This devotional is in the ownership of: Table of Contents€¦ · 2 March 19, Shayna Ringer Family

This devotional is in the ownership of________________________________

Table of Contents

Introductionhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip3

Psalm 23helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip4

February 26 Pastor Rayhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip5

February 27 Mike Hoopeshelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip6

February 28 Dave Taylorhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip7

February 29 Laura Taylorhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip8

March 1 Lent Challengehelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip9

March 1 Pastor Johnhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip10

March 2 Valerie Hobbshelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip11

March 3 Kathie Zimmermanhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip12-13

March 4 Caroline Sloop Familyhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip14

March 5 John Redmonhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip15

March 6 Sandy Redmonhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip16

March 7 Reviewhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip17

March 8 Lent Challengehelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip18

March 8 Peter Gammellhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip19

March 9 Eddie Hahnhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip20

March 10 Mary Eileen Hahnhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip21

March 11 Mark Hesselshelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip22

March 12 Julie Hesselshelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip23

March 13 Jan Saxtonhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip24

March 14 Reviewhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip25

March 15 Pastor Rayhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip27

March 16 Pastor Johnhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip28

March 17 Jen Lawellhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip29

March 18 Karen Gammellhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip30

March 19 Shayna Ringer Familyhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip31

March 20 Julia Ladany Familyhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip32

March 21 Reviewhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip33

March 23 Maurice Saxtonhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip36

March 24 Pastor John Kulczyckihelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip37

March 25 Sean Spillers Familyhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip38

March 26 Annika Jaans Familyhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip39

March 27 Brett Barryhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip40-41

March 29 Howie Fisherhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip44

March 30 Jackie Cromerhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip45

March 31 Austin Uhl Famliyhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip46

April 1 Amelia Ropp Familyhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip47

April 2 Sue Bromhalhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip48

April 3 Phil Bromhalhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip49

April 4 Reviewhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip50

April 5 Lent Challengehelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip51

April 5 Pastor Rayhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip52

April 6 Nathan Gensch Familyhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip53

April 7 Matthew Hauptman Familyhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip54

April 8 Carter Niper Familyhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip55

April 9 Ryan Bartelhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip56-57

April 10 Pastor Johnhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip58

April 11 Pastor Rayhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip59

Concluding Reviewhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip61-62

Introduction

Dear Redeemer Family

Our Lenten journey in 2020 will be formed around one of the best known prayerspassages of the whole Bible the 23rd

Psalm It begins ldquoThe Lord is my Shepherd I have all that I need (NLT)rdquo or ldquoThe Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want

(KJV)rdquo So many love this line this image for Jesus But do we believe it Do we live it What would it be like to live a life

so free from fear of any kind ldquoI will fear NO evilrdquo including the fear of not having enough ______ you fill in the blank

(time money patience courage happiness etc)

Can you imagine living without lack As we learn to sense and experience the Good Shepherdrsquos presence we become

caught up in His generous abundance As we practice living in His presence we experience more peace and freedom from

worry that is promised in the Psalm

My hope and prayer through this season and through tools like this devotional you would commit this special prayer of

the 23rd Psalm to memory and repeat it often I pray that we as a community of faith would experience living without

lack in such a way that we would be free to love without reservation and give generously as we have received

abundantly

So we begin this journey together on Ash Wednesday February 26th with worship services at 930AM and 645PM

These services will both happen in the chapel Then each Wednesday evening through Lent we will have worship services

for the whole congregation in the chapel from 645 to 745PM

Open your own Bible and maybe even learn to mark in it

We did not insert the Bible passages into the devotional because we want to get used to putting our nose into our own

Bible and marking it up When God speaks to you through His word make a note of it Highlight Underline Make notes

that will help you remember what God is saying to you Itrsquos awesome when He does and when we pay attention

Join the Lent Challenge

Last year Youth Ministry challenged their youth and leaders to take on the Lent Challenge an actual task to help lock in

the lessons of Lent through action This year we are including the Youth Ministryrsquos Lent Challenge to students in our

devotional so that everyone can participate Each week there will be a task you need to complete for the week The

purpose of the challenge is to apply the scriptures to your everyday life and open our eyes to how some people may live

their life Sohellipare you ready to take on the challenge

We are on Facebook

Each day the devotion will be posted on the Redeemer Lutheran Facebook page If you havenrsquot already done so search

Redeemer Lutheran Damascus on your Facebook search bar Choose the one called Redeemer Lutheran and hit like Then

you will see the devotions in your newsfeed Or you will be able to find the PDF of the entire devotional book on our

redeemerus website

May God richly bless your journey with your Good Shepherd this Lenten Season

Pastor John

Psalm 23 - A psalm of David

1st column = NLT 2nd column = KJV

Week 1 - Who is this ldquoGood Shepherdrdquo and why am I so often afraid that I donrsquot or wonrsquot have enoughrdquo -

Jesus is enough

The Lord is my shepherd I have all that I

The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want

Week 2 - Why am I here - I will honor the Good Shepherd bringing honor to His name

He lets me rest in green meadows he leads

me beside peaceful streams He renews my

strength He guides me along right paths

bringing honor to his name

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures

he leadeth me beside the still waters He

restoreth my soul he leadeth me in the paths

of righteousness for his names sake

Week 3 - Why is there such lack and evil in our world - I will keep my eyes on the Good Shepherd who is close

beside me

Even when I walk through the darkest

valley I will not be afraid for you are close

beside me Your rod and your staff protect

and comfort me

Yea though I walk through the valley of the

shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou

art with me thy rod and thy staff they comfort

Week 4 - What is the key to a life without lack - Trust that the Good Shepherd will honor me

You prepare a feast for me in the presence of

my enemies You honor me by anointing my

head with oil My cup overflows with

Blessings

Thou preparest a table before me in the

presence of mine enemies thou anointest my

head with oil my cup runneth over

Week 5 - How can I and why would I die to ldquoselfrdquo - ldquoIf any of you wants to be my follower you must give up

your own way take up your cross and follow merdquo (Matthew 1624)

Surely your goodness and unfailing love will

pursue me all the days of my life and I will

live in the house of the Lord forever

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all

the days of my life and I will dwell in the

house of the Lord forever

Holy Week - The Good Shepherdrsquos sufficiency completed in Love

Day 1 ndash February 26th ndash Pastor Ray

Look up and read Psalm 23

Reflection

My Dear sisters and brothers in Christ

The Lord is my shepherd I have all I need May we ponder this opening part of this most beloved of Psalms The

Lord is my shepherd this we can pray Amen to But I have all I need if the Lord is my shepherd this demands our humble

honesty with ourselves If we have the Lord as our Good Shepherd do we have all we need

Well as we begin Lent on this day called Ash Wednesday some of us will be able to join other Christian sisters

and brothers in worship And during our worship service on this Ash Wednesday we will kneel down and hear these

words spoken to us as ashes are put on our forehead ldquoRemember man you are dust and unto dust you shall returnrdquo

Not only all I need but all that I am depends totally on our Lord Jesus the Good Shepherd

Probably many of us have heard that it would be wise for us humans to visit the gravesites of our loved ones or

any close by cemetery and sit and ponder the shortness of human life on this earth and yes our total dependence upon

God for life Remember man you are dust and unto dust you shall return And yes pray ldquothe Lord is my shepherd I

have all I needrdquo

None of us reading this devotional knows the time or hour when our dear Lord Jesus our Good Shepherd will call

us home to heaven But when we seek to live each day with a deep awareness and yes trust in Jesus we do have all we

need whatever any day may bring to us

And so later in this Psalm we are taught to pray Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I shall

fear no evil for you are with me your rod and your staff shall comfort me

In the service of worship called Burial of the Dead the closing prayer of the church for us when we have died is

Into your hands O merciful Savior we commend your servant ____________ Acknowledge we humbly beseech

you a sheep of your own fold a lamb of your own flock a sinner of your own redeeming Receive himher into the arms

of your mercy into the blessedness of everlasting peace and into the glorious company of the saints And may we all

pray Amen

Reflection Question

When did you begin to understand and trust Jesus as your Good Shepherd in your life (A wonderful question for

us grandparents to share with our grandchildren what it means for us to have Jesus as the Good Shepherd in our life)

Prayer

May you and I pray that we live each day trusting Jesus our Good Shepherd for all we need until He takes us

home to heaven

Day 2 ndash February 27th ndash Mike Hoopes

Look up and read Isaiah 581-12

Reflection

Have you decided what yoursquoll give up for Lent Irsquove had Isaiah 58 on my mind for some time and it is sobering

The Lenten season has a tradition of abstinence and penitential practices but Isaiah 585-7 gives us pause to consider just

what sacrifice God really wants Here He is calling out the Israelites for their practices which outwardly appear harsh and

sacrificial but only reveal their false heart Instead Isaiah says 5ldquo Is this what you call fasting Do you really think this

will please the Lord 6No this is the kind of fasting I want free those who are wrongly imprisoned lighten the burden of

those who work for you Let the oppressed go free and remove the chains that bind people 7Share your food with the

hungry and give shelter to the homeless Give clothes to those who need them and do not hide from relatives who need

your helprdquo This is not a call to give up something but to do something as evidence of our faith

This reminds me of the fourth missional practice from Joining Jesus doing good Chapter 15 ldquoDoing Goodrdquo from

the book Joining Jesus references scripture from James 214-17 and also Ephesians 210 - ldquo For we are Godrsquos

workmanship created in Christ Jesus to go good works which God prepared in advance for us to dordquo It also contains a

quote from Mother Teresa ldquoNot all of us can do great things But we can all do small things with great loverdquo A few other

nuggets from this chapter are worth emphasizing ldquoLook for people in our ldquoneighborhoodsrdquo who are ready for a blessing -

a word of hope an act of kindness an attitude of grace a little time or a little helprdquo ldquoStretch out to mend the part of

your neighborhood that is within your reachrdquo ldquoWords regain meaning because through our simple acts of kindness

people are seeing that the Kingdom of God has come to themrdquo ldquoThe missional practice of doing good is the result of God

preparing and us respondingrdquo

Mission trips are intense experiences with many more opportunities for doing good than we often find in our

ldquoneighborhoodsrdquo It often seems easier too The trip to Kenya is unique in one sense in that the travel is so long with very

little opportunity for sleep By the time we arrive at the Student Center in Kabarak on our third day of travel I for one am

exhausted feeling ldquodressed in burlap and covered in ashesrdquo But I have found that a good thing because my own

exuberance and expectations are usually exhausted too It is at that point that I find myself turning more toward God I

can see him more clearly and more easily search for where he is at work I find I listen more intently I pray more often

and with more purpose There is far less competition for my attention There is a peace that comes in this because I

think I am in sync with Godrsquos purposes It is in this Joining Jesus experience that I came to realize this more clearly I had

a teaching assignment that lasted only one hour We were seven days with the students bringing ldquoa word of hope acts

of kindness and an attitude of gracerdquo that helped make the Kingdom of God a little more real to them I know this

happens in Alabama and in work camps and I am sure also in Nicaragua and Mexico The going is simply joining Jesus with

the people you meet wherever you are sent The experiences in Kenya give me a greater confidence in applying this at

home Let us look again to Isaiah 58 accept the admonition from God and accept it as a daily challenge this Lenten

seasonmdashthe call to doing the kind of work that pleases God

Reflection Question

What small thing do you believe Jesus is calling you to do in one of your neighborhoods

