Each Sunday through Lent, we are going to observe our predictable
routine of slowness.

In the introduction, I observed, “the shared rhythms of Advent,
Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost root us in the redeeming
story of Christ, and live into the Biblical wisdom of the teacher that
‘there is a time for everything’ (Ecclesiastes 3:1).”

Built into these annual rhythms are the wide spectrum of our life with Christ: anticipation and fulfillment, proclamation and response, lament and joy.

• Today, spend some time reflecting on a season of life that was characterized by Advent-like waiting. Are you still waiting? What are you waiting and longing for?

• Spend some time reflecting about this to the Lord – He wants to hear your thoughts, fears, and dreams.

Hello, I’m Evan Good. I’ve been at Riverside for 3-ish years I think, and I’m
in the Marquette Home Group led by Keith and Shelley. If you’ve heard a
loud boisterous (possibly obnoxious) laugh sometime during service or
after, it was probably me!

• Today’s passage is Matthew 4:12-25.

There’s a few different things that jumped out at me from today’s
reading. The first is the part of the prophecy in verse 16 “the people who
sat in darkness have seen a great light”, and it made me think about how
much effort God puts into going to those in darkness. He consistently
chases the “hopeless”.

The other part that struck me was the disciples’ response to Jesus
calling them to join Him. They just up and left, in an instant. I’m deeply
challenged by the commitment that took, no planning, no talking
to those they were working with to see if it was ok, no tying up loose
ends—they just left. In fact, this challenged me so much that I checked
the account in the other gospels trying to find if they really went that
immediately. The different accounts of the disciples have varying
details around the circumstances but they all show the disciples leaving
to follow Jesus immediately. If you want to check them for yourself look
at Mark 1:16-19, Luke 5:1-11, and John 1:15-51 (don’t worry, John has
short verses).

In light of that, the questions I’m now wrestling with and encourage you
to consider are:

• Is there someone in your life who’s sitting in darkness that you can be a great light to?

• What might Jesus be calling you to leave behind in order to follow Him?

I am Laura Maddux. I am from Texas, but moved here to teach sign
language interpreting at Bethel in 2019. I’ll be married to Adam
Polhemus (this month!) and what will soon be our house frequently
has three teenage girls and 2 crazy dogs around. I’ve been attending
Riverside since October of 2019, and enjoy the Marquette Home Group
and the tight relationships I’ve formed with many other believers here.

• Pause to read Matthew 4:1-11

After 40 days without food, Jesus had to be physically weak. However,
all the time in focused meditation and prayer had left him spiritually
strong to withstand the devil’s temptations. He responded to every
temptation he faced with a scripture.

Reflect on the following questions today:

• What is a temptation in your life and what is a scripture you can use to combat when you are tempted?

• The devil also used scripture in a false way to try to convince Jesus (verse 6). Are there any scriptures you think have been twisted into lies in this way in your life? What are verses you can use to combat those lies?

• What ways are you tempted to worship the idols of this life instead of God?

• Have you ever fasted for even 24 hours as you pray and seek God on a topic? Why not pick a day in the next week where you can abstain from food and focus on where the Lord is leading you. If you’re interested in how to go about this practice, reach out to someone on the elder team or pastoral staff for guidance.

Howdy, my name is Jack Swope, I’m a member of the Walatka’s
Marquette Home Group. I’ve been married to Laura 10 years and work
at Memorial Hospital as a Materials Analyst.

• My text to reflect on is Matthew 3, please take a moment to read this.

In particular, we will be reflecting on Matt. 3:2, 3:8 & 3:11, which all speak
about repentance.

Matt. 3:2—Repentance is an action, which means we have to actively
turn away from sin, make a lifestyle change to go from sin to obedience
in trusting God. In the Old Testament, Israel is to return to faithfulness to
the covenant. Jesus’ first sermon (Matt. 4:17) begins the same.

Matt. 3:8 speaks of the fruit that comes from repentance, to show inner
righteousness, not just outer conformity.

Matt. 3:11—John baptizes with water to repentance for cleaning as
opposed to Jesus who will baptize with the Holy Spirit & Fire (judgment
for the unrepentant).

• Take some time to reflect—are there areas of your life that need you to repent?

