The Power of Listening

This week's sermon from John 4 explored Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well - a conversation that should never have happened according to cultural norms. Jesus crossed boundaries of ethnicity, gender, and social propriety to engage with someone society had written off. Through this powerful story, we discovered that authentic discipleship isn't about winning arguments or having all the right answers - it's about learning to listen well, engage without judgment, and recognize the image of God in every person we meet. As we prepare for holiday gatherings where family tensions may surface, this message challenges us to follow Jesus' example of valuing people's stories and seeing past labels to the divine image within each person.