Friends, Easter comes early this year! March 31!

I sure hope that you are making plans to be a part of a very special Sunday Morning series in our run up to Easter beginning this Sunday at Phos Community Church. [ 9:30 and 11 AM on Sundays at the Phos Base Camp over at 4200 Centerfield Drive in Crestwood, Kentucky 40014 ]

But, even more than that, I hope that you are making space in your life to connect with God one on one!

Our Catholic Church friends established a focused season to prepare for the full impact and meaning of Easter called 'Lent' and it starts in just a few days. Giving something like a particular television show up 'for Lent' may give you a little more space to connect with God in a more meaningful way during the next month and half. I'm not suggesting that you have to dig into all that Lent traditional entails, but as always I hope you are digging into your Bible and enjoying time with God on your own in addition to coming to 'worship' at 'big church', etc. It's vital for your success as a Christ follower to carve out time to just listen to God and be fully there in that relationship. So, here's a few resources from YouVersion, my favorite Bible App, that you may find helpful in establishing a rhythm of enjoying time with God.

This email also mentions the History Channel series, "The Bible", that is cranking up on March 3. Phos Church friends will be hearing a lot more about that in the weeks ahead and how we will use that as a tool to build community and reach new friends who don't presently have a church home.

peace,

Jeff

p.s. Pray for our Catholic brothers and sisters as I'm sure they are wondering what this time of transition between Popes will mean for their faith communities. First time in 600 years that a Pope has resigned. However, I fully respect his decision to move on so that the post can be filled by someone with more energy for the immense tasks at hand.

Prepare your heart for Easter with a special YouVersion Reading Plan.

Intentional Preparation for Easter

People around the world will celebrate Jesus’ resurrection on Sunday, March 31. In the weeks leading up to Easter, many individuals put intentional practices in place to focus on the nature and meaning of Christ’s sacrifice. This year Lent begins on Wednesday, February 13.

Please consider joining the YouVersion community in preparing your heart with one of the following Reading Plans, each one designed specifically for this season:

Lent for Everyone includes a daily reading from the book of Matthew and a devotional from noted Bible scholar N.T. Wright. From Lent for Everyone. 53 days
Devotions for Lent offers daily devotionals and Scripture readings that focus on Christ. From Holy Bible: Mosaic. 46 days
40 Days of Lent takes you through all four Gospel accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) of Jesus’ last week of earthly ministry. From Journey Church. 47 days

Bringing the Bible to Life

As we study Jesus’ life and his sacrifice for us, it helps to understand the context of his time on earth. The Bible is a five-part series from Executive Producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett that breathes life into tales of faith and courage from Genesis through Revelation. We've been chosen as the official Bible App for the series, and very soon you'll be able to watch video content right in the Bible App. The Bible series begins 3-3-13; check your local TV listings for times.