Rise Daily: March 7

Rise Daily: March 7

THIS WEEK’S THEME & PASSAGE

Changed Lives – John 4:1-26

This week’s sermon from the series “Where We are Going: The City and the Mission“

THIS WEEK’S MEMORY VERSE

Memorizing scripture is a way to keep God’s word close to our hearts. Each week we will select one verse of scripture to remember as a community.

John 4:14a
Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.

THE WORD

Each day’s devotion will focus on one part of the week’s passage.

John 4:5-9
5 So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.

7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

MEDITATION ON THE WORD

In our busyness and distraction, it is easy to skim through our reading rather than taking it in. Yet we believe this is the inspired word of God. Take a moment to pause, thank God for the scriptures and ask him to speak to you through them today.

Our focus last week was upon the gospel, and its provision of new life in Christ. This week we consider some of the ways in which the Gospel transforms us into his image. One way this happens is by encountering him in the scriptures, seeing how his priorities differ from our own, and then exchanging our priorities for his.

In the passage at hand, we see Jesus stepping outside of the established social boundaries of his culture, and meeting the needs of one who was neither of his ethnicity, religion, nor gender. This act helped establish the pattern that would drive the gospel into every corner of the world “to every nation and tribe and language and people” (see Rev. 14:6).

The Church was never meant to be a clique, or an insider’s club, adopting a tribal “us and them” mentality. By engaging in conversation with the Samaritan woman, Jesus was shattering a number of established social boundaries in order to bring God’s love to this woman and her people, and to bring them in as his people.

The gospel, when applied, creates in us a generous spirit of hospitality toward people we wouldn’t normally associate with. Our tendency not to do so is a heart problem. By the light of the gospel, our natural inward gaze is turned outward. Because God loved us in Christ, who left his heavenly state to minister to outsiders, we are encouraged and empowered to love, serve, and welcome into our family, those whom we would naturally tend to avoid (see Galatians 3:26–28).

THIS WEEK’S RISE REFLECTION

Throughout the Bible, when we see God move in someone’s heart with a new sense of resolve and calling, he or she is described as rising in response.

Abraham rises in response to God’s call; Hannah rises from despair to a new purpose; Samuel rises to anoint a new king; David rises after the death of his child and we see Jesus command the paralytic to “Rise, take up your mat and walk.”

To rise is an act of both obedience and faith—a response to a calling and a step toward a future not yet seen. Now is a time to pray fervently, to seek God’s help, and to discern how the Spirit is leading you to rise and serve where He has placed you.

TODAY’S PRAYER

For your Heart: Reflect on the love of the Father for how you were once an outsider, but are now his adopted child. Express your thanks.

For your Church: Pray that as a community we would function better as a loving family—that grace would characterize our relationships.

For our City: Pray for a greater sense of compassion for those who haven’t experienced the fatherly love of God, nor the benefits of inclusion in his family.

Ou

r vision is a city renewed by the gospel. This vision needs all of us.