Title
If We Only Knew 我们若知道
Date
06/07/2026
Description
John 4:10 (NIV)
Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”
约翰福音 4:10 (CUVS)
耶稣回答说：“你若知道神的恩赐，和对说话的是谁，你必早求他，他也必早赐给你活水。”
John 7:38 (NIV)
Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within them.
约翰福音 7:38 (CUVS)
信我的人，就如经上所说：“从他腹中要流出活水的江河来。”
Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)
For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.
西番雅书 3:17 (CUVS)
耶和华一你的 神，在你中间，是大有能力的救主；他必因你欢欣喜乐，默默爱你，因你喜乐而欢呼。
1 Corinthians 2:12 (NIV)
What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.
哥林多前书 2:12 (CUVS)
我们所领受的，并不是世上的灵，乃是从神来的灵，叫我们能知道神开恩赐给我们的事。
John 15:14-15 (NIV)
You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
约翰福音 15:14-15 (CUVS)
你们若遵行我所吩咐的，就是我的朋友了。我不再称你们为仆人；因为仆人不知道主人所作的事；我乃称你们为朋友；因我从父所听见的，都已经告诉你们了。
Isaiah 12:3 (NIV)
With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
以赛亚书 12:3 (CUVS)
你们必欢欢喜喜地从救恩的泉源中取水。
1 Corinthians 2:16 (NIV)
We have the mind of Christ.
哥林多前书 2:16 (CUVS)
我们已经得了基督的心意。
Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”
约翰福音 4:10 (CUVS)
耶稣回答说：“你若知道神的恩赐，和对说话的是谁，你必早求他，他也必早赐给你活水。”
John 7:38 (NIV)
Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within them.
约翰福音 7:38 (CUVS)
信我的人，就如经上所说：“从他腹中要流出活水的江河来。”
Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)
For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.
西番雅书 3:17 (CUVS)
耶和华一你的 神，在你中间，是大有能力的救主；他必因你欢欣喜乐，默默爱你，因你喜乐而欢呼。
1 Corinthians 2:12 (NIV)
What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.
哥林多前书 2:12 (CUVS)
我们所领受的，并不是世上的灵，乃是从神来的灵，叫我们能知道神开恩赐给我们的事。
John 15:14-15 (NIV)
You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
约翰福音 15:14-15 (CUVS)
你们若遵行我所吩咐的，就是我的朋友了。我不再称你们为仆人；因为仆人不知道主人所作的事；我乃称你们为朋友；因我从父所听见的，都已经告诉你们了。
Isaiah 12:3 (NIV)
With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
以赛亚书 12:3 (CUVS)
你们必欢欢喜喜地从救恩的泉源中取水。
1 Corinthians 2:16 (NIV)
We have the mind of Christ.
哥林多前书 2:16 (CUVS)
我们已经得了基督的心意。
Creator
Pastor: Mike Koger
Contributor
Hillside United Methodist Church
3737 US 80
Phenix City AL 36870
United States
3737 US 80
Phenix City AL 36870
United States
Transcription
IF WE ONLY KNEW
John 4:5-10
For a moment, let your heart become still before the Lord.
Let these words I share today settle deeply into your spirit.
The Lord impressed something on my heart during my time away:
"Don't think that you will go home and be the same person you were before.
You won't be."
That resonated with me.
Because the changes God has been making in my life are still happening.
They haven't stopped.
Last week we talked about that word “commencement “
In many ways, I feel as though I am still in the middle of my own commencement.
A beginning. A becoming.
Sometimes we expect transformation to arrive all at once.
But often, the biggest changes in our lives happen through many small steps.
One thought can change a decision. One decision can change a direction.
And one direction can eventually change a life.
God has a way of bringing new information, new situations, new conversations, and even new people into our lives.
Each one becomes another piece of what He is building within us.
One time on a plane ride home, I was sitting with a new found friend – and brother in Christ: "I think God's going to surprise you."
I believe that's true. And I believe maybe God wants to surprise some of us today.
Our scripture comes from John chapter 4.
Jesus is sitting beside Jacob's well when a Samaritan woman comes to draw water.
At first glance, it seems like an ordinary meeting. But it becomes one of the most powerful conversations in Scripture.
This woman was an outsider.
She carried shame. She carried disappointment. She carried questions.
Yet Jesus intentionally met her where she was.
GOD wants to meet us where WE are today. “If WE only knew…”
The story of the woman at the well teaches us that God loves us in spite of our bankrupt lives.
God values us enough to actively seek us.
To welcome us into intimacy. To rejoice in our worship.
As a result of this conversation, only a person like the Samaritan woman could fully understand what Jesus was offering.
To be wanted. To be cared for. To be seen.
…even when no one possibly else saw value in her.
Maybe not even when she saw value in herself. That is grace indeed.
And then Jesus says these remarkable words: "If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water."
“If you only knew.”
That phrase has stayed with me all week.
“If you only knew.” If WE only knew.
Sometimes we have to get lost before we find ourselves.
