Today’s Verse

The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

John 4:19

Sunday, July 17

I have been writing about God’s immediate will for your life. Sometimes we only focus on the future; however, God has a will for your life today! In discovering God’s will for your life, we have learned that He will place divine appointments in our pathway. How do I handle these divine appointments? We learned from Step #1 to look for a divine appointment; and, in Step #2, initiate a spiritual conversation.

On this Sunday morning, let’s discover in Step #3 from our story in John 4 and the example that Jesus gives to us that we are to avoid being sidetracked by religion. In meeting with the women at the well, Jesus’ divine appointment, He was not sidetracked by doctrinal or cultural differences.

After Jesus reveals His knowledge of her life, she says that He must be a prophet. Understanding Him to be a man of God, she tries to turn the subject to religion.

She points back over her shoulder to Mt. Gerazim and says that her fathers, the Samaritans, said that they were to worship there. She then says that the “Jews” say that Jerusalem is the place. In other words, Catholics say this, but Baptists say this…

Jesus does not become embroiled in a denominational debate; neither does He deny his own religious heritage. Rather, He says that in verse 23, true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit (with your heart) and in truth (with your head).

In verse 25, suddenly, she gets the picture. She knows the “Messiah is coming” and that “He will tell us all things.” Jesus then reveals Himself, “I that speak unto thee am He.” She believed! What a beautiful picture. We do not have to debate religion to point people to Jesus. Just point people to Jesus!

Weekly Memory Verse

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

John 4:24

"I will not believe that thou hast tasted of the honey of the gospel if thou can eat it all to thyself."
- Charles Spurgeon

Pastor Armstrong

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