Slideshow image

Good afternoon, family!

 

I’m praying for you in the face of new storms. Maybe we should budget an ark in our maintenance budget!

 

Midweek Meditation: John 7:37-38

37On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.

38Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ”

In John 7 the Feast of Booths is concluding and Jesus makes quite an interruption. At the climactic last day Jesus proclaims to all Jerusalem what he had previously only proclaimed to the woman at the well back in chapter 4— that He’s the water of life! Imagine on Sunday morning during our time of silence at the beginning of the service, I stood up and yelled “I have an announcement!” The disruption alone would cause you to pay close attention. Well, in this text, Jesus quite literally interrupts and disrupts the norm to announce that he is both life’s satisfaction and life’s source.  

 

  1.     Jesus as the satisfaction of our life- V. 37


“If anyone thirsts…,” have you ever met someone who doesn’t’ thirst? We are all parched of soul. We all long for that which is spiritually satisfying. Jesus offers himself as sufficient to quench our soul’s thirst. How often we turn to secondary sources hoping our soul finds some happiness and satisfaction. We pull from wells the world, of self, and even of sin. The wells of the world taste temporal and therefore cannot satisfy us eternally. The well of self always runs out. And the wells of sin are poisoned by death. Come to Jesus, drink, and be satisfied.

 

  1. Jesus is the source of our life- V. 38

Jesus reiterates what is needed to “come” and taste the living water— belief. The act of drinking the living water is a rejection of all other sources. It fundamentally recognizes that as the body needs water to survive, the spirit needs Christ to be saved. As water gushed from the rock in the wilderness (Ex. 17) and as the trickle turned into a life-giving spring around the temple (Eze. 47), so salvation flows fully and freely from the heart of Christ. It saves, it cleanses, it renews. Seek Christ’s heart and you will naturally separate yourself from centering your life around anything else.

 

Jesus satisfies. Seek nothing else! The heart of Christ, gushing living water, centers and cleanses our living. Refuse any other secondary source.

 

Taste and see that he is good!

 

 

Ministry Prayer Requests

  • Pray for the salvation of souls and building of the church through VBS!
  • Pray for the children, that as they bring friends God would stir in them godly desires and make fan into flame a heart for ministry.
  • Pray that we face the waves of life seeing Christ as our stability in the storm.

 

Ministry Reminders

  • One note regarding VBS this week, we are cancelling tomorrow due to the storm likely to roll in. We hate to, but it is easier to plan ahead and announce tonight if we’ve reached a decision.
  • Remember our VBS celebration and church firework fellowship this Thursday!

 

Grace and peace,

Pastor Kyle