Jesus finds us right where we are. “Just as I am”
The woman at the well had her eyes opened to the truth about her situation when she met Jesus.
She came for water. She left with something infinitely greater.
Jesus revealed that despite all her trips to the well, she remained thirsty.
Not merely physically thirsty. Spiritually. Emotionally. Deep within her soul.
The water she drew today could not satisfy tomorrow's thirst.
And isn't that often true of us?
How many times do we return to the same wells expecting lasting satisfaction?
The well of success. The well of approval. The well of comfort. The well of distraction.
Yet we keep returning because the thirst remains.
Jesus was offering something different. Living Water.
A relationship with God that permanently satisfies the deepest longings of the human heart.
Today I want us to consider three things.
Three truths hidden inside Jesus' words.
First: IF WE ONLY KNEW HOW MUCH GOD DELIGHTS IN US
Many people believe God tolerates them.
But they struggle to believe God delights in them.
Listen to Zephaniah 3:17: "The Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs."
Imagine that. The Creator of the universe delights in you. (in me)
Not merely the future version of you.
Not the perfected version of you.
You. Right now.
The Samaritan woman expected judgment. Instead she found grace.
She expected rejection. Instead she found acceptance.
“Mercy triumphs over judgment.”
If we only knew how much God delights in us, perhaps we would stop hiding from Him and start running toward Him.
Second: IF WE ONLY KNEW WHAT GOD HAS ALREADY PLACED WITHIN US
Jesus later declared: "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."
Notice what Jesus said. Not merely water for you. Water flowing through you.
Not just enough for survival. Enough to overflow.
First Corinthians 2:12 tells us: "What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us."
Many believers spend their lives praying for what God has already provided.
Looking for what is already present.
Seeking strength while carrying strength. Seeking wisdom while carrying the mind of Christ. Seeking peace while carrying the Prince of Peace.
If we only knew what God has already placed within us, we would walk differently.
Pray differently. Live differently.
Third: IF WE ONLY KNEW WHAT GOD STILL WANTS TO DO THROUGH US
There is another verse that connects beautifully with this story.
Jesus said: "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends."
The woman came to the well as a stranger. She left as a friend of God.
What happened at the well was more than a conversation.
It was an invitation.
An invitation into relationship. An invitation into friendship. An invitation into purpose.
Jesus doesn't merely save us from something. He saves us for something.
There are still prayers to answer. Lives to touch. People to encourage.
Blessings to discover. Kingdom work to accomplish.
There is more ahead than we realize. (“if you only knew”)
Sometimes we look at our lives and think the best chapters have already been written.
But God is still writing. God is still creating. God is still surprising.
And if we only knew what He has planned, we would approach tomorrow with expectation instead of fear.
As our perspective changes, everything changes.
When the blinders come off, we begin to see possibilities where we once saw obstacles.
Blessings where we once saw burdens. Opportunities where we once saw limitations.
The greatest tragedy is not that God has withheld His blessings from us.
The greatest tragedy is that we often live unaware of what He has already given.
Isaiah 55:1 says: "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters."
And Isaiah 12:3 says: "With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation."
Today Jesus is offering us a better way to live.
Not merely surviving. Not merely going through the motions.
Not merely repeating yesterday.
But living with expectation.
Living with purpose. Living with joy.
He restores your soul.
Consider that the answer you've been looking for is already closer than you think.
- the strength you need is already available.
- the peace you need is already present.
- the Living Water is already flowing.
Jesus said: "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."
If we only knew. If WE only knew.
Amen.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, Thank You for meeting us at the wells of our lives
just as You met the Samaritan woman.
Thank You for loving us, seeking us, and offering us living water today.
Open our eyes to see what You have already given us.
Help us to understand how deeply You delight in us,
how richly You have blessed us,
and how greatly You still desire to work through us.
Renew our faith. Strengthen our hearts. Lift our expectations.
And help us to leave this place different from how we came.
May streams of living water flow through our lives and become a blessing to everyone around us.
We recommit ourselves to You today.
In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord we pray. Amen.
John 4:5-10
For a moment, let your heart become still before the Lord.
Let these words I share today settle deeply into your spirit.
The Lord impressed something on my heart during my time away:
"Don't think that you will go home and be the same person you were before.
You won't be."
That resonated with me.
Because the changes God has been making in my life are still happening.
They haven't stopped.
Last week we talked about that word “commencement “
In many ways, I feel as though I am still in the middle of my own commencement.
A beginning. A becoming.
Sometimes we expect transformation to arrive all at once.
But often, the biggest changes in our lives happen through many small steps.
One thought can change a decision. One decision can change a direction.
And one direction can eventually change a life.
God has a way of bringing new information, new situations, new conversations, and even new people into our lives.
Each one becomes another piece of what He is building within us.
One time on a plane ride home, I was sitting with a new found friend – and brother in Christ: "I think God's going to surprise you."
I believe that's true. And I believe maybe God wants to surprise some of us today.
Our scripture comes from John chapter 4.