Prayer

Heavenly Father I thank you for making us your children Help me to see and listen for where you are at work in

the lives of those you put in my path this very day where I may act to speak a word of kindness and perform a work of

love for your glory through your Son Jesus Christ Amen

Day 3 ndash February 28th ndash David Taylor

Look up and read Matthew 61-4

Reflection

When I read these verses I thought of myself at a time when I was doing or giving to others to only tell myself at

least I am doing right by God thinking I was doing these things for my better placement with Him But it was only

because of my work that God had bestowed for me that I thought of giving to others and church was not only good in

the eyes of the church but also in Godrsquos eyes So I was not better because I was doing them for good actions and

appearances It was much easier to show my good motives but they were hollow

It wasnrsquot until God pulled all of my work out from underneath me did I finally realize that I am not in control He

allows me the grace and love to do for others as well as myself At that moment in my life I got down on my knees and

sincerely prayed and talked to God asking for forgiveness and a second chance to allow me to better myself for my family

and others He answered my prayers with not only a full workload but true believers in Christ for my work force never a

more self-awareness of Godrsquos love for me than at that time in my life

Since that time of revelation I have daily prayer and conversation with Him to always ask what is best to do for

others to listen for His voice and guidance to give and not be seen To go on mission trips and never be deterred even

though the Lord made me ill on two of them I saw fellow missionaries come to me for aid showing the love of Christ

through them Never once did I question why but again talking with the Lord and saying to myself His will be done In

some instances we see how Christ has worked through others in that way We can learn to be not only better with Godrsquos

gifts but also with how we treat others

There is nothing wrong with giving or doing and being recognized for it Itrsquos that yoursquore doing it for Him for no

entitlement Jesus says we should check our motives in three areas generosity prayer and fasting Those acts should

not be self-centered but God centered and done not to make us look good but to make God look good Believers should

give for the pleasure of giving and as a response to Godrsquos love

Reflection Question

In Matthew 61-4 if we are to give of ourselves whether it be monetary service gifts or our time do it with

pleasure to God in knowing this is not for us This would be a small act of praise for Him Doing something only for

ourselves is not a loving sacrifice So ask yourself the next time you do a good deed would I still do this if no one would

ever knew I did it

Prayer

Lord Jesus help me to help others simply as an act of praise to you In Jesus name Amen

Day 4 ndash February 29th ndash Laura Taylor

Reflection

We are always encouraged and asked to donate financially to the church and when doing Godrsquos work Giving our

TIME to do his work is even more important Yes we cannot do one without the other they are dependent upon each

other What good is the money if there is no one willing to give of their time applying the resources to promote Godrsquos

word Giving up your time is a sacrifice We are all so busy in todayrsquos world that our time has turned into a precious

commodity It seems like people are more willing to donate financially than donate their time although the money is no

good without people to purchase food build churches buy supplies or run childrenrsquos programs It doesnrsquot cost anything

to give our TIME to the Lord The money is useless without people serving Both are important but as you can see God

wants our heart and souls our hands and feet more than he wants our money

Be mindful this is my first time to Kenya and perhaps I was naiumlve but I shared with a student my initial thoughts

Why did I spend all this money to come to Kenya when I feel like the students would benefit more from having ldquothat

moneyrdquo sent over and used for the benefit of OneLife Africa She responded with thishellip If you gave me $100 but we had

never met I would be thankful but unfulfilled If you were to give me $100 because we have met and have a

relationship now it would be much more meaningful and we would be connected I understood immediately

When we do the Lordrsquos work he asks that we do it humbly quietly not for the attention of others but only for

Godrsquos eyes Society promotes materialism the more the better and through social media we are encouraged to treasure

material objects Godlsquos message to us is that he treasures our obedience to him Time first then moneyhellipfor Godrsquos work

on earth

Reflection Question

Do you imagine God would rather have your time or your money

Prayer

God I know you are watching me and you know what I am doing and saying and how I am behaving and living my

life Help me to live to please you not so that others can observe me I need not boast Amen

Lent Challenge

Each week on Sunday you will receive the challenge for the week You and your family may choose one day to complete

the challenge up until Saturday of that same week (Example-Sunday March 1 you will receive the first challenge and you

have until Saturday March 6 to complete the task) We would love to see everyone post themselves their family or a

picture representing the challenge for the week on your social media

March 1-Find an accountability partner who you are going to share this Lent Challenge

journey with Try to branch out and make It someone who isnrsquot in your familyhousehold

March 8-Choose from the list below (it can be one or all of those items) to fast for the day

Food Social media Coarse Language

March 15-Drink only water for the 24 hours

March 22-Write a letter (texting is too much a part of our everyday routine and we want you to have to take time with

the challenge) of encouragement to someone and give it to them

March 29-Have a meal or coffee with someone you donrsquot like

April 5-Say your prayers on your knees tonight and sleep on the floor

The youth ministry leadersrsquo prayer is that God will use this challenge to bring you closer to the person He created you to

be Have fun and donrsquot forget to post to social media and tag rlcyouthgroup on Instagram

Sunday Lent 1 - March 1st - Pastor John Bromhal

Reflection

On this first Sunday in Lent we direct our thoughts to this weekrsquos focus ldquoWho is this ldquoGood Shepherdrdquo and why

am I so often afraid that I donrsquot or wonrsquot have enoughrdquo - Jesus is enough

In this Psalm I am quickly reminded that my Good Shepherd has loved me and provided for me so well by

forgiving me clearing my record of guilt and enabling and empowering me to live in complete honesty The picture of

this honest life in verses 1 through 7 points out these important pieces of healthy life trusting in the sufficient

compassion and healing power of the Good Shepherd in light of my sin problem But then in verses 8 through 11 I hear

my Good Shepherd speak to me He says ldquoI will guide you along the best pathway for your life I will advise you and

watch over you Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under controlrdquo

When my attitude towards the Word of God is one of simple ldquolearn it and obey itrdquo I can be well trained and

under control but easily bent towards a legalistic application of His ldquobest pathwayrdquo and advice In other words

recognizing my own faults and failures and taking hold of His standards by which I strive to live I either feel inadequate

because of my sin or prideful because of my obedience King Jesus my Good Shepherd intends for me to live in the

confidence of relationship with Him that I am so much more than a senseless mule My life aligned with His is not made

up of robotic obedience but a passionate emulation following His perfect example

I once had a coworkermdashletrsquos call him Jack not his real namemdashwho was one of the most consistently annoying

people I have ever known in my life I was frequently tempted to sin in my words and attitudes towards him and his

annoying ways Godrsquos word tells me I need to control my tongue (James chapter 3) So I tried to keep from saying

anything not godly When I controlled my tongue it was a good thing But I was like a mule being controlled with the bit

and bridle of James 3

Jesus led me to trust Him in a way that truly changed my relationship with Jack Jesus guided me along the best

pathway advised me to love Jack as He loves Jack An actual friendship developed between me and Jack He was a good

pressman and as the lead press mechanic I learned to see him as Jesus does and add value to his life through my

interactions with him He still would get on my nerves from time to time but I was better equipped to love him than

when I was just being a senseless mule I learned that trusting Jesus and becoming more and more like Him is definitely

better than just senselessly obeying Jesusrsquo commands

Learning to trust Jesus as my Good Shepherd means learning to trust that He gives me what I need to be like Him

not just senselessly obey Him The Lord is my Shepherd He is enough I have everything I need

Reflection Question

With what people in your life do you need to trust Jesus as your Good Shepherd so as to love them and add value

to their lives rather than simply trying harder not to be mean Do you trust that Jesus provides everything you need to

become like Him What could that look like with these challenging people

Prayer

Dear Good Shepherd I have tried really hard to obey You But even when I try really hard I still fail Thank you for

forgiving me Help me on this Lenten journey to grow from being a senseless obeyer into a relationship of total trust in

You as the One who provides for me everything I need that I may become more like You In Your name King Jesus I pray

Day 5 - March 2nd - Valerie Hobbs

Reflection

Every time I read this passage about Jesus being tempted I ponder the significance of Matthewrsquos timeline of events The Holy Spirit descends on Jesus in His baptism and then leads Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil before His ministry begins I canrsquot help but make a personal connection If I am going to follow Christ then the first thing I should expect is to be tested Why I might ask To see if I will fail to prepare me for a battle I might face or is it to strip away all my human tendencies to accomplish a task by my own might rather than by allowing Jesus to be enough

The first test alleviating hunger by turning stones into bread raises the question of TRUST In what will I put my trustmdashin my ability or efforts to meet basic needs or in Godrsquos provision In the face of opposition or just plain lack will I take matters into my own hands or trust God for what is needed My first trip to Kenya came at a time we didnrsquot have extra money for something like this My husband wasnrsquot sure he wanted me to go and he questioned whether this was a responsible thing to do considering our finances Now Irsquom usually the tight-fisted one in the family when it comes to spending so completely out of character for me I told him we should trust the Lord and that if He wanted me to go to Kenya then He would provide I further promised my husband I would not take one dime out of our bank account If the money did not come then I was not going The first check I received that year paid for my entire trip Neither one of us has let our lack be the deciding factor on my subsequent trips Jesus is enough

The second test doing something stupid to prove God will rescue raises the question of CONFIDENCE Am I confident enough in who I belong to so that I donrsquot need to prove to myself or anyone else for that matter that God cares about me Every year as I prepare to go to Kenya there is someone from our circle of friends and family who voices concern over my safety If you know my husband you will not be surprised to know he tells them he takes out extra insurance on me in case I donrsquot come home Hersquos joking of course we are well protected while in Kenya But the truth is that anything could happen Confidence doesnrsquot come from a promise that God will never let anything bad happen to me Rather I am free to go where He tells me to go because whether I live or die (here or in Kenya) I am confident that I belong to the Lord Jesus is enough

The last test all the kingdoms of the world and their glory raises the question of SUCCESS I find this temptation most interesting because all the kingdoms of the world already belong to Jesus by right of His divinity The temptation lies in how one defines success By what will I judge my effectiveness in this lifemdashby my accomplishments or by my obedience Success in human terms can often become a thing to worship while God longs for my obedient life People always ask me how the trip was what we accomplished If Irsquom only thinking in human terms I might say well I didnrsquot do anything grand I made some presentations and played some games with 25 poor Kenyan teenagers I didnrsquot solve the issue of poverty or even feed or clothe the 25 students I simply sacrificed two weeks away from my comfortable life a few hot showers suffered through not being able to use my hairdryer so that I could just love on a few students to let them know they are not alone in this world Who knows what Jesus will do with that obedience Jesus is enough

Reflection Question

These tests are always before us but they come into sharper focus when we feel launched into something new If you are feeling like you are in the desert having been led there by the Holy Spirit which one of these tests possesses the greatest challenge to you Find someone to process this with and remember that we fight the tempter with the Word of God

Prayer

Lord Jesus donrsquot let us yield to temptations when the tests come Allow them to shape our trust build our confidence and motivate our successful obedience that we might demonstrate to the world you are enough

Day 6 ndash March 3rd ndash Kathie Zimmerman

Look up and read Genesis 215-17

Reflection

What strikes me first about this group of verses is that soon after we were created we were given work to do a purpose a calling to care for the Garden of Eden Sin changed the context of this work but we have always been called to have a purpose and to work

