Monday, August 31, 2026
The woman said to Him, Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw. He said to her, Go, call your husband and come here. The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said to her, You have correctly said, I have no husband; for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly. The woman said to Him, Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. John 4:15-19
Jesus' Gospel Conversation With The Woman At The Well
Yesterday we heard from our guest speaker, Dr. Dean Sieberhagen, of an encounter Jesus had with a woman at a well. Through this encounter Jesus gives us an example of how we should share the Gospel with others. Dr. Sieberhagen used the PUMP Method to help us remember the four points: Make it Personal, Unpack their beliefs, Make a transition, and Present the Gospel. We can see Jesus’ example and learn from him the most effective way to have a Gospel Conversation with people in the normal rhythms of our lives.
As followers of Jesus our job is to love God, love others, and make disciples. Jesus shows us with his life, interactions with other people, and words and deeds how much he cares about people and wants them to know the Gospel story. He gives us examples during his ministry on earth of how we are to live as his followers – learning to live and love like him – the Jesus Way. In this story we see a woman who has come to the well in the hottest part of the day. She was an outcast and with her reputation she felt much shame, and probably ridicule from others. For this reason, she went to the well when no one else would be there – the hottest part of the day. She didn’t expect to meet Jesus there, and she certainly didn’t expect him to ask her for a drink, and then offer her living water. We see how Jesus used
Personal (vs. 7-9;15-16; 39) Jesus made it personal because he showed this woman that he really cared and loved her. He talked to her about her life, telling her everything about her life. He met her where she was with no condemnation. He came to the well that day and at that time on purpose just for her. She chose that time because no one else was there. Because he made it personal she listened. She paid attention when he paid attention to her.
Unpack Their Beliefs (vs. 19-20; 25) What beliefs do they have about God? Jesus unpacked what she believed about the Messiah and worship. She was focused on where to worship but Jesus unpacked this and helped her understand that the shift was to focus on who to worship instead of where to worship.
Make a Transition (vs. 10; 21; 26) Listen for something when they are unpacking their beliefs that you can use for a transition. Jesus uses thirst and physical water to transition to living water. As we talk with them and listen to what they say God will give us the things we can use to make a transition.
Present the Gospel So they will know how to find salvation in Jesus. Jesus presented the Gospel which was the goal. She was changed by the presentation of the Gospel and then ran to share it with everyone in the village.
Jesus calls us to meet people at the well in the hottest part of the day. In the everyday rhythms of our lives God provides opportunities for us to connect with people and Jesus has given us the perfect example. Keep your eyes and your heart open to see opportunities as they come. Be ready to patiently take the time to get personal with them, unpack their beliefs, make a transition, and present the gospel.
