Dig Again
Notes
Transcript
CARS & CHRIST
INTRODUCTION
Good morning, Community Church!
If you have your Bible, would you turn with me to Genesis chapter 26.
As you’re turning there, let me ask you a question.
Have you ever noticed how obsessed our culture is with being “the first?”
We’re constantly told, “Be original.”
And don’t get me wrong—innovation is a wonderful gift from God.
Creativity reflects the image of our Creator.
But I wonder if somewhere along the way we’ve accidentally started believing that faithfulness isn’t enough.
That unless we’re building something brand new…
Unless we’re doing something nobody has ever done…
Unless our life looks different than everyone else’s…
We’re somehow missing God’s best.
Then you come to Genesis 26…
…and the Bible almost tells the same story we’ve already read.
Like you’re reading straight through Genesis, you almost stop and think…
“Didn’t we already read this?”
Exactly.
Church, before we even begin today, maybe someone needs to hear this:
Just because your season has changed doesn’t mean your God has changed.
Your job changed.
Your kids grew up.
Your health changed.
Your finances changed.
Your marriage changed.
Your ministry changed.
But Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Here’s what fascinates me about Isaac.
He’s different than Abraham.
Abraham feels larger than life.
Isaac…
…is quiet.
He isn’t the pioneer.
He’s the caretaker.
He doesn’t blaze many new trails.
He faithfully walks the ones his father already walked.
And if I’m honest…
I think Isaac is easier to relate to.
Because most of us won’t be remembered for changing the entire world.
Most of us will spend our lives faithfully loving our spouse…
Raising our children…
Serving our church…
Going to work…
Loving our neighbors…
Reading our Bible…
Praying when nobody sees.
The world applauds pioneers.
God often applauds faithful people.
And that’s Isaac.
Today we’re going to discover that sometimes God’s greatest work isn’t giving you something brand new.
Sometimes…
He simply hands you a shovel…
…and says,
“Dig again.”
READ GENESIS 26:1–5 (NLT)
A severe famine now struck the land, as had happened before in Abraham’s time. So Isaac moved to Gerar, where Abimelech, king of the Philistines, lived. The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt, but do as I tell you. Live here as a foreigner in this land, and I will be with you and bless you. I hereby confirm that I will give all these lands to you and your descendants, just as I solemnly promised Abraham, your father. I will cause your descendants to become as numerous as the stars of the sky, and I will give them all these lands. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed. I will do this because Abraham listened to me and obeyed all my requirements, commands, decrees, and instructions.”
Let’s pray.
Father…
Thank You that Your faithfulness does not end with one generation.
Thank You that You are still speaking.Still leading.Still restoring.Still blessing.
Open our hearts today.
Show us the wells we’ve allowed to become buried.
Then give us the courage to pick up the shovel.
In Jesus’ name…
Amen.
SOMETIMES GOD’S WILL ISN’T TO MOVE…
IT’S TO REMAIN.
The chapter opens with one word.
Famine.
If you’ve been with us throughout Genesis, you know this isn’t the first famine we’ve encountered.
In fact, the Bible intentionally reminds us.
“As had happened before in Abraham’s time…”
He’s connecting the stories.
It’s almost like he’s saying,
“Pay attention…
God handled this before.”
Now put yourself in Isaac’s sandals.
The crops are failing.
Livestock are dying.
Food is becoming scarce.
Families are beginning to panic.
And where does everyone go during famine?
Egypt.
Why?
The Nile River.
Even when the surrounding lands dried up…
Egypt usually had water.
It made perfect sense.
If you wanted your family to survive…
You went to Egypt.
In other words…
Isaac’s plan wasn’t foolish.
It was logical.
It was responsible.
It was what everyone else would have done.
Isn’t that interesting?
Sometimes the greatest temptation isn’t sin.
It’s simply choosing what makes the most sense…
Instead of what God actually said.
God stops Isaac before he ever gets there.
“Do not go down to Egypt.”
Because obedience has never been measured by what makes the most sense.
It’s measured by trusting the One who sees what we cannot.
SO God Says,
“I will be with you.”
That changes everything.
Because God’s greatest blessing has never been comfortable circumstances.
His greatest blessing has always been His presence.
Sometimes we’re praying…
“God, get me out.”
And God is whispering…
“I’ll go with you.”
Church, I wonder how many of us have spent our lives asking God for an exit…
…when He’s been inviting us into deeper dependence.
