This week we are considering the story of the woman at the well. The Gospel writer uses the story to tell his readers about the universality of the Gospel. While certain Jews in Jerusalem are becoming jealous of Jesus' popularity, the Samaritans, who are seen as outcasts according to Jerusalem's religious status quo, are more than willing to accept Jesus as the "savior of the world" (4:43).

This well-known story includes many elements. It is an example of Jesus crossing over gender and racial barriers to share the good news. It is a heart-warming account of Jesus' love and acceptance of a woman who appeared to be an outcast in her own community. (Her arriving at the well at noon indicated she was avoiding the usual time the townspeople made their daily visit.) But for our purposes we are considering how the narrative identifies the deep seated spiritual needs in the Samaritan woman and how Jesus addresses those needs.

The conversation starts with a common need. Both the woman and Jesus want water. She is shocked by Jesus' request knowing the animosity and taboo associated with this kind of interaction. Even the disciples were somewhat dismayed at the interaction (4:27). Jesus masterfully moves the conversation toward a spiritual end and with a prophetic insight followed with a messianic claim sets the whole town astir. By the end of the account the townspeople recognize Jesus as the "savior of the world." Something the Jews of Jerusalem are afraid to admit or even consider.

So the Gospel writer helps the reader to understand that the good news has spread beyond the confines of Israel and now the Samaritans have begun to believe and are accepted in the Kingdom. Who's next? Might even the Gentiles believe?

Questions for Discussion:

1. Slide 2. Talk about a recent spiritual conversation with a friend. What was most noticeable in his or her reaction? Your reaction?

2. Slide 13-15. What makes the Gospel and the community of the King attractive to outsiders? What makes it unattractive? Can we do anything about the unattractive elements?

3. Slide 16-17. What does "Living Water" represent in the woman's life? She is a pretty thoughtful woman, what does that say about the people we see as "far from the faith" or "most unlikely to be saved?"

4. Slide 18-19. In both conversations touching on her past and present relationships and her question regarding the proper place of worship, Jesus does not take sides - he just states the truth. What does that tell us about our spiritual conversations with friends?

5. Slide 20-21. Jesus make a startling claim (to be the "I am" of Exodus 3:14) yet she accepts it at face value. Why? What role does the Holy Spirit play in this conversation? How does that give us courage and hope?

6. Slide 22. What lesson can you draw from this conversation that might be applied in your conversations with friends?

This week we are considering the story of the woman at the well. The Gospel writer uses the story to tell his readers about the universality of the Gospel. While certain Jews in Jerusalem are becoming jealous of Jesus' popularity, the Samaritans, who are seen as outcasts according to Jerusalem's religious status quo, are more than willing to accept Jesus as the "savior of the world" (4:43).

This well-known story includes many elements. It is an example of Jesus crossing over gender and racial barriers to share the good news. It is a heart-warming account of Jesus' love and acceptance of a woman who appeared to be an outcast in her own community. (Her arriving at the well at noon indicated she was avoiding the usual time the townspeople made their daily visit.) But for our purposes we are considering how the narrative identifies the deep seated spiritual needs in the Samaritan woman and how Jesus addresses those needs.

The conversation starts with a common need. Both the woman and Jesus want water. She is shocked by Jesus' request knowing the animosity and taboo associated with this kind of interaction. Even the disciples were somewhat dismayed at the interaction (4:27). Jesus masterfully moves the conversation toward a spiritual end and with a prophetic insight followed with a messianic claim sets the whole town astir. By the end of the account the townspeople recognize Jesus as the "savior of the world." Something the Jews of Jerusalem are afraid to admit or even consider.

So the Gospel writer helps the reader to understand that the good news has spread beyond the confines of Israel and now the Samaritans have begun to believe and are accepted in the Kingdom. Who's next? Might even the Gentiles believe?

Questions for Discussion:

1. Slide 2. Talk about a recent spiritual conversation with a friend. What was most noticeable in his or her reaction? Your reaction?

