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Lent Devotion
April 16
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Every video I watch on YouTube has a section where I’m encouraged to hit the “Like” button and subscribe to the producer’s channel. At the moment, I’m subscribed to about 12 different channels: Everything from churches’ channels to videography and photography channels to ones that show new tech gadgets. It was easy to do. I just clicked a link.

How easy is it to hit the “like” or “follow” button on social media? With one little tap or click we announce our agreement with someone and our desire to spend more time finding out more about what they have to say.

But that kind of “following” is a far cry from what Jesus asks of those who would follow Him.

Mark 8:34-35 says, “Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.”

That’s a pretty serious commitment. It’s life and death. It means that Jesus comes first—that He’s not part of our life, He IS our life. Unfortunately, too many people (even those who would call themselves Christian) are barely as dedicated to following Jesus as they are to their favorite star’s Instagram.

We all get a little bit spiritually lazy at times, but Jesus deserves far more than our leftover attention and energy.

As you pray today, ask God to help you see how truly devoted to Him you are, and commit to following Him the way He asks you to.



Fasting

Lent Devotion
April 15
Fasting

The discipline of fasting is meant to draw us nearer to God. When

we fast, we engage in an embodied form of prayer. The

disciplines are meant to make us pure in heart before God. To

cleanse our bodies and minds of all before we come to worship

our God.
 

Joel: 1:14 – “Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather

the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of

the Lord your God, and cry unto the Lord.”
 

Daniel: 9:3 – “And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by

prayer and supplication, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes.”

 

Prayer

 

Holy Father, help me to focus on the goal of strengthening my

relationship with you in all that I do. Guard me against all impure

thoughts and motives. I pray this in the Holy name of our Lord

and Savior Jesus Christ. AMEN



The Good Shepherd

Lent Devotion
April 14
The Good Shepherd

Read Psalm 23

Life is full of distractions. It seems like we are always so busy, running to and fro. And yes, the temptation for many can be swept away by all of it. Going to work, meetings to go to, functions to attend, demands to be met! So, yes, we can be in danger of drifting away from our Lord Jesus Christ.

So read the words of David’s Psalm here, for there we can center our spirit, and quiet our soul. And during this season of Lent, let’s take a moment today and ask our Good Shepherd to lead our spirit next to a place of green pastures and quiet waters, so that He—Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior—may restore our souls.



An Audience of One

Lent Devotion
April 13
An Audience of One
 
Who are you when nobody’s watching? Are you the same person you are when all eyes are on you?

As I was watching some of the Masters Golf tournament this past weekend, they showed a highlight I had missed at the end of last year’s tournament. After Hideki Matsuyama finished off his final round of the 2021 Masters, becoming the first Asian player to win a major tournament in the States, the crowds had drifted away from the 18th green.

At some point after the crowds had left, Matsuyama’s caddie, Shota Hayafuji, came back to perform his final duty as caddie for the tournament—he got the pin flag from the 18th hole. That’s one of the traditional perks for the tournament winner—you get the pin flag for the tournament, and it’s usually the caddie who retrieves it while the player is meeting with the Media and whatnot.

So Hayafuji came back to the empty 18th green to retrieve the pin flag. And after returning the pin to the cup, he quietly and humbly bowed to the course. Bowing is, of course, a gesture of respect in his culture, and in a sport like golf, you’re not just competing against the other players; you’re competing against the course itself. And so, alone there on the green, Hayafuji expressed his respect to the course.

At least, he THOUGHT he was alone. Unbeknownst to him, longtime CBS cameraman Eric Leidel was still up in his perch on the 18th hole’s camera tower, and recorded the gesture.

And of course, when CBS showed it, it went viral. As I watched it, I thought about how he did that, not knowing anyone was there to see him. It was just a sincere gesture he offered from the heart. But someone DID see it; and RECORDED it. And before long, Hayafuji was almost as famous as the golfer he caddied for. I was reminded of how important it is to be consistent in the way we live, because someone DOES see everything we do.

But more than that, I was encouraged to think that God doesn’t just see the mistakes we make, but also the good things we do that nobody else sees. He sees us when we’re serving behind the scenes, doing things that others rarely know about. Whether it’s fixing things at the church building in the evenings, or checking on those who are in nursing homes or who can’t get out, or listening when someone is going through a struggle and needs someone to talk to. Those moments aren’t caught on camera; they don’t go viral online. But God DOES see them.

In Matthew 6, Jesus tells us to do what’s right, and to do it for an audience of one. He says, “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.” He says to pray privately, not for others to see us and praise us for how eloquent we are. He tells us to do our giving in secret—not so others will know and praise us for our generosity. He says, “When you fast, don’t let it be obvious that you’re fasting.” When we do what’s right without calling attention to ourselves, He says, “then your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.”

Sometimes we go day after day, doing the right thing, and while we know that doing what’s right should be its own reward, our human nature says, “Yeah, but it would be nice to get some acknowledgment once in a while.”

But Scripture says that the One Whose opinion matters most DOES see—EVERYTHING we do. And if we’re faithful, one day we’ll hear the greatest word of encouragement ever when we hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
 
As you pray today, ask Him for the strength to do everything you do for His glory, and His alone.


Serving Our Way to Success

Lent Devotion
April 12
Serving Our Way to Success

Luke: 22:24-30

The Tornadoes that severely damaged Kentucky, Arkansas and Missouri on December 10 & 11, 2022 and the ice storm that we experienced in January 2022 are examples of devastation and hardships that we endure. Disasters such as this have brought communities together to focus on their mutual survival. Natural disasters have forced us to determine what is important for survival water, food, electricity, a place to live and trying to gain what was lost.

Jesus’ disciples were mere mortals, and they were just like each of us. They had ego’s and they had a selfish side as well. Their selfish attitudes after the crucifixion gave way to self-sacrifice. Jesus’ act of love spurred them to love one another and serve those in need of salvation.

If we want to be great in God’s Kingdom, we must first learn to be servants. As God’s servant we must be humble in heart and allow God to work powerfully through him. We will experience remarkable victories and our unshakable love for God will draw others to Christ.

What path to success have we chosen? Are we honoring God or are we showing our selfish ambition? God. Today let’s surrender to God and let him use us in a way to bring others to his saving grace.



