The Hunger for Love

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge.” (Ephesians 3:17-19)

The Relationship Between Desire, Love, and the Life with God (John 4:1-15)

Facing Deformed Desire and Encountering Love (John 4:16-19)

Finding Appropriate Satisfaction in the God, Who Is Love, through Jesus (John 4:19-26)

Finding Appropriate Satisfaction in Love for Others (John 4:27-43)

1. When have you been most physically hungry in your life? What was going on at that time? How was the situation resolved?
2. This weekend we begin a new series, “Hungry for God,” that parallels the 40-day journey of Lent as a season of preparation for Easter. Begin today’s study by reading Psalm 63:1 aloud, “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.” Take a minute or two to let those words sink in. Next, ask God to speak to you as you begin this study.
3. Read John 4:1-43 aloud. According to verses 1-7, what is the situation that leads Jesus into this encounter with the Samaritan woman?
4. In verses 7-15, how would you describe what is happening in the exchange between the Samaritan woman and Jesus? Do you think they are talking about the same things or not? What would you say the woman is looking for?
5. Jesus turns the conversation in a more probing direction in verses 17-26. What does Jesus open in the woman’s life? What does He say about who He is?
6.  What does this exchange tell us about human soul-hungers and Jesus? How have you experienced Jesus both opening up soul-deep hungers as well as satisfying them in your life?
7. After a conversation with the disciples (verses 27-38), the Samaritan woman leads others in her community to Jesus (verses 39-43). What happens here? What sort of transformation has begun in the woman? What begins to happen with the community?
8. What do you think it might look like to open the soul-hungers of our lives with others in a way that leads them into an encounter with Jesus? Have you seen that happen in your own life? 9. Return to verses 13-14 and read them aloud. What is God speaking to you personally through these verses or this episode from Scripture as a whole? If you are with a small group, discuss that with one another and pray for one another. If you are studying on your own, write it down and share it with someone this week.

DIG DEEPER

• Memorize Psalm 63:1 this week.
• Take Off: Identify some of the false loves in your life this week. You can begin by simply listing relationships you turn to in order to find love, value, and acceptance in your life. Have any of these become unhealthy in some way? Are any of these causing you to compromise who you are and/or your values in order to be accepted or loved? Are any of these contractual (“as long as you do this for me, I’ll love you”) or codependent (they are enabling or encouraging poor choices in your life)? Pray for God’s wisdom in how to respond to what you have identified.
• Put On: Take a step this week to enter into meaningful Christian community, whether through an existing relationship with a Christian, a small group of some type through church, or some other means. A meaningful Christian community is one where you can know and be known by other Christians, where you can pray for and encourage one another, and where together you can interact with God’s Truth (through a study, discussion, etc.). If you need ideas for how to find this, contact the church office (414.228.5220 or info@eastbrook.org).