2. Slide 13-15. What makes the Gospel and the community of the King attractive to outsiders? What makes it unattractive? Can we do anything about the unattractive elements?

3. Slide 16-17. What does "Living Water" represent in the woman's life? She is a pretty thoughtful woman, what does that say about the people we see as "far from the faith" or "most unlikely to be saved?"

4. Slide 18-19. In both conversations touching on her past and present relationships and her question regarding the proper place of worship, Jesus does not take sides - he just states the truth. What does that tell us about our spiritual conversations with friends?

5. Slide 20-21. Jesus make a startling claim (to be the "I am" of Exodus 3:14) yet she accepts it at face value. Why? What role does the Holy Spirit play in this conversation? How does that give us courage and hope?

6. Slide 22. What lesson can you draw from this conversation that might be applied in your conversations with friends?

This week we begin a new series on Soul Cravings: Spiritual Conversations with Friends. These next several weeks we will be looking at the conversations Jesus had with his friends in John's Gospel to try to learn how we too can have meaningful spiritual conversations with our friends. By Soul Cravings we are referring to those deep inner desires that make us long for something to satisfy our restlessness. I believe that God has put these cravings inside of us to make us look for him in whom these longings can only be satisfied. Some might say we are trying to be more specific about what the previous generation referred to as the God Shaped Vacuum in each of us that can only be filled with Jesus.

This week we are looking at the story of Nicodemus. It fits well with our paradigm because just prior to the conversation we find the narrator of the Gospel commenting on the crowds who followed Jesus "but that Jesus did not entrust himself to them for he knew all men. He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man." Our conversations starts with "Now there was a man …" In other words Nicodemus is used as an example of this extraordinary ability of Jesus to know what was in a man's heart.

In our text we will learn about how we can access (see and enter) the spiritual world; the Kingdom of God. It is not a natural phenomenon but it is predicated upon the reception of the Spirit of God who gives new birth to those who believe in Jesus. This new birth opens our lives up to a whole new way of viewing this life and the life to come. It is a revelatory experience for all those who receive the Spirit. Nicodemus learns that race and loyalty to the law cannot bring it about. He must be born again.

In the text there are two words that have a double meaning that are essential for understanding the text. First the word for "again" as in born again can also be translated "from above" as in born from above. Note that this explains why Jesus replies to Nicodemus in verse 3 when it doesn't appear in our translation that Nicodemus asked him a question. The connection is that Nicodemus comments that Jesus has come from God. We tend to think of God being above or in heaven so Jesus relies that Nicodemus too must be born from above (again) in order to even see the Kingdom of God from whence Jesus came. Nicodemus thinks Jesus is talking about a second birth and the discussion follows from there.

Secondly, the word Spirit is also the word for wind. So Jesus' comment about the wind blowing where it wants in verse 8 is intended to remind Nicodemus of the spirit blowing (or perhaps hovering) over the waters at the beginning of creation. The new creations are a result of the Spirit just as the first creation.

Questions for Discussion:

1. Slide 2-4. In your own words, describe the soul craving of those who long for spirituality.

2. Slide 6-7. What convinced Nicodemus that Jesus was from the Father? What does the Gospel writer want us to understand about Jesus and his followers at this early point in his history of Jesus?

3. Slide 8-10. Do you think Nicodemus was trying to be sarcastic? Why or why not? (Was it an honest question or one intended to mock Jesus?)

4. Slide 11-12. Other theologians understand "Water and spirit" to refer to water baptism. Can you think why? Do you agree or disagree?

5. Slide 13-16. Do you think Jesus was being too hard on Nicodemus? What other Old Testament stories might have alerted him to the way of salvation/regeneration/rebirth?

6. Slide 17-19. Discuss together how you might talk to your friends about what you have learned about spirituality. What kind of push back to you expect from your unbelieving friends? How will you handle that?

