40 Days 40 Ways
Experience Lent at the Ridge ! February 18th - April 4, 2015
Table of Contents 1 3 5 7 9 10 12 16 20 24 28 32 35 37
Introduction from Pastor Dave “What is” section During Lent, I will commit to . . . Lent 2015 New Testament Reading Plan Ash Wednesday flyer Calendar Begins on Wednesday, February 18 Sunday, February 22 Sunday, March 1 Sunday, March 8 Sunday, March 15 Sunday, March 22 Sunday, March 29 Good Friday flyer Sunday, April 5
Introduction from Pastor Dave “…train yourself to be godly. 8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things…” -1st Timothy 4:7-8
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As a pastor, I want the same thing for my church family that Paul desired for his young pupil Timothy: spiritual maturity. This “godliness” as Paul called it, does not happen by accident. In order to grow in our spiritual life, we must “train” ourselves in righteousness. The season of Lent is a wonderful opportunity to purposefully grow in your walk with Christ. If you choose to observe this season, you will challenge yourself to pick up good habits and put down bad ones. The idea of Lent is to intentionally “train” yourself for righteousness.
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The theme for our Lenten observation at Poplar Ridge is “40 Days, 40 Ways”. During the 40 days of Lent you will have opportunities (or “ways”) to deepen your life with Christ. Every day is going to provide a new challenge and a new “way” to grow in your relationship with Him. This booklet provides several ideas for you to use during Lent and we hope it will be useful during your personal Lenten journey.
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We are going to use the number “40” throughout Lent as a way to remind you how God often used a period of trial to strengthen His people and bring glory to Himself. The number 40 is mentioned throughout scripture and every time people have a trial of 40 days/years, God’s people are brought to a better,
more faithful place in their relationship with Him. Lent will be a 40 day trial for us and we can expect to be closer to Him on Easter morning.
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Whether you are new to the faith or a seasoned believer, Lent can be a great time to grow in your walk with Christ. You can start off small in your Lenten journey or you may feel led to have a very strict time of “training”. Either way, my prayer is that we are all moving towards a deeper, more mature faith in Jesus Christ. As Paul reminds us, personal righteousness and Holy living does not happen by accident. Use this valuable time of Lent (40 days!) to make a daily commitment (40 ways!) to know God better and strengthen your faith.
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In Christ, Pastor Dave Mercadante Poplar Ridge Friends
What is Lent?
Lent (as defined by an online dictionary) is “the period preceding Easter that in the Christian Church is devoted to fasting, abstinence, and penitence in commemoration of Christ's fasting in the wilderness.” This year, Lent is from February 18 (Ash Wednesday) to April 4, 2015. The 40 days of fasting includes Monday-Saturday for 6 weeks leading up to Easter. Because Sunday is the day of resurrection and celebration, Christians do not fast on Sundays, even during Lent. (Simply put, you can relax your fast on Sundays!) At Poplar Ridge, our prayer is that everyone who is able will participate in Lent in one way or another. Having a shared experience like this can bind our hearts together, keep us focused on our relationship with Christ and increase our fellowship. Whatever discipline you choose this season, you can be confident that others in your church family are being challenged as well and seek to grow closer to Jesus.
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What to expect?
Observing Lent is a potent challenge for any believer. You will commit yourself, as you feel led, to add and take away things from your life. There are habits that we need to get rid of, like spending too much time on social media or snacking. At first, you’ll be excited to get rid of these creature comforts, knowing that you waste too much time and effort on things that do not matter. But as 3 the weeks wear on, you may have a desire to turn back to some of
the things you committed yourself to at the beginning of Lent. The temptation is natural. Just be prepared for the lull in your excitement. When you stick to your discipline and say “no” to those creature comforts, you are training yourself to say “no” to unrighteousness when it really matters. At the end of Lent, you will find yourself with more self-discipline and a greater willingness to seek righteousness in every moment. On the other hand, Lent is not just about giving things up. It is also about adding important things to our spiritual life. You are challenged to spend more time in God’s word, more time in prayer and more time giving both financially and physically. Again, at the beginning of Lent, you’ll find yourself excited to take on a new, more spiritual lifestyle but may find a “lull” in the later weeks of Lent. Finding other people who are observing Lent is essential as they can encourage you with their struggles and success during this season. Please be prayerful in choosing what you add and take away during Lent. You really need to challenge yourself to new heights in your spiritual discipline, but do not try to do too much too fast. If you are new to prayer, don’t commit yourself to 3 hours a day! If you have never fasted, do not plan to go without food for several days in a row! You will be surprised how God can improve our spiritual discipline and turn you into a lifelong prayer-warrior but, we all need spiritual milk before we can have a spiritual T-bone. Make your commitment something that is hard and will require faith, but do not think you have to become a monk right away! During Lent, every day will be a challenge and an opportunity. You will find that each day is an adventure in your Lenten observation. That’s why we went with the theme “40 days, 40 ways”…every day is a new opportunity (or way) to challenge yourself and show your devotion to God!
