The Empty Water Pot

In John 4 Jesus meets the woman at the well, a Samaritan. He asked for a drink of water, which the woman refuses. He tells her about the living water that will never run dry. She wants this living water. Jesus says, "Great. Now go get your husband". That very statement exposes her life of having several husbands and currently shacking up with different man. These men in her life represented an unfulfilled life that always ran out, much like the water she fetched daily from the well. She longed for something that will last.

When Jesus confirms with her that He is the Messiah she has been waiting for she left for the village to tell everyone. In her excitement and confusion she left behind the empty water pot at the feet of Jesus. I can imagine Christ looking down at that empty water pot with a smile. A smile that said "She left her empty life for me to fill with abundance."

When we daily come before our Jesus our "water pots" should be empty as we lay them at His feet. If we try to fill it ourselves it will only lead to an unfulfilled life.

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Just Get Here

Growing up our family had a car that did the weirdest thing. It would not go forward until it was warmed up. During the winter months we would have to warm up the car for several minutes before putting it in drive. We found a flaw in this stubborn behavior. The car would go in reverse even when running cold. There were quite a few Sunday mornings when the Bennett family was late to church. So instead of waiting until the car was warm on many occasions we threw the gear in reverse and drove down the street backwards. When the car was finally warm (after about a mile or so) we would turn the car around. The problem was solved.

There are many blockades that try to keep us from going to church.

A flat tire; a blown hair dryer

A run in your hose; a runny nose.

Coffee on your shirt; a hole in your skirt.

A car in reverse; can things get worse?

Whatever it takes to get to church just get here. Even if it means driving your car in reverse. We will see you on Sunday.

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Restore Your Rest

He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters,

Psalm 23:2

Many Americans suffer from lack of rest, or sleep. This lack of sleep results in many other health and life issues. Besides humans there is a creature that usually has trouble sleeping. It’s sheep. Sheep can’t sleep. (Maybe they need to try counting humans.) In order for sheep to sleep everything must be just right, no predators, bugs or hunger pains. They can’t take care of these problems by themselves. They need a shepherd. We, like sheep, in order to rest need a Shepherd. We need a Shepherd to help us “lie down in green pastures”.

When we are lead to these green pastures of rest we do not need to worry. Our great Shepherd has everything in control. “He leads me beside quiet waters”, not tsunami or hurricane waters. As Jesus told us in Matthew 6:34, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

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The Puzzle

Have you ever put together a puzzle? I don’t mean a 12 piece children’s puzzle. I’m talking about the 1000 piece jigsaw puzzles. I assisted putting together one of these puzzles. It took like three weeks to complete. I lost interest fast. But I remember some steps we took in putting it together.

· Take it out of the box to lay out all the pieces.

· Find the pieces that make the boundaries of the puzzle.

· Look at the picture on the box for an image reference.

· Patience. It took patience to complete the picture.

In Philippians Paul tells us to work out our salvation.

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Philippians 2:12-13

If you think about it working out our salvation is much like putting together a puzzle. Think of God’s gift of salvation like a box of a thousand puzzle pieces. We have to take the following steps throughout our Christian walk:

· Accept the gift of salvation. We have to un-wrap this gift, take it out of the box and spread out all the pieces.

· Lay out the moral boundaries of our salvation. Our salvation will become clearer once the boundaries are in place.

· Study the reference image of Christ found in God’s word and in God’s people. The more you look at the reference, the easier it will be to put the pieces together.

· It will take patience as you are formed to the image of Christ.

I suggest you try putting together a puzzle with your family and using this illustration to teach them about working out their salvation.

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"I'll Be Back"

The phrase, “I’ll Be Back” was made popular by the movie, The Terminator, starring Arnold Schwartzenegger. This same phrase was used many years ago through the action of a Jewish custom by the original Terminator….the Terminator of sin.

Read the following passage from John 20:3-7

So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen.

The Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes. The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed at the head of that stony coffin. Is that important? You'd better believe it! Is that significant? Absolutely!

In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition. When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished.

Now if the master was done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table. The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, "I'm done". But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because the servant knew that the folded napkin meant, "I'm not finished yet." The folded napkin meant, "I'll be back!

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Get Out of the Boat

Before Suzanne and I were married she went with my family on a boating trip. One thing to understand is that my family had never owned a boat up until that time. So it’s not like my dad was the big sailor. He was more like Gilligan, not the Skipper.

After our three-hour tour we made our way back to the boat dock. We were traveling faster than we should while coming inland. Upon realizing the speed of our approach my dad suddenly pulled back on the throttle causing the bow (front end) to be submerged under water where most of the passengers were sitting. We were going under and people were screaming. It was like the Titanic. In the end were we alright as the boat and its passengers (along with a few gallons of water) drifted to shore. I’m still amazed Suzanne married me after that incident.

Upon thinking of this story I’m reminded of when Jesus called Peter to come out of the boat to where he stood on the water. Without hesitation Peter jumped out and walked toward his Savior and Friend. Before he arrived to the place Jesus stood Peter became distracted by the waves. He was so focused on the distractions that he got his eyes off his Savior. This caused him to sink. Jesus was there to pull him up.

I know there are many distractions in our Worship & Arts ministry. Let me encourage you to keep your eyes off the distractions. Jesus has called you out of the boat, out of the ordinary. You have something extraordinary to do each worship service. Let’s not allow the distractions to keep us from reaching our Savior.

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Building Community

Not long ago our church witnessed the process of building a worship center and additional classrooms. We saw how the land needed to be prepared with just the right soil. We observed how the concrete walls would be pieced together to form a massive structure. And the transformation from the dirty floors and walls to a beautiful place of worship brought excitement to our church family. It brought us together as a community of believers.

The process for building a church facility is similar to building a sense of community in your spiritual walk. The place you and I can do that the best is within a small group. Here are the characteristics of a small group as described by Rick Warren in his book, The Purpose Driven Life.

· Authenticity – being able to share your true feelings.

· Mutuality – Encourage each member of the small group.

· Sympathy – Support each small group member.

· Mercy – Forgive each other.

· Honesty – Able to speak the truth in love.

· Humility – Able to admit your weaknesses.

· Courtesy – Able to respect the differences.

· Confidentiality – No hint of gossip within the group.

· Frequency – Make the group a priority.

I hope you are involved in a small group here at Cottonwood Creek. If not, I urge you to pursue the group that best fits you and your family.

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