Our Temple

Lent Devotion
April 11
Our Temple

We know what it means to feel fatigued.  It comes when we live beyond our physical, emotional, and spiritual means. 

We are a three-part being and we must take care of each one.  Our body needs to be cared for. Our body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit.  We need to take care of ourselves emotionally – we cannot live stressed out, overworked and run down. As in Psalm 23 we need to lie down in green pastures; our minds need a rest and our body need to relax.

Spiritually we need a connection to God.  Our lives will be rewarding and more fulfilling when we have a relationship with Jesus.  Put him first, make your spiritual life a priority.

When we are balanced physically, emotionally, and spiritually we become more productive and effective in our lives. Do not neglect one area as it will lessen what you can accomplish.

Lent can be a time to work on each point.



Spreading the Word

Lent Devotion
April 9
Spreading the Word

We all have read about Jesus going to Gethsemane and praying before his arrest. Each account in the Bible tells of how He asked the disciples multiple times to stay up and keep watch as He went off to pray. Seems like a simple enough task. However, for some reason, they kept falling asleep. Was it late into the night? Were they tired from their travels? The Bible doesn’t say.

Even though the disciples couldn’t do as Jesus had asked in the garden, He still had faith in them to spread the gospel after the resurrection. Today, Jesus has faith in us to spread the gospel as well. In fact, Matthew 28:19 NIV says “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

Think of ways you can spread His word. Whether in your daily interactions with people or communicating through social media, are we sharing His word with love and compassion? 

John 13:35 NIV: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”



Priceless

Lent Devotion

April 7

Priceless

 

Today is the first day of baseball season, and I read yesterday that the Yankees bought a pitcher named David McKay from the Rays. In this era of skyrocketing salaries, you might think it cost the Yanks millions, even for a young prospect. Nope. The Rays sold McKay to New York for a dollar. One lousy buck. That means that they can’t even take the proceeds from the sale and buy anything at the dollar store, since they upped their prices to $1.25. How’s that for a self-esteem booster?

 

And yet, baseball history is replete with trades that might make a guy feel even worse. In 1921, pitcher Joe Martina was traded for two barrels of oysters. Infielder Len Dondero was once traded for two dozen doughnuts before the league disallowed the trade. In 1930, shortstop Johnny Jones was traded for a 25lb. turkey. The Phillies thought so much of Mike Cisco that they just gave him to the Angels as a goodwill gesture. And John McDonald, Dickie Noles, and Harry Chiti were each traded for a “player to be named later,” only to be sent back to their former teams like an unwanted Christmas gift to Walmart on December 26. 

 

So many things can happen in life that make you question your value: People make hurtful comments; you get laid off from a job; you get dumped by someone you love; or maybe you just go through life feeling overlooked and unappreciated. This world can cause a person to feel worthless pretty easily.

 

But one of the things Lent and the Easter season provide is a reminder of just how much you ARE worth. You’re reminded that the Creator of the universe looked down at you and thought you were so valuable that He would give up His life for yours. He literally looked at you and said, “I’d rather die than spend eternity without you.” No matter what happens in this life; no matter what others may say about us or do to us, our true worth is demonstrated by the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross—dying so we could live eternally in Heaven.

 

When the Son of God thinks you’re valuable enough to die for, there’s no greater proof that you’re not only valuable, you’re priceless.

 

As you pray today, thank God for valuing you so much, and ask for His help remembering that when the world would try to make you question your worth. 

 

 

 



Build Your Life on the Solid Foundation-Jesus

Lent Devotion
April 8
Build your life on the solid foundation:  Jesus Christ 

MATTHEW  7:24-27 

There are things that are taking place in our world today that we don’t understand, but we have to believe God is still in control. We have to build our faith and our spiritual lives on a stable foundation. Jesus taught His disciples this truth with an illustration: “Everyone who hears these saying of Mine and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house and it fell. And great was its fall!”

The shifting of ideas and morals of our present world can be a bit confusing and concerning to us all. But obeying the unwavering truth of God’s word can bring stability unlike anything else; we just have to believe and pray. As Jesus said, “Therefore, whoever hears these saying of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (V.24)



Blessed

Lent Devotion
April 6
Blessed
 
What’s your favorite time of the year? This week of April has always been my second favorite week of the year, after Christmas. And now that my kids are grown and a lot of my family lives out west, it may be surpassing it. There’s just nothing like this week for sports fans like me: The Final Four in college basketball, Opening Day of baseball season, and the Masters Golf tournament.

This is also the week every year when I have to fight envy the hardest. And I think there are a lot of guys who do. It’s rare that I’ve ever thought, “Boy, would I love to be THAT guy,” and even on those rare occasions it’s only been over one particular thing. But every year the first week or so of April, I wish I could be Jim Nantz for a week.

I can’t imagine how cool it would be to call the Final Four and then go straight to calling the Masters. I’d be happy just getting to go as a fan.

And every time I start to feel that way, I get a little guilty, because I remember how incredibly blessed I am. I’ve been able to go to the Masters twice:  Once with VIP treatment, and once with my dad and my son. Both times were amazing. And while I haven’t been to a Final Four (yet), I have been to NCAA tournament games, and I got to see UVA win an ACC Tournament in 2014.

I once asked a friend of mine at Celebrate Recovery, “How’s life treating you?” He said, “Much better than I deserve.” That really made me think. Even if I had only seen the Masters and the Final Four on TV, I’ve been blessed so incredibly far beyond what I deserve. I have a wonderful wife, a great family, and I get to do what God called me to do. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg—there are so many ways beyond that that I’ve been blessed… far beyond what I deserve.

Part of Lent is recognizing the incredible blessings God has given us—chief among them being the grace and eternal life we have because of the sacrifice Jesus made for us. The word “grace” literally means, “getting what you don’t deserve.” And that’s just what God provides us—an opportunity to receive forgiveness and eternity in heaven, when we deserve just the opposite.

And so, as we pray today, let’s spend some time thanking God for the fact that we’re all blessed far beyond what we deserve.

And Mr. Nantz, if you’re reading this, if one year you want to take off that week in April and need someone to fill in for you, I’m just saying I’m here.



