I want to talk to you today about where you are.
Not just physically — sitting in a chair— but spiritually. Where are you in the story of God right now?
We are only a few days into Lent. Ash Wednesday has already come and gone. The ashes have faded from our foreheads. But the question remains: what are you going to do with this season?
Let’s slow down and walk through this together.
1. Ash Wednesday: Remember Who You Are
Ash Wednesday is not sentimental. It is not decorative. It is not Instagrammable spirituality.
It is blunt.
You are dust.
You are broken.
You are a sinner.
And yet — you are loved.
That is the pivot.
On Ash Wednesday, we are confronted with the reality of who we are at our core. Not our résumé. Not our curated image. Not our productivity. Just dust. And somehow, in that stripped-down place, God still calls us His own.
He sees the core elements of who we are — and loves us anyway.
That’s not shame.
That’s mercy.
Ash Wednesday is like packing your bags. You take inventory. You admit what’s broken. You confess. You say, “God, I need You.”
But that’s just the beginning.
2. Lent Is a Journey — Not a Mood
Lent is not a spiritual vibe. It is a pilgrimage.
It is a journey with Jesus to the cross.
Between Ash Wednesday and Easter, we walk. We don’t sprint. We don’t spectate. We walk.
And I have to ask you — how are you going to walk this journey?
Will you drift through it?
Will you numb out?
Will you just “give something up” and call it spiritual?
Or will you step into the story?
Because Lent is not about checking a religious box. It is about following Jesus toward the cross — and doing so from the perspective of resurrection.
That’s the key.
We don’t walk toward Good Friday in despair. We walk knowing resurrection is coming. Every Sunday is like an oasis in the desert — a reminder that we are resurrection people.
Breakthrough is at the end of this road.
But we still have to walk it.
3. God Is Already Making a Way
Before we talk about what you should do, I want you to remember who God is.
He is the promise keeper.
He is the One who spoke to Abram — a man with no inheritance, no future, no child — and gave him a promise. A future. A nation.
Nations have risen and fallen. Empires have tried to crush the promise. And yet God has never stopped working.
Even when people gave up — He didn’t.
Even when they forgot the promise — He didn’t.
That same God is here now.
Even when you don’t see it, He’s working.
Even when you don’t feel it, He’s working.
You may not feel breakthrough yet.
You may not see change yet.
But He never stops.
The question isn’t whether God is moving.
The question is whether you will step into the story.
4. We Don’t Just Attend Church — We Encounter Jesus
Let me speak plainly.
This isn’t about attending a service.
It’s not about punching a spiritual timecard.
It’s not about squeezing church between brunch and errands.
You could be doing a hundred other things right now.
But you are here.
And that matters.
Because this is about reorienting your life around the reality that God is God.
Something supernatural happens when we stop in the busyness and acknowledge Him. When we say, “You are the way maker. You are the miracle worker. You are the light in the darkness.”
Faith rises in that space.
And I’m praying that faith rises in you.
5. So How Do We Walk This Journey?
If Lent is a pilgrimage with Jesus, how do we stay in step with Him?
Prayer.
Not decorative prayer.
Not garnish-on-the-plate prayer.
Not rushed, mumbled, obligatory prayer.
Prayer is how we align ourselves with the One who is already moving.
Prayer is how we stay close enough to hear His voice.
Close enough to be corrected.
Close enough to be comforted.
Close enough to be changed.
Because here’s the truth: we don’t just need information this season.
We need transformation.
We don’t just want to “have church.”
We want to encounter the living Jesus — the Alpha and Omega, the Prince of Peace, the One who makes a way where there is no way.
6. What Is Weighing on You?
Let me ask you personally.
What is holding you back right now?
Your health?
Your family?
Your finances?
Fear?
Anxiety about the state of the world?
The brokenness you see around you?
Bring it into this journey.
Lent is not about pretending you’re fine. It’s about walking honestly toward the cross — trusting that the One who went there sees you in your darkest moment and still claims you.
He doesn’t abandon you.
He doesn’t forget His promises.
And He invites you to trust Him.
7. This Is the Invitation
So here is the exhortation.
Don’t waste this season.
Don’t drift through Lent.
Don’t treat it like spiritual background noise.
Pack your bags.
Take inventory.
Confess honestly.
Pray deeply.
Walk intentionally.
Step into the story.
Because we are resurrection people. And every step toward the cross is ultimately a step toward life.
God is making a way — even now.
The only question left is this:
Will you walk with Him?