Secondly it strikes me that in this beautiful garden God has provided all that Adam and Eve neededmdashnot necessarily what they wanted but just having been created did they know what they wanted Out of all that He provided in the Garden of Eden He commanded that we not eat of this one tree the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil Satan uses this time to strike to offer them what God with good reason had forbidden so that they would not die separated from Him Who doesnrsquot want to have the knowledge of good and evil to be like a god Satan put a ldquolackrdquo in front of them (probably one they didnrsquot even know they had) rather a want not a need They wanted what they wanted not even really understanding what it was its benefits or even the consequences

God always provides for usall that we needeven when we cannot see how those needs will be met (Psalm 231 ldquoThe Lord is my shepherd I have ALL that I NEEDrdquo [emphasis mine]) This is just who God is itrsquos His nature and His identity We are taught this from early on in our walk with Him But do I really believe this Do I live like this Do I behave like I believe this Is Jesus and what He provides truly enough for me Do I trust in this Or do I live like I have a lack in my life What do I lack Do I really lack anything that I NEED In a Bible study I am in on Wednesday morning on 1 Timothy the author John Stott says of 1 Timothy 63-10 that our contentment should not be in external circumstances or external things but rather independent of our circumstances

As an American most of our lives are the picture of excess even on our bad days And because of our access to services our excess of services and things and our privilege we fall into the belief and the behavior that it somehow happens because of our hard work This is simply not true We owe ALL we have to God He has given us the privilege of being born here of being given these opportunities excesses and resources We came into the world with nothing and we will leave with exactly that we take nothing of material value with us

Our family has had a doozy of a year and a half to say the least Through it all God has provided in ways too numerous to imagine or count Irsquod like to tell you that I have lived through this time totally trusting in God for His provision I cannot in any way shape or form say this So many times I have taken back what I put before God only to rely on my own strength I have stressed about outcomes of situations I have had sleepless nights as I lsquoponderrsquo (a nice word for worry) how I will address loved onesrsquo illnesses and how to respond to family quarrels I have wasted so much time lsquowonderingrsquo (a nice word for stressing) what heshe will saydo what will or wonrsquot happen and I have not leaned on God I have not trusted in His provision I have lived as though I have great lack in my life I hate this I continually am asking for forgiveness and then turning around and committing the same sin over again Sound familiar

I want this hamster wheel to stop I want to live more reliant on Godrsquos provision to trust that He will provide all that I need But so often I find myself in the ldquoshoesrdquo of Adam and Eve wanting to be my own god I want to live like Jesus is enough and that ALL that I have is from Him and far more than I deserve I want to ALWAYS believe that Jesus was is and will be more than enough and to live in the knowledge that I live in Christ and without lack But I can only do this through His grace and strength Only by looking to Christ and leaning on the Holy Spiritrsquos presence in my life will I be able to in some small way turn my behavior around

Reflection Question

How about you Do you want to live a life without lack Do you want to live trusting that Jesus is all you need You can by trusting that God will do what He says He will do through the Godhead of the Trinity Father Son and Holy Spirit There is a song out by Jeremy Camp titled Same Power It tells of the truth that the same power that rose Christ from the dead is the power that lives within us If we lean on God Jesus and the Holy Spirit we can live like we believe Jesus is enough We can live with that contentment and peace that only comes from resting in His Spirit

Prayer

Dear Father We thank you for all the ways that you provide for usmdashfor food shelter clothes friends health etc There are too many blessings that You provide for us to list You are so very gracious and kind to us You have even provided a way for us by providing Jesus to pay a debt He did not owe for a debt we owed that we could never pay Your provision for us never stops Help us to believe this to live this to share this Strengthen us to share from our blessings you have provided Help us to see where you are working so that we may take what you have blessed us with to those you would have come to know you Open our eyes to see Your great provision for us and for the world May we be content with You Your love and Your sacrifice In Jesusrsquo name we pray Amen

Day 7 ndash March 4th ndash Caroline Sloop Family

Look up and read Romans 512-19

Reflection

When Adam sinned sin entered the world through him Adamrsquos sin brought death and separation from God to

everyone Death spread through everyonersquos sin Adam is a symbol and representation of Christ who was yet to come

Christrsquos one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and a new life for everyone Here are

comparisons in how Godrsquos grace made everything newhellip

1 Committed the original sin 2 Brought death through his sin 3 Was disobedient and cursed all 4 Was conquered by the tree of knowledge of good and evil and brought death

Christ

1 Led a sinless life 2 Brought life through his sinlessness 3 Was obedient and loved all 4 Was nailed to a tree (the cross) and conquered death

The Message translation states One man said ldquonordquo to God and put many people in the wrong One man said ldquoyesrdquo to

God and put many people in the right

Reflection Question

Will you say yes to God and receive His grace and mercy for your sins

Prayer

Dear God thank you for Jesus who allows us to trade our judgment for forgiveness Thank you for giving us a chance

to overcome temptation I pray that during this season of Lent we can grow closer to you Amen

Day 8 ndash March 5th ndash John Redmon

Reflection

This scripture reminds me of my inability to be sinless without Jesus As he is my Rock and Savior I must

constantly be seeking him to be redeemed and restored You see just as Satan tempted Eve I often offer my sinful

desires and behaviors to my wife children friends and colleagues Why would I subject someone I care for so dearly to a

guaranteed negative outcome God is always reminding me through Bible study church and accountability partners of all

the dangers Why does this broken man (me) continually seek my own ways and means God knew when Eve rejected His

instructions by eating the forbidden fruit that we were going to need a Savior I am grateful Hersquos a loving God who

forgives and desires us to submit repent and rebuild on ourmy knees I do understand itrsquos a process and Irsquom grateful for

His loving kindness to me

On one of Redeemerrsquos many mission fields (Kenya) this year I was so blessed to see the fruits of the Spirit in

action OneLife Africa is built on faith obedience and trust Andrew and Stephanie Onguka have been dedicated to this

calling of Jesus It was a joy to see so many students hungry for the Word of God During small group ministry I was

amazed at how knowledgeable the students are of the Bible and its principles Experiencing this incredible gift of OneLife

has given me hope for a future full of grace and peace to all I shared with some of the students that one day the Kenyans

may come to the US to help restore Christianity I asked them to lift us up in prayer as we in the US have our own

challenges I would also like to thank Pastors John and Ray for their devoted spirit to this great mission field Relationships

here and abroad are important as we share and learn about the gospel together as one body Many of you through action

and prayer have brought all tribes and all nations together

May God bless each of you and thank you for sharing with me how to be like Jesus

Reflection Question

When you encounter others will you choose to lead them towards God or away from Him

Prayer

Dear King Jesus ndash Thank you for the great gifts of hope and love What an honor to know and praise You Help me to seek You as I navigate through this life of uncertainty I pray for strength to serve you in all I do In Jesusrsquo name I pray Amen

Day 9 ndash March 6th ndash Sandy Redmon

Reflection

When I was six years old we moved to a new neighborhood One day I was walking around by myself Two boys

(possibly a bit older than me) saw me and started talking to me One of them had a rather large stick in his hand and said

ldquoI bet you wonrsquot throw this stick at those two girls playing in the poolrdquo (Two girls were in a small pool at the top of their

driveway) I said ldquoI bet I willrdquo And I took the stick and hurled it towards the girls Now how good is my aim at six years

old And how far can I throw a stick Well apparently I was pretty good as the stick hit one of the young girls in the

mouth causing her lip to bleed About this time the mom came outside She saw the bleeding child and Irsquom sure they

pointed at me and said ldquoShe did it She threw a stick right at usrdquo The mom approached me and said ldquoNow you go home

and tell your mother what you did I will be following up so make sure you tell her before I dordquo My thoughts were racing

ldquoNot my mom please she will be very upset with merdquo

I did as I was told and my mom asked a question that I was asked many times in my life and asked my own

children many times ldquoWhat were you thinkingrdquo The answer was the most frustrating answer a parent can hear ldquoI donrsquot

know The boys dared me to do it so I did If they hadnrsquot dared me I would never have done thatrdquo I was ldquopassing the

buckrdquo and doing my best to avoid blame I donrsquot remember my punishment and I wish I could say I started thinking before

acting after that but I didnrsquot I have gone through my life and impulsively made many poor choices Peer pressure is real

and it doesnrsquot completely end once you ldquogrow uprdquo Trying to pass the blame to someone else has reached new heights in

our culture and I was good at pointing the finger away from me There are many ldquoserpentsrdquo roaming around trying to

convince us that ldquoitrsquos okayrdquo I call them ldquoconrdquo artists as they can be very convincing Sadly Eve was told by her best friend

her Father her Creator ldquoDonrsquot do this ONE thingrdquo She completely understood what God was saying to her and yet

without too much effort she was deceived and became disobedient

And while we know that this ldquooriginal sinrdquo left us all as fallen human beings the first thing God does is deal with

the deceiver the serpent It can actually be healing to know that even though we will have to deal with the consequences

of our actions God has won the battle over evil and the deceiver will be judged by God

As I have gotten older I try to listen and obey my Lord and Savior King Jesus I want Him to direct my paths and

help me in every decision and choice I make because He will never influence me to do anything that does not honor and

glorify Him I hope that young people can learn this lesson earlier than I did You will save yourself from much pain and

shame if you do

Reflection Question

Do you play the ldquoBlame Gamerdquo If so what are some steps you can take the next time you have to make a choice that you know or believe may not honor God

Prayer

Creator God You know our minds and tendencies to do the wrong thing Help us Lord to call on You every day and seek to do Your will and to push away the deceiver In the name of King Jesus I pray Amen

Day 10 - March 7th ndash Review

Look back on the past six days of Scripture readings Which one particularly spoke to you this week Write out the key

verse here

My Key Verse This Week

Look back at the reflection questions from the last six days Which one particularly struck a chord with your heart Write

out the question that most challenged you Trust that the Holy Spirit is speaking to your heart through this question and

commit to retaining this question in your heart and mind through the rest of Lent

This week we have been challenged to commit verse 1 of the 23rd Psalm to memory Can you say it Try writing it here

before you go back and check to see if you have it right Make any corrections needed Practice saying it again

Write out your own prayer to your Good Shepherd at this point on your Lenten journey with Him

Lent Challenge

March 1-Find an accountability partner who you are going to share this Lent Challenge journey with Try to branch out

and make It someone who isnrsquot in your familyhousehold

March 8-Choose from the list below (it can be one or all of those items) to fast for the

Sunday Lent 2 ndash March 8th ndash Peter Gammell

Reflection

At times in this journey of life we find ourselves in situations where we wonder ldquoIs there anyone thererdquo or ldquoIs

anyone going to help merdquo We are faced with our limited control over lifersquos many elements and we feel powerless We

need help Who do you ask for help When we are overwhelmed each of us really needs someone who loves us and has

the ability to help us We find both of those qualities in God Psalm 121 reminds us that God cares for us He watches

over us and preserves us because he loves us We are also reminded that God not only loves us but he has the power

and ability to help us He is the almighty Creator of heaven and earth He never is tired or weary He is eternal and

watches over every moment of our lives We can turn to God for help

Bottom Line When we cry out to God we find a compassionate and loving Father who wants to listen to his

children and provide for their needs

Simple Exercise When you need help take a deep breath and pray As you inhale address God with your favorite

name for God (Lord Father King etchellip) As you exhale express your need in a word (strength wisdom provision etchellip)

For example ldquo(Inhale) Father (exhale) Wisdomrdquo

Reflection Questions

What is your first response when you feel overwhelmed How could we learn helpful habits so that we cry out to

