This past Wednesday we entered the season of Lent, a sacred 40-day journey that leads us to the Cross and ultimately to the joy of Easter. Lent is not a self-improvement challenge or a personal spiritual project. It is the Church’s invitation to slow down, return to God, and walk more intentionally with Jesus through repentance, renewal, and deeper dependence on His grace. It has often been called a season of “bright sadness” where we honestly face our brokenness, yet we do so with hope because of the mercy of God.

This Sunday, we are especially grateful to welcome Pastor Jordan Rice, the founding and lead pastor of Renaissance Church in New York City, who will be bringing the message from Matthew 4:1–11. In this passage, we see Jesus in the wilderness facing real temptation before His public ministry begins. He is confronted with the same kinds of lies and pressures we face today, the temptation to satisfy ourselves apart from God, to grasp for power, and to take shortcuts instead of trusting our Heavenly Father. Where humanity has failed, Jesus stands firm. His victory in the wilderness reminds us that He is not only our example, but our Savior, the One who overcomes temptation for us and leads us into true freedom.