Over the last couple months, the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted our entire world. For most of us, this means we can’t gather with our local church community, so here’s something that could help: below you’ll find one of our videos, suggested Scripture readings, and some discussion questions to use for yourself or with family and friends.
The Scripture readings and BibleProject video for this week’s Church at Home will focus on the theme of the Water of Life. We’ll look at moments where God meets his people out in the desert, where all of life’s comforts and securities have been stripped away. These times are scary, but they also hold immense potential for our lives and our values to be transformed by God’s generosity and grace.
Watch
Listen
Message from Tim Mackie:
Read & Discuss
Scripture Reading One: Jeremiah 2:1-13
Jeremiah accuses the Israelites of trusting in false gods and false sources of life, depicted as broken cisterns that don’t hold water well (and ultimately can’t give them what they need).
- 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?
- 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”?
Scripture Reading Two: 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 allow people to truly flourish.
- 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?
- 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.
Scripture Reading Three: John 4:1-26 & John 7:37-39
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.
- 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?
- How does it affect you to know that Jesus is offering water that never runs dry––eternal life in the Spirit?