How can the cross shed light on what we do in worship and why—not just in the Lenten season but in every season? John Indermark urges us to focus on the cross, its imprint on how we worship as a community, and how it transforms our discipleship. This 6-week study inspires us to connect corporate worship with our daily lives. He organizes the daily readings according to the components of corporate worship: gathering, invocation, confession, proclamation, creed, response, and sacrament. Leade...

Sometimes a pause is good for the soul. It gives us the chance to regroup, reflect, and refocus on God. In Pauses for Lent, Trevor Hudson offers a beautifully minimalist book in which he focuses on one word for each day of Lent. You are invited to pause, focus on the word, read a scripture and a brief meditation related to the word, and then offer a prayer. Pausing in this way will help you carve out time for God and refresh your spirit even in the midst of a busy life. You may find yourself ...

Getting to know God means getting to know ourselves. The more we know who God is the more we know who we are. The Gospel of John records several declarations of Jesus known as the "I Am" sayings. This 7-week study is designed for the entire congregation to explore each of those sayings and will help you find and form an answer to the most essential question in the Christian faith, "Who do you say I am?" One by one, Jesus' statements grab our imagination, reveal more about his identity and pu...

Life is full of interruptions. You have a flat tire on the way to work. Your phone buzzes, signaling yet another text or e-mail. Or a major interruption blindsides you—the death of a loved one, a job loss, a family member in crisis, or a shattering diagnosis. Where is God in all these situations? Interruptions: A 40-Day Journey with Jesus provides a chance for you to set aside your stress for a bit and refocus on God. Jacob Armstrong looks at the life of Jesus and gives insights on how you m...

God thinks the world is worth saving. When we are close to God, we too will want to save the world. For anyone who dismisses Lent as a seemingly endless time of self-sacrifice and introspection, this 6-week study for Lent offers a breath of fresh air. It connects prayer and other inner spiritual practices with outward actions of mercy and compassion. George Donigian guides you to grow in your prayer life by praying about daily news reports, discovering the needs around you, and responding wit...

What do the miracles of Jesus have to do with our lives today? Wessel Bentley describes Jesus' miracles as complex events. Not only did they transform people's lives through healing, multiplication, or resurrection, but they also challenged attitudes and beliefs. This is what makes Jesus' miracles timeless: they can still touch our lives today just as they did the lives of people 2,000 years ago. Each daily reading in this Lenten book begins with a scripture reading, followed by the author's ...

Derek Maul beckons you to join him on a devotional pilgrimage through Lent. Imagine yourself sitting at the table with Jesus and his disciples. Walk with Jesus on the dusty path from Bethany to Jerusalem. Watch him closely and listen to his words of grace, hope, and challenge as he moves purposefully toward the Cross. Reaching Toward Easter features 49 daily devotions that include in-depth Bible study, personal stories, and prayers. Maul hopes that you will arrive at Holy Week refreshed rath...

How will you make more room for God in your life this Lent? Let Thomas Steagald be your travel guide as you journey through Lent with Jesus. Steagald skillfully moves you from being a mere observer to becoming an actual participant in the scripture stories. You'll enter the wilderness with Jesus. Later, you'll meet some of the people who are touched by Jesus: Nicodemus the woman at the well the man who was born blind Mary and Martha after the death of their brother, Lazarus religious and go...

When life takes an unexpected turn that leaves you reeling, sometimes you have to remind yourself to just breathe. But God is closer than the air you breathe. Grounded in scripture and Christian tradition, Sacred Breath walks you through the practice of Centering Prayer and helps you breathe in deeply the presence of God. Learn how to present yourself to God in silence twice a day without any agenda. Forty days of practical, encouraging meditations will help you get started in the rich experi...

It always lasts 40 days, but those 40 days occur on different dates from one year to the next. The 40 days occur immediately before Easter, but because Sundays are excluded from the count, the days of this season are not consecutive. Unlike other holy seasons, which typically begin on a Sunday, this one commences midweek. Believers approach it in a variety of ways. Pamela Hawkins calls it 'the awkward season.' Still, for all its curves and contours, Lent is rich with possibilities. While in...