Saturday in the Third Week of Lent

Keep Living

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Matthew 6:26

The verse that follows this passage asks the question, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" The answer is that no matter what we do in life there is no way we can guarantee anotherday. Jesus uses birds to illustrate this great point.

By not worrying, the birds in this illustration can do what they were created to do – LIVE! If we do not worry and trust that God will take care of us and his creation, then we can do what we were truly created to do – LIVE! Learning how to live the life that God intended for us is the ultimate way to glorify our Father. Just keep living.

Sean Englert

Prayer: God, thank you for showing me through your creation that we are valuable to you. I want my life to glorify and honor you. Help me to do what I was created for. Help me to be alive and truly live. Amen.

Friday in the Third Week of Lent

Favorite Hiding Place

You are my hiding place; you will protect me from troubleand surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah

Psalm 32:7

When we were children most of us had our favorite hiding places.These places came in handy for games of hide-and-go-seek, as well as hiding from siblings who were becoming annoying. Some of us hid behind the couch, some in the coat closet, and some even in our mom's kitchen cabinets.

As we grow older and move closer to God, we realize that he is our"couch" and our "kitchen cabinet" when we need a safe place to hide. God is the hiding place for our souls. He is our refuge. God protects us from the evils of this world. He is the one who can make all things happen in his own time for our benefit. God's comfort surrounds us in away that is unending and everlasting and we need only to ask for it.

Elizabeth White

Prayer: Holy Father, watch over me and give me strength in the face of my fears. Be my protection and comfort; surround me with your love and devotion.

Thursday in the Third Week of Lent

The Examined Life

"Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you." Matthew 7:7

Lent is the time to examine our lives. We are invited to look at our assumptions, values and behaviors. An unexamined life is a life that avoids questions. Our questions lead us to other and more complex questions where we find a deeper faith that is richer, more rewarding, and more interesting. Living the questions of life can be an exercise of faith. This shifts our focus from looking for an answer to our problem to being open-ended and dependent on God to show us an answer in his timing. To live the questions requires faith and trust in God.

Jesus encourages us to live the examined life of faith for the sake of the kingdom of God. Through a faith that seeks understanding, we are invited to trust God in the fog of the unknown. Living in the fog requires that we become more aware of God's gracious presence in uncertainty and his promise that he will always be with us.

Quincy D. Brown

Prayer: Dear God, please help me to keep asking questions, knowing that you will give to me the answers I seek. Amen.

Wednesday in the Third Week of Lent

Big Prayers, Bold Prayers

Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that you would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!" And God granted him what he requested. 1 Chronicles 4:10

We all pray, glorifying God, thanking him for the abundance in our lives, pleading for his mercy, asking for his intervention and guidance. But, because we are human, most of us hesitate to ask too much of our God, afraid of overstepping some unnamed, unknowable boundary. We fear, perhaps subconsciously, offending God.

Jabez's prayer realizes no such boundaries. With no hesitancy, Jabez asks God to bless him, to increase his land holdings, to be with him, and to keep him from harm and pain. The prayer, a marvel of simplicity, is a great example of prayer big and bold. It reflects Jabez's deep and abiding faith in God; more importantly, it evidences Jabez's personal relationship with him. Proverbs 28:1 says that the "righteous are as bold as a lion." Jabez is that lion; through his huge prayer he acknowledges God's sovereignty, his grace, his immense love for every single one of us. Jabez prays such a prayer because he believes such a prayer!

The Psalmist tells us that God will give us our heart's desire (Psalm37:4). God wants us not only to love him but to need him, daily, eternally. He is faithful to those who seek him. In the most glorious bit of this Chronicles verse, in the gift of this verse, we see God's love, his grandeur: He grants Jabez his heart's desire.

Lent – this time of reflection and sacrifice and quiet – is a great time for big prayers, for bold prayers. It is a time to discover just how immense God's love for us really is.

Dr. Jack Slay

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, grant me the strength to pray boldly. Grant me the faith to expect big things from you.

Tuesday in the Third Week of Lent

Remedy for a Hectic Life

The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' Matthew 25:40

Often we are too busy to notice the specific needs of others around us. On the other hand, however, there are times when we are so preoccupied with others that we don't recognize our own obvious needs. In times like this, we slowly realize that it is not easy to balance the scales of human need.

