The Wake-Up Call – Third Sunday of Lent

Host: John David Walt (Seedbed)
Date: March 8, 2026
Theme: Invitation to Worship, Reflection on Lent, and Reorientation Around Scripture

Episode Overview

On this special Third Sunday of Lent episode, host John David Walt leads listeners into a reflective and community-oriented time focused on scripture and worship. Rather than a traditional devotional or reflection, this episode centers on the communal act of reading scripture and singing a hymn together, underscoring the importance of worship and gathering—whether in-person, online, or as part of the podcast community. The main message: Sundays in Lent are set apart as feast days, calling us to remember, rest, and reorient around Jesus’ love and grace.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Lent Sundays: A Day of Feast and Worship

Not part of the 40 days: John David Walt reminds listeners that Sundays during Lent are always feast days, not fasting days, because “it was on Sunday that Jesus raised from the dead” (00:24).
Invitation to Worship: Listeners are encouraged to “go to church,” no matter their circumstances—whether in-person, online, or with the podcast community (01:13).
- Quote: “If you got a church, go there. If your church is... online, go that way. If you don’t have a church, come to Gillette...” (01:25)

2. Extended Scripture Reading (02:01–06:50)

First Reading: Matthew 3:13-4:4

Baptism of Jesus and the affirmation, “This is my son, whom I love. With him I am well pleased.”
Temptation in the Wilderness: Jesus fasts for 40 days and is tempted; his response, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

Second Reading: Matthew 11:25-30 (The Message Translation)

Jesus Prays and Invites Rest:
- “Thank you, Father... you’ve concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people.”
- Iconic invitation to the weary:
  - Quote: “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me. Watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace...” (05:28)
Preview for the Week: Walt signals these texts will be revisited and expounded upon throughout the week (06:25).

3. Hymn Singing: “Only Trust Him” (06:54–09:42)

Personal, Unpolished Worship: Walt sings multiple verses of “Only Trust Him” from the Seedbed hymnal, inviting listeners to join him in a moment of praise and trust.
- Memorable refrain:
  - “Only trust Him, only trust Him now. He will save you, He will save you, He will save you now.” (07:19, repeated)
Reflection:
- Quote: “Well, what a great hymn. It just rolled right in with what we were doing, didn’t it?” (09:42)

4. Church as the Field House: Sunday as Practice for the Week (09:55–10:34)

Sunday is Preparation:
- Walt compares church to a “field house,” where we gather to “learn some new plays, remember the story, sing the songs, get in the shape of the cross together.”
- The “big game” is every day of the week—a call to take what we practice into our everyday life.
- Quote: “We come to the field house on Sunday to learn some new plays, to remember the story, to sing the songs, to get in the shape of the cross together as we’re walking there toward Easter this year.” (10:19)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On finding community:
“If you don’t have a church, come to Gillette. Come online. Come in person. I’d love to have you in person, but we’re on YouTube, we’re on Facebook... And we have a wonderful little, simple, beautiful worship service every Sunday.” (01:25–01:56)
On life's burdens:
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest... Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.” (05:28)
On Sunday worship:
“We come to the field house on Sunday to learn some new plays, to remember the story, to sing the songs, to get in the shape of the cross together as we’re walking there toward Easter this year.” (10:19)

Important Timestamps

00:04: Opening, Lenten focus, and invitation to worship
02:01: First extended scripture reading: Matthew 3:13–4:4
05:02: Second scripture reading: Matthew 11:25–30 (The Message)
06:54: Hymn “Only Trust Him” sung live
09:42: Reflection on hymn's relevance
09:55: Sunday as the “field house” for Christian practice
10:34: Closing encouragement and send-off

Tone and Style

The episode is gentle, welcoming, conversational, and rooted in both tradition and practical encouragement. Walt’s tone is pastoral—inviting, unhurried, focused on communal and spiritual renewal rather than performance or production.

Summary Takeaway

This episode reminds listeners that Sunday is not merely a pause in Lent's somber journey, but a feast day for gathering, remembering, and reorienting life around Jesus’ invitation to rest, trust, and community. Through scripture, song, and simple exhortation, Walt encourages all to “come to the field house” and prepare to carry Jesus’ love into the new week.

Transcript

A (0:04)

Good morning, church. It is Sunday, March 8th in the year of our Lord 2026. I'm John David Walt and this is your wake up call. This is the third Sunday of Lent and as I've noted several times before, the 40 days of Lent do not include the Sundays. The Sundays are a feast day always because it was on Sunday that Jesus raised from the dead. We're doing something a little bit different here during the Jesus Asking series. We're, we're just going to track the book. But on the Sundays, if you have the book, you've noticed I just put scripture texts and these are the texts that I am preaching in the church. And our preachers who are preaching along this series are preaching these texts probably. So rather than having nothing on Sunday, I thought, well, how about we just read the Bible texts and sing a hymn and go to church? That's what I want to see happen today. I want you to go to church and if you got a church, go there. If your church is, if you can't get there and your church is online, go that way. If you don't have a church, come to Gillette.

B (1:40)

Come online.

A (1:41)

Come in person. I'd love to have you in person, but we're on YouTube, we're on Facebook, Gillette G I L L E T T Methodist Church. And we have a wonderful little, simple, beautiful worship service every Sunday. Love to see you there. Well, it being the third Sunday of Lent, our text we're going to read 2. There's some length to them, so it's good to read long portions of scripture together and hear it. We'll start with Matthew 3:13 through chapter four, verse four. Hear now the word of the Lord. Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, I need to be baptized by you and do you come to me. Jesus replied, let it be so. Now it is proper for us to do this, to fulfill all righteousness. Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment, heaven was opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, this is my son, whom I love. With him I am well pleased. Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting 40 days and 40 nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, if you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread. Jesus answered, it is written, man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. The word of the Lord. Our second reading is Matthew, chapter 11, verses 25 to 30. And I'm reading this from the message translation. I just love it, how it renders this text. Abruptly, Jesus broke into prayer. Thank you, Father. Lord of heaven and earth, You've concealed your ways from sophisticates and know it alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people. Yes, Father. That's the way you like to work. Jesus resumed talking to the people. But now, tenderly, the Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father Son operation coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I'm not keeping it to myself. I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen. Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me. Watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly. The Word of the Lord. We'll be touching those texts this week on the wakeup call, and you're apt to hear them preach today in church. I'll be working from some of those texts myself today. So now we're going to sing. And we're going to sing a number 506 in our seedbed hymnal, Our Great Redeemer's Praise. Only trust Him And I'm by myself again today, so you'll have to bear with me. I'll do my best.