LGC - Intentional Moments Part 3

Intentional Moments (Part 3)

Speaker: Sam Bobby

INTRODUCTION

Through this series, we have been looking at the account of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4, discovering how Jesus was intentional in his interactions with the lost. In part 1, we learned to break boundaries in reaching out to anyone the Lord calls us, and in part 2, we discovered how to initiate spiritual conversations that are full of grace and seasoned with salt. This week, we examined the woman’s response and how she was intentional in her invitation to her town to “come and see a man who told me everything I ever did.” (John 4:29 NIV) What caused the woman to abandon her jar and return to her town, to a community that had rejected her, and fearlessly proclaim this invitation? We see that she was convinced of what she saw, heard and experienced in Jesus, which leads us to examine our own hearts and question our own convictions: have we had such an encounter with Jesus that gave us the deep conviction to share Him with others? How deep are our convictions today?

DISCUSSION

What was the last invitation you offered to a friend or relative? An example could be recommending a favourite restaurant or preferred service provider, or for an event, you were planning. What was it that caused you to offer that invitation?
Read John 4:1-26. Try to place yourself in the Samaritan woman’s frame of mind. Share how you imagine her perspective shifts over the course of their conversation. What words of Jesus’ do you think caught her attention? How does she attempt to deflect His attention from her own life?
Read John 4:27-30.

a. Share your observations about how the woman responds to Jesus’ words. How do you think she felt?

b. Can you share a time when you have had a similar encounter with Jesus? How did you respond?

c. How has walking with God changed your perspective, your passions, and your lifestyle?
Read Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23, Hebrews 5:12-14, Romans 10:17.

a. How does Jesus characterise the different types of soil?

b. How would you describe the soil of your heart?

c. What are some ways you can be intentional to go deeper in your convictions, such that you can echo Paul’s declaration in Romans 1:16 that he is not ashamed of the gospel?

WHAT WILL YOU DO

Jesus Christ deserves to be made known. What He did for our sake is good news worth sharing! In coming to Earth, living a perfect, sinless life, sacrificing Himself for our sins, and then defeating death and rising again we have our hope. We know we can be saved, and we know that this message is for everyone. What is God calling you to do, to go deeper in your convictions, to become fearless and intentional in your invitation to others to “come and see” Jesus? Perhaps we need to look for someone to disciple us, or to cultivate our personal walk with God by spending time daily in His Word, in worship and in prayer. We can join classes at FGA to help deepen our understanding and we can make the intentional effort to connect with people to have spiritual conversations. Let us take inspiration from the Samaritan woman, whose experience with Jesus so transformed her that she boldly shared Christ with people who had rejected her. May we grow in our experience with Christ and allow Him to transform our perspective. He deserves to be made known.

MEMORY VERSE

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.- Romans 1:16 NIV