CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.

practices & pressures that shape our faith.

Release Control.

There is a desire in all of us to control. We want to control the ins and outs of our days. We want to control the outcomes of our decisions. We desire what is best for our kids, so we try to control their decisions. A medical diagnosis comes in, and we want to control the results. A career is feeling unstable, and we want to control the decisions. In each of us, to greater or lesser degrees, we want to control. Jesus challenges us to something different. He challenges us to surrender—to surrender the outcomes to him. In a word: Trust. We are called to the challenge of trusting Jesus not just with our eternity but also with our present. This doesn't mean that we stop pursuing wise decisions, but it does mean that we ultimately trust Him with the outcome.

Pressure Challenge - Surrender Control of the Outcome

    • Ask God to reveal to you where you are trying to control things that should be surrendered.

    • Pray for God to give you the strength to release control and replace it with trust.

    • Include someone else in your areas of control to help you remember to surrender to Jesus.

Let’s Do This!

This challenge is designed to help you fall in love with reading God’s Word. Read the Bible slowly and attentively, with a heart eager to learn rather than a mindset driven by obligation.

Each daily challenge has three options. Choose which option you will pursue during our 90 days.

This Week’s Scripture Challenge (March 30-April 3)

    • Monday, March 30: Matthew 21:1–11

    • Tuesday, March 31: Mark 11:15–19

    • Wednesday, April 1: Matthew 21:23–27

    • Thursday, April 2: John 13:1–17, 34–35

    • Friday, April 3: John 19:16–30


    • Monday, March 30: Matthew 21:1–17

    • Tuesday, March 31: Mark 11:12–25

    • Wednesday, April 1: Matthew 21:18–32

    • Thursday, April 2: John 13–15

    • Friday, April 3: John 18:28–19:37

    • Monday, March 30: Revelation 7–10

    • Tuesday, March 31: Revelation 11–14

    • Wednesday, April 1: Revelation 15–18

    • Thursday, April 2: Revelation 19–22

    • Friday, April 3: John 18–19; Isaiah 52:13–53:12

March 23-27 Scripture Challenge

    • Monday, March 23: Matthew 26:36–46

    • Tuesday, March 24: Luke 23:44–49

    • Wednesday, March 25: Psalm 31

    • Thursday, March 26: Romans 8:18–39

    • Friday, March 27: 1 Peter 2:21–25


    • Monday, March 23: Matthew 26

    • Tuesday, March 24: Luke 23

    • Wednesday, March 25: Psalm 31

    • Thursday, March 26: Romans 8

    • Friday, March 27: 1 Peter 2

    • Monday, March 23: 1 Peter 1–5

    • Tuesday, March 24: 2 Peter 1–3; 1 John 1

    • Wednesday, March 25: 1 John 2–5

    • Thursday, March 26: 2 John; 3 John; Jude; Revelation 1

    • Friday, March 27: Revelation 2–6

March 16-20 Scripture Challenge

    • Monday, March 16: John 13:31-38

    • Tuesday, March 17: Isaiah 53

    • Wednesday, March 18: 2 Corinthians 4:7-18

    • Thursday, March 19: Mark 14:3-9

    • Friday, March 20: Hebrews 13:12-16


    • Monday, March 16: John 13

    • Tuesday, March 17: Isaiah 53

    • Wednesday, March 18: 2 Corinthians 4-5

    • Thursday, March 19: Mark 14

