God meets us in the middle of our most difficult times. He especially meets us in the desert, where all of life’s comforts and securities are stripped away. It is often in these moments when all is laid bare that we are faced with what Scripture calls depravity. That is the reality that as good as we try to be, want to be, or desire to be, like a weed that continues to come back in the garden, we do things that we would rather not. These times are scary, but they also hold immense potential for our lives and values to be transformed by God’s generosity and grace.
Listen
Leaders listen to this short message from Grant Hickman on the Water of Life. You can listen to this on your own or with a group. As you lead your Home Community or family feel free to listen to the message and contextualize it for your needs.
Watch
Leaders, here is The Bible Project’s video on Water of Life. Share this with your group ahead of time, or watch it together and then answer these questions
- What did you notice in this video that resonated with what is going on in your life right now?
- What did God teach you about who he is?
- Is there anything that you want to share with other people?
Read
To explore this weeks topic in Scripture use the following daily devotions. If you are in a group share these with them and take time to share what God is teaching you.
Read:
Jeremiah accuses the Israelites of trusting in false gods and false sources of life, depicted as broken cisterns that don’t hold water and ultimately can’t give them what they need.
Question 1:
Who or what do you turn to when you are anxious and uncertain? What are some powerful self-made sources of stability you tend to trust in your own life?
Question 2:
Take a moment to reflect on how all of life is dependent on God’s power and generosity. Does this understanding change how you view those self-made sources of stability? What would it look like for you to choose to trust God’s generosity, rather than your own “broken cisterns”?
Read:
Isaiah 43:16-21, Isaiah 44:1-5
In the past, God delivered his people by the Exodus through the sea and then provided water in the wilderness. The “new thing” God will do to deliver his people is to provide a better water in the wilderness—his own Spirit—which will grow a new garden of Eden people who will flourish.
Question 1:
In what ways do you resonate with the image of living in a dry and desolate desert? What kind of “water” or relief do you find yourself longing for?
Question 2:
Is your current connection with God satisfying to you? Set aside some time to share your feelings about your current circumstances with God or trusted others.
Read:
Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that the well water gives short-term life that cannot ultimately quench our thirst. He is offering water that never runs dry and generates eternal life. In John 7, we find out that this water is the Spirit.
Question 1:
What are the places in your life where nothing seems to satisfy or quench your thirst? What do you think it would look like for God’s Spirit to be like living water in those areas of your life?
Question 2:
How does it affect you to know that Jesus is offering water that never runs dry, eternal life in the Spirit?