Missionary Renegade: The Daily Guide. grow. pray. study. The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection of Leawood, Kansas, United States for Sunday, 10 April 2016 "Second Chances: Stories of Restoration and Redemption

The Daily Guide. grow. pray. study. The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection of Leawood, Kansas, United States for Sunday, 10 April 2016 "Second Chances: Stories of Restoration and Redemption - Prayer Tip"

Daily Scripture: John 4:1 When Yeshua learned that the P’rushim had heard he was making and immersing more talmidim than Yochanan 2 (although it was not Yeshua himself who immersed but his talmidim), 3 Yeshua left Y’hudah and set out again for the Galil. 4 This meant that he had to pass through Shomron.

5 He came to a town in Shomron called Sh’khem, near the field Ya‘akov had given to his son Yosef. 6 Ya‘akov’s Well was there; so Yeshua, exhausted from his travel, sat down by the well; it was about noon. 7 A woman from Shomron came to draw some water; and Yeshua said to her, “Give me a drink of water.” 8 (His talmidim had gone into town to buy food.) 9 The woman from Shomron said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for water from me, a woman of Shomron?” (For Jews don’t associate with people from Shomron.) 10 Yeshua answered her, “If you knew God’s gift, that is, who it is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink of water,’ then you would have asked him; and he would have given you living water.”

11 She said to him, “Sir, you don’t have a bucket, and the well is deep; so where do you get this ‘living water’? 12 You aren’t greater than our father Ya‘akov, are you? He gave us this well and drank from it, and so did his sons and his cattle.” 13 Yeshua answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I will give him will never be thirsty again! On the contrary, the water I give him will become a spring of water inside him, welling up into eternal life!”

15 “Sir, give me this water,” the woman said to him, “so that I won’t have to be thirsty and keep coming here to draw water.” 16 He said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come back.” 17 She answered, “I don’t have a husband.” Yeshua said to her, “You’re right, you don’t have a husband! 18 You’ve had five husbands in the past, and you’re not married to the man you’re living with now! You’ve spoken the truth!”

Prayer Tip:
Everyone loves a makeover. There are countless TV shows chronicling the transformations of homes, physical bodies, outlooks on life, old objects that most would consider junk…the list goes on and on.
One of the great joys of being a Christian is that we have a chance to makeover our lives, again and again, through the power of Jesus Christ. Our ultimate goal, as taught by John Wesley, is sanctification – working toward perfection. We know we will not become perfect on this earth, but we can consistently become better than we were before. We grow in the atmosphere of God’s grace, as loved, accepted members of God’s family. Whether we mess up in big ways or small ways, whether we are quick to change or take our time, whether we are steadily improving often missing the mark, we can be made over if we’ll just ask.
Lord God,
We are so grateful for your love and your grace. Help us to be the best that we can be so that we might shine your love into the lives of others and be a vessel of your grace to others. It’s frustrating when we fall short; help us to give ourselves a little grace and forgiveness too so we can more easily move forward. Fill us with your Holy Spirit and make us over so you will be glorified. In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.[Angela LaVallie Tinsley, Funeral and Prayer Ministry]
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April 10, 2016 Second Chances – Stories of Restoration and Redemption

“Divorced Five Times”

Scripture: John 4:1-18

Jesus… came to a Samaritan city called Sychar… Jacob’s well was there. Jesus was tired from his journey, so he sat down at the well. It was about noon.

A Samaritan woman came to the well to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me some water to drink.”… The Samaritan woman asked, “Why do you, a Jewish man, ask for something to drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (Jews and Samaritans didn’t associate with each other.)

Jesus responded, “If you recognized God’s gift and who is saying to you, ‘Give me some water to drink,’ you would be asking him and he would give you living water.

The woman said to him, “Sir, you don’t have a bucket and the well is deep. Where would you get this living water?”…

“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks from the water that I will give will never be thirsty again. The water that I give will become in those who drink it a spring of water that bubbles up into eternal life.”

The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will never be thirsty and will never need to come here to draw water!” Jesus said to her, “Go, get your husband, and come back here.”

The woman replied, “I don’t have a husband.”

“You are right to say, ‘I don’t have a husband,’” Jesus answered. “You’ve had five husbands, and the man you are with now isn’t your husband. You’ve spoken the truth.”

An imperative rest stop for Jesus MONDAY 4.11.16 John 4:1-6

As we learned during our Lenten study of John’s gospel, John showed Jesus back and forth between Jerusalem and Galilee more often than Matthew, Mark or Luke. The central story we’ll read this week began as Jesus went from Jerusalem in southern Israel to Galilee (the north). Most Jews in his day bypassed the region of Samaria, between Judea and Galilee. Not Jesus. He went through Samaria by design (he "had to go"—verse 4), and reached Jacob’s well at noon.

