The List
40 Things to Give up for Lent: The List
Have you ever wondered what to give up for Lent? Join us on this 40 day adventure through the season of Lent. Each day you will make a new discovery of something truly worth giving up. These 40 things are worth giving up not just for Lent, but for the rest of your life. You can give up things you eat and drink such as soda and chocolate. You can give up bad habits such as smoking or staying up late. But in this devotion you will look at giving up things which will transform your life. You will give up things like bitterness, loneliness, envy, and more.
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Giving up the Fear of Failure
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Day 1: Ash Wednesday Scripture Verses: Psalm 23:1-6 Matthew 28:19–20 John 14:16–17 Questions to consider: What is your favorite part of Lent? What are you afraid to start? If you took a step of faith into something new, what fears would you need to set aside? How does…
Giving up your Comfort Zones
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Day 2: Thursday after Ash Wednesday Scripture Verses Matthew 8:18–20 2 Corinthians 4:7–12 Questions to Consider What is something in your life you desire to change? What are some of your comfort zones that keep you from making the desired change? What are some steps you might take…
Giving up Your Feelings of Unworthiness
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Day 3: Friday after Ash Wednesday Scripture Verses Matthew 6:25–26 Psalm 139:1–16 1 Peter 2:4–11 Questions to Consider In what ways do you feel inadequate or unworthy? What voices are you listening to which cause you to feel unworthy that you need to silence? What voices do you…
Giving up Your Impatience
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Day #4 Saturday after Ash Wednesday Scripture Verses Psalm 90:1–17 Galatians 5:22–24 Ephesians 4:2 James 1:19–20 Questions to Consider What are you impatient about? What are some things that cause you impatience? What are some things that help you to relax and find peace in a busy and…
Giving up Retirement
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Week 1: Monday Scripture Verses Mark 10:42–45 John 14:12–17 Colossians 3:23–24 Ephesians 2:10 Questions to Consider What are the non-monetary benefits of work? What are the challenges you have with work? What do you think God has to say about those challenges? What does it mean to work…
Giving up People Pleasing
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Week #1 Tuesday Scripture Verses 2 Timothy 4:1–8 Isaiah 8:8–13 Luke 13:31–35 Questions to Consider How has your need to please people compromised your desire to please God? Who are the people you aim to please? Why? What does it mean to speak the truth in love (See…
Giving up Comparison
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Week 1: Wednesday Scripture Verses Philippians 3:4–10 Job 40:3–41:34 Questions to Consider What are some ways you compare yourself to others? Why? What is the danger of comparing yourself to others? What do you base your value on? Why does God value you? What does that mean to…
Giving up Blame
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Week 1: Thursday Scripture Verses Genesis 3:1–24 Nehemiah 1:4–11 Romans 8:31–39 Questions to Consider Who are you blaming for a certain situation or circumstance? What was your role? Why do we blame others for our circumstances rather than accept responsibility? What are some ways we own responsibility for…
Giving up Guilt
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Week 1: Friday Scripture Psalm 103:1–22 1 John 1:5–10 John 3:16–18 Questions In what areas of life do you live with guilt? How is our guilt removed? What is the cost of our guilt being removed? What does Jesus say about your guilt? How do we help others…
Giving up Overcommitment
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Week 1: Saturday Scripture Verses Isaiah 56:1–8 Matthew 5:37 Matthew 11:25–30 Questions to Consider In what areas of your life do you feel overcommitted and overburdened? Why is overcommitment bad for us and for others? How can you start to move your priorities towards what is truly important…
Giving up Lack of Counsel
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Week 2: Monday Scripture Verses 1 Kings 12:1–24 2 Timothy 3:10 – 4:5 Questions to Consider Who are some mentors you admire? Why is it important to seek the counsel of others? What are some of the qualities and characteristics of people who make good advisors? How do…
Giving up Impurity
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Week 2: Tuesday Scripture Verses Matthew 5:27–30 1 Corinthians 6:12–20 James 3:13–18 Questions to Consider Why does God command us to avoid sexual impurity? What are the consequences of sexual impurity for individuals, families, society, and the Church? What steps do you take to intentionally live holy and…
Giving up Entitlement
