September 27th, 2026
Scratch: When No One Goes With Me
It's Time
Jon Fredricks
Today's Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:1-7 NIV
1 Samuel 16:1-7 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 oil and 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 show you 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 the Lord. 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 the Lord’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 Lord looks at the heart.”
Proverbs 13:12 NIV
12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.
1) THE WISDOM ONE STEP
1 Samuel 16:1 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 oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”
2) MY "TOO LITTLE" IS ABSURDLY ENOUGH
1 Samuel 16:2-4 NIV
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 show you 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?”
1 John 4:4 NASB
4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
Philippians 4:13 NIV
13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Romans 8:37-39 NIV
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1 Corinthians 2:9 NIV
9 However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him—
3) PERFECT IS MY PROBLEM
1 Samuel 16:6-7 NIV
6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’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 Lord looks at the heart.”
2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV
9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
2 Corinthians 1:9 NIV
…But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.
Romans 9:16 NIV
So then, it does not depend on the person who wants it nor the one who runs, but on God who has mercy.
Ecclesiastes 11:4 NLT
Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.
4) TAKE A SHOT!
James 2:14, 17 NIV
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?
17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
Ephesians 5:14 NIV
This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
AFTER THE LIVESTREAM
Pray!
Jesus, I know that I have been separate from you my entire life. I have tried to pretend otherwise, but I realize today that my decisions, choices...my sin has separated me from God. I believe you are the Son of God and my only way forward. Please save me as I surrender the rest of my life into your hands. Thank you that you hear me!
Let us know!
We want to be in this journey with you and help in way we can. Fill out a Connection Card - or even text it to the prayer line!
Start Reading!
We think the Gospel of John is a great place to start. Consider using the app: YouVersion.
