CPC Lent Guide 2024

GUIDE TO LENT

A Special Release for Lent

Christ Be Praised

When the road is long

As I lose my way

And my heart grows weary still

He is my hope and stay

When I can’t go on

The days they turn to night

When wilderness is all I see

I fix my eyes on Christ

Christ be praised

Oh Christ be praised

For all my days

Oh Christ be praised

In drought and plenty

In joy and pain

For all my days

Oh Christ be praised

In seasons dry and void

You come in like a storm

The living well, my hope to tell

That Jesus Christ is Lord

When my last day comes I will not be afraid

The empty tomb is living proof

He is my hope and stay

Jesus, You’re our hope and stay

Scan to listen to our Lenten Spotify Playlist

Includes Christ Be Praised!

2024 EASTER OFFERING

FRONTIER FELLOWSHIP

Supporting Gospel Movements from Egypt across the Middle East

Frontier Fellowship mobilizes believing communities around the world to engage with peoples and places that have never before heard the Gospel. Today, one of the greatest of these movements is happening in the Middle East. In a region where only 1 in 10 people even know another Christian, God is opening hearts and minds to seek Jesus, and the receptivity and hunger for discipleship is outpacing the availability of workers to meet the need. This movement has emboldened the faith of Christians in the region and, in particular, the Egyptian church, whose members are rising up in unprecedented numbers to commit their lives to sharing the Gospel with those beyond their borders who have never heard it before.

In partnership with Frontier Fellowship, CPC’s 2024 Easter offering will go to support these missional movements of the church out of Egypt. Our gifts will assist local Egyptian mission leaders in their multi-year vision of expanding missions training for individuals and churches within Egypt, with a goal of sending up to 100 Egyptian workers into long-term, cross-cultural ministry throughout the Arabic-speaking world. As one Egyptian leader shared, “The harvest is great, is plentiful, but it’s the workers that are not enough. God is opening so many doors that we cannot do it alone. We need your friendship; we need your encouragement; we need the relationship; we need the support; we need you to be with us.”

Modeled after Jesus’ forty days in the desert, Lent is a time to become more open to God through the vulnerabilities of life. This series highlights one biblical character each week, along with the way God provided food and drink for them in their personal wilderness. As we journey through this set apart season, we hope this guide will help you be open to the Gospel’s movement in your faith and in your relationships with others.

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

This guide can assist you in worship, in personal study, and around tables with others. We encourage you to take sermon notes in the guide each week. Additionally, the table conversation questions can help you connect with family and friends. We encourage you to intentionally invite some friends to join you around a table for a meal and discuss these questions. The deeper study questions can be used in personal reflection or among a small group. Each of the recipes in the guide has its roots in the very geographical locations where the stories of Scripture took place. These are included as a way of adding some fun and creativity to your Lenten practice.

Genesis 3 verses 17-19 WED ASH

01 WEEK Matthew 4 verses 1-4

BAKED FETA PASTA

w/onions & garlic

Prep 10 min

Cook 40 min

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 cloves garlic

• 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes

• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water

• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more for serving

• 8 oz block feta cheese

• 1 teaspoon honey

• 1 small lemon

• 1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves

• 12 ounces dried short pasta (such as cavatappi or fusilli)

CPCEDINA.ORG/RECIPES

This easy recipe, inspired by the TikTok-famous feta pasta, features burst cherry tomatoes, roasted garlic, lemon zest, basil, and a creamy feta sauce.

Scan the QR code above for the full recipe and instructions!

CONVERSATION QUESTIONS Table

Share a time when you were hungry. What caused that? What sustained you through that?

Have you ever fasted before? If you have, what was that experience like for you?

GOT KIDS?

Give these a try at the table.

God cares for us by giving us food to help our bodies grow strong and healthy. Even better than that, God gives us His Word to help grow our hearts. When we learn His Word, it helps us to do hard things with lots of joy and trust in Him!

PRAY: Dear God, I want to grow up strong and healthy; please help me to discover your Word, learn your Word, and trust your Word. Amen.

GOING DEEPER Questions

CONTEXT: The Spirit of God leads Jesus out into the wilderness where the devil uses food to tempt Jesus to wield His power rather than depend upon God. Jesus, to whom all power and authority has been given, still chooses obedience and trust that the Lord will provide rather than providing for Himself. In doing so, He recapitulates the Israelites dependence upon God in the wilderness as God provides manna for them.

