July 30, 2023 "Jesus Sees Us, And Loves Us As We Are"

ReNew Ames Messages

So, full disclosure. Remember when Covid happened? Remember that first Facebook live I fumbled through trying to have a conversation about this story cuz I didn't know what to do? Yeah, this is the sermon I was supposed to preach. Now I get to do it live. We'll walk again through the story and I'll have - you guessed it - 3 things to say. 1) Here we are again - Jesus trampling on boundaries to give someone the dignity they deserve. 2) Jesus leads with vulnerability. This is Jesus. The water into wine guy. He could have gotten himself something to drink. Instead, he names his need to see if she has anything to give. I think it may have been his humility that won her trust. 3) Jesus sees without shaming or condemning. Maybe God is calling us to see others - even our enemies - through the eyes of love. Maybe God is calling us to see ourselves through the eyes of love. Maybe God is calling us to see our own stories through the eyes of love - the stories we tell about ourselves, that somehow we're not good enough, that we're insignificant, that we don't matter. And when we see others and ourselves through the eyes of love, perhaps we'll be able to love others and ourselves the way we were meant to. Speaker: Aaron Vis Scripture: John 4:1-42 https://www.bible.com/events/49116326