    • Friday, March 20: Hebrews 13

    • Monday, March 16: Titus 1-3; Philemon

    • Tuesday, March 17: Hebrews 1-4

    • Wednesday, March 18: Hebrews 5-8

    • Thursday, March 19: Hebrews 9-13

    • Friday, March 20: James 1-5

March 9-13 Scripture Challenge

    • Monday, March 9: Luke 23:32-38

    • Tuesday, March 10: Matthew 18:21-35

    • Wednesday, March 11: Romans 12:17-21

    • Thursday, March 12: Colossians 3:12-17

    • Friday, March 13: Psalm 103


    • Monday, March 9: Luke 23

    • Tuesday, March 10: Matthew 18

    • Wednesday, March 11: Romans 12

    • Thursday, March 12: Colossians 3

    • Friday, March 13: Psalm 103

    • Monday, March 9: Philippians 4; Colossians 1-4

    • Tuesday, March 10: 1 Thessalonians 1-5

    • Wednesday, March 11: 2 Thessalonians 1-3; 1 Timothy 1

    • Thursday, March 12: 1 Timothy 2-5

    • Friday, March 13: 1 Timothy 6; 2 Timothy 1-4

March 2-6 Scripture Challenge

    • Monday, March 2: Luke 9:18-27

    • Tuesday, March 3: John 6:60-69

    • Wednesday, March 4: Matthew 26:30-38

    • Thursday, March 5: Psalm 22:1-11

    • Friday, March 6: Hebrews 12:1-3


    • Monday, March 2: Luke 9

    • Tuesday, March 3: John 6

    • Wednesday, March 4: Matthew 26

    • Thursday, March 5: 2 Psalm 22

    • Friday, March 6: Hebrews 12

    • Monday, March 2: 2 Corinthians 5-8

    • Tuesday, March 3: 2 Corinthians 9-13

    • Wednesday, March 4: Galatians 1-5

    • Thursday, March 5: Galatians 6; Ephesians 1-4

    • Friday, March 6: Ephesians 5-6; Philippians 1-3

Feb. 23-27 Scripture Challenge

    • Monday, Feb. 23: Genesis 2:1-3

    • Tuesday, Feb. 24: Exodus 20:8-11

    • Wednesday, Feb. 25: Deuteronomy 5:12-15

    • Thursday, Feb. 26: Mark 2:23-28

    • Friday, Feb. 27: Hebrews 4:1-11


    • Monday, Feb. 23: Genesis 1-2

    • Tuesday, Feb. 24: Exodus 20

    • Wednesday, Feb. 25: Deuteronomy 5

    • Thursday, Feb. 26: Mark 2

    • Friday, Feb. 27: Hebrews 3-4

    • Monday, Feb. 23: Romans 14-16; 1 Corinthians 1-2

    • Tuesday, Feb. 24: 1 Corinthians 3-6

    • Wednesday, Feb. 25: 1 Corinthians 7-11

    • Thursday, Feb. 26: 1 Corinthians 12-15

    • Friday, Feb. 27: 1 Corinthians 16; 2 Corinthians 1-4

Feb 16-20 Scripture Challenge

    • Monday, Feb. 16: Matthew 4:1-11

    • Tuesday, Feb. 17: Isaiah 58:1-12

    • Wednesday, Feb. 18: Joel 2:12-17

    • Thursday, Feb. 19: Psalm 63

    • Friday, Feb. 20: Luke 18:9-14


    • Monday, Feb. 16: Matthew 4

    • Tuesday, Feb. 17: Isaiah 58

    • Wednesday, Feb. 18: Joel 2

    • Thursday, Feb. 19: Psalm 63

    • Friday, Feb. 20: Luke 18

    • Monday, Feb. 16: Acts 20-23

    • Tuesday, Feb. 17: Acts 24-28

    • Wednesday, Feb. 18: Romans 1-5

    • Thursday, Feb. 19: Romans 6-9

    • Friday, Feb. 20: Romans 10-13

Feb. 9-13 Scripture Challenge

    • Monday, Feb. 9: Mark 10:35-45

    • Tuesday, Feb. 10: John 13:1-17

    • Wednesday, Feb. 11: Philippians 2:1-11

    • Thursday, Feb. 12: Galatians 5:13-26

    • Friday, Feb. 13: Matthew 25:31-40


    • Monday, Feb. 9: Mark 10

    • Tuesday, Feb. 10: John 13

    • Wednesday, Feb. 11: Philippians 2

    • Thursday, Feb. 12: Galatians 5

    • Friday, Feb. 13: Matthew 25

    • Monday, Feb. 9: John 20-21; Acts 1-2

    • Tuesday, Feb. 10: Acts 3-6

