Upload
others
View
3
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
1
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 Lent Challengehelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip26
March 15 Pastor Rayhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip27
March 16 Pastor Johnhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip28
March 17 Jen Lawellhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip29
March 18 Karen Gammellhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip30
2
March 19 Shayna Ringer Familyhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip31
March 20 Julia Ladany Familyhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip32
March 21 Reviewhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip33
March 22 Lent Challengehelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip34
March 22 Pastor Johnhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip35
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 28 Reviewhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip42
March 29 Lent Challengehelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip43
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
April 12 Pastor Johnhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip60
Concluding Reviewhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip61-62
3
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
4
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
need
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
me
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
5
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
this
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
6
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
7
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
8
Day 4 ndash February 29th ndash Laura Taylor
Look up and read Matthew 616-21
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
9
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
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
10
Sunday Lent 1 - March 1st - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 32
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
Amen
11
Day 5 - March 2nd - Valerie Hobbs
Look up and read Matthew 41-11
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
12
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
13
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
14
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
Adam
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
15
Day 8 ndash March 5th ndash John Redmon
Look up and read Genesis 31-7
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
16
Day 9 ndash March 6th ndash Sandy Redmon
Look up and read Genesis 38-15
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
17
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
18
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
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
19
Sunday Lent 2 ndash March 8th ndash Peter Gammell
Look up and read Psalm 121
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
20
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
21
Day 12 ndash March 10th ndash Mary Eileen Hahn
Look up and read John 311-17
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
22
Day 13 ndash March 11th ndash Mark Hessels
Look up and read Romans 41-5
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
23
Day 14 ndash March 12th ndash Julie Hessels
Look up and read Romans 413-17
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
24
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
25
Day 16 - March 14th 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 2-3 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
26
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
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
27
Sunday Lent 3 ndash March 15th - Pastor Ray
Look up and read Psalm 95
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
28
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
29
Day 18 ndash March 17th ndash Jen Lawell
Look up and read John 416-26
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
30
Day 19 ndash March 18th ndash Karen Gammell
Look up and read Romans 51-11
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
31
Day 20 ndash March 19th - Shayna Ringer Family
Look up and read John 427-42
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
32
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
33
Day 22 - March 21st - 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 4 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
34
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
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
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
2
March 19 Shayna Ringer Familyhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip31
March 20 Julia Ladany Familyhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip32
March 21 Reviewhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip33
March 22 Lent Challengehelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip34
March 22 Pastor Johnhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip35
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 28 Reviewhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip42
March 29 Lent Challengehelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip43
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
April 12 Pastor Johnhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip60
Concluding Reviewhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip61-62
3
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
4
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
need
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
me
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
5
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
this
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
6
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
7
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
8
Day 4 ndash February 29th ndash Laura Taylor
Look up and read Matthew 616-21
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
9
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
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
10
Sunday Lent 1 - March 1st - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 32
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
Amen
11
Day 5 - March 2nd - Valerie Hobbs
Look up and read Matthew 41-11
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
12
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
13
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
14
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
Adam
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
15
Day 8 ndash March 5th ndash John Redmon
Look up and read Genesis 31-7
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
16
Day 9 ndash March 6th ndash Sandy Redmon
Look up and read Genesis 38-15
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
17
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
18
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
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
19
Sunday Lent 2 ndash March 8th ndash Peter Gammell
Look up and read Psalm 121
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
20
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
21
Day 12 ndash March 10th ndash Mary Eileen Hahn
Look up and read John 311-17
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
22
Day 13 ndash March 11th ndash Mark Hessels
Look up and read Romans 41-5
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
23
Day 14 ndash March 12th ndash Julie Hessels
Look up and read Romans 413-17
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
24
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
25
Day 16 - March 14th 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 2-3 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
26
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
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
27
Sunday Lent 3 ndash March 15th - Pastor Ray
Look up and read Psalm 95
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
28
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
29
Day 18 ndash March 17th ndash Jen Lawell
Look up and read John 416-26
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
30
Day 19 ndash March 18th ndash Karen Gammell
Look up and read Romans 51-11
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
31
Day 20 ndash March 19th - Shayna Ringer Family
Look up and read John 427-42
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
32
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
33
Day 22 - March 21st - 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 4 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
34
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
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
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
