The Gospel of John: Living Water & The Words of Life
Welcome to Inscribe the Word, the Gospel of John. This year, we are slowly and intentionally writing through John’s Gospel, and we invite you to join us.
Inscribe the Word is a spiritual practice rooted in the discipline of Scripture writing—taking time to handwrite passages of the Bible as a way to slow down, reflect, and meditate on God’s Word. By writing Scripture, we engage our minds and hearts in a deeper way, noticing the richness of each word and allowing the truths of the Bible to sink more deeply into our souls. It’s not about how much we write but how intentionally we engage, creating space for the Holy Spirit to speak, teach, and transform us through the living Word of God.
This year, we invite you to slow down and savor the Gospel of John. The Gospel was written to reveal Jesus in a way that invites us into a deeper relationship with Him. John doesn’t just tell us what Jesus did—he shows us who Jesus is: the Word made flesh, the Light of the world, and the Bread of life. By inscribing this Gospel, we’re creating space to meditate on each verse, letting its truths settle in our hearts and minds.
We’re not rushing.
From January to November, we’ll focus on one section of John each month, with a new theme that highlights the richness of this Gospel. December will be a time of reflection, journaling through how these Scriptures have spoken to us.
If you prefer to Inscribe another topic or theme this year, CLICK HERE for our ITW Collection.
This January, we inscribed John 1:1-John 2:11, and we saw Jesus as The Light of the World.
This February, we inscribed John 2:12-4:6, and we went from the cleansing waters of baptism to new creation and being born again.
This March, we inscribed John 4:7-5:14, and we went from broken to whole in the hands of Jesus.
This April, we inscribed John 5:15-6:27, and we saw Jesus as the Bread of Life and our total sustenance.
Now, we come to the beauty of May, as we experience The Living Water!
In the Scriptures we are inscribing this month, we encounter powerful moments where Jesus invites us to deeper faith and spiritual nourishment:
• The Work of God – Jesus challenges the crowd to believe in Him as the true source of life.
• Many Walk Away – After hearing Jesus’ teaching on the Bread of Life, many followers leave, unable to accept the cost of true discipleship.
• The Feast of Tabernacles – Jesus teaches in the temple, revealing His authority and stirring division among the people.
• The Promise of Living Water – Jesus offers Himself as the source of living water, satisfying the deepest thirst of the human heart.
Each of these moments highlights the tension between belief and doubt, human expectations and divine truth. Jesus calls us not to seek Him for temporary provision but to trust Him fully as the source of eternal life. Again, we look at the theme of trust.
Do We Trust Jesus?
Trusting His Words: “The work of God is this: to believe in the one He has sent.” (John 6:29) The crowd asks Jesus what they must do to receive eternal life. His answer shifts their focus from works to faith: they must believe in Him. But belief is hard when it requires surrender. The crowd wanted signs, but Jesus offered Himself as the answer.
Trusting When Others Walk Away: “From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.” (John 6:66) Jesus’ teaching about the Bread of Life was difficult to accept. He wasn’t offering political freedom or an earthly kingdom—He was offering Himself. Many walked away because they couldn’t accept that following Jesus meant surrendering their expectations.
But Peter responds:
“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68)
True faith means holding onto Jesus, even when the path is unclear.
Trusting His Timing: “My time is not yet here; for you, any time will do.” (John 7:6) At the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus’ brothers urged Him to reveal Himself publicly. But Jesus moves according to the Father’s timing, not human pressure. He goes to the feast quietly, waiting for the right moment to speak. Faith means trusting God’s timing, even when the outcome is uncertain.
Trusting His Provision: “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.” (John 7:37) On the last day of the feast, Jesus stands and boldly declares that He is the source of living water. He isn’t offering temporary relief—He’s offering eternal fulfillment. Just like physical thirst, our souls long to be filled. Only Jesus satisfies.
Moving Into The New Month.
These passages challenge us to examine where we place our trust:
Are we seeking Jesus for what He can give us—or are we seeking Him for who He is?
Are we trusting His words even when they challenge us?
Are we holding onto Him even when others walk away?
Are we looking for quick fixes—or are we letting Jesus satisfy our deepest needs?
Faith means surrendering our expectations and trusting Jesus to be enough.
May this month be a time of resting in His sufficiency.
Join the Conversation
If you’re looking to dive deeper into this daily study, grow in your understanding of Scripture, and access exclusive weekly teachings and resources, join our Substack community for just $7 a month. You will receive:
Inscribe the Word Resources: Each week, we will provide you with a full list of resources to accompany your daily Inscribe the Word Scripture writing passages. Resources can include videos, articles, commentaries, maps, and charts.
A Weekly Post: Each week, we will bring together all of the Inscribe the Wordthemes for the week ahead in a simple and straightforward post.
Exclusive Community Conversations: Join Steven, Erika, and fellow subscribers in a weekly “Group Text” thread, where we share thoughts on culture and practical tips on building a life of worship.
Full Access to All Writing: Access everything we publish on Substack, including exclusive subscriber-only content.
We hope to see you there!