Because let’s be honest…
None of us enjoy famine seasons.
Maybe your famine isn’t financial.
Maybe it’s emotional.
You’ve been pouring into your marriage, but it feels dry.
You’ve been praying for your child, but they seem farther from God than ever.
You’ve been faithfully serving the Lord, but you’re tired.
You’ve been battling anxiety.
You’ve been grieving.
You’ve been waiting.
You’ve been wondering if God has forgotten your address.
Can I encourage you today?
A famine is not proof that God has abandoned you.
Sometimes a famine is exactly where God develops the deepest faith.
That’s exactly what’s happening to Isaac.
Obedience Before Understanding
Notice something else.
God tells Isaac to stay…
before He explains everything.
Isaac Sows During a Famine
Now skip down with me to verse 12.
Read Genesis 26:12–13 (NLT)
When Isaac planted his crops that year, he harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted, for the LORD blessed him. He became a very rich man, and his wealth continued to grow.
Hold on.
Did you catch that?
Isaac plants…
during the famine.
Who plants crops…
…when there’s no rain?
Most people would have been conserving seed.
Protecting resources.
Holding everything tightly.
Not Isaac.
He sows.
Church…
That’s faith.
Faith doesn’t wait until conditions are perfect.
Faith obeys because God has spoken.
Ecclesiastes says,
“Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant.”
Somebody needs to hear that today.
You’ve been waiting until everything lines up.
Until you’re less afraid.
Until you have more money.
Until your schedule slows down.
Until life becomes easier.
Can I lovingly tell you something?
There will always be another reason to wait.
Faith says,
“I’m planting anyway.”
“I’m serving anyway.”
“I’m giving anyway.”
“I’m forgiving anyway.”
“I’m trusting anyway.”
Because my confidence isn’t in the weather.
It’s in my God.
God Blessed His Obedience
Notice where the emphasis falls.
The text doesn’t celebrate Isaac’s farming ability.
It doesn’t say he discovered a revolutionary irrigation system.
It doesn’t say he had better seed.
It simply says,
“The LORD blessed him.”
Church…
Never confuse God’s blessing with your brilliance.
Everything we have…
…is grace.
Every open door.
Every opportunity.
Every paycheck.
Every healthy child.
Every answered prayer.
Every breath in our lungs.
James tells us,
“Every good and perfect gift is from above.”
And here’s something that will preach.
God’s blessing doesn’t always remove opposition.
Sometimes…
God’s blessing creates it.
Look at verse 14.
Read Genesis 26:14 (NLT)
He acquired so many flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and servants that the Philistines became jealous of him.
Can I free somebody this morning?
Not everyone is going to celebrate God’s work in your life.
Some people loved you…
…until God started blessing you.
They were fine…
…until your marriage got healthy.
Until your business grew.
Until your faith matured.
Until your family found peace.
Until your joy became real.
Sometimes people don’t mind you succeeding…
…as long as you don’t succeed more than they expected.
But here’s what I love about Isaac.
He never retaliates.
He never starts a war.
He doesn’t post passive-aggressive comments on social media.
He doesn’t gather a committee.
He doesn’t hold a grudge.
Instead…
He quietly keeps walking with God.
And I think that’s one of the greatest lessons of this chapter.
Not every battle deserves your energy.
Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do…
…is keep walking.
Transition
Now what happens next…
…is the Philistines do something that, at first glance, seems almost childish.
Almost petty.
But once you understand the culture…
You realize it’s one of the cruelest things they could have done.
Let’s read it together.
Read Genesis 26:15–18 (NLT)
So the Philistines filled up all of Isaac’s wells with dirt. These were the wells that had been dug by the servants of his father, Abraham. Finally, Abimelech ordered Isaac to leave the country. “Go somewhere else,” he said, “for you have become too powerful for us.” So Isaac moved away to the Gerar Valley, where he set up their tents and settled down. He reopened the wells his father had dug, which the Philistines had filled in after Abraham’s death. Isaac also restored the names Abraham had given them.
Church…
Don’t miss this.
Isaac reopened the wells…
…that had been buried.
THE ENEMY LOVES TO BURY WHAT GIVES LIFE
I want you to picture this scene.
Because we read this through twenty-first century eyes.
When we hear the word well…
…we think about something decorative.
Maybe a little stone well sitting in somebody’s front yard with flowers around it.
Or maybe we think,
“No big deal… just dig another one.”
That’s not how the original audience heard this story.
