April 26, 2026 Service - "Encountering Jesus" - Week 3

Devotional

Day 1: Thirst Met at Noon’s Well

A woman carried her jar to the well when shadows shrank—the hour when others stayed home. Jesus sat there, road-weary, asking her for water. He named her five husbands, then offered living water that would forever quench her soul-thirst. She left her jar, running to town with news: “Come meet a man who told me everything!” Shame’s weight lifted as grace rewrote her story. [36:51]

Jesus sees through our hiding. He meets us at our deepest shame-points not to condemn, but to replace our striving with His sustaining presence. The woman’s jar symbolized her daily grind for approval; Christ’s offer freed her to live unburdened.

What jar are you clutching—what habit, relationship, or secret defines you? Jesus waits at your noon-hour well, ready to exchange your emptiness for His fullness. Will you let Him name your thirst today?

“Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’”
(John 4:13-14, NIV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to reveal the “jar” you’ve used to numb your soul-thirst.
Challenge: Text one person this week: “I encountered Jesus today. Can I tell you about it?”

Day 2: “I Believe, Help My Unbelief!”

A desperate father fell to his knees before Jesus, begging freedom for his demon-tormented son. “If you can do anything—” he pleaded. Jesus reframed: “If you can believe.” The man cried through tears, “I do believe! Help me overcome my unbelief!” In that raw admission, Jesus cast out the spirit and restored the boy. [38:21]

Faith isn’t the absence of doubt but the choice to bring our mixed-up trust to Christ. The father’s honest cry disarmed pretense, inviting Jesus’ power into his brokenness. God honors scrappy, real faith over polished certainty.

Where are you saying “I believe” while secretly doubting? Name one area where you need Jesus to strengthen your trust. What if your honest admission became the doorway to His intervention?

“Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.’ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!’”
(Mark 9:23-24, NKJV)

Prayer: Confess one specific doubt to Jesus, asking Him to meet you there.
Challenge: Write your “help my unbelief” struggle on a slip of paper—carry it as a prayer reminder today.

Day 3: Five Loaves in Small Hands

A boy offered his lunch—five barley loaves, two fish—to Jesus’ disciples facing a hungry crowd. Jesus blessed the meager gift, multiplying it until 5,000 men ate their fill. Leftovers filled twelve baskets, proving God’s abundance starts where our “not enough” ends. The boy learned: small surrender sparks divine math. [40:05]

Jesus doesn’t need our resources—He wants our willingness. The disciples saw lack; Jesus saw faith. That child’s lunch, given without reservation, became a feast revealing God’s heart to provide through yielded hands.

What’s your “five loaves”—the talent, time, or treasure you’ve labeled “too small”? How might Jesus multiply it if placed fully in His hands?

“Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, ‘Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.’”
(John 6:11-13, NIV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for what you have, however small—ask Him to use it.
Challenge: Donate one item (food, clothing, money) today as an act of trust in God’s multiplication.

Day 4: Eyes Fixed on the Camel’s Gate

The rich young ruler called Jesus “Good Teacher,” seeking eternal life while clutching earthly treasure. Jesus told him, “Sell everything, give to the poor, then follow me.” The man walked away grieving—his wealth a camel-sized barrier to God’s narrow gate of surrender. [54:40]

Jesus exposed the man’s divided heart, not to impoverish him but to free him. Wealth wasn’t sinful—but his reliance on it was. Christ’s invitation remains: surrender what you clutch to gain what you truly need.

What possession, status, or safety net are you gripping too tightly? What would it look like to open your hands today?

“Jesus answered, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.”
(Matthew 19:21-22, NIV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to reveal one thing competing for your wholehearted devotion.
Challenge: List three possessions you overvalue—pray over each, “Jesus, You’re better.”

Day 5: Oil on the Least Expected Head

Samuel scanned Jesse’s sons for Israel’s next king, drawn to Eliab’s height and bearing. God interrupted: “Man looks at the outward appearance, but I look at the heart.” David—youngest, shepherd-boy—was summoned from the fields. Oil dripped down his head as God affirmed His choice: a man after His own heart. [57:25]

God prioritizes inner integrity over external impressiveness. David’s resume lacked polish, but his worshipful, repentant heart qualified him for kingdom impact. Jesus still crowns the humble, not the hyped.

Where are you prioritizing image over integrity? What would it cost to let God redefine your “success” today?

“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’”
(1 Samuel 16:7, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God to shift your focus from outward appearances to inward transformation.
Challenge: Spend 10 minutes journaling about your heart’s condition versus your external image.

