Lent Reflections (Page 4)

Scripture Psalms: 55 & 138, 139:1-17(18-23) OT: Deut. 11:18-28 NT: Heb. 5:1-10 Gospel: John 4:1-26 Reflection Do you have a group of people in your life that you just don’t like or trust? Maybe you don’t like black people. Maybe you don’t like white people. Maybe you don’t like brown people. Maybe you don’t like straight people. Maybe you don’t like gay people. Maybe you don’t like liberal people. Maybe you don’t like conservative people. Most of us have a “people” we just don’t like. This isn’t new. It’s pretty much the way people have been since, well, almost forever. People tend to not likeRead More →

Scripture Psalms: 95* & 40, 54 & 51 OT: Deut. 10:12-22 NT: Heb. 4:11-16 Gospel: John 3:22-36 Reflection Have you noticed when you’re around a University of Michigan grad you find that out in the first five minutes of the conversation? If you’ve ever been around a vegan, the same principle applies. The cross-fitter may be the best example of this! While these are all generalizations and are used as punch lines to jokes, there is some real truth to them. Why? Because these people have experienced significant life change through their experiences and these things have, in a sense, placed a song in their heart.Read More →

Scripture Psalms: 50 & 46 OT: Deut. 9:23––10:5 NT: Heb. 4:1-10 Gospel: John 3:16-21 Reflection There are times when we don’t think God cares about us. For some of us, we think that we are so good off compared to others that God doesn’t need to hear about our troubles. So, we hold them back from him. We think, “God has bigger things on his plate to worry about.” Our world seems to be coming apart at the seams and our little issues don’t appear to be that big. So, we hold them back from him.  We also want to please God. This desire toRead More →

Scripture: Psalms: 119:49-72, 49, [53] OT: Deut. 9:13-21 NT: Heb. 3:12-19 Gospel: John 2:23––3:15 Reflection: “Just me and Jesus.” Have you heard that before? It’s one of the single greatest lies that Christians have ever bought into. Before the printing press, the local church or the Synagogue had a copy of the Scriptures. For a person to hear them they had to go when the congregation was meeting. They would hear the Scripture read and expounded on. They would try and memorize it. There would be ongoing conversations between meeting times on the Scripture with one another to help one another remember. The people ofRead More →

Scripture Psalms: 45 & 47, 48 OT: Deut. 9:4-12 NT: Heb. 3:1-11 Gospel: John 2:13-22 Reflection One of my favorite authors is Eugene Peterson. He’s a pastor’s pastor. This man translated the Message while he was pastoring a local church. He has written extensively on what it means to be a pastor and what it means to be the church. One of my favorite quotes of his is this, The vocation of pastor has been replaced by the strategies of religious entrepreneurs with business plans. — Eugene Peterson (@PetersonDaily) February 16, 2017 The church has by and large lost its way. It has become aRead More →

The Scripture: Psalms: 41, 52, 44 OT: Deut. 8:11-20 NT: Heb. 2:11-18 Gospel: John 2:1-12 The Reflection: “Don’t forget where you’ve come from.” That’s something that a lot of athletes say. Have you noticed that? Many of our greatest athletes come from unbelievably difficult circumstances. After they hit it big, many give back to where they came from. They don’t want to forget their story and where they came from. My story is like many others. I grew up in a single mother home. Mom worked multiple jobs to make ends meet. There were a number of years after my parents divorce where finances wereRead More →

Scripture Psalms: 30, 32 & 42, 43 OT: Deut. 7:17-26 NT: Titus 3:1-15 Gospel: John 1:43-51 Reflection I will never forget the day. I was sixteen and had had my driver’s license for a few weeks. It was one of those fall days in Michigan where the leaves had fallen and there was a thick dew. My family lived in a small neighborhood shaped like a horseshoe. On my way to school I was changing CDs and not paying attention. I looked up to see I was running out of road. I slammed on the brakes and turned the car. I had hit the wetRead More →

The Scripture Psalms: 31 & 35 OT: Deut. 7:12-16 NT: Titus 2:1-15 Gospel: John 1:35-42 Reflection If you’re like me, you love to be in control. As a first born son, I was put in charge by my parents often. I was supposed to be the responsible child and watch over my younger brothers. At first, it didn’t seem fair. As time went on I fell in love with being in control. The problem with loving control is that life is messy. Just the other day I was trying to clean our ice maker. I read through the directions a couple of times and discoveredRead More →

Scripture: Psalms: 37:1-18 & 37:19-42 OT: Deut. 7:6-11 NT: Titus 1:1-16 Gospel: John 1:29-34 Reflection: I often think about why I am a Christian. I grew up going to church. But, so did a lot of my friends who are not Christians. I grew up in ‘Merica, but so did my friends who aren’t Christians. What happened in my life that led me to following Jesus? As someone who holds to Reformed theology I know that my coming to faith, ultimately, was God’s work. He by his sovereign grace transferred me from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of his beloved son. I believe thisRead More →

The Scriptures: Psalms: 95* & 32, 143 & 102, 130 OT: Jonah 3:1––4:11 NT: Heb. 12:1-14 Gospel: Luke 18:9-14 Who Are You? Today is Ash Wednesday. It’s the day that starts Lent and a traditional season of fasting. Have you ever wondered why the Church has done this leading up to Easter? It is partly due to preparation for Easter, the highest of all holy days. It is also due to the fact that, by and large, we know we need to come to a place where we once again recognize our need of grace. We are a broken people. We are an imperfect people.Read More →