Careless Words

Lent Devotion
April 5
Careless Words

For a number of years, I umpired Little League and High School baseball. In the first six years and 99% of the games in year seven, I never had to throw a coach out of a game. But in the championship game of the last all-star tournament of the season one coach had a couple of calls go against him and came out to argue. I let him vent for a moment and then calmly told him he had to go back to the bench. I understand questioning my judgment on the call, and usually listening for a minute calms the situation. But then he accused me of working for the other team, challenging my integrity. At that point I politely invited him to be more constructive with his feedback and gave him the rest of the afternoon off, to contemplate how he might handle future situations in a more productive manner.

The Bible describes the tongue as a restless evil, full of deadly poison (James 3:8). It also says that we’re going to have to give an account for every careless word we speak (Matthew 12:36). Statistics show that the average person speaks 11 million words per year. How many of those words are carelessly spoken?

In this season of fasting and sacrifice, pray that you can cut out more than just dessert or coffee. Pray that you will be able to cut out the careless words from your speech. Not only will you keep from doing as much harm with them, but it will be less that you’ll have to answer for when you stand before the Lord.



I Want to See

Lent Devotion
April 4
I Want to See

Luke 18:35-43

35 As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”

38 He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

39 Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

40 Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?”

“Lord, I want to see,” he replied.

42 Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” 43 Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

A couple of years ago I got a jolt when I went to DMV to renew my license. I was told to look into the machine and read the letters to test my eyesight. Now, before I tell you the next part, you have to know that I’ve always had great eyesight. In high school it was 20/15, which is above average. And while I realize it’s been a minute since I was in high school, I’ve always been able to count on my good vision.

Well, the clerk told me to read a specific line, and it was blurry. I looked at her and asked, “Where’s the focus knob?” It was really only a second before I realized what I had said and why it was so dumb, but it seemed like an eternity. I think the clerk’s amused “I-can’t-wait-to-tell-the-others-about-this-doofus” expression is what made things click in my mind. I had always had great eyesight; in my mind, the problem couldn’t have been my vision—the machine must have needed adjustment. Thankfully, I either did finally read it well enough to qualify, or she felt guilty for the unmistakable look of incredulous bemusement on her face, but I passed (barely).

It wasn’t easy to come to terms with the fact that I wasn’t seeing as I should. And far too often, my spiritual vision isn’t what it should be, either. Over the years, several people have told me they waved at me and I looked right at them and didn’t wave back or say anything. And as they said that I realize that my mind was on something else and I saw them, but I didn’t really “see” them.

And there are several areas of my life where I know I don’t look at things the way I should; that I’m so preoccupied with my own things that I don’t see many of the people and situations that God would have me see. And I suspect I’m not alone in this.

In this encounter with the blind man, Jesus asked him what he wanted Him to do for him. The man said, “Lord, I want to see.”

As we pray today, let’s make that our prayer as well—not so much for our physical vision, but for the ability to see the people and the situations God puts in front of us so we can be the hands and feet of Jesus for those around us.



The Perfect Lamb

Lent Devotion
April 2
The Perfect Lamb

Read John 1:29-34

In Genesis 22, Abraham took his son Isaac to Moriah, because God commanded him to offer Isaac as a burnt offering. Isaac asked his father, “Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham responded to his son, “God will provide the lamb for the burnt offering.” And as we know, God stopped Abraham and did provide a ram to take Isaac’s place. And God almighty has provided the world a Lamb to take away all our sin. Jesus Christ is the world’s Sacrificial Lamb. So Abraham didn’t have to sacrifice his only son, because God chose to sacrifice His only son to atone for our sins!

So in this time of Lent, we no longer have to live in anxiety; laboring to justify our existence, for our justification is in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior, the perfect and spotless Lamb of God, Who took away our sin, and the sin of the world.



God’s Gift

Lent Devotion
April 1
God’s Gift

Read Acts 1 vs. 4 and 8

We are observing the 40 days leading up to the sacrificial death of Christ. Christ made this sacrifice so we have a bridge to salvation. He opened the gates of Heaven and paid the price for our sin. While we are free from the grip of sin, the temptation never stops in our earthly lives. Christ knew this would be the case. In Acts Ch. 1 Christ gives the apostles instructions not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. This is the promise of the Holy Spirt. This gift prepares the apostles to spread the Gospel.

Today we have the same gift, promised to the apostles, because of Christ’s sacrifice. When we accept Christ, we receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit. The Spirt helps us fight the temptations of the evil one. When we look at our world in 2022, we see the ravages of sin. No matter where we turn you cannot escape the work of the evil one, but the Holy Spirt continues to COMFORT God’s people. There is a song that says: “When Christ was dying, I (we) was on His mind.” Thank God for the sacrifice that makes our salvation possible.



The Thankful One

Lent Devotion

March 31

The Thankful One 

Luke 17:11-19 (NIV)

11 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy[b] met him. They stood at a distance13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.

15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

For years, I think one of the weakest aspects of my prayer life has been taking the time to thank God—especially for things that I had had no problem taking the time to ask Him for, earlier. And when I read this account of Jesus and the ten lepers, I know I’m one of the nine, not the one. I mean, it’s not that I don’t thank God for His blessings, but it’s usually a blanket prayer. I don’t always take the time to get specific.

And what’s interesting in this situation with Jesus and the lepers is that it’s a Samaritan who can’t help praising God loudly and coming back and thanking Jesus for making him whole. It’s implied that most, if not all, of the others were Jews, and didn’t make the effort to show their gratitude. Sometimes those of us who have the most to be thankful for are the worst at showing that gratitude, and I am chief among sinners.

In Celebrate Recovery we encourage people to keep a “Gratitude List.” When you think of things you’re grateful for, put them on the list and say a prayer of thanks, and then use that list as part of your prayers when you have your quiet time with God. And it does help; especially with most everyone having phones that make it easy to keep lists like this, and have them on hand all the time. If you haven’t tried this, it’s worth the effort.

Lent is a time for showing gratitude for the spiritual healing that God has provided in Christ. As we pray today, let’s make a special effort to show God how thankful we are for each blessing.



Waking Up

Luke 15:13-20 is part of the parable Jesus tells that we usually refer to as “The Prodigal Son.” It says in v.13,

“The younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.”

Jesus tells this parable about a son who demands his inheritance from his father and then goes off and blows it living fast and loose. But when he wakes up one day, broke and all of the “friends” who hung around when the money was flowing long gone, he’s forced to take a job slopping pigs, just hoping to get some of the scraps they eat, unable to fill his own stomach.

