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Cancel the Cancel Culture
About 2000 years ago, a Samaritan woman came to a well to draw water. She came alone during the heat of the day which was unusual. Generally, women came to the well together as a social time (Gen 24:11; Exo 2:16) and during the cooler part of the day. From John 4, it seems the woman was immoral and an adulterer. Not just 1 time but 5 times. Two thousand years ago, it was typical for the other women to ostracize, ignore, or shun an immoral woman. This unnamed woman, who feels lonely and hopeless, came to the well where Jesus was at. She was surprised to be the recipient…
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Let Jesus satisfy your heart with His Love
How confident are you that Jesus loves you? Do you need assurance that He loves you? You might think that Jesus could not possibly want you because your life has been so messy or because someone has told you that you are not good enough for God to really love. The truth is that your heart need for love is real, and Jesus will satisfy your heart with the goodness of His love as you let Him do it. The Quest for Satisfaction Several years ago, my daughter and I were talking about the quest for satisfaction that drives women in our culture. From our experiences in ministry to women,…
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The impact of your story, and why you should tell it
In isolation, the human experience can begin to feel unique. In the spaces of silence, we can begin to feel ashamed by our struggles, and the silence will grow louder still. It’s not long before we believe that we are broken or undeserving of love because we are just so uniquely bad. The sacred act of telling our stories not only breaks the silence and connects people together, but it takes the name of Jesus far and wide. Rahab reminds us that stories of God spread among people and hearers are often moved to greater depths of faith, service and understanding of who God is. “I know that He Lord has…
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Was the woman at the well a “bad girl?”
For four decades I've believed, and even taught, that the Samaritan woman in John 4 was an immoral degenerate woman. Why? Because Jesus reveals her history with men in John 4:18. She has had five husbands and she is not married to the man she is with now. In our day, women with that kind of past would certainly be considered morally loose, until Jesus cleanses them. But as women scholars discover more about the social norms of first century marriage, I wonder if we have judged her prematurely? I used to teach that she drew water alone from the well at noon because she was a social outcast.…
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Should a Christian Attend a Homosexual Wedding?
“Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For the things they do in secret are shameful even to mention” (Ephesians 5:11-12). Not too long ago my wife was listening to New Life Live, a Christian radio and counseling program she has listened to for years. But she was shocked when she heard one of the hosts, Stephen Arterburn, say he would attend a homosexual marriage; though he admitted the other hosts might not agree with him on this decision. I was also stunned to hear about this, so I searched the web to find out what he and/or others were saying about this. I…
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Dialoguing Like Jesus
“Why is the sky blue?” I asked. “Because God made it that way” was the classic answer. But I was never satisfied with that answer. “Why did God make it that way?” I continued. “I don’t know,” replied the poor adult. To which I replied, “Well, why not?” Some of my family members have joked that my favorite word as a child was “why.” Like many children, I asked a lot of questions, and honestly, I am sure I annoyed a few people a time or two. When I read the Gospel accounts, I marvel at the skillful way in which Jesus asked questions. He wins the award for best…
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Samaritan Woman: Stay Away from Me?
I received a question this week from a former student, Vernita, about the Samaritan woman, whose story John records in the fourth chapter of his Gospel. Vernita: I'm looking for any credible historical data to support the statements I've read in some commentaries which suggest the Samaritan woman was an outcast in her society and came to the well later in the day than most women in order to avoid the scorn of that crowd. Are you aware of any writings that specifically and definitively state that, or would that be speculation based on what we know about that society? Me: English translations tell us, "It was about noon" (Jn.…