Lent 2015

Tomorrow marks the first day of Lent for 2015!

 What’s Lent? 

The idea of Lent is simply a fast for forty days. It always starts on Ash Wednesday and goes all the way to Easter. When participating in lent, most people take Sunday’s off from their fast, and simply fast Monday-Saturday.

I first learned about Lent when I was in high school. I remember my youth minister telling us about it, and he challenged us to give up something for 40 days. I think I chose to give up something simple – like soda. I tried it out and really enjoyed it – and I have taken part of it ever since then.

I can’t tell you much about the history of lent – and that’s because I honestly don’t care. Personally, I just use it as an excuse to fast.

An excuse to fast? 

Of course! In the world we live in today, all we experience is go go go. It seems like every moment of our day is packed in so full that we never have a moment to rest. Everything is always so busy – and with so much busyness – who has time to fast? Fasting seems so inconvenient to our schedules and our lives, and so most of the time it gets pushed on the back burner.

But with lent, we can join plenty of other people and purposely carve out time in our lives to fast from certain things in order to get closer to God. And that, my friends, is biblical. (Joel 1:14; Ezra 8:21; Acts 13:2-3; 14:23).

Give up what? 

Personally, when I started participating in Lent, I mostly gave up foods. I remember one year I gave up soda; one year I gave up eating out (and I’m not necessarily against these types of things). But once I started doing it more and more, I struggled with how this fast seriously helped me grow more humble and closer to God.

It didn’t.

Ever since then, I have intentionally chosen more unique ideas that are more beneficial for me spiritual as opposed to just another New Year’s Resolution. Last year I didn’t watch TV, and instead chose to read. One year I only listened to Christian music. One year I wrote an encouraging note to a different person every day. This year, I’m pretty pumped. I’ve been praying that God give me a cool idea – and sure enough he let me have one.

I’m going to read the whole bible in 40 days.

There’s 1189 chapters in the bible – so that’s around 30 chapters a day. That’s 10 chapters in the morning, 10 chapters at noon, and 10 chapters at night. Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

I have already mapped out a chart telling me what to read on what day – and I’m excited! Looking forward to what God has in store to tell me over these next 40 days as we remember the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

What about you?

I didn’t write this blog to brag on my holy Jesus skills – and I hope that no one got that impression. Instead, I’m hoping that this simple blog gives you a challenge to try Lent for 2015. Today, think about something that YOU could give up for 40 days in order to better connect you with our Creator. Some pretty cool ideas include:

•      Abstain from all social media for 40 days
•       Read all four gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
•       Read a chapter a day of Matthew
•       Read a chapter a day of Mark
•       Read a chapter a day of Luke
•       Read a chapter a day of John
•       Listen to nothing but wholesome, Christian music.
•       Abstain from eating out and give your leftover money to a charity
•       Go out of your way to do one act of kindness a day
•       Go out of your way to encourage one person a day

If you’re super brave and want to participate in reading the bible over 40 days, Ill attach the reading plan that I made at the end of this blog.

Regardless, let me know if you decide to try it out!

Hope you dudes have a good day!