Society teaches us to get involved and to try new things. This type of lifestyle can be rewarding and yet we have the tendency to forget when and where to stop. Perhaps we never learned how. Unfortunately this treadmill of 'busyness' may lead us into a hectic lifestyle, one that is far from what we initially intended.

It's very hard for us to truly relax these days. We aren't quite sure what to do without technology at our reach or some activity to attend. Because of this 'go, go, go' schedule, we frequently lose touch of what's most important—serving. "I don't have the time," we say. Pre-occupied or not, God gives us daily opportunities to serve him. There is no action too small that can't be done to glorify him. It is our choice to either grasp them tightly or watch them dissipate. Henry Drummond claims that the greatest thing a man can do for his Heavenly Father is to be kind to some of his other children.

So… what can you do today? Smile at the person you meet on the street and ask them how they really are. Offer to pay for the meal of the person ahead of you in line. Call a friend, old or new, and make plans to visit a nursing home. Practice forgiveness. Bake your favorite dish and share it with the needy. Be content with what you have. Listen when you don't want to and pray before you need something. Burden others with your dreams. Regardless of what you do or how you do it know that it will not go unnoticed by our King. And if you have yet to find a reason for doing something, now you have one—to glorify him!

LeeAnn Brooks

Prayer: God, thank you for creating this day. Please grant us the wisdom to have the right attitude. Inspire us to have great expectations for today's opportunity to serve. Remind us of what it means to enjoy and to embrace. Help us to acknowledge your presence wherever we may go. I ask these things not only believing in your word but acting through all means. Amen.

Monday in the Third Week of Lent

Defining Moments

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

When I first read this scripture, I created my own definitions of the words that seemed to be most important. The passage made sense, but when reading several translations I found that one could possibly read the scripture differently. Just as Bible translations vary, definitions can also. Here are definitions from Dictionary.com:

Clean: morally pure; innocent; upright; honorableNew: other than the former or the old Steadfast: firmly fixed in place or position

Now read the scripture with these definitions and see if it says anything more to you. As we have experienced, words can have more than one interpretation. But what may be more difficult for us to do than arguing over the definitions of words, is defining things from God's perspective. Thankfully the Lord is willing to help define the parts of our lives. It's sort of like God offering a tag-team partnership to help us to define our lives. Recognizing this partnership is a defining moment for us unfolding as an ongoing process of courage and patience. And even when it does not seem that God is working to help us define our path in life, God is always on the job.

We're human and we all make mistakes. But it's in times where we miss the mark that God's mercy shines through the most. Our failures and our sins cannot be overcome without his help. So hear the good news: God is ready and willing to help us define, rearrange and transform our thoughts and desires from our own will to his will. There are times in life when our sin will be overpowering with a relentless force, but God can reduce its power. God wants to purify our hearts and souls and make us new. It is he who, in the defining moments of our lives will come through. Will you allow him to change your definition for life? Will you let him take the parts of your life and make them his during this season of Lent?

Erica Robinson

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the love you've allowed me to receive. Thank you for your eagerness to help me define my life. I pray that you help direct my thoughts and desires so Iwill follow your word and commandments forever. Amen.

The Third Sunday in Lent

Seeing God's Glory

Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy. Habakkuk 3:2

The Lord has blessed the Earth with a beautiful abundance of glory. From a beautiful clear day, to a brilliant starry night, his wonders are indescribable. God has put himself in every aspect of nature, from the luscious green grass, to the red and orange sunset. God has made it obvious to us that he is always present and his love is plentiful.

With such a wondrous love, God cares for us in our times of dilemma. God longs for us to give our troubles to him, for he has been with us in the past and will be with us for the times to come.

Joseph Wiegand

Prayer: Lord your love is deep and wide. Please allow me to see your glory in my time of need. Amen.

Saturday in the Second Week of Lent

Facing Temptation

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

During the Lenten season temptation is an inevitable factor that is going to take place. Although this is true, one of the greatest aspects of Christianity is its richness in history and tradition. As believers, the richness of our tradition can play a crucial role in our spiritual formation during this season. In the Scripture there are many instances of individuals conquering temptation, into which we can enter into celebration. Also, there are many instances in which great individuals fall into temptation and rise from it, providing us hope and an example withwhich we can identify.

These examples not only show God's faithfulness throughout the years, but also show us that some of the greatest believers have been tempted in the same ways that we are today. When temptation comes your way during this season, remember God's faithfulness. Our faithful God has always provided an outlet in the past and will do the same today!