3
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
4
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
need
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
me
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
5
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
this
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
6
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
7
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
8
Day 4 ndash February 29th ndash Laura Taylor
Look up and read Matthew 616-21
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
9
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
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
10
Sunday Lent 1 - March 1st - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 32
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
Amen
11
Day 5 - March 2nd - Valerie Hobbs
Look up and read Matthew 41-11
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
12
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
13
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
14
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
Adam
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
15
Day 8 ndash March 5th ndash John Redmon
Look up and read Genesis 31-7
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
16
Day 9 ndash March 6th ndash Sandy Redmon
Look up and read Genesis 38-15
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
17
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
18
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
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
19
Sunday Lent 2 ndash March 8th ndash Peter Gammell
Look up and read Psalm 121
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
20
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
21
Day 12 ndash March 10th ndash Mary Eileen Hahn
Look up and read John 311-17
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
22
Day 13 ndash March 11th ndash Mark Hessels
Look up and read Romans 41-5
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
23
Day 14 ndash March 12th ndash Julie Hessels
Look up and read Romans 413-17
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
24
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
25
Day 16 - March 14th 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 2-3 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
26
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
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
27
Sunday Lent 3 ndash March 15th - Pastor Ray
Look up and read Psalm 95
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
28
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
29
Day 18 ndash March 17th ndash Jen Lawell
Look up and read John 416-26
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
30
Day 19 ndash March 18th ndash Karen Gammell
Look up and read Romans 51-11
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
31
Day 20 ndash March 19th - Shayna Ringer Family
Look up and read John 427-42
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
32
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
33
Day 22 - March 21st - 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 4 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
34
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
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
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
4
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
need
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
me
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
5
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
this
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
6
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
7
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
8
Day 4 ndash February 29th ndash Laura Taylor
Look up and read Matthew 616-21
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
9
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
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
10
Sunday Lent 1 - March 1st - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 32
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
Amen
11
Day 5 - March 2nd - Valerie Hobbs
Look up and read Matthew 41-11
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
12
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
13
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
14
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
Adam
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
15
Day 8 ndash March 5th ndash John Redmon
Look up and read Genesis 31-7
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
16
Day 9 ndash March 6th ndash Sandy Redmon
Look up and read Genesis 38-15
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
17
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
18
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
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
19
Sunday Lent 2 ndash March 8th ndash Peter Gammell
Look up and read Psalm 121
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
20
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
21
Day 12 ndash March 10th ndash Mary Eileen Hahn
Look up and read John 311-17
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
22
Day 13 ndash March 11th ndash Mark Hessels
Look up and read Romans 41-5
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
23
Day 14 ndash March 12th ndash Julie Hessels
Look up and read Romans 413-17
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
24
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
25
Day 16 - March 14th 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 2-3 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
26
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
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
27
Sunday Lent 3 ndash March 15th - Pastor Ray
Look up and read Psalm 95
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
28
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
29
Day 18 ndash March 17th ndash Jen Lawell
Look up and read John 416-26
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
30
Day 19 ndash March 18th ndash Karen Gammell
Look up and read Romans 51-11
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
31
Day 20 ndash March 19th - Shayna Ringer Family
Look up and read John 427-42
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
32
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
33
Day 22 - March 21st - 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 4 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
34
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
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
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
5
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
this
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
6
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
7
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
8
Day 4 ndash February 29th ndash Laura Taylor
Look up and read Matthew 616-21
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
9
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
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
10
Sunday Lent 1 - March 1st - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 32
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
Amen
11
Day 5 - March 2nd - Valerie Hobbs
Look up and read Matthew 41-11
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
12
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
13
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
14
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
Adam
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
15
Day 8 ndash March 5th ndash John Redmon
Look up and read Genesis 31-7
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
16
Day 9 ndash March 6th ndash Sandy Redmon
Look up and read Genesis 38-15
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
17
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
18
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
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
19
Sunday Lent 2 ndash March 8th ndash Peter Gammell
Look up and read Psalm 121
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
20
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
21
Day 12 ndash March 10th ndash Mary Eileen Hahn
Look up and read John 311-17
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
22
Day 13 ndash March 11th ndash Mark Hessels
Look up and read Romans 41-5
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
23
Day 14 ndash March 12th ndash Julie Hessels
Look up and read Romans 413-17
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
24
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
25
Day 16 - March 14th 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 2-3 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
26
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
