Lent is new to us. Neither my husband nor myself grew up observing Lent. It has only been eight years since we began to appreciate the significance that Lent holds in the believer’s life and we are still growing, still learning, still getting our feet wet with this hallowed tradition. Our most “successful” Lenten seasons have been those during which we were walked purposefully toward Easter through the pages of a Lenten devotional.
Since we have learned the hard way that not all Lenten devotionals are created equally, I wanted to share just a few resources to help you as you prepare for this season.
Like movies? Emptied and Humbled: a movie-based Lenten devotional uses popular family movies such as Spiderman, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Finding Nemo to develop a deeper understanding of how Jesus emptied and humbled Himself (Phil. 2) for us. It is an excellent resource (one of many!) available at at www.reelparables.com. I highly recommend this free resource this Lenten season – for you or for your entire family – a recommendation I would give even if my husband wasn’t the author. Click on the photo to be taken to the site for this free devotional.Like books? Seven Days That Changed the World: A Lenten Devotional and Biblical Historical Fiction was written for youth (Jr. High and up). I love that a work of historical fiction is woven into the daily readings centered around the daily Scripture reading and that there are several thoughtful questions we can daily discuss around the dinner table. This is the family devotional that we picked for this year. (Click on the photo to be taken to Amazon – affiliate link.)The Word Became Flesh & Forty Names of Jesus are the two family devotionals we were seriously considering for use during Lent this year with our kids. Since they are written for children aged 5-12, we would have needed to do some modifications to make them age-appropriate for our teenagers. They look fantastic – and doable, which is always a plus. Perfect for families with kids in elementary school or younger. (Click on the photos to check them out on Amazon – affiliate links.)
Bread and Wine is a thoughtful discussion of the season from many points of view from varied writers and noted men of faith. It is my husband’s favorite Lenten devotional to use for himself. (Click on the photo to check it out on Amazon – affiliate link.)
What are your plans for Lent? I’d love to hear your thoughts, your traditions, or your own “take” on Lent in the comments.
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