During Lent, I will commit to: (Check all that apply)
KNOW –
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Attend the Ash Wednesday Service, February 18, 2015 in the FEC Attend Worship every Sunday of Lent Have devotions with my family during the week Other: ________________________
GROW –
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Attend my Sunday school class or Small group every Sunday during Lent Join a Small group (talk to Pastor Dave for details!) Join the “Daniel Plan” Small group (Sunday at 9:30am or 7pm) Read the New Testament in 40 days (include plan) 40 hours of prayer (You can mark your time in our prayer journal!) Fast for 40 hours (nonconsecutive) Other: _________________________
GO – Witness to 4 people and/or invite 4 friends to church Increase your financial commitment 4% Give away 40 items to people in need Volunteer 4 extra hours around my community or at church (talk to Pastor Dave if you need help with ideas!) Other: __________________________
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In order to end mindless consumption and give better attention to God, during Lent I will restrict myself from:
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TV Coee Soda Snacking between meals Facebook/Social media Other: ____________________
During Lent, I will pray specifically for (check all that apply and/or write your own):
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My church family The mission of Poplar Ridge Friends My Family Other: _______________________________
At the end of Lent, I would like to: Have clarity about (a new job, family issue, big decision, etc‌) __________ Have a stronger prayer life Have more courage in sharing my faith Be more generous Better able to sense the leading of the Holy Spirit.
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Lent 2015 New Testament Reading Plan
1. 2. 3. 4.
February 18: Mark 1-4 February 19: Mark 5-8 February 20: Mark 9-12 February 21: Mark 13-16
5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
February 22: SUNDAY! February 23: 1 & 2 Thessalonians February 24: Galatians February 25: Philippians & Colossians February 26: Philemon & Ephesians February 27: Matthew 1-7 February 28: Matthew 8-12
12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18.
March 1: SUNDAY! March 2: Matthew 13-18 March 3: Matthew 19-24 March 4: Matthew 25-28 March 5: 1 Corinthians 1-9 March 6: 1 Corinthians 10-16 March 7: 2 Corinthians 1-13
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19. March 8: SUNDAY! 20. March 9: Romans 1-8 21. March 10: Romans 9-16 7 22. March 11: Luke 1-3
23. March 12: Luke 4-7 24. March 13: Luke 8-11 25. March 14: Luke 12-16
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26. March 15: SUNDAY! 27. March 16: Luke 17-21 28. March 17: Luke 22-24 29. March 18: Acts 1-6 30. March 19: Acts 7-10 31. March 20: Acts 11-16 32. March 21:Acts 17-22
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33. March 22: SUNDAY! 34. March 23: Acts 23-28 35. March 24:1 & 2 Timothy & Titus 36. March 25: Hebrews 1-10 37. March 26: Hebrews 11-13 & James 38. March 27: John 1-5 39. March 28: John 6-10
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40. March 29: PALM SUNDAY! 41. March 30: John 11-16 42. March 31: John 17-21 43. April 1: 1 & 2 & 3 John & Jude 44. April 2: 1 & 2 Peter 45. April 3: Revelation 1-11 46. April 4: Revelation 12-22
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Easter Sunday!
ASH Wednesday February 18, 6:00 - 8:00pm Come when you can Poplar Ridge Friends Meeting Family Enrichment Center
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good Friday service
friday, April 3, 6:30pm Poplar Ridge Friends Meeting Family Enrichment Center
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