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
27
Sunday Lent 3 ndash March 15th - Pastor Ray
Look up and read Psalm 95
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
28
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
29
Day 18 ndash March 17th ndash Jen Lawell
Look up and read John 416-26
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
30
Day 19 ndash March 18th ndash Karen Gammell
Look up and read Romans 51-11
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
31
Day 20 ndash March 19th - Shayna Ringer Family
Look up and read John 427-42
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
32
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
33
Day 22 - March 21st - 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 4 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
34
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
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
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
6
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
7
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
8
Day 4 ndash February 29th ndash Laura Taylor
Look up and read Matthew 616-21
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
9
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
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
10
Sunday Lent 1 - March 1st - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 32
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
Amen
11
Day 5 - March 2nd - Valerie Hobbs
Look up and read Matthew 41-11
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
12
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
13
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
14
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
Adam
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
15
Day 8 ndash March 5th ndash John Redmon
Look up and read Genesis 31-7
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
16
Day 9 ndash March 6th ndash Sandy Redmon
Look up and read Genesis 38-15
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
17
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
18
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
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
19
Sunday Lent 2 ndash March 8th ndash Peter Gammell
Look up and read Psalm 121
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
20
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
21
Day 12 ndash March 10th ndash Mary Eileen Hahn
Look up and read John 311-17
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
22
Day 13 ndash March 11th ndash Mark Hessels
Look up and read Romans 41-5
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
23
Day 14 ndash March 12th ndash Julie Hessels
Look up and read Romans 413-17
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
24
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
25
Day 16 - March 14th 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 2-3 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
26
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
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
27
Sunday Lent 3 ndash March 15th - Pastor Ray
Look up and read Psalm 95
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
28
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
29
Day 18 ndash March 17th ndash Jen Lawell
Look up and read John 416-26
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
30
Day 19 ndash March 18th ndash Karen Gammell
Look up and read Romans 51-11
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
31
Day 20 ndash March 19th - Shayna Ringer Family
Look up and read John 427-42
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
32
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
33
Day 22 - March 21st - 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 4 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
34
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
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
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
7
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
8
Day 4 ndash February 29th ndash Laura Taylor
Look up and read Matthew 616-21
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
9
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
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
10
Sunday Lent 1 - March 1st - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 32
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
Amen
11
Day 5 - March 2nd - Valerie Hobbs
Look up and read Matthew 41-11
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
12
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
13
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
14
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
Adam
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
15
Day 8 ndash March 5th ndash John Redmon
Look up and read Genesis 31-7
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
16
Day 9 ndash March 6th ndash Sandy Redmon
Look up and read Genesis 38-15
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
17
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
18
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
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
19
Sunday Lent 2 ndash March 8th ndash Peter Gammell
Look up and read Psalm 121
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
20
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
21
Day 12 ndash March 10th ndash Mary Eileen Hahn
Look up and read John 311-17
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
22
Day 13 ndash March 11th ndash Mark Hessels
Look up and read Romans 41-5
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
23
Day 14 ndash March 12th ndash Julie Hessels
Look up and read Romans 413-17
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
24
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
25
Day 16 - March 14th 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 2-3 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
26
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
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
27
Sunday Lent 3 ndash March 15th - Pastor Ray
Look up and read Psalm 95
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
28
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
29
Day 18 ndash March 17th ndash Jen Lawell
Look up and read John 416-26
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
30
Day 19 ndash March 18th ndash Karen Gammell
Look up and read Romans 51-11
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
31
Day 20 ndash March 19th - Shayna Ringer Family
Look up and read John 427-42
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
32
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
33
Day 22 - March 21st - 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 4 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
34
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
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
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
8
Day 4 ndash February 29th ndash Laura Taylor
Look up and read Matthew 616-21
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
9
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
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
10
Sunday Lent 1 - March 1st - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 32
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
Amen
11
Day 5 - March 2nd - Valerie Hobbs
Look up and read Matthew 41-11
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
12
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
13
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
14
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
Adam
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
15
Day 8 ndash March 5th ndash John Redmon
Look up and read Genesis 31-7
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
16
Day 9 ndash March 6th ndash Sandy Redmon
Look up and read Genesis 38-15
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
17
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
18
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
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
19
Sunday Lent 2 ndash March 8th ndash Peter Gammell
Look up and read Psalm 121
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
20
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
21
Day 12 ndash March 10th ndash Mary Eileen Hahn
Look up and read John 311-17
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
22
Day 13 ndash March 11th ndash Mark Hessels
Look up and read Romans 41-5
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
23
Day 14 ndash March 12th ndash Julie Hessels
Look up and read Romans 413-17
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
24
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
25
Day 16 - March 14th 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 2-3 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
26
