PRAYER:
God of wilderness and wonder,
As we begin this Lenten journey together,
We come with full calendars but hungry hearts,
With busy minds but souls seeking stillness.
In a world that demands our constant attention,
We pause now, intentionally, to find our center in You.
When we are tempted to measure our worth by our productivity,
Remind us that we are beloved before we are busy.
When we are pulled in too many directions,
Help us discern what matters most.
When we scroll to escape rather than connect,
Guide our hearts back to genuine presence.
In this season of reflection,
Grant us courage to enter our own wilderness spaces,
Not to prove our strength, but to rediscover our dependence on You.
Like Jesus, may we emerge from our trials
Not depleted, but focused;
Not hardened, but clarified;
Not perfect, but present.
We confess the ways we’ve sought fulfillment
Through achievement rather than relationship,
Through control rather than surrender,
Through noise rather than listening.
In the quiet of this moment,
Speak again your words of identity over us:
“You are my beloved.”
May this truth sink deeper than our doubts,
Echo louder than our anxieties,
And ground us more firmly than our accomplishments.
As we journey through these forty days,
Teach us to live differently—
With intention rather than distraction,
With compassion rather than judgment,
With peace rather than hurry.
We open ourselves to your Spirit’s guidance.
Amen.
SERMON:
POINT: Our biggest distractions often mask our deepest needs.
QUESTION: Where can I find my center when life feels overwhelming?
POINT: We may sense the tension between success and significance, productivity and presence.
POINT: Jesus teaches us to root our identity in God’s love rather than external achievements.
Luke 4:1-13 NIV
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.
The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”
The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’ ”
The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.
POINT: Jesus didn’t need to prove His worth through miraculous signs or seizing power; His confidence rested in His relationship with the Father.
POINT: Our society confuses achievement with worth and busyness with purpose.
- Performance culture says your value comes from productivity
- Consumer culture says fulfillment comes through acquisition
- Social media culture says your worth depends on external validation
POINT: We find our center by practicing presence rather than perfection.
Romans 10:8 NIV: The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.
- Morning Mindfulness (5 minutes)
- Transition Moments
- Weekly Wilderness
“We don’t think ourselves into new ways of living; we live ourselves into new ways of thinking.” —- Richard Rohr (Everything Belongs)
POINT: In a world that constantly asks, “What have you done?” may we find freedom in knowing who we are.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.