Slide 1
John 4:3-6 (ESV)
3 he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. 4 And he had to pass through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. John 4:3-6

Slide 2
John 4:10-15 (ESV)
10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” 13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.[b] The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.” John 4:1-15

Slide 3
John 4:16-19 (ESV)
16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” 19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. John 4:16-19

Slide 4
Matthew 9:10-13 (NIV)
10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:10-13

Slide 5
John 4:28-29 (ESV)
28 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” John 4:28-29

Slide 16
John 4:39-42 (ESV)
39 Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of his word. 42 They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.” John 4:39-42

My name is Allison Hussey and I’m a junior at Thunderwood High School. I’ve been attending Cherry Hills for 17 years. My favorite thing about Cherry Hills is the community that’s brought me a sport that I really enjoy and excel at is softball. When I go out to eat, my favorite thing to have is Mexican food. A bible verse that really resonates with me is Colossians two, six through seven. So then just as you received Christ, Jesus’ Lord, continue to live your lives in him. Rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught and overflowing with thankfulness. Some of my most treasured memories with Cherry Hills are going on my mission trips. Well, good morning, cherry Hills.

My name is Allison Hessey. I’m a junior at Thunder Ridge High School, and I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to come and speak to you all this morning. I have been attending Cherry Hills for my entire life, and I’m currently serving on our student leadership team and as a sixth grade girl, small group leader. This morning I wanted to talk to you all about a story from the Bible that has had a huge impact on my life, and that is the story of the woman at the well. Please open your Bibles with me to John chapter four, and we’ll start in verses three through six. It says, Jesus left Judea and departed again for Galilee, and he had to pass through a town of Samaria. So he came to a town of Samaria called Skar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son, Joseph Jacob’s well was there, so Jesus we read as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well.

It was about the sixth hour. A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, give me a drink, for his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, how is it that you a Jew asked for a drink from me? A woman of Samaria for Jews had no dealings with Samaritans. Now, for some context, the sixth hour is around noon in our time today, so this was the hottest part of the day, and most women wouldn’t even try to get water because of the energy that it took in that heat. This was perfect for the Samaritan to know because she didn’t wanna be seen by anyone else. Scholars believe this showed she was an outcast in her community, needing to avoid the crowds of the woman that had to go there. If this was me, I’d be shocked and honestly a little annoyed to see another person there, let alone him asking me for a drink of the water that I had just fetched.

At this time in history, Jewish citizens did everything they could to avoid Samaritans. Jews considered Samaritans as unclean because they had intermarried with non-Jews brought un to their territory after a war that destroyed their people, which is something God committed them specifically not to do. Now, not only was Jesus crossing these ethnic boundaries, but he was also crossing gender boundaries at this time in history, it was very inappropriate for a man and a woman to be having a conversation alone. This conversation really should not have been happening, but yet Jesus chose to step and do it Anyway, the passage and goes on to say in verses 10 through 15, Jesus answered her, if you knew the gift of God and who that is saying this to you, give me a drink. You would’ve asked him and he would’ve given you the living water. The woman said to him, sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep.

Where do you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us this well and drank from it himself as if his sons and his life sock. Jesus said to her, everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water that I will give to him will never be thirsty. The water that I will give him will become in him a well. It’s springing up to eternal life. The woman said to him, sir, give me this water, said, I will not be thirsty anymore. Have to come here to draw water. The woman is obviously still confused on this living water concept Jesus is talking about. He comes in in the middle of the hottest part of the day and he’s talking to a woman who most Jews would completely disassociate themselves from. But this just shows us exactly who Jesus is.

Jesus sought out the outcast, it, the shamed, and the sinners that wanted to stay hidden. This living water that he’s talking about is the same gift that he still has for all of us today. Jesus came down from heaven bearing human flesh, bearing every hurt, pain, and evil of this world just to live a perfect life and die for all of us washing our sins clean. And the best part of this is this living water that he’s offering to her was not just an offering to the women at the well, but it’s also an offering for each and every one of us today. Now, the woman could hide her past and her present from her community, but she couldn’t hide anything from Jesus. Jesus knew her inside and out. He knew everything she had been through and he even knew the amount of hairs on her head.