Hi, my name is John Zahlmann (JZ). I’m in the Marquette Home Group
led by Keith and Shelley. I’m a high school English teacher, still finding
my roots in the South Bend area, and have been at Riverside ever since
I moved to Indiana.

• Take a little bit of time to stop and read Matthew 2:13-23.

So, I LOVE Christmas. I have a year-round countdown and I truly go
all out for the holiday season. But if I’m honest, when I think of “the
Christmas story” from the Bible, I never remember that the precious
baby Jesus (the Savior and King) was in danger of getting murdered
after he was born.

I never remember that there is a slaughter of young boys in Bethlehem
as Herod is searching for Jesus, leaving mothers without children and
leaving communities in mourning. It seems as if God gave us the most
perfect gift, then it was quickly surrounded in fear, death, loss, grief, and
confusion. Seems kinda messed up, right? Well, it definitely would be…
if this story ended there.

Part of the Christmas story is that Jesus would be named “Immanuel” or
“God with us”. And as the sorrow and the evil of King Herod took place,
God didn’t abandon us – He was still at work. He never left. He called
Joseph to lead his family out of harm’s way (v.13-14, and 19-22), and in
doing so kept Jesus safe and free to grow and minister until it was time
for him to be sacrificed so that we would be able to be with the Him
again (because, again: He wants to be with us). He shows us many times
in just the one Christmas story we are meant to be with Him and that
He’s creating opportunities for that to happen – even when the world
tries to tear us away.

I don’t know about you, but I can definitely think of recent times where
I felt fear, sorrow, and hurt – and what I failed to remember during those
times is that God is ALWAYS with us and WANTS to be with us. While
He isn’t the cause, nor does He want the bad moments to happen, He
surely will be with us when they do. He’s here to offer us safety, hope,
rescue, and strength.

Consider reflecting on the following question today:

• Where can you see God working to be with you in a challenging, negative moment in your life?

Hi, my name is Shawn Titus and I am in the Marquette Home Group led
by Keith and Shelley. Speaking of Keith, I think I will just refer to him as
Ootlatch from now on (One Of The Leaders Around This Church).

Today we are going to watch a video from the BibleProject about the
book of Matthew. But first, think about what you know about the book
of Matthew:

• What is Matthew’s purpose?
• What is the main point?
• What is unique to Matthew vs the other gospels?

Overview: Matthew Chapters 1-13

It is good for me to be reminded of the connection between Jesus and
the Old Testament and the comparison with Moses. I know that in my
head, but not being a Jew from that time it can be hard to keep in mind
the significance.

Reflect on the following questions:

• They talk about 3 main points (Messiah from the line of David, New Moses, and God with us). How do each of these apply/speak to you?

• They also have a couple interesting things for us to keep in mind as we read Matthew in the coming days. As you work through the passages, consider looking up the Old Testament quotations and look closely at the people who accept Jesus.

Hi, my name is Susan Titus. I’m in the Marquette Home Group led by
Keith and Shelley. I’ve been married to Shawn for almost 33 years! I
have served at Camp Ray Bird for over 20 years and I never get tired of
summer camp. Demonstrating Jesus’ love to campers is an amazing job
to have! I joke with my friend, Alyssa, that I will probably just fall over
and die there one day. To which she always replies, “can it not be during
summer camp- it will scare the campers”, and “do we have to talk about
this?” :).

In this Devotional, we are going to walk through the life of Jesus as told
through the eyes of Matthew, one of His disciples. During Advent, the
season of waiting prior to Christmas, we journeyed through the Old
Testament looking at stories that pointed to our need for a Savior, God’s
plan to redeem us through a Savior, and prophecies about the coming
Savior. I cannot imagine God’s excitement to see it all come to pass in
the birth of Jesus.

God among us. Dwelling in our neighborhood (the world). Being
vulnerable to hunger, relational pain and disappointment, and
ultimately to death.

I am praying to see Jesus through fresh eyes during this Lenten season.
That the stories we read, and the questions we answer, will reintroduce
me to Jesus.

A couple questions to consider as we begin this journey together:

• What is one thing you’d like God to show you about Himself during this season?

• What area of your humanness are you most thankful for Jesus being able to identify with?