God as our first response How does remembering that God is in control affect your thoughts and feelings

Prayer

Try out the simple exercise above to express to God what you need right now

Day 11 - March 9th ndash Eddie Hahn

Look up and read John 31-10

Reflection

This is a fascinating recording of Nicodemusrsquo personal meeting with Jesus Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a

member of the ruling council a person of great power and standing within the Pharisees I wonder why he went to see

Jesus personally versus sending one of his assistants And itrsquos interesting he went at night Was he ashamed to be seen

with Jesus likely so given his position But he went Remember that Jesus and John the Baptist were publically critical

and speaking out against the Pharisees It seems that regardless of his education knowledge of the Old Testament and

intelligence Nicodemus was searching and believed that Jesus had the answers This represents me there are times

when I feel close to Jesus through my faith and other times that I am distant (controlling my life and doing my own thing

or being bogged down by earthly thingshellipjob etc)

Nicodemus acknowledged that Jesusrsquo miraculous signs were evidence that God was with Jesus (vs 2) Then comes

the lsquoBig Statementrsquo or truth from Jesus ldquoI tell you the truth unless you are born again you cannot see the Kingdom of

Godrdquo (vs 3) This was confusing for Nicodemus This was a breakthrough concept Jesusrsquo Kingdom is personal not

national or ethnic and the entrance requirements include repentance and spiritual rebirth Nicodemus seemed to be a

quiet believer of Jesus

These verses remind me of the numerous times I return to Jesus after I have drifted away knowing that even

after Jesusrsquo death on the cross we have the promise through the Holy Spirit in us as our connection through Jesus to God

I am eternally grateful for the holy gifts of grace and sacrifice for my sins which I surely donrsquot deserve

Fresh from returning from our great adventure to Kenya we see firsthand the power of Godrsquos Kingdom and the

many blessings upon the OneLife Africa ministry Just spend an hour with Andrew or Stephanie to hear how God has

blessed them their great family and the OneLife Africa mission work We invest a little bit of our time with the students

on these trips and God reveals the renewal in being born again Itrsquos hard to describe the many hurts and hardships these

students have overcome due to their faith and hope Jesus is truly working in them and the OneLife Africa ministry

Reflection Question

My question that I remind myself donrsquot quietly sneak back to Jesus in the dark ndash but purposely use my prayer

time and confession time to stay connected and reborn in His truth

Prayer

My prayer is that everyone has the opportunity to know and experience this renewal through Jesus AMEN

Day 12 ndash March 10th ndash Mary Eileen Hahn

Reflection

I will always have a grateful place in my heart for the scriptures that come from this treasured part of the Holy

Scriptures the book of John You see for many years I had much confusion about Jesus how he comes to us and what

he asks of us It took many years to untangle the confusion and to trust Nicodemus was confused and curious as well

and Jesus encountered him with grace as a teacher not as a condemner Nicodemus went straight to Jesus And Jesus

set him straight (v 17) lsquoFor God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through

himrsquo

When I was a young teenager (raised in the Episcopal Church the faith of my parents and grandparents) I

attended an evangelical Baptist teen retreat with my dear friend Our two faith traditions were very different While at

the retreat I responded to an lsquoaltar callrsquo after what felt like intense pressure and emotional manipulation This was just

unfamiliar to me Opportunities to ask Jesus to be onersquos Lord and Savior are good thingsmdashunfortunately no one followed

up with me to join Jesus on His mission I returned home after the retreat deeply burdened with guilt that I had betrayed

the faith of my family I felt so bitter at the emotional manipulation of the event I made a vow to never get near

anything to do with a Jesus who related through emotional manipulation and guilt So you can imagine what my life

looked like on into my later teens and twenties with this kind of vow---until finally just like Jesus encountered

Nicodemus not with a condemning offering but rather with love and truth so He encountered me through the safety

and goodness of a Bible study community and the scriptures in chapter 4 of the book of John (Jesus and the Samaritan

woman)

Mine is an old story but an important event on my lsquotimelinersquo where I trace my spiritual growth And because of

its transformational impact on who I am and how I relate to Jesus now I will continue to share the testimony While on

the mission trip to Kenya this past January we came alongside the students to both create and share our lifersquos timelines

This was a truly rich experience for both the OLA students and for the Redeemer team Our testimonies are not meant to

be private matters We needed to both share ours and encourage each of these students to do likewise We had to be

vulnerable together in order to be effective in our mission I will forever marvel at the opportunity to share my testimony

in places that only God can prepare Kenya Africa

And so the crowning scripture of these passages is the best of all (v 16) lsquoFor God so loved the world that that he

gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal lifersquo That is a clear and

powerful truthmdashno manipulation needed but rather all-in belief and gratefulness May it be so for you

Reflection Question

What vow(s) you have made out of self-protection that may be keeping you from clearly seeing and fully

receiving Jesusrsquo love in your life Find a trusted one to be curious withhellip Or maybe you will be the one to help provide

the clarity someone is needing to be fully receptive to Christ

Prayer

Dear Jesus thank you for the clarity of your love and your obedience to the Holy Father on our behalf Dispel

confusion where it exists and replace it with purity of truth so that we can be free to become all that you have planned

for us to be in your Kingdom on earth and on into eternity Amen

Day 13 ndash March 11th ndash Mark Hessels

Reflection

A person who works receives wages That person has earned those wages But a person cannot earn a right

relationship with God Righteousness is a free gift from God A person receives it because of faith That person used to be

a sinner But because of Godrsquos great love God has changed that personrsquos life

Reflection Question

If Paul showed the Romans that faith is a verb the same in the Old Testament and New Testament where am I

trusting in myself vs trusting God

Prayer

Thank you Lord for the sunrise this morning your mercies are indeed new every morning I confess my spirit of

haughty self-reliance aligning with the worldrsquos message all too often Thank you for this moment to realign with your gift

of grace calling me a friend a purpose-built sondaughter to walk in your presence doing the good works you have

created for me Holy Spirit take my voice my hands my thoughts and lead me today

Day 14 ndash March 12th ndash Julie Hessels

Reflection

Nobody can obey the law perfectly So if the promise depended on the law God could not carry out his promises

Faith would no longer have any value By faith people all over the world receive Godrsquos love He cares about them The

law would say that they are guilty but people become righteous by faith in God

Reflection Question

Why arenrsquot my prayers big enough to clearly demonstrate the surpassing greatness of God Is it a matter of God

not being able to accomplish them and more or is it more my weak and underdeveloped faith to ask for works far

beyond my capability influence or current imagination

Prayer

Father ndash Thank you for today and for your promises Thank you that redemption is from faith and not from

following the law Please strengthen my faith and teach me to rely on you today

Day 15- March 13th ndash Jan Saxton

Look up and read Genesis 12 1 - 4

Reflection

Sometimes God throws unexpected curves into our lives There was Abram living contentedly with his extended

family in Haran for many decades when the Lord interrupted his routine ldquoLeave your hometown and your relatives

behind and get moving Abramrdquo he said ldquoIrsquove got big plans for you I will bless you abundantly and you will be a blessing

in times and places you canrsquot even imaginerdquo Though it must have been difficult Abram obeyed He had no idea what

was ahead or even where he was going but he packed up his family and his possessions and walked a few hundred miles

to Canaan to see what God had for him next

Sometimes God barges into our carefully made plans too with unwanted disruptions ill-timed detours

unexpected emergencies or words we know are from him that we donrsquot want to hear ldquoWait a minute Godrdquo we cry out

ldquoEverything was going along so well This must be a mistake Could you please fix itrdquo But our Lord God knows what hersquos

doing Through green pastures or dark valleys he is working out his good purposes and planning blessing for us As we

are obedient to God what may seem like running into a dead end or stepping off a cliff places us squarely on paths of

righteousness where we need fear no evil because the Good Shepherd is with us Like Abram we may not see the end of

the story in this life but like Abram we will be blessed in our going (see Genesis 241) And along our way we already

have an even greater blessing than Abram did because we have a personal relationship with the Good Shepherd our

dear Lord Jesus who is always enough That is blessing enough for thousands of lifetimes

Reflection Question

When has God brought an unwanted interruption into your life How did you respond

Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus thank you that you have wonderful plans and great blessings for my family and me Teach me to

be obedient and trust you when you interrupt the plans Irsquove made Thank you that you are always right beside me

verse here

This week we have been challenged to commit verse 2-3 of the 23rd Psalm to memory Can you say it Try writing it here

Lent Challenge

Sunday Lent 3 ndash March 15th - Pastor Ray

Reflection

My dear sisters and brothers of Christ

During this time before Easter Sunday called Lent our Sunday worship services have centered upon Psalm 23 and

the Lord is my shepherd Now Psalm 23 is not the only Psalm that calls us to understand and trust our God as our Good

Shepherd For example this Sunday in our devotional we pray Psalm 95 ldquoCome let us sing to the Lord let us shout for

joy to the Rock of our salvationrdquo Remember the old hymn ldquoRock of Ages cleft for me let me hide myself in theerdquo

And then in verse 7 of Psalm 95 we pray ldquoFor He is our God and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep

of His hand Oh that today you would hearken to His voice Harden not your hearts as your forebears did in the

wilderness at Meribah and on that day at Massah when they tempted me For there your ancestors tested and tried

my patience even though they saw everything I didrdquo

May we pause and keep this simple and honest After all God had done to deliver His people out of Egypt and

delivering them from the army of Egypt they began not to trust God once they got into the wilderness Therersquos an old

hymn ldquoIf you but trust in God to guide you and place your confidence in Him yoursquoll find Him always there beside you to

give you hope and strength within For those who trust Godrsquos changeless love build on a rock that will not moverdquo

Remember in Psalm 23 ldquoThe Lord is my shepherdrdquo verse 6 ldquoSurely your goodness and mercy shall follow me

always all the days of my liferdquo Yes God is good all the time All the time God is good

And so back to the old hymn ldquoIf you but trust in God (the Good Shepherd) to guide yourdquo from the second verse

may we pray over and meditate upon these words ldquoWhat gain is there in futile weeping in helpless anger and distress

If you are in His care and keeping in sorrow will He love you less For He who took for you a cross will bring you safe

through every lossrdquo

And so my dear sisters and brothers in Christ (verse three of the hymn) ldquoIn patient trust await His leisure in

cheerful hope with heart content to take whatever your Fatherrsquos pleasure and all discerning love have sent Doubt not

your inmost wants are known to Him who chose you for His ownrdquo

Reflection Question

Looking back over your life in what challenging times did you learn to trust Jesus the Good Shepherd with you

in all His goodness

Prayer

May I adapt a prayer attributed to Mother TeresahellipMay nothing Rob you of the joy and peace of being a sheep of

Jesus our Good Shepherd God will never for sake in need the souls that trust in Him in-deed Pray for me to trust our

Good Shepherd as I pray for you also to trust God is good all the time All the time Jesus our shepherd is Good

Day 17 ndash March 16th ndash Pastor John

Look up and read John 4 5-15

Reflection

It feels like the Samaritan womanrsquos reaction to Jesus is one of skepticism and fear She is shocked to be asked for anything from a Jewish man She came to accomplish an ordinary task drawing water for her household Jesus has a plan to use this everyday ordinary woman to join Him on His mission But first she needed to realize upon whose provision she could be an effective witness for Jesus

Water becomes the image of ldquoenoughrdquo She knew how precious water is She knew how essential having water daily is to her and her household She knew that she could never draw enough that she wouldnrsquot have to come back to the well and draw again The need for water was constant unchangeable and relentless But it is this knowledge that Jesus uses to show her His enough-ness