Sermon Summary

God gives good gifts and encounters with Jesus change lives. Stories of people meeting Jesus show grace that confronts shame, heals brokenness, and unlocks freedom purchased by the cross. Encounters with Jesus offer living water, restored dignity, and miracles that meet both spiritual and practical need. Faith does not require perfection but it does demand honesty about the heart. When people step into Jesus presence, shame loses its power and transformation unfolds.

Stuff and achievement seduce the heart and create clutter that blocks intimacy with God. Possessions and comfort become rival lords when affections divide. The rich young man in Matthew shows a common posture. He keeps commandments, seeks assurance, yet prefers his goods over the treasure of a surrendered life. Jesus names the true issue as the condition of the heart and calls for undivided allegiance. The call to sell possessions and follow exposes whether God has first place.

Jesus never forces surrender. He invites with tenderness and gives a clear choice between life and death. Loving Jesus means dying to self so Christ can live within. That death yields what the world cannot: enduring presence, joy, and the kingdom that no object can buy. The Holy Spirit ministers freedom rather than shame, revealing what enslaves and inviting repentance and repair.

Guarding the heart becomes the practical discipline that shapes every decision. The scriptures warn against greed, craving, and a life built on accumulation. Fixing the eyes on Jesus reframes desire and makes the things of earth grow dim by contrast with glory. The invitation remains open: come and follow, bring everything, and allow God to unclutter the inner life so that freedom and fullness may take deep root.

Key Takeaways

1. Meeting Jesus changes everything Encountering Jesus interrupts ordinary patterns and exposes the true need of the soul. Presence with Christ brings peace that other relationships and successes never supplied. Transformation flows from being known and loved, not from moral checklist or self-improvement. [35:50]
2. Stuff becomes a bad master Possessions shift from tools into rulers when affections attach to them. The addictive craving for more produces a life of constant accumulation and tormented dissatisfaction. Only when the heart yields can possessions return to their proper place as means rather than ends. [44:22]
3. No partial surrender allowed Half measures preserve idols. The call to sell possessions and follow strips any pretence that God and goods can peacefully share ultimate authority. Full surrender removes divided loyalties and opens entry into the larger, lasting economy of the kingdom. [53:37]
4. Guard and fix your heart Affections determine the course of life more than actions alone. Vigilance over desires and a disciplined gaze upon Christ reorient motivation and decision making. Fixing eyes on Jesus diminishes consumer craving and cultivates spiritual stability. [68:30]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[30:34] - God gives good gifts
[31:26] - Courage to tell the story
[32:22] - Jesus sets the captive free
[35:50] - Meeting Jesus changes everything
[36:27] - Woman at the well encounter
[39:06] - Feeding the 5,000 and faith
[44:22] - Stuff and the cluttered heart
[53:37] - Rich young ruler and surrender
[68:30] - Guard your heart and follow

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Matthew 19:16-22 (ESV)
16 And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” 17 And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Observation Questions

In Matthew 19:21, Jesus tells the rich young ruler to sell his possessions and follow Him. What specific reason does the passage give for the man’s sorrowful response?
The sermon mentions the story of the woman at the well (John 4) and her encounter with Jesus. How did her interaction with Jesus change her actions and relationships? [36:27]
According to the passage, which commandments did Jesus highlight when the man asked about eternal life (Matthew 19:18-19)? Why might He have omitted “You shall have no other gods before me”?

Interpretation Questions

The rich young ruler claimed to have kept the commandments Jesus listed. Why do you think Jesus focused on his possessions rather than his moral behavior as the barrier to eternal life?
The sermon states, “Stuff becomes a bad master when affections attach to them” [44:22]. How do material possessions shift from being tools to rulers in a person’s life, according to this idea?
In 1 Samuel 16:7, God says He looks at the heart, not outward appearances. How does this truth challenge the rich young ruler’s self-assessment of his righteousness?

Application Questions

The rich young ruler walked away from Jesus because he valued his possessions more than following Christ. What is one area of your life where you sense Jesus might be asking you to surrender control? How could you take a practical step toward that surrender this week?
The sermon describes how the woman at the well stopped hiding in shame after meeting Jesus [36:27]. Where do you feel shame or the need to hide, and how might honestly bringing that to Jesus bring freedom?
“Guarding the heart” involves monitoring what we desire and love. What daily habit could help you fix your eyes on Jesus instead of “consumer cravings” [01:08:30]?
The sermon warns against “partial surrender” and divided loyalties. Is there a “good thing” in your life (e.g., career, relationships, hobbies) that risks becoming an idol? How can you intentionally reorder your affections this month?
Jesus invited the rich young ruler to follow Him but didn’t force him. How can you create space in your schedule or relationships this week to respond to Jesus’ invitation to deeper intimacy?