And v.17 says, “When he came to his senses.” I don’t think there’s a better description of the initial moments of repentance than that. It’s what we call in Celebrate Recovery “a moment of clarity” or “hitting bottom.” It’s when your eyes open to the fact that things are wrong and have to change.

When your lies have woven a web of deceit that get you thoroughly entangled, and you finally grasp that you have to start living with integrity. When you realize that ignoring God’s standards on sexual intimacy has caused you a lot of avoidable problems. When you recognize that holding that grudge and harboring that resentment toward the person who hurt you is destroying YOU, not them, and is drawing you away from the close relationship with Christ that you want.

That phrase, “When he came to his senses,” reminds us that following Christ—living the way He leads us to live—is not only better for our spiritual walk, but that it’s the sensible, rational, best way to live life. Coming to our senses is a good way to put it when we start to live life based on the truth, and not the lies and rationalizations we use to convince ourselves that doing things our own way is just fine.

And that mindset led the son to true repentance—including an attitude so humble that he was content to just be one of his father’s servants.

The great part about that parable is that the father loves the son so much—despite how the son hurt him—that he offers incredible grace when his son returns. He doesn’t just take him on as a servant; he restores him to his place as his son—and celebrates the fact that he’s back. Just like God does with us.

Lent is a time of repentance, as we look ahead to the sacrifice Jesus made that allowed us to receive God’s grace. As we pray today, let’s take a close look at our life and the areas where we need to “come to our senses,” and pray that God would help us to put aside those things in our life that aren’t the way He would have them to be, and live to follow Him more closely.

 



A Look in the Mirror

Lent Devotion
March 29
A Look in the Mirror
 
Matthew 6:
“This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come, your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from the evil one.’
 
At the heart of Jesus’ framework for prayer is humility. The focus is on God’s kingdom and God’s will; God’s provision; God’s forgiveness; God’s protection; God’s deliverance. All of that speaks to things that we lack—and admitting our need for help. That requires humility.
 
My wife has a mirror that has 10x magnification. The first time I looked into it I was freaked out. I knew my skin was far from perfect, but man—every flaw and imperfection just jumped out big as life—TEN TIMES big as life! If you want to develop humility, get one of these mirrors. I wondered why any woman would ever buy one (because I was sure no man ever would); but I guess seeing those flaws and imperfections clearly is the only way to do anything about them.
 
During Lent, we take an honest look in the mirror and ask God to show us our spiritual shortcomings and help us overcome them. That takes humility.
 
As you pray today, ask the Lord to reveal the sin in your life, and provide you with the strength to get rid of it, with His help.


A Time to Reflect

Lent Devotion
March 26
A Time to Reflect
 
For me, Lent is a season for repentance and prayer to get ready for the joy of Christ’s resurrection at Easter. It is a good time to reflect, as a Christian and as an addict in recovery.
 
Lent’s 40 days remind us of Christ’s 40 days in the wilderness. Those days of deprivation, testing and temptation are familiar to any addict. And maybe make us feel that we don’t measure up. Jesus was tempted by the devil and resisted. But in my life, there was temptation with no resistance for so long. Jesus went into the desert to test Himself; to see if He was ready to sacrifice for us. And He found strength in God’s love.
 
Knowing what Jesus did is a source of strength for us. Just going through the recovery program of Celebrate Recovery isn’t enough. Temptation is everywhere, and we never seem to get any prizes for avoiding it. But Lent can give us a quiet time to reflect. We know life has pitfalls and trying times ahead and we have to face them. We can take this time for more prayer and reflection on how God’s grace has helped us along the way.


Regrets

Lent Devotion
March 28 
Regrets

One of my favorite commercials from a few years ago is the one where a guy is getting a tattoo, and when he looks at the finished product it says, “No regerts.”

How many times have you heard someone say they have no regrets in life? Every once in a while, I hear that from someone, and I wonder if it’s just bravado or if they really mean it. It’s not healthy to live your life bogged down by the mistakes you’ve made, but to go through life with no regrets means that you either think yourself to be perfect, or you’re a psychopath who has no conscience.

We all have regrets. We’ve all done things we look back on and wish like anything we could change. That’s something most of us realize even if Romans 3:23 didn’t remind us of it.

But while we can’t change the past, we can do something about today—and tomorrow. Romans 8:1 says, “There is NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. We don’t have to wallow in our past mistakes. We can focus on doing better today and tomorrow.”

As you pray today, thank God for the fact that—because of Jesus—we can have forgiveness for the things we regret, and don’t have to dwell on them forever.



The Foundation of our Faith

Lent Devotion
March 25
The Foundation of our Faith
 
John 11:25: “I Am The Resurrection And The Life.” 
 
Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” It’s one thing to make such a bold statement; but it’s another to back it up. And back it up He did, by going to Calvary for you and me, and rising from the dead.
 
The Son of God died and rose again, and his resurrection is the guarantee that God will never forget us, and that we’ll share a life in Heaven. This is His promise to all who believe.
 
As we look forward in celebration of Easter, let us not forget what our Savior did for us by providing our Salvation. He went to the cross for our sins, and wiped all our transgressions away. We are forgiven  through Christ our lord!!
 
The resurrection is the foundation of our faith.

 



Holding on hrough the Storm

Lent Devotion
Wednesday, March 23
Holding on Through the Storm
 
This past week as we looked at Paul’s final instructions to the church at Corinth in his first letter to them, we heard him challenge them to “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” Challenges like those are only necessary if you know significant challenges are coming.
 
I don’t know about you, but my prayer would be for God to take away the obstacles. My preference would be for Him to make my paths smooth and never have to face attacks and problems and difficulties. If it were up to me, I’d make seven figures watching sports for a living, which would let me do ministry as a volunteer; my house and car would never need repairs, and the blessings prayed for my meals would transform burgers into broccoli, chocolate into cauliflower, and Pepsi into water as soon as they hit my stomach.
 
I also wouldn’t have to read about wars in the news; or watch people I care about get sick or die. But while God CREATED the world perfect, He doesn’t make things perfect for us, now that we have to deal with a world corrupted by sin. And sometimes I’ve wondered why that is.
 