• John said Jesus “had to go” through Samaria. Pastor Roger Frederickson wrote, “He did not need to save the three days He could gain by passing through this ill-regarded province rather than crossing the river and going up the eastern desert route….the Father had sent Him into the whole world—not just part of it.”1 Does God’s love still call us to go to places that human divisions tell us to avoid? How can you break down barriers between you and other people in your day-to-day life?

• Historic Christian faith has always said Jesus was fully divine and fully human. This story showed that: “Jesus was tired from his journey” (verse 6). Hebrews 2:17-18 said Jesus “had to be made like his brothers and sisters in every way…. He’s able to help those who are being tempted, since he himself experienced suffering when he was tempted.” In what parts of your life journey are you tired today? Share your tiredness with Jesus in prayer. He understands, and can help and strengthen you.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you needed to rest. Often I do, too, emotionally and spiritually as well as physically. I’m so thankful your steadfast love never rests, but is always there to support me. Amen.

1Roger L. Frederickson, The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 27: John (Lloyd John Ogilvie, general editor). Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1985, p. 94.

Jesus asked for, and offered, water TUESDAY 4.12.16 John 4:7-10

In the hot Middle East, most women enjoyed morning or evening social time as they drew water at the town well. This woman came alone at noon. She probably didn’t want to face the other town women. John also gave non-Palestinian readers key information about what made this conversation remarkable—“Jews and Samaritans didn’t associate with each other” (verse 9). So Jesus made the first move, asking matter-of-factly, “Give me some water to drink” (verse 7).

• British author Malcolm Muggeridge told an audience that he had achieved a level of fame, success, pleasure and fulfillment. He went on, “I beg you to believe me, multiply these tiny triumphs by a million, add them all together, and they are nothing…measured against one draught of that living water Christ offers to the spiritually thirsty.”1 In what ways has Jesus quenched your inner thirst(s)? In what areas of life are you still thirsty?

• Rabbi Eliezer, who lived not long after Jesus’ day, wrote, “He that eats the bread of the Samaritans is like to one that eats the flesh of swine.” Yet in addition to Jesus asking the woman for a drink, Jesus’ disciples had gone into the city to buy him some food (verse 8).

How can asking another person for some kind of help break down barriers that may separate you from them? Are you willing to ask for help when you need it?

Prayer: Dear Jesus, you were willing to ask for, and to accept, help even from unlikely people. Give me an openness to how your living water can help me quench the deepest thirsts of my heart. Amen.

1Quoted from a 1968 address in Malcolm Muggeridge, author, and Ian A. Hunter, ed. The Very Best of Malcolm Muggeridge. Vancouver, B.C.: Regent College Publishing, 1988, p. 190.

Thirsty for a second chance WEDNESDAY 4.13.16 John 4:11-15

Jesus’ offer of “living water” (the term commonly meant the freshest, cleanest running water, not stagnant water that had stood in a cistern) was intriguing. But the woman at first showed skepticism: “Where would you get this living water?” (verse 11) Her doubts didn’t discourage Jesus. He described the spiritual water he offered in such appealing terms that the woman, thirsty for a fresh start, responded, “Give me this water!” (verse 15).

• The Message captures the idea behind the phrase “living water” well, having Jesus say in verse 13, “The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life.” When did you most recently sense a surge of God’s endless life within your heart?

How can you regularly “fill your cup” with Jesus’ living water?

• Pastor Bruce Milne noted how naturally Jesus spoke with this woman: “Jesus is clearly ‘at ease’ with her, which frees her to confront her deepest needs.”1 Who are the people who, because of beliefs or lifestyle, make you uneasy? How can the example of Jesus’ conversation with the woman at the well help you find ways to relate more naturally and comfortably to them?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you told Nicodemus in John 3 that you had not come to condemn the world. You didn’t condemn the woman at the well, and you don’t condemn me. Thank you!

Please teach me how to relate as you did. Amen.

1Bruce Milne, The Message of John. Downer’s Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993, p. 86.

Why she needed a second chance THURSDAY 4.14.16 John 4:16-24

The woman probably came to the well alone because of shame. Jesus frankly led her into talking about why she needed a second chance. She admitted he was right, but at first tried to shift the subject by raising a religious debate between the Jews and Samaritans (verses 19-20). Jesus didn’t take the bait. He said the key to worshipping God fully was not finding the “right” place, but laying aside shame to worship “in spirit and truth” (verse 24).

