About the Fourth Sunday in Lent: This Sunday is a rare time when the theme verse for the annual focus (Ephesians 2:8-10) coincides with the Epistle reading. As we look at the context of the theme verse of our annual focus, we see that Paul is encouraging us to look at our new lives in Jesus Christ as gifts – that we are made dead to sins and alive in Him. The gift of new life given to us is one that simply does not come without the death of Baptism and Repentance. As the Psalmist says, precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of His saints.