Jesus says ldquoIf you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to you would ask me and I would give you living waterhellip Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again It becomes a fresh bubbling spring within them giving them eternal liferdquo

The woman learned how her recurring physical need can help her realize Godrsquos abundant spiritual provision In that hope of the Saviorrsquos enough-ness she lived into the Kingdom of God

Reflection Question

What need and feeling of lack causes you not to pay attention to the abundant provision of King Jesus your Good Shepherd How could you let Jesus refocus your heart on His enough-ness

Prayer

King Jesus You tell me that You are the Living Water that quenches my thirsty soul Teach me to trust that You are enough even in hard times when Irsquom walking through the darkest valley In Jesus name Amen

Day 18 ndash March 17th ndash Jen Lawell

Reflection

The Woman at the Well I think all of us at one time or another can identify with the woman at the well She intentionally goes to fetch

water in the heat of the day to avoid the shame of judgment from others During her interaction with Jesus he calls her out so to speak on her choices As she is beginning to recognize that he seems to know her story she does confess her truth but she tries to divert the conversation elsewhere by bringing up the ldquocorrectrdquorsquo location to worship She is again trying to avoid the judgment of her sin Our sins keep Jesus at armrsquos length at the very time we should be leaning in

Having gone to Kenya several times now the Kenyansrsquo reliance on their faith inspires me every year and challenges me to refocus my own intentionality in my relationship with Jesushellipto lean in confess and repent and to receive the mercy and grace I donrsquot deserve and canrsquot earnhellipbut is given to me freely When life challenges emerge this becomes more difficult I will often isolatehellipin other words avoid thinking about the situation avoid talking about the situation and avoid going to the one place I know has the answers

When I come out of the fog of avoidance it parallels the woman at the well as she is told she is speaking to the Messiah himself opening her eyes to the Living Water she needs more than the well water she is fetching We know she believes because she shares this interaction with others right away

Jesus pursues us no matter the circumstance There is nothing that can separate us from Him We just need to engage

Reflection Question

How do you relate to the woman at the well Are you avoiding genuine and meaningful interactions with Jesus

Prayer

Dear Lord thank you for always pursuing a relationship with me even when I am isolating myself from you You

know my story no matter what I do Please help me to open my eyes to you first in all things goodhellipand challenging

rather than avoidance Allow me to lean in to you in those moments I tend to pull away towards a meaningless

distraction Allow me to pursue the water of eternal life each day Amen

Day 19 ndash March 18th ndash Karen Gammell

Reflection

The Lenten season is here again and I pray that it will bring a new layer of understanding as the Lord directs my attention I love Hebrews 412 which reminds us that ldquothe Word of God is living and active Sharper than a double-edged sword it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit joints and marrow it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heartrdquo Truth be told I do love that the Lord is continually guiding me but the application of scripture can sometimes make my life a bit uncomfortable Case in point as I read the above passage from Romans the words ldquobut we also rejoice in our sufferingsrdquo bring the sound of tires screeching to a halt in my mind because the simple truth is that my natural inclination is to find another path that doesnrsquot involve suffering I donrsquot think I am so unusual in my aversion to suffering It seems to be a general trait human beings have all struggled with The important thing I think is how long do you pause on the threshold of suffering before you ask for the Holy Spiritrsquos guidance as you enter in Do you pause too long so that you become disobedient to God or do you pause long enough that you are prepared to journey forward with God

Years ago I went away with Dorothy Hughes and some other friends on a mini-retreat At the time I was struggling with some pending suffering from my mom starting down the road of dementia It really scared me thinking about how it would change our lives and my involvement with her On our way out of town we visited a Christian bookstore and I saw a bookmark that read ldquoThe best way out is always throughrdquo (I believe that is a Robert Frost quote) While I still didnrsquot rejoice in the suffering that lay ahead I knew that this quote rang true In life there are seasons of mourning wrestling forgiving and then finally resolving to act

My momrsquos dementia has steadily gotten worse over time and there has been suffering for both of us as she struggled and fought the pending mentalemotional effects of this terrible disease It has brought stress and strain however there has also been hope and joy in the journey The ldquothroughrdquo part of the suffering process has had the effect of weeding out undesirable selfish parts of me and refining my character The last two years my mom has been living at an assisted living community and I find it to be one of my ldquoneighborhoodsrdquo where I can join Jesus on his mission When visiting there I make a conscious effort to not be in a hurry It brings me joy when I stop and talk and listen to one of the residents Ruth who also has dementia and hear her talk of her life on the water and then end her thoughts with a wink and a thumbs up It brings me joy when another resident Tom has a twinkle in his eye because he loves my momrsquos companionship It brings me hope that there are nurses and helpers who serve people that oftentimes cannot give anything back There is hope and joy in seeing my mom more free and childlike and being able to enjoy the simple things in life (things people without dementia can so easily miss or overlook) Although this journey is difficult I usually leave my momrsquos blessed

Reflection Question

How is God asking you to rejoice in suffering

Prayer

Dear Lord we are all selfish sinners Thank you that through suffering there is joy Give us eyes to see your people as you see them and courage and compassion to respond with grace Help us to be instruments of your love in a broken world In Jesusrsquo name Amen

Day 20 ndash March 19th - Shayna Ringer Family

Reflection

It doesnrsquot matter who you are (race believer or not gender) Jesus will help you When Jesus is explaining the

harvest (v 35) he is talking about how you donrsquot have to wait to hear Godrsquos word It will always be ready because God

already did the work If you believe in God and tell people more about Him then He will meet all of your needs We also

reap the benefits (eternal life) of Jesusrsquo hard work

Reflection Question

In which ways do we benefit from Jesusrsquo hard work How did Jesus show his hard work

Prayer

Dear God thank you for sending your Son for us With his and your hard work we have many blessings and

eternal life We will continue to spread your word so we can share your gift with many others Amen

Day 21 ndash March 20th ndash Julia Ladany Family

Look up and read Exodus 171-7

Reflection

In the passage Moses and the Israelites are traveling through the desert Along the way God provides for their

needs yet when they stopped once more to camp the Israelites question if God will provide for them again Even

though God proves that he would provide the Israelites still did not have faith

Reflection question

When have you not trusted God to provide for you

Prayer

Dear heavenly father forgive us for when we donrsquot trust in you Thank you for always providing for us Help us to

see your works Amen

Day 22 - March 21st - Review

verse here

Lent Challenge

March 22-Write a letter (texting is too much a part of our everyday routine and we want

you to have to take time with the challenge) of encouragement to someone and give it to

Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal

Reflection

On this fourth Sunday in Lent we direct our thoughts to this weekrsquos focus What is the key to a life without lack -

Trust that the Good Shepherd will honor me

We have been focusing our thoughts and hearts on this most beautiful prayer in the Scriptures Psalm 23 We

have been striving to commit it to memory so that we can direct our attention to it at any moment This weekrsquos memory

verse is verse 5 ldquoYou prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies You honor me by anointing my head with oil

My cup overflows with blessingsrdquo This verse has three powerful and beautiful images in it

First the idea of enemies gives any of us a sense of discomfort It is not a position I would choose to be in the

presence of my enemies Being in the presence of enemies evokes feelings of conserving resources for the battle that is

imminent I am not relaxed in the presence of enemies Irsquom on guard on heightened alert vigilant But what total trust in

my Good Shepherd enables is a sense of contentment because He is not just prepared for the challenges of enemies He

insures that I have more than meager provision with which to endure He spreads a feast before me What My mother

was born in 1935 She grew up in the WWII era She remembers rationingmdashif you are interested in a brief overview

google ldquofood rationing in wartime Americardquo and go to the historycom page that comes upmdashwhich is the common

mindset of people at war What this beautiful prayer is telling me is that I have the problem of a mindset of lack when I

have enemies around me However my Good Shepherd is abundantly generous that even when I want to ration He says

Hersquos prepared a feast for me more than I could ever ask for or deserve Trusting my Good Shepherd then completely

flips my attention from lack to abundance He provides what I donrsquot realize I have especially when Irsquom afraid of not

having enough to deal with enemies

Second ldquoYou honor me by anointing my head with oilrdquo The word translated as ldquoanointedrdquo could be translated as

ldquoto make fatrdquo The word translated as ldquooilrdquo could be translated as ldquofatrdquo So this verse could say ldquoYou make my head fat

with fatrdquo Fat often connoted abundance while lean connoted lackrdquo So it could mean something like ldquoYou make me

completely satisfied by Your abundancerdquo

Third ldquoMy cup overflows with blessingsrdquo Cup would sometimes point to whatrsquos about to come Jesus asked His

Father to take the cup from Him meaning His suffering and crucifixion David is saying ldquoWhat I have to look forward to is

the abundantmdashthe word translated as ldquooverflowsrdquo means abundance satisfaction saturationmdash goodness of my Good

Shepherd

This verse verse five of this precious prayer is all about praying for the grace to trust that Jesus is enough in

every circumstance I face When I see feel or think ldquolackrdquo Jesus is enough Learning to trust that truth will change every

aspect of my faith walk

Reflection Question

In what part of your life do you tend to be stuck in or paralyzed by a mindset of ldquonot enoughrdquo How is verse five

of Psalm 23 encouraging you to let King Jesus change your mind about his sufficiency

Prayer

King Jesus You are a good Good Shepherd You are enough for me when I am dealing with problems of every

kind When enemies are around You are enough When I am feeling dishonored You honor me with enough of Your

presence When Irsquom concerned about what lies ahead for me You saturate me in Your goodness Help me to trust You

fully In Your name King Jesus I pray Amen

Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton

Reflection

He was born blind not because his parents had sinned or that he had somehow sinned while in his motherrsquos womb He was born blind for this moment for Jesus to glorify His Father by restoring the manrsquos sight We donrsquot know how old the blind man was or how much abuse he endured as a beggar how many times had he been teased by the promise of a cure or how long he waited to see the light but when Jesus touched him when Jesus spoke to him the blind man responded and his sight was restored

Irsquom fairly sure that anyone reading this was not born physically blind but how many of us were born spiritually blind or became spiritually blind either through neglect or some ldquocatastrophicrdquo event in our lives that blinded us to the truth I was in the former born spiritually blind My parents did not go to church so I did not go Oh there were glimmers of light from time to time as I grew up Mom did on occasion read Bible stories my sister Rita and me at bedtime There was the big black Bible that sat on the coffee table that I loved to page through looking at the pictures but I was really interested in the maps in the back Back in the day we started every morning in public school with the Lordrsquos Prayer and sometimes even a Bible reading usually a Psalm At the third grade Christmas play I solemnly walked down the center aisle of the auditorium in my blue robe and gold crown carrying the gift of frankincense to the baby Jesus I loved the epic biblical movies like The Ten Commandments Ben-Hur and The Robe but they were seasonal TV reruns usually at Christmas or Easter time Also seasonal were the buses that nearby churches sent to the Claremont housing project I grew up in to pick up kids for Vacation Bible School It did not matter what the denomination was Mom made sure Rita and I were on the buses In spite of all this exposure I was still blind to the truth

On the first day of eighth grade you could say I was standing blindly at the gates actually the door at Herring Run Junior High It was not just another new school my sixth but the largest in Baltimore city and I did not know a soul As I stood there another student Warren approached me and started a conversation Now Warren wasnrsquot Jesus he did not put mud in my eyes per se but he did befriend me In hindsight it was obvious Warren had joined Jesus on His mission me He introduced me to the church first through the basketball league the Luther League and the committed Christians who dedicated their time and energies to the youth My life changed as I was baptized became a Christian and a member of the church and met my wife Jan there 53 years ago

