STEP 1: GOD’S PURPOSE: PEACE AND LIFE

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 he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal 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 peace and the abundant life God planned for us to have?

STEP 2: THE PROBLEM: OUR SEPARATION 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 willful way. This is sin. We still make these choices today. Our sin 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

It only takes one sin to make us guilty of every sin!

"For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point  is guilty of breaking all of it." -James 2:10

Our Attempts to Reach God. People have tried in many ways to bridge this gap between themselves and God. Nothing human beings can do will build a bridge between themselves and God. 

• Being involved in Christian ministry won't make you right with God. Judas Iscariot was involved in religious service but those activities did not make him right with God.

• Living a "good" life, participating in religious ceremonies, believing the right things, going to church, giving money to good causes, doing good deeds or having good morals won't erase the fact that we are sinners and sin separates us from a relationship with God.

Sin not only separates us from a relationship with God, sin has other consequences:

• It often hurts us,

• It often hurts other people, and

• If unforgiven, sin will eternally separate us from God forever in hell.

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 is on one side and all the people are on the other side and Christ Jesus .... is between them to bring them together." -1 Timothy 2:5

STEP 3: GOD’S BRIDGE: 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 us and God.

The Bible says:

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.”
-1 Timothy 2:5

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”
-1 Peter 3:18

God has provided the only way back to Him. You must make a choice.

STEP 4: OUR RESPONSE: RECEIVE CHRIST

Turn from Sin and Trust Jesus

The only way that Jesus' death on the cross can ever benefit you is for you to realize how serious sin is and be sorry enough about your sin to turn from a life of sin and trust Jesus to give you total forgiveness.

When we fall out of love with sin and place out trust in Jesus Christ we become children of God... forever!

The Bible says ...

"For the grace of God that brings salvation...teaches us to say,"No"  to ungodly living and selfish worldly passions..." -Titus 2:11-12

"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

You Can Turn From Sin and Trust Jesus Now!

Here is how you can accept Christ into your life:

• 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 control your life through the Holy Spirit. (Receive him as Lord and Savior)

We suggest praying the following prayer to accept Christ as your Savior:

CAUTION!!!!  Don't put your trust in saying the words below. Use the the prayer below to talk to Jesus. Your faith and trust must be in Him not the fact that you said the words. Words don't save, Jesus does.

“Dear God,
I know I’m a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness.
I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son. I believe that He died
for my sin and that you raised Him to life.
I want to trust Him as my Savior and follow Him as Lord,
from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do your will.
I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.”