Ryan Snider

Prayer: O Lord, our protector, let us remember during this Lenten season your faithfulness throughout the years. When we are tempted let us remember that we can always seek comfort through history and the present. Let us remember that you O Lord have provided a way out of temptation throughout history and will do the same today. In Jesus'name we pray, Amen.

Friday in the Second Week of Lent

Order Out of Chaos

In the beginning, when God began creating the heavens and earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters. Then God said, "Let there belight;" and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. Genesis 1:1-2

What happens when life becomes chaotic? To avoid discomfort and disorder, there's a good chance that most of us will shift into crisis mode to avoid the darkness of chaos at all cost. While we do not like to dwell on the subject, if we are honest, we will admit that we are afraid of the darkness of chaos. Perhaps this is because of what our culture associates with chaos and darkness. Evil, shadows, negativity, monsters, crime, and the boogeyman are just a few connotations that immediately come to mind. A wider reading of religion, society, and culture, however, reveals deeper meanings for chaos and darkness that hold it sacred and vital to the journey of faith.

According to the Bible, the meeting place with God is often found in chaos. For St. Paul, the apostle, who helped to spread the message of the New Testament beyond the boundaries of Jerusalem, it was the chaotic darkness of his blindness. For Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel, it was the dark night of his wrestling with a divine being. Both the crucifixion and resurrection are reported to have occurred in the chaos of darkness. The good news that we need to remind ourselves of is that even the darkness is as light to God!

While learning from the darkness of chaos is not a lesson that we would choose if given the choice, we all will eventually experience the fertile mystery of chaos. Sometimes such learning happens in spite of our best intentions. Remember that in order for something to be constructed, first something else must be deconstructed. In this way, Divine Order can come out of our chaotic lives. In the midst of chaos and darkness, if we are receptive, we can hear God's voice proclaiming, "Let there belight." God's light will shine in the chaos and darkness of our lives and the darkness cannot overcome it!

Prayer: God, be my light as I face chaotic times. Amen.

Thursday in the Second Week of Lent

Reaching Out

Ho! Everyone who thirsts come to the waters; and you who have no money, come buy and eat. Yes, come; buy wine and milk without money and with out price. Isaiah 55:1

Society places high importance on wealth and social status. For instance, we lend money to those who are our friends and we know they can pay us back. And there is an unwritten code that says that when we are in need, our friends will allow us to borrow money from them to return the favor. It's kind of an "I'll scratch your back and you'll scratch mine" system that has been established.

While it is convenient for us to continue this borrowing cycle, it shouldn't be this way. To change this cycle, we need to reach out to others who are outside the system. In doing so, we must also seek to really help others with no reward in return.

Lent is a time to give up something that hinders our relationship with God. God calls us to love him and to love our neighbors. Perhaps in our Lenten practices, we can practice loving our neighbor more intentionally.

One way to do this is to help those with no money. Are you willing to give to help those who hold up signs on the highway saying that they will work for food? How about the disheveled panhandler who's always asking for a handout, or the mentally challenged man who carries on a conversation with himself, or the lady pushing the grocery cart full of thrift store items? Are you willing to step outside of your social circle of friendsand really help others in need? Today, try helping the less fortunate.

Molly Korb

Prayer: God please help us to reach out to the less fortunate, even in times when we know there may not be a reward. Thank you for your blessings and give us strength to continue spreading your message of love. Amen.

Wednesday in the Third Week of Lent

Strength and Comfort

The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father'sGod, and I will exalt him. Exodus 15:2

There are many times in life when we become so caught up in what we want, or what we can do, that we lose sight of who gives us strength. God gives us the strength to endure hardships and losses. God gives us the strength to support friends and family through their trials. God even gives us the strength to get out of bed in the morning to go and live our life. God alone can save us from our selfish desires and lead us to become something better. As a result of the strength that God provides, I will continue to praise him every day of my life.

God's strength is constant. God is the same today for me as he was for my parents and their parents. God's loving-kindness will continue for all time. I will always find great strength and comfort in his never ending love. As long as there is breath in our lungs and life in our bodies, we should exalt and lift high the name of the Lord for the strength to live.

