You Don't Have To Run on empty

Have you ever noticed how being thirsty changes everything? When our bodies lack water, thirst quickly becomes the loudest need. Nothing else matters until that craving is satisfied. Yet, beneath the physical thirst is a deeper, often ignored reality: a soul-level thirst that no drink, no achievement, and no distraction can truly quench. This spiritual thirst is something every human carries, whether we recognize it or not. Just as our bodies need water to survive, our souls long for something more—something only Jesus can satisfy.
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In John 4, we see this truth illustrated through the story of a Samaritan woman who came to a well, simply trying to get through another day. She was tired, worn out, and carrying deep emotional wounds. But in the middle of her routine, Jesus met her. What seemed like an ordinary moment—a request for a drink of water—quickly turned into an extraordinary encounter. Jesus wasn’t just asking for a drink; He was offering her living water that would satisfy her soul in a way nothing else ever could.

This passage reminds us that Jesus intentionally goes where others avoid. While cultural norms, prejudices, and personal discomfort kept most people from interacting with Samaritans, Jesus went straight through Samaria. He chose not to avoid the awkward, messy, or different. Instead, He sat down at the well, tired and thirsty, to connect with someone everyone else overlooked. That same intentional love is extended to us today. Jesus meets us in our brokenness, without shame, offering grace and truth in a way that heals.

The woman at the well had spent years trying to satisfy her soul’s thirst with temporary solutions—relationships, distractions, and the hope that “maybe this time will be different.” Yet, none of it worked. Like her, we often turn to things like success, relationships, entertainment, or even good things like community and service, hoping they’ll fill the void. But these wells always leave us coming back empty. Only Jesus offers a spring of living water that never runs dry.

One of the most beautiful moments in this story is how Jesus responds to her brokenness. He doesn’t flinch at her past. He doesn’t shame her for her mistakes. Instead, He names what’s broken with compassion and invites her into something better. Jesus gives her both truth and love—truth that reveals the source of her emptiness and love that assures her she’s still wanted and seen. This kind of encounter changes people. It changed her, and it can change us too.

After encountering Jesus, the woman’s priorities shifted. She left her water jar behind—the very reason she came to the well no longer seemed so important. Instead of hiding, she ran to tell others about the one who truly satisfied her soul. Her story became a testimony of transformation. The people who once dismissed her could not ignore the evidence of a real encounter with Jesus.

Jesus invites us to consider the wells we’ve been going to in search of satisfaction. Are we still thirsty after chasing things that the world promises will fulfill us? Jesus offers us the same invitation He extended to the woman at the well: to drink deeply of the living water He provides. When we discern our true thirst, repent of the things that keep us empty, indulge in His presence, nurture authentic community, and share our stories with others, we discover a satisfaction that the world’s temporary fixes can never match.

Our prayer as a church is that we would stop going back to empty wells and instead embrace the living water Jesus offers. He alone satisfies what the world intensifies. Today, may we accept His invitation, lay down our empty jars, and experience the soul-deep fulfillment found only in Him.

- Adapted from the messages preached at our 3 campuses on 5/18/25.