My second “Thank You” goes to people like Mark Driscoll, James McDonald, and anyone else who has helped to start the “Churches Helping Churches” initiative.

My third and final “Thank You” goes to you Redemption Hill Church.  A few weeks ago, we extended to you the opportunity to strengthen the Church in Haiti through your giving and, by God’s grace (2 Corinthians 8:1), you responded by giving $6,816.00 toward the work of rebuilding and strengthening the Haitian Church.

Please be encouraged when you remember that, although this amount of money can barely even begin to address the challenges that our brothers and sisters in Haiti face in the aftermath of the earthquake, your giving will cause the Church in Haiti to glorify God–the greatest thing any church can do.

The apostle Paul said it this way:

2 Corinthians 8:12-13

…The ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission flowing from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others…

“The wise man is disgusted that he has no reason for trusting his reason, no wisdom as the foundation for his wisdom.”

- Anonymous

Reflection Points

• What stood out to you this morning?  How can you respond?
• How can an increased sense of awe or Jesus lead you to:
  • Live a “wiser” life?
  • Explore the wonders of creation?
  • Wrestle with the complexities of life?
• What would an example of acting with ‘godly wisdom’ look like in a relationship you have?
• Do you think that faith requires you to sacrifice your intelligence?

‘Herding the Wind’

“In the 1830’s, when Alexis de Tocqueville recorded his famous observations on America, he noted a ’strange melancholy that haunts the inhabitants…in the midst of abundance.”
- quoted by Tim Keller in Counterfeit Gods

Reflection Points

• What stood out to you? What hit home? How can you respond?
• Does the search for pleasure ever consume you? Do you avoid pleasure?
• Do you see pleasure as a gift from God or a vice that enslaves? How do you break free?
• How can you experience pleasure this week and let it compel you to worship God?

Today marks the start of the second week of our Lenten Journey. Many of you have joined us on this journey and some of you have just lost track of time and would like a re-do.

Well, let Week 2 be a ‘take 2′ for you. Download the guide and join us starting this week. We’re all going to pick a food or a meal to fast from this week and as we do we’ll pay attention to ‘what is it like to begin to assert some mastery over your body. How does your body/mind respond to that? If you forgo a whole category of food, consider: What is it like to deny a craving? Is it easy or hard. How does that craving grow the more you deny it? Does it eventually become easier? Why?

We’ll also reflect through Scripture on the ideas of sin, rules (legalism) and judgment. But we don’t just reflect, we take our reflections and use the Lord’s Prayer as a guide to turn our reflections upwards and see how the gospel deals with what we discover about ourselves.

• How does knowing God as a god dad affect what you saw about yourself in the days reflection?
• How would wanting his glory in that situation change the way that you approached it? What is your reflection showing you about whose glory you’re after?
• What needs to change for God’s glory and purposes to be achieved? What would it look like for His will to be done in what you have discovered?
• What do you need for that to happen? What change of heart or perspective do you need? Do you recognize the presence of God’s Spirit and do you think that’s enough?
• What thoughts, desires, temptations in this do you need deliverance from?
• Where is confession, repentance, and forgiveness necessary here? To whom?

So, if you missed week 1, this is new week and a new opportunity to join us in the Lenten Season and by God’s grace, experience a ‘Springtime of Faith’.

I’m not doing this for Lent.  If I were, it would need to be much more intentional and worshipful than it has been.  But I feel like I’ve learned some things about myself that have made it a worthwhile experience.

1. I like rules.  A lot.  Give me rules and boundaries and I feel free.  I don’t need the rest of the world to keep my rules- but I like the rules to constrain myself.
2. Restrictions make me more creative.  When I have wanted something sweet, I have created recipes that I never would have tried without these restrictions.
3. Even a temporary restriction needs company.  I am very thankful for the two women who have done this crazy sugar fast with me.  It’s nice to know someone else is giving it up too.
4. The fast has changed my taste buds.  Ever tried cooking whole unsweetened cranberries in water with a cut up apple and a little bit of honey?  Man- it’s as sweet to me as you would imagine your grandma’s apple pie.

And where’s the gospel application here?  Honestly, it gets mixed up in my head.  Having a sugar fast save me is kind of like letting religion save me.  I wish eating were such an act of worship for me that I didn’t use it as a crutch for my boredom, depression, or lack of planning.  But at the same time, a temporary discipline can be useful for resetting the tastes and refreshing the palate in more ways than one.  I feel like my head is on straighter- like I can think clearer, look outside myself more, and listen for the whisper of God.