David Scherer writes, “I have begun to realize that the promise of God is presence, not perfection. The promise of God is to conquer death, not to eliminate it. It’s not to completely take away the struggle and suffering, but to redeem it. God is present whether we pray for God’s presence or not.”
 
And I think that’s true. If things were always perfect in my life, I dare say I wouldn’t seek His presence nearly as much. And neither would you. If you think differently, read through the history of Israel in the Old Testament. Over and over and over again, when their lives became easy, they turned away from God. And oftentimes it took having everything fall apart for them to wake up and turn back to Him.
 
And God knows that His presence in our life is far better for us than having perfect circumstances. He knows that redeeming the struggle and suffering is far better than removing it. Because it’s in those moments when we look to build our relationship with Him, and we build something that will last for eternity.
 
And not only does having to deal with these things encourage our seeking the presence of God in our life in a greater way, but it also provides inspiration for others. I mean, who’s ever been inspired by a story of someone who had all of the talent and all of the breaks and no problems, as he or she accomplished something? Nobody. What inspires us is the person who came from nothing, faced obstacle after obstacle, against overwhelming odds, looked to God for strength, and with His blessing accomplished something great. That’s the kind of story that inspires us and makes us better.
 
As we spend our quiet time with God today, let’s pray that in the difficulties we’ll face in life, that we would always seek His presence and His strength, and thank Him for the fact that He’s always there for us in everything we go through.


Second Chances

Lent Devotion
March 24
Second Chances
 
One of the interesting things to me about the leaders of the early church—men such as Peter and Paul—is that they each failed spiritually in huge ways. Peter was the impulsive one—always first to speak out, to boast, or to leap before he looked. Then, when Jesus needed him most, he denied even knowing Him.
 
Paul wasn’t as impetuous as Peter—he was more calm and calculating. But his mission as a Pharisee was to squash the movement of Christians that was growing throughout the area. And that included jailing and executing those who were followers of Christ.
 
And yet, God used these two men—with their dodgy past all of their failures—to be leaders in His church, doing amazing things for the Kingdom of God. And if you look back through Scripture, you see God using people with similar pasts as well. Moses was a murderer. Noah got drunk. Jacob was a liar. King David was an adulterer AND a murderer. Rahab was a prostitute. And the list goes on and on and on. But God forgave them, and used them to do amazing things for Him.
 
And the truth is, we’re all just as flawed as they were. We all need a second chance.
 
But on the cross Jesus provided the forgiveness for those sins and gave us hope that He could do great things through us, too.
 
2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone; the new has come.”
 
As you pray today, thank God that because of Christ, your past doesn’t have to determine your future.


Facing Difficulty with Perspective

Lent Devotion
Tuesday, March 22
Facing Difficulty with Perspective

Philippians 1:12-14 says, “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.”

When was the last time that you had something bad happen to you and you were able to focus on the good that could come out of it for the Kingdom of God? Your car broke down and you focused on the opportunity to talk to the tow truck guy. You didn’t get in to the school you really wanted to go to, and you looked at the opportunities you have at your second choice that you might not have had at the other. You had to have emergency surgery, but you had the opportunity to share your faith with the doctors and nurses who cared for you.
 
Paul was in prison due to his faith, but instead of pouting he looked for all the ways God could work through his incarceration. He had a captive audience in the palace guard, who couldn’t walk out on him when he talked about Jesus. This was an elite unit of men who had great influence in Rome. And his willingness to share his faith with them emboldened other Christians to share their faith as well.
 
And of course, there’s Jesus, Who took on punishment He didn’t deserve so He could provide salvation for the world.
 
As you pray today, ask God to help you face your disappointments and rough patches with a perspective that looks for what opportunities they bring for God’s Kingdom that smooth sailing would never have provided.


Compassion

Luke 7:11-13 (NIV)

“Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. 12 As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, ‘Don’t cry.’”

There’s something special about these moments with Jesus, where we see the compassion He had for people up close and personal. We see it when He’s standing at the tomb of His friend Lazarus—where He’s moved to the point of tears. And this is how deep His compassion is: He knew He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead and His friend was going to walk out of that tomb alive, but He was still so moved by his love for His friend that He wept. Matthew 20 tells of the compassion He had for the blind men in Jericho who called out to Him and asked for their sight.

And we see it here with a widow who has lost her only son. A woman in that day and time who lost her husband and her sons had no way to support herself. So this was more than just a personal, emotional loss. There was a practical fear of what would happen to her with her son gone. And Jesus had compassion on her in her pain.

The Greek word that’s translated compassion here refers to one’s inner organs being twisted and churned up. Jesus feels our distress and our pain on a deep level. And regardless of how He responds—whether solving our issue or walking with us through it—He cares deeply about everything we face in life.

As you pray today, thank the Lord for His great compassion for you, and ask for help trusting Him in every situation.



Falling Like Rain

Read Isaiah 55:10-12a

“For as the rain comes down from heaven and waters the earth, so shall my word go out of my mouth…and accomplish that what I please and it shall prosper where I sent it. For you shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace.”

Our joy is to share the word as best we can and to leave the results with God.It’s not by personality or persuasive ability. It’s not by oratorical skills or intellect. The power is in the scripture itself.
 
God has sent down his message like raindrops and snowflakes onto a parched world; and just as a refreshing rain will revive a desert, so the Word of God will revive His people and connect the lost. We may not see all of the results but as long as we’re faithful to proclaim the Word our labor in the Lord is not in vain.

I Corinthians 15:58 says “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

As you pray today, thank the Lord for the message of life He’s brought us, and ask for the ability to share that message with others.


Removing the Speck

Many of us have the tendency to judge others.  We judge people for faults that we struggle with ourselves.  Rather than face these things in our lives, we see them in those around us.  Jesus addresses our judgmental habits in Matthew 7.  Jesus explains we need to first take the speck out of our own eye and then we will be able to see the speck in the other person’s eye more clearly.

Lent can be a time to confront the specks in our own eyes and ask God for help to remove them.  We can become less judgmental, and more understanding of what others face – we can become more compassionate.



Loving Your Enemies

This being St. Patrick’s Day, and me being of Irish descent, I thought I’d look up a little bit of information about him. He was born in England sometime in the fifth century when the Romans controlled it. At sixteen, young Patrick was captured by pirates and taken to Ireland as a slave, where he was held for six years. He spent much of that time as a shepherd, and he wrote that it really helped his spiritual development.