1. Jesus was severely hungry while He was being tempted. What are signs of health in your life that make it easier to resist temptation? What are signs of unhealth that make it more challenging to resist temptation?

2. When confronted with temptation, Jesus responds by quoting Scripture. How does Scripture memorization factor into your faith development? If you haven’t memorized Scripture before, consider choosing two verses to memorize this week.

3. Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 8:3 in His response to the tempter. Take a moment to read that verse. Deuteronomy 8:3 associates hunger with humility and humility with reliance on God. What does healthy humility look like? How can you choose trust and dependence on God?

4. Jesus’ words and the passage in Deuteronomy reinforce that Scripture feeds us. Often we can treat Scripture like something to be studied, learned, and stored in our minds, but this passage indicates that Scripture has a nourishing effect on our very beings. How can you engage with Scripture to allow it to feed you this week?

Genesis 21 verses 8-21 02 WEEK

a STORY FROM FRONTIER FELLOWSHIP

In a country on the Arabian Peninsula with very few believers, a woman overheard a testimony about the power of God. On that day, she prayed with all her heart for God to save her from her personal and financial problems. When she went to sleep that night, she saw Jesus in a dream. She was overwhelmed by His presence. In the dream, Jesus touched her, putting one of His hands on her forehead, and His other hand on her son’s forehead. She woke up the next day feeling completely refreshed, physically and spiritually. Her focus was clear, and problems she had experienced with her balance and memory were much improved. She visited a church for the first time in her life in search of an explanation of the dream and to learn what to do next. An Egyptian missionary, with Frontier Fellowship’s network, was the pastor of this church and told her, “Jesus has heard your cries and has answered them.” The woman then simply shared that she wanted to follow Him, and since then, she and her son have become followers of Jesus.

FOR PRAYER:

• Pray for Jesus to reveal Himself in clear and surprising ways, even through dreams, to those who have never heard about Him.

• Pray for spiritual seekers in the Middle East to find connections with other Christians.

• Pray that the power of the Gospel would make a tangible difference to the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs for people who are facing difficulties, like this woman.

HOMEMADE Vegetable Soup

INGREDIENTS:

• Extra virgin olive oil

• 8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced

Prep 15 min

Cook 30 min Serves 6

• 1 bunch flat leaf parsley (stems and leaves separated) chopped

• 1 medium-size yellow or red onion, chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, chopped

• 2 celery ribs, chopped

• 2 carrots, peeled, chopped

• 2 medium zucchini, sliced into rounds or half-moons

• 2 golden potatoes, peeled, small diced

• 1 teaspoon ground coriander

• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder

• ½ teaspoon sweet paprika

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

• 32 oz can whole peeled tomatoes

• 2 bay leaves

• ½ teaspoon dried thyme

• 6 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth

• Zest and juice of 1 lime

• 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts, optional

CPCEDINA.ORG/RECIPES

You’ll love this easy homemade vegetable soup, prepared Mediterranean-style with loads of vegetables, including zucchini, carrots, and mushrooms, and fresh herbs.

Scan the QR code above for the full recipe and instructions!

CONVERSATION QUESTIONS Table

Share a time when you felt really thirsty. How did that impact more than just your body?

When was a time that you helped someone in need?

GOT KIDS?

Give these a try at the table.

Have you ever felt sad, alone or invisible, like no one noticed you or how you were feeling? Or, have you noticed someone else feeling like that, maybe in your family or at school? God never wants anyone to feel left out or unnoticed. He wants everyone to know that He sees them, He knows them, and He loves them.

PRAY: Dear God, thank you for always, always loving me. Please remind me when I am feeling alone that you are there. Give me a heart to see others the way you see them, so that I can help to encourage them, too. Amen.

GOING DEEPER

Questions

CONTEXT: The Lord hears Hagar’s son crying and shows up to provide water and sustenance for both Hagar and the boy. This passage demonstrates how God draws near to those who are cast out, marginalized, silenced, and otherwise forgotten. God provides for them personally and intimately. This instance follows God seeing Hagar in Genesis 16 in the wilderness after Abraham cast her out the first time. Taking both passages together, God both sees Hagar (in Genesis 16) and now hears Hagar (in Genesis 21) and provides her with water and sustenance in both instances.

1. Hagar calls out to God as the one who sees her personally. What does it say to your heart that God sees you, knows you, and is pursuing you with His love?

2. So often, the times we experience God deeply are when we are in the metaphorical wilderness. What happens in the wilderness that opens us to see God in new ways?