The takeaway from this is that you no matter what your age can bring the truth the light of Jesus to a dark world one person at a time It does not matter if you join Jesus on a mission to Kenya share your story with young adults help Him lift rafters in place for a new church building in Mexico or are standing in line at the Damascus Safeway YOU can be the light

Reflection Question

Ask yourself where in my day-to-day life can I bring the truth and light of Jesus to someone

Prayer

Father Creator of all that is I thank you that you loved me so much that you sent your Son Jesus to bring truth and light into my world Give me the grace and courage to share it with those I meet so in that moment I give you glory Amen

Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki

Reflection

Jesus can be confusing for us when we put him into our personal reality box These boxes give us the false

security of our own world configurations but sorely lack a true or complete understanding of him Sometimes we limit the

power and the meaning of Christs presence in our lives because we cant imagine Jesus being all of who he is He is the

Son of God incarnate I will say it again Jesus is the Son of God incarnate Let me put it in the words of my grandson

Jesus is a really smart guy and can do anything he wants

There are many reasons for missing the reality of Jesus For those who dont believe in God the reason is

because for them God simply does not act the way they think God should act mostly because bad things happen in the

world On the other end of the perspective we who believe in God often cant imagine that he can do the marvelous

things that he does or that he will get us through another day If we did we would be spending a whole lot more time

with him in our daily lives

The reality is that God has power over the good and the bad He has power over it all He wants us to know that

and to walk with and trust him as who he is not who we think he might be It is our ego and our sin that leads us to

believe that we can put limits on God and what he can or cant do But we know God more and more fully because he

reveals himself to us not because he fits with in our personal mindset That was the problem of the Pharisees of Jesusrsquo

day and initially for his disciples as well

Reflection Question

When did you come to trust Jesus even though He wasnrsquot fitting in your personal reality box

Prayer

Lord when our egos and the natural gifts that you give us to navigate through this world get in the way of

knowing you help us to step away so that you may come closer to our hearts Help us to acknowledge and then live

knowing and pondering the wonder of your presence in our lives In Jesus name Amen

Day 25 ndash March 25th ndash Sean Spillers Family

Look up and read Ephesians 58-14

Reflection

Before we knew Jesus we were slaves to the darkness of sin When we accept Christ as our Savior and put our trust

in Him we are a new creation filled with light As Christians we need to live a life full of truth goodness and

righteousness as Christ lived This pleases God We need to avoid the sins and temptations that the world celebrates Not

only should we live a light-filled life but we should also stand up for what we know is good right and true When we donrsquot

speak up and confront sin and darkness we are telling the world we accept it We need to make every effort to follow

Christrsquos example flooding out the darkness with light

Reflection Question

Am I making an effort not just to live a light-filled life but also to speak out against sin

Prayer

Dear Lord help us to trust in you as our Good Shepherd Help guide us to live a life full of truth goodness and

righteousness Help us speak up for what pleases the Lord and speak out against the evil and injustices in the world In

Christrsquos name Amen

Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family

Reflection

In our spiritual blindness we donrsquot always recognize our sin but through Jesus He opens our hearts so that we can

know that we are sinful and know that He has mercy on us and forgives our sins Through the Holy Spirit we can trust in

Jesus to guide us

Reflection Question

How can you help others to not be spiritually blind

Prayer

Dear Lord send your Holy Spirit so that we can see and not be spiritually blind

Day 27 ndash March 27th - Brett Barry

Look up and read 1 Samuel 161-13

Reflection

The Lord said to Samuel ldquoHow long will you mourn for Saul since I have rejected him as king over Israel Fill your

horn with oil and be on your way I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem I have chosen one of his sons to be kingrdquo But

Samuel said ldquoHow can I go If Saul hears about it he will kill merdquo 1 Sam 161-2

I find this juncture of Samuelrsquos journey extremely saddening yet at the same time hope-filled I can picture

him a now elderly seasoned servant of God with vast experience and knowledge of the Holy One wrestling

emotionally as he counts the cost of obeying Godrsquos instruction

Looking back over Samuelrsquos life we see a man devoted even from childhood to loving and obeying God with

unmatched selfless focus and determination the kind that directs every decision and word regardless of the cost At

the same time we see him wrestle personally with a broken heart over the wayward thinking reasoning and actions

of Saul whose kingdom could have been established forever had he developed the same heart of love and obedience

toward God as Samuel Wow Talk about a could-have-been

There are numerous lessons in this account of Samuel being sent to anoint a new king that Irsquove pondered

over the years some more obvious than others But what struck me most as Irsquove studied it this time is his devout

obedience even as his heart broke over a son figure who believed in God had been anointed by God (at Samuelrsquos

hand) had Godrsquos Spirit upon him saw God move consistently and powerfully on his and Israelrsquos behalf yet somehow

when it reached the bottom line remained captive to his own will and ways to his own foolish self-serving

deception Even under the unction of Godrsquos Spirit Saul had a self-devoted heart toward God

Oh GodI fear to ask mdash what do you find when You search my depths

Samuel had full-hearted devotion to God Saul self-hearted devotion And yet Samuel still loved Saul

believed in him wanted to see him succeed and invested heavily in helping him It seems Samuel had a deep

personal interest in Saul helping to nurture Godrsquos calling for sure but also perhaps hoping he could become the son

he never had (Samuelrsquos sons did not honor God) When God told Samuel that He regretted making Saul king Samuel

was angry and cried out to God all night Even so as much as he loved him he loved God more to the degree that he

would choose Godrsquos will and ways over his own regardless of how much it hurt

He was ever faithful to deliver the hard word ultimately separating himself from Saul Scripture tells us that

after they parted though he never went to see Saul again he mourned for him for the rest of his days His love and

humble devotion to God brought heartbreak and division with a friend

Now in 1 Sam 16 here is Samuel with a fresh word and mission from The Lord faced with the task of

anointing another king God had chosen to replace Saulwhile Saul was still alive I can imagine the challenge at first

Saul didnrsquot want to be king now he didnrsquot want to not be king and Samuel knew it

OK Now for the hope-filled part

This year our core text during Lent is Psalm 23 This is another passage Irsquove pondered and memorized over

the years Knowing our focus would center on this I began there prayerfully refreshing my memory and considering

its outline Interestingly as I meditated on 1 Samuel 161-13 I began to see a perspective Irsquod never noticed for I was

now looking at it through the lens of Psalm 23

It jumped out how Samuelrsquos life journey was no different than Davidrsquos (whom he was yet to anoint and who

was yet to write Psalm 23) Jesusrsquo journey to the cross Paulrsquos to Rome yours mine or any other disciple who truly

loves and obeys God and ultimately has eternal life with Christ in mind as his final objective Each faced many points

of crisis of belief where they had to trust God and obey in order to progress in His will and their resolve

In the vein of Psalm 23 Samuel spent a lifetime worshiping God ministering to His presence listening to Him

and being refreshed and restored in his soul (green pastures and still waters) only to have God give him an

assignment that would lead him (via the paths of righteousness through obedience) directly into the valley of the

shadow of death where he would (again) be required to persevere in trusting God more than he feared man in order

to pass through it (fearing no evil confident God was with him His rod and staff bringing comfort)

When God told Samuel to anoint another Samuel asked ldquoHow can I go If Saul hears about it he will kill

merdquo And we see even more of the gaping difference between Samuelrsquos heart and Saulrsquos Samuel loved the very one

who he knew would kill himfor his obedience to God Wow Sounds like Godrsquos heart to me We also see how Godrsquos

provision followed Samuelrsquos obedience

In Experiencing God Henry Blackaby called the circumstantial conflict every devoted disciple of Christ

experiences in joining Jesus on His mission ldquothe point of crisis of beliefrdquo Samuel called it ldquoThe Lord saidrdquo David called

it ldquothe valley of the shadow of deathrdquo Jesus called it ldquonot My will but Yours be donerdquo And Paul called it ldquosharing in

His sufferingsrdquo then having suffered extensively summed it all up as ldquoour light and momentary troublesrdquo Wow

again Samuel heard God clearly Then he obeyed explicitly Even though it cost him greatly

The truth is obedience always leads us into some aspect of the valley of the shadow of death a point of

uncertainty that but for Godrsquos love and provision we cannot fix or endure mdash a point where we have to trust Him to

keep our bearings even our faith Perseverance in trusting God takes us through it and trusting Him to the point of

giving thanks makes us fruitful - steadying our heart and expanding our testimony (Suffering produces perseverance

perseverance character and character hope the kind that does not disappoint Rom 53-4)

Reflection Question

Are you wrestling with a crisis of belief in some area I am Challenging as it is we can only know God and

grow in Him as we honor Him through obedience in areas that cost us May we be a people who listen carefully and

by His Spirit obey explicitlyregardless of what it costs us

Prayer

As I pray for my own heart and mind I pray in Jesusrsquo name that The Lord will quicken in your heart and mind an

ever-increasing awareness of His presence strength hope and Holy Spirit power to help you see how your persevering in

Him is bringing Him glory and at the same time growing in you His character the very character He uses to give you the

hope that draws others to Himself and hastens His return So be it Lord Jesus

Day 28 - March 28th - Review

verse here

Lent Challenge

Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer

Reflection

As I was reading through Psalm 130 multiple times trying to figure out its ldquodeeperrdquo meaning I realized I was

overanalyzing this passage However when I finally sat down to start writing this the Holy Spirit spoke to me about this

Psalm What the Holy Spirit showed me about this Psalm was how the writer is just like you or me sometimes He begins

frantic and anxious and hopefully like us ends his prayer by centering himself back on Godrsquos truth

In the beginning of this Psalm something significant is happening in the psalmistrsquos life maybe even something

catastrophic Verses 7 and 8 show us that this catastrophe might be in the life of Israel Whatever this situation is he

recognizes in verse 1 that he is in the depths of despair and he asks God to listen to his cry When I read verses 1 and 2 it

seems like the psalmist is frustrated or stuck in his situation like he doesnrsquot see an end to it

Recently I experienced some medical issues that to me were so frustrating and draining This issue lasted over

two months In the beginning I was frustrated and in pain Like the psalmist I was asking God to have mercy on me to pull

me out of the depths of which I could see no end to As time continued I began being hard on myself and living in the

fact that I was sick I was trying to rely on God and have faith in him but I was also complaining a lot and dwelling on the

fact that I was so sick One day my wife walked up to me as I was complaining that I was sick and basically told me to

wake up She told me that I needed to stop living in the sickness and live in the victory of Godrsquos healing power After

being sick for a month at this point already I made the same shift that the psalmist makes in the second half of the

Psalm In verse 7 the psalmist claims the victory of Godrsquos truth and hope over himself and Israel He reminds himself and

the reader that God is the Redeemer that He will be faithful to us in our faith hope and love Ultimately in the midst of

his assumed calamity the Psalmist refocuses his situation on the truth of Godrsquos faithfulness to His children

Reflection Question

When sicknessfrustrationangeryou name it happen in your life how do you respond

Do you have something or someone that helps pull you out of the depths to help you rely on Godrsquos truth and love

How do you make sure that your focus is on truth in the midst of despair

Prayer

God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob Father of King Jesus have mercy on me when I allow my anxiety or frustration

to overcome your truth Help me to keep your word and truth in the center of my life When the life of this world takes

hold of me help me to remember your love and mercy like the writer of Psalm 130 does Help me to hold tight the words

of this Psalm when catastrophe hits my life Lord I thank you for your truth and praise you for your love and grace in my

life In the name of your Son Jesus Christ Amen

Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer

Reflection

If I was going to SOAP this passage I would have chosen verses 9 and 10 - Jesus answered Are there not twelve

hours of daylight A man who walks by daylight will not stumble for he sees by this worlds light It is when he walks by

night that he stumbles for he has no light How true this is I have walked by day and been able to see obstacles in my

way and avoid them Not so easy at night and I have many a stubbed toe to prove it

Jesus is the Light of the World When we walk in His light we will not stumble or lose our way It is when we

stray from His light that we stumble and fall and become lost But His Light is always there for us to turn to We only

have to get back on the path He lights for us

I donrsquot want to think of what that walk would have been like in the dark impassible for someone with my

abilities I would have stumbled and fallen many times I would have been stabbed over and over by the thorns My

mental state would have been full of anger pain and fear and not open to receiving anyone with love and joy

Thankfully I chose to walk in the light

When we were in Kenya at the safari camp we had the chance to visit the home of one of the students a young

man named Peter We started out early that morning while it was still dark so that we might experience dawn on the

savannah Now these are heavily built vehicles that boldly go where no car or truck should ever gobut when we got to

Peters village it was determined that the trucks could not get down the lane We would have to walk it

You could not see the village from the road The lane was rocky and muddy and it seemed that every bush we

passed had thorns on it wanting to reach out and snag us There was a herd of goats to let pass and piles of dung to skirt

around It was rather hot But we knew we could do it and what a welcome we received Even though there was a bit

of a language issue it really didnt matter - we all spoke the same language of Gods love The journey was worth it -

every step

All too soon it was time to leave and begin the arduous walk back to the trucks This time however even

though the lane was the same as before I noticed the beauty around us that I hadnt really seen on our way in as I was

too focused on my feetmdashtiny flowers poking up through the rocky soil a butterfly clouds in the sky The walk seemed to

go faster I was walking in Jesus Light and He not only got us safely back but also allowed us to see the beauty of His

glorious creation

Had we made this journey in darkness complaining about having to walk the distance the heat flies etc we

could have missed the warm welcome we received the connections that were made and the hope that each of us gave

to the other We could have missed joy And love

Now that I am back there has been a time or two when I start to find myself straying from the Light of Jesus onto

a dark path one I do not want to travel I am reminded of that other walk and seek to turn back to His Light not the

darkness of the world It is a daily struggle for each of us

Reflection Question

What will you choose in life His Light or the darkness of the world

Prayer

God our Father - Thank you for opening my eyes and allowing me to see Your Light shining stronger than anything

this world has to offer Help me to ever keep to Your path and none other In Jesus name Amen

Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family

Reflection

Whoever believes in Jesus will have eternal life

Reflection Question

If someone walked up to you and offered you eternal life would you believe them

Prayer

Dear Lord I pray that you will continue to enlighten us with your word so we may have eternal life with you Amen

Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family

Reflection

In Romans 81-11 Jesus is telling us that He has handed an open unconditional lifetime membership to His love

peace freedom and life of contentment He has already paid the debt of this gift with His death on the cross When we

wholeheartedly redeem this membership in King Jesus our thoughts needs and desires reflect Godrsquos will in our lives and

those we come in contact with His Kingdom does not make us second-guess our appearance doubt nor experience the

despair that worldly pursuits ultimately yield In verse 5 the passage makes it very clear that seeking to pursue the

worldrsquos path will hand over control to others providing a distortion and derailment of Godrsquos will for us With the freedom

of King Jesusrsquo gift of membership we have no self-doubt and we know that Jesus is enough God has made us sons and

daughters of the King We ask the Holy Spirit to guide us so when the world invites us into its deceiving adventures we

will straighten the crown He gave us and remember whose daughterson we are to surrender all situations to His will for

Reflection Question

Looking back reflect on a time when you should have trusted God In that experience what lessons taught you

that Jesus is enough

Prayer

King Jesus thank you for the gift of your crown making us your daughters (sons) in our lifetime membership in

You Have mercy on us for the times we fall short of this gift but please guide us always in your will for us Surround us

with Christian brothers and sisters in Your path Ignite our spirit to do Your will so we may bring glory to Your Holy

Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal

Reflection

Reading this text reminds me of a book I read several years ago When Jesus Wept by Bodie and Brock Thoene

This couple has written many historical fiction books over the years This one captures Jesusrsquo and Lazarus close

relationship during this very critical time in Jesus ministry This book has made me look at this text from a different

perspective than I did before reading The Thoenes present the gospel story from Lazarus perspective At one point in

the story God told Lazarus he had to leave heaven and return to earth Lazarus didnt want to return He was in the

most beautiful perfect place he didnt want to return back to the sinful world God told him he needed to go back to

bring Him glory Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen

Jesus was troubled and He wept knowing He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead I wonder if He cried

because of the lack of faith the people had in Him He was determined to bring the Father glory He thanked His Father

knowing His Father always hears Him but Jesus prayed out loud so that all the people could listen to Him and believe the

Father sent Him I love how Jesus has a purpose for this mission Sometimes our joining Jesus on His Mission can be

difficult we may not have clarity in why He is asking us to join Him in certain places Remember Jesus is the Good

Shepherd and is with you We need to obey trusting He will do the heavy lifting And pray that ultimately He will be

glorified

Reflection Question

Has God asked you to do something you didnt want to do He always has a good reason we may not see it at

that moment but when we obey He will be glorified

Prayer

Jesus help me to trust that when You call me to do something I donrsquot really want to do it will be for Your glory

and may help someone else learn to trust You In Jesusrsquo name Amen

Day 33 ndash April 3rd ndash Phil Bromhal

Look up and read Ezekiel 371-14

Reflection

When I was younger and I would read stories of the Israelites in the Bible and I would usually shake my head at

them ldquoCome on Israelhellip Do you ever learnrdquo But the older I got the more and more I related to the Israelites In these

verses in Ezekiel God compares the Israelites to a valley of dead bones Earlier this week I had to be at work at 630am

and I did not have my morning coffee I felt like a valley of dead bones Now obviously in this scripture God is comparing

their souls to dry bones not their actual bodies but I know a lot of you can relate to that feeling of early mornings

without coffee

So what is God getting at by showing this vision to Ezekiel ldquoThou shalt always remember thy morning coffeerdquo

The Israelites had lost their hope Without hope their souls dried up became brittle and were left to be forgotten in

some forsaken valley Thinking of it in that way I canrsquot bring myself to say ldquoCome on Israelhellip Do you ever learnrdquo Rather

I connect to them during those moments in my life when my hope wavered So much in life can do that an unfulfilling

job studying so much but still getting a bad grade a friend lying behind your back your car breaks down for the

umpteenth timehellipthe death of a loved one

Lost hope can come from anywhere and can leave our souls in a place where we may even say they are dead

Luckily this scripture reading is one of encouragement and HOPE No matter how our souls feel they are not

unrepairable for God All it took was hearing the words that come from God (v 14) ldquoI will put my Spirit in you and you

will live againrdquo

That which kills our hopes can come from anywhere But the power to resurrect our hopes only comes from Him

who gives it willingly and daily We just need to hear His hope-filled words

Reflection question

Do you have a hope resurrection story that came to mind while reading this scripture Is there someone you can

share this with If you donrsquot have a story like this is there a part of your soul that feels like dead bones that you need

resurrected

Prayer

Dear Father God thank you for always thinking about me Thank you for planning and setting into motion my

hope resurrection I pray I can see that you are working hard to bring that resurrection to fruition so I can know you as

Lord of my life Amen

Day 34 - April 4th - Review

verse here

Lent Challenge

Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray

Reflection

My dear sisters and brothers in Christ

On this Sunday I will be in San Diego with our mission team for a week with some fellow sisters and brothers in

Christ in Mexicali Mexico But in our worship service we will read this same gospel story of Jesusrsquo triumphant entry into

Jerusalem as you will be reading

Imagine for a minute that over many centuries on this Palm Sunday one of the gospelsrsquo accounts of Jesus entering

into Jerusalem is read in almost every language in every part of this world I write in ldquoalmostrdquo every language because

there are still language groups yet to have Godrsquos word translated into their language But probably in every nation there

are some Christians reading this story of Jesusrsquo entry into Jerusalem with an awareness that in a few days Jesusrsquo triumph

will be won on the cross of Calvary and not by the cheers of a crowd

May I ask you several deep personal and spiritual questions When did you begin to understand that Jesusrsquo

triumph was for you to be set free of your sins and His amazing grace of saving a wretch like you When did you really

begin to praise and thank God because you began to grasp and understand the meaning of the words in the old hymns

like ldquoAlas and did my Savior bleed and did my Savior die Would He devote that sacred Head for sinners such as Irdquo

ldquoAnd from my contrite heart with tears two wonders I confess the wonder of His glorious love and my unworthinessrdquo

Now back to that crowd praising God for Jesus and His entry into Jerusalem Who in that crowd that were

cheering later became a part of the crowd crying for Jesus to be crucified we do not know But we do know that those

apostles like Peter must have been cheering along with the crowd and then in a couple of days they abandoned Jesus

and even denied knowing Him

My dear dear sisters and brothers in Christ whatever ways you have been or presently are abandoning Jesus

because of what the crowds of people in our life think of Jesus May you and yes I trust Jesus forgiving even this most

painful of our sins our hiding our faith in Jesus because of what others may think of us

Reflection Question

When did you begin to understand that Jesus triumph uses for you and me to be set free of our sins What sins

are you most grateful to Jesus for His forgiving you and giving you ldquoa new startrdquo

Prayer

Jesus forgive us as you for save Peter and those first disciples of yours when we get week in our faith and when

the crowds in our life turn from cheering Jesus to crying crucify Him

Day 35 ndash April 6th ndash Nathan Gensch Family

Look up and read Psalm 319-16

Reflection

We both had a hard time relating to many of the verses in this section of scripture We then decided to see which

verses we did relate to

Nathan upon some deeper thinking agreed he could say the second part of verse 10 ldquoMy strength fails because

of my affliction and my bones grow weakrdquo Nathan feels guilty when he has trouble controlling his anger and hurts

others or damages things when he loses control Leif could relate to the first part of verse 10 ldquoMy life is consumed by

anguish and my years by groaningrdquo For many years Julie and Leif were not able to have children and suffered about this

We then started to talk about how others may be able to relate to this passage We talked about how Julie could

relate to verse 10 as well after the death of her parents We decided everyone could probably relate to some part of the

struggle talked about in the first part of the passage Then we decided that the second part of the passage told us that

God tells us to trust Him

Reflection Question

Do you feel helpless and hopeless because of your adversities Can you put your trust in God and rely on Him to

get you through your tough times

Prayer

O Lord help me to remember that you are my strength during the difficult times Help me remember that you

are in control at all times even when I feel completely helpless

Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family

Reflection

God will give you directions for things that he wants you to do In this case God gave directions to the Israelites

to keep them safe He isnrsquot always going to give you directions just to keep you safe It can also be to do the right thing

like doing a chore There is always going to be a little voice in your head telling you to do the right thing which is Godrsquos

voice But there is always going to be another voice telling you to do bad things which is the devilrsquos voice That is why the