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
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
27
Sunday Lent 3 ndash March 15th - Pastor Ray
Look up and read Psalm 95
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
28
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
29
Day 18 ndash March 17th ndash Jen Lawell
Look up and read John 416-26
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
30
Day 19 ndash March 18th ndash Karen Gammell
Look up and read Romans 51-11
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
31
Day 20 ndash March 19th - Shayna Ringer Family
Look up and read John 427-42
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
32
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
33
Day 22 - March 21st - 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 4 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
34
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
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
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
9
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
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
10
Sunday Lent 1 - March 1st - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 32
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
Amen
11
Day 5 - March 2nd - Valerie Hobbs
Look up and read Matthew 41-11
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
12
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
13
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
14
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
Adam
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
15
Day 8 ndash March 5th ndash John Redmon
Look up and read Genesis 31-7
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
16
Day 9 ndash March 6th ndash Sandy Redmon
Look up and read Genesis 38-15
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
17
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
18
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
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
19
Sunday Lent 2 ndash March 8th ndash Peter Gammell
Look up and read Psalm 121
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
20
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
21
Day 12 ndash March 10th ndash Mary Eileen Hahn
Look up and read John 311-17
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
22
Day 13 ndash March 11th ndash Mark Hessels
Look up and read Romans 41-5
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
23
Day 14 ndash March 12th ndash Julie Hessels
Look up and read Romans 413-17
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
24
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
25
Day 16 - March 14th 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 2-3 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
26
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
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
27
Sunday Lent 3 ndash March 15th - Pastor Ray
Look up and read Psalm 95
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
28
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
29
Day 18 ndash March 17th ndash Jen Lawell
Look up and read John 416-26
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
30
Day 19 ndash March 18th ndash Karen Gammell
Look up and read Romans 51-11
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
31
Day 20 ndash March 19th - Shayna Ringer Family
Look up and read John 427-42
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
32
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
33
Day 22 - March 21st - 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 4 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
34
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
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
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
10
Sunday Lent 1 - March 1st - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 32
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
Amen
11
Day 5 - March 2nd - Valerie Hobbs
Look up and read Matthew 41-11
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
12
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
13
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
14
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
Adam
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
15
Day 8 ndash March 5th ndash John Redmon
Look up and read Genesis 31-7
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
16
Day 9 ndash March 6th ndash Sandy Redmon
Look up and read Genesis 38-15
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
17
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
18
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
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
19
Sunday Lent 2 ndash March 8th ndash Peter Gammell
Look up and read Psalm 121
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
20
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
21
Day 12 ndash March 10th ndash Mary Eileen Hahn
Look up and read John 311-17
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
22
Day 13 ndash March 11th ndash Mark Hessels
Look up and read Romans 41-5
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
23
Day 14 ndash March 12th ndash Julie Hessels
Look up and read Romans 413-17
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
24
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
25
Day 16 - March 14th 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 2-3 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
26
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
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
27
Sunday Lent 3 ndash March 15th - Pastor Ray
Look up and read Psalm 95
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
28
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
29
Day 18 ndash March 17th ndash Jen Lawell
Look up and read John 416-26
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
30
Day 19 ndash March 18th ndash Karen Gammell
Look up and read Romans 51-11
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
31
Day 20 ndash March 19th - Shayna Ringer Family
Look up and read John 427-42
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
32
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
33
Day 22 - March 21st - 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 4 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
34
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
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
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
11
Day 5 - March 2nd - Valerie Hobbs
Look up and read Matthew 41-11
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
12
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
13
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
14
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
Adam
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
15
Day 8 ndash March 5th ndash John Redmon
Look up and read Genesis 31-7
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
16
Day 9 ndash March 6th ndash Sandy Redmon
Look up and read Genesis 38-15
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
17
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
18
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
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
19
Sunday Lent 2 ndash March 8th ndash Peter Gammell
Look up and read Psalm 121
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
20
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
21
Day 12 ndash March 10th ndash Mary Eileen Hahn
Look up and read John 311-17
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
22
Day 13 ndash March 11th ndash Mark Hessels
Look up and read Romans 41-5
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
23
Day 14 ndash March 12th ndash Julie Hessels
Look up and read Romans 413-17
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
24
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
25
Day 16 - March 14th 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 2-3 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
26
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
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
27
Sunday Lent 3 ndash March 15th - Pastor Ray
Look up and read Psalm 95
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
28
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
29
Day 18 ndash March 17th ndash Jen Lawell
Look up and read John 416-26
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
30
Day 19 ndash March 18th ndash Karen Gammell
Look up and read Romans 51-11
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
31
Day 20 ndash March 19th - Shayna Ringer Family
Look up and read John 427-42
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
32
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
33
Day 22 - March 21st - 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 4 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