A well was everything.
It was survival.
No well…
No water.
No water…
No crops.
No crops…
No livestock.
No livestock…
No future.
Entire communities existed because of wells.
Life happened around the well.
So when the Bible says…
“The Philistines filled them with dirt…”
This wasn’t vandalism.
It was warfare.
They weren’t just throwing dirt into a hole.
They were trying to erase Abraham’s legacy.
They were saying,
“We don’t want any evidence that God ever blessed this family.”
Church…
Doesn’t that sound like our enemy?
Jesus said in John 10…
“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.”
Notice…
Satan rarely creates.
He corrupts.
He buries.
He hides.
He covers.
He doesn’t invent darkness.
He simply tries to extinguish light.
He doesn’t invent death.
He attacks life.
He doesn’t create truth.
He twists it.
And sometimes…
He doesn’t destroy the well.
He simply covers it.
One Shovel at a Time
That’s how it happens in our lives too.
Nobody wakes up one morning and says,
“I think I’ll stop loving Jesus today.”
It’s usually much slower than that.
One missed prayer time.
One Sunday becomes two.
Two becomes six.
The Bible stays closed a little longer.
Worship becomes routine.
Bitterness quietly moves in.
Offense settles down.
Disappointment lingers.
Busyness becomes normal.
And before long…
The well is still there…
It’s just buried.
Church…
Can I ask you something this morning?
What well has become buried in your life?
Maybe it’s the well of prayer.
Remember when you couldn’t wait to spend time with God?
Now you struggle to pray for five minutes.
Maybe it’s the well of worship.
There was a time when tears came easily.
Now you sing because the words are on the screen.
Maybe it’s the well of giving.
Or evangelism.
Or serving.
Or wonder.
Or childlike faith.
The enemy didn’t destroy your love for Christ.
He just slowly buried it…
One shovel…
At a time.
BUT I LOVE THIS The Enemy Couldn’t Destroy the Water
Here’s what makes me smile.
The Philistines could cover the well…
But they couldn’t stop the water.
Come on!
The source never disappeared.
It was simply hidden.
Church…
Some of you have convinced yourselves…
“I’ve gone too far.”
“I’ve wandered too long.”
“I’ve failed too much.”
Can I encourage you?
If you belong to Jesus…
The Living Water is still there.
The Holy Spirit has not abandoned you.
The grace of God has not dried up.
The mercy of God has not run out.
The source is still flowing.
It just might be time…
…to dig again.
Isaac’s Response
Now here’s where Isaac completely surprises me.
Because if I’m Isaac…
I’m mad.
Anybody else?
These are my father’s wells!
My family dug these!
We’ve done nothing wrong!
Let’s fight!
Let’s lawyer up!
Let’s post about it!
Let’s make sure everybody knows how unfair this is!
Instead…
Isaac quietly picks up a shovel.
He doesn’t waste his energy arguing about the dirt.
He starts removing it.
Church…
Can I lovingly say something?
Sometimes we spend more time talking about what the devil buried…
…than actually digging.
We become experts on our problems.
Experts on our disappointments.
Experts on church hurt.
Experts on the culture.
Experts on everything that’s wrong.
Meanwhile…
The shovel is still laying on the ground.
At some point…
You have to stop talking about the dirt…
…and start digging.
Pray again.
Serve again.
Forgive again.
Trust again.
Read your Bible again.
Join the small group again.
Lead again.
Hope again.
Love again.
Dig.
Again.
Transition
Now Isaac begins digging.
And what happens next is fascinating.
Because every well teaches us something about the Christian life.
The names of the wells become a map…
Of what it often looks like to follow Jesus.
Let’s read what happens next.
Read Genesis 26:19–22 (NLT)
Isaac’s servants also dug in the Gerar Valley and discovered a well of fresh water. But then the shepherds from Gerar came and claimed the spring. “This is our water,” they said, and they argued over it with Isaac’s herdsmen. So Isaac named the well Esek (which means “argument”). Isaac’s men then dug another well, but again there was a dispute over it. So Isaac named it Sitnah (which means “hostility”). Abandoning that one, Isaac moved on and dug another well. This time there was no dispute over it, so Isaac named the place Rehoboth (which means “open space”), for he said, “At last the LORD has created enough space for us to prosper in this land.”
Church…
Don’t miss this.
Isaac doesn’t arrive at Rehoboth…
…without first walking through Esek…
…and Sitnah.
