Week 4 (Mar 10): Woman at the Well
Shame is often a silent prison that alienates us from the connection that offers freedom. The story of the woman at the well found in John 4 reveals the power that love has over shame. In our study, we will discover a woman racked with shame from years of choices that alienated her from the community that she grew up in. In one revealing conversation, Jesus invited this woman into a relationship where she was honestly seen, known and loved anyways. Instead of heaping more shame on the woman, Jesus invited her to taste a living/spiritual water that would leave her life, Forever Changed. The result of this conversation started a revival in a Samaritan village that would eventually be the place that Philip and others would carry the Gospel Message after the resurrection. Jesus sows seeds into this community that will be reaped a few years later.
How often have we allowed shame to determine the shape of our relationships? Jesus models for us what it means to know the details of a person’s life and hold them in a way that is sacred and offers healing. Hopefully by understanding the heart of God as it relates to shame, we can learn the value of unlocking prisons of shame verses committing people to longer terms.

Week 2 (Feb 25): Nicodemus
Imagine spending your whole life at the top of your profession only to discover that you really didn’t understand the profession at all. This is the story of Nicodemus.
As a Pharisee of Pharisees, Nicodemus is thought of as one of the great religious leaders of his time. As a Pharisee, his focus would have been upholding the law and ensuring that all of Israel did the same. One evening, under the cover of darkness, Nicodemus seeks out Jesus and pursues insights to explain the miracles that he sees taking place. Jesus challenges Nicodemus by explaining that being born again would be required for one to see the kingdom of heaven. This statement temporarily breaks Nicodemus’ thought pattern but ultimately leads to a life that is, Forever Changed.
Nicodemus had to be willing to sift through his theology and allow the heart of his tradition to be challenged. What theological constructs in our lives need to be considered in light of Christ? What traditions have we held on to that need to be let go? And, how do we allow the Gospel message to forever shape our lives?

Week 1 (Feb 18): Week one of Forever Changed connects us to the life of Matthew. This disciple turned apostle started his journey off as one that was ostracized from religious life because of his career choice. Matthew’s decision to be a tax collector found him shut out of synagogue worship and the normal ebb and flow of community life. No doubt, ridicule by religious leaders and scriptural authorities would have left a mark on this life. Thoughts of church hurt and self-righteousness permeate the landscape of his gospel account.

One of the most striking facts of Matthew’s future ministry would be his inclusion of 99 different quotes from ancient scripture in his account. This number reveals a vast knowledge of Tora and seems improbable from one who was denied community worship and would have been forced to search truth outside the normal constructs of faith. But clearly, when Jesus calls Matthew, Matthew was ready to respond. Did he finally discover authenticity? Did he finally find the one that scripture spoke of? What caused Matthew to leave a lucrative world and wade into a life of service to the Lord? One thing is for certain, when Matthew met Jesus, his life was Forever Changed.

Come and see! This week in our series, Forever Changed, we focus on Philip. Clearly, Philip was a visual learner. His desire to know God set him on a quest that started with his connection to John the Baptist but ultimately led to him being a disciple of Jesus. In this transition, Philip drug his friends along by inviting them to, “Come and see.”

Throughout the course of his life, Philip seemed to ask probing questions that stemmed from a desire to find a deeper connection to faith. On one such occasion, Philip asked Jesus to show him the Father. Philip’s question led to our deeper understanding that Jesus in fact was the revealing of the Father. His persistence in asking, his willingness to listen, and his heart to change ultimately led Philip to a place where he became one of the first apostles to carry the message to Samaria (Acts 8). This region received his message in such a way that it was said that people were hearing and seeing the signs that he did. Who would have guessed that a person so bent on seeing would be the one that others would gather to see?

What are we asking for God to show us? What is it that God has done that we are unable to see? And, How can we be more like Philip by inviting others to come and see?