KNOWING JESUS
Life is amazing - We have so many reasons to be thankful!
BUT have you asked yourself if this is all there is?
Or is there MORE?
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
Let's unpack it together...
Surrendering your life to Jesus is the greatest decision you can ever make. Through Jesus, you are given a living hope
(1 Peter 1:3-6)
Your sin is forgiven and your relationship with God has been restored.
DO YOU KNOW
GOD LOVES YOU?
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. The Bible – John 3:16
But why would God love us; why would He love you?
If you have ever had a child then you may be able to understand something of how God feels towards you. As a parent loves a child unconditionally, God loves you unconditionally. He knows you and wants to be close to you. He wants the best for you and offers you a fulfilled life that goes beyond death.
Whether you believe it or not, God created you. In Psalm 139: 13 it says "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb." You are the work of His hands, His own creation and nothing you or anyone else may do can change that fact or His love for you. In Romans 8:38-39 it says "...neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God...".
You may wonder how there can be a loving God when there is so much sadness & evil in the world. The simplest answer to that is that God created us to have free will rather than running the world and us like robots. Much of the sadness in the world is due to mankind's wrong decisions and selfish actions. Ultimately the Bible teaches that evil, sickness & death only entered the world because of a wrong choice, the disobedience of the first man, Adam. Romans 5:12 says "...sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men..."
The ultimate demonstration and proof of God's love for you is the death of Jesus on the cross over 2000 years ago.
DO YOU KNOW
YOU'RE LIVING
WITHOUT GOD?
all have sinned...
We look for meaning, success, pleasure, or identity apart from Him. This separation—living life on our own terms—is what the Bible calls sin. Sin breaks our connection with God, damages our relationships, and leaves us spiritually empty. It creates a gap between us and the life He intended for us.
That means that every human being has failed meet the perfect standard of God's goodness and righteousness. We have failed because we have done things our way, not God's way. We have disobeyed His instruction which He wrote in both the Bible and in our consciences. God's law is like a pane of glass; it's either broken or it isn't. It's no good saying "I only lied, I never stole". James 2:10 says "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it". Whether it's murder or whether it's just a 'white' lie, whether it's adultery or just jealousy, every sin keeps us from meeting God's standard and has both consequences and penalty!
The consequences of sin can be numerous. If we lie we can get caught and break relationships & trust. If we steal we can be caught and prosecuted. But the most serious consequence of sin is that it separates us from God and from the relationship He created us to have with Him. Isaiah 59:2 says "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear."
Have you ever wondered why God feels so far away?
Even more serious is the penalty for sin. Romans 6:23 says "For the wages of sin is death" i.e. death is what you earn from sinning. Not physical death since that is inevitable for all of us. It's the ultimate statistic; 1 out of 1 die. The Bible is referring to spiritual death, that is the assumption that we are more than just physical bodies; that we have a spirit or soul which persists after our bodies die. It is unclear exactly what it means for us to face spiritual death but it is clear that it is the opposite of God's desired plan for you and I which is that our spirit goes to dwell with Him forever in His presence; what the Bible calls heaven. So we all have a big problem. We have all sinned and because God is perfectly just, this sin means we must all face spiritual death and eternal separation from God; what the Bible calls Hell!
If you're unhappy about this you'll be pleased to know that because of His great love for you, God was even more unhappy with the situation
DO YOU KNOW
JESUS MADE A
WAY BACK?
Jesus gave everything for you...
God did not leave us in separation. Out of love, He stepped into our world through Jesus Christ. Jesus showed us what God is like—full of grace, truth, and compassion. Ultimately, He gave His life on the cross, taking upon Himself the consequences of our sin. But death did not defeat Him—He rose again. Through Jesus, the barrier between us and God is removed, and a restored relationship becomes possible.
The just penalty for our sin, the wrong things every one of us have done, is spiritual death; separation from God. In the old testament times, God allowed animals to be sacrificed for the people's sin and would accept the shed blood as a substitute for the people's own life. But ever since man had first sinned, God had planned a permanent solution. The ultimate sacrifice that could pay the punishment for everyone's sin and see justice done.
The plan was this, to send his own son, Jesus who was himself God, to be born as a human baby and live on this earth leading a perfect, sinless life, and when He had done this, to voluntarily offer His own life as a sacrifice to pay the penalty for our sin. Not just death but separation from God, the only time Jesus had ever been completely separated from His father.
And this is what He did. The fact that Jesus lived and walked on this earth is historically undeniable. There is more evidence of the existence of Jesus than there is of Julius Caesar. He was born in Bethlehem, grew up as a carpenter, lived a perfect life never sinning once. He loved & healed people, taught them about God and was then falsely accused and crucified by the Romans outside of Jerusalem. He did all this willingly because He loved you so much that He wanted to save you from the judgement you deserve. Hebrews 12:2 says "...for the joy set before Him [Jesus] endured the cross, scorning its shame...". Then Jesus came back to life again after 3 days in 'hell' since death could not hold the son of God.
You might think that's the end of the matter but there's one more, all-important point that makes the difference between life & death.
WILL YOU
CHOOSE
JESUS?
Will I choose to follow Jesus?
God has already taken the initiative. He offers forgiveness, new life, and an eternal future—not as a reward for good behavior, but as a gift received through faith. We respond by turning back to Him, trusting in Jesus, and beginning a relationship with God through prayer and surrender. The question is not whether God is willing—but whether we are.Jesus has restored the Relationship between us and God. We can choose to live with God by accepting this gift through faith and by trusting him.
Would you like to do that today?
START A
NEW LIFE
WITH JESUS
simply say these words...
Dear God,
Thank you that you love me and have a good plan and purpose for my life. I’m sorry for ignoring you and doing things my way. I realise now that my sin has hurt you and the people around me, and for this I’m truly sorry. Thank you Jesus that you gave your life for me and took the punishment for my sin. Please forgive me and help me now, by the power of your Holy Spirit, as I decide to live only for you.
Amen.
WHAT'S NEXT?
SUNDAYS 10AM
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A great place to start is with us come to church and get connected. It will help you find others who can encourage you with your next steps of faith.
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If you can, get hold of a Bible and read it! The Bible is the word of God and getting to know God’s word is the foundation of faith. There's no better way to get to know God than by reading the bible. If you want to know more about Him and His thoughts and plans for you, reading the Bible is your next step. You can start reading the Bible today! Just download the YouVersion Bible app for free. If you’re not sure, start with the the gospels the first four books in the New Testament. Here are some useful links to get you started...
THE BIBLE
THE BIBLE IS GOD BREATHED & FULLY INSPIRED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT
If you've made a decision for Jesus get in touch we'd love to gift you with a bible, pray with you and help you take the next step.
SAY HELLO!
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PHONE
01793 481555
