The woman at the well was empty and alone. She had no trouble attracting men and winning their affection. As Jesus points out, she’s had multiple husbands, and every one of them has failed to fill the void in her life. She’s been left despised and lonely, an outcast of society. Jesus sees her and has compassion. But, as Pastor Ray points out, he didn’t withhold judgement. He told her what her sin was, but He did so with grace and love, offering rest and fulfillment for her weary soul.

Jesus made a habit of loving and ministering to people who were on the fringes of society. The people that everyone else looked down on and avoided. It’s hard to believe that Jesus would love and forgive the worst amongst us; the murderers, the rapists, the abusers, but He loves them with the same love He has for every one of us. As Pastor Ray reminds us, all of us have sinned and fallen short, and we are on level ground with those people. It is only God’s love and grace that sets us apart and redeems us.

It’s hard to understand why God doesn’t provide physical healing every time we ask. We know He can. We read the stories in Scripture, we hear modern day accounts, and most of us have witnessed some form of healing first hand. But there are times when the healing just doesn’t happen. As Pastor Ray reminds us, we may not understand God’s reasoning, but we can count on the fact that He loves us and has given us something better than physical perfection: Spiritual healing and redemption through Jesus Christ.

Jesus life didn’t necessarily look successful from a human perspective. He didn’t amass wealth. He didn’t have a home or a family. He butted heads with the authorities at the time, and ultimately suffered a criminal’s death. From a human perspective, not so great. But it was a major victory in the spiritual realm. As Pastor Ray teaches in today’s message, Jesus found joy in His unity with His Father. And in His death and resurrection, He offered us the gift of eternal unity with God.

Satan understands humanity all too well. He knows we are empty apart from Christ, and he is actively trying to exploit this weakness in us. He presents a continuous flow of distractions, playing to our greed, lust and hunger for control. As Pastor Ray warns in today’s message, even within the church we are susceptible to a cycle of seeking after the “next big thing.” If we fix our eyes on Christ, those distractions will fade away and lose their power over our hearts and minds.

We experience all kinds of storms in this life. Physical ailments, depression, loss, financial hardship, the list could go on and on. In those times, we may wonder where Jesus is, and if He really can do anything for us. But then, we see Him through the wind and waves, walking on the water. As Pastor Ray encourage us in today’s message, Jesus is above the storm. He is in complete control, and no matter what form the storm may take, we can trust that He will always come through for us.

We don’t need to add anything to salvation. We are easily deceived into thinking that we bear the responsibility of earning and maintaining our salvation. We think that it will escalate our status in God’s eyes if we follow certain rules and regulations. As Pastor Ray reminds us in today’s message, our salvation lies only in the free gift of redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ. If we place our faith in Him to make us right in God’s eyes, we have done all that we need for salvation.

Tolerance and inclusiveness are big buzz words today. Christianity is often seen as lacking these elements in its core values. In today’s message, Pastor Ray reminds us of the most tolerant, inclusive act ever committed on this earth: When Jesus hung on that cross, and bore on Himself all the sins of the world, He ensured that anyone can come to Him and receive the gift of redemption. It was all-inclusive. Nobody is left out. We serve an amazing, loving Father who desires for all mankind to be a part of His family.

God had been orchestrating Jesus’ redemptive sacrifice since Adam and Eve chose to disobey Him in the Garden. He loves each and every one of us with a deep, passionate love. He sees us as His precious creation, and everything leading up to the cross was setting the stage for that moment. As Pastor Ray reminds us in today’s message, no matter how uncertain this life seems, we don’t need to worry. We can trust that He is sovereign and will work all things together for the good of those who love Him.

Skeptics of God and the Bible often structure their argument on the “cruelty” that they attribute to Him based on certain accounts found in Scripture. It’s tempting to get argumentative and take on an “us versus them” mentality when we find ourselves in these debates. In today’s message, Pastor Ray challenges us to approach those conversations by viewing those people through the grace of God and remembering that Christ died on the cross for them, the same as He did for us.