’40 days, 40 reflections, 40 challenges to make a difference

Now in its seventh year, 40acts is the generosity challenge created by Stewardship.

Every day throughout Lent (not including Sundays), wake up to a new generosity challenge and short Bible-based blog straight to your inbox. Each act is designed to sharpen your awareness and give you practical ways to stretch your faith as well as your generosity, with three challenge levels.

Want to do 40acts as part of a team with others? 40acts Together was created especially for groups. Whether you’re a church, small group, youth group, school or family, 40acts Together provides you with online and printable resources to guide you through a generous Lent as a community.

Sign up as a group leader for free access to any combination of the resources. You’ll also automatically be signed up for the individual challenge.’

Just do a web search for ’40 Acts’ and consider doing Lent differently!

I agree with his focus on others. The thing we need to be careful about though is why we are doing this. If we are doing it out of tradition, or if it’s simply self-denial for self-denials’s sake, then it’s no good. It’s got to be for the right reasons – out of a heart that wants to draw closer to God.

http://time.com/3714056/pope-francis-lent-2015-fasting/

I just wanted to say as a former “born and bred” Freewill Baptist, (I now attend a Methodist Church, who does follow Lent but is not as strict as the larger Methodist churches) for us Lent is not necessarily giving something up. It refers to anything that can/will make you closer to God. It can also mean picking something up. I know for last year, for Lent I began reading daily devotionals. It did bring me closer and I also believe once you do something whether it is picking up or giving up. That “one” thing becomes a habit. Just wanted to throw this out there. 🙂

Perhaps for some Catholics, this may be true; however, the REAL reason is so that we may prepare ourselves (through prayer, fasting, contemplation, and acts of spiritual self-discipline) for Easter – the celebration of the resurrection of Christ – the greatest holy day of the Christian year.

Never have I been taught that Catholics make sacrifices to “gain God’s favor” but rather for us to draw closer to God and strengthen our relationship with Him.