Krystle Jacks

Prayer: Dear Lord please help me to always lean on your strength and not my own. Help me to never forget that you deserve my praises. Give me the strength to always praise your name with my life and actions. It is in your holy name that I pray. Amen.

Tuesday in the Second Week of Lent

Peculiar People

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:13-14

I once heard a pastor describe Christians as peculiar people. In a recent Gallup poll, eighty-three percent of Americans said that they were Christian. In a later poll, only twelve percent of Americans said that they attend church on a weekly basis. When comparing those who confessed Christianity to those who attend church, we may conclude that there is a wide gap to bridge. Indeed, the road we walk is narrow.

The Christian lifestyle is one that calls us to move away from what is common in our society. This narrow road that Christ tells us about is one that says love your neighbor when society tells us to always "look out for number one." It is a road that welcomes compassion, mercy, charity, and forgiveness, instead of winning at all cost, keeping score,and petty one-upmanship.

We are peculiar people and the road is narrow, but we do not walk it alone. We have this idea that the narrow road is a lonely one. This mentality can hold us back from our true calling as the Church. The community of believers—our brothers and sisters in Christ—walks alongside us down the narrow road. Like "easing on down" the Yellow Brick Road, we are walking a narrow road where God is always with us. But we need to recognize others who also travel this road. Many people are walking in circles on the road and some have stopped walking altogether. Where are you on the narrow road? How well do you know others on the narrow road? How about the person you sit next to in church, in class or in the college cafeteria? What about the people sitting behind you? May we walk hand-in-hand with our brothers and sisters on the narrow road of faith.

Trey Hockman

Prayer: Father, as we continue to face the uncertainty on the narrow road you call us to be on, give us the compassion and strength we need to encourage one another in faith. May we walk as a community of believers to be an example to the world. Amen.

Monday in the Second Week of Lent

Grace is Constant

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8.28

Life is unpredictable. Like the ever-changing seasons, a life of discipleship means change for all members of the Christian faith. Whether we are young or old, new followers of The Way or experienced servants, we encounter the many seasons of the faith: seasons of grief and hope, discouragement and enthusiasm, uncertainty and clarity, naïveté and wisdom.

Yet unlike the changing nature of our experiences, the providence of God is constant. God's grace works to give us good gifts. God's goodness does not waver as a result of the circumstances we find ourselves in; rather, it is a fixed source of encouragement. It constantly reminds usthat God is in control, that God loves us immeasurably, and that God works unceasingly for our good and for the good of the Christian community. May we mimic God in this constant activity toward abounding goodness, providence, and love.

Nicole Henderson

Prayer: God, thank you for your providence and love. Assure me that in all things, in all circumstances, you are working for my good. Grant me hands and feet that work for the good of others. Amen.

The Second Sunday in Lent

Child's Play

Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them; and when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to him, saying, "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it."

Luke 18:15-17

What is it like to receive God's kingdom like a child? It sounds too simple. It suggests that we are not to work for it unless we work like a child does. The work of a child is to play. A child's obsessive play with stuffed animals, action figures and dolls can take on richly imagined personalities and stories. Whether it is imagining the story of an heroic quest with an action figure or imagining life as a princess with a doll, a child's imagination helps them to order the world.

There is no life of the spirit without the imagination. Without imagination, our souls are under nourished. Yet people constantly belittle or trivialize imagination by saying, "You're just imagining that!" "Your imagination is playing tricks again!" Perhaps you doubt that you can receive like a child and use your imagination. Poets, artists and painters, you may think, have imagination, not ordinary people like me.

With practice and allowing yourself to be a little foolish and goofy at times, you can learn to receive God's blessings like a child. When we learn to trust God as a child uses her imagination to play with a doll, totally engaged in the moment, we come close to entering the Kingdom.

Prayer: Holy God, thank you for the gift of imagination. Open my eyes so that I may use my imagination to see glimpses of your truth, mercy and grace. Amen.

Saturday in the First Week of Lent

Faith in Action

He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness. Genesis 15:5-6 (NIV)

In times when we are overcome with fear or doubt, we must look to God for comfort and reassurance. Looking around us we can see what God has created and be reminded of his glory and power. We can pray and be assured that God will answer us with a desire to fill our hearts with assurance, comfort, hope and peace.

Abram was shown the grace and love of God by his strong faith in God, not by his works. We too can receive the grace of God and become righteous through our faith. God has promised us his everlasting love if we believe and trust in him. With faith and trust in God, we can accomplish infinite goals, just as God has created infinite stars in the heavens.

