02. The Story Every Disciple Should Tell First
The Power of Stories — Series
Story: Jesus and the Samaritan Woman (John 4:1–42)
Imagine meeting someone who is searching for hope…
They may not say it out loud.
They may appear successful.
Confident.
Religious.
Broken.
Curious.
But underneath nearly every conversation is the same question:
"Is there something that truly satisfies?"
Jesus answered that question with one conversation.
He didn't begin with a sermon.
He didn't begin with a debate.
He began with a question.
"Give me a drink."
What followed became one of the greatest evangelism stories ever recorded.
A Jewish rabbi spoke with a Samaritan woman.
A man crossed cultural barriers.
A holy Savior offered grace instead of condemnation.
Jesus gently exposed her deepest thirst — not simply for water, but for a relationship with God.
Then He offered her something no one else could give.
Living water.
This story teaches every disciple-maker how to begin spiritual conversations naturally.
Jesus listened.
He asked questions.
He connected everyday life to spiritual truth.
He revealed Himself.
Then something remarkable happened.
The woman had known Jesus for only a short time.
She wasn't trained.
She hadn't attended Bible school.
She didn't know every answer.
Yet she immediately left her water jar, ran back to her town, and invited others:
"Come, see a man who told me everything that I did. Can this be the Christ?"
Because she shared what she had just discovered, many people came to meet Jesus for themselves.
That's how disciple-making movements often begin.
Ordinary people encounter Jesus.
They immediately tell the people they already know.
Those people discover Jesus for themselves.
The story spreads.
Every disciple-maker should carry this story.
It introduces the gospel.
It demonstrates how Jesus starts spiritual conversations.
It encourages new believers that they don't have to know everything before they begin sharing.
Sometimes the first story someone needs to hear is simply the story of a thirsty woman who finally found living water.
Carry This Story When…
- Sharing the gospel with someone for the first time.
- Meeting someone who is spiritually curious.
- Talking with people from different cultures or backgrounds.
- Encouraging a new believer to tell others immediately.
- Helping someone discover that only Jesus truly satisfies.
Tool Pouch Principle
Keep this story close. You never know when someone will be thirsty enough to ask for living water.
Want to go deeper in disciple-making? Join Terry's Zúme training class at zume.training/join-a-training.