Become Now, Who You Needed Then | Cornerstone Church | Noah Woodling

The big idea

If we want to make an impact on the next generation, we have to become now who we needed then.

Every young person is searching for something more to fill a God-shaped hole, and the Savior they are looking for is already right in front of them. Pastor Noah shows through the woman at the well, and through his own story and Cassie's, that we do not need a theology degree to point someone to Jesus — we only need to show up, step into their story, and become for someone else what a faithful person once became for us.

Point 1 of 5

Working through John 4, Pastor Noah walks through the woman's five failed marriages and outcast status, showing she felt she had nothing and needed a savior but couldn't find one, until she met Jesus at the well.

Point 2 of 5

Pastor Noah describes how teenagers try to fill a God-shaped hole with dating relationships, distractions and substances, or achievements, and none of it satisfies. He connects this to his own memory of being a self-conscious, insecure teenager and to a girl he knew who looked perfect on the outside but battled severe anxiety, depression and self-harm.

Point 3 of 5

Jesus tells her that whoever drinks the water He gives will never thirst again, and later declares directly to her, I who speak to you am He. Pastor Noah illustrates the idea with a story of frantically searching his house for a bottle of Nature's Miracle that his wife found in seconds, sitting right in front of him the whole time.

Point 4 of 5

Pastor Noah points out that the woman had no theological training, yet her simple testimony that Jesus told her everything she'd ever done led many Samaritans to believe. He argues showing up, not credentials, is what the next generation needs from us.

Point 5 of 5

Pastor Noah tells how a family invited his now-wife Cassie to church as a teenager, which led her to a Christian university, salvation, baptism, an internship, and eventually marriage to him and shared ministry at Cornerstone. A video testimony from staff members Grant and Noah Ramos reinforces how one small group leader saying yes shaped multiple lives and callings.

Take it into your week

Pastor Noah's charge is to become now who you needed then by showing up for the next generation.