This week we begin a new series on Soul Cravings: Spiritual Conversations with Friends. These next several weeks we will be looking at the conversations Jesus had with his friends in John's Gospel to try to learn how we too can have meaningful spiritual conversations with our friends. By Soul Cravings we are referring to those deep inner desires that make us long for something to satisfy our restlessness. I believe that God has put these cravings inside of us to make us look for him in whom these longings can only be satisfied. Some might say we are trying to be more specific about what the previous generation referred to as the God Shaped Vacuum in each of us that can only be filled with Jesus.

This week we are looking at the story of Nicodemus. It fits well with our paradigm because just prior to the conversation we find the narrator of the Gospel commenting on the crowds who followed Jesus "but that Jesus did not entrust himself to them for he knew all men. He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man." Our conversations starts with "Now there was a man …" In other words Nicodemus is used as an example of this extraordinary ability of Jesus to know what was in a man's heart.

In our text we will learn about how we can access (see and enter) the spiritual world; the Kingdom of God. It is not a natural phenomenon but it is predicated upon the reception of the Spirit of God who gives new birth to those who believe in Jesus. This new birth opens our lives up to a whole new way of viewing this life and the life to come. It is a revelatory experience for all those who receive the Spirit. Nicodemus learns that race and loyalty to the law cannot bring it about. He must be born again.

In the text there are two words that have a double meaning that are essential for understanding the text. First the word for "again" as in born again can also be translated "from above" as in born from above. Note that this explains why Jesus replies to Nicodemus in verse 3 when it doesn't appear in our translation that Nicodemus asked him a question. The connection is that Nicodemus comments that Jesus has come from God. We tend to think of God being above or in heaven so Jesus relies that Nicodemus too must be born from above (again) in order to even see the Kingdom of God from whence Jesus came. Nicodemus thinks Jesus is talking about a second birth and the discussion follows from there.

Secondly, the word Spirit is also the word for wind. So Jesus' comment about the wind blowing where it wants in verse 8 is intended to remind Nicodemus of the spirit blowing (or perhaps hovering) over the waters at the beginning of creation. The new creations are a result of the Spirit just as the first creation.

Questions for Discussion:

1. Slide 2-4. In your own words, describe the soul craving of those who long for spirituality.

2. Slide 6-7. What convinced Nicodemus that Jesus was from the Father? What does the Gospel writer want us to understand about Jesus and his followers at this early point in his history of Jesus?

3. Slide 8-10. Do you think Nicodemus was trying to be sarcastic? Why or why not? (Was it an honest question or one intended to mock Jesus?)

4. Slide 11-12. Other theologians understand "Water and spirit" to refer to water baptism. Can you think why? Do you agree or disagree?

5. Slide 13-16. Do you think Jesus was being too hard on Nicodemus? What other Old Testament stories might have alerted him to the way of salvation/regeneration/rebirth?

6. Slide 17-19. Discuss together how you might talk to your friends about what you have learned about spirituality. What kind of push back to you expect from your unbelieving friends? How will you handle that?

This week we conclude our series on Jonah. Throughout this series we have been thinking about living within the expressed will of God and Jonah has been our "anti-hero" as he does anything but cooperate with the Lord. In chapter 4 Jonah finally says out loud what he has been living in the first three chapters. He is angry with God because of God's grace and compassion on Nineveh. He turns one of the greatest attributes of God into a cause for complaint! One of the most often quoted descriptors of God from the Old Testament - that God is compassionate - Jonah turns against God and uses this same quality as a reason for his despair. Our series this month seeks to answer the question: What does it take to live within the expressed will of God? This week we will look at a final principle from the book. In order to live within the expressed will of God we must celebrate the magnificent grace of God - wherever it is found.

It is hard to rejoice when our competitors do well. It is difficult to feel good about things when God does not act as we think he should. But since He is God and we are not; this is often the case. His ways are not always our ways.

