What is your response to the Messiah?

October 4, 2026

Each week we gather around the Word of God, the message, and one another. This is where the week’s reflection begins — and you can pick up the latest sermon below.

John 4:28-42

Many Samaritans believe....

28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” 30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him. 31 Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” 33 Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?” 34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35 Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”39 Many of the Samaritan from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers. 42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”

A Thought From the Pastor

I often start my day with a devotional, prayer and a “checklist. “ I find most days that I ask for guidance and that the Holy Spirit would give me courage and perception to do his will. I often then get frustrated when opportunities arise that deviate from my checklist for the day! Can you relate to this in your life? The Samaritan woman had her checklist for the day, but it required her to follow different routes and paths for completion due to her trying to hide from her past and the many people that judged her in her daily walk. Jesus started his day as a “man” on this earth with a different approach. He stepped across gender, cultural and the religious divides of the day to enter Samaria and meet her. Jesus greeted her with a searchlight of grace, rather than a spotlight of shame. This divine interruption in her day offered her something not on “her checklist” and that was living water. A spiritual satisfaction that would quench the thrist of her soul. How can we follow the lead of the Samaritan woman and “drop our jars” at the well and accept a new source of life from Jesus?

Be willing to interrupt your plans – She allowed a conversation with the Messiah reshape her day and her entired eternity. Are you remaining open to interruptions in your plans that God might send your way?

Surrender what you rely on – She left her water jar at the well. Are you willing to leave those things at the well that hinder your relationshiop with the Messiah. Are you willing to hear truth and act on it?

Trade shame for testimony – I love the aspect that Samaritan woman chose not to hide from the townspeople anymore and she ran to them. She didn’t wait until her reputation was perfect and she had things all figured out.

Lead others to the source – The Samaritan woman had her plans changed one day, she surrendered her past and embraced the Messiah and shared this experience with others. By surrending she became one of the first “sharers of the good news” and this faith, courage and testimony changed the world.

Prayerful Planning

Please mark your calendars for the giveRecovery Spaghetti Dinner which will take place this Saturday, October 10 at 5:30pm. All donations from the dinner will benefit the Community Kitchen and food pantry. Please grab a flyer at the Welcome Center if you need additional information.
We will be having a “Fall Potluck” after church on Sunday, October 25 . Please mark your calendars for this fun and festive event.

Plans and Events at PCOC

10/4 - Our food pantry is open today @ 12:30 - 1:30 @ PCoC.
10/5 - Community Kitchen @ 11:30 - 12:30 @ PCoC.
10/7 - Women’s and Men’s Bible Studies @ 6:30 pm @ PCoC.
10/8 - Church Prayer Group @ 10:30 am @ PCoC.
10/9 - Bridge Street Service @ 6:00 pm @ Bridge Street Church.
10/10 - GiveRecovery Spaghetti Dinner @ 5:30 pm @ PCoC.

Purpose For This Week

Pray that we would be willing to have our plans interrupted for Christ.
Pray that we surrender our lives to Jesus and his purposes.
Pray that we would trade shame and guilt for the truth and testimony of our God in Heaven.

Praise Reports & Prayer Requests

Please continue to cover Jim and Alice Mort and their son Steve in your prayers. Please pray for physical healing and spiritual uplifting and comfort during this difficult time for their family. Praise God for so many lives being changed in our church family.
Please continue to pray that God’s voice would resonate deeply in our hearts and souls and that we would have a strong desire to be more like Christ and less like “ourselves”
Please continue to pray over Joe Soper and his continued desire to find answers to his health issues.
Praise God for the time of prayer we had this week and all the prayers we lifted up to our Heavenly Father.

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