God loves you and wants you to experience peace and life--abundant and eternal.

The Bible says...

"We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:1

"For God so loved the world that God gave the only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." John 10:10

Why don't most people have this peace and abundant life that God planned for us to have?
 

Step Two
The Problem: Our Separation

God created us in God's own image to have an abundant life. We were not made as robots to automatically love and obey God. God gave us a will and a freedom of choice.

We chose to disobey God and go our own willful way. We still make this choice today. This results in separation from God.  The Bible calls those things that separate us from God, or that keep us from being close with God, sin.

The Bible says...

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23

Our Attempts to Reach God

People have tried in many ways to bridge this gap between themselves and God...

Some people try to do lots of good things.  This in itself is not bad, but no matter how hard we try, our good works alone will not bridge the gap...and they will exhaust us.

The Bible says...

"There is a way that seems right to people, but in the end it leads to death." Proverbs 14:12

"But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden God's face from you, so that you can not be heard." Isaiah 59:2

No bridge reaches God...except one.
 

Step Three
God's Bridge: The Cross

Fortunately, there is one thing that bridge the gap between us and God.  That is the Cross.  Jesus Christ died on the Cross and rose from the grave. He paid the penalty for our sin and bridged the gap between God and people.

The Bible says...

"For there is one God and one mediator between God and humanity, the person Jesus Christ." 1 Timothy 2:5

"For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God." 1 Peter 3:18

"But God demonstrates God's own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

God has provided the way. Each person must make a choice.  Do we want to try to impress God with our good works, or will we just simply accept that Christ, through his death and resurrection, has paid the price and is offering this FREE GIFT to each of us now.
 

Step Four
Our Response: Receive the free gift Christ gives you...abundant life!

 A gift is only truly valuable if it is accepted.  Have you ever tried to give a gift to someone, only to have them hand it back to you and say, "no thanks"?  Of course not.  But when we don't choose to follow Jesus, that is exactly what we are doing to God.  God offers us a gift, a gift of eternal life, AND a gift of abundant life right here on earth.

We must trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, allowing him to guide and direct our lives and our choices.  Jesus is not rude, and will not barge into your life and start changing everything.  God wants us to invite Jesus to live with us and to lead us.

The Bible says...

"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and we will eat together." Revelation 3:20

"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." John 1:12

"That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9

Where are you?

Will you receive Jesus Christ's calling to you right now?

Here is how you can receive eternal and abundant life in Christ:

1.Admit your need (I am a sinner).
2.Be willing to turn from your sins (repent).
3.Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the Cross and rose from the grave.
4.Through prayer, trust Jesus with your life.  Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to lead a new life. (Receive Him as Lord and Savior.)

How to Pray:

There are many ways to pray.  It doesn't really matter what words you use, just that you have a conversation with God.  Let God know that you need forgiveness, and that you want to live a life of different choices.  Invite Jesus to change your life.  God has the ability to change us from the inside out.  Some people have difficulty finding the words to say.  Here is a sample prayer.

Dear Lord Jesus,

I know that I have allowed things to come between us, and I am a sinner.  I need Your forgiveness. I believe that You died for my sins to bridge the gap between myself and God. I want to turn from my old way of life, and walk in a new direction guided by you.  Please be a part of my life.  Teach me to live as you lived. I want to trust and follow You as Lord and Savior.

In Jesus' name. Amen.

God's Assurance: The Word

The Bible says...

"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans 10:13

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8,9

Understanding that Jesus' death and resurrection has paid in full the debt for our sins, opens the doors for us to be "born" into God's family the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit who indwells every believer. This is called "new birth."

This is just the beginning of a wonderful new life in Christ. To deepen this relationship you should: