John 4:5-42
Lead in: The woman at the well was at first suspicious and guarded with this man she had never met before. But, as they engage in conversation, her hard exterior softens. Jesus awakens in her a desire for the living waters he speaks of. Wanting to hear more, she opens up and pours out her heart to this man she has never met before.
Prompt: If there were a person in your life with whom you could open up to, who would that be?
Prompt: How has that kind of trust and transparency helped you grow as a person?
Prompt: In what situations do you feel most free to be yourself?
Lead in: In the person of Jesus, the woman at the well finds the living waters she has been searching for all her life.
Prompt: What are the living waters that you are searching for? What are those things that bring lifegiving joy and hope to your life?
Lead in: As the woman at the well listens to Jesus, she realizes that there is so much more to life than the life she has settled for. It’s Jesus, the living water, who helps her see life in a whole new way.
Prompt: Was there ever a time when you realized that there was so much more to life than the life that you have settled for?
Prompt: If there were anyone or anything that has helped you see life in a whole new way, who or what would that be?
Lead in: When the disciples came to the well to find Jesus talking with a Samaritan, and a woman at that, they were shocked. They would have nothing to do with Samaritans. It was off limits to talk in public with a woman. Once again, in his effort to include the outsider, Jesus was breaking all the rules.
Prompt: Where in your life are you being called to include those whom you previously were inclined to overlook or ignore?
Lead in: Water can quench our thirst, but as C.S. Lewis pointed out, there are some things in life that can never quite be satisfied. That certain thing that we had hoped would satisfy but doesn’t, it’s what C.S. Lewis calls a “vague unhappiness”.
Prompt: Have you ever experienced a “vague unhappiness” that you couldn’t explain? What helped you move beyond that?
Prompt: Is there anything that you are thirsting for that your life can’t offer you?
