Lent is the highest-engagement window of the year for most churches. New families show up, regulars lean in, and the season carries a built-in narrative arc that makes it ideal for a sermon series. Here are 5 Lent series that consistently land — with the weekly themes, discussion questions, and engagement tactics that make them work.
1. "Wilderness" — Following Jesus through the 40 days
A 6-week walk through the temptations and the wilderness motif across Scripture. Each week pairs a temptation with a present-day equivalent (comfort, identity, power, control, isolation, scarcity). Engagement tactic: invite the congregation into a personal 40-day fast — small groups choose what to give up together and check in weekly.
2. "Last Words" — The 7 sayings of Jesus from the cross
A pastoral favorite. Seven messages, one per saying, building toward Good Friday. Works exceptionally well with traditional liturgical congregations and modern evangelical ones alike. Engagement tactic: assign each saying to a different congregation member to read live before the message — turns the series into a participatory experience.
3. "Behold the Lamb" — Old Testament shadows of the crucifixion
Six weeks tracing the sacrificial lamb motif from Genesis through Revelation. Heavy on Biblical literacy, light on application — perfect for congregations who want depth. Engagement tactic: pair each week with a chapter from a short companion book your small groups read together (Tim Keller's "King's Cross" works well).
4. "The Long Friday" — Theology of suffering and the cross
A series for churches whose congregation is walking through grief, illness, or hardship. Six messages on lament, presence in suffering, and the hope of resurrection. Engagement tactic: invite congregants to anonymously submit a current burden each week — read 3 from the pulpit, then pray over them before the message.
5. "Made New" — Identity, repentance, and the new self
A six-week series anchored in Romans 6–8 and Ephesians 4. Particularly effective for churches with a high percentage of new believers or seekers. Engagement tactic: end each Sunday with a "before/after" testimony — 3 minutes from a congregation member on a specific area where Christ has made them new.
Engagement tactics that work for any Lent series
Whichever series you pick, these three tactics consistently grow Lent engagement across churches we work with: (1) Daily devotionals delivered by email or SMS — one per day, 90 seconds to read; (2) A simple weekly call to action (give up X, pray for Y, invite Z); (3) A community moment on Maundy Thursday — even an informal one — to bridge the series into Holy Week.
Where LogosLink fits in
A six-week Lent series creates a lot of content. With LogosLink, each Sunday sermon auto-generates the small-group discussion guide for the week, a daily devotional drip you can schedule to send Monday–Saturday, social posts, and sermon slides — from one upload. Most pastors we work with say Lent is the season they're most glad they switched.
Try LogosLink free for 7 days and have your full Lent series content engine ready before Ash Wednesday.