Andrew Gaines

Prayer: God, when I am afraid or in doubt, help me see your splendor and grace. Guide me to have faith as Abram did. Help me realize that all my problems and needs will be solved if I have faith in you Lord. Amen.

Friday in the First Week of Lent

Promised Blessings

The Lord had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people, your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing." Genesis 12:1-2

What if you were asked to move from a familiar place? Consider what it would mean to pack up all your belongings and leave the home that you grew up in to go to a land that you know nothing about. Can you imagine the concern, excitement, fear, and worry that would go on in your head? God asked Abram to leave the land he knew and promised him a blessing. Abram decided to say yes and look what happened: God blessed Abram, who later was called Abraham the ancestor of the Hebrew people.

But what would have happened to God's people if Abram had decided to say no and stayed in his comfort zone? History would not have been the same. How many times have you been nervous and scared about hearing God's call in your life? Doubts run deep and the 'what if's' fill our minds when we are faced with a new opportunity. Remember that God blessed Abraham and blessings will happen to you also when you are called to move away from familiar surroundings.

Ashley Fitzpatrick

Prayer: God, thank you for examples like Abraham that we can look to for strength. Give us courage in everything we do and lead and guide us to the places you want us to go. Amen.

Thursday in the First Week of Lent

In Spirit and Truth

"God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." John 4:24 (KJV)

Jesus' entire ministry pointed towards the worship of God. For him, worshipping God was seen not only in the temple but in the everyday places of people's lives. Perhaps this is why Jesus' parables, healings and teachings were set in common, everyday life situations. His stories ran the gamut of illness, death, decision-making, sweeping, seasoning food, buying more than is needed, trimming the lamps, boating, fishing, eating, marrying, sowing seeds, investing talents, standing with the oppressed, misplacing loyalties, and relating to family members. Jesus used the articles and events of everyday life to illustrate his message of God's in-breaking Presence.

A more complete way of understanding worship is that it is both a private and public action highlighting our need for connection with God and others. So the purpose of worship is to create a "sanctuary" to connect with God and experience grace. This sanctuary allows us to enter into "sacred space" where we are ushered into the Presence of God through the characters and stories of the Bible, prayers, hymns and choruses.

So how is it with your worship? What aids your worship? What hinders your worship? How might you use the articles of everyday life to illustrate God's Presence to others? How can you worship God throughout the day?

Prayer: Spirit of Truth, breathe on me and help me make time to worship you.

Wednesday in the First Week of Lent

Owning our Faith

Because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. Romans 10:9-10

Life is filled with many choices and decisions. Many times we are raised in a tradition of the Christian faith where we talk about Jesus without really knowing in our hearts what we believe. When we begin to truly search out our own faith and develop a deep relationship with Christ, then we understand and profess our beliefs from the heart. It is our belief in Christ and the desire to profess him as Savior that grants us forgiveness of our sins and eternal life.

When we choose to follow God and confess him as our Savior, God's grace and forgiveness, which are beyond all our human capabilities, make us whole again. Then we begin a faith journey of our own making, because it is from our own heart and experience. We become disciples of the Lord, spreading this joyous confession of love and grace to all we meet.

Melissa Dempsey

Prayer: Dear God, help me to find a true relationship with you. May I be bold and faithful as I profess my faith in you and your loving sacrifice. Amen.

Tuesday in the First Week of Lent

The Secret Place

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.

Psalm 91:1-3 (NIV)

Have you ever been afraid of your shadow? God's shadow is a place where we don't have to be afraid. If we get in God's shadow for protection, leaning on him, relaxing in his arms, and allowing him to carry us through difficult times, we are promised that God will make a "way out of no way." Getting into God's shadow is like going to a secret place where there are no distractions but intimacy between God and us.

Whether we're in private or in a public place like a church, the secret place is where we fall in love with God again. Isaiah 59:19 says "that when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against it." So nothing shall harm us if we take refuge in God's shadow and let him lead, guide, and protect us, trying us like silver is tried, and loving us so unconditionally that it brings us to tears. And when it is all said and done, we will have peace that surpasses all understanding and fire in our bellies that burns through any dark place we encounter. Jesus will protect us from the hands of the enemy. He will make us the "head" and not the "tail," so that we are above and not beneath things. So continue to praise and give reverence to the One who consistently saves us.

