Jesus shattered social, religious, and cultural norms in a single encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. Today we explore Christ's radical love that knows no boundaries, challenging us to move beyond comfortable faith. Learn how drinking deeply from the living water Jesus offers can transform not just our lives, but our entire communities. Are you ready to love scandalously, break barriers, and live out a faith that makes a difference? We will dig deep into this powerful story and its implications for our lives today.

Jesus never said following Him would be easy, but it will be good. It's not meant to be conventional, it's a call to a radically different way of living, loving, and pursuing justice. In the coming weeks, we're going to dive deeper into various episodes of the scandals of Jesus that illustrate how radical His call is. But for now, let me leave you with this question: Are we ready to embrace the scandal? Are we willing to let Jesus challenge our assumptions, disrupt our comfort, and transform us into agents of His scandalous love?

Jesus, please forgive us for taming Your radical message. It seems we've made Jesus comfortable when He really came to challenge us. We need to have the courage to love as Jesus loved, to pursue Justice like He did, and to be agents of His Kingdom in this world. Our lives should cause people to ask questions, just as His did!

We have been on a journey from favor to the new covenant. I want to challenge all of us to fully embrace this new reality. This new covenant isn't just about future salvation, but a new way of living now. It's having God's law written on our hearts, being filled with His Spirit, and living as citizens of His Kingdom here and now. What a privilege to be included in the New Covenant through Christ. To have His law written on our hearts, empowered by the Holy Spirit. God, help us demonstrate the reality of Your Kingdom and the power of Your love to our world!

Will we accept the relationship God desires with us living in the New Covenant? Everything we've been talking about seems to find its fulfillment in Jesus. His sacrifice invites us into a new way of living — in covenant relationship with God and sacrificial love toward others. This isn't only about personal salvation, but about being part of God's plan to redeem and restore all things. This is God's favor. It's poured out on us, but doesn't stay with us. It flows through us to others as we participate with Him to be a blessing to all people.

David's journey went from anointed shepherd to persecuted fugitive to covenant king to part of the Messianic covenant. Through it all, God's favor and covenant promises sustained him. Like David, we must learn to trust God's favor, even when it leads to challenges. Hold fast to God's covenant promises, ESPECIALLY in difficult times. Remember, life's hardships can deepen our faith and shape our character if we let them. We're part of a larger covenant story that finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ!

Moses example shows us how God's favor and covenant faithfulness work together. We need to trust His plan, even when we feel inadequate. We may very well be channels of His covenant blessings to the world around us!

The story of Joseph reminds us of God's constant favor, even in the darkest moments of life. Your current situation is not the end of your story. Your challenges now might be manifest as God's favor when His plan is revealed. Will we remain faithful and trust God's favor? Oh God, help us to trust you like Joseph did, able to see your hand at work even when all seems lost. We need to live with integrity, be confident in God's favor, and always be ready to be part of God's bigger plan.

What an incredible journey we are on discovering God's favor and covenant promise as revealed through Abraham. Because of God's favor, we are invited to a covenant with Him. But it's a covenant in which God carries all the weight. What He's asking of us is to live in relationship with Him. To allow the Holy Spirit to dwell within us. To love God and others. When Jesus initiated the new covenant, he invited us in and said we should love others like he loves us. Will we live in His favor today? Will we embrace this covenant with Him?

What lessons can we draw from Abram's journey of faith and God's favor? First, faith requires action. Faith is more than just belief, it is belief in motion. We also see how God's promises sustain us when everything around us seems uncertain. Cling to the promises of God, remember your encounters with Him, tell your story to others. These things help us remember we are favored and living in a promise. Finally we learn that God's favor leads to a covenant relationship. God's favor in your life is an invitation to a deeper relationship. This relationship involves both privileges and responsibilities. We must remember our covenant commitment to Him.

We are living as favored people…a favored church. As we look back to what we learned from Isaiah, we realize we have a choice. We must live in this favor by repenting and turning towards Him, moving deeper in our relationship with God. Accepting the responsibility to be ambassadors of God's kingdom everywhere we go…at home, at work, in our neighborhoods. God's favor isn't about making our lives easier. It's about making our lives count for something greater than ourselves. May we, like Mary, have the courage to say "yes" to God's favor, whatever it may bring.