The Lord is patient with Jonah and gives him an object lesson to try to get through to him the reason for his concern for Nineveh. Jonah is disappointed when a worm destroys a plant that was shading his head. He is more concerned about the demise of the plant than he is the potential destruction of Nineveh. There are 120,000 people in Nineveh who have no moral compass; and this is God's concern. He is more interested in Nineveh than the comfort of Jonah's head. He is more interested in the condition of Jonah's heart, than the comfort of his head. He disturbs Jonah's comfortable life with a word from His mouth. God has a way of waking us from our status quo relationship with Him and moving us to Nineveh.

Questions for Discussion:

1. Slide 2-3. Have you ever caught yourself begrudging the success of others? Why do you do that?

2. Slide 11-13. Describe a time when to you God's grace didn’t seem like grace at all. Why do we not always recognize grace in our lives? In the lives of others?

3. Slide 12. Compare Jonah's second prayer with his first prayer in the belly of the great fish. What is different now about his prayer? Why?

4. Slide 14-16. Why did Israel celebrate the Feast of Booths? Does the author intend for us to learn something about this celebration and the irony of Jonah's attitude when he builds himself a booth?

Slide 17-21. Compare Jonah to Jesus. What similarities and differences do you see in their response to God's Word, their concern for the lost and their work or rest after the grace of God is revealed to sinners?

This week we conclude our series on Jonah. Throughout this series we have been thinking about living within the expressed will of God and Jonah has been our "anti-hero" as he does anything but cooperate with the Lord. In chapter 4 Jonah finally says out loud what he has been living in the first three chapters. He is angry with God because of God's grace and compassion on Nineveh. He turns one of the greatest attributes of God into a cause for complaint! One of the most often quoted descriptors of God from the Old Testament - that God is compassionate - Jonah turns against God and uses this same quality as a reason for his despair. Our series this month seeks to answer the question: What does it take to live within the expressed will of God? This week we will look at a final principle from the book. In order to live within the expressed will of God we must celebrate the magnificent grace of God - wherever it is found.

It is hard to rejoice when our competitors do well. It is difficult to feel good about things when God does not act as we think he should. But since He is God and we are not; this is often the case. His ways are not always our ways.

The Lord is patient with Jonah and gives him an object lesson to try to get through to him the reason for his concern for Nineveh. Jonah is disappointed when a worm destroys a plant that was shading his head. He is more concerned about the demise of the plant than he is the potential destruction of Nineveh. There are 120,000 people in Nineveh who have no moral compass; and this is God's concern. He is more interested in Nineveh than the comfort of Jonah's head. He is more interested in the condition of Jonah's heart, than the comfort of his head. He disturbs Jonah's comfortable life with a word from His mouth. God has a way of waking us from our status quo relationship with Him and moving us to Nineveh.

Questions for Discussion:

1. Slide 2-3. Have you ever caught yourself begrudging the success of others? Why do you do that?

2. Slide 11-13. Describe a time when to you God's grace didn’t seem like grace at all. Why do we not always recognize grace in our lives? In the lives of others?

3. Slide 12. Compare Jonah's second prayer with his first prayer in the belly of the great fish. What is different now about his prayer? Why?

4. Slide 14-16. Why did Israel celebrate the Feast of Booths? Does the author intend for us to learn something about this celebration and the irony of Jonah's attitude when he builds himself a booth?

Slide 17-21. Compare Jonah to Jesus. What similarities and differences do you see in their response to God's Word, their concern for the lost and their work or rest after the grace of God is revealed to sinners?

The story continues! Last week we left Jonah on the beach, covered in slime, seaweed, fish entrails, and smelling like a fish processing plant. If you think he's learned his lesson and will now eagerly cooperate with God's plan - you would be wrong. As we delve into chapter 3 Jonah obeys but only half-heartedly. He follows through and delivers God's message to Nineveh, but there's something peculiar about the message and the manner in which he delivers the message. He may have cleaned himself up after three days in the belly of a fish – but his attitude still stinks. He still hates the Ninevites and hopes they all go to hell.

