The Life of Jesus
Jesus claimed that the only way to know God is through him. He was sent from God to reveal to humanity what God is truly like. Jesus gives us clear and definitive evidence of God’s great love for us, and through him, we learn that God is abundantly merciful, loving, and kind and that He desires to be in relationship with us. The teachings of Jesus give fresh meaning to life in relationship with God and with others.
John 14:6; Hebrews 1:3; John 1:10-13; John 3:16; Romans 5:6-10
The Death of Jesus
Any action or attitude that contradicts God’s loving essence is called sin. Sin has severe consequences and separates us from a holy God. Each of us is guilty of sinful actions and attitudes that are selfish, self-centred, and self-absorbed that increasingly leads to a kind of living death, the natural penalty of sin. This is precisely why Jesus came to earth. Jesus, who was perfect and sinless, died for all of us to reverse the effect of sin and free humanity from sin’s deadly grip. Through his sacrificial death, he once and for all dealt with the penalty of sin and made it possible for anyone to (re)turn to God, the Source of our lives.
Mark 7:20-23; Romans 6:23; 2 Corinthians 5:21
The Resurrection of Jesus
Anyone who asks God to forgive them of their sins, and accepts the sacrifice that Jesus made to restore a relationship with God is free to experience new life with God. WOW! That is Good News! Christians call this being “born-again”.
After dying for our sins, God raised Jesus from the dead. He now invites us all to share in this new resurrected life. Jesus assures us that we are now free from judgment, wrath, and condemnation. When we trust God to rebirth us into our true selves, we are made perfect in spirit and can live in union with God, even if we are still temporarily living in bodies that sin.
Jesus not only saves us from something (sin and self-destruction), he also saves us into something: living in union with God’s will and God’s way with others who believe. This is called “the Kingdom of God”.
New life, with God, in His Kingdom is the promised experience of every believer. As part of His Kingdom, God invites us to join Him in restoring, redeeming, renewing, and reviving all things back to Him – all of this begins in our own lives! The Kingdom of God is an eternal life that we can begin to live right here and right now. Jesus shows us the way.
John 5:24; Romans 5:9; 8:1; Matthew 6:10; Mark 1:15; Luke 17:20-21; Matthew 5:38-48; Luke 6:27-36; John 18:36; 2 Corinthians 10:3-4; Ephesians 6:12
How do I follow Him?
Repent
Repentance means acknowledging the wrongs you’ve done, and turning away from them. We’ve all fallen short, but when we ask Jesus to forgive us, He’s faithful to do so.
Pray: “Jesus, I’m sorry for the wrongs I’ve done. I’m sorry I’ve gone my own way. I ask that you’d forgive me from my past sins.”
Ask
Jesus hears us when we talk to Him. It doesn’t matter where you are or what you’ve done, He’s listening. Ask Him to come into your life and make you new.
Pray: “Jesus, I ask you to cleanse my heart. Please, come and make me new. I want your plans and purposes for my life, not my own.”
Trust
Jesus changes everything. From our heart and mind to our relationships with others. Placing your trust in Jesus means you’ll follow His plans, way and word above all else.
Pray: “Jesus, I place my whole life in your hands. I place my trust in you as Lord – the One who leads me, Savior – the One who saved me and Treasure – the One I love above all else.”
By praying those simple prayers, you’ve said YES to Jesus! You’ve embarked on a brand new journey of faith. We want to hear from you, so we can support you as you grow in your relationship with Jesus.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:1
Next Steps
If you prayed those simple prayers, let us know! We want to come alongside you and help you grow in your relationship with Jesus.