Turning Point Sharptown Lent Devos 2021

  Lent 2021 - TURNING POINT Wednesday, March 31st The Final Evening Matthew 26:27-56 -  Written by Ralph Homan Read Matthew 26:27-56. Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it all of you.  This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.  I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my father’s kingdom”. When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Matthew 26:30 tells us that Jesus sings a hymn with his disciples before they went to the Mount of Olives. We don’t often think about Jesus singing.  In fact, I’m not sure if I have ever paid attention to this little verse placed between establishing the New Covenant and the cross. But Jesus sang!  He lifted His voice in praise and adoration to His Heavenly Father. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love to sing, especially songs of pra

  Lent 2021 - TURNING POINT Tuesday, March 30th Broken & Poured Out Matthew 26:36-46 -  Written by Patty Skwirut Read Matthew 26:36-46 . It’s a troubling scene. As he is praying in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus says, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” (v. 38) We’ve never seen him like this before! The cross is ahead of him; he will be arrested tonight. Jesus just shared the last supper, where he told the disciples his body was the broken bread, and his blood was the wine, poured out for them. Our humanity sees the physical torture of the cross, but Jesus sees what we can’t really imagine. Jesus doesn’t say he is afraid, as we would be. He says he is  sorrowful . Webster defines sorrow as “deep distress, especially for the loss of someone loved.” His sorrow is for us! His agony is knowing that our sinfulness will eternally separate us from God, from him - the loss of someone dearly loved. The cup he will drink now holds the full wrath of God - a

Lent 2021 - TURNING POINT Monday, March 29th Hosanna! , Matthew 21:10-17 Written by Bernice Willadsen 10  When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” 11  The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” 12  Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.  13  “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’” 14  The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.  15  But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. 16  “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,“ ‘From the lips of children and infants  

  Lent 2021 - TURNING POINT Sunday, March 28th Who Is This? Matthew 21:1-11 Written by Bryan Racey 10  When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” 11  The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”    Matthew 21:10-11 Read Matthew 21:1-11 Expectation...."a strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future.... a belief that someone will or should achieve something."   Three years of teaching, healing, serving, preaching but also challenging, confronting, upsetting, rebuking, redefining.  Crowds laying branches, palms and garments down to line his path.  Throngs shouting "Hosanna," "Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!"   King treatment.   "Who is this?" they asked.  At the beginning of the week commemorating liberation from slavery, the Son of David heads into the City of David.  The humble lamb of God, Emanuel... God with us

  Lent 2021 - TURNING POINT Saturday, March 27th Denial , Luke 22:54-62  -  Written by Maddy (Wyshinski) Dutton Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.” But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said. A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” “Man, I am not!” Peter replied. About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”   Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three

  Lent 2021 - TURNING POINT Friday, March 26th Arrested , Matthew 26:36-56  - Written by Marilyn LeFevre   “He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”   Matthew 26:39   Read Matthew 26:36-56. In the garden, Jesus experienced ever emotion we can think of, and more, yet He told His Father, “Your will, not mine.”   Darkness surrounded Jesus, not just the darkness of the night, but the darkness He felt within. That darkness included not only knowing the physical agony that was ahead, but the agony of being separated from His Father.   In His grief, Jesus prayed to His Father, “If it is possible. . . . but no.” Jesus was arrested.   He was sentenced to a brutal death on a cross, not because the lawmakers had control, but because He was gripped by love, obedience, and surrender to His Father. Jesus calls us into the same

  Lent 2021 - TURNING POINT Thursday, March 25th He Cares for You , 1 Peter 5:7  -  Written by Dave Grasty   Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.   1 Peter 5:7 Anxiety is an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worry, and fear. Is anyone of us immune from it? I find it interesting that this verse is less of a suggestion and more of a directive, which makes me consider God knew this would be a problem in our lives.   Because of God’s sovereignty, we become the beneficiary of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ which has provided a remedy for our human anxiety as well as our spiritual fear.    This verse application reminds me of the lyrics to one of my mother’s favorite songs… “Lord don’t move that mountain, just give me strength to climb.”   In Him, Jesus has given us the strength to overcome. He wants to burden your anxiety, He is willing to bear your fear, and His journey to the cross was for one reason – He Cares for You.  

  Lent 2021 - TURNING POINT Wednesday, March 24th Mount of Olives , Luke 22:39-46 -  Written by Gail Clark Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him.   On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”  He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”   An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.  And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.   When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.   “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them.  “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”   Luke 22:39-46 While Jesus was in the garden, He knew the agony He was about to face.   He spoke to His heavenly father asking for the cup to be removed.   Jesus recognized th

  Lent 2021 - TURNING POINT Tuesday, March 23rd Remembrance , 1 Corinthians 11:24 -  Written by Lori Buckner And when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat.   This is my body, which is broken for you.   Do this to call Me [affectionately] to remembrance.”   1 Corinthians 11:24 (AMP) After reading this passage I had to ask myself how many times have I heard this verse and really considered what it would mean to truly remember.   To affectionately remember what Jesus did for us.   We hear it every Communion Sunday, some churches, every Sunday.   The question I ask myself is “ Do I really consider the reasons I should remember?” When I think of what Jesus did for not just my brokenness and sin, but for all people... that His body was literally beaten, broken and nailed on a cross to die...then I must bring this to remembrance every day, not just during communion.   Communion gives us a physical as well as visual reminder of the extreme, redemptive love of Christ

  Lent 2021 - TURNING POINT Monday, March 22nd Here Comes Jesus, Riding…. Zechariah 9:9 Written by Joey Raine Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!   Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!   See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.   Zechariah 9:9 ♫ Hosanna!   Here comes Jesus riding on a donkey. ♫   It’s impossible to read this verse without the picture of Palm Sunday at Sharptown running through my head.   From children jumping and shouting to Pastor Jerry and Pastor Doug waving palms up front, it’s a time of celebration.   Jesus has returned to Jerusalem and is preparing the gift of salvation through his greatest miracle. It’s undeniable that this is a time of celebration for us as Christians.   This is our time to shout in the streets that the Lord has come.   It’s not the time to dread the family parties or continue to enjoy our spring break like any other week of the year.   We should be singing, rejoicing

  Lent 2021 - TURNING POINT Sunday, March 21st Barabbas! , Matthew 27:15-26 -  Written by Lori Morrison     Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to  release a prisoner chosen by the crowd.  At that time  they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus Barabbas.  So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”  For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.  While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.”  But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.  “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor.   “Barabbas,” they answered.  “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate ask