“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4, ESV) Rejoice Always We are almost there. Today is the last day of Lent. We have been preparing for this moment for the last 40 days. Tomorrow is Easter. Easter is the day we celebrate the resurrection. It is a day that is marked with joy and celebration. But this joy is not to be reserved for one day … [Read more...] about 40 Things NOT to Give up for Lent: 40.Joy
Lent
40 Things NOT to Give up for Lent: 39.Grief
“For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10, ESV) “Good grief!” That was one of Charlie Brown’s favorite lines. But what is so good about grief? How can we put those two words together? It is good to shed a tear. Grief is necessary. Grief is a process through which we confront our … [Read more...] about 40 Things NOT to Give up for Lent: 39.Grief
40 Things NOT to Give up for Lent: 38.Community
Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:25, ESV) Faith is not lived in a vacuum. God has called us to life together. The redemption that Jesus won on the cross was so that we would be reconciled with God. It was also so that we could be reconciled with one another and … [Read more...] about 40 Things NOT to Give up for Lent: 38.Community
40 Things NOT to Give up for Lent: 37.Sacrifice
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13, ESV) On Monday, we talked about the tie between worship and sacrifice. Jesus says that there is no greater love than one who would lay down his life for his friends. There is no one who personifies this more than Jesus himself. Today, I write this out of gratitude. I write in … [Read more...] about 40 Things NOT to Give up for Lent: 37.Sacrifice
40 Things NOT to Give up for Lent: 36.Anger
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. (Romans 12:9, ESV) Anger might be a strange thing to NOT give up for Lent. Anger seems like it should be something that we would want to let go. But let me make a case for anger. This week is Holy Week. When Jesus came into the Temple on Palm Sunday, John says that he braided a whip (see John 2:15). I could … [Read more...] about 40 Things NOT to Give up for Lent: 36.Anger