NCC Daily

In this season of fasting, what is the Holy Spirit deactivating, reactivating, and activating within your own heart?

I want to talk about the idea that being a follower of Jesus means that we are a student of His words, an imitator of His ways, and a partner in His mission. Becoming a student of the words of Jesus means we are intentional about the spiritual discipline of engaging the text of Scripture in a variety of ways so that we can understand it, internalize it, articulate it, and activate it in our lives.

Today, I’m going to help guide us through The Prayer of Confession from the "Book of Common Prayer”.

Today we meditate on Luke 19 and Psalm 150.

Today we worship with a song from Pastor Josh.

Fasting as a means of worship is another way that we cultivate a spiritual habit of bringing a sacrifice of praise. Fasting is following in the way of Jesus by denying ourselves. It is a way to put some skin in the game for our worship life.

Today as we continue in our series of Lent, I’d like to share a little about the discipline of service.

Watch and pray. As we progress through lent we will come to encounter Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane the place where he prays so hard he sweats blood. I’ve never prayed that hard. As I think about this part of the passion, I am reflecting on the fact that Jesus brings three of His friends with Him in His hour of need — hoping they too will pray.

Today we meditate on Luke 19:1-10 and Psalm 27 read by Dee Jackson.

Today we listen and meditate to a Lent hymn sung by our very own Sarah Tebi.

We are standing in the gap today and allowing our prayers to build bridges between the present moment and future destiny.

True confession recognizes that God’s mercy and love are always extended toward us. Our beloved-ness is a foregone conclusion. When we confess, we earn nothing…we simply recognize and receive the gift already offered to us.

Prayers of lament are full of dissonance. When we confront the Creator of the Universe with our questions, our whys, and our hows, it can feel so uncomfortable—as though we are too close, too raw, too emotional, and too naked before The Almighty God. But as I read through the Psalms, I am reminded that God actually welcomes this posture—The King of Kings can handle our nakedness.

Today we meditate on the words of Scripture read by Lora Batterson.

I’m about to sing a song called “Waiting” and I just want to invite you to sit in this space as we are in this season of Lent — walking the ways of Jesus through the wilderness. I pray that God would speak to you as you hear this song today.

Nothing has grown my faith in the middle of trial by fire more than fasting. It’s this kind of fast that will break the stronghold of the enemy. If you’re going into a spiritual battle, consecrate a fast.

I encourage you especially in the season of Lent to practice even a few minutes of silence or perhaps 20 minutes of silence in your regular prayer time but also to accept God's invitation to follow Jesus's example and slip away, carve out some time for solitude with God.

Lent is a season that offers us an invitation to consider how the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus sheds light on how we ought to move through the seasons of life marked by living, dying, and rising.

Today we meditate on Luke 4:1-21 and Psalm 91:1-2; 9-16.

Listen as Pastor Josh leads us into worship with Upper Room.

Fasting is a regular reminder that we depend on God and best come to God when we are empty.

A contending season is waiting on God so much so that we wait on Him for the sake of others. It’s saying, “I know who God is, and I will keep meeting Him again and pour out my requests before Him.” Contending is a wrestle in the prayer closet. It’s saying, “I won’t stop praying on behalf of my sister or my brother until they know the depth of the love you have for them, God.”

The focus of Lent is journeying with Christ toward the cross. Part of that journey was Jesus being tempted, specifically tempted in His areas of weakness, according to Hebrews 4:15.

Today, Pastor Jimeka reads through Psalm 103 and Matthew 6:16-21.

Lent simply means “springtime.” It is the season in the Christian year when followers of Jesus walk with him to his death and burial so that we can participate fully with him in his resurrection. Lent is the forty days (not including Sundays) leading up to Easter.