After six years, he escaped and returned home, where he came to Christ and studied to be a minister. He then returned to Ireland to serve as a Christian missionary in what was then a pagan culture.

It’s interesting to me that he would go back to Ireland—to the place where he had been enslaved—to share the gospel with them. Jesus said, “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.” It’s one thing to forgive the coworker who blows his stack at you and then apologizes. Choosing to go to the country where you spent six years as a slave, in order to win them to Christ, is at an entirely different level.

But then again, when you think that Jesus chose to come to earth, to live among the people who were sinning against Him, for the express purpose of sacrificing His life for those people, it seems like he was just trying to be a good follower of Christ. You and I should be so dedicated.

As you pray today, thank God for Jesus’ incredible dedication to us—the very people who sin against Him—and ask for His help to have the same love for others that He had for us.



Amazing Grace

Back in early December, officer Richard Houston, of the Mesquite, TX police department, answered a domestic disturbance call where a man who had been confronted by his wife over his infidelity. As officer Houston tried to calm him down, the man pulled a gun, shot Houston twice in the chest, and then turned the gun on himself. The shooter survived, but officer Houston died from his wounds, leaving behind a wife and three children.
 
A lot of emotions get stirred up over an incident like that. But here’s the thing—Officer Houston was man of strong faith. And the evidence of that faith was on full display as his daughter, Shelby, spoke at his funeral. Here’s what she said:
 
“I remember having conversations with my dad about him losing friends and officers in the line of duty. I’ve heard all the stories you can think of, but I’ve always had such a hard time with how the suspect is dealt with. Not that I didn’t think there should be justice served, but my heart always ached for those who don’t know Jesus – their actions being a reflection of that.

I was always told that I would feel differently if it happened to me. But as it’s happened to my own father, I think I still feel the same. There has been anger, sadness, grief, and confusion. And part of me wishes I could despise the man who did this to my father. But I can’t get any part of my heart to hate him.

All I can find is myself hoping and praying for this man to truly know Jesus. I thought this might change if the man continued to live. But when I heard the news that he was in stable condition, part of me was relieved. My prayer is that someday down the road, I’d get to spend some time with the man who shot my father, not to scream at him, not to yell at him, not to scold him. Simply to tell him about Jesus.”

It’s kind of hard being shamed by a teenager, but that’s kind of how I felt listening to her. Because my first thought in that situation would NOT be, “Wow, this man really needs Jesus.” … But whether or not that’s my FIRST thought, it should be where I get to really quickly, because Christ has forgiven me so much. And it isn’t. When I get there, it’s grudgingly at best.

Several times Jesus commands us to forgive others. In Matthew 6 He says,  “If you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” He told the parable of the servant who had his huge debt forgiven, then wouldn’t forgive the much smaller debt owed to him, and Jesus said that if we don’t forgive those who hurt us, God won’t forgive us.

I think we kind of file commands like that away as something Jesus was setting a goal for, but doesn’t really expect, because we think we can’t really do it. But He does; and we can. This young woman shows us it’s possible. A man killed her father, and she wants to be able to share Jesus with him. That kind of attitude only comes when you’re walking close to Christ—moment-by-moment, day-by-day. It’s not easy; it goes against our flawed human nature. But it is doable, with God’s help.

And in this season of Lent, as we look to the sacrifice that Jesus made—and the forgiveness that He offers, we want to have Jesus develop that kind of grace-filled, forgiving heart in us.

So in our personal prayer times today, let’s ask the Lord to work on us, that we would ALL have hearts of forgiveness like this young lady. And my prayer is also that at some point she gets her wish, and gets to share Christ with her father’s killer. Because God can do amazing things when we forgive.



Ordinary Moments

“Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee. When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him.” Luke 4:14, 16-17

As we celebrate the season of Lent, looking ahead to the incredible event of Christ’s resurrection, we can fall into thinking that it’s the huge, mountaintop experiences in life that God uses to do His best work. And when we look at things that way, we miss out on the bulk of the situations God uses to touch our lives most profoundly.

When we look at the most impactful encounters Jesus had with people, most of them seemed to take place in the most ordinary of circumstances. When Jesus stood up to read Scripture at his hometown synagogue, He did what countless other teachers had done, week after week for centuries. But it was in an ordinary moment like this that He chose to announce His identity as the Messiah publicly.

Some of the most profound moments of Jesus’ ministry were ordinary, run-of-the-mill moments that became so much more because of Him: Fishing trips, stops to get water at a well, and walks through town became opportunities for people’s lives to be changed.

And God still works in those moments today. A moment comforting a friend when she’s hurting; a hospital stay that has you interacting with hospital staff and roommates; a conversation in an elevator. My wife met a woman in the church parking lot recently that led to coffee, and a conversation that allowed her to direct someone to Celebrate Recovery in the city she was moving to. She’s now involved there and growing.

Mountaintop experiences are nice, but it’s those ordinary moments God seems to love to use most often.

As you pray today, ask God to help you see and take advantage of the opportunities He places before you in the seemingly ordinary moments of your day.



Do-over

“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil…….. When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.” Luke 4:1-2, 13 (NIV)

I read recently Max Lucado pointing out that this passage says that the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted—to be tested. It’s interesting that this season of Jesus’ life was something He was led to. And His temptation—His spiritual testing—came as He was fasting for 40 days, so His physical strength was diminishing every day. Fortunately, He passed the test.

When I was in school, there were no “do overs” on tests. The score you got was the score you got. In the years that I umpired youth and High School Baseball, the trainers we had always went through the test after it was graded, and discussed the questions people missed. And if those who had failed re-tested and passed, they were still allowed to work, because the point was to make sure everyone was fully prepared. They weren’t as concerned with people knowing it all the first time as they were with helping them get to where they needed to be.

When we’re tempted, not only do we have God’s Spirit to guide us, but we also have His promise that He will never let you be tempted beyond your ability to resist, and He will always provide an open door to say no. It’s up to us to take that exit. So we never face the test alone. And because of Christ, when we fail, we can repent, and as far as God is concerned, our slate is clean. One failure isn’t the end.