Lent can be like this too (and even better) when it’s celebrated in a spirit of worship.  Restrictions shouldn’t be rules to gain God’s approval; restrictions can clear our heads to think about and worship Jesus.  If you are following this path for the weeks leading up to Easter, let your temporary fasts make space in your soul for worship.  And be thankful- as I have been- for the fellowship of multitudes of believers who are also denying something right now while seeking to know Christ more.

“In order to be prepared to hope in what does not deceive, we must first lose hope in everything that deceives.”

Reflection Points

• What stood out to you this morning? Why do you think so?
• What ‘illusions’ might you be clinging to for hope and meaning?
• Are you ready to lose hope in them in order to hope in the Gospel, which does not deceive?

• What is Lent? An explanation of the Lenten Season
• Our Lenten Rhythm: our twist on an ancient practice
• Calendar of readings, prayers, and fasts

This Lenten journey may not be like one that you have done in the past…you can blame my influences on that one.

Beg…borrow…and sometimes steal…that’s how things get developed sometimes. I’m an information junkie…I have files a few inches deep spread around the office and the house on different topics. The writing of this journal was the product of a lot of research and other people’s work. So, it’s good to know who you can beg, who will let you borrow and who doesn’t mind if you outright steal from them when you are putting things together.

This would have been a very different guide if it weren’t for the work of Bob Hyatt as well as the generous guys at Sojourn Community Church in Louisville. These guys, as well as others, have produced some amazing prayer guides over the years that spurred my thoughts and direction when it came time to putting this together…and crazy props to my wife who took it and make it look like something that needs to be read and getting it online.

So, I hope that you use this guide and join us in this journey as we seek to ‘lose the things that can’t truly satisfy‘ in order to gain the only true satisfaction that can be found in Jesus.

Go here to read or download.

Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

“I could dismiss half of my patients tomorrow if they could be assured of forgiveness today.”

- Anonymous Psychologist

Reflection Points

• What stood out to you? How should you respond to it?
• Make a list of people you need to forgive. Seriously.
• What are some reasons why is it hard for you to forgive?
• Work through the “Forgiveness Project” this week and discuss it with your community group.

Third, use the snow school closings as a gift from God to “nudge” your community groups to the point where worshipping together like you did this past Sunday is a natural part of your DNA. And use it to draw those who regularly attend RH but who have yet to affiliate with a community group to the group that is nearest to their place of residence. These groups are the heart and soul of Redemption Hill, the places where everyone can be real and grow and minister to each other in a natural and fruitful way.

Finally, we want to share that our group at Kaleo has a wonderful ministry to a local homeless shelter, and are part of their family. Once a month the meeting takes place at the site of the shelter and involved their residents. It is amazing to see what God does! There are actually three ways these groups can help grow the church and each member.

Every group at RH should pray about at least one group ministry to needy people in the community; second, subgroups of two or three should come together to form accountability groups to meet weekly, study Scripture and support each other by prayer and confidential exchanges that focus on specific areas of weakness and temptation and seek to hold each other accountable; and finally, each member should be learning how to disciple others, and then actually doing it as a natural element of the Christian walk.

If you do not know how to disciple others, get the Master Life course materials and go through them with a small group of RH members and friends. Or review some of the excellent materials published by the Navigators.

In conclusion, we cherish your prayers and are staying very connected with you all through the church web sites. We may not regularly be making entries on the community site, but rest assured we review it frequently, and do not perceive ourselves as separated from you in Jesus. And that is the only way that counts!

There will be more storms, both physical and spiritual. There will be more lost jobs, more serious illnesses, more heartache as we live and serve God in this fallen world—in the midst of a fierce spiritual battle. But we all have Jesus, and we have each other as dear brothers and sisters in Christ. The best remedy for dealing with life’s challenges is to focus on meeting the needs of others and then watch as God provides for your own needs in ways that glorify Him and lead others to His Throne!

Pray for your pastors, and grow in ministry gifts in ways that will enable you to carry some of their burdens and thus multiply the Kingdom impact of Redemption Hill.

We do not know the path that lies ahead of us. And we are content not to know. That is our path of faith and trust. We expect God to do with and through us all that He wills and to do it to advance His purposes and glorify Himself among all peoples. We hope and pray that this will include our continued ministry on this side of eternity, but we are ready to go to the other side whenever He wishes.

Beloved, pray for us, and that God would use us here to advance His Kingdom.

Greet all the brothers and sisters for and from us.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you, now and forever.

Galatians 2:20