And that’s exactly how God often grows His people.
FIRST… ESEK
“Contention” or “Argument”
Verse 20 says they finally hit water.
Can you imagine the excitement?
After all the digging…
After all the sweat…
After all the waiting…
Water!
The men are probably celebrating.
They’re laughing.
High-fiving.
Maybe someone is already watering the animals.
And then…
The shepherds from Gerar show up.
“This belongs to us.”
Can you imagine?
They didn’t dig it.
They didn’t labor.
They didn’t sacrifice.
But suddenly…
They’re claiming ownership.
The Bible says there was an argument.
Esek.
Contention.
Conflict.
Church…
Here’s your first encouragement.
Just because you found water doesn’t mean everyone will celebrate it.
Some of God’s greatest blessings come attached to opposition.
Sometimes you finally experience healing…
…and someone criticizes you.
You finally start serving…
…and somebody misunderstands your motives.
You finally begin growing spiritually…
…and old friends become uncomfortable.
Conflict doesn’t always mean you’re outside God’s will.
Sometimes…
It proves you’re right in the middle of it.
But watch Isaac.
This is incredible.
He doesn’t fight.
He doesn’t sue.
He doesn’t demand revenge.
He simply lets it go.
Now…
Let’s be careful.
This isn’t weakness.
This is strength under control.
There’s a huge difference.
Weak people have to win every argument.
Strong people know which arguments aren’t worth having.
Can I ask you something?
How much energy have you spent this year…
Trying to win battles God never asked you to fight?
Some of us are exhausted…
Not because we’re carrying the cross…
But because we’re carrying unnecessary conflict.
Sometimes maturity sounds like two simple words:
“Move on.”
SECOND… SITNAH
Isaac digs another well.
Surely this one will work.
Surely the drama is over.
Nope.
Another argument.
Another dispute.
Another disappointment.
Sitnah.
The word means hostility…
Opposition…
Even accusation.
Many Bible scholars believe it’s related to the Hebrew word that eventually becomes Satan…
“The accuser.”
Think about that.
Have you ever noticed…
The enemy rarely gives up after one attack?
If discouragement doesn’t work…
He tries distraction.
If distraction doesn’t work…
He tries accusation.
If accusation doesn’t work…
He tries pride.
If pride doesn’t work…
He tries fear.
If fear doesn’t work…
He tries comfort.
The enemy is persistent.
But so is Isaac.
And that’s what I love.
He keeps digging.
Church…
Can I encourage somebody today?
Just because one attempt failed…
Doesn’t mean you’re finished.
Dig again.
That marriage conversation didn’t go well?
Dig again.
Your prayer feels dry?
Dig again.
You shared your faith and got rejected?
Dig again.
You served and nobody noticed?
Dig again.
You fell into temptation?
Repent…
Get back up…
And dig again.
Galatians says,
“Let us not grow weary in doing good…”
Notice…
It doesn’t say,
“If you get weary.”
It assumes you will.
The Christian life isn’t about never getting tired.
It’s about refusing to quit.
Isaac Refuses Bitterness
Here’s something beautiful.
Notice what never enters Isaac’s heart.
Bitterness.
He could have become cynical.
He could have said,
“What’s the point?”
“Every time God blesses me…”
“Someone ruins it.”
Instead…
He quietly walks away.
Do you know how freeing that is?
Not every injustice has to become your identity.
Some people spend decades talking about one offense.
One betrayal.
One church hurt.
One business deal.
One family disagreement.
Years later…
They’re still living at Esek.
Still living at Sitnah.
Still rehearsing the pain.
Meanwhile…
God is saying,
“I have a Rehoboth waiting…
If you’ll keep walking.”
Don’t build your house…
Where God only intended you to pass through.
THIRD… REHOBOTH
Isaac digs again.
No fight.
No argument.
No hostility.
Just water.
And Isaac says,
“At last the LORD has created enough space for us to prosper in this land.”
I love that.
He says,
“The LORD made room.”
There is something incredibly peaceful…
About realizing you don’t have to force what God has promised.
If God opens a door…
No one can permanently shut it.
If God gives favor…
No amount of jealousy can steal it.
If God establishes something…
Hell itself cannot overcome it.
Isaac never manipulated his way into blessing.
He trusted his way into blessing.
There’s a huge difference.
We live in a culture that says,
“Hustle harder.”
“Push harder.”
“Fight everybody.”
“Protect your platform.”
Isaac says,
“I’ll trust God.”
