Need a Change?
I Know I Need a Change…
If you need a change, you are not alone.
Every person comes to a point where there is an obvious need for change, when they realize that their way just isn’t working. They need more than a makeover; they need an entirely new life. Many stay stuck for a long time wondering if it is even possible for change to happen. They wonder if they have “tipped the scales” too far in a destructive direction.
The good news is this: God doesn’t weigh our bad choices and mess-ups. He doesn’t compare our good deeds against our bad stuff. God is not ashamed of our brokenness and shame. What He has done is make declarations of hope like this: “Come now, let us reason together," says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” Isaiah 1:7
Four Principles
The following four principles will help you discover what each of us is searching for:
1. God loves you and has created you to know Him personally
“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
What prevents us from having this relationship?
2. People are separated from God by their own choices, which the Bible calls sin. This makes it impossible to know God personally or experience His love.
"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23.
3. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, provided the way to have relationship with God.
"God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me'." John 14:6
"Christ died for our sins...He was buried...He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures...He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred..." 1 Corinthians 15:3-6
But it’s not enough to know this truth:
4. We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Then we can know God personally and experience His love.
"As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name." John 1:12
"By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works that no one should boast." Ephesians 2:8,9
[Christ speaking] "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him." Revelation 3:20
Receiving Christ involves turning to God and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive us of our sins and to make us what He wants us to be. You can receive Christ now by asking God to forgive you and by inviting Christ to be Lord (CEO) of your life. God knows your heart and is not as concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. The following is a suggested prayer:
"Lord Jesus, I want to know You personally. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving me of my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be. In Jesus’ Name, amen."
We would encourage you to consider attending our next Discovery class, where we can examine some of your questions together.
