The E100 Challenge has been a very exciting and interesting activity for me so far. Usually we think of reading the bible as a long process and hard to understand, but through this E100 challenge, we were able to read the essential stories of the bible and go deeper on what is being read. This has helped me and many others grow in Christ and really understand the things we read in the bible; making the experience of reading the bible all the more enjoyable.

In our small groups, we go over the weeks assigned readings, and have very in-depth conversations where we express questions and answers and great insight, deepening our growth and knowledge. I really enjoy this and can not wait to continue this semester!

To give you an idea of where I’m coming from, I have a non-denominational, protestant background. I did not grow up observing Lent, nor do I view it as something you HAVE to do as a Christian. With that said however, I do feel that it is a great opportunity to learn and grow in Christ. The purpose of Lent is to prepare us for the Holy Week, the week leading up to the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. When deciding what you want to “give up” (or alternatively, “do extra”) for Lent this year, try to keep that in mind. So, if you decide to give up Facebook, don’t just fill that void with IM and email, but fill it with Christ.

Personally, for Lent, I plan to doing a few things, first, I’m trying to get my regular Bible Study back on track, and I’m doing this with a group of people dedicated to do the same. Another thing I’m doing, is I plan on reading at least one reason per day from Fifty Reasons Jesus Came to Die by John Piper. In doing this I hope to prepare myself for Holy Week by concentrating on the reasons for the cross.

If you decide that you want to observe Lent this year, I encourage that you truly make the most of it, and that you have a good reason for how you choose to observe it. If you keep your focus on the Cross and Resurrection, it will help keep you motivated and stay on track with your decision, and more importantly, it will help you grow closer to Christ by gaining deeper understanding of what He’s done for us.