Sermon Clips

Get rid of that stuff so that your heart would be undivided. Let me have your heart. And if you have heart if if I can have your heart, you will absolutely have everything that you've ever wanted, and I'm not preaching prosperity gospel. What I am saying, what does this man want? He wants eternal life found in Christ and Christ alone. But that requires full surrender, not partial surrender. There is a way, there's our way, and that leads to death, and there's his way. And his way says, I have to die so that he can live in me. [01:02:48] (37 seconds) #UndividedHeart

And Amazon Prime may be the crown jewel. You don't even have to go to the store. You can click that joker and stuff starts showing up. Pleasure, cravings, scroll your way straight to hell. Pride in our achievements and possessions, these are not from the father. These cravings are from this world, and we all know them. And Jesus came to set us free. And so, again, it's timeless. This is not just a story 2,000 years old. It's 2026, and I think we're still in April. And we're still breathing. And Jesus is still seeking, and he wants to know about your heart. [01:07:14] (65 seconds) #QuitTheScroll

And there's part of us as Americans that try to marry the the American dream and Christian theology, and they just don't always jive together because he who has the most toys still dies. They can't save him. They can't take him with him, and he still dies. It's just a worse death. So go back to Luke for a minute. Beware. Guard against every kind of greed. Life's not measured by how much you own. John, one of his disciples, wanted to reinforce the same ideas from the teaching of Jesus, and this is what he said in first John. [01:06:12] (48 seconds) #GuardAgainstGreed

Trucks aren't bad. Shoes aren't bad. Clothes aren't bad. It's immaterial. It's what we do with that stuff in here that kills us. It's not the stuff that kills us. It's what we do in here. That's what kills us. And it's what we do in here when our minds are always fixated on that next hit of dopamine, man. Oh, if I could just have this, it would make me so happy. If you live your life there, you are living life in a perpetual state of garage sailing and giving your life away to something that will never ever satisfy. [00:51:32] (37 seconds) #DopamineTrap

But it'll require everything. It'll require your heart. And, man, if you if you want to step into that, I want you to know that Jesus came for more than the forgiveness of your sins. But you couldn't get to him without you couldn't get to God and his love without that. But Jesus cares so deeply about your soul. He cares so deeply about our souls and our hearts. He wants to make us new. He wants you to know his love for you. He wants you to experience his peace on this side of eternity, and it only gets better on the other. No more wrestling in the flesh. [01:09:56] (37 seconds) #HeartOverEverything

Encountering Jesus changes everything. You think about that woman at the well who'd been married so many times. Like, she can't even go to the well with the other ladies. Like, she's she's hiding. She feels burdened by shame. And we learned something powerful about God, and we learned something about his love. It's like he's seeking us. It is not by accident that Jesus is at that well at that day and at that time. That was a divine appointment. That was by design, and he just starts chatting her up. [00:36:01] (30 seconds) #DivineAppointment

Well, the young man heard this, and he went away. How'd he go away? Sad. Why'd he go away sad? God's word tells us. He went he went away sad because he had he had a lot of stuff, and he liked his stuff more than he wanted his stuff more than he wanted Jesus. Meeting Jesus can change everything. And here's what I wanted you to know. It did. It changed to everything. Jesus came near him. He walked away. Do people still walk away today? [01:01:18] (49 seconds) #ChooseJesusNotStuff

The challenge would be twofold. One, guard your heart. Guard your heart above all else for it determines the course of your life, the affections of your heart and your desires. Do not crave, do not give into your feelings. Your feelings will lead you astray. Your heart will lead you astray. If anybody just says follow your heart, that's the worst advice they could ever give you because your heart will lead you to the cravings of the world. Guard your heart for it determines the course of your life. We see that this man left, and it determined the course of his life. [01:08:26] (39 seconds) #GuardYourAffections

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April 26, 2026 Service - "Encountering Jesus" - Week 3

Devotional

Day 1: Thirst Met at Noon’s Well

Day 2: “I Believe, Help My Unbelief!”

Day 3: Five Loaves in Small Hands

Day 4: Eyes Fixed on the Camel’s Gate

Day 5: Oil on the Least Expected Head

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

April 26, 2026 Service - "Encountering Jesus" - Week 3

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