-Kevin

Week One
Day One – Wednesday, Feb. 18th	Genesis 1-30
Day Two – Thursday, Feb. 19th	Genesis 31-50. Exodus 1-11
Day Three – Friday, Feb. 20th	Exodus 12-40
Day Four – Saturday, Feb. 21st	Leviticus 1-27
Week Two
Day One – Monday, Feb. 23rd	Numbers 1-36
Day Two – Tuesday, Feb. 24th	Deut. 1-30
Day Three – Wednesday, Feb. 25th	Deut. 31-34; Joshua 1-24
Day Four – Thursday, Feb. 26th	Judges 1-21; Ruth 1-4
Day Five – Friday, Feb. 27th	1 Samuel 1-31
Day Six – Saturday, Feb. 28th	2 Samuel 1-24; 1 Kings 1-6
Week Three
Day One – Monday, Mar. 2nd	1 Kings 7-22; 2 Kings 1-15
Day Two – Tuesday, Mar. 3rd	1 Chronicles 1-29
Day Three – Wednesday, Mar. 4th	2 Chronicles 1-36
Day Four – Thursday, Mar. 5th	Ezra 1-10; Nehemiah 1-13; Esther 1-10
Day Five – Friday, Mar. 6th	Job 1-30
Day Six – Saturday, Mar. 7th	Job 31-42; Ps. 1-19
Week Four
Day One – Monday, Mar. 9th	Ps. 20-50
Day Two – Tuesday, Mar. 10th	Ps. 51-80
Day Three – Wednesday, Mar. 11th	Ps. 81-110
Day Four – Thursday, Mar. 12th	Ps. 111-140
Day Five – Friday, Mar. 13th	Ps. 141-150; Proverbs 1-21
Day Six – Saturday, Mar. 14th	Probers 22-31; Ecc. 1-12; Song of Sol. 1-8
Week Five
Day One – Monday, Mar. 16th	Isaiah 1-30
Day Two – Tuesday, Mar. 17th	Isaiah 31-60
Day Three – Wednesday, Mar. 18th	Isaiah 61-66; Jeremiah 1-25
Day Four – Thursday, Mar. 19th	Jeremiah 25-52; Lamentation 1-5
Day Five – Friday, Mar.  20th	Ezekiel 1-30
Day Six – Saturday, Mar. 21st	Ezekiel 31-48; Daniel 1-12
Week Six
Day One – Monday, Mar. 23rd	Hosea; Joel; Amos; Obadiah; Jonah
Day Two – Tuesday, Mar. 24th	Micah; Nahum; Habakkuk; Zephaniah; Haggai; Zechariah; Malichi
Day Three – Wednesday, Mar. 25th	Matthew
Day Four – Thursday, Mar. 26th	Mark 1-16; Luke 1-14
Day Five – Friday, Mar. 27th	Luke 15-24; John 1-21
Day Six – Saturday, Mar. 28th	Acts 28
Week Seven
Day One – Monday, Mar. 30th	Romans; 1 Corinthians
Day Two – Tuesday, Mar. 31st	2 Corinthians; Galatians; Ephesians; Philippians
Day Three – Wednesday, Apr. 1st	Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians; 1 &2 Timothy; Titus; Philemon
Day Four – Thursday, Apr. 2nd	Hebrews
Day Five – Friday, Apr. 3rd	James; 1 & 2 Peter; 1, 2 & 3 John; Jude
Day Six – Saturday 4th	Revelation

First Post. Woot woot.

Hey there!

My name is Kevin and I am a student minister.

I’m 23 years old and married to the most awesome cook in the entire world. I love playing pickup basketball, hanging out with friends, and drinking 7-11 coffee early in the morning (ahh, I can taste the deliciousness now).

I work full time at Philippi Church of Christ in a small town called Creswell, NC. Although the area seems rather tiny, the church is one of the healthiest churches that I’ve ever encountered. It is full of awesome people that have a passion for loving Jesus and loving others.

I’ve decided to title this blog “Restless.”

Why, you ask? Good question.

It all dates back to one summer when I was a camper at Blue Ridge Christian Camp. We had a “get-to-know-you-time” meeting our counselors. They opened the floor up to random questions, and most of them were basic and funny. “How old are you?”; “Where are you from?”; “What’s your favorite football team?” –etc.  

However, one question was asked that was super deep – and it has literally not left my mind since I heard it. A girl raised her hand and asked the counselors:

 “If you could define your relationship with God in one word, what would it be?”

I remember everyone staring at this 8^th grader as she dropped such a thought-provoking question. And to be honest, I have no clue how the counselors answered. Instead, from the moment she asked that question, I applied it to my personal life. What sort of relationship do I have with God, the Creator of the Universe?

It’s been years since that happened, and I still remember it like it was yesterday. I was never quite able to fully answer that question until a couple of months ago. I would say that my answer would be: restless.

Restless because I don’t ever want to be content. Restless because I don’t ever want to get enough. Restless because the more I seek Him, the more I crave Him. Restless – because I want to spend my whole life exhausted from chasing Him and leading others to Him as well.

I want to be a restless follower of Jesus.

What about you?

If you could define your relationship with God in one word – what would it be? 

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