And eventually…
God makes room.
Can I speak to someone who’s waiting today?
You don’t have to manufacture God’s timing.
You don’t have to manipulate relationships.
You don’t have to force doors open.
The same God who made room for Isaac…
Knows exactly how to make room for you.
Wait on Him.
Trust Him.
Keep digging.
The Christian Life Isn’t Linear
I love what this passage teaches us about following Jesus.
We like to imagine spiritual growth like climbing a ladder.
Up…
Up…
Up…
Reality looks much more like digging.
Sometimes you hit rock.
Sometimes dirt caves back in.
Sometimes you’re exhausted.
Sometimes you wonder if there’s any water left.
Then suddenly…
God refreshes your soul.
That’s why David could say in Psalm 23,
“He leads me beside peaceful streams.”
Because God has always been in the business…
Of bringing thirsty people to water.
Transition
Now if Genesis 26 ended here…
It would already be a beautiful story.
But … it literally gets better!
Genesis 26:23–25
From there Isaac moved to Beersheba, where the LORD appeared to him on the night of his arrival. “I am the God of your father, Abraham,” he said. “Do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you. I will multiply your descendants, and they will become a great nation. I will do this because of my promise to Abraham, my servant.” Then Isaac built an altar there and worshiped the LORD. He set up his camp at that place, and his servants dug another well.
Did you catch the order?
God speaks.
Isaac worships.
Isaac pitches his tent.
Then…
Isaac digs another well.
There is an order to the blessed life.
And if we reverse it…
We miss everything.
BUILD AN ALTAR BEFORE YOU BUILD A LIFE
I want you to notice something that has absolutely captured my heart this week.
Read verse 25 again.
“Then Isaac built an altar there and worshiped the LORD. He set up his camp at that place, and his servants dug another well.”
Do you see the order?
God speaks.
Isaac worships.
Isaac settles.
Isaac works.
That order matters.
Because if we’re not careful…
We’ll reverse it.
We’ll build the house…
Before the altar.
We’ll build the career…
Before the altar.
We’ll build the savings account…
Before the altar.
We’ll build the ministry…
Before the altar.
We’ll build the platform…
Before the altar.
We’ll build the schedule…
Before the altar.
We’ll build everything…
Except a place to meet with God.
Church…
Isaac teaches us something profound.
Worship comes before work.
Presence comes before productivity.
Communion comes before calling.
Isaac understood something many of us forget.
God wasn’t simply interested in blessing him.
God wanted a relationship with him.
The blessing was never the goal.
God was.
Beersheba
Now there’s another detail that’s easy to miss.
Isaac arrives at Beersheba.
Does that name sound familiar?
It should.
He’s returning to a place where his father encountered God.
Church…
There is incredible value in spiritual landmarks.
Places where God met you.
Moments you’ll never forget.
I can still remember…
(Insert testimony here.)
You probably have those places too.
The hospital room where God carried you.
The church service where you surrendered your life to Christ.
The campfire where you sensed God’s calling.
The altar where your marriage was restored.
Never forget those places.
Go back there often.
Not just physically…
Spiritually.
Remember what God has done.
Because remembering fuels faith.
And after worship…
What do the servants do?
They dig another well.
I smiled when I noticed that.
Because apparently…
This family had become known for digging.
Can I ask you something?
What are you becoming known for?
Now watch what happens next.
Genesis 26:26–31 (NLT)
One day King Abimelech came from Gerar with his adviser Ahuzzath and also Phicol, his army commander. “Why have you come here?” Isaac asked. “You obviously hate me, since you kicked me off your land.” They replied, “We can plainly see that the LORD is with you. So we want to enter into a sworn treaty with you. Let’s make a covenant. Swear that you will not harm us, just as we have never troubled you. We have always treated you well, and we sent you away from you in peace. And now look how the LORD has blessed you!” So Isaac prepared a covenant feast to celebrate the treaty, and they ate and drank together. Early the next morning, they each took a solemn oath not to interfere with each other. Then Isaac sent them home again, and they left in peace.
Did you catch their confession?
“We can plainly see that the LORD is with you.”
Church…
Isaac never had to convince them.
His life convinced them.
That’s beautiful.
The very people who opposed him…
Now acknowledge God’s hand upon him.
Can I encourage someone?
You don't need to prove yourself to everybody.
Let your life preach.
Let your integrity preach.
Let your consistency preach.
Let your joy preach.