Jesus is sitting beside Jacob's well when a Samaritan woman comes to draw water.
At first glance, it seems like an ordinary meeting. But it becomes one of the most powerful conversations in Scripture.
This woman was an outsider.
She carried shame. She carried disappointment. She carried questions.
Yet Jesus intentionally met her where she was.
GOD wants to meet us where WE are today. “If WE only knew…”
The story of the woman at the well teaches us that God loves us in spite of our bankrupt lives.
God values us enough to actively seek us.
To welcome us into intimacy. To rejoice in our worship.
As a result of this conversation, only a person like the Samaritan woman could fully understand what Jesus was offering.
To be wanted. To be cared for. To be seen.
…even when no one possibly else saw value in her.
Maybe not even when she saw value in herself. That is grace indeed.
And then Jesus says these remarkable words: "If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water."
“If you only knew.”
That phrase has stayed with me all week.
“If you only knew.” If WE only knew.
Sometimes we have to get lost before we find ourselves.
Jesus finds us right where we are. “Just as I am”
The woman at the well had her eyes opened to the truth about her situation when she met Jesus.
She came for water. She left with something infinitely greater.
Jesus revealed that despite all her trips to the well, she remained thirsty.
Not merely physically thirsty. Spiritually. Emotionally. Deep within her soul.
The water she drew today could not satisfy tomorrow's thirst.
And isn't that often true of us?
How many times do we return to the same wells expecting lasting satisfaction?
The well of success. The well of approval. The well of comfort. The well of distraction.
Yet we keep returning because the thirst remains.
Jesus was offering something different. Living Water.
A relationship with God that permanently satisfies the deepest longings of the human heart.
Today I want us to consider three things.
Three truths hidden inside Jesus' words.
First: IF WE ONLY KNEW HOW MUCH GOD DELIGHTS IN US
Many people believe God tolerates them.
But they struggle to believe God delights in them.
Listen to Zephaniah 3:17: "The Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs."
Imagine that. The Creator of the universe delights in you. (in me)
Not merely the future version of you.
Not the perfected version of you.
You. Right now.
The Samaritan woman expected judgment. Instead she found grace.
She expected rejection. Instead she found acceptance.
“Mercy triumphs over judgment.”
If we only knew how much God delights in us, perhaps we would stop hiding from Him and start running toward Him.
Second: IF WE ONLY KNEW WHAT GOD HAS ALREADY PLACED WITHIN US
Jesus later declared: "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."
Notice what Jesus said. Not merely water for you. Water flowing through you.
Not just enough for survival. Enough to overflow.
First Corinthians 2:12 tells us: "What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us."
Many believers spend their lives praying for what God has already provided.
Looking for what is already present.
Seeking strength while carrying strength. Seeking wisdom while carrying the mind of Christ. Seeking peace while carrying the Prince of Peace.
If we only knew what God has already placed within us, we would walk differently.
Pray differently. Live differently.
Third: IF WE ONLY KNEW WHAT GOD STILL WANTS TO DO THROUGH US
There is another verse that connects beautifully with this story.
Jesus said: "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends."
The woman came to the well as a stranger. She left as a friend of God.
What happened at the well was more than a conversation.
It was an invitation.
An invitation into relationship. An invitation into friendship. An invitation into purpose.
Jesus doesn't merely save us from something. He saves us for something.
There are still prayers to answer. Lives to touch. People to encourage.
Blessings to discover. Kingdom work to accomplish.
There is more ahead than we realize. (“if you only knew”)
Sometimes we look at our lives and think the best chapters have already been written.
But God is still writing. God is still creating. God is still surprising.
And if we only knew what He has planned, we would approach tomorrow with expectation instead of fear.
As our perspective changes, everything changes.
When the blinders come off, we begin to see possibilities where we once saw obstacles.
Blessings where we once saw burdens. Opportunities where we once saw limitations.
The greatest tragedy is not that God has withheld His blessings from us.
The greatest tragedy is that we often live unaware of what He has already given.
Isaiah 55:1 says: "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters."
And Isaiah 12:3 says: "With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation."
Today Jesus is offering us a better way to live.
Not merely surviving. Not merely going through the motions.
Not merely repeating yesterday.
But living with expectation.
Living with purpose. Living with joy.
He restores your soul.
Consider that the answer you've been looking for is already closer than you think.
- the strength you need is already available.
- the peace you need is already present.
- the Living Water is already flowing.
Jesus said: "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."
If we only knew. If WE only knew.
Amen.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, Thank You for meeting us at the wells of our lives
just as You met the Samaritan woman.
Thank You for loving us, seeking us, and offering us living water today.
Open our eyes to see what You have already given us.
Help us to understand how deeply You delight in us,
how richly You have blessed us,
and how greatly You still desire to work through us.
Renew our faith. Strengthen our hearts. Lift our expectations.
And help us to leave this place different from how we came.
May streams of living water flow through our lives and become a blessing to everyone around us.
We recommit ourselves to You today.
In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord we pray. Amen.