At Oasis Church, we believe that the Bible is truth and needs to be
read and obeyed… and that all people following Jesus will do this!
It's part of God's plan to transform us and make us more and more like
Jesus.

With this is mind, the challenge was issued… read
through the Book of John, a chapter a day, for the next three weeks. I
will be sharing a couple of verses and thoughts that jumped out to me
each day… here we go!

John 4:6 Jacob's well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime.7 Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Please give me a drink."8 He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.
  9 The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, "You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?"

• Jesus is fully God and fully man…at the same time…He got tired and thirsty just like you and I
• The woman was surprised at how Jesus talked to her and did not follow the "rules" of culture or society… we too need to be different when culture goes against the way God says we are to live or treat people

 13 Jesus replied, "Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again.14 But
those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It
becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life."

  15 "Please,
sir," the woman said, "give me this water! Then I'll never be thirsty
again, and I won't have to come here to get water."

• these are some of the key verses behind the name Oasis Church!
• Jesus is the Living Water… and the reason we are to be an Oasis…
  
• we are not the water… but we have the water… and offer the water to thirsty people wherever we find them!

  25 The woman said, "I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."

  26 Then Jesus told her, "I AM the Messiah!"

• some people say and believe that Jesus never referred to Himself as God… but here He says just the opposite…
• He is the One we have been waiting for!

  34 Then Jesus explained: "My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.35 You know the saying, `Four months between planting and harvest.' But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest.36 The
harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people
brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the
harvester alike!37 You know the saying, `One plants and another harvests.' And it's true.38 I sent you to harvest where you didn't plant; others had already done the work, and now you will get to gather the harvest."

• following Jesus means becoming like Him… He found nourishment, life from obeying God… and the same is to be true for our lives as well
• the fields are ripe…God has been planting and working in people's hearts ahead of us meeting, knowing, or talking to them
• He calls us to join Him in the process… we get to "harvest" by pointing people to Jesus!
• We don't save them… He does! But, we get to play a part in the process… how awesome is this!
• Are we playing our part??
• Even in starting Oasis Church here in Jax… we didn't bring God with us… He has been here and working for many years ahead of us!
  
• But He is going to use us, as we continue to follow, to join in the harvest and see people follow Him and find Him to be the living water that quenches their thirst! WOW!