Friday, February 13, 2026

Opening Scripture

“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, ‘The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.’” Psalm 95:11-15

Opening Prayer

Come Thou Almighty King, help us Thy name to sing, help us to praise; Father, all glorious, o’er all victorious, come and reign over us, Ancient of Days. To Thee great One in Three, the highest praises be, hence evermore, Thy sovereign majesty may we in glory see, and to eternity love and adore. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Daily Bible Reading

John 4:21-24

“Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” John 4:21-24

Reflection  

This encounter between Jesus and a Samaritan woman was significant in several ways. As usual, Jesus engaged this person at her point of need, unencumbered by religious rules or community customs. This socially unacceptable meeting between the Messiah and a marginalized woman of ill-repute was no doubt shocking to everyone except Jesus. In fact, it may well have been the very reason “He had to go through Samaria” (John 4:4).

Jesus’ teaching here addresses the mindset we’ve seen so often in the Old Testament. The Psalms constantly refer to physical places and geographic locations tied to the worship of God. The tabernacle, the temple, Jerusalem, Mount Sinai – sacred spaces where God had revealed Himself were assumed to be “where He dwells.” All that was about to change!

Jesus foreshadows the impending arrival of the Holy Spirit to indwell God’s people. The mystery of the ages will turn out to be that everyone – Jew, Gentile, and Samaritan – who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved and become a “temple” of the Spirit of God through faith in Jesus (1 Corinthians 6:19).

As such, true worship of Almighty God is not limited to any ethnicity, language, nation, or denomination. It’s a matter of the heart and mind, a pledge of allegiance to King Jesus, confession and repentance leading to righteousness, and being transformed on The Jesus Way.

Flourishing Habit

Close Social Relationships

In Matthew 18:20, Jesus promises, “Where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”

Following Jesus should be done in community. Part of that community is being involved in a small group that studies the Bible together and applies its truths to daily life. Part of that community is sharing together in corporate worship. Part of that community is serving together in ministry.

As the body of Christ, we have a responsibility to encourage one another by our attendance, our attitude, and our activity in each others’ lives. The indwelling Spirit of God connects our hearts and minds together with His heart and mind. We are mutually blessed as we learn, grow, suffer, rejoice, and serve together.

Renew your commitment today to be actively involved in our family of faith at FBCA. Your presence, prayers, praise, and participation are needed!

“I can safely say, on the authority of all that is revealed in the Word of God, that any man or woman on earth who is bored and turned off by worship is not ready for heaven.” A.W. Tozer

Remember: Nothing changes until something changes!