Ask
and it shall be given to you
Seek
and you shall find
Knock
and the door will be open
"For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”
Luke 19:10 NLT
God had a purpose when he created the heavens and the earth along with man and woman. God created us to have a very real and personal relationship with Him.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
So, why don’t most people have this peace and abundant life that God planned for us to have?
The problem is that our sin separates us from God
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. God gave us a will and a freedom of choice. We chose to disobey God and go our own way. We still have the same opportunity to make this same choice today. This results in separation from God.
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
People have tried in many ways to bridge this gap between themselves and God ……..
but all our efforts fall short.
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
No bridge reaches God … except one.
God’s solution was to bridge the gap. That bridge was the Cross on which Jesus was crucified.
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 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. Each person must make a choice.
We need to respond to God’s gift.
We can either reject what God sacrificed for us or we can accept God’s sacrifice and receive Christ
We must trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and receive Him by personal invitation.
Are you still living a rebellious life separated from God? Or, Have you repented and accepted the Grace that only God can offer through Christ which leads to peace and forgiveness.
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 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:
Where are you? Will you receive Jesus Christ right now? The choice is yours – and yours alone.
Here are the 4 steps to beginning your lifetime walk with God. This walk can begin today if you will receive Christ.
Admit your need (I am a sinner).
Be willing to turn from your sins (repent).
Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose from the grave.
Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit. (Receive Him as Lord and Savior.)
If you would like to accept God’s gift just pray (talk to Him). Prayer does not have to be elaborate or long. Just let him know how sorry you are and that you would like Him to be part of your life. If you want this relationship – if you feel Him tugging at your heart, He is already there with you – Talk with Him.
If you have taken the step into a knew relationship – you may be asking these questions:
Whats Next?
What do I do now?
Is there more?
Fellowship and growth with other believers is important. We were meant to have a relationship with God but we were not necessarily meant to do this journey alone.
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: if one falls down his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!”— Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
“As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” — Proverbs 27:17
We were also made to encourage, lift up, challenge and hold each other accountable.
Get involved in a church near you. Which one is right for you? This is not always easy and may even take a little while to figure out, but it is important to connect with others who are walking with Christ. If it means you have to drive a few extra mile to find the church for you, then do it. Those few extra mile could make all the difference in your walk with God.
You should also tell someone. They can lift you up in prayer and encourage you as you start this lifelong journey. This is also your first testimony of what God has done for you.
We know that not everyone lives within a short distance of McConnell – but then again God did not call His church to only reach out to those next door. Instead, we are to reach to the ends of the earth. If you have taken that step and are beginning your walk with Christ, we would like to rejoice with you and pray for you. if you would like, just give us a phone call or send us a quick e-mail so we can pray for you during our next Worship service. All of the information is on our contact page.
May God be with you, lift you up in times of trouble, comfort you and fill your heart with joy as you look to Him for your strength and your direction.
Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. --- Philippians 4: 4-9 NLT