3. When was a time that the wilderness led you closer to God?

4. God calls us to look outside of ourselves and see people with His eyes of love. How can we develop a heart that sees those who feel like outsiders and reach out to them with the love of God?

03 WEEK

Exodus 16 verses 1-12

FALAFEL-SPICED TOMATOES

& Chickpeas on Flatbread

INGREDIENTS:

Tomatoes and chickpeas:

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 1 teaspoon sumac

Serves 4

• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more

• 2 large heirloom tomatoes, any color, thinly sliced

• 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 1 small shallot, thinly sliced

• 1/2 cup parsley leaves with tender stems

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Yogurt sauce:

• 1 Persian cucumber, peeled, chopped

• 3/4 cup plain yogurt

• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint

• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley

• Freshly ground pepper

Flatbread:

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface

• 1 cup plain yogurt

• 4 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling

CPCEDINA.ORG/RECIPES

To make this tomato on bread revelation right this very minute, use a prepared flatbread like naan or pocketless pita. Sumac, a tart, citrusy spice, can be found at Middle Eastern markets and specialty foods stores.

Scan the QR code above for the full recipe and instructions!

CONVERSATION QUESTIONS Table

If you could choose one meal to eat on repeat for the rest of your life, what would it be?

A lot goes into preparing a meal. What is the most challenging part for you?

GOT KIDS?

Give these a try at the table.

What happens when you get hungry? Do you grumble and complain? Then do you complain when it isn’t exactly the thing you wanted? Probably so… the Israelites did. They complained when they didn’t have food to eat, and when God gave them manna and quail, they still complained. They forgot that God was giving them what they asked for, because He loved them. We do that, too…we forget that God loves us and provides everything we need. Instead of grumbling and complaining, we can choose to say “Thank You, God!”

PRAY: Dear God, forgive us when we grumble and complain, forgetting that you love us. Remind us that you give us every good thing, and we can choose to be thankful. Amen.

GOING DEEPER Questions

CONTEXT: The Israelites complain about their plight in the desert, even longing to return to slavery in Egypt. The Lord shows that He hears them and will feed them, but rather than creating a storehouse of food, He invites them into daily reliance upon His provision. They collect a day’s worth of bread in the morning and a day’s worth of meat in the evening, and by the next day it rots (the exception being for the Sabbath). This is why Jesus includes in the Lord’s prayer, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Receiving food from the Lord isn’t about hoarding so that we don’t have to bother God for more each day. Turning to God daily is what God deeply desires.

1. The Israelites are grumbling in the wilderness in large part because they have forgotten what it was like to be enslaved in Egypt. Remembering God’s deliverance takes discipline. What was one time in your life when you experienced God’s deliverance or provision? How do you intentionally remember and praise God for it?

2. God provides food each day for the Israelites and instructs them to only collect one day’s portion. The food even spoils by the following morning. God could have provided them with food that would last longer. Why do you think God wanted them to collect food daily? What does this teach us about God’s desire for our dependence upon Him?

3. On the sixth day the Israelites are instructed to collect portions for two days, for the seventh day is meant to be honored as a Sabbath. On Sabbath even things like acquiring food are meant to rest. What does Sabbath practice look like for you? If you have never practiced Sabbath before, what steps can you take toward weekly intentional rest?

4. In the closing verse, God declares that because the Israelites receive provision, they will know that the Lord is God. Often we can attribute our acquisition of food and items to our own self-sufficiency, rather than to the Lord’s provision. This week what practices can help us worship God for providing what we need?

1 Kings

19 verses 1-8 04 WEEK

MEDITERRANEAN

quinoa bowls

INGREDIENTS:

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:

Prep 20 min Serves 8

• 1 16 ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained

• 1 clove garlic

• 1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste)

• Juice of one lemon

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 1/2 cup almonds

For the Mediterranean Bowls (build your own bowls based on what you like)

• Cooked quinoa

• Spinach, kale, or cucumber

• Feta cheese

• Kalamata olives

• Pepperoncini

• Thinly sliced red onion

• Hummus

• Fresh basil or parsley

• Olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper

CPCEDINA.ORG/RECIPES

Mediterranean Quinoa Bowls with roasted red pepper sauce. A mix of quinoa, cucumbers or kale or spinach, feta cheese, kalamata olives, and pepperoncini.

Scan the QR code above for the full recipe and instructions!

QUESTIONS Table

CONVERSATION

What is your favorite food to eat while traveling?

Share a time when someone has taken care of you?

