Outsiders Welcome

1. Icebreaker

Have you ever felt like the “outsider” in a situation—maybe at school, work, a team, or even a group of friends? What made you feel that way?

(follow-up: What’s something small someone did that helped you feel included?)

2. “Jesus Had to Go Through Samaria”

In the story, the text says Jesus “had to go through Samaria,” even though most Jewish people would take the long way around.

Why do you think Jesus chose to go where others refused to go?
What does this tell us about how Jesus sees people who feel overlooked or excluded?

3. What This Story Reveals About God

Jesus speaks to the woman, knows her story, and still offers her living water and relationship.

What does Jesus’ interaction with her teach us about:

• God’s character?

• How God responds to our past or brokenness?

• What it means to be fully known but still loved?

4. What Kind of Church Should This Create?

In the sermon we talked about how Jesus didn’t start a club, but a radically inclusive community.

If the church is meant to reflect the heart of Jesus in this story, what should make a church feel different from other “clubs” in the world?

What are practical ways our community can help outsiders feel like they belong before they believe or behave?

5. Personal Application — Going to the Well

Jesus crossed social, cultural, and religious boundaries to meet this woman.

Who might be the “person at the well” in your life right now — someone who might feel overlooked, judged, or disconnected?

What might it look like this week to follow Jesus’ example and simply say:

“Come sit with me.”