Reinventing Lent.. Day 1

Today begins my 40 day journey through this lent season with a group of guy from Kensington. Tonight in our Wednesday Experience, we heard Dan Kopp share an amazing thought from a priest that says, How you go through lent prepares you for Easter.

That is an amazing thought!! Taking 40 days to focus on God and not on myself puts me in a place where i am less and He is more. For me it isnt’ just about giving something up, but rather taking the road blocks out of the way so that I can focus in on growing into a deeper relationship with Jesus. So, over these next 40 days leading up to Good Friday, I will spend some time to share about what I am personally learning. It will be carrying a fine balance of living out what I am learning in day 1 from Matthew 6:1-18, where it gives us direction on how we talk & share about what we are doing in our spiritual life…t hat we are not bragging and trying to look like a big deal..

There were two things I did feel that I learned from Jesus’ time in the wilderness, which can be found in Luke 4:1-13 are.. Just because you know scripture doesn’t mean that it guides your life and temptation will come and go, but it  will be back.

Knowing It doesn’t mean anything…

^{Luke: 4: 9}The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. ¹⁰For it is written:
” ‘He will command his angels concerning you
to guard you carefully;
¹¹they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

I find it extremely interesting that the Devil quoted scripture (Psalm 91:11,12) to Jesus when he had been in the wilderness. But beyond that, I have heard many people scripture that really don’t believe it or that they are using it to argue with someone who really believes it. I won’t dive too deep into this tonight but it is an interesting thought!

It’ll Be Back…

Luke 4 ¹³When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

I feel like this one hits me like a “DUH” statement… Once you get past a temptation its only an amount of time before that temptation will return, and usually in those moments when your guard is down or when you are weak. Even Jesus dealt with that..

40 Days… Reinventing Lent Group

Hey fellas…

Tomorrow night, we will gather at Buffalo Wild Wings in Rochester at 7:30pm..

If you do not have your “40 Days.. Reinventing Lent” book, e-mail me by 3pm tomorrow and i’ll bring one for you… they are $3.00.

Also.. if you don’t have a book.. be sure to read Matthew 6: 1-18 and Luke 4: 1-13 just to prepare..

5

Wow!!! These last 48 hours have been a whirlwind of activity and very little sleep. Within that.. I completely forgot to make a post for day 4 reading!
Today we will read Psalm 105 & Proverbs.
Question of the day: when did the bible come to life for you?

Lent Day 2

Today we will move over to psalms (book of wisdom) 102

1 Hear my prayer, O LORD;
let my cry for help come to you.

2 Do not hide your face from me
when I am in distress.
Turn your ear to me;
when I call, answer me quickly.

3 For my days vanish like smoke;
my bones burn like glowing embers.

4 My heart is blighted and withered like grass;
I forget to eat my food.

5 Because of my loud groaning
I am reduced to skin and bones.

6 I am like a desert owl,
like an owl among the ruins.

7 I lie awake; I have become
like a bird alone on a roof.

8 All day long my enemies taunt me;
those who rail against me use my name as a curse.

9 For I eat ashes as my food
and mingle my drink with tears

10 because of your great wrath,
for you have taken me up and thrown me aside.

11 My days are like the evening shadow;
I wither away like grass.

12 But you, O LORD, sit enthroned forever;
your renown endures through all generations.

13 You will arise and have compassion on Zion,
for it is time to show favor to her;
the appointed time has come.

14 For her stones are dear to your servants;
her very dust moves them to pity.

15 The nations will fear the name of the LORD,
all the kings of the earth will revere your glory.

16 For the LORD will rebuild Zion
and appear in his glory.

17 He will respond to the prayer of the destitute;
he will not despise their plea.

18 Let this be written for a future generation,
that a people not yet created may praise the LORD :

19 “The LORD looked down from his sanctuary on high,
from heaven he viewed the earth,

20 to hear the groans of the prisoners
and release those condemned to death.”

21 So the name of the LORD will be declared in Zion
and his praise in Jerusalem

22 when the peoples and the kingdoms
assemble to worship the LORD.

23 In the course of my life [a] he broke my strength;
he cut short my days.

24 So I said:
“Do not take me away, O my God, in the midst of my days;
your years go on through all generations.

25 In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.

26 They will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
Like clothing you will change them
and they will be discarded.

27 But you remain the same,
and your years will never end.

28 The children of your servants will live in your presence;
their descendants will be established before you.”

Developing a Scripture Plan

The upcoming lent experience will be a guided time to grow closer in your relationship to God. I am currently working on a scripture reading plan.. my goal is by this weekend you will have all of the details for what is ahead for the upcoming experience.. stay tuned..