34
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
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
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
12
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
13
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
14
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
Adam
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
15
Day 8 ndash March 5th ndash John Redmon
Look up and read Genesis 31-7
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
16
Day 9 ndash March 6th ndash Sandy Redmon
Look up and read Genesis 38-15
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
17
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
18
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
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
19
Sunday Lent 2 ndash March 8th ndash Peter Gammell
Look up and read Psalm 121
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
20
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
21
Day 12 ndash March 10th ndash Mary Eileen Hahn
Look up and read John 311-17
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
22
Day 13 ndash March 11th ndash Mark Hessels
Look up and read Romans 41-5
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
23
Day 14 ndash March 12th ndash Julie Hessels
Look up and read Romans 413-17
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
24
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
25
Day 16 - March 14th 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 2-3 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
26
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
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
27
Sunday Lent 3 ndash March 15th - Pastor Ray
Look up and read Psalm 95
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
28
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
29
Day 18 ndash March 17th ndash Jen Lawell
Look up and read John 416-26
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
30
Day 19 ndash March 18th ndash Karen Gammell
Look up and read Romans 51-11
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
31
Day 20 ndash March 19th - Shayna Ringer Family
Look up and read John 427-42
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
32
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
33
Day 22 - March 21st - 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 4 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
34
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
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
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
13
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
14
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
Adam
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
15
Day 8 ndash March 5th ndash John Redmon
Look up and read Genesis 31-7
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
16
Day 9 ndash March 6th ndash Sandy Redmon
Look up and read Genesis 38-15
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
17
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
18
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
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
19
Sunday Lent 2 ndash March 8th ndash Peter Gammell
Look up and read Psalm 121
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
20
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
21
Day 12 ndash March 10th ndash Mary Eileen Hahn
Look up and read John 311-17
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
22
Day 13 ndash March 11th ndash Mark Hessels
Look up and read Romans 41-5
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
23
Day 14 ndash March 12th ndash Julie Hessels
Look up and read Romans 413-17
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
24
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
25
Day 16 - March 14th 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 2-3 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
26
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
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
27
Sunday Lent 3 ndash March 15th - Pastor Ray
Look up and read Psalm 95
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
28
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
29
Day 18 ndash March 17th ndash Jen Lawell
Look up and read John 416-26
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
30
Day 19 ndash March 18th ndash Karen Gammell
Look up and read Romans 51-11
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
31
Day 20 ndash March 19th - Shayna Ringer Family
Look up and read John 427-42
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
32
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
33
Day 22 - March 21st - 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 4 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
34
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
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
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
14
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
Adam
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
15
Day 8 ndash March 5th ndash John Redmon
Look up and read Genesis 31-7
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
16
Day 9 ndash March 6th ndash Sandy Redmon
Look up and read Genesis 38-15
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
17
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
18
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
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
19
Sunday Lent 2 ndash March 8th ndash Peter Gammell
Look up and read Psalm 121
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
20
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
21
Day 12 ndash March 10th ndash Mary Eileen Hahn
Look up and read John 311-17
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
22
Day 13 ndash March 11th ndash Mark Hessels
Look up and read Romans 41-5
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
23
Day 14 ndash March 12th ndash Julie Hessels
Look up and read Romans 413-17
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
24
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
25
Day 16 - March 14th 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 2-3 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
26
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
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
27
Sunday Lent 3 ndash March 15th - Pastor Ray
Look up and read Psalm 95
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
28
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
29
Day 18 ndash March 17th ndash Jen Lawell
Look up and read John 416-26
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
30
Day 19 ndash March 18th ndash Karen Gammell
Look up and read Romans 51-11
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
31
Day 20 ndash March 19th - Shayna Ringer Family
Look up and read John 427-42
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
32
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
33
Day 22 - March 21st - 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 4 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
34
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
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
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
15
Day 8 ndash March 5th ndash John Redmon
Look up and read Genesis 31-7
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
16
Day 9 ndash March 6th ndash Sandy Redmon
Look up and read Genesis 38-15
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
17
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
18
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
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
19
Sunday Lent 2 ndash March 8th ndash Peter Gammell
Look up and read Psalm 121
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
20
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
21
Day 12 ndash March 10th ndash Mary Eileen Hahn
Look up and read John 311-17
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
22
Day 13 ndash March 11th ndash Mark Hessels
Look up and read Romans 41-5
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
23
Day 14 ndash March 12th ndash Julie Hessels
Look up and read Romans 413-17
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
24
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
25
Day 16 - March 14th 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 2-3 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
26
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
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
27
Sunday Lent 3 ndash March 15th - Pastor Ray
Look up and read Psalm 95
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
28
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
29
Day 18 ndash March 17th ndash Jen Lawell
Look up and read John 416-26
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
30