As you pray today, thank God for the help He gives us when we’re tempted, and for the forgiveness HE makes available when we fail the test. Examine the areas of your life where you stumble most often, and ask for His help to take advantage of the help He offers when those temptations present themselves again.



The B-I-B-L-E

When you think of acronyms, what comes to mind? Maybe something like VDOT, DMV, UFO. Maybe you think of universities like UVA, JMU, or even UNC. When it comes to these acronyms, we know exactly what they are without a second thought.

One of my favorite acronyms is one that you may or may not have thought of. I hadn’t until a few years ago. It’s BIBLE. I’m not sure who came up with it, but I remember where I first saw it. It was just on a small piece of paper on a coworker’s desk that simply said BIBLE- Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. This was just a reminder for my friend of where to go when she needs answers to life’s questions.

The Bible is one of God’s greatest gifts to us. In addition to the scriptures that help to encourage and comfort us, we can learn so much from the people and stories. At this time of year, as we read and hear about Christ’s death on a cross and his resurrection, let us focus on his word daily and seek his guidance in all that we say and do.

Revelation 1:3 NIV: “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.”



Grace

“The Ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months.” 1 Samuel 6:11

Obed-Edom had no knowledge of the Ark showing up at his door. Things were sad and shocking for him. Uzzah had tried to save the Ark from falling and he died trying to save it when the ox stumbled. That violated the holiness of the Ark and Uzzah paid the price by touching the Ark.

David and all the people were filled with fear and brought the Ark to the house of Obed-Edom where it stayed for three months. This was a great surprise to Obed- Edom to have the Ark in his house.

As he and his family saw God’s blessings pour out on them, he must have felt gracious for the chance to serve God in this way and be His servant. It was by undeserved grace that he and his household were blessed.

Prayer:
Dear Holy Father, we are amazed at your gifts of undeserved grace. Help us not take granted all the blessings you have provide for us. We are forever grateful for Your love and mercy.
AMEN



The Gift of the Day

“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24

While I do try to avoid repetition in my quiet time prayers, I do have one thing I tend to say each day: I usually start by thanking the Lord for another day of life. Every day, if you read the news, you’ll see reports of someone’s life being cut short, and you remember that we’re not promised tomorrow. So I try to express gratitude for each day I have.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t always prevent me from being happy that some days are over and behind me. Sometimes the busyness or the pressures of the day, or just the way I feel (especially if I’ve had trouble sleeping) lead me to be grateful that some days are in the rearview mirror, looking forward to tomorrow.

But the Psalmist reminds us that every day is a gift from God, and is worthy of our rejoicing and gratitude. That means the ones where everything goes our way, as well as the ones where it seems like the world is conspiring against us.

For the past few weeks, I’ve been planning Christi’s and my 30th anniversary trip we’re looking to take this summer. And the more I immerse myself in those plans (I’m one of those weird people who enjoys the planning as much or more than the trip itself), the easier I find it to wish away the days in between now and then. But God reminds me that every single one of those days is a precious gift, and I need to rejoice in them, and make the most of the precious time God grants me, because that’s 24 hours—1440 minutes that I’ll never get back.

As you pray today, rejoice and be glad for the blessing of another day, and ask the Lord to help you see each day—even the challenging ones—as the gift from Him that it is.



The Biggest Little Word in Scripture

One of the most powerful little words in the English language is the word but. It’s powerful because it usually negates, diminishes, or renders moot whatever has come before it. “He’s a nice guy, but he’s too short.” “The car is beautiful, but the transmission’s shot.” “I was going to clean the kitchen, but the game went into overtime.” “She’s cute, but she’s a Red Sox fan.”

The sentence starts out one way, then the word but is inserted, and the entire direction of the thought changes.

And that’s why I think it’s the most powerful word in Scripture—especially where it’s found in 1 Corinthians 6.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NIV ’84) Paul, writing to the church at Corinth says, “Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” 

Paul’s been addressing some behavior among people in the church that needs to change—specifically in this passage, the fact that some church members have been cheating each other. And he warns them of several types of people who won’t be part of God’s kingdom. And while it’s not an exhaustive list, it’s one that’s very personal to them, because it’s describing a life a lot of them have lived. Thankfully, though, that’s not the end of the story. He goes on,

11 “And that is what some of you were.” [Past tense. That was you. You were guilty of these things and living a life characterized by these sinful behaviors. Thankfully, though, that’s changed. It says that’s what some of you WERE. And here’s the big word:] “BUT you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

That little three-letter-word, especially when combined with the word “were” here, provides hope. “That is what some of you WERE—BUT not anymore. That is what some of you WERE, BUT you’ve been changed. That is what some of you WERE, BUT you’ve been forgiven; you’ve been restored.

Their repentance and willingness to change allowed God to work in them to not only forgive them, but to CHANGE them. So, while some of them USED TO BE drunks, they aren’t anymore. While some of them USED TO BE thieves, they aren’t anymore. While some of them USED TO BE sexually immoral—whether gay or straight—they aren’t anymore. They repented, and God has made a change in them. Their past done, their present has been made new, and their future looks so much better, because they have eternity with Christ to look forward to.

Such a small word; such a big impact. Maybe the biggest example is this: “Christ died… BUT He arose.” That’s what we look forward to in this Lenten season. So, as you pray today, thank God that Jesus’ death wasn’t the end of His story, and that our sin doesn’t have to be the end of ours.



Be Still

“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

A couple of weekends ago, my wife and I were watching my niece’s children, ages 6,5, & 3. At one point, I put on some Bugs Bunny cartoons, because, tragically, they had never seen these classic comedy treasures. I was excited to introduce them to these treasures from my childhood. What made it sweeter was that they all wanted to sit with me.

After 45 minutes of them climbing over each other—and me–, pushing, pulling, squirming, tattling on someone who wasn’t giving the others enough legroom, and constant questions about who the characters were and what they were doing, I was exhausted! I’ve never gotten so tired just trying to sit still! I told Christi to take the kids so I could get a nap.

In her book, Liturgy of the Ordinary, Tish Harrison Warren writes, “In a culture that craves the big, the entertaining, the dramatic, and the shocking (sometimes literally), cultivating a life with space for silence and repetition is necessary for sustaining a life of faith.”

