Over the last few years, I’ve come to believe that the 40 days leading up to Easter can be some of the most life-giving, perspective-changing, hope-filled days of the entire year—not just for me, but for you.
This is the moment in the church calendar when we get to prepare our hearts and minds for the resurrection of Jesus at Easter. Past years have plunged me into the Gospels, silenced my prayer life with shocking results, and exposed the layers of contempt in my heart. (You can read about those here).
Three years ago, we read the entire Bible during Lent. Two years ago, we read the entire New Testament. Last year, we read the Gospels. Tens of thousands from around the world responded. We were wonderstruck as pastors, churches, parents, kids, coworkers, and friends dove head first into the great big story of God.
That intense time of Bible reading is transformative spiritual discipline for me.
After much prayer, I’d like to invite YOU to join me in reading two powerful books of the Bible this Lent: Luke and Acts.
I’m sensing a nudge to discover the beauty of Jesus and the Church that I may fall in love all over again. Luke tells the story of Christ in star-studded joyous detail. Acts shares the story of the birth of the church and the apostles with that same wonder and awe.
I believe in these 40 days that God wants to speak to you and I through Scripture.
I believe he wants to use this time to speak. To heal. To restore. To awaken. To renew. To stir God-given dreams and hopes in our hearts for our community, our churches, and those around the world.
We live in a time of great uncertainty. Just like those who graced the pages of Luke and Acts.
My prayer is that during this time we will become awakened to Jesus and His bride, the church in a way that empowers us to live out our faith in more radiant way.
Click here to download the free Lent 2016: 40 Day Bible Reading Guide here.
To download this FREE PDF, click here, enter your email address, and the guide will be emailed to you. If you already subscribe to MargaretFeinberg.com, your guide is in the sidebar of each day’s email (click on the picture).
Even if you can’t read through Luke-Acts, will you commit to dive into one of the Gospels, study an Epistle, or just read the red words of Christ?
To celebrate this 40-Day Bible Reading Challenge, we’re giving away 2 copies of The NIV Bible: Journal Edition. To enter, simply tell us what Scripture you hope to explore during Lent through a comment on this blog.
The NIV Bible: Journal Edition provides the perfect way for you to keep a journal of your spiritual life right inside the Bible you read and study each day. With sophisticated covers found on the finest journals, this single-column journal edition with lightly ruled lines in the extra-wide margins and thicker cream paper lets you align your notes with specific verses.
I’m so excited to learn this year’s plan for Lent. I took a crazy leap of faith three years ago and joined in reading the entire Bible in 40 days. It was totally life-changing. I recommend it to people all the time. Each year, I invite the members of my church to join. It was so hard, but so, so good. It made me fall in love with the Word of God and learn how it truly is my refuge. I cannot wait until February 10 to dive in again. Once again, I will be inviting the members of my church to join. Thank you SO much for doing this every year.
I will join you for Luke and Acts – sounds like a wonderful plan! Whenever I read Luke I am reminded of the book Eugene Peterson penned especially focused on the parables unique to Luke. I am marking my calendar today.
These Lent readings have been such a blessing… Looking forward in joining again this year… Blessings and grace~
I plan on taking the #LentChallenge and am inviting my 80+ members of my FCA club to join me, some have in the past, so we’ll be reading Luke and Acts right along with everyone else.
Thanks for the chance to win:)
I’m thrilled about joining you along with my church for the Lent Challenge. This is the 3rd year in a row for us and each year we get such amazing feedback!
I’m looking forward to re-discovering the continuity between Jesus announcement and embodiment of the Kingdom of God and how this message permeated throughout the ministry of the early church as well.
Thank you!
I want to go more in-depth with Acts and how we as the church need to act and change. Although I didn’t get to read slowly and methodically make it through all 4 Gospels last year, I did read them.
I think I will study Luke and Acts with you. I loved reading through the Gospels last year. And I would love to have a Journaling Bible to work through as I read. What a wonderful gift idea!
My verse for the year is grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So I plan to read with the sole purpose of expanding my knowledge of the character of Christ…
I plan on also joining you for the 40 day Lent challenge. I always do better when I am not just trying to find something to read on my own. I am truly a planner. Thank you for this. It is my prayer that Easter brings on new meaning to my relationship with Christ this year.
The scripture I hope to explore to its depth is found in Matthew 3:2 “Repent change your inner self — your old way of thinking, regret past sins, live your life in a way that proves repentance; seek God’s purpose for your life, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”. AMP
I wish to join in on this challenge. Blessings Always.
I’ll be printing the guide and following along! I’ve never done anything specific for Lent, and my current reading plan ends right before this one starts so it’s perfect timing! I’m excited to really dig into Luke and Acts!
I would love to journal through the bible!
Luke and Acts!!! I’ve always wanted to dig in the Gospels but never do. Last years Lent challenge really gave me a starting ground.. Plus some fun with a bunch of other girls who accepted the challenge with me!!!
I will be following your scripture for Lent. I have done so for the past two years. I trust that it will be a blessing. I am also bible journaling and would love to have that particular Bible
I’m excited as this will align the study our church is doing on the book of Luke. I am excited to study passages normally reserved for Christmas outside of the Christmas season. Thanks!
I’m excited about this year’s Lent Bible Study through the books of Luke and Acts. I’ve been blessed by the compilations that Margaret has made available over the past three years, and am looking forward to a fresh revelation again during this year’s journey.
Thanks to the wonderful community surrounding you and that you share so freely with us all.
I’ve so enjoyed diving into these Lenten challenges with you for the last few years, I look forward to digging into Luke & Acts (one of my favorite books). I’ll be reading through looking for themes of purpose to accompany my word of the year.
