Tag Archives: Samaritan woman

Would bringing back blue laws help? (John 4:21-26), January 25, 2017

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Today’s Podcast


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  1. Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
  2. Do you remember blue laws? If you’re younger than 50, probably not. We don’t have many if any blue laws around anymore, but maybe we should. Maybe we wouldn’t be in the pickle we’re in today with our worship. Listen and find out why.
  3. Scripture
    1. John 4:21-26
    2. Jesus:  Woman, I tell you that neither is so. Believe this: a new day is coming—in fact, it’s already here—when the importance will not be placed on the time and place of worship but on the truthful hearts of worshipers. You worship what you don’t know while we worship what we do know, for God’s salvation is coming through the Jews. The Father is spirit, and He is seeking followers whose worship is sourced in truth and deeply spiritual as well. Regardless of whether you are in Jerusalem or on this mountain, if you do not seek the Father, then you do not worship.

Woman:  These mysteries will be made clear by He who is promised, the Anointed One.

Jesus:  The Anointed is speaking to you. I am the One you have been looking for.

 

  1. Devotional
    1. I’m not sure, but I think the largest segment of the population today are the baby boomers. Generations before us, families were larger, but they have now passed on our parents started worrying about population growth, being able to send us to college and provide for all us baby boomer kids in the suburbs, and so our families tended to begin to curb those population swells. The Gen-Xers and Millennials seldom have more than two kids and many have no kids, so the baby boomers are the big chunk in the US anyway. So what’s that got to do with today’s scripture?
    2. Greatest Generation and their children
      1. Raised with societal norms of Christian standards in this country
      2. Church every Sunday
      3. Blue laws
      4. Nothing open on Sunday
    3. Baby Boomers became interested in money
      1. Relaxed and abolished blue laws
      2. Worship anytime or anywhere
      3. Sports took center stage on Sunday afternoon instead of family
      4. Christian values were no longer the norm
    4. Today
      1. No worship tolerated
      2. 24 hour operations the norm
      3. Christian values viewed as hate speech
      4. Cesspool of sex, drugs, and violence everywhere you turn
    5. Jesus’ words come back to haunt us today because we have lost our way in worship and following what He wants us to do.
      1. It doesn’t matter where or when we worship
      2. but…The Father is spirit, and He is seeking followers whose worship is sourced in truth and deeply spiritual as well. Regardless of whether you are in Jerusalem or on this mountain, if you do not seek the Father, then you do not worship.
      3. When we let the world dictate our norms and leave Him out, we run the risk of losing our eternal life
  1. If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Give a fish or teach to fish, what does that have to do with Jesus? (John 4:8-20), January 24, 2017

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Today’s Podcast


Subscribe in: iTunes|Download

 

  1. Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
  2. Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach him to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. I’m sure you’ve heard that saying many times. That old piece of wisdom popped into my head as I read Jesus’ words today. Let me tell you why.
  3. Scripture
    1. John 4:8-18
    2. Jesus: Would you draw water, and give Me a drink?

Woman:  I cannot believe that You, a Jew, would associate with me, a Samaritan woman; much less ask me to give You a drink.

Jews, you see, have no dealings with Samaritans.

Jesus:  You don’t know the gift of God or who is asking you for a drink of this water from Jacob’s well. Because if you did, you would have asked Him for something greater; and He would have given you the living water.

Woman:  Sir, You sit by this deep well a thirsty man without a bucket in sight. Where does this living water come from?  Are You claiming superiority to our father Jacob who labored long and hard to dig and maintain this well so that he could share clean water with his sons, grandchildren, and cattle?

Jesus:  Drink this water, and your thirst is quenched only for a moment. You must return to this well again and again.  I offer water that will become a wellspring within you that gives life throughout eternity. You will never be thirsty again.

Woman:  Please, Sir, give me some of this water, so I’ll never be thirsty and never again have to make the trip to this well.

Jesus:  Then bring your husband to Me.

Woman:  I do not have a husband.

Jesus: Technically you are telling the truth. But you have had five husbands and are currently living with a man you are not married to.

  1. Devotional
    1. So, you’ve heard the old sage’s wisdom many times in your lifetime, I’m sure. “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”
      1. Simple logic when you think about it
      2. Fill his belly once yourself or teach him to fill it every day on his own
      3. Too many times we are satisfied with giving someone a fish instead of teaching him to fish
    2. Why is it so easy to feed instead of teach?
      1. Takes much more time
      2. Must invest yourself in the person’s life
      3. Must understand their strengths and limitations
      4. You must know how to do it in the first place
    3. Why would Jesus’ words bring me to these thoughts today?
      1. God-sized hole in each of us
      2. Easy to try to fill it with worldly pleasure; like giving a person a fish, it doesn’t last
      3. Jesus wants us to dig deep into His word
      4. Study what He tells us
      5. Put it into practice
      6. Learning from God how to fill that God-sized hole His way satisfies for eternity
  2. If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.