He chose to step in this conversation because he knew how important she was to her creator. He says to her in verses 16 through 19, go call your husband and come here. The woman answered, I have no husband. Jesus said to her, you’re right in saying I have no husband. For you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said to me is true. The woman said to him, sir, I perceive that you are a prophet now because of all the husbands she had had. Most people in her community had shamed her and judged her without even giving her a second chance, but not Jesus. Jesus showed her and all those other sinners compassion because in his eyes, her sin was not the thing that defined her. He saw her as a child of God who was loved so deeply by the one who created her.

This is such a good reminder for us as Christians today. I know so often I catch myself judging other people, thinking badly about other people without even giving them a second chance. But it’s so important. We remember each and every one of us was created by the same God who knows the exact amount of hairs on our head and that loves us so much that he sent his one and only son to die for our sins. This theme of Jesus seeking out the outcasted, the shames, and the sinners that wanted to stay hidden is very common throughout all of the gospels. Another good example of this is Matthew nine 10 through 13. It says, well, Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house. Many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?

Upon hearing this, Jesus said, it’s not the healthy who needed a doctor but the sick, but go on and learn what this means. I desire mercy, not sacrifice for I have not come to call the righteous, but to call the sinners. During this time, tax collectors were seen as corrupt traitors to the public. They worked for the Romans and they would do things like charge a $7 tax on something that was actually $5 and keep $2 profit for themselves. So almost everyone in their community hated them, but not Jesus. Jesus showed them and all other sinners compassion, just like he did for the woman at the well. As he said, he didn’t come to teach the righteous, but they already knew. But he came to show those who didn’t know him, his everlasting love for them. Now, this part of Jesus’ character has always stood out to me.

The video touched on but but on it, but something I’ve always loved is mission. So whether it’s local through our church or international. This past summer I had the opportunity to visit Juarez, Mexico with our youth group, and then I had the opportunity to go back again with some of my friends over spring break. We got to build houses for two different families and serve people in different soup, kitchens, libraries, and even an adult special needs home. The the impact that these trips have had on me is unlike no other, and they’re things that I’m never gonna forget. They taught me that no matter where you have what you have or where you live, Jesus can use you. Over our spring break trip, we built a house for a family of four and they had a little boy named Joshua. I should have a picture from up here. Joshua was just the sweetest little boy I’ve ever met in my life. As soon as we got there, he ran up and gave us all hugs and the entire time he just loves talking to us, telling us stories, and hanging out with us. There’s one specific conversation I remember as we were painting the sides of the house. He told me that one day his dream is filled, houses like these for other families that need them. This just shows the impact that our actions can have on other people.

Sorry. Jesus calls us to go and meet with those who don’t know him or who have not yet met with him so that we can show him that true and genuine love he has for everyone. Jo’s reaction to us building his house for him reminds me of what happened after Jesus had spoken to the woman at the well. John 4 28 through 29 says, so the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, come see a man who told me all I ever did. Can this be Christ? And it continues in verse 39 saying, many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony he told me all I ever did. So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there for two days and many more believed because of his word.

They said to the woman, it is no longer because of what you told us that we believe we’ve heard for ourselves, and we know this is indeed the savior of the world. Because of the impact that Jesus had had on this woman, she couldn’t stay silent and she couldn’t stay still. She had to go and share her encounter to everyone in her town. And because she did this, she led so many more people to believing in him. I hope someday Joshua, the little boy gets to do the same for his community, spreading Jesus’ love for each and every person through his actions like building houses. I think this is why I feel so connected to this passage. Jesus has truly changed my life, even after the judgment in my heart and the sins that I cannot forgive myself for. He calls me loved and he calls me forgiven.

He offers his living water to me and tells me that he can use me to have an impact on the lives of others. So why shouldn’t I go and tell this to everyone that I know? We are called to walk like Jesus and for me, if that means sitting alongside sinners and people who have drifted away from him and telling them about his love for them, then I will happily serve him in that way. Instead of judging others and even myself for the sins that we’ve committed, we should realize that they are not the things that define us no matter what, whether it’s at our well in our homes or on a mission trip, Jesus is waiting for us to surrender to him and accept this gift of living water. As I leave you this morning, I hope you all remember that your actions can have an impact, whether it’s a short conversation or an international mission trip. Jesus wants to use you to spread his love for others, so don’t hold back and never forget how much he loves you. Thank you. Cherry Hills.