Rooted in Repentance (Lent)
2/15/26-4/4/26
What is Lent?
Lent is a 40-day season of reflection, repentance, and intentional turning of the heart. It is the Church’s ancient rhythm of slowing down long enough to remember who we are, who God is and who we are becoming. Lent prepares us to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday — not as an idea, but as a lived reality that touches our habits, desires, relationships and pace of life.
This year at Redemption Hill, Lent is an invitation:
Lent is a 40-day season of reflection, repentance, and intentional turning of the heart. It is the Church’s ancient rhythm of slowing down long enough to remember who we are, who God is and who we are becoming. Lent prepares us to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday — not as an idea, but as a lived reality that touches our habits, desires, relationships and pace of life.
This year at Redemption Hill, Lent is an invitation:
- to return to the person of Jesus,
- to walk with Him through the Gospels and
- to practice simple fasts that re-order our desires.
Why Lent?
When you think about it - you need it. Don’t you?
Rest? Repentance?
The denial of things you desperately grasp for but know you don’t need?
Christ, your King, went before you. He was tempted in the desert and suffered on the cross.
Lent asks us:
Lent is not about performance. It is about presence - being present to Jesus as He is present to you.
When you think about it - you need it. Don’t you?
Rest? Repentance?
The denial of things you desperately grasp for but know you don’t need?
Christ, your King, went before you. He was tempted in the desert and suffered on the cross.
Lent asks us:
- Would intentional rest push against a world that only wants to keep you moving?
- Would discipline make you look more like your Savior?
- Would fasting from what you want re-orient you to what you truly need?
- Would the Word of God dwell in you richly as you walk with Jesus through His life and teaching?
Lent is not about performance. It is about presence - being present to Jesus as He is present to you.
What Will We Do?
1. Engage a weekly fast
Each week, we practice a different fast framed through the lens of returning to Christ. These are examples - flexibility is encouraged where needed!
Adults will read every chapter of Mark, Luke, and John during Weeks 1–6 - a full immersion in the person and work of Jesus:
Week 7 readings follow the arc from triumphal entry to resurrection:
Each week includes two Jesus Storybook Bible readings that trace the ministry of Jesus and parallel the adult themes. Families walk together through the Scriptures in simple, accessible rhythms.
5. Practice a simple weekly rhythm
An example pattern shaped for ordinary homes:
1. Engage a weekly fast
Each week, we practice a different fast framed through the lens of returning to Christ. These are examples - flexibility is encouraged where needed!
- Week 1 - Traditional Fast: Returning to the Voice Who Calls Us
- Week 2 - Social Media Fast: Returning in Honest Dependence
- Week 3 - News Fast: Returning From Disordered Loves
- Week 4 - Strong Desire Fast: Returning to the One Who Truly Satisfies
- Week 5 - Non-Essential Spending Fast: Returning to Compassionate Humility
- Week 6 - Screens Before Bed Fast: Returning to the God Who Runs to Us
- Week 7 - Busyness Fast (Holy Week): Returning to the Story That Saves Us
Adults will read every chapter of Mark, Luke, and John during Weeks 1–6 - a full immersion in the person and work of Jesus:
- Week 1: Mark 1–10
- Week 2: Mark 11–16; Luke 1–3
- Week 3: Luke 4–12
- Week 4: Luke 13–24
- Week 5: John 1–10
- Week 6: John 11–21
Week 7 readings follow the arc from triumphal entry to resurrection:
- Palm Sunday: Zechariah 9:9; Luke 19:28–40
- Holy Monday: Isaiah 56:1–8; Luke 19:41–48
- Holy Tuesday: Psalm 118:19–27; Psalm 110; Luke 20
- Spy Wednesday: Luke 21; Mark 14:1–11
- Maundy Thursday: Isaiah 50:4–10; Luke 22:1–65
- Good Friday: Psalm 22:1–18; Luke 22:66–23:56
- Silent Saturday: Isaiah 52:13–15; Isaiah 53; Luke 23:56
Each week includes two Jesus Storybook Bible readings that trace the ministry of Jesus and parallel the adult themes. Families walk together through the Scriptures in simple, accessible rhythms.
5. Practice a simple weekly rhythm
An example pattern shaped for ordinary homes:
- Sunday: Pray for the weekly fasting theme
- Monday: Kids Story 1
- Wednesday: Kids Story 2
- Friday: Reflect + Prepare for Sabbath
- Saturday: Sabbath rest
Daily Habits for Consideration
1. Kneeling Prayer (Three Times Daily)
“The world is made of words. Even small, repeated words have power. Regular, carefully placed prayer is one of the keystone habits of spiritual formation, and is the beginning of building the trellis of habit. By framing our day in the words of prayer, we frame the day in love.” - Justin Whitmel Early
Adult Kneeling Prayers
Morning - A Prayer of Dedication
Kids’ Kneeling Prayers
Morning - A Prayer of Dedication
2. Scripture Before Phone
“Refusing to check the phone until after reading Scripture is a way of replacing the question ‘What do I need to do today?’ with ‘Who am I and who am I becoming?’ … Daily immersion in the Scriptures resists the anxiety of emails, the anger of news, and the envy of social media. Instead it forms us in our true identity as children of the King, dearly loved.” - Justin Whitmel Early
A simple rule: Let Scripture be the first voice you hear each day.