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Week 2: Wednesday Scripture Verses Mark 10:35–45 Romans 6:20–23 Ephesians 2:1–10 Questions to Consider What does God owe you? What does the world owe you? Why should we be thankful that God does not give to us according to what we are entitled? Have you ever been angry…
Giving up Apathy
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Week 2: Thursday Scripture Verses James 1:26–27 Matthew 25:31–46 Luke 7:18–23 Questions to Consider What are some of the ways people suffer around the world? How does God intend to use you to help them in their need? Why are we not more responsive to the needs of…
Giving up Hatred
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Week 2: Friday Scripture Verses Psalm 86:1–17 Matthew 5:38–48 1 John 2:7–21 Questions to Consider What is hate? Where does hate come from? How do we typically respond to hate? How do you believe prayer helps transform your hate into love? How does Jesus help us to respond…
Giving up Negativity
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Week 2: Saturday Scripture Verses Psalm 46 2 Corinthians 4:7–18 Colossians 3:12–17 Questions to Consider How do negative patterns of thought and speech perpetuate themselves? What are some things which help you stay positive? How does God use negative situations for good? How does Jesus give you reason…
Giving up the Spirit of Poverty
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Week 3: Monday Scripture Verses Matthew 25:14–30 2 Corinthians 9:6–15 Matthew 6:19–24 Questions to Consider How is living with a spirit of poverty different from living in poverty? Why do we fear there is not enough? How is generosity the antidote to the spirit of poverty? Why is…
Giving up Going through the Motions
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Week #3 Tuesday Scripture Verses Isaiah 1:11–18 Hosea 6:6 John 4:20–26 Questions to Consider How would you define worship? In what ways do you go through the motions of worship? Are there elements of worship you participate in which you don’t fully understand? What does God desire most…
Giving up Complaint
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Week 3: Wednesday Scripture Verses Jude 17–25 Psalm 19:1–14 Exodus 17:1–7 Questions to Consider Why do we complain? What are the consequences of constant complaining? What might you do different when you find yourself overwhelmed by a complaining spirit? How does Jesus help us overcome complaining? Plan of…
Giving up the Pursuit of Happiness
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Week 3: Thursday Scripture Verses Psalm 30:1–12 Philippians 4:4–7 James 1:2–4 Questions to Consider What makes you happy? What makes you unhappy? What is the difference between happiness and joy? How do we experience joy even when we may not be happy? How does Jesus give us joy?…
Giving up Bitterness
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Week 3: Friday Scripture Verses Matthew 6:12–15 Hebrews 12:12–17 Luke 15:25–32 Questions to Consider What are some reasons people become bitter? What are some of the effects of bitterness on people? How do you respond when you feel bitterness growing inside you? How does Jesus heal us of…
Giving Up Distraction
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Week 3: Saturday Scripture Verses Hebrews 12:1–2 Mark 1:35 John 1:14–18 Questions to Consider What distracts you from being present with other people around you? What distracts you from living out God’s agenda for your life? What helps you to focus and be the most productive? How does…
Giving up Giving up
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Week #4 Monday Scripture Verses Romans 12:9–21 Luke 18:1–8 Questions to Consider Are there areas of your life where you felt like giving up on God because he hasn’t come through? Why do you think God is “slow” to fulfill his promises? What does it mean to be…
Giving up Mediocrity
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Week 4 Tuesday Scripture Verses Mark 12:41–44 1 Timothy 4:6–16 Deuteronomy 6:4–9 Questions to Consider What are the characteristics of an offering (not just money) acceptable to God? Why should we strive to give God our best? What are some ways to strive to give God our best?…
Destructive Speech
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Week 4 Wednesday Scripture Verses James 3:1–12 Matthew 15:1–11 Psalm 8:1–9 Questions to Consider When have you said something you would rather not have spoken? What are the consequences of speaking profanity and other words of impurity? How do we tame the tongue? How does Jesus help us…
Giving up Busyness
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Week 4: Thursday Scripture Verses Luke 10:38–42 Matthew 11:25–30 Questions to Consider Why do we value busyness? How does busyness hinder our relationship with God and others? How do we overcome busyness? How does Jesus help us overcome busyness? Plan of Action Take a nap. Rest. Relax. Recognize…
Giving up Loneliness
