Sunday, March 28, 2021

Resurrection Words Challenge

 Resurrection Words Challenge

April 2-16, 2021


Over the past few years, my practice has been to engage in a words challenge for Advent and then again to offer a words challenge through a book of the Bible in the summer. This year I decided to add a brief challenge in the month of April to look at how the events of Good Friday and Easter impact our everyday life. 

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20

In the above verse, Paul declares his new life in Christ in terms of having been crucified with Christ, therefore crucifying his former way of life in order to live a new life of faith. This new life of faith was made possible through the sacrifice Christ made with his own life on the cross for the forgiveness if our sins. This new life is empowered by Christ's resurrection and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Paul's letters to the churches describe what this crucified life for those who, through faith in Christ, choose to live a crucified life as well.

This is the life that Christ-followers are called to: To die to our former way of life and its empty promises, and to live a new way of life grounded in the sacrificial life of Christ, which holds for us eternal promises of hope.

"For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raise again." 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

The events of Easter - the cross and the resurrection - usher us into this new life that is shaped by the cross and empowered by the resurrection. Over the course of two weeks we will explore this resurrection life we are called to live in the Resurrection Words Art & Faith Challenge. 

I hope you'll join me! Beginning on April 2 I will post a daily Bible study devotion along with our I responded creatively. I then encourage you to respond to the Scriptures creatively as well. You can share your creative responses in our private Words Art & Faith Facebook group. Or share on Instagram with #resurrectionwords.