GOT KIDS?

Give these a try at the table.

What is your favorite meal that your parents make for you?

PRAY: Dear God, you are so good to me! I am your child and you love me so much. You give me just what I need when I need it most. Thank you, God, for taking such good care of me! Amen.

GOING DEEPER Questions

CONTEXT: At this point in Elijah’s journey he is terrified, exhausted, and fleeing threats to his life. The Lord provides personally for Elijah by sending an angel to provide tangible food and water for him. This allows him to rest further before the angel returns a second time to feed him, give him water, and then send him for forty days and forty nights to Mount Horeb. At every point on our journeys, in whatever we leave behind and wherever we are going, God provides the energy we need to follow Him.

1. Why do you think Elijah spiraled into despair?

2. What kind of self-talk led him down this path? How can you relate to Elijah?

3. Besides physical nourishment, God provides us with an identity secure in Him. How is our identity in Christ more resilient than an identity built on self and circumstances?

4. What are some principles we can glean from the Elijah story to help strengthen us when we start to feel like we are unraveling?

05 WEEK

1 Samuel chapter 25

MEZZE Platter

INGREDIENTS:

• Whipped Feta

• Muhammara

• Tabbouleh

• Pita bread

• Cherry tomatoes

• Sliced Persian cucumbers

• Halved or quartered radishes

• Halved artichoke hearts

• Green and kalamata olives

• Cubed feta

• Lemon wedges

• Sprigs of fresh mint and/or parsley

Prep 30 min

Cook 30 min

Serves 6-8

CPCEDINA.ORG/RECIPES

Mezze are small plates and appetizers that are often shared before a meal in the Middle East. This mezze platter includes an assortment of these types of snacks, spreads, and dips, and it’s perfect for entertaining.

Scan the QR code above for the full recipe and instructions!

CONVERSATION QUESTIONS Table

Share a time when you either gave or received food as a gift.

Meals can often prompt reconciliation and healing. When have you shared a meal with someone you disagreed with?

GOT KIDS?

Give these a try at the table.

How do you feel when someone shares food with you? Why do you think God wants us to share?

PRAY: Dear God, please make my heart more like yours— kind, generous, and peaceful. Amen.

GOING DEEPER Questions

CONTEXT: This story demonstrates how food can act as a tangible sign of grace and goodwill. Abigail’s household is at risk after her husband treated David unfairly and unkindly. In response, Abigail gathers massive stockpiles of food as gifts to David to apologize for the wrong behavior of her husband and to seek forgiveness and reconciliation. Because of Abigail’s ingenuity and generosity, David’s heart is changed toward Abigail’s household. Following the death of her husband Nabal (meaning folly), Abigail marries David.

1. Nabal instigates his own downfall by denying food and refreshment to David’s servants. What does it communicate when we deny hospitality to others?

2. The servants felt safe to share honestly with Abigail about what happened. Upon hearing them, Abigail believed them and took immediate action. How did Abigail demonstrate hospitality to the servants in this passage? How did she practice justice in her actions?

3. What is one way that you can extend hospitality to someone through sharing food or a meal this week?

4. Abigail is the heroine of this passage, saving Nabal’s household from demise by gifting generous portions of food as a peace offering. Sharing food can catalyze the reconciliation of relationships. How have you seen food bring people together in the midst of conflict?

06 WEEK

Matthew 14 verses 15-21

a STORY FROM FRONTIER FELLOWSHIP

Agraduating Egyptian theology student sensed a passion and calling for ministering among his neighbors in the Middle East where there is little access to the Gospel. A Frontier Fellowship leader recruited him to serve in a war-torn country on the Arabian Peninsula with very few Christians. For a year, this student served in an established church in a major city in the country. Coming from a culturally similar background, he was able to quickly adapt to the local customs and dialect, and spent the year learning the ministry needs and cultivating God’s love in his heart for the people of this region. The Lord then led him to plant a new church in a different city. In this city, he reached hundreds of people with the Good News and many new believers publicly declared their faith in Jesus. Today, one third of his church in this city are followers of Jesus who come from Muslim backgrounds. Now, this pastor is working with church leaders from Egypt and the local Christians in his new country to plant a new church. His goal is to reach out to new people in the region that have few Christians living or working among them.

FOR PRAYER:

• Pray for missionaries leaving Egypt and going to other parts of the Middle East. Pray that their hearts will be full of love and compassion as they share the Gospel with those who have never heard.

