wright)

Further Insights and Cross Reference:

• Later in the Gospel of John we get glimpses of the impact this encounter with Jesus had on Nicodemus.  Read John 7:50-52 and 19:38-42.  What facts from Jesus' encounter with Nicodemus lead you to believe that he was open to the truth about Jesus?
• Read Ezekial 36:16-36.  How does this message of the Old Testament passage compare with what Jesus said to Nicodemus about the need for regeneration (that is, interanl, spiritual transformation)?
• Read Numbers 21:5-9/ Why did John make mention of this Old Testament event?  How does it compare to Christ death on the cross?
• Describe events that led to your being "born again"?  What people, situations, and tools did God use?
• For further study, see: Prov 30:4, Isaiah 11:1-16, Isaiah 61:1, Isaiah 62:4-5, Jeremiah 2:2, Dan 12:2, Matt 5:44-45, 1 Cor 4:7, 1 John 5:20

 (Source:  John by John MacArthur)

   

Recipe Binder

Sometimes I find that I am uninspired in the kitchen simply because my recipes are scattered.  It takes far too much effort to hunt down a recipe in an over-stuffed drawer of half-scribbled papers, coffee-stained index cards and torn magazine pages.  I've tried different systems for recipes--a lackluster computer program, an index card box too narrow to rifle through--and decided that I like the binder system best, where recipes are neatly organized in page protectors sorted by tabs, always at the ready.  My old binder, which had no tabs, began falling apart.  And so I put to work making a beautiful new, organized binder to keep in my kitchen. 

 I found the binder itself at Target, and loved the red firecracker motif--it reminds me of the classic Better Homes & Gardens cookbook my mom used growing up.  I searched through two office supply stores, as well as Amazon.com, for the perfect tabbed dividers, but never found ones that I loved.  So I took a trip to Archivers and got coordinating 12x12 papers.  11 in all.

 Archivers has a crafting area within the store, so I used one of their scalloped hole punches on off-white card stock to create the tab ends.  I cut them in half for the front (labeled in pen by category: appetizers, brunch, etc.), and attached full scalloped circles to the backside to reinforce the tabbed dividers.  I staggered them on the 12x12 papers so that five labels would show at a time (see above).  Then I drew a line with a ruler, and cut around them so that they protruded and were easy to grasp.  I cut the hole-punch side until they were the width I wanted, then laminated the dividers at Mardel; all 11 of them cost around $2 total to laminate at 25 cents a foot. 

 The categories I used were: appetizers, brunch, soups, salads&sides, crock&freeze, poultry, meat&fish, pasta&casseroles, desserts, holidays, miscellaneous

 I filled it up with printed pages, index cards, even sentimental scribbles.  Notice the "Apples of Gold" recipe below? (I had to give it a plug ;o)

 And at least ten of these recipes came straight from the Heartland Moms blog.  These ladies know how to cook a mean brunch!

 I notice now that I'm more excited about cooking and meal planning because of this little beauty.  And because it contains so much love and so many memories (good food feeds the soul), I was inspired to make duplicate binders for my mother-in-law and my daughter, Lorelei.

If you would like to print the recipes I've collected as our family's tried-and-true favorites, e-mail wendyleia@yahoo.com.

Knowledge Seekers

 
Today our focus is on studying John 1:35-2:25 with our table groups and getting a first hand look at Jesus' first miracle.  Can you believe he chose to perform it a wedding, a celebration, and lavish party.  Jesus had already chosen some of his disciples but they didn't really know him.  They are meandering around not knowing where they are going.  Then it's as if Jesus says, "We are going to a wedding" to satisfy their curiosity.

How could a wedding fit with his purposes on earth?  Why did Jesus go to the wedding?  The answer?  It's found in the second verse of John 2.  "Jesus and his followers were also invited to the wedding.". . .

This is significant for many reasons.  Common people were able to enjoy being with Jesus.  It is noteworthy that the Almighty didn't act high and mighty.  The Holy One wasn't holier-than-thou . . . Jesus was a likeable fellow.  And his disciples should be the same.  This doesn't mean they were out of control involved in debauchery, drunkenness, and adultery or compromising, course or obscene.  They simply were taking time and enjoying the freedom to laugh at a good joke, enliven a dull party, and appreciate a fun evening . . .

Weddings in Jesus' day were extended community events.  They often lasted a week or more.  Hospitality ruled the day, and families were under significant social pressure to provide lavishly for their guests.  The problem that arose because the wine ran out created a major crisis.  Mary tried to help and enlisted her son's assistance in finding a solution.  Even she probably didn't expect the results that followed. 

Enjoy!!! 

(From The Gospel of John study book by Max Lucado)

Cultivating a Personal Prayer Life

Here’s a simple yet loaded question for you…how’s your prayer life? Many of us have really good intentions in spending quiet time with God, but when it doesn’t happen the dreaded “G” word –guilt- invades our hearts making it difficult for us to feel the freedom God intends us to have in coming to Him. Maybe you journal prayers, but have noticed your entries are a bit less frequent than they used to be, or maybe that morning time you hoped to carve out just isn’t fitting into the reality of your schedule. Perhaps for you it’s not a lack of time but a lack of depth in your prayers?  You’re tired of asking for the same things over and over, and you think just maybe God is holding the phone away from his ear while you repeat your requests. Again.  Are you new to the whole “talking to the Creator of the universe” process and not sure where to even begin that conversation?

I know I’ve been all of the above one or multiple times during my faith journey.  However, I also know time spent in the presence of God is a privilege with effects more powerful than anything I can conceive.  It’s in prayer where my pride and self-will bend to humility and my stubborn self-righteousness is called out to trust in God’s righteousness. It’s in talking with God where my deepest, child-like beliefs are voiced and reinforced into a stronger faith.  

Knowing those truths, how do I bring my heart back into communion with God?  How do I desire being in His presence so much that every to-do list, errand, or email returns to its rightful place in my priority list where time spent with my Savior is first and foremost? Go back to His word.  It’s alive and active (Hebrews 4:12).  It’s a weapon that can demolish those strongholds including any obstacle keeping you from spending time with God in prayer (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)  

Recently, I’ve been learning how to pray Scripture back to God. Author and speaker Beth Moore calls it, “speaking His language”.  God’s thoughts are not our own and our ways are not like His (Isaiah 55:8), so turning Bible verses into prayers is one way to restate God’s truths and get to know the mind and heart of a God who’s love draws you nearer to Him more than any amount of guilt ever will.  Here’s one example of what praying Scripture can look like.  There’s no right or wrong here, just choose a Scripture that speaks to your heart and talk to God about it. 

God, you say you satisfy the desires of every living thing and are loving towards me.  Me who’s a sinner, me who’s a doubter, me who isn’t always loving towards You. You are loving towards me because you made me. Show me how to desire You above all else.  You say you’re near to me when I call on You.  Do I believe that with my whole heart, God?  I admit that sometimes I don’t feel worthy of your presence. Remind me that it’s not about me, but about Jesus’ holy worth (Psalm 145: 16-21).  Help me start my day with your word on my mind and in my heart so your unfailing love will be what I trust in today.  Show me the way I should treat my children during trying moments and every way I should turn all day long.  I lift up my very soul to you, my Savior and Abba. (Psalm 142:8) Amen.

Jesus loves you and desires to spend time with you.  He’s jealous for your whole heart, so trust Him with your highest affections and know that He is the only one who is “able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy.” (Jude 24)