Spring Break
“Sing to God a brand-new song; sing his praises all over the world! Let the sea and its fish give a round of applause, with all the far-flung islands joining in. Let the desert and its camps raise a tune, calling the Kedar nomads to join in. Let the villagers in Sela round up a choir and perform from the tops of the mountains. Make God’s glory resound; echo his praises from coast to coast.” Isaiah 42:10 (MSG)
SPRING, SPRING, SPRING! Can you smell the fresh breeze through an open window? Ahhh!
I love the freshness of spring each year. I walk taller, feel healthier, enjoy more color in creation, and get a boost in my energy. Unfortunately, at least during what would be a typical week of Spring Break, this year it feels more like a Winter Break than Spring Break, but I digress.
Spring provides us a time to reflect on things that need a “cleaning” in our life. Now not just the given spring cleaning of our homes, which is needed in my home and in my office, but a spring cleaning of our spiritual life as well. Many believers within the Christian faith use this time of year to forgo those things that hinder their relationship with the Lord. The observance of Lent usually involves a time of fasting from those other “important” things in our life. In doing so, we should focus our attention more on God and His provisions for our life.
Within Baptist traditions, we use this time of year to focus on Missions at home, Annie Armstrong Mission Emphasis, and our own call to share God’s story. We are reminded of His death, burial, and Resurrection, just as others in the Christian faith. However, we should exit the spring and Easter seasons with a renewed conviction to acknowledge Christ in all we do.
Matthew shares the following words of Christ with his readers; “Therefore, everyone who will acknowledge me before others, I will also acknowledge him/them before my Father in heaven. Matthew 10:32 (CSB)” Friends, when Jesus died on the cross, the Father preached a sermon without words when He tore the curtain in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27). It was God’s way of saying, “You are welcome in my family. Let nothing keep you away.” We don’t have to worry about whether our past sins will come back to haunt us or whether or not we have done enough good works to please God. The cross is the final proof that God loves us and will love us into eternity. In exchange for that final proof, our responsibility is to “Acknowledge Christ.
Over the next four weeks, you will receive daily emails each morning at 7 AM to prepare your heart, mind, and soul for the upcoming day of Worship. In that email will be suggestions for daily bible readings and a video highlighting one of our appointed missionaries. The email will also include a link to a digital 4-week study that will complement each time of Worship leading up to Resurrection Sunday on April 9th.
Use the next 4 weeks to “clean” yourself spiritually. Set aside the decisions, plans, and calendar conflicts so that you can connect with your Lord and acknowledge Him on a daily basis. Thank Jesus for securing and sustaining your salvation. Pray that you would honor Christ’s sacrifice by relying on His work instead of your own. Acknowledge that nothing we do could ever add to the finished work of Christ and pray that you would continue to turn to Christ for your spiritual growth.