    • Wednesday, Feb. 11: Acts 7-11

    • Thursday, Feb. 12: Acts 12-15

    • Friday, Feb. 13: Acts 16-19

Feb. 2-6 Scripture Challenge

    • Monday, Feb. 2: Deuteronomy 8:10-18

    • Tuesday, Feb. 3: Proverbs 3:5-10

    • Wednesday, Feb. 4: Luke 12:13-21

    • Thursday, Feb. 5: 2 Corinthians 9:6-11

    • Friday, Feb. 6: Matthew 6:19-24


    • Monday, Feb. 2: Deuteronomy 8

    • Tuesday, Feb. 3: Proverbs 3

    • Wednesday, Feb. 4: Luke 12

    • Thursday, Feb. 5: 2 Corinthians 8-9

    • Friday, Feb. 6: Matthew 6

    • Monday, Feb. 2: Luke 23-24; John 1-2

    • Tuesday, Feb. 3: John 3-6

    • Wednesday, Feb. 4: John 7-11

    • Thursday, Feb. 5: John 12-15

    • Friday, Feb. 6: John 16-19

Jan. 26-30 Scripture Challenge

    • Monday, Jan. 26: Matthew 6:5-13

    • Tuesday, Jan. 27: Luke 11:1-13

    • Wednesday, Jan. 28: Philippians 4:4-9

    • Thursday, Jan. 29: Psalm 23

    • Friday, Jan. 30: John 15:1-11


    • Monday, Jan. 26: Matthew 6

    • Tuesday, Jan. 27: Luke 11

    • Wednesday, Jan. 28: Philippians 4

    • Thursday, Jan. 29: Psalm 23

    • Friday, Jan. 30: John 15

    • Monday, Jan. 26: Luke 1-5

    • Tuesday, Jan. 27: Luke 6-9

    • Wednesday, Jan. 28: Luke 10-14

    • Thursday, Jan. 29: Luke 15-18

    • Friday, Jan. 30: Luke 19-22

Jan. 19-23 Scripture Challenge

    • Monday, Jan. 19: Mark 1:29-39

    • Tuesday, Jan. 20: Psalm 46

    • Wednesday, Jan. 21: 1 Kings 19:1-13

    • Thursday, Jan .22: Luke 5:12-16

    • Friday, Jan. 23: Psalm 62


    • Monday, Jan. 19: Mark 1

    • Tuesday, Jan. 20: Psalms 46-47

    • Wednesday, Jan. 21: 1 Kings 19

    • Thursday, Jan. 22: Luke 5

    • Friday, Jan. 23: Psalms 62-63

    • Monday, Jan. 19: Matthew 23-27

    • Tuesday, Jan. 20: Matthew 28; Mark 1-3

    • Wednesday, Jan. 21: Mark 4-8

    • Thursday, Jan. 22: Mark 9-12

    • Friday, Jan. 23: Mark 13-16

    • Monday, Jan. 12: Psalm 1

    • Tuesday, Jan. 13: Psalm 19

    • Wednesday, Jan. 14: Psalm 119:9-16

    • Thursday, Jan. 15: 2 Timothy 3:14-17

    • Friday, Jan. 16: Matthew 7:24-27


    • Monday, Jan. 12: Psalms 1-2

    • Tuesday, Jan. 13: Psalm 19

    • Wednesday, Jan. 14: Psalm 119:1-16

    • Thursday, Jan. 15: 2 Timothy 3-4

    • Friday, Jan. 16: Matthew 7

    • Monday, Jan 12: Matthew 1-5

    • Tuesday, Jan 13: Matthew 6-9

    • Wednesday, Jan 14: Matthew 10-14

    • Thursday, Jan 15: Matthew 15-18

    • Friday, Jan 16: Matthew 19-22

Jan. 12-16 Scripture Challenge

Scripture Resources

    • Best for: Reframing why we read Scripture.

    • Best for:: People who need a reset in how they approach the Bible.

    • Peterson invites readers to move beyond skimming for information and instead to receive Scripture as nourishment—something to be eaten, internalized, and obeyed. This book reshapes posture more than technique and lays the spiritual foundation for everything else.

    • Purchase on Amazon.


    • Best for: Understanding how the Bible works.

    • Excellent for: Individuals and small groups.

    • This free, video-based course helps readers see the Bible as a unified story with intentional literary design. It builds confidence, reduces intimidation, and equips people to read Scripture thoughtfully and patiently.