Day 19 ndash March 18th ndash Karen Gammell
Look up and read Romans 51-11
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
31
Day 20 ndash March 19th - Shayna Ringer Family
Look up and read John 427-42
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
32
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
33
Day 22 - March 21st - 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 4 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
34
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
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
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
16
Day 9 ndash March 6th ndash Sandy Redmon
Look up and read Genesis 38-15
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
17
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
18
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
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
19
Sunday Lent 2 ndash March 8th ndash Peter Gammell
Look up and read Psalm 121
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
20
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
21
Day 12 ndash March 10th ndash Mary Eileen Hahn
Look up and read John 311-17
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
22
Day 13 ndash March 11th ndash Mark Hessels
Look up and read Romans 41-5
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
23
Day 14 ndash March 12th ndash Julie Hessels
Look up and read Romans 413-17
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
24
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
25
Day 16 - March 14th 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 2-3 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
26
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
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
27
Sunday Lent 3 ndash March 15th - Pastor Ray
Look up and read Psalm 95
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
28
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
29
Day 18 ndash March 17th ndash Jen Lawell
Look up and read John 416-26
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
30
Day 19 ndash March 18th ndash Karen Gammell
Look up and read Romans 51-11
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
31
Day 20 ndash March 19th - Shayna Ringer Family
Look up and read John 427-42
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
32
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
33
Day 22 - March 21st - 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 4 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
34
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
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
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
17
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
18
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
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
19
Sunday Lent 2 ndash March 8th ndash Peter Gammell
Look up and read Psalm 121
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
20
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
21
Day 12 ndash March 10th ndash Mary Eileen Hahn
Look up and read John 311-17
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
22
Day 13 ndash March 11th ndash Mark Hessels
Look up and read Romans 41-5
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
23
Day 14 ndash March 12th ndash Julie Hessels
Look up and read Romans 413-17
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
24
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
25
Day 16 - March 14th 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 2-3 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
26
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
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
27
Sunday Lent 3 ndash March 15th - Pastor Ray
Look up and read Psalm 95
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
28
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
29
Day 18 ndash March 17th ndash Jen Lawell
Look up and read John 416-26
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
30
Day 19 ndash March 18th ndash Karen Gammell
Look up and read Romans 51-11
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
31
Day 20 ndash March 19th - Shayna Ringer Family
Look up and read John 427-42
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
32
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
33
Day 22 - March 21st - 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 4 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
34
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
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
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
18
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
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
19
Sunday Lent 2 ndash March 8th ndash Peter Gammell
Look up and read Psalm 121
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
20
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
21
Day 12 ndash March 10th ndash Mary Eileen Hahn
Look up and read John 311-17
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
22
Day 13 ndash March 11th ndash Mark Hessels
Look up and read Romans 41-5
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
23
Day 14 ndash March 12th ndash Julie Hessels
Look up and read Romans 413-17
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
24
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
25
Day 16 - March 14th 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 2-3 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
26
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
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
27
Sunday Lent 3 ndash March 15th - Pastor Ray
Look up and read Psalm 95
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
28
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
29
Day 18 ndash March 17th ndash Jen Lawell
Look up and read John 416-26
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
30
Day 19 ndash March 18th ndash Karen Gammell
Look up and read Romans 51-11
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
31
Day 20 ndash March 19th - Shayna Ringer Family
Look up and read John 427-42
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
32
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
33
Day 22 - March 21st - 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 4 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
34
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
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
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
19
Sunday Lent 2 ndash March 8th ndash Peter Gammell
Look up and read Psalm 121
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
20
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
21
Day 12 ndash March 10th ndash Mary Eileen Hahn
Look up and read John 311-17
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
22
Day 13 ndash March 11th ndash Mark Hessels
Look up and read Romans 41-5
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
23
Day 14 ndash March 12th ndash Julie Hessels
Look up and read Romans 413-17
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
24
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
25
Day 16 - March 14th 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 2-3 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
26
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
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
27
Sunday Lent 3 ndash March 15th - Pastor Ray
Look up and read Psalm 95
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
28
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
29
Day 18 ndash March 17th ndash Jen Lawell
Look up and read John 416-26
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
30
Day 19 ndash March 18th ndash Karen Gammell
Look up and read Romans 51-11
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
31
Day 20 ndash March 19th - Shayna Ringer Family
Look up and read John 427-42
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
32
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
33
Day 22 - March 21st - 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 4 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
34
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
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
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
20
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
21
Day 12 ndash March 10th ndash Mary Eileen Hahn
Look up and read John 311-17
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
22
Day 13 ndash March 11th ndash Mark Hessels
Look up and read Romans 41-5
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
23
Day 14 ndash March 12th ndash Julie Hessels
Look up and read Romans 413-17
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
24
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
25
Day 16 - March 14th 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 2-3 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