Minister Brian Darden

Prayer: Father, in the name of your Son, Jesus, I ask you to keep me totally under your protection. Put me under your wing and carry me through any problem that I may face. Love me, care for me, and mold me in any way that you want to. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Monday in the First Week of Lent

Life is an Inheritance

When you come into the land which the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance, and have taken possession of it, and live in it, you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from your land that the Lord your God gives you, and you shall put it in a basket, and you shall go to the place which the Lord your God will choose, to make his name to dwell there. Deuteronomy 2:1-2

Have you ever considered your personal journey of faith to be an inheritance from God? What if you looked at your faith as something to be cherished and honored? It is not until we have taken possession of the unique call God has placed upon our lives and allowed our spiritual senses to be opened that we can understand that the new life God gives is an eternal inheritance.

We have been blessed by God with certain gifts that equip us for the journey of faith set before us. These finest of fruits, harvested from within our new life in Christ, are to be noticed by the world, through our character, relationships, and our values.

When we see our journey of faith as an eternal inheritance, then we will truly be the reflection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Wherever we find ourselves in life's adventure, our mission is to "make his name to dwell there," bringing the kingdom of God near into the world. Today as part of your Lenten practice, live as though you are an inheritance given by God.

Andrew Cunningham

Prayer: Most gracious and loving God, help me today to understand you have given me an eternal inheritance into the family of God. I pray that you will nurture and empower the gifts you have given to me so that your presence will penetrate every facet of my life. Anoint me today to bring the Kingdom of God near to those in my sphere of influence, that others may know the Savior I serve. Amen.

The First Sunday in Lent

Forgiveness Works!

You are kind, God! Please have pity on me. You are always merciful! Please wipe away my sins. Wash me clean from all of my sin and guilt. Psalm 51:1-2

I cannot begin to think how many times I have prayed this prayer. We have all sinned against God. The word of God tells us that if we sin against God that we must pray and ask for forgiveness and it will be done. Sounds too easy, right?

When I was a kid I would get in trouble a lot! And once I realized that I did something wrong—something that really hurt someone's feelings—I had to ask for forgiveness from that person. Even after I apologized, some people just wouldn't let go of what I had done. They would hold it over my head to make me feel even worse about it (I have to admit that I am guilty of doing exactly the same thing to others).

We say that we forgive a person, but we don't really forgive them. Instead, what we are doing is just forgiving them for that one moment. The grievance is still in our minds and hearts and we hold on to it with both hands.

When we do something wrong to God and we ask for forgiveness, it's forgiven. Bam! That's all. God will not hold the grievance over ourheads. God loves us so much that when we do something bad and then ask for forgiveness from the bottom of our hearts, he forgives us.

Lent is a season of not keeping score of the wrongs of others. It is easier to ask others not to keep a scorecard on our wrongdoing, but it is very difficult not to keep score on others. It is a challenge to give up holding grudges for Lent and to practice forgiveness. So the next time someone hurts you and then asks for forgiveness, forgive them and try not to hold it against them. Once they see that you're doing that, perhaps they will try and do the same.


Kelsey Chandler

Prayer: Father God, please help me to be a more forgiving person. Grant me patience and love. Thank you Lord for your everlasting love that you have shown to me. Help me now to show that forgiving love to others. In Jesus' name, Amen.

The Saturday after Ash Wednesday

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

Life often guides us through many different directions and paths. When put in difficult situations we think that we can correct the problem, rather than relying on God to fix it. In our efforts to come up with a solution, we must allow our faith to come forth and let God take over.

God wants to supply our every need. In meeting our needs, God shows his amazing grace and awesome power. So we should not worry about anything but pray and ask God about everything. Do not try to take on the giant that life can become, instead yield to God, the one who can defeat every giant that comes our way. So as you go through today, remember to pray and ask God specifically to answer your needs.

Dialleo Burks

Prayer: Father God, I thank you for being my Lord and Savior. As I go through today, I pray that you will supply my every need. I ask in your name Father, that you will carry any burdens that I may have. I ask in your name Lord, that you remove any worry or doubt from my mind and spirit. I thank you for the right to praise your name. I love you and adore you, for this prayer I pray in your name, Amen.