    • Open the BibleProject.

    • Best for: Practicing slow, formational reading (Lectio Divina).

    • Ideal for: Those ready to learn how to “eat” Scripture.

    • Mulholland offers one of the clearest and most pastorally grounded introductions to Lectio Divina—reading Scripture slowly and prayerfully so that it shapes who we are becoming, not just what we know.

    • Purchase on Amazon.

    • Best for: Daily devotional guidance rooted in the gospel.

    • Great for: Those who want consistency and encouragement as they build a daily rhythm.

    • This daily devotional pairs short Scripture readings with gospel-centered reflection, helping readers stay grounded in grace rather than performance. Tripp consistently points readers back to Christ’s finished work and God’s ongoing mercy.

    • Purchase on Amazon.

    • Best for: Addressing doubts about the trustworthiness of Scripture.

    • Best for:Skeptics, questioners, or those rebuilding confidence in Scripture.

    • One of Wes Huff’s most-watched talks, this presentation walks through manuscript evidence, textual transmission, and historical reliability of the Bible in a clear, accessible way. Huff speaks to skeptics with intellectual honesty and calm confidence, making this especially helpful for those wrestling with doubts or objections.

      Why this resource matters:
      -Directly addresses       “Can I trust the Bible?”

      -Grounds faith in historical evidence, not blind belief.

      -Helps remove intellectual barriers that prevent people from engaging in Scripture at all.

    • Watch on YouTube.

Faith Under Pressure

Surrender Fully.

When life feels overwhelming, it’s easy to try to do everything yourself — or to shut down completely. In John 19—even while on the cross—Jesus shows us what faithfulness looks like under pressure. He knew what was His responsibility was, He did the next right thing, and He allowed others to help carry what mattered. This week, practice following His example.

Pressure Challenge - Entrust What Matters Most to God

    • Take a few minutes to think about the people God has placed in your life right now.

    • Who is in your world that you are responsible to care for, love, lead, or encourage? This might include family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, or someone who is close to you but far from God.

    • Write down a short list of names and ask: Who has God entrusted to me in this season?

    • You are not responsible for everything, but you are responsible for someone.

    • You don’t have to fix everything or figure out the whole future. Faithfulness often means simply doing the next right thing in front of you.

    • Ask yourself: What is one step I can take this week to care for the people God has entrusted to me? It might be a conversation, an invitation, a prayer, an apology, encouragement, or simply showing up when it would be easier to pull back.

    • Instead of focusing on missed opportunities, be faithful to the one God has put in front of you today.

    • God never intended for you to handle life by yourself. The New Testament reminds us to love one another, encourage one another, pray for one another, and carry one another’s burdens.

    • Who can help you carry what feels heavy right now?

    • Ask yourself: Where do I need support, prayer, or help — and who can I invite into this with me?

    • Sometimes the most faithful thing you can do is let someone else step in and help carry what matters. Being responsible doesn’t mean doing it all. It means trusting God enough to involve others.

Serve Anyway.

Following Jesus doesn’t mean waiting for our pain to disappear. If we wait to love and serve others until life feels easier, we may never take the step at all. There is something deeply powerful about serving even while carrying our own deep wounds and quiet aches. Some of the most meaningful seasons of life can begin when we follow Jesus’ example—loving and serving right in the middle of our pain. In John 13, Jesus washed His disciples’ feet even as He carried the weight of what was coming—betrayal, suffering, and the cross. Still, He chose to serve and then told His followers, “I have set an example that you should do as I have done for you.” As we pursue the life He modeled, serving becomes more than a one-time act; it becomes part of our character. When we pour ourselves out for others, even in the midst of hurt, we create space for God to pour into us.

Pressure Challenge - Serving While Hurting

    • If we wait for the perfect season to serve, we may never begin. Ask God to show you one small way you can care for someone this week—a text, a prayer, a meal, or a simple act of kindness—and begin cultivating a heart that serves even in imperfect seasons.

    • In John 13, Jesus rose from the table and chose to serve, even while carrying the weight of what was to come. Sometimes serving means stepping out of our routines or comfort to notice the needs around us—at church, in our neighborhood, or among the people we see every day.