3. One Hour Without Phone
“We were made for presence… Turning off our phone for an hour a day is a way to turn our gaze up to each other… Our habits of attention are habits of love. To resist absence is to love neighbor.” - Justin Whitmel Early
Presence is love. This practice returns your eyes and heart to the people God has given you.
4. Prayer for the Church
The church is not a building but a people — God’s family. Bound together in Christ across time and space. To pray for the church is to align our hearts with God’s love for His people, interceding for unity, faithfulness, and mission. Regularly lifting up the church in prayer reminds us that we are part of something far greater than ourselves. It cultivates a spirit of love, humility, and responsibility for our brothers and sisters in Christ, near and far. Pray for your church daily. Pray for the global church. Pray that Christ would make us one.
1. Kneeling Prayer (Three Times Daily)
“The world is made of words. Even small, repeated words have power. Regular, carefully placed prayer is one of the keystone habits of spiritual formation, and is the beginning of building the trellis of habit. By framing our day in the words of prayer, we frame the day in love.” - Justin Whitmel Early
Adult Kneeling Prayers
Morning - A Prayer of Dedication
- Lord, as I begin this day, remember that I was made to worship you. Help me to set aside distractions and turn my heart fully toward you. May this day be marked by repentance, humility and a deeper dependence on your grace. Shape me to reflect the image of Christ in all I say and do. Amen.
- Jesus, in this Lenten season, I surrender my plans and desires to you. Teach me to deny myself. Take up my cross and follow you. May the work I do and the people I encounter today be opportunities to show your love and serve your kingdom. Strengthen me to walk in your ways. Amen.
- Father, as this day ends I confess my sins and lay my burdens before you. Thank you for the gift of repentance and forgiveness through Christ. Renew my heart and mind for your glory. May I rest in your presence, and wake tomorrow that I may grow closer to you with each passing day. May my body rest in sleep, and my mind rest in you. Amen.
Kids’ Kneeling Prayers
Morning - A Prayer of Dedication
- Dear Jesus, today is a new day you have made! Help me to love you with all my heart and follow you in everything I do. Keep my mind focused on you. Make me look more like Jesus. Let me shine your light to everyone I meet today. Amen.
- Jesus, you are in charge of my life. Help me to trust you and do what is right, even when it’s hard. Show me how to be kind and helpful to others, showing them what Jesus is like. Let me follow you with a happy heart. Amen.
- God, thank you for this day. I’m sorry for the wrong things I did today. Please forgive me and help me follow you tomorrow. Fill my heart with your love and give me good rest tonight. May my body rest in sleep, and my mind rest in you. I love you. Jesus, amen.
2. Scripture Before Phone
“Refusing to check the phone until after reading Scripture is a way of replacing the question ‘What do I need to do today?’ with ‘Who am I and who am I becoming?’ … Daily immersion in the Scriptures resists the anxiety of emails, the anger of news, and the envy of social media. Instead it forms us in our true identity as children of the King, dearly loved.” - Justin Whitmel Early
A simple rule: Let Scripture be the first voice you hear each day.
3. One Hour Without Phone
“We were made for presence… Turning off our phone for an hour a day is a way to turn our gaze up to each other… Our habits of attention are habits of love. To resist absence is to love neighbor.” - Justin Whitmel Early
Presence is love. This practice returns your eyes and heart to the people God has given you.
4. Prayer for the Church
The church is not a building but a people — God’s family. Bound together in Christ across time and space. To pray for the church is to align our hearts with God’s love for His people, interceding for unity, faithfulness, and mission. Regularly lifting up the church in prayer reminds us that we are part of something far greater than ourselves. It cultivates a spirit of love, humility, and responsibility for our brothers and sisters in Christ, near and far. Pray for your church daily. Pray for the global church. Pray that Christ would make us one.
Weekly Habits for Consideration
1. Sabbath
“The weekly practice of Sabbath teaches us that God sustains the world and that we don’t. Sabbath is a gospel practice because it reminds us that the world doesn’t hang on what we can accomplish, but on what God has accomplished for us.” - Justin Whitmel Early
A weekly reminder: God is God. You are not. Rest.
2. Fast
“We constantly seek to fill our emptiness with food and other comforts… Regular fasting exposes who we really are, reminds us how broken the world is, and draws our eyes to how Jesus is redeeming all things.” - Justin Whitmel Early
Lent teaches us to hunger for the right things.
3. One Hour of Conversation
“We were made for each other… In habitual, face-to-face conversation we find a gospel practice: we are laid bare to each other and loved anyway.” - Justin Whitmel Early
A simple rule: One unhurried hour of real conversation each week.
What Do We Need?
These practices are invitations, not burdens.
- A Bible
- Jesus Storybook Bible (for families)
- Space and willingness
These practices are invitations, not burdens.
Questions to Consider
- What does this text teach me about who Jesus is?
- What does this text mean in light of the overall story of the Bible?
- What does this text teach me about my need for God’s grace?
- How might I imitate the person of Jesus this week?
- How can I converse with God in prayer in light of this text?