God loves you and wants you to have 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 He gave His 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 His own image to have an abundant life. He did not make us as robots to automatically love and obey Him. In the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve ate from the tree God told them not to eat from.  Sin entered the world.

We disobey God and go our own willful way, this results is separation from God.

The Bible says...

"Therefor, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned--for before the law was given, sin was in the world."  Romans 5:12-13a

"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...

The Bible says...

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

"But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear." Isaiah 59:2

We cannot build the bridge to God (we cannot go to God) so God has built the bridge to us (God comes to us when Jesus became man, dwelt among us, and died for us, and rose from the grave).
 

Step Three
God's Bridge: The Cross

Jesus Christ died on the Cross and rose from the grave. He paid the penalty for our sin and He bridged the gap between God and people.

The Bible says...

"For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man 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 his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

God has provided the only way. We have been saved by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ.
 

Step Four
Our Response: Receive Christ

Our faith is a gift from God.  With this gift we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  We receive this gift in baptism.  In baptism we are buried into the death of Christ, and just as He was risen, we too shall walk in the newness of life.  (Romans 6:1-4)  The Holy Spirit then works in our lives, growing our faith by feeding us the Word of God, and by receiving His precious body and blood in Holy Communion.

The Bible says...

"I have been crucified with Christ, and I no long live, it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me.  The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."  Galatians 2:20

"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." 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?

You may not even know where you are in your relationship with your Lord and Savior.  To help, first begin with being in the Word of God.  The gospel of St. John in the New Testament is a good place to start.  The more important question is:  Where is God?  As you will see in the gospel of St. John, God is with us.  He is in your life, and as a repentant sinner (one who is truly sorry for their sinful life) he strengthens.  One way to be strengthen is by praying.  Below is an example of how to pray.

How to Pray:

Dear Lord Jesus,

I know that I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness. I believe that You died for my sins. I want to turn from my sins. May the Holy Spirit create in me a pure heart. I want to trust and follow You as Lord and Savior.

In Jesus' name. Amen.

God's Assurance: His Word

"I am the Way, and the Truth, and Life.  No one comes to the Father but by me."  John 14:6 

(As Paul was assured)  "I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, nether the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, wil be ale to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  Romans 8:38-39

"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

Receiving Christ, we are born into God's family by baptism and the Holy Spirit works in the hearts of all believers. This is called regeneration, or the "new birth."

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