John 7

 Key verse:  John 7:38

Big idea: The sign of new life is the Holy Spirit flowing within us.

We recently got some new branded church cups. They are both very nice and quite large, so I can put them in my Keurig and hit the travel mug size and "strong" to get a decent quantity of coffee. Yet, if I live through tomorrow, I have not yet had my last cup of coffee. No matter how much I drink, I will never be set for life; I just get thirsty again. This is really the way that everything is in this life. It entices, we partake, but we are never really satisfied no matter how much we get. But Jesus offers a something greater.

He stands in the streets at the end of the Feast of Tabernacles, like Wisdom in the book of Proverbs, and tells anyone who is thirsty to come and drink. But those who bring their parches souls to Jesus do not find they need more tomorrow. Instead, they have the water of life bubbling up inside them, satisfying them and leaving them with an abundance to share with others. John explains that this "water" is the Holy Spirit within us, giving us life and both the ability and urgency to share it with others. 

One of the clearest signs of a true believer is a heart for evangelism. Do we want to share the satisfaction Jesus has given to us with others? Do we recognize that everything we have is free, and that we can never exhaust the supply of grace we have been given? There is no need to ration it! We can take freely and share freely. 

Discussion idea: Why is thirst a good metaphor for a spiritual need? What other metaphors capture different aspects of salvation?

Prayer focus: Lord, help me to be a well where others can find your Spirit readily available to satiate their thirsty hearts.