Lent 4a

Overview

Scripture for the Day:

 1 Samuel 16:1-13
 Psalm 23
 Ephesians 5:8-14
 John 9:1-41

Liturgical Color:

1st Reading

 1 Samuel 16:1-13 (NIV)

The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oiland be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”

2 But Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.”

The Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will showyou what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate.”

4 Samuel did what the Lord said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, “Do you come in peace?”

5 Samuel replied, “Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to theLord. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely theLord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.”

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lordlooks at the heart.”

8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 9 Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the Lordchosen this one.” 10 Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11 So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”

“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.”

Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”

12 So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.

Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.”

13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. NIV®. COPYRIGHT © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Psalm

 Psalm 23 (NIV)

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3     he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. NIV®. COPYRIGHT © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

2nd Reading

 Ephesians 5:8-14 (NIV)

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the lightbecomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.14 This is why it is said:

“Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. NIV®. COPYRIGHT © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Gospel

 John 9:1-41 (NIV)

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some claimed that he was.

Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”

But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.

11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”

12 “Where is this man?” they asked him.

“I don’t know,” he said.

13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind.14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. 15 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”

16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.”

But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided.

17 Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.”

The man replied, “He is a prophet.”

18 They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. 19 “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”

20 “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. 21 But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.”22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue.23 That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

24 A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”

25 He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”

26 Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

27 He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?”

28 Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! 29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”

30 The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. 32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

34 To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.

35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

36 “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”

37 Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”

38 Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.

39 Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”

40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”

41 Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. NIV®. COPYRIGHT © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Contemporary Song Suggestions for the Day: 

 YOUR LOVE  Brandon Heath \ Jason Ingram | 2010 | CCLI Song #5902820

 PLEASING TO YOU  Jared Anderson | 2007 | CCLI Song #5064380

 YOU ARE MY SHEPHERD  Jennie Lee Riddle \ Jonathan McElhenny Lee | 2010 | CCLI Song #5720095

 THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD  John-Paul Gentile \ William Matthews | 2011 | CCLI Song #5986547

 JOYFULLY  Ed Cash \ Kari Jobe \ Mia Fieldes | 2008 | CCLI Song #5265378

 DWELL  Aaron Keyes \ Jess Cates | 2011 | CCLI Song #5880997

 MY DELIVERER  Ben Cantelon \ Jason Ingram | 2012 | CCLI Song #6273785

 SAFE IN YOUR ARMS  Chris Tomlin \ Martin Smith | 2012 | CCLI Song #6453536

 YOU NEVER LET GO  Beth Redman \ Matt Redman | 2005 | CCLI Song #4674166

 HELP ME FIND IT  Ben McDonald \ David Frey \ Jason Ingram | 2011 | CCLI Song #6223481

 HE IS FAITHFUL  Bryan Torwalt \ Katie Torwalt | 2011 | CCLI Song #6087902

 INFINITE GRACE  Marc Byrd \ Sarah Hart | CCLI Song #1439844

 SHOW ME  Audrey Assad \ Sarah Hart | 2010 | CCLI Song #5787296

 CHILDREN OF THE LIGHT  Jason Ingram \ Jesse Reeves \ Joseph Pat Barrett \ Kristian Stanfill | 2013 | CCLI Song #6518031

 FOREVER REIGN Jason Ingram \ Reuben Morgan | 2009 | CCLI Song #5639997

 GOD OF BRILLIANT LIGHTS  Aaron Shust \ Ed Cash \ Scott Cash | 2013 | CCLI Song #6579025

 COME AND SEE  Chris Tomlin \ Jason Ingram \ Matt Maher \ Matt Redman | 2013 | CCLI Song #7000700

 LET IT SHINE  David Leonard \ Leslie Jordan | 2011 | CCLI Song #5881075

 ALIVE AGAIN  Jason Ingram \ Matt Maher | 2011 | CCLI Song #5553530

 OPEN UP OUR EYES  Chris Brown \ London Gatch \ Mack Brock \ Stuart Garrard \ Wade Joye | 2012 | CCLI Song #6386696

 OPEN THE EYES OF MY HEART  Paul Baloche | 1997 | CCLI Song #2298355

 READY NOW  Jared Anderson | 2006 | CCLI Song #4771674

 OUR GOD  Chris Tomlin \ Jesse Reeves \ Jonas Myrin \ Matt Redman | 2010 | CCLI Song #5677416

 TO OUR GOD  Brian Johnson \ Jeremy Riddle \ Joel Taylor | 2012 | CCLI Song #6227023

 YOU ARE THE LIGHT  Steve Fee | 2007 | CCLI Song #4939849

 LIGHTS ON  Ben Calhoun \ Jason Ingram \ Seth Mosley | 2012 | CCLI Song #6472775

 GRACE LIKE RAIN  Chris Collins \ Edwin O. Excell \ John Newton \ Todd Agnew | 2003 | CCLI Song #3689877

 UNDIVIDED HEART  Vicky Beeching | 2010 | CCLI Song #5670671

 FORGIVEN FOREVER  Carl Cartee \ Glenn Packiam \ Mark R. Harris | 2011 | CCLI Song #5787423

 THE FEAST OF LIFE Evan Shelton | 2012 | CCLI Song #6152923

 I LIFT MY HANDS  Chris Tomlin \ Louie Giglio \ Matt Maher | 2010 | CCLI Song #5869884

 HEALER  Mike Guglielmucci | 2007 | CCLI Song #4873981

 SAY SAY Chris Tomlin \ Christy Nockels \ Kristian Stanfill | 2010 | CCLI Song #5677409

 SAVIOR’S HERE  Cody Carnes \ Kari Jobe | 2012 | CCLI Song #6183136

 NOTHING IS WASTED  Chris Brown \ Jason Ingram \ London Gatch \ Mack Brock \ Steven Furtick \ Wade Joye |2012 | CCLI Song #6447023

 This week’s worshipcurrent pick for Holy Communion/Eucharist
 Found exclusively on worshipcurrent

Hymn Suggestions for the Day:

 THE KING OF LOVE MY SHEPHERD IS  Henry Williams Baker | Public Domain | CCLI Song #1442453 | Hymnary

 I WANT TO WALK AS A CHILD OF THE LIGHT Kathleen Thomerson | 1970, 1975 Celebration | CCLI Song #89848 | Hymnary

 CHRIST WHOSE GLORY FILLS THE SKIES  Charles Wesley | Public Domain | CCLI Song #808919 | Hymnary

 AMAZING GRACE  John Newton \ Edwin Othello Excell | Public Domain | CCLI Song #22025 | Hymnary

 JUST AS I AM WITHOUT ONE PLEA  Charlotte Elliott \ William Batchelder Bradbury | Public Domain | CCLI Song #23206 |Hymnary

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