March, 2026

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Greetings,

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For our Wednesday night soup and study during Lent, which begins February 18, we are doing a devotional study called "Giving Up Something Bad for Lent". This study is based on the premise that many times we give up something good, something we like, as a sacrifice so that we can focus on God more clearly. But at the end of Lent, when Easter comes we get to have that "good" thing we gave up. Maybe it was chocolate, your favorite soda, time on the computer or your phone, your daily Starbuck's coffee. Whatever you gave up was something you enjoyed and it was temporary. ​​

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But what if we gave up something "bad"? Something that is interfering with the way we connect with God. Bitterness, apathy, and judgment of others, are just some of the things we could choose to give up. These are things that interfere in our lives, and these are also things that at the end of Lent, when we celebrate Easter, we do not want to take up again. Freeing up space for God permanently. 

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What are you giving up for Lent? May it bring you closer to God not just for forty days, but permanently in your life. 

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In Christ, 

Pastor Pat

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