• Pray for believers from Muslim backgrounds as they experience joy and challenges in following Jesus.

• Pray for this pastor and the new church he seeks to plant.

CHICKEN Shawarma Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 1.5-2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 2 teaspoons cumin

• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon allspice

• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon coriander

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/4 teaspoons cardamom

• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

CPCEDINA.ORG/RECIPES

Add anything you like to your chicken including: rice, pita, tomato, cucumber, avocado, pickled onion, lettuce, tzatziki, cilantro, mint, and/or roasted peppers.

Scan the QR code above for the full recipe and instructions!

CONVERSATION QUESTIONS Table

Share about a meal you remember that was impactful because of those who shared the table with you.

What benefits do you see in eating together instead of eating by yourself?

GOT KIDS?

Give these a try at the table.

Everyone got something to eat in this story, even though they started with only five loaves and two fish. How did God show His power in this story? Why do you think it is important to God that everyone was included?

PRAY: Dear God, help me to remember that everyone is important to you, and that we can love and serve you by helping to make sure that everyone is included and has enough. Amen.

GOING DEEPER Questions

CONTEXT: The disciples’ initial instinct is to send people away so that they can go feed themselves. Jesus instead draws them deeper into community with one another and into dependence on Him, by uniting them around a meal. This story shows us that there are never too many at God’s table, that God will provide for all. It also shows God’s power to multiply the meager offerings we bring to Him so that they may become an abundance.

1. What parallels do you see between this story and God’s provision of manna in the wilderness in week 3 of our study?

2. What are unhealthy ways we can try to fill our hunger for more?

3. Why does God continually call us into community as the family of God?

4. What are some of the provisions of God through community life?

Mark 15 verses 22-24; 36-37 WEEK HOLY

CONVERSATION QUESTIONS Table

When have you been blessed by someone bringing you a meal?

When has it been hard to accept someone else’s hospitality?

GOT KIDS?

Give these a try at the table.

Think of a time you didn’t feel well…did you take medicine? Imagine you are really thirsty…would you rather drink vinegar or lemonade? Jesus was offered both something that might help His pain, and then vinegar, which wasn’t a kind thing to offer at all. He refused both— He wanted to trust God instead.

PRAY: Dear God, even in His darkest time, Jesus put His trust in you; please teach me to trust in you the way Jesus did on the Cross so long ago. Amen.

GOING DEEPER Questions

CONTEXT: These two passages show how Jesus refused the drink offerings of human beings during his crucifixion. In the first instance people offered him wine mixed with myrrh, which was understood to be a pain reliever. Those who offered him the first drink desired for him to have relief, but Jesus instead chose to rely on God alone for his crucifixion. In the second passage someone offers Jesus wine vinegar, which the psalmist refers to in Psalm 69 as a sign of mocking and rejection. The point of the verse isn’t whether Jesus drank the vinegar; it was the insult he received as he anticipated breathing his last. From the start to the end of His crucifixion, Jesus relies on God alone (not food or drink) to bring him through his suffering and death in the certain hope of new, resurrected life.

1. The first drink offered to Jesus is wine mixed with myrrh, meant to be a pain reliever. Jesus rejects the offering in order to rely solely on God. How does the temptation to receive comfort from food or drink factor into your daily life?

2. In the midst of stress, worldly comforts, entertainment, and needless acquisition can all serve to numb our need to depend on God. Which of these is most tempting for you? How can you regularly deny those in order to depend more deeply on God?

3. Read Psalm 69:1-21. How does the psalmist interpret receiving vinegar to drink? What does this tell us about the significance of Jesus being offered vinegar while on the cross?

4. The first drink Jesus receives connotes comfort and pain relief; the second connotes insult and derision. Jesus rejects both. What does this tell us about Jesus’ identity? How did Jesus understand himself in the eyes of God and the world? What can this teach us about our own dependence on God?

WAYS to ENGAGE

DURING LENT AT CPC

There are many ways to get connected and find community during this Lenten season. Check out some highlights below, or visit cpcedina.org/events to learn more.

Sunday Dinner*

Sundays, February 18-March 24

Westview Room • 5:30-7:00PM

*REGISTRATION ENCOURAGED

Lenten Prayer Gatherings

Thursdays, February 15-March 21

Chapel • 5:30-6:00PM

Thursday, March 28

Chapel

Good

Saturday, March 30

Holy

Easter

Chapel

STATIONS

CROSS will be available for anyone who would like to incorporate them into their prayer time on Friday and Saturday.