40 Days of Decrease: A Different Kind of Hunger. A Different Kind of Fast.

by Alicia Britt Chole

Overview

What if you fasted regret? What if your friends fasted comparison? What if your generation fasted escapism? What if your community fasted spectatorship? Trigger a spiritual revolution with this daily devotional for Lent.

Decrease life's unnecessary details and increase your relationship with the Lord so you can live in awe of Christ's resurrection! 40 Days of Decrease is a guide for those hungering for a fresh Lenten/Easter experience. Dr. Alicia Britt Chole guides you through a study of Jesus’ uncommon and uncomfortable call to abandon the world’s illusions, embrace His kingdom’s realities, and journey cross-ward and beyond.

Containing readings, refection questions, daily fasts, ancient quotes, and more, each day offers a meaningful consideration of Jesus’ journey and then invites you into a daily fast of heart-clutter—the stuff that sticks to your soul and weighs you down. You can begin your forty-day journey any time of the year, but you may find it especially meaningful as a Lenten preparation to live in awe of Jesus’ resurrection.

Each daily, 1000-word entry includes a:

• Devotion based on Jesus’ life
• Reflection question to guide journaling or group discussion
• Heart fast to inspire a tangible response
• Thought-provoking Lenten quote
• Optional sidebar into the historical development of Lent
• Suggested reading that takes you from John 12 to John 21
• Journaling space for reflection

In the same way self cannot satisfy self no matter how long it feasts, self cannot starve self no matter how long it fasts. Decrease—like increase—is only holy when its destination is love. Dare to live awed by Christ’s resurrection!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780718076603
Publisher:	Nelson, Thomas, Inc.
Publication date:	01/05/2016
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	108,243
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.35(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

An award-winning writer, Dr. Alicia Britt Chole’s messages address both head and heart and are often described as grace-filled surgeries. Alicia is a speaker, author, and leadership mentor who enjoys thunderstorms, jalapenos, and honest questions. To explore Alicia’s other books or learn more about her ministry, visit www.aliciabrittchole.com.

Table of Contents

Prologue xiii

Introduction xvii

Day 1 Lent As Project 1

Day 2 Regrets 7

Day 3 Collecting Praise 11

Day 4 Artificial Light 15

Day 5 Tidy Faith 21

Day 6 Speeding Past Sorrow 25

Day 7 A Meal 29

Day 8 Fixing It 33

Day 9 Rationalism 37

Day 10 Avoidance 43

Day 11 Religious Profiling 47

Day 12 Isolation 53

Day 13 Stinginess 59

Day 14 Spectatorship 65

Day 15 Spiritual Self-Protection 69

Day 16 Halos 75

Day 17 Apathy 79

Day 18 Appearances 85

Day 19 Revisionism 91

Day 20 Leavened Bread 97

Day 21 Premature Resolution 103

Day 22 Sound 109

Day 23 Armchair Jesus 113

Day 24 Neutrality 119

Day 25 Denial 125

Day 26 Comparison 129

Day 27 Discontentment 135

Day 28 Formulas 141

Day 29 Intimidation 147

Day 30 Self-Confidence 153

Day 31 Mocking Jesus 159

Day 32 Addition 165

Day 33 Willful Sin 171

Day 34 Criticism 177

Day 35 God-As-Job 183

Day 36 Withholding 189

Day 37 Your Voice 195

Day 38 Escapism 203

Day 39 Guarding Tombs 209

Day 40 Fasting 215

Notes 221

About the Author 247