Following Jesus to the Cross
1 March 1 - April 16 , 2017
Following Jesus to the Cross
Observing the Season of Lent at Calvary Church
Our lives have become quite noisy . We are overstimulated and easily distracted — our hearts and minds are focused everywhere but the cross . During this season of Lent , we want to turn down the noise . We want to strip away the layers of stuff that have crowded our hearts and blocked our minds from being able to see Jesus and hear His voice .
This Lent we invite you on a journey . The goal of this journey is to make space for the Spirit to work in your life . If you are willing , we are going to dismantle idols - things we ’ ve put up in our lives to replace God . We are going to put off self and take on the way of Jesus . We are going to live as people driven not by fear and self-preservation , but by faith and trust in a God whose ways are higher than our own .
We have prepared a Lent Guide designed to lead our congregation in following Jesus to the cross in this season of preparation for Easter . For each Sunday of Lent ( and Ash Wednesday ) the guide includes a devotional from the New Testament of someone who made a sacrifice to follow after Jesus . In daily prayer , we ' ll then reflect throughout the week on one particular area of our life ( our possessions , our time , etc .) and examine how God may be leading us to break down established idols in this area and let something go for His sake .
We recognize that sacrifice that is not an expression of our love for God is empty , and in this vein we also want to bear witness to God ' s love and faithfulness as an element of our Lenten practice . Each Saturday , you ' ll be encouraged to look back at how God has led you thus far in your journey of faith and what steps he ' s asking you to take next . We want to arrive at Easter ready and able to experience the full joy of the resurrection because we were willing to die to self alongside Jesus throughout Lent .
Following Jesus to the Cross
A Guide to the Season of Lent
Lent Guides are available at the Welcome Center , the Chapel Information Center & calvarygr . org .
This year Lent begins on Wednesday , March 1 , and ends at Easter , on April 16 . This equals forty-six days , because we exempt Sundays . Traditionally , Lenten fasts are suspended on Sundays , when God ’ s people gather to celebrate in worship .
As we said previously , Lent provides a wonderful opportunity to practice spiritual disciplines together , as a church body . These are the three we seek to incorporate into this season .
Prayer
During Lent , we set aside extra time to pray . We encourage you to :
1 ) Spend time in daily prayer asking God to reveal to you the truth of your life and guide you in His grace to move forward . The Lent Guide includes four questions to use as an examination of your day .
2 ) Thank Jesus for walking ahead of us , “ enduring the cross , scorning its shame ,” leading us to a future with God .
3 ) Pray for 3 people in your life who do not know Jesus , that they would begin a journey of faith with Him .
Fasting
Lent is a time for self-examination and contemplation . To facilitate this , Christians often set aside certain foods or non-essential activities . Fasting is not meant to be deprivation or a means of earning grace . Rather , fasting is meant to provide spiritual focus .
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