    • Real faith moves beyond words and into action. Look for opportunities not just to serve once, but to develop a lifestyle of serving—reflecting the heart of Jesus in the way you show up for others.

Extend Forgiveness.

Forgiveness is one of the most challenging things Jesus ever calls us to do. We may understand it in theory, but when the pain is real, it can feel nearly impossible. Yet even in the midst of His suffering, Jesus prayed from the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). His words remind us that forgiveness is possible, even in the middle of the pain. When we follow His example and release what we’re holding, we can let go of bitterness and open our hearts to freedom, healing, and peace—for ourselves, our relationships, and our future.

Pressure Challenge - Forgiving While Wounded

    • We all have people in our lives who have hurt us. Take a moment to name them and bring them before God in prayer. Ask Him to help you release bitterness and extend forgiveness, even if the pain is still fresh.

    • Forgiveness often happens in the context of real relationships. Who are the people you walk closely with—family, friends, or colleagues? Ask God if there’s someone you need to serve, reconcile with, or extend grace toward. Sometimes the act of forgiveness is sparked when we choose to act in love, even while wounded.

    • Until we fully accept Jesus’ forgiveness, forgiving others can feel impossible. Take time to reflect on His sacrifice, receive His grace, and let His forgiveness shape your heart. Understanding how deeply God has forgiven you empowers you to forgive others.

Choose Obedience.

In the second part of our series, we are exploring the pressures Jesus faced leading up to His death, burial, and resurrection—starting with the Loneliness of Obedience. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus chose obedience over comfort, mission over self-preservation, and trust over control. Each of us will face our own “Gethsemane” moments—times when doing the right thing feels like walking alone. Yet it’s often in that lonely obedience that our faith becomes deeper, more personal, and more real.

Pressure Challenge - The Loneliness of Obedience

    • What is in front of you right now — temptation, disappointment, stress, opportunity? Name it honestly before God. What gets named gets brought into the light.


    • Don’t improvise when pressure hits. Build a simple Garden prayer: “Not my will, but Yours” or “Holy Spirit, strengthen me.” Pray your prayer when the moment comes.

    • After Jesus prayed, He stood up and moved forward. Obedience isn’t just a feeling—it’s action. Take the next right step, even if it feels lonely.

PRESSURE Resources

    • Some cups require more than courage—they require community. If you need prayer, counseling resources, or care, start HERE with Lakeside’s care resources.

Formative Practices

Create Space for Rest.

Many of us are so consumed with doing that we often miss out on being. The formative practice of Sabbath is an intentional time to slow down and connect with God—creating space for rest to form our relationship with God, aid in being there for our relationships, and ultimately, remind us of our identity. It’s space to remember who we are and whose we are and to let that shape how we engage our time. Let us prioritize time for Sabbath, and:

  • Rest: Be with God and be filled with God.

  • Delight: Stop and see what God has done. Delight in the goodness of God.

  • Play: Take time to enjoy what God has provided.

Sabbath Challenge

    • Find a specific time in your week to rest, delight, or play.


    • Set aside a Sabbath day weekly.

    • Help someone else find the space for a Sabbath by being available to support them.

sabbath Resources

    • Celebration of Discipline examines the classic disciplines, or central spiritual practices, of Christianity. This guide is designed to help you discover a richer spiritual life infused with joy, peace, and a deeper understanding of God.

    • Purchase on Amazon.


    • This book examines not only the history of this discipline, going all the way back to ancient Israel, but also the modern manifestations and misunderstandings of its practice to help us understand what it truly means to rest.

    • Purchase on Amazon.

    • Brueggemann shows readers how keeping the Sabbath allows us to break the cycle of consumption to focus on what is truly important: God, other people, life.

    • Purchase on Amazon.

Practice Embodied Worship.

The practice of fasting is deeply biblical, rarely comfortable, and powerfully transformative. Fasting isn’t about religious performance or self-denial for its own sake. In Scripture, it is embodied worship that forms us, recenters our desires, and positions us to experience the power of God at work in us and through us.

Fasting Challenge

    • For those who want to practice fasting from food, consider starting by fasting one meal, and spend that meal time in prayer.


    • Fast once per week for 24 hours—from after dinner the day before until dinner the next day.

