Skip to main content

I GIVE UP, I QUIT!!! - 2026 Lenten Sermon Series




Have you ever reached a point when the only words you could say were, “I give up”? Most of us know that feeling. Life becomes complicated, relationships become strained, faith becomes confusing, and we feel worn out trying to manage everything. Lent invites us to a different kind of surrender. This season is not about quitting life or giving up hope. It is about releasing the habits, fears, and assumptions that quietly stand between us and the grace of God.

 Our Lenten series this year is called “I Give Up, I Quit”. Each week we will name something we cling to and learn how faith invites us to let it go. We begin with our need to be in control as Jesus refuses shortcuts in the wilderness while Adam and Eve grasp for certainty. We move to our need to understand everything as Abram walks without a map and Nicodemus learns faith is entered, not mastered. We confront comparison through the Samaritan woman who receives dignity instead of judgment. We release grudges as Jesus weeps over a city rather than condemning it. We let go of living only for ourselves as dry bones live and Lazarus walks out of the tomb. On Palm Sunday we surrender the need for approval, and at Easter we finally surrender despair itself as resurrection declares that hope has the last word.

Lent gradually strips away what we rely on so that trust can grow. I hope you will join us each Sunday as we discover that giving up, in faith, is not loss but freedom.

 Pastor Paul

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Where Is God in the Texas Flooding? July 6, 2025

This afternoon, I received a phone call from a dear church member about the tragic flooding in Texas. We discussed the question that weighs heavy on many hearts: how could something like this happen in a Christian state, at a Christian camp, with precious children as victims? I must admit, I have wrestled with this myself over the last couple of days, spending the afternoon in prayer and tears, seeking comfort in God's word. As you may have heard, devastating flash floods struck central Texas on July 4th. At least 69 people have lost their lives, including many children, and 11 children from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp, remain missing. Rescue teams continue their urgent search as families wait in unimaginable anguish. You too may ask why God would allow this to happen. This question has echoed through the centuries from the faithful throughout Scripture. Job asked it. The psalmists cried it out. Even Jesus Himself, in His darkest moment on the cross, cried, "My Go...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Tale of Two Confessors - October 27, 2024

This Sunday is Reformation Sunday.  In my sermon we’ll explore one of Jesus’ most powerful parables in Luke 18:9-14, often referred to as the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. In this story, Jesus contrasts two men praying in the temple: one who boasts of his righteousness and another who humbly asks for mercy. Through this parable, Jesus challenges us to examine our own hearts, asking whether we trust in our own goodness or rely fully on God’s grace. We'll look at how this message, though spoken thousands of years ago, speaks directly to our modern tendency to divide ourselves into categories, just as the Pharisee did. As we prepare for worship, I invite you to reflect on the ways we sometimes fall into self-righteousness or, on the other hand, isolate ourselves through feelings of unworthiness.  How do we let these mindsets affect our relationship with God and others?  What might it look like to approach God with true humility, trusting not in ourselves but...
Post a Comment
Read more

January 7, 2024 - Matthew 2:1-12

  The Journey of the Magi: A Symbol of Our Spiritual Quest This Sunday I'll be preaching on the familiar story of the Magi from Matthew 2:1-12. However, my message will explore some new dimensions around their long, arduous journey seeking Jesus. I'm going to look at how the Magi can become a metaphor for our own spiritual quests in life. We all hunger for deeper meaning and connection with God. This often requires effort and overcoming struggles along the way. Just as the star led the Magi through unknown lands to Jesus, God provides us guiding lights to keep pursuing him. My sermon will highlight three main ideas: the diligence required in seeking God, attending to God's guidance through "stars" of insight, and offering our gifts fully once we draw close to Jesus. The Magi never gave up through their difficult travels. They followed the star closely to reach their destination. And upon arriving, they laid down their most valuable possessions in worship of Ch...
Post a Comment
Read more