Song 1 – God the Uncreated One

Hear God call you to worship:

“Let everything that has breath, praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!” Psalm 150:6

Let us worship the Lord!

Song 2 – All Creatures of Our God and King

Song 3 – Good and Gracious King

Song 4 – Take My Life

Our welcome team members will pass an offering basket during this song.

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Praise God, from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him, all creatures here below
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Amen

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
     creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
  who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
  and born of the virgin Mary.
  He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
  was crucified, died, and was buried.
  The third day he rose again from the dead.
  He ascended to heaven
  and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
  From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
  the holy catholic* church,
  the communion of saints,
  the forgiveness of sins,
  the resurrection of the body,
  and the life everlasting.
Amen


* The term “catholic” (with a lowercase “c”) does not refer to any specific denomination or group of Christians. The term comes from two Greek words that together mean “throughout the whole.”  Used in this way, the word “catholic” means throughout all time and places, and also refers to the essential unity or wholeness of the church in Christ.

A warm welcome to all, and especially to any visitors joining us today – if you’d like to get connected or find out more about UCC, please see our digital visitors card or speak to us after the service!

If you have children, they are welcome to join our Sunday school classes! 

Our Scripture reading today is 1 Samuel 9:1-24. Hear the Word of God:

¹ There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth. ² And he had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.

³ Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. So Kish said to Saul his son, “Take one of the young men with you, and arise, go and look for the donkeys.” ⁴ And he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. And they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then they passed through the land of Benjamin, but did not find them.

⁵ When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come, let us go back, lest my father cease to care about the donkeys and become anxious about us.” ⁶ But he said to him, “Behold, there is a man of God in this city, and he is a man who is held in honor; all that he says comes true. So now let us go there. Perhaps he can tell us the way we should go.” ⁷ Then Saul said to his servant, “But if we go, what can we bring the man? For the bread in our sacks is gone, and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?” ⁸ The servant answered Saul again, “Here, I have with me a quarter of a shekel of silver, and I will give it to the man of God to tell us our way.” ⁹ (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he said, “Come, let us go to the seer,” for today’s “prophet” was formerly called a seer.) ¹⁰ And Saul said to his servant, “Well said; come, let us go.” So they went to the city where the man of God was.

¹¹ As they went up the hill to the city, they met young women coming out to draw water and said to them, “Is the seer here?” ¹² They answered, “He is; behold, he is just ahead of you. Hurry. He has come just now to the city, because the people have a sacrifice today on the high place. ¹³ As soon as you enter the city you will find him, before he goes up to the high place to eat. For the people will not eat till he comes, since he must bless the sacrifice; afterward those who are invited will eat. Now go up, for you will meet him immediately.” ¹⁴ So they went up to the city. As they were entering the city, they saw Samuel coming out toward them on his way up to the high place.

¹⁵ Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel: ¹⁶ “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me.” ¹⁷ When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, “Here is the man of whom I spoke to you! He it is who shall restrain my people.” ¹⁸ Then Saul approached Samuel in the gate and said, “Tell me where is the house of the seer?” ¹⁹ Samuel answered Saul, “I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for today you shall eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is on your mind. ²⁰ As for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not set your mind on them, for they have been found. And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you and for all your father’s house?” ²¹ Saul answered, “Am I not a Benjaminite, from the least of the tribes of Israel? And is not my clan the humblest of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken to me in this way?”

²² Then Samuel took Saul and his young man and brought them into the hall and gave them a place at the head of those who had been invited, who were about thirty persons. ²³ And Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the portion I gave you, of which I said to you, ‘Put it aside.’” ²⁴ So the cook took up the leg and what was on it and set them before Saul. And Samuel said, “See, what was kept is set before you. Eat, because it was kept for you until the hour appointed, that you might eat with the guests.”

So Saul ate with Samuel that day.

This is the Word of the Lord.

God’s Providence & the Calling of King Saul
-1 Samuel 9:1-24

I. God’s Providence in His Guiding Hand vv 1-14
– Family (1-2)
– Interruptions (3-4)
– Timing (11-14)

II. God’s Providence in Working Behind the Scenes vv 15-17
– God’s plan precedes your present circumstances (15)
– God’s plan is bigger than you (16)
– God will tell you what you need to know when you need to know it (17)

III. God’s Providence in Divine Appointments vv 18-24
– God’s plan is often different from yours (18-21)
– God’s plan is always better than yours. Look at verses (22-24)

If you believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, you are welcome to receive the elements of communion.

Please hold the elements until all have received; we will all partake together as one body. 

Song 5 – Behold the Lamb

Song 6 – In Christ Alone

Our Father in heaven, 
hallowed be your name;
your kingdom come;
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven. 
Give us this day our daily bread. 
And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who have sinned against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. 
For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.
Amen.

“‘The Lord bless you
    and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
    and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
    and give you peace.”’

– Numbers 6:24-26

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Life Group Questions, 1 Samuel 9:1-24

Introduction
1. Have you ever experienced a moment in your life that seemed random or mundane, but looking back, you could see God’s providence at work? Share that experience.

2. How would you explain the doctrine of God’s providence based on the sermon introduction?

Why is it essential for believers to understand that nothing in life is truly random?

Into the Text
*Read through 1 Samuel 9:1-24.

1. Identify specific instances that illustrate God’s providence in Saul’s journey. How do these details challenge the notion of randomness in life?

2. Concerning verses 15-17 in the sermon it was said:

• ”This whole section here in verses 15-17 forms an aside. You could actually jump right over this section and read from verse 14 to verse 18 without any interruption in the story. These three verses are not necessary to follow the details of the story, but they are essential for understanding the meaning of it. We don’t always get to peek behind the scenes in our own story, so we don’t always know what God is doing. But God is there, and he is working out his plan, and one day we will see how it all works together. This peek behind the scenes in verses 15-17 teaches us that God is in control of all things, and he is working out his purposes in our lives.”

Can you think of other places in Scripture where God gives us a glimpse behind the curtain of his working? Why are these passages important for us to meditate on?

3. Discuss the following two proverbs and what they teach us about God’s providence.

• Proverbs 16:9 “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” God’s

• Proverbs 20:24 “A man’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own way?”

Application
1. Reflect on a current situation in your life that seems mundane or random. How might the idea of God’s providence bring encouragement or perspective to this situation?

2. Discuss the importance of trusting in God’s sovereignty, especially when faced with setbacks or challenges. How does this trust impact our daily lives?

3. Have you ever found yourself struggling to accept or understand God’s providence in a particular situation? What made it challenging, and how did you navigate through that struggle?
4. What practical steps can believers take to actively acknowledge and trust in God’s providence in their lives?

Prayer:
Close your study with a prayer, thanking God for His providence and asking for the wisdom to recognize His hand in the seemingly ordinary aspects of life.