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 (NIV)
"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 (NIV)
"I have
come
that
they may
have
life,
and that
they may
have it
more
abundantly."
—John
10:10 (NIV)
Why
don't
most
people
have
this
peace
and
abundant
life
that God
planned
for us
to have?
2.
The
Problem:
Our
Separation
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. We
still
make
this
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 (NIV)
"For the
wages of
sin is
death,
but the
gift of
God is
eternal
life in
Christ
Jesus
our
Lord."
—Romans
6:23 (NIV)
Our
Attempts
to Reach
God
People
have
tried in
many
ways to
bridge
this gap
between
themselves
and God
...
The
Bible
says ...
"There
is a way
that
seems
right to
a man,
but in
the end
it leads
to
death."
—Proverbs
14:12 (NIV)
"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 (NIV)
No
bridge
reaches
God ...
except
one.
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
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
(NIV)
"For
Christ
died for
sins
once for
all, the
righteous
for the
unrighteous,
to bring
you to
God."
—1 Peter
3:18
(NIV)
"But God
demonstrates
his own
love for
us in
this:
While we
were
still
sinners,
Christ
died for
us."
—Romans
5:8
(NIV)
God has
provided
the only
way.
Each
person
must
make a
choice.
4.
Our
Response:
Receive
Christ
We must
trust
Jesus
Christ
as Lord
and
Savior
and
receive
Him by
personal
invitation.
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
(NIV)
"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
(NIV)
"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
(NIV)
Where
are you?
Will you
receive
Jesus
Christ
right
now?
Here is
how you
can
receive
Christ:
1. Admit
your
need (I
am a
sinner).
2. Be
willing
to turn
from
your
sins
(repent).
3.
Believe
that
Jesus
Christ
died for
you on
the
Cross
and rose
from the
grave.
4.
Through
prayer,
invite
Jesus
Christ
to come
in and
control
your
life
through
the
Holy
Spirit.(Receive
Him as
Lord and
Savior.)
How
to Pray?
Dear
Lord
Jesus, I
know
that I
am a
sinner
and need
Your
forgiveness.
I
believe
that You
died for
my sins.
I want
to turn
from my
sins. I
now
invite
You to
come
into my
heart
and
life. I
want to
trust
and
follow
You as
Lord and
Savior.
In
Jesus'
name.
Amen.
God's
Assurance:
His Word
If you
prayed
this
prayer,
The
Bible
says ...
"Everyone
who
calls on
the name
of the
Lord
will be
saved. "
—Romans
10:13 (NIV)
Did you
sincerely
ask
Jesus
Christ
to come
into
your
life?
Where is
He right
now?
What has
He given
you?
"For it
is by
grace
you have
been
saved,
through
faith—and
this not
from
yourselves,
it is
the gift
of
God—not
by
works,
so that
no one
can
boast."
—Ephesians
2:8,9 (NIV)
Receiving
Christ,
we are
born
into
God's
family
through
the
supernatural
work of
the Holy
Spirit
who
indwells
every
believer.
This is
called
regeneration,
or the
"new
birth."
This is
just the
beginning
of a
wonderful
new life
in
Christ.
To
deepen
this
relationship
you
should:
1. Read
your
Bible
everyday
to know
Christ
better.
2. Talk
to God
in
prayer
every
day.
3. Tell
others
about
Christ.
4.
Worship,
fellowship,
and
serve
with
other
Christians
in a
church
where
Christ
is
preached.
5. As
Christ's
representative
in a
needy
world,
demonstrate
your new
life by
your
love
and
concern
for
others.