I think that most people find sitting still before the Lord tends to take them some work too. There are so many things tugging at us and trying to get our attention, filling up our schedule and crowding out the things of God. And all of that commotion only makes having a daily time of getting still and alone with Him that much more important. We need that time where we talk to Him in prayer, and where we listen to Him, through meditating on His word.

As you pray today, Ask the Lord for His help in shutting out the demands and the noise of this world, so that you can be still before Him.



Self-Reflection

“Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.” Lamentations 3:40 (NIV)

Every day—often several times a day—we engage in self-reflection. We stand in front of a mirror and look to see if there’s anything about our appearance that needs to be changed. And as a result of this self-examination you may comb your hair, shave, touch up your makeup, or change your clothes.

If only we did this as much with our character as we do with our appearance! The goal of a Christian’s life is to become more like Him—not in our appearance, because (despite all the paintings we see) we don’t know exactly what Jesus looked like—but in our character.

As you pray today, take the time to look at the character you’ve displayed recently and ask God to point out the things you need to change, as well as for the strength to bring about those changes.



My Relationship with God

Everyone, of us from the time we were young until now have always valued friendship in our life. Facebook is a fine example of this many of us have Facebook friends with people we have never met. Some of us try to have more Facebook friends than everyone else, again how many of them do you have a real relationship with.

As Christians I want each of us to give some thought about our relationship with God. God wants us to have a daily relationship with God, family and our brothers and sisters in Christ. Our relationship with God should deepen as we grow as Christians. Studying the word, our prayer time, how we treat others, teaching and mentoring each other, how we love and serve others in the name of Jesus.

God offers each of us a relationship that covers all the different types of friendship. God sits with me in silence, rejoices with me, celebrates with me, walks with me in my day-to-day walk. Each day we spend with a focus on God deepens our understanding of God’s love for us.

As a Christian I also need to understand that our relationship with God is not a one-way street. We need to offer God our presence. Pay attention to the word, don’t be thinking about your grocery list during class or during worship.

I can offer my love, my gifts and talents to God by serving others, helping those in need, being there to support my friends during the hard times and rejoicing with them during the good times. In this mutual giving of ourselves to each other and receiving from each other we develop a deep friendship with each other.
Spending time in prayer, spending time reading our bible’s and understanding what we are reading will strengthen our relationship with God.



Tempted

Read Mathew 4: 1-4
For 40 days Jesus fasted and was tempted by Satan in the desert. Satan’s objective was to get Christ to submit to him and take the easy way out of a difficult situation. He tries to use doubt to deceive Christ at one of His weakest moments. This has been one of Satan’s tools throughout history and it is still at the top of his list today, “DID GOD REALLY SAY_??????

Satan’s temptations fall into three categories, pleasure, popularity, and power. Mathew 4:3 says: The tempter came to Him and said “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Christ is fasting and His hunger is great. Satan appeals to the pleasure of food to interrupt His focus, but Christ knows He cannot bypass His purpose, to die for the sins of the World. Dying on the Cross is the only way to defeat Satan and reunite Mankind with God.

When we are tempted, remember the sacrifice that has been made for your soul. Christ died and was resurrected so we can escape the punishment for our sin.



Repentance

Luke 3 says, “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— 2 during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (vv.1-3 NIV).

John the Baptist’s job was to prepare the way for Jesus by preaching about repentance. Repentance is a change in the way we think that leads to a change in our actions. It’s easy to think of repentance as just feeling sorry. But repentance isn’t about feelings—it’s about thoughts and actions. Repentance is looking at the things we’ve done and recognizing that they’re wrong, and changing our behavior accordingly.

If you’ve ever used GPS for navigation, you know what happens when you make a wrong turn—You hear an endless nagging to make a U-turn so that you’ll be going in the right direction again. That’s what repentance is.

Lent is all about preparing our hearts for the celebration of Easter, and Ash Wednesday reminds us that we are God’s creation, formed from the dust of the ground, and we need to align our behavior with His will. And that requires repentance.

As you pray today, ask God to help you to have the strength to truly repent of any actions that aren’t pleasing to Him.



Ash Wednesday-I Love You More

A few weeks ago, I was playing with my three-year-old great-niece, and she said, “I love you,” and I responded, “I love you more!” And that launched a long back and forth of “No, I love YOU more.” “No, I love YOU more!” Many of you have probably been that same friendly “argument” with your kids or grandkids yourself.

If only we all made our lives a contest to show each other who loved whom more! Imagine how this world would be different! Imagine if you went to work tomorrow and made it your goal to demonstrate to everyone you met that you love them more, like it was a competition, and you were determined to win. Your coworkers, your clients, your boss, the person in the checkout line at the store, your neighbor, everyone.

As Christians, that should be our M.O. That’s what we’re supposed to do. Jesus told us to love others as He loved us. Unfortunately, we all fall far too short of the standard Jesus set for us. In fact, sometimes it only takes us as long as the drive between church building and the restaurant where we eat lunch on Sunday to forget that we’re supposed to be ambassadors for Christ.

Jesus’ entire life was telling us, “I love you more.” He said, “I love you more” by living as one of us, and enduring everything we do, so He could show us how to navigate the travails of life as God would have us to.

He said “I love you more” by teaching us how to follow God, and attain “Life in all of its abundance,” as He came to give us.

And He said, “I love you more” by sacrificing Himself for us, taking the punishment we deserved, so we wouldn’t have to. In fact, He loved us SO MUCH MORE that Romans 5:8 tells us it was while we were still sinners that He died for us.

Imagine someone slapping you in the face, and you forgiving them. Now imagine offering them forgiveness while they repeatedly continue to slap you in the face. But that’s what Jesus did for us. He was offering Himself up on behalf of the very people who were shouting, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” The very people who were taunting Him, saying, “He saved others, but He can’t save Himself!” And He was doing it for us when our sins against Him hadn’t even started yet.

1 John 4:10 says, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

Being a Christian doesn’t mean you’re perfect, it just means you’ve found the source of forgiveness for all the times you’ve fallen short, and you’re working to become more and more like Christ. And part of growing to be more like Christ is having the determination to show those around you, “I love you more;” not in a prideful way, but as the flood of love from God fills us to overflowing, that love overflows from us onto those around us.

And I can’t think of a better way to start the Lenten season than to follow Christ’s example, and demonstrate to those around you, “I love you more!”