Riverside Church, Birmingham, Uk

Title: Meeting Our Needs By: Tim Chilvers Bible Reading: Book of John (Chapter 4, verses 1-26) Recorded: Sunday 03/05/2020 (Online Service) Longing For Hope: Meeting Our Needs This is one of the most memorable encounters with Jesus in the gospels. It is a raw description of a mixed-up individual and the beautiful hope that Jesus offers. In a society of shame, fear and judgement we discover lasting hope and grace, regardless of who we are. The heart of this encounter is Jesus unveiling what the needs of the unnamed Samaritan woman really are. It is easy to focus on our physical needs. But Jesus provides for a much deeper need. A desire to get our physical needs met is natural, but only ever a temporary thing. Jesus offers hope that truly lasts and truly meets our deeper needs. And, he does this without prejudice (over social hierarchies or acceptabilities - she is a woman, with ‘unacceptable’ living arrangements), or favouritism (she is a Samaritan woman, after all). Perhaps this encounter points to tw