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Week 4: Friday Scripture Verses Psalm 28:1–9 Isaiah 53:1–3 Matthew 28:19–20 Questions to Consider What are some of the causes of loneliness? Why is it easy to be lonely in the crowd? How do you overcome loneliness? How does Jesus help us overcome loneliness? Plan of Action Invite…
Giving up Disunity
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Week 4 Saturday Scripture Verses 1 Corinthians 12:12–31 Ephesians 4:1–16 John 17:20–26 Questions to Consider Where do you see disunity in the world? What are the consequences of disunity? What is your role as a peace-maker? How does Jesus bring peace and reconciliation to a hostile world? Plan…
Giving up the Quick Fix
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Week 5 Monday Scripture Verses Hebrews 12:3–17 Psalm 22:1–31 Revelation 21:1–8 Questions to Consider Is there good to be found in pain? In what ways have you been refined through suffering? How do you overcome pain (physical, emotional, spiritual) in your life? How does God use pain for…
Giving up Worry
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Week 5 Tuesday Scripture Verses Matthew 6:25–34 Psalm 46:1–11 Questions to Consider Why do we worry? What are you worried about? How do you overcome worry? How does Jesus help you overcome worry? Plan of Action Get to work. When you are busy working towards a solution, it…
Giving up Idolizing
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Week 5 Wednesday Scripture Verses Philippians 2:1–11 Revelation 5:1–14 Deuteronomy 6:1–9 Questions to Consider How is idolatry practiced today? What are some idols you make for yourself? How do you overcome idolatry? How does Jesus conquer idolatry in our lives? Plan of Action Is there another person upon…
Giving up the Resistance to Change
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Scripture Verses Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 Matthew 8:24–27 Questions to Consider Why is change hard? What changes are you resisting that you know you need to make? What do you do to embrace change? How does Jesus help us change? Plan of Action We become creatures of habit. We fall…
Giving up Pride
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Week 5 Friday Scripture Verses Psalm 51:17 Micah 6:6–8 Matthew 23:1–12 Questions to Consider What does it mean to be humble? From what areas of your life do you need to eliminate pride? How do you practice humility? How does Jesus give us humility? Plan of Action The…
Giving up a Small View of God
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Week 5 Saturday Scripture Verses Psalm 19:1–14 Genesis 1:1–31 Ephesians 3:14–19 Questions to Consider What does creation tell us about God? Why do we put limits on the glory and power of God? How does seeing God for who he is, give us confidence in the face of…
Giving up Envy
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Holy Week Monday Scripture Verses Psalm 37:1–40 1 Corinthians 3:1–15 Questions to Consider What do you envy in others? What are the consequences of envy? How do you overcome envy? What is the opposite of envy? How is Jesus the answer to envy? Plan of Action Overcoming envy…
Giving up Ungratefulness
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Holy Week Tuesday Scripture Verses Psalm 100:1–5 Psalm 118:1–29 Luke 17:11–19 1 Thessalonians 5:16–19 Questions to Consider What do you have to be thankful for? What causes us to be ungrateful? How do you cultivate a grateful heart? How does Jesus create gratefulness within us? Plan of Action…
Giving up Selfish Ambition
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Holy Week Wednesday Scripture Verses Philippians 3:4–11 Genesis 11:1–9 Ecclesiastes 1:1–11 Questions to Consider Why is selfish ambition so attractive? What are the consequences of selfish ambition? How do you overcome selfish ambition? How does Christ conquer selfish ambition? Plan of Action Make a list of the ways…
Giving up Self-sufficiency
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Maundy Thursday Scripture Verses Matthew 26:14–75 Questions to Consider Why do we have difficulty asking for help? What is wrong with not asking for help? What is the proper way to ask for help? From others? From God? How does God offer us help? Plan of Action Ask…
Giving up Sorrow
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Good Friday Scripture Verses Matthew 27:1–66 1 Corinthians 15:1–58 Questions to Consider Why is Good Friday good? Why should we not fear death? What does it mean that Jesus conquered death? Plan of Action Remember the cross and the resurrection. Simply reflect upon the implications of the above…
Giving up My Life
Get the Book Join the Mailing List Holy Saturday Scripture Verses Matthew 28:1–10 Matthew 16:24–28 Questions to Consider Why are we reluctant to give everything to God? What does it mean to give your life to God? What enables you to give God your life? Why did Jesus give us everything? Plan of Action What…