John 4:19-24

“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” - John 4:19-24

Dear Jesus,

Sometimes I'm like that woman. I want to focus on outward forms instead of inner worship. I know you want me to really worship you out of a heart made grateful for the love and grace you brought to us. You want me to joyfully live, pray and work out of a deep held faith that you made me, saved me and walk beside me all of my life. You want me to go to church because I want to, to speak about you because I'm proud of you, to love even the unlovable because I truly love them. I cannot be that inside-out person unless you fill my insides with your Spirit. So, Jesus, crowd your Spirit into my heart so I live out of his spiritual fullness. Make me the person you always wanted me to be. Thank you for redeeming my life and creating something new out of what you first met by the wayside.

Amen

Pastor Don Patterson

Jesus comes in from the outside to change us from the inside out.