This week’s teaching is from John 4:3-42, the story of “the woman at the well,” to whom Jesus revealed Himself, the living water of heaven that quenches the longing thirst of the human soul.

In Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus, the curious Pharisee who came to visit Him by night, we find the familiar words of John 3:16 and a challenge to each of us to know Him - some for the first time, others in a deeper way than ever before.

The resurrection story of Lazarus highlights the cosmic resurrection story of Jesus. In the Lazarus story, Jesus declares that He is the resurrection and the life (and his raising of Lazarus validates this claim); in the Easter resurrection story, He achieves and fulfills this eternal identity.

As we continue in The Gospel of John, today we examine Jesus’ first recorded miracle, at a wedding in Cana (John 2:1-11).

We continue our study of the Gospel of John with a look at John 1:35-51 and Jesus’ call of his first disciples, which affords us a great model for discipleship.

Continuing our study of the Gospel of John, we examine John “the Baptist.” While this John got his nickname because he baptized people, his true role was to “prepare the way of the Lord,” to bear witness to Jesus the Messiah. More accurately he could be known as John the Witness.

Of the four gospels, John’s is the most unique – he goes beyond what happened to delve more into the meaning of things Jesus said and did. Here Pastor Keith introduces a new series on John with a look at the first 14 verses, which serve as a prologue for the whole book.

Pastor Keith wraps up our “River of Life” review with this look at the fifth point LIVE. As “empowered witnesses in our world,” we are called to live out Jesus’ Great Commission: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20).

Pastor Derrick Shields teaches on Ezekiel 47:1-12, which includes our “River of Life” theme verse, “Where the river flows, everything will live” (v. 9).

The greatest pull on us toward institutionalization is that we would become passive consumers of spiritual provisions, coming to simply be fed and nurtured personally. Instead, God calls us to be actively engaged in the life and mission of His kingdom through joyful service and generous stewardship.