40 Day Lenten Devotional - Free Download

This Devotional was created to accompany a sermon series at Our Savior Lutheran Church in McKinney, Texas during the Lenten season of 2010. The series addressed the practices of worship anchored in six core values, which were used to guide our congregation toward maturity as seekers and worshipers of God. These six core values state that Worship must be:

1. Christ-centered
2. Authentic
3. Passionate
4. Excellent
5. Submissive
6. Sacrifical

Worship is, first and foremost, to be Christ-centered. It is important that we deepen our living relationship with Jesus Himself, searching the Scriptures, spending time with Him in prayer, and learning to trust Him more fully in every area of life. Worship must also be Authentic. God desires that we “come just as we are,” to quote an old hymn; not putting on an façade, or striving to appear as we hope He desires us, but coming in the most honest state we can.

Our worship must be Passionate. We must not take God nor our relationship with Him lightly. He is not interested in occupying the margins of our lives, but rather to be at the center of our hopes, desires, and trust.

We must bring Worship to God with Excellence. The bible speaks often of honoring God by bringing Him our very best, as is appropriate to the majesty of His great name. In word and deed, we do all for God’s glory.

Worship must be Submissive. We must come to God fully aware of our unworthiness of His love apart from Christ’s sacrifice for us, and our need to treat all others as more important than ourselves. Worship must also produce in us a willingness to obey Him in all of life.

And finally, Worship is Sacrificial. We must we be willing to give up all for the sake of Christ, just as He gave Himself for us. The God of the Universe came to us as a
loving Servant who sacrificed Himself for others.

As you embark on this journey of self-examination and quietness in His presence, may you encounter God in a life-transforming way.

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Download a printable version of the entire devotional series here.