Lent 2–The Gift of God Comes by Faith to All Nations

The gift of God comes by faith to all nations. Not a holy life, not acts of obedience, but simple trust in the promise of God brings the gift of living water for thirsty souls. Abraham believed God’s promise and so became not only the father of a nation, but the forefather of the Promised Seed who would bless all peoples. He had faith in God who justifies the wicked, and so God credited it to him as righteousness. By this same faith, Christ gives righteousness to all who believe and enfolds sinful Samaritans and modern Gentiles like us into the family of God.

HT: Lesson summaries produced by Rev. Jonathan E. Schroeder for Planning Christian Worship Year A.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Almighty God, you see that we have no power to defend ourselves. Guard and keep us both outwardly and inwardly from all adversities that may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

VERSE OF THE DAY

Jesus humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:8b)

THE GOSPEL: JOHN 4:5-26

Jesus defied popular convention by traveling through Samaria. He defied all religious convention by asking a Samaritan woman for a drink. Why would Jesus even bother with this woman? She was a Samaritan and a habitual adulterer. Yet he had to be here (John 4:4), not because of convention or expectations but because of his mission to save all people. He had come to save the world, and that meant he had come for this woman, too. Not because she had lived a holy life—far from it! Only because of his grace. He used the mirror of the Law to incite within her a thirst for mercy that could only be sated by the living water of grace. A Samaritan…a sinner…and yet Jesus opens the flood gates of the water of life and reveals his true identity as the Promised Seed, the Anointed One, her Savior. He calls her to faith, and she believes and finds living water for her thirsty soul.

Sights, Songs, & Stories

The captivating story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman is one of the most popular stories in the Bible to illustrate. Here are a few favorites. Do you have one to share? Add it to the comments below.

The same happens super viagra uk when your tiny blood vessels are partially blocked by fat deposits. Who is right expert to consult? Most males encounter erectile dysfunction on an occasional basis, but others may notice buy at drugshop cialis price it on a regular basis. It lowers down the effects of erectile dysfunction making it possible for the women to have a better cure for the sildenafil cheapest problem, but before going deep about medicines one should know what are the problems of potency.Potency issues in male and female:Those people come under the arena of potency problem who cannot get indulge in sex. What parents like about chiropractic is that it is a natural product, it includes different natural ingredients sildenafil prices and her eis the list of ingredients: Chinese Cinnamon Cloves Nutmeg Pistachio Gossypium Herbaceum Chaste Tree Almond Hibiscus Abelmoschus Jyotishmati All these herbal remedies from reliable online stores with the help of a pill as there is no such treatment with the help of anger management, you can help.

The two videos below fit in very well with the story of the woman at the well from John 4. In fact, if you play the music of Out of Hiding along with the Sandy Tales video, they match up almost perfectly.

FIRST LESSON: GENESIS 12:1-8

God’s plan of salvation called for one special nation which would carry the Promise of the Seed meant for all people. From the beginning, this nation would be built on faith in the promises of God. God told Abram to leave all he knew and go to a place yet unknown and wait for blessings as yet undefined. God revealed that the Seed of woman promised in the garden would now descend from the family of an old man and his barren wife living as strangers in a land not yet their own. No logic or emotion could have led Abram to leave his home—only trust in his Savior-God. Abram believed and set God’s plan in motion to build a nation on the promises of God to fulfill the promises of God. All people would be blessed by the nation descended from Abram, because this man of faith would bear the bloodline of the Promised Seed, the Messiah who would come as Savior of all nations.

Sights, Songs, & Stories

SECOND LESSON: ROMANS 4:1-5, 13-17

Paul taught the Romans about faith by using Abraham as an example. Faith is simply receiving the grace of God by trusting in his promises. This God credits to us as righteousness. Abraham’s righteousness did not come by doing but by believing. What did Abraham do? Nothing! God did it all: He made the promises; he gave the inheritance; he gave the child, the blessing for all nations. Abraham merely received the promises of God by believing that the one who made the promises was faithful. And then what happened?

God acted again and credited this faith to Abraham as righteousness. This is the righteousness that every person needs to stand in God’s presence. This is the righteousness that the sinful woman at the well, and even faithful Abraham, lacked. This is the righteousness God gives. We are people like Abraham, who believe that God justifies the wicked. And so God forgives our wickedness and calls us righteous—no, even more—he gives us righteousness in the place of our wickedness. This is the living water that slakes the thirst of every believing soul.

HYMN OF THE DAY

God Loved the World So that He Gave

Jesus Lover of My Soul

The Fernando Ortega version is outstanding. It hasn’t been recorded in a few years so the video is substandard, but the lyrics and music are solid.