26
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
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
27
Sunday Lent 3 ndash March 15th - Pastor Ray
Look up and read Psalm 95
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
28
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
29
Day 18 ndash March 17th ndash Jen Lawell
Look up and read John 416-26
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
30
Day 19 ndash March 18th ndash Karen Gammell
Look up and read Romans 51-11
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
31
Day 20 ndash March 19th - Shayna Ringer Family
Look up and read John 427-42
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
32
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
33
Day 22 - March 21st - 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 4 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
34
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
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
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
21
Day 12 ndash March 10th ndash Mary Eileen Hahn
Look up and read John 311-17
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
22
Day 13 ndash March 11th ndash Mark Hessels
Look up and read Romans 41-5
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
23
Day 14 ndash March 12th ndash Julie Hessels
Look up and read Romans 413-17
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
24
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
25
Day 16 - March 14th 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 2-3 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
26
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
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
27
Sunday Lent 3 ndash March 15th - Pastor Ray
Look up and read Psalm 95
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
28
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
29
Day 18 ndash March 17th ndash Jen Lawell
Look up and read John 416-26
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
30
Day 19 ndash March 18th ndash Karen Gammell
Look up and read Romans 51-11
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
31
Day 20 ndash March 19th - Shayna Ringer Family
Look up and read John 427-42
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
32
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
33
Day 22 - March 21st - 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 4 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
34
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
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
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
22
Day 13 ndash March 11th ndash Mark Hessels
Look up and read Romans 41-5
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
23
Day 14 ndash March 12th ndash Julie Hessels
Look up and read Romans 413-17
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
24
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
25
Day 16 - March 14th 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 2-3 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
26
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
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
27
Sunday Lent 3 ndash March 15th - Pastor Ray
Look up and read Psalm 95
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
28
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
29
Day 18 ndash March 17th ndash Jen Lawell
Look up and read John 416-26
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
30
Day 19 ndash March 18th ndash Karen Gammell
Look up and read Romans 51-11
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
31
Day 20 ndash March 19th - Shayna Ringer Family
Look up and read John 427-42
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
32
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
33
Day 22 - March 21st - 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 4 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
34
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
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
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
23
Day 14 ndash March 12th ndash Julie Hessels
Look up and read Romans 413-17
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
24
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
25
Day 16 - March 14th 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 2-3 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
26
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
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
27
Sunday Lent 3 ndash March 15th - Pastor Ray
Look up and read Psalm 95
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
28
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
29
Day 18 ndash March 17th ndash Jen Lawell
Look up and read John 416-26
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
30
Day 19 ndash March 18th ndash Karen Gammell
Look up and read Romans 51-11
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
31
Day 20 ndash March 19th - Shayna Ringer Family
Look up and read John 427-42
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
32
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
33
Day 22 - March 21st - 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 4 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
34
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
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
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
24
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
25
Day 16 - March 14th 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 2-3 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
26
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
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
27
Sunday Lent 3 ndash March 15th - Pastor Ray
Look up and read Psalm 95
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
28
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
29
Day 18 ndash March 17th ndash Jen Lawell
Look up and read John 416-26
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
30
Day 19 ndash March 18th ndash Karen Gammell
Look up and read Romans 51-11
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
31
Day 20 ndash March 19th - Shayna Ringer Family
Look up and read John 427-42
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
32
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
33
Day 22 - March 21st - 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 4 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
34
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
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
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
25
Day 16 - March 14th 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 2-3 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
26
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
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
27
Sunday Lent 3 ndash March 15th - Pastor Ray
Look up and read Psalm 95
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
28
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
29
Day 18 ndash March 17th ndash Jen Lawell
Look up and read John 416-26
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
30
Day 19 ndash March 18th ndash Karen Gammell
Look up and read Romans 51-11
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
31
Day 20 ndash March 19th - Shayna Ringer Family
Look up and read John 427-42
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
32
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
33
Day 22 - March 21st - 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 4 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
34
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
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
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
26
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
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
27
Sunday Lent 3 ndash March 15th - Pastor Ray
Look up and read Psalm 95
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
28
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
29
Day 18 ndash March 17th ndash Jen Lawell
Look up and read John 416-26
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
30
Day 19 ndash March 18th ndash Karen Gammell
Look up and read Romans 51-11
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
31
Day 20 ndash March 19th - Shayna Ringer Family
Look up and read John 427-42
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
32
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
33
Day 22 - March 21st - 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 4 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
34
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
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
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
27
Sunday Lent 3 ndash March 15th - Pastor Ray