The Friday after Ash Wednesday

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)

The image of "running the race" is one in which we are all familiar. It provides us with a mental picture that can be quite useful in reminding us of our life's mission. God calls us to persevere throughout our lives. Whether things are going great or we're having the worst couple of months of our lives, God wants us to "keep running."

The season of Lent can be a great time for us to challenge ourselves tocontinue to "run the race." Whether we are giving something up, or rededicating our lives to God in some way, Lent can be a time for us to move forward in our commitment and relationship with God. In moving forward, we can get bogged down and become distracted with the worries of life. So we need to "throw off everything that hinders, and the sin that so easily entangles." What better time to receive help in getting rid of the things that slow us down than Lent?

God gives us help along the way. We have a body, the body of Christ, to help us through our trials. We need others to run the race with us. Without this body, it is a lonely and difficult path.

While this is only the second day of Lent, we must not forget that the road ahead will be curvy, steep, and long. We must prepare ourselves for this race, for this is a time for perseverance. Remember to seek help from others—whether it is for encouragement, accountability, or someone to pray with. God has blessed us with teammates to run alongside of us. 'Tis the season: the season for change; the season to run with God!

Rachel Burch

Prayer: Dear God, help me to run the race of life without losing sight that you're running along side me.

The Thursday after Ash Wednesday

Giving Thanks

Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the rock of our salvation. Psalm 95:1

Every day I thank God that he knows the true intentions of my heart. I often find it difficult to stand before God, giving him the praise he so rightly deserves. Instead, I am consumed by things in my life that I never seem to have enough time for, by extracurricular activities, parties, friendships and life. I thank God that he knows that I am eternally grateful, even when I am too consumed or too apathetic to vocalize it.

I'm amazed at the ways I find myself caught up in a moment of worship. I'm often caught up with something as simple as walking across campus in a shower of autumn leaves or finding a dollar in my jacket pocket. Feeling the warmth of the afternoon sun on my face, seeing an old friend or connecting with a new one often causes me to cry, "Awesome! Amazing! Beautiful!" But what I'm really trying to say instead is "Praise God!" I truly believe that when I say these things, God knows my heart. He knows that as I appreciate the splendor of my surroundings, and the infinite blessings of each day, that I am glorifying him with my wonder.

It is particularly important during the Lenten season that we take time to embrace and give thanks for the blessings we receive every day. Perhaps this year, instead of giving up chocolate, we can make a littletime in our busy schedules to truly glorify God.

Amanda Arnold-Jasper, GA

Prayer: Father God, I praise you for the wondrous things you do in my life. I thank you for allowing me to awake to a new day, and for the guidance to navigate life when it becomes overwhelming. I ask for your patience when I forget or overlook the glories you have provided me. I thank you for the promise of never leaving me even when I don't know you are there. Thank you so much for the season of Lent—for the anticipation of the death and glorious resurrection of your Son, and for the salvation you have so freely given. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Ash Wednesday

Just some ashes are all that are needed to begin the season of Lent. Ashes are the product of burning something away. They are what is left over after fire passes over or through something. They are the waste after the heat and light are gone. Perhaps our first association with ashes comes from childhood where we watched our fathers or mothers or maybe someone else carry out the ashes from the fireplace on a cold winter's morning. After the fire had warmed the house, the ashes were useless so they would be disposed as trash.

So why do we put left over "trash" on our foreheads to start the season of Lent? One reason is because the ashes are symbols to remind us of who we are. The Bible tells us that we came from the dust and to the dust we shall return. Adam was formed out of the dust of the earth by God and then God breathed life into that dust (Genesis 2:7).

Ashes are also a sign of repentance. Receiving ashes during Ash Wednesday prepares us for Lent, the time when we are called to repent and change our ways. In biblical times, it was common for people who were mourning to dress in sackcloth and put ashes on their heads. There are several stories in the Bible where the people come to God and sit before him "in sackcloth and ashes" to show their repentance and to seek his forgiveness.

So the ashes are meant to be symbols of our mortality and signs of repentance showing that we are truly seeking to follow in God's path.They may be just a few ashes but they sure do mean a lot. They signif your need for God. They are also a way of showing on the outside what is happening on the inside. So as you have the sign of the cross placed onyour foreheads, repent of your self-reliance and self-seeking. Receive God's grace and forgiveness that marks you as a redeemed child of God.

Prayer: Merciful God, please help me to remember to repent and believe the gospel. Amen.