Lent – Day 33: Service

SERVICE

READ: John 13:1-7

CONSIDER: What do you think it was like for the disciples to see Jesus humble himself in this way?  What’s it like for you?  What work is beneath you?  What would you absolutely never do for someone  if they really, truly needed it?  Why?

PRAY: That God would help you understand what the disciples had such a hard time getting.

[These excerpts are from an outline handout, which we do not have the source for - The cover reads, "The Evergreen Community - Lent Prayer Guide"]

Lent – Day 31: Generosity

GENEROSITY

READ: Luke 12:29-34

CONSIDER: Does worry impede generosity?  What are we forming in ourselves when we worry?  What are we forming in ourselves when we choose generosity?

PRAY: That God would show you how and where to be more generous, and if it is hard, why is this so?

[These excerpts are from an outline handout, which we do not have the source for - The cover reads, "The Evergreen Community - Lent Prayer Guide"]

Lent – Day 25: Pride

PRIDE

READ: Luke 20:45-47

CONSIDER: What does having others’ honor and respect do for you?  What are you willing do for it?  What blinded the people Jesus was talking about to their character defects?  What blinds you to yours?

PRAY:  That God would reveal areas of pride and self-righteousness to you and what you can do about them.

[These excerpts are from an outline handout, which we do not have the source for - The cover reads, "The Evergreen Community - Lent Prayer Guide"]

Lent – Day 23 – Status

STATUS

CONSIDER:  What did Jesus think about self-promotion?  What do you think about it?  How would you rate our desire for status and acknowledgment?

PRAY: That God would show you clearly your need to matter and all that you do to get that need met.  Pray that you would feel the love and acceptance of God, because of Jesus and His life and death on your behalf-not your performance.

[These excerpts are from an outline handout, which we do not have the source for - The cover reads, "The Evergreen Community - Lent Prayer Guide"]

Lent – Day 21 – Fear

FEAR

READ: John 14:15-27

Consider:  What are you most afraid of in life?  What do you want to say to God about that?  After spending some time listening and reflecting , what do you think He wants to say to you about that?

PRAY:  That God would give you peace, trust in Him and the ability to see your fears through the lens of His presence alongside you.

These excerpts are from an outline handout, which we do not have the source for – The cover reads, “The Evergreen Community – Lent Prayer Guide”]

Lent – Day 19 – Friendship

FRIENDSHIP

READ: Matthew 9:9-13

CONSIDER: Who are you friends with?  Why?  What would it look like to intentionally seek out people who need you to be their friend?

PRAY: That God would show you someone you can be a friend to in a way that others couldn’t.

These excerpts are from an outline handout, which we do not have the source for – The cover reads, “The Evergreen Community – Lent Prayer Guide”

TV/Music/Media Fast – Reflection ONE

A few initial reflections:

TV is not too difficult, since we don’t have cable (too cheap to pay for it), or get any reception (too cheap to buy an antenna).  And besides, everything we like to watch is online now, plus there are thousands of instant watch videos on Hulu and Netflix.  Okay, now we are getting into the hard part… not engaging with media online.   Oh and also, I quickly realize how often I’ll turn the radio on in the car to listen to news, music, or sports radio.  Oh, and listening to music, pod casts, or watching TV at the gym is how I get through my workouts…

When we introduced this concept to our boys on Sunday, we knew they would drag their feet and express dread over this fast.  However, one key thing we did was quickly make a long list of all the things we can do instead of watching movies or playing video games.  It’s already caused them and us to be more creative.  We quickly realize that most media and TV-like intake can be a lazy form of parenting (non-parenting).  In many ways, our boys are just  reflection of ourselves.  So when I get peeved that they are so into watching movies, uh um, yeah, we’re busted.  On the other hand it takes loads of planning to schedule play dates and lots of energy (did I say lots of energy!) to keep up with our boys.  This week has been good, as one of our major projects around the house, which the boys can help out with, is the garden installation.  Yep, it’s the perfect week to cultivate and plant our spring garden.

For myself, I find myself reading a whole lot more.  In the car, I pray and have caught myself singing.   In the evening, we’ve all had more compelling conversations, played games and built magnificent Lego creations.  I’ve fallen asleep early. I’ve fixed and taken care of a few loose ends around the house.

In general, having a game plan for yourself and/or kids to replace the time indulged in music, music and TV is highly recommended.