Salvation

No matter what you might have heard or believed, God loves and values each and every person. He is for you. That's why God made a way for each of us to have a close, one-on-one relationship with him. That's been his desire from the beginning of time.

Why we need saving. Our failures and shortcomings--whether accidental or on purpose, small or huge--kept us apart from God. (The Bible calls our failures and shortcomings "sin.") No matter how hard we try, we can't make up for our them. The punishment for sin is death.

How we're saved. Instead of leaving us to live and die without him, God made a perfect way to reconnect with us: He sent his one and only son Jesus to rescue us. Jesus was God in human flesh, but unlike the rest of us, he never sinned. When Jesus hung on the cross and died, he willingly traded his own perfect life as payment for our sinful ones. When he was buried, our sins were buried with him. Jesus became the one and only doorway to God; he restored our ability to connect with God.

Three days later, Jesus rose from the grave. His return from death showed us three things:

1. We can trust Jesus. When he rose from the grave, he proved he was all he said he was: God's son, with the power and authority of God.
2. We will have life after death. If God can resurrect Jesus, He can resurrect us too.
3. We're free to hope. God must deeply love us to have given his son to suffer and die for us--especially when we don't deserve it.

Believe him. It's good to know what Jesus did and to know how much God loves us. But knowing isn't enough. Do you believe Jesus is the Son of God--that He lived, died, and came back from death to save you from your sins? Do you realize you've sinned and that you need him to forgive you of those sins? Do you know you need his power to continue to live free from sin for the rest of your life? You must believe it enough to act on it.

God has already taken the first step toward you. He wants to forgive you and help you live life his way. Now it's your turn to take a step toward him.

Get Jesus. If you believe God and are ready to act on this belief, you can start by saying these simple words to God:

God, I know I have sinned and I know my sins have separated us. I've learned about how you sent Jesus to bridge the gap between us, and I don't want to be apart from you anymore. The Bible says that if I put my trust in Jesus, and show that trust with my words and with my life, I will be forgiven and my relationship with you will be restored. I believe this. So please forgive me for my sins, and give me the strength to walk away from them. God, please help me to fall in love with you and to trust you more every day. My past life is behind me, and I'm going forward as a new person. Thank you.

What next? Maybe you weren't ready to say those words yet, but you still have questions. Contact us as we want to help you find the answers you seek.

Or, if you did say those words, welcome to the family of God! We're excited about this wonderful step you've taken. Wherever you stand, contact us as we're anxious to help you. Please get GOD'S HOPE FOR YOU.

If you have questions about receiving the Lord or are ready to take the next step in receiving Him, please contact us.