Look up and read Psalm 95
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
28
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
29
Day 18 ndash March 17th ndash Jen Lawell
Look up and read John 416-26
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
30
Day 19 ndash March 18th ndash Karen Gammell
Look up and read Romans 51-11
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
31
Day 20 ndash March 19th - Shayna Ringer Family
Look up and read John 427-42
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
32
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
33
Day 22 - March 21st - 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 4 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
34
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
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
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
28
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
29
Day 18 ndash March 17th ndash Jen Lawell
Look up and read John 416-26
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
30
Day 19 ndash March 18th ndash Karen Gammell
Look up and read Romans 51-11
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
31
Day 20 ndash March 19th - Shayna Ringer Family
Look up and read John 427-42
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
32
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
33
Day 22 - March 21st - 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 4 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
34
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
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
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
29
Day 18 ndash March 17th ndash Jen Lawell
Look up and read John 416-26
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
30
Day 19 ndash March 18th ndash Karen Gammell
Look up and read Romans 51-11
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
31
Day 20 ndash March 19th - Shayna Ringer Family
Look up and read John 427-42
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
32
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
33
Day 22 - March 21st - 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 4 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
34
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
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
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
30
Day 19 ndash March 18th ndash Karen Gammell
Look up and read Romans 51-11
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
31
Day 20 ndash March 19th - Shayna Ringer Family
Look up and read John 427-42
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
32
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
33
Day 22 - March 21st - 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 4 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
34
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
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
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
31
Day 20 ndash March 19th - Shayna Ringer Family
Look up and read John 427-42
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
32
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
33
Day 22 - March 21st - 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 4 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
34
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
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
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
32
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
33
Day 22 - March 21st - 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 4 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
34
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
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
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
33
Day 22 - March 21st - 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 4 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
34
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
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
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
34
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
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
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
35
Sunday Lent 4 - March 22nd - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Psalm 23
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
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
36
Day 23 ndash March 23rd ndash Maurice Saxton
Look up and read John 91-15
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
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
37
Day 24 ndash March 24th ndash Pastor John Kulczycki
Look up and read John 916-34
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
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
38
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
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
39
Day 26 ndash March 26th - Annika Janss Family
Look up and read John 935-41
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
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
40
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
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
41
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
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
42
Day 28 - March 28th - 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 5 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
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
43
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
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
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
44
Sunday Lent 5 - March 29th - Howie Fischer
Look up and read Psalm 130
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
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
45
Day 29 - March 30th - Jackie Cromer
Look up and read John 111-15
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
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
46
Day 30 ndash March 21st ndash Austin Uhl Family
Look up and read John 1116-35
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
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
47
Day 31 ndash April 1st ndash Amelia Ropp Family
Look up and read Romans 81-11
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
us
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
Name
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
48
Day 32 ndash April 2nd ndash Sue Bromhal
Look up and read John 1136-45
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
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
49
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
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
50
Day 34 - April 4th - 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 6 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
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
51
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
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
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
52
Palm Sunday April 5th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 211-11
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
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
53
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
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
54
Day 36 ndash April 7th - Matthew Hauptman Family
Look up and read Exodus 121-14
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
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
55
Day 37 ndash April 8th - Carter Niper Family
Look up and read John 131-17
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
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
56
Day 38 ndash April 9th ndash Ryan Bartel
Look up and read John 1331-35
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
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
57
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
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
58
Day 39 - April 10th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 2745-56
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
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
59
Holy Saturday ndash April 11th ndash Pastor Ray
Look up and read Matthew 2762-66
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)
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
60
Easter Sunday - April 12th - Pastor John Bromhal
Look up and read Matthew 281-10
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
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
61
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
here
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
62
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
year
62
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
year