I first became acquainted with Lent when I was in seminary. As a kid, I had seen peers who came to school with ashes on their foreheads one day and we went to all the local fish fries that came up every Friday. In seminary, most of my peers were Methodist and they all talked about what they were “giving up” for Lent. This was new language for me and watching my good friends complain about not getting to drink Dr. Pepper or eat chocolate until Easter didn’t help it make any sense to me. But as I learned and studied more about Lent, I came to find that it was not about deprivation but about preparation.

To define it simply, Lent is the 40 days before Easter (actually 46, Sundays aren’t counted). Throughout Scripture, 40 days is a common timeframe used for preparation. Twice, Moses spent 40 days on Mt. Sinai with God. Elijah traveled 40 days to meet with God at Mt. Sinai. Jesus wandered in the wilderness for 40 days before he began his ministry. All of them fasted in that timeframe. It is this 40 days that is the basis of the symbolism of Lent - 40 days leading to Easter to prepare us for the new life that we receive because of Jesus’ resurrection.

In the early church, this time began as a way to teach new converts leading into Easter baptism and would later become a time of restoration for everyone involving repentance, fasting, and prayer. We now utilize all of these different historical elements to celebrate everything that Jesus has done for us leading up to Easter.

This guide is meant to lead you in a season of personal repentance, renewal, and celebration in a way that points us to the cross and the empty tomb in your life. How you utilize it devotionally and prayerfully, whether you fast or don’t fast, and the time spent with it is all up to you. Take this as an opportunity to prepare your heart and life to fully embrace the promise of Easter – the hope of new life found only in Jesus.

“O Lord, make this Lenten season different from the other ones. Let me find you again.” ~ Henri Nouwen, A Cry for Mercy: Prayers from the Genesee

Returning to the Lord means utilizing the tried-and-true tools available to us to unearth His truths within our lives. The darkness that is hidden in our hearts is exposed to the light of His presence. We use Scripture reading to bring light to our path. Prayer centers us on Jesus and brings us into a deeper communion with Him. Fasting brings discipline, overcomes selfish desires, and can help us break unhealthy habits. Worship, service, silence, solitude, confession, and a vast array of other tools can point out where we are wayward and how to redirect our lives towards him.

Question: As you begin your Lenten journey, what tools will you use to help return your life to the Lord? 

“Self-denial means knowing only Christ, and no longer oneself. It means seeing only Christ, who goes ahead of us, and no longer the path that is too difficult for us…Self-denial is saying only: He goes ahead of us; hold fast to him.”  ~  Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship 

Lent is not only about turning from sin but is also about laying down control. This is why fasting is a key element for so many. We give up something in our lives that is important to us or that might control our time and give that time and energy to God instead. Surrender is the posture of someone who trusts that God’s will is better than their own. Scripture reminds us that following Jesus requires daily self-denial, not as punishment, but as participation in His life. Sacrifice is not about loss for its own sake; it is about making space for something greater.

Question: What might you need to lay down in order to follow Christ more freely during this season? 

“Remember, this repentance, this willing submission to humiliation and a kind of death, is not something God demands of you before He will take you back and which He could let you off if He chose: it is simply a description of what going back to Him is like. If you ask God to take you back without it, you are really asking Him to let you go back without going back.” ~  C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity 

Repentance is a redirection. It is more than a turning away from our sinfulness, but a turning of our hearts and minds towards the will of God and the love of Jesus.The recognition of our sins becomes a catalyst for this turning that realigns our relationship with God.Repentance reaches into the everyday habits of our speech, our thoughts, our reactions, and our motives. Lent invites us to examine the small places where sin quietly takes root like pride, envy, bitterness, selfish ambition and to bring them honestly before the Lord. Transformation often begins in the ordinary moments.

Question: Where is God gently convicting you in the daily patterns of your life? 

“Lent is a time for discipline, for confession, for honesty, not because God is mean or fault- finding or finger-pointing but because he wants us to know the joy of being cleaned out, ready for all the good things he now has in store.”  ~  N.T. Wright, Lent for Everyone 

Lent is not meant to leave us in guilt. The same God who exposes our sin also delights in showing mercy. Throughout Scripture, we see a God who forgives, restores, and renews. Repentance opens the door, but grace is what meets us on the other side. We are not saved by our discipline or spiritual effort, but by His steadfast love.

Question: Do you truly believe that God’s mercy is for you even here, even now?  

“No act of virtue can be great if it is not followed by advantage for others. So, no matter how much time you spend fasting, no matter how much you sleep on a hard floor and eat ashes and sigh continually, if you do no good to others, you do nothing great.”   ~  John Chrysostom, On Wealth and Poverty 

As we draw closer to Easter, Lent shifts from confession to renewal. God does not simply remove sin; He reshapes hearts. The Christian life is not just about what we stop doing, but about who we are becoming. Obedience grows from love, and renewal flows from abiding in Christ. The Spirit continues the work He has begun.

Question: What step of faithful obedience is God inviting you to take next? 

“There is no defeat in the cross. Only triumph is to be found there.” Paul David Tripp, Journey to the Cross: A 40-Day Lenten Devotional

Holy Week slows us down. We walk with Jesus through triumph, cleansing, service, surrender, suffering, and silence. These days remind us that redemption was not accidental or hurried.  It unfolded step by step according to the Father’s will. We do not rush from Palm Sunday to Easter morning without passing through the cross and the quiet waiting in between.

Question: Where do you see yourself in this final week: praising, serving, surrendering, grieving, or waiting?

Take a moment to reflect with this week’s video devotional from Pastor Vance. We'll release a new video each Wednesday during Lent.