I am new to this site but not new to your writings. I am looking forward to spending the Lent study to become more immersed in what Jesus was thinking and feeling, in a desire to be more like Him.
I will be following along again this year…I have enjoyed The Lent Challenges in the past and have encouraged my small group to do it also! Thank you for the chance to win A Journal Bible I have been looking at purchasing one to study with this year.
Blessings,
Nancy
Iʻm looking forward to the 40 days of reading and going through the Books of Luke and Acts.
I did much better with the gospels than the full New Testament. I’m looking forward to Luke and Acts. I do the reading with my small group.
The text I’m most interested in exploring is Acts 2:42-47. I want to be like that.
Yay! What an amazing plan to go through with our online and spiritual community. It’s very tangible and easy to follow! Thank you!! I’m excited to explore Luke and Acts, to really meditate on Jesus’ life, and to learn more on how the early church was. It’s amazing to see God work in lives all over the world. I hope and pray these months, this year, will begin a movement in this world to bring Heaven to Earth more and more every day.
Excited to jump into this reading plan! After committing to read the whole bible during lent with you a few years ago, I came away changed by the depth and breadth of Gods Word as I ingested it over such a short period of time. Excited to see God move in this too.
So exciting to read Acts – I started the first of the year. I am looking forward to digging into some scripture for Lent and prepare my heart.
I love these reading challenges! It makes me be more conscientious of my time with Jesus and preparing my heart during Lent. Next to the Gospel of John, I think Acts is one of my favorite books of the Bible because it tells of the early Church and how we got started. I’m looking forward to walking with all of you this year!
Luke will be an interesting read… Being reminded of the Christmas season at the beginning, and moving in to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
Excited about joining everyone in this Lent Bible reading plan! It seems like our world is trying it’s hardest to distract us from our Savior and His Word. I can already feel His calling this Lent and want to quiet myself with His Words. Acts and Luke, as well as the Psalms are what I’d like to study deeper…Psalm 103.
I look forward to the Lent challenge every year, to stretch and expand my faith. The exploration through the New Testament made me fall in love with Jesus all over again and this year’s Luke Acts study I’m certain will reinforce my understanding and love of how the early church rose up out of Jesus life and resurrection. Is it February yet?! 🙂
Excited about studying Acts & Luke. I’d like to explore and grow my faith digging deeper into Acts 14:22.
“Strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.
I’ve always struggled with sitting still and focusing on His word(as typed out in the bible) I’ve always journaled and expressed my soul and His Gifts through art!! This journal bible opportunity would be amazing!!
I would love to focus on the stories of Jesus as told in the gospels this Lent. Love the journaling Bible, too!
I plan on reading through the Gospels in 40 days. I look forward to an intense time in the Word and would love to be able to journal through using the NIV journaling Bible!
I’m looking towards another Lent reading with you Margret! I’ve followed along with you since your first lent reading and God never Fails to come through with your gift of writing He has given you. My One Word this year is Blessed. I look forward to see how God shows me every moment of how I am blessed. Many Blessings coming our way, let’s pray together to see the many blessed moments this year
I am also drawn to verses about light this year, especially 1 John. I may spend some time with those words too. Thanks for the encouragement.
Luke 18:1 , Luke 12:29-31, Acts 20:32
I’m studying the names of God.
I enjoyed reading the Gospels last year and I am looking forward to Luke and Acts this year. Last year at the last minute, I invited our congregationto join us at the last minute. This year, we are planning ahead and inviting everyone. Accountability helps us keep on track and focused. Thanks for sharing your reading plan.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Jn 3:16
I pray that this study of Luke and Acts will, indeed enhance and enlighten my understanding of this pivotal Bible Verse.
My word for 2016 is OBEDIENCE. This verse is my prayer. This is the way I want to respond in obedience every day. My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “LORD, I am coming.” Psalm 27:8
Word of God speak to me every time I read your word, but especially during this time of Lent.
I was thinking of reading the whole Bible over lent but like looking more deeply at Lake and Acts. I’m in!
pls I want to join in the lent challenge how will I go about it…Thanks, Harriet
We are studying Exodus in Sunday School. So, I will continue in that study. I will also continue studying in Revelation because we are studying that on Wednesday nights. The study in Exodus is rather fast paced and the study in Revelation is such slower.
Cannot get the link to work to grab the material. Can anyone help!?
I cant wait to dive deeper into Acts!!! I love the book and look forward to seeing what God wants to lay on my heart during this lenten season!
I just finished Job last night and was wondering where to go next, especially with Lent in mind. I stumbled on to your site and decided to join in on Luke and Acts!
Submitted before I finished. I look forward to further exploring Luke 14:28-34.
I will join you for Luke and Acts!
Looking forward to this…thank you!
I am looking forward to this experience. I am looking forward to reading Luke.
The Bible Chapter of Ephesians.
Excited to dig deeper…God is so good.
I plan to follow your reading guide. Thanks for the info and guidance
I plan on following the guide you provide and also diving into the new testament more.
I am hoping to read more of the Book of John this Lent.
I started the Lent Challenge on Feb. 10th! Loving reading the scripture in the Message version – just like reading a good book. At our Wednesday night prayer service, our Pastor was explaining Lent prior to offering ashes on our foreheads. I shared with the group your 40 Day Lent Challenge and several people were interested in joining in. My husband immediately did his catch-up reading and now we remind each other of our reading. This has been a real blessing to both of us. Thank you for offering this plan. Barbara Wood
I will also be reading Luke and Acts! MAY GOD POUR OUT HIS BLESSINGS ON US ALL!
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