I Have Decided...

To Follow Jesus

Welcome to your spiritual journey with Jesus Christ!

There is one reason for living on earth - to know God more fully and to fulfill his plan for our lives. Becoming a follower of Jesus does not take away all of life’s challenges. But it will force you to deal with those challenges in a new way with God by your side. Know that you are not alone in this journey; we are in this together.

God Loves You
The Bible is considered the written “Word of God” while Jesus is the living “Word of God.” The Bible is the story of Jesus Christ; the Old Testament is Jesus concealed, and the New Testament is Jesus revealed. Within its pages we find the teachings, promises, principles and character of God, and within the Gospels we read of how those elements are lived out through Jesus Christ. It is God’s “Love Letter” to us explaining his love and grace in great detail.

1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He existed in the beginning with God… 14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. John 1:1-2, 14

Instead of leaving us to our own demise, God decided to get involved and become human in the person of Jesus to help us.

16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17

What do I need saving from?
We need saving from our sin nature, our failures and weaknesses that don’t measure up to God’s standards; these keep us separated from a holy and just God. To resolve this distance in our relationship with God and others, God himself got involved and sent Jesus as a bridge.

28 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28

Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Philippians 2:7 3

The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. Romans 8:3-4

For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. 15 That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. Hebrews 9:14-15

Jesus paid the price for our sin, gives us forgiveness, power over death, eternal life and salvation. Now that penalty of our sin is out of the way, we now have a relationship with God.

12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

No other deity outside of Christianity has demonstrated such love and concern for the human race.

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. Romans 8:38

The work that Jesus accomplished on the cross was a complete work. And now our part is to love and FOLLOW God in return.

Faith
We have been called to put our trust in Jesus, to the point that our belief becomes the foundation of our actions, emotions, and relationships.

Obedience
Love and obedience go hand-in-hand. God wants us to spend our time looking for his goodness and truth through his Word, allowing it to lead us into different choices and decisions.

Love
We are to love unconditionally; to be an example of Jesus to the world around us. Love is to be the ingredient or evidence that makes it obvious that we have committed our life to Jesus.

Learn
Being a Christian is a continual process. We are not perfect beings, but we are being perfected by the love and grace of God. We need to spend time in God’s Word to gain a greater understanding of who he is and how that changes us. We are given a spiritual community (the church) to explore these elements and discover how to apply it.

Overcome
Now that we have forgiveness we have a new freedom and have been given power to live free. Expect God to show up and help you in your time of need.

Wait
When we ask Jesus to be the Lord of our life, he gives us his Holy Spirit to help us, lead us, and teach us. God’s timing isn’t like our, and his ways are different from outs. That’s why we need to wait on God and his Spirit for his answers and leading.

How do I receive what Jesus has done for me?

9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

Declare Jesus as Lord, believe in what he has done for you, and salvation is yours. That’s it! If you have said yes, congratulations! We would like to help you on your journey.

Contact us at pmlighthouse@att.net.