GOOD NEWS

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that wosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” -John 3:16.

Jesus is the Good News.

  1. We all sinners.

  2. The consequence of our sin is eternal separation from God.

  3. God loves us so much He sent His Son Jesus to die and pay the penalty for our sin.

  4. If we confess Jesus died for our sins and believe that God raised Him from the dead we are saved.

  5. And for those who follow Jesus, God wants us to get to know Him. We get to do that by studying God’s Word (The Bible), talking with Him (prayer), and by experiencing life with other believers (fellowship).

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus”
-Romans 3:23-24

Since Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, humanity has been burdened by a sinful nature. Our sin separates us from God, both in this life and for eternity. Yet, God's love for us is profound; He wishes for us to join Him in heaven. Thus, He sent His Son, Jesus, to earth to bear the penalty of our sins on the cross.

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
-Romans 6:23

We might see ourselves as good people, believing our lives balance out our sins with good deeds. However, we are all sinners, and a holy God cannot simply overlook sin, no matter how deep His love for us. Sin requires atonement; a price must be paid, and that price is eternal suffering apart from God.

“…if thou shalt confess with they mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, though shalt be saved.”
-Romans 10:9

What can we do to earn God's forgiveness? Nothing. There is nothing we can do to earn forgiveness because we are sinners before a holy and perfect God. However, Jesus paid the penalty for all our sins. For those who follow Jesus, when God looks at us, He sees us as righteous through His Son. Because of Jesus, God chooses to forget our sins. Jesus is God's free gift to us, given at great cost to Himself.

What’s your response to God’s offer of life?

If you…

  1. Believe that Jesus is the Son of God

  2. Repent of your sins

  3. Believe that Jesus died on the cross for all of your sins and that God raised Him from the dead, and that you are forgiven.

Then pray this prayer…

”Dear Heavenly Father, I believe in Jesus your Son. I believe that He died on the cross for my sins, and that you raised Him from the grave and that my sins are forgiven. Help me to seek you and draw near to you. Thank you for saving me. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, you are saved. Congratulations, you have just made the most important decision of your life! You may wonder, what now? Here are some next steps other followers of Christ have found helpful…

  1. Start talking with God (prayer). Talk with Him as you would a good father and a friend. He wants to hear from you, often.

  2. Start digging in and studying the Word of God every day. Ask God to guide you as you read.

  3. Tell someone who follows Jesus about your decision. Talk with them about what it means to follow Jesus on a daily basis. If we can help you in your relationship with God, we are here for you. You can give us a call us at: 601.667.3364

  4. Find a good church that teaches faithfully from the Bible and follows Jesus. Worshiping God and studying the Bible with other Christians will help your faith grow. If you’re in the greater Madison area, we welcome you.

  5. Get baptized. This is an important step of obedience and a public declaration of your faith and trust in Jesus