The season of Lent begins this week with Ash Wednesday on February 17.  Lent is the season where we prepare our hearts and our lives to make them holy unto the Lord.  We do this in thanksgiving for all that God in Christ has done for us through his life, death and resurrection.  Reading through the book of Romans has been a good preparation for us as we enter this season because Romans has been about the powerful and gracious love of Christ.  The Romans road as it is called explains how Jesus Christ died for our sins and paved the way for salvation for all who believe.  Romans tells us that we can have righteousness or a right relationship with Christ, not because of our good deeds, but because of his grace and his redemptive work on the cross.  Lent is the season that we say thank you.  I believe Romans 12:1-2 spells out what our lives and response to God's great love should look like.  It says, "I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."  Those are truly words to ponder over the next weeks leading up to Easter.  May we present our bodies and our lives to service to the Lord over the next weeks.  Let us offer our time to pray more and perhaps watch less TV.  Let us use our hands in service to others.  Let us meditate upon those things that are good and wholesome laying aside the sins that try to entangle us.  I would also greatly encourage you to follow along with our weekly readings from Scripture for the month of March.  Reading the Word of God is a wonderful discipline for Lent.  It is a wonderful way to renew our minds and to honor our Lord who died that we might have life.  Living our lives for Him is only a small sacrifice on our part.

Pastor Tim