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Announcements

BRIDGE CLASSES
Sunday, May 22 @ 11:45a
The Bridge - Learning Center w/lunch

In Starting Point, learn why The Bridge Church exists, where we're headed, what we believe, and how you can be a part of it. In Discovering My Ministry, we’ll help you realize your spiritual gifts and talents to serve God and serve his people. Light lunch will be served. Sign up today for our next class using the Connection Card at https://thebridgereno.com/connect

KIDS KINGDOM VOLUNTEERS
Your Help is Needed Now
Kids Kingdom sees more children every week, and we need volunteers! We want to bring our 9:00a kids program back, but we need enough people to make that happen. We need Greeters, Teachers, Room Helpers, and more. For more info, fill out our Connection Card here, https://thebridgereno.com/connect. Kids Kingdom sees more children every week, and we need volunteers! We want to bring our 9:00a kids program back, but we need enough people to make that happen. We need Greeters, Teachers, Room Helpers, and more. For more info, fill out our Connection Card here, https://thebridgereno.com/connect

SUPPORT OUR MISSION
You can support our mission using the Give Button in our App or online at https://thebridgereno.com/giving

Message Notes

The "E" Word: Do the Unexpected

Pastor Bill West
May 29, 2022

Go Where Others Avoid Going
Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John—although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph.
John 4:1–5

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." Then Jesus told them this parable:
Luke 15:1–3 

Engage People Where They Are
Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) 
John 4:4–9 

When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners. 
Mark 2:16–17 

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.  
Luke 19:10

"To God, Every human being is immensely worth saving, Sin Does Not make Us Worthless-Only Lost!"
- Dallas Willard

Tell the Message of Grace
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”” “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
John 4:10–15

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.
Ephesians 2:8–9

Bottom Line: People don’t care what you know, until they know who you are.

Small Groups Talk About It

  1. Author Rebekah Pippert once said,  "The Christian and non-Christian share one thing in common, they both hate Evangelism."  
    What do you think about this statement?

  1. When you think about sharing your faith, what thoughts and emotions do you have?  What images come to your mind?

  1. Read and Discuss John 4: 1-5: Why would most Jews avoid going to Samaria?  What are some places we often avoid going today? Jesus broke the rules to interact with this Samaritan woman.  What does this tell you about Him and about us?

  1. Read and John 4:4-10: What stands out to you about in these verses? How did Jesus demonstrate value to this woman? What does her reaction to Jesus tell you?  What did Jesus mean by the “gift of God”?

  1. Read and discuss Mark 2:16-17 and Luke 19:10: What does this tell you about the mission of Jesus?  In what ways is this the mission of the Bridge and how can we grow in this area?

  1. John Maxwell has said, "God does not change us to accept us, He accepts us top change us." Do you agree or not? How does this affect the way that we approach people today?

  1. Read John 4:10-15: What stands out to you here.  What was the focus of the woman here? What is Jesus aiming for?  Some form of the word “give” is used 7 times in these verses, any reason why that might be significant? How do we tell the story of God’s Grace?

  2. Pastor Bill West said, "People do not care what you know until they get to know you." What do you think?

  1. Pray for each other.