Egyptians were punished because they chose to listen to the voice of the devil and not God That is why you must listen

to the voice of God He will guide you through the right path and keep you safe

Reflection Question

How will you know when God is trying to tell you something or give you a direction What will you do if you hear

from him

Prayer

Dear God please help me to be able to know your voice and to listen when I hear you Amen

Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family

Reflection

Jesus is saying that since He knows that Judas will betray him he will serve his disciples He serves his disciples

because his disciples have had faith in him throughout his whole life and Jesus is thanking them for what they did He is

also showing that he is the true Messiah and shows that the disciples should trust him

Reflection Question

Through this text what does Jesus tell you to do Why do you think he is telling you this

Prayer

Dear Lord I thank you for showing what I should be doing and why I should trust you Amen

Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel

Reflection

34rdquoA new commandment I give to you that you love one another just as I have loved you you also are to love one

another 35By this all people will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another

Jesus is telling us here that he is commanding us to love one another That isnrsquot the only thing he says though

ldquoas I have loved yourdquo is in there as well It is hard enough to simply go around acting loving towards others when we

donrsquot always feel like it but to make it more complicated we must love others as Jesus loves us Jesus came to teach

serve eat with others wash othersrsquo feet and ultimately die on a cross in order to save us That is the kind of love he is

commanding us to have That is difficult for a quiet introvert like me but God has ways of busting us out of our shells or

comfort zones

My family and I have lived in our neighborhood for ten years now Up until a year and a half ago I had neighbors

that I had barely met some that I had not met at all I had felt God telling me to get out and talk with and meet my

neighbors as it is hard to show love to others without first saying hello I did not know how to initiate this and I even let

my uncomfortable introvert self shut down some of my wifersquos attempts to invite people over for dinner or cookies I had

decided that it was much easier to ignore the call to meet my neighbors since I didnrsquot know how to start it and it was

easier just to leave things the way they were This is when God took control of the situation and took the matter into his

own hands

In the fall of 2018 God sent a tornado through my neighborhood right through my backyard as well as several of

our neighbors The tree damage was impressive to say the least While looking at my own mess I couldnrsquot help but

wonder how in the world my elderly (and in one case very ill) neighbors would begin tackling this mess It didnrsquot take

long to see what God was doing In no time at all I found myself in the midst of destruction standing outside surrounded

by and talking to the very neighbors that I had been neglecting to talk to despite being felt led by God to do so To make

a very long story short I wanted to help my two closest neighbors because they had an even bigger mess than I did in my

own yard they are elderly and one iswas very ill Looking around at all the debris and destruction I felt overwhelmed I

knew I did not have the means or the time to begin tackling this mess but I felt Godrsquos nudge and the last time I ignored

that I ended up with this tornado I knew that where I lacked the time and ability to clean this up that with Godrsquos hand in

this he would provide a way I told my neighbors to hold off paying for cleanup efforts while I tried to figure something

out All it took was a couple phone calls and text messages to a few awesome people in our Redeemer community to get

an army of men and women with trucks chainsaws food and coffee into our neighborhood to clean up a mess for

people that they didnrsquot know I wanted to help but I saw God show up and help in a way that I never could have

imagined

My neighbors and my own family will be forever touched by the love of Christ that we saw firsthand poured out

that day by the hands of men and women willing to just show up and help and love on people It took a tornado to

initiate the initial meeting with the neighbors but everyone selflessly giving of themselves to help others in need is one

example of what Jesus means to love as he loves us Love one another Donrsquot be afraid to initiate it when you feel

called you may not like the way God initiates it for you if you fail to listen

Psalm 231 - The LORD is my shepherd I lack nothing

Reflection Question

What nudge of God have you been ignoring What are you going to do about it

Prayer

Jesus Thank you for you prompting us to love others as you have loved us Help us not to ignore you but obey

you Amen

Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal

Reflection

Today is the most tragic and the most glorious day On Good Friday the Good Shepherd lays down His life for His

sheep He becomes our Paschal Lamb the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world By His horrific sacrificial

death death is defeated

As King Jesus breathed His last breath Matthew tells us there was a mighty earthquake (ldquothe earth shook and

rocks were torn apartrdquo) When the Roman guards experienced this shaking of all things they were terrified They

exclaimed ldquoThis man truly was the Son of Godrdquo An implication of their terror and their exclamation is that they realized

they were guilty of killing the Son of God Who wouldnrsquot be terrified at a realization like that

But I realize it too It was for my sins that Jesus went to the cross My guilt put Him there And yet because of His

great love as my Good Shepherd I have the opposite response to the realization I am not terrified I am gratefully

relieved comforted healed As I learn to trust Him more and more I realize the beauty of an execution day being called

ldquoGoodrdquo The shaking of all things in His love brings a sifting of the impurities that keep me from living the fullness of life

He has promised me Because the Lamb of God who takes away my sin is my Good Shepherd I have hope in His

Goodness His enough-ness

The Lord is my shepherd I have all that I need His death on that cross is enough It is finished Tonight I rest in

the hope of the shaking that will come with His resurrection

Reflection Question

How will you commemorate the Good Shepherdrsquos sacrificial death FOR YOU today

Prayer

Dear Jesus my Good Shepherd as I remember your crucifixion today may the shaking of all things in my life not

terrorize me but inspire me to trust You in everything Thank you for defeating death for me Thank you for doing for me

what I could never do for myself By Your Holy Spirit give me rest and help me await with eagerness Your victorious

resurrection In Your precious name Jesus I pray Amen

Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray

Reflection

On this Holy Saturday I do not know what holy deeds you will be doing but I will be with our mission team driving

from Mexicali Mexico to San Diego to catch a plane arriving back home late Holy Saturday night Isnrsquot this word Holy a

most challenging word for us Christians

Well read together this short passage from Matthew The next day (the first Holy Saturday) on the Sabbath the

leading priests and Pharisees went to see Pilate There is a bunch of unholy guys They told him ldquoSir we remember

what that deceiver once said while he was still alive lsquoAfter three days I will rise from the deadrsquo Sir we request that you

seal the tomb until the third day This will prevent His disciples coming and stealing His body and then telling everyone

he was raised from the dead If that happens wersquoll be worse off than we were at firstrdquo

Wow How insightful were those leading priests and Pharisees when they said wersquoll be worse off than we were

at first How much did those leading priests and Pharisees understand what they were saying Well the devil fully

grasped what was unfolding Our real enemy is not each other as sinful people Our real enemy is the devil who seeks to

destroy our relationship with God

And so the devil must have rejoiced when they crucified and killed Jesus on the cross No longer would this Jesus

be a threat to his tempting us humans into sin and the wages of sin spiritual death No longer would the devil have to

worry about this Jesus For the devil the Saturday after Jesusrsquo death was a ldquoholy or good dayrdquo in his thinking Jesus is no

more than a memory But for God this Saturday after Jesusrsquo death was a holy day of Godrsquos waiting to raise Jesus from the

dead despite whatever be the guards and security around that tomb of Jesus

Now back to you and me and yes our spending this holy day awaiting our celebration of Jesusrsquo resurrection and

His being our Risen Lordhellip Holinesshellip Is being holy doing holy things Or is holiness being with Jesus in whatever we do

Please do not misunderstand me Tomorrow I pray we will all gather in His church to worship our risen Lord Jesus and

yes celebrate on this holy day the resurrection of Jesus But as I drive back from Mexicali to San Diego and then board a

plane across the country back to Maryland what will make this a holy trip or an unholy trip Or take what you do

todaymdashwhat will make your day a holy day or an unholy day May I hold up all that we do and say with Jesus is holy

Jesus is the Holy One who makes all we do or say holy if we let the Crucified Risen Jesus live in and through us

Reflection Question

When did you begin to understand that our Holy Risen Lord Jesus wants to make you and me a holy person in

everything we do or say

Prayer

Dear Risen Lord Jesus may nothing ever rob us of the joy that you are always with us in everything we do and

say (Prayer adapted from a prayer attributed to Mother Teresa)

Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal

Reflection

The King is risen He is risen indeed Today we want to pause and give a long hearty praise to King Jesus our

Good Shepherd who has won for us the victory over sin death and the devil

ldquoHalleluia King Jesus You have done for us what we cannot do for ourselves You have given us hope for living

life without lack You are enough Jesus We praise You for that Thank You for Your loving sacrifice in our place and for

Your continued presence in our lives by Your indwelling Holy Spirit You are an awesome provider Help us to trust that

You will provide what we need even when we are unclear about what we truly need for the fullness of life in Yourdquo

When I read Matthewrsquos resurrection story I see that he makes an observation that none of the other Gospel

writers note Matthew writes in verse two ldquoSuddenly there was a great earthquake For an angel of the Lord came down

from heaven rolled aside the stone and sat on itrdquo The word Matthew uses that gets translated ldquoearthquakerdquo is σεισμός

(seismos) which is the word from which we get the words seismology and seismograph which have to do with the study

of earthquakes and the shaking of the earth Matthew uses this word because the resurrection of Jesus shook not only

the ground but the very fabric of life The nature of life as it was known was shaken to its core when Jesus rose Now the

chasm between life and life the valley of the shadow of death has crumbled or been bridged whichever way of looking

at it you prefer I no longer have to fear death as the universal reminder that I donrsquot have enough life I know the One

who has overcome death and will walk me through everything this world can throw at me including death

I have been practicing praying the 23rd Psalm each day through this Lenten Season I hope you have too I hope

that you have committed this amazing prayer to memory so that you will always have it with you I trust that as we learn

to trust the sufficiency of our Good Shepherd King Jesus we will learn and continue to live life in the confident trust of

the One who can and will do infinitely more than all we could ask or think (see Ephesians 320)

When we live a life without lack we can know love joy peace patience kindness goodness faithfulness

gentleness and self-control We can be more compassionate and generous because we donrsquot have to worry about

running out of anything or not having enough We can be content in our Good Shepherd because He leads us guides us

honors us fills our cup to overflowing

This has been a deeply moving journey this Lent Our world has literally been shaken The earthquake in our souls

can reorder our hearts and minds prompting and encouraging life lived in full trust of the sufficiency of King Jesus May

we now live to honor Him to please Him to obey Him and to follow Him wherever He may lead us He is a good good

Shepherd

Reflection Question

You have just won eternity through the resurrection of King Jesus What will you do now

Prayer

King Jesus I have been changed by Your great love Continue to heal me mentally emotionally physically and

spiritually Continue to grow my understanding of Your truth and sufficient provision for my life of obedience Continue

to shape my heart and life choices into conformity with Your Kingdom and Your will Then call me that I may go and make

disciples of others who donrsquot yet know You as their Good Shepherd In this way may my life honor You for Your glory In

Your name King Jesus I pray Amen

Post Easter Sunday - Concluding Review

Look back on your Lenten journey Ask your Good Shepherd to show you what part of your experience through Lent He

would want you to pay particular attention to as an ongoing area of spiritual growth Write out the insight He gives you

My Key Spiritual Insight this Lent

Look back at the reviews on days 10 16 22 28 and 34 Which reflection question has stuck with you through this whole

journey Write out the question that most challenged you Trust that the Holy Spirit is speaking to your heart through

this question and commit to retaining this question in your heart and mind through the rest of 2020

We have been challenged to commit the 23rd Psalm to memory Can you say it Try writing it here before you go back

and check to see if you have it right Make any corrections needed Practice saying it again

Write out your own prayer of gratitude to your Good Shepherd for His faithfulness to you on your Lenten journey this

Reflection

The Woman at the Well