    • For those who are practicing abstaining neutral cravings (e.g. TV, social media, shopping, sugar, alcohol, sports, sleeping in, coffee, etc.), dedicate that time you now have to God.

  • Combine the money not spent on food and/or abstained cravings and give to those in need.

fasting Resources

Respond to Grace.

For followers of Jesus, service is not an obligation or a transaction but a response to God’s grace. Through Scripture and the example of Jesus, we are called to be “kingdom workers”—serving others with humility, generosity, and love, trusting that God uses both big and small acts of service to transform lives, communities, and our own hearts.

Serving Challenge

Pursue Biblical Generosity.

Jesus talks often about money throughout the Gospels because of the powerful effect it has on our lives. In His most well-known sermon, the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19). Jesus isn’t cautioning us about stuff—He’s inviting us to examine what we treasure most. What He wants most is our heart—because when Jesus has our heart:

  • Fear loses its power

  • Greed loosens its grip

  • Contentment replaces need

  • Generosity becomes joyful

  • God’s mission moves forward

When He has our heart, we begin to see biblical generosity as a formative practice—something we intentionally pursue as we grow to become more like Jesus in partnership with God. Biblical generosity isn’t about a season, an emotion, charity, or an amount. Instead, it’s:

  • spiritual

  • a lifestyle

  • holy

  • worship

Scripture reminds us that biblical generosity is not done reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Where our treasure lies, our hearts will follow.

Generosity Challenge

    • Begin the formative practice of giving generously.


    • Give consistently rather than emotionally or seasonally.

    • Review your priorities and begin tithing as a non-negotiable practice.

Pray in Solitude.

Prayer can happen anytime, anywhere—and it should. But prayer in solitude is an intentional, set-apart practice where we meet with God without distraction, performance, or hurry.

In this challenge, try shifting your viewpoint of prayer from transactional—asking God for things—to relational: a daily rhythm of listening to God, speaking honestly with Him, and being formed over time.

Jesus Himself regularly withdrew to solitary places to pray (Luke 5:15–16), reminding us that solitude is not optional for spiritual formation—it’s essential.

To help make prayer accessible, try a simple framework Jesus modeled in Matthew 6, summarized with P.R.A.Y.:

  • Pause – slow down and become present with God

  • Rejoice – remember who God is

  • Ask – bring your real needs and concerns

  • Yield – surrender control and trust God’s work within and around you

Prayer in solitude isn’t about perfection, long hours, or having the right words. It’s about availability. Even a few consistent minutes each day can become a sacred meeting place where God shapes our hearts, our desires, and our obedience

The invitation this week is simple:
Create space. Show up. Practice prayer as a relational rhythm.

Prayer Challenge

    • Practice prayer in solitude at least once per week.


    • Practice prayer in solitude 4+ times a week.

    • Read/listen to the additonal resources provided in the additional resources section below.

Prayer Resources

    • “How to Pray “is a raw, real, and remarkable how-to-guide on prayer for everyone―from the committed follower of Jesus to the skeptic and the scared.

    • Purchase on Amazon.


    • Foster shows how prayer can move us inward into personal transformation, upward toward intimacy with God, and outward to minister to others.

    • Purchase on Amazon.

    • Listen to this five-part series on the Lord’s Prayer, exploring its structure, core ideas, and historical background.

    • Listen to the podcast.

Solitude is a practice of prioritizing intentional alone time with God—free from distraction. What would it look like if we embraced the challenge of solitude and began to be transformed by listening to God distraction-free?

Create Space.

Choose one of the three challenges below to intentionally spend time alone with God.

    • 10 Minutes of Solitude a day. No phone, No music, No screens.


    • Challenge A + 1 hour extended solitude per week.

    • Overnight Solitude Away (Retreat, Camping, Hotel, Ship the family off, etc.)

Solitude Challenge

Solitude Resources

    • Author Ruth Haley Barton invites you to meet God deeply and fully outside the demands and noise of daily life.

    • Purchase on Amazon.


    • Iona House in Placerville, CA was created specifically to offer separation from ordinary life in order to make possible an experience of intensification of your identity in Christ.

    • Learn more about Iona House solitude retreats.