Our lesson today – "In order to live within the expressed will of God we must fully participate with God's plan." As we examine Jonah's journey in chapter three we glean several insights into the nature of God's Plan. God's plan includes care for the messenger and concern for the lost. Also, God has more ways of accomplishing his will then we do of avoiding it. Think about it – the greatest revival in history happened because of an 8 word sermon – which was entirely negative, preached by a prophet who didn't want to be there, who was hoping for destruction and hated the people he was preaching to. What are the chances of revival breaking out? Zero to none – without God. However, God has more ways of accomplishing his plan than we do of avoiding it.

As usual, we need to ask ourselves "What is God saying to us today through this passage?" What are the take home principles for me? Here are some keys thoughts to consider and discuss with your group:

1. Read Jonah 3:1-10

a. Were there any "Aha!" moments as you listened to the message? Discuss

2. Read 2 Peter 3:9 and John 3:16, and discuss God's heart towards the lost.

a. What is my attitude towards those who are lost? Why?

b. How can I cultivate a heart for the lost that emulates God's heart?

3. Read 2 Cor 5:18-20 and Matthew 28:19-20 and discuss our responsibility to bring this message of reconciliation to the lost.

a. What does this message look like?

b. As I consider my personal story, who does God want me to share it with?

4. How will I respond? Will I grumble and complain and put forward a half-hearted effort – like Jonah. Or, will I fully, joyfully, and obediently cooperate with God's plan? It's my choice.

a. What fears have kept me from fulfilling the mission God made me to accomplish?

b. What keeps me from sharing this message with others?

c. How will I respond?

The story continues! Last week we left Jonah on the beach, covered in slime, seaweed, fish entrails, and smelling like a fish processing plant. If you think he's learned his lesson and will now eagerly cooperate with God's plan - you would be wrong. As we delve into chapter 3 Jonah obeys but only half-heartedly. He follows through and delivers God's message to Nineveh, but there's something peculiar about the message and the manner in which he delivers the message. He may have cleaned himself up after three days in the belly of a fish – but his attitude still stinks. He still hates the Ninevites and hopes they all go to hell.

Our lesson today – "In order to live within the expressed will of God we must fully participate with God's plan." As we examine Jonah's journey in chapter three we glean several insights into the nature of God's Plan. God's plan includes care for the messenger and concern for the lost. Also, God has more ways of accomplishing his will then we do of avoiding it. Think about it – the greatest revival in history happened because of an 8 word sermon – which was entirely negative, preached by a prophet who didn't want to be there, who was hoping for destruction and hated the people he was preaching to. What are the chances of revival breaking out? Zero to none – without God. However, God has more ways of accomplishing his plan than we do of avoiding it.

As usual, we need to ask ourselves "What is God saying to us today through this passage?" What are the take home principles for me? Here are some keys thoughts to consider and discuss with your group:

1. Read Jonah 3:1-10

a. Were there any "Aha!" moments as you listened to the message? Discuss

2. Read 2 Peter 3:9 and John 3:16, and discuss God's heart towards the lost.

a. What is my attitude towards those who are lost? Why?

b. How can I cultivate a heart for the lost that emulates God's heart?

3. Read 2 Cor 5:18-20 and Matthew 28:19-20 and discuss our responsibility to bring this message of reconciliation to the lost.

a. What does this message look like?

b. As I consider my personal story, who does God want me to share it with?

4. How will I respond? Will I grumble and complain and put forward a half-hearted effort – like Jonah. Or, will I fully, joyfully, and obediently cooperate with God's plan? It's my choice.

a. What fears have kept me from fulfilling the mission God made me to accomplish?

b. What keeps me from sharing this message with others?

c. How will I respond?

This series focuses on the life and trials of the famous fish-dweller. What does it take to live within the expressed will of God?

This series focuses on the life and trials of the famous fish-dweller. What does it take to live within the expressed will of God?