Print it up on cardstock and tuck it in your Bible. We’ve made a printable bookmark to help you keep track of the daily readings. Our plan is put together chronologically, so we’ll smoothly hop back and forth from John to Mark and back again, until we get through the entire story of Jesus as presented in these two Gospels. Lent is not law that needs to be obeyed, it’s a time spent steeping in the beautiful reminder of how deeply we are loved by our God! It’s the reminder of what exactly He did up on that cross and through His sacrificial death! And it makes the celebration of His resurrection on Easter Sunday so much sweeter as we understand the victory we have in Jesus– the Overcomer!! This side of the cross, we celebrate Lent through a shifted perspective. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. With His help we can put away childish and fleshly things we can put on Christ and put off the flesh.Īnd he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23įor in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. May we be like Him! We gain this not through our own striving, but through surrender to His will and to His authority and with the help of His strength.
He passionately lived for God the Father with His all and taught us to crucify our fleshly desires to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 2:20).
That said, we can’t help but notice that Jesus was disciplined. We know that salvation is through grace that comes by faith (Ephesians 2:8-9)– not by the works of righteousness or of disciplining the flesh (Titus 3:5). Ultimately, Lent is a humbling time of reflection on all God has done for mankind. Traditionally, Lent is a 40 day (46 days total when you include Sundays) period of intentionally dwelling on the life, sacrifice, and resurrection of Jesus. Yes, the common thread amidst all Lenten celebrations is t o draw near Christ. And rather than viewing Lent merely as a 40 day period of giving up something for the sake of discipline, I’ve learned that the purpose of giving up something in the the first place is simply to make room for more important things – namely, the most important thing Himself. But as an adult who’s come back to the observance of this holiday, I’ve learned there is so much more to it.Ĭhurches have different practices and there are many different ways to participate, yet there’s one common thread. My juvenile mind associated the Lenten season with “giving something up” (usually my much beloved bubble gum). As a child, I attended an evangelical church where Lent was celebrated. Some Christians are familiar with this holiday while some aren’t. (Lent begins on Valentine’s Day this year.) Īnd coming soon on the Church calendar is the celebration of Lent. Since God created time, years revolve around Him and what He’s done. ( Here’s one example.) And today’s Church calendar notes what God has done in the New Testament– He sent His Son (Christmas) who gave His life (Good Friday), then resurrected Him (Easter), and later sent the promised Holy Spirit (Pentecost). In Old Testament times, God commanded the Israelites to keep certain holidays that had religious (even prophetic) significance. For us Christians, religious holidays have significant and poignant meaning. Our modern calendar measures passing time using a system that revolves around solstices and seasons and holidays (both religious and secular) have been added as highlights to celebrate events and honor people. Here’s the “something new” we’ve promised - we’ve put together a Reading Plan for Lent where we’ll intentionally draw near to Jesus for 40 Days!
#SEPTEMBER 31 DAY SCRIPTURE WRITING CHALLENGE FULL#
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