• In verses 16-18, Jesus showed the woman that he knew her past. She still seemed to resist opening up to Jesus about her life. When you have opened up to people about a challenge or struggle, has that proved beneficial or hurtful? How can you recognize trustworthy people? When has God supported and strengthened you through such “safe” people? Are you willing to be vulnerable to people like that when you need to be?

• Jesus said God is Spirit (a word that also meant “breath” or “atmosphere”). In other words, God is with us always and already knows all about us. What’s more, knowing each of us fully (even better than we know ourselves), God loves each of us deeply! So coming to God in total honesty is not cause for shame, but for worship and praise of his love, mercy, and grace. What's on your heart today? What do you need to bring to the Lord in full honesty, knowing that God loves you as his child?

Prayer: Jesus, sometimes my shame makes me shrink from being completely honest with you. Help me to trust you and embrace the truth of your love and mercy so that I can more fully worship you. Amen.

How Jesus gave a second chance FRIDAY 4.15.16 John 4:25-30

The woman had said, “I see that you are a prophet” (verse 19). As Jesus disclosed her past without shaming her, the woman seemed to sense an even greater power at work, and spoke of the coming Messiah. Jesus replied, “I Am.” The woman went into Sychar to talk about Jesus to the very people she’d been avoiding. Now unashamed, she said he was “a man who has told me everything I’ve done!” With wonder, she added, “Could this man be the Christ [Greek for “anointed one,” or “Messiah”]?”

• Your assignment: reach out to a hostile area with the good news of God’s love. What kind of person would you choose for the task? Jesus chose a friendless, outcast woman, who was effective mainly by saying, “Come and see.” Do you allow your limitations to block you from sharing what Christ means to you? Consider the woman at the well, and ask God in what ways you can be a channel of Christ’s love today.

• Jesus’ disciples were “shocked” to find him talking to a Samaritan woman. If they learned anything about her background, that probably added to their shock. They knew Jesus sided with rabbis who did not favor free-and-easy divorce (cf. Matthew 19:3-8). But in her case, grace prevailed over “the rules,” and she found a caring Savior willing to offer a second (or a seventh!) chance. When have you had to weigh strict rule-following against human pain and need? How can Jesus’ example help you to find your way in those cases?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you showed why a living, breathing Savior could better represent God’s love than a static rule book. You’re my Lord and Savior—keep showing me how to treat others the way you did. Amen.

One second chance became many SATURDAY 4.16.16 John 4:31-42

Jesus told his disciples that doing God’s will, reaping a harvest of willing followers, nourished him more deeply than any physical food could. The Samaritan woman who’d found a second chance in Jesus became the first “preacher” in the Gospel of John. The Samaritans invited Jesus to stay in Sychar. He did, for two days, and many of the Samaritans there became the immediate fulfillment of his words that “the fields are already ripe for the harvest.” They, too, found in Jesus a second chance for a meaningful, grace-filled life.

• Scholar N. T. Wright asked, “When were you last so excited about something that you didn’t need to eat?” In an hour or less, the woman went from a social outcast trapped in a messed-up life to being “the first evangelist to the Samaritan people.” And Jesus had seen, firsthand, that “here, outside the boundaries of the chosen people, away from Jerusalem itself, there was a spiritual hunger which…was ready to hear what he had to say.”1 What excites and “feeds” you most about the ways in which you are able to serve God? What would you like to get involved in that would deepen that joy and excitement? How can you begin to plan to make that happen?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you said that people who hunger and thirst for righteousness are the ones to whom your kingdom belongs. Grow that appetite in me—and then feed and sustain me as I join in your mission in this world. Amen.

1 N. T. Wright, John for Everyone, part 1. (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2004, p. 50.)

Family Activity: Gather some white board or washable markers and invite your family to meet in front of a large mirror. Give everyone a marker and ask them to write or draw a picture on the mirror of something they have done that they are sorry for. Remind them that God gives us second chances. If we say we are sorry, God will wipe away our sins. As you remind them of God’s forgiveness, use a damp paper towel to “wash away” their words or pictures from the mirror. Have them look at themselves as you explain that God sees them just as they are without seeing what they have done wrong. End by praying, “Thank you God for second chances. We love you! Amen.”

Prayer Requests:

Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:

•Sandy Doolittle and family on the death of her mother, Zoe Doolittle, 4/5

•Debbie, Lane and Sarah Goodin and family on the death of Debbie’s husband, Lane’s and Sarah’s father, Bob Goodin, 4/1

• Marg Bailey and family on the death of her daughter, Jill Matous, 3/31

• Julie Skalla and family on the death of her son, James Farmer, 4/6

•Dave Loeffler and family on the death of his mother, Agnes, 4/4

•Becky Thomas and family on the death of her father, Robert, 3/31

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