Lent Family Devotion - Week 2

John the Baptist and the baptism of Jesus
Introduction: John the Baptist was Jesus’ cousin. God had a special job for John. His job was to prepare people for the Savior’s coming. John taught people to prepare themselves by repenting of their sins. He baptized them in the Jordon River as a sign of their repentance.

Reading: Matthew 3: 1-6 and 13-17 John the Baptist and the baptism of Jesus

Discussion Questions:
1. Imagine yourself as John, how would you have felt having Jesus come to you to be baptized? Would you have felt honored, nervous, or maybe that you wanted Jesus to be the one to baptize you instead?
2. Now imagine that you were standing on the bank of the Jordon River watching Jesus’ baptism. You would not have known who Jesus was. What would you have thought when you saw God’s response to Jesus’ baptism? What would you have told people about this man named Jesus?
3. John taught people to repent of their sins for the Savior was coming. Lent is a good time for us to remember that Jesus is coming again, and we need to repent for our sins too. Take some quiet time as a family to pray for forgiveness for any sins that may be on your heart.

Prayer: Close your devotional time with a prayer. For example:
Dear Heavenly Father,
We thank you for this time together. We thank you for the lessons we have learned tonight through your word. Help us to remember John’s message that we need to prepare our hearts, as you are indeed coming again. Help us to turn away from our sins, Lord. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

February's winner and March's drawing announcement

This is so fun. The winner for February is ... my mom! Isn't that fun! It gave me such a big smile when I pulled her name. Of course I called her right away to tell her. So as soon as I can get with Joanne to have her autograph the book, mom, you will be getting a copy of Misplacing God. I know you will love it as much as I did.

I am so excited about March's drawing. The drawing is for a Disciple's Candle set. The Disciple's Candle is a devotion tool/Easter decoration that our family uses to mark the time between Jesus' death on Good Friday and his resurrection on Easter Sunday. Read more about it here. The prize will include a glass hurricane, pillar candle, crown of thorns, and silk flowers. I am so excited to share this beautiful Easter tradition with you. So leave comments during the month of March and I will draw one as the winner.