Making the Most of Lent!

Making the Most of Lent?  In the early church, people who were considering following Jesus would use Lent, the 40 days prior to Easter, as a time of examination and preparation.  The threat of Roman persecution made becoming a Christian serious business and no one did it lightly.  These 40 days culminated with the person being baptized on Easter morning.  Soon, the rest of the Church began to observe the season of Lent in solidarity with these newest Christians. It became an opportunity for all Christians to remember and renew the commitment of their baptism.

Our hope is that Lent will be a time of remembering and renewing for you.  We will send out an email devotional each morning to help.  May we all make the most of our time of Lent this year!

1. EVENTS TO REMEMBER

Mar. 3, Play and Learn Class by LoveINC at Celebration, 10:00AM

Mar. 6, Council/Vision Team Meeting, 6:30PM at church.

Mar. 8, Wednesday Night Bible Study, 6:45PM.
Mar. 8, Book Club, 6:30PM at The Pita Place.  We're reading "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline.

Mar. 8, Student Ministries, 6:30PM at Calvin Church.
Mar. 10, Celebration Game Night, 6:00PM at church

Mar. 12, Middle School Ministries, 5:00PM at Church!

2. GAME NIGHT, Friday, March 10, 6:00PM - The snow has driven us indoors again so let's get together and play some games!  Bring a snack to share and a friend too!  

3. BRENDA LANGE SPECIAL OFFERING

We collected a special offering for Brenda Lange on Sunday!  Wonderful!  There were several people absent so we will not send in the money right away.  Bring your check for Orphans Unlimited on Sunday if you would like to contribute.  Thanks.  http://www.orphansunlimited.org/

4. SUNDAY - “Identity Theft.”    Identity theft is a big problem in society today. It’s an even bigger problem when we’re dealing with spiritual identity theft.  Over the next 3 weeks we will take back what has been stolen: our spiritual identity.  Invite a friend to join us as we begin our Sunday sermon series with: "Pickpocketted by the Mirror" (Psalm 51).

5. PRAYERS

Prayer Focus: Australia

• Pray for believers to stand firm on the Truth of the Gospel in combating increased secularization of their culture. (While the majority of the population still claims to be Christian, only 10% attend church regularly.)
• Pray for Jesus Christ to capture hearts of the next generation before they succumb to competing influences.
• Pray for a move of the Holy Spirit to transform Australia and revive its Church
• Go to http://prayercast.com/australia.html for more info.

Local Prayers:

• Pray for Doug & Sharon Bergman's Son Michael's sister in law who will have cancer surgery this week.
• “Pray that God will put people in my life to help me live out my salvation in EVERY part of my life.  I want to keep Jesus at the center of my life.”
• Jackie Knight asks for prayers for stable living conditions following her move back to the area.  Also praying for a continued healthy pregnancy.
• Pray for Jenny Merritt who is sick with the flu.  Pray for all the people who have been sick with a cold or the flu this year.
• Pray for homeless people around us.
• “I am thankful for the job the Lord has brought to me.”
• Praise God for healing Reyes’ Hinajosa’s son Marcos!  He is out of the hospital and planning on re-enlisting in the Army.
• Eve Zwolinski praises God for her new job and prays for good news about setting up her store.
• Pray for those looking for employment and a change of direction in life.
• May God give us good time management,discipline, and focus.
• Praise God for peace of mind.
• "Praise God for the gift of family."
• Patti Lacy is recovering from illness all last week. She requests prayer for her teenage great-niece, that the Lord will put someone in her life to guide her in making good decisions.
• Patrick, who was hit by a train, is making a remarkable recovery and will not need surgery after all.  He is turning his life over to God and we praise the Lord for this miracle.
• Terry Lacy's co-worker Todd’s cancer has now spread to his liver and he will have more surgery and is currently on chemo, which has been causing him to miss work.  
• Praise God for a great Wild Game Dinner!
• Praise God for improved relationships.
• Praise God for employment.  Praise him even more when the workplace is not filled with conflict and drama.
• Pray for loved ones who are heading down the wrong path in life.  May God lead them to a U-turn.
• Pray for grown children who are estranged from their parents.
• Linda Bergman asks for prayer for her nephew John, who lost his wife 4 years ago to cancer.  He remarried and his current wife has also been diagnosed with cancer.  Please pray for her healing and for strength and comfort for each of them.
• Pray for loved ones who battle their addictions.
• Praise God for our elected officials. 

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Pastor Matt Eenigenburg
Celebration Community Church
1260 W. Sherman Blvd.                            
Muskegon, MI 49441
www.celebrationmuskegon.org
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(231) 571-4137