Let your kindness preach.
Let your marriage preach.
Let your generosity preach.
Isaac never demanded respect.
He simply remained faithful.
Eventually…
Even his enemies had to admit…
“God is with that man.”
Church…
Wouldn’t it be amazing if our neighbors…
Our coworkers…
Our schools…
Our community…
Looked at our Church and said…
“I may not agree with everything but…
But it’s obvious…
God is doing something there.”
Now look at verse 32.
Genesis 26:32–33 (NLT)
That very day Isaac’s servants came and told him about a new well they had dug. “We’ve found water!” they exclaimed. So Isaac named the well Shibah (which means “oath”). And to this day the town that grew up there is called Beersheba, which means “well of the oath.”
I love the timing.
The same day…
God provides another well.
Almost as if God is saying…
“Isaac…
You trusted Me…
Now watch what I can do.”
Church…
God’s provision is never running behind.
As I studied this chapter…
I couldn’t help but think…
Genesis 26 isn’t the last time the Bible talks about a well.
Nearly two thousand years later…
Another weary traveler sat beside another well.
Not Isaac.
Jesus.
John chapter 4 tells us that Jesus sat down beside Jacob’s well around noon.
A Samaritan woman came to draw water.
Just another ordinary day.
Just another ordinary well.
Except this time…
The Well was sitting beside the well.
Jesus looked at her and said,
“Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” (John 4:13–14, NLT)
Church…
Do you see it?
Every well in Genesis…
Was pointing to Him.
Abraham’s wells…
Isaac’s wells…
Jacob’s well…
They all whispered the same truth.
“There is coming a day when God Himself will satisfy the thirst of His people forever.”
Isaac could reopen buried wells.
Jesus opens hearts.
Isaac found water for livestock.
Jesus gives eternal life.
Isaac had to keep digging.
Jesus cried from the cross…
“It is finished.”
Because the greatest work was complete.
The Greater Isaac
I want you to notice one more beautiful picture.
Isaac was forced to leave his home.
Jesus left Heaven.
Isaac was rejected by men.
Jesus was rejected by the world He created.
Isaac gave up his rights rather than fight.
Jesus willingly laid down His rights…
Even to death on a cross.
Isaac made peace with his enemies.
Jesus made peace between sinners and a holy God.
Isaac found another well.
Jesus became the Well.
Church…
Genesis isn’t ultimately about Abraham.
Or Isaac.
Or Jacob.
It’s about Jesus.
Every page points to Him.
Every promise finds its fulfillment in Him.
Every thirsty soul finds life in Him.P
Invitation
So let me ask you two questions this morning.
First…
What well has become buried?
Where has the dirt accumulated?
Is it your prayer life?
Your worship?
Your marriage?
Your calling?
Your joy?
Your first love?
Today…
God isn’t asking you to invent something new.
He’s inviting you…
To pick up the shovel.
And dig again.
Second…
Have you ever truly come to Jesus?
Because here’s the reality.
You can spend your entire life digging earthly wells…
Career.
Success.
Money.
Relationships.
Popularity.
Pleasure.
And you’ll still be thirsty.
Only Jesus satisfies the deepest thirst of the human heart.
Maybe you’ve been searching everywhere else.
Today…
Come to the Living Water.
The One who said,
“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.”
The One who died for your sins.
Rose from the grave.
And offers eternal life freely…
To everyone who believes.
Gospel Appeal
For those who’ve never trusted Christ…
Today can be the day.
Not because you’ve earned it.
Not because you’ve cleaned yourself up.
But because Jesus has already done everything necessary to save you.
Salvation is by grace alone…
Through faith alone…
In Christ alone.
Turn from your sin.
Trust in Him.
Drink deeply of His grace.
And you’ll never thirst again.
Final Charge
Community Church…
Let’s be known as people who dig.
Not because we’re chasing the newest thing.
But because we’re faithfully returning to the ancient paths.
Let’s dig wells of prayer.
Let’s dig wells of worship.
Let’s dig wells of holiness.
Let’s dig wells of discipleship.
Let’s dig wells of generosity.
Let’s dig wells of Gospel proclamation.
Let’s build altars before we build platforms.
Let’s seek God’s presence before we seek God’s blessing.
Let’s leave deep wells for the next generation.
So that one day…
Long after we’re gone…
Our children…
And our grandchildren…
And maybe people we’ve never even met…
Will drink from wells…
We were willing…
To dig.
Let’s pray.
