A growing church - Day 2

John 4:21-26 (New International Version)

²¹Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. ²²You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. ²³Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. ²⁴God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

²⁵The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."

²⁶Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."

Jews and Samaritans didn't get along. Although the Samaritans were descendants of Jews, they'd intermarried with pagan people and were considered not true Jews. But in today's Scripture passage, Jews showed how the gospel overcomes such barriers. Jesus was ready to share the good news with people with whom other Jews would not associate. And back in Week 13, we saw Philip go to this region to share about Jesus' resurrection (Acts 8).

If we're going to spread the gospel, then we have to tear down boundaries that seperate us from others. Factors such as race, social and economic status, and different religious beliefs sometimes keep us isolated. But as believers, we have to be willing to cross those barriers for the sake of the gospel.

What's the hardest barrier for you to overcome in sharing you faith.

Ask Jesus to help you overcome these barriers for the sake of the gospel.