Why You Matter

Finding Hope In A Hopless Time

At a time where you see nothing but doom, gloom and despair it can be easy to lose hope and think that nothing matters, or even worse; that you don’t matter. We’re here to tell you that you matter; why you matter to us; and most importantly why you matter to God.

God’s Purpose: Peace and Life with His Creation

The Bible says…
“We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Romans 5:1

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16

“…I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
John 10:10b

We believe all people are equal and valuable as they are made in the image of God.

Since God’s plan is to have a relationship with him, filled with peace and love, why are most people not experiencing this?

Our Problem: Separation

God created us in His own image to have an abundant life, with a free will and freedom of choice to either love and obey him, or disobey him.

Since original sin began in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve, humans have the natural urge to sin from the day we are born. We choose 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

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

“Sin is transgression of the law.”
1 John 3:4

THE LAW

You shall have no other gods before Me.
You shall not make yourself a graven image
You shall not take God’s name in vain
Remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy
Honor your father and mother
You shall not murder (Jesus said if you get angry toward another person, you murdered them in your heart).
You shall not commit adultery (Jesus said you look with lust at another person, you have committed adultery in your heart).
You shall not steal (this includes downloading/streaming songs or movies from the internet)
You shall not lie (have you told a young child about Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny?)
You shall not covet

Through the ages, individuals have tried to bridge this gap… without success.

The Bible says…
“There is a way that appears to be right to man, but in the end it leads to death.”
Proverbs 14:12

“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

There is only one remedy for this problem of separation….

God’s Remedy: The Cross

Jesus Christ is the only answer to this problem. He died on the cross and rose from the grave, paying the penalty for our sin and bridging the gap between God and people.

The Bible says…
“God is on one side and all the people on the other side, and Christ Jesus, himself man, is between them to bring them together.”
1 Timothy 2:5

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God…”
1 Peter 3:18a

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:8

God has provided the only way…. We must make the choice.

God’s Provision: Jesus Christ

We must trust Jesus Christ and receive Him by personal invitation.

The Bible says…
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
Acts 4:12

“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
John 1:12

“If you declare 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

Where are you right now?
Is there any reason you cannot receive Jesus Christ right now?

How to receive Jesus:

Identify that you are a sinner
Be willing to turn from your sins
Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose from the grave; defeating death.
Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit. (Receive him as Lord and Savior).

Example Prayer
“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 and Lord and Savior.
In Jesus’s name, Amen.”

“Dear God,
I understand that I have broken Your Law and sinned against You. Please forgive my sins. Thank you that Jesus suffered and died on the cross in my place and rose again. I now place my trust in Him as my Savior and Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

God’s Plan: Get Started

This is just the beginning of a wonderful new life in Christ. To deeper this relationship, you should:

Read your Bible every day to know Christ better.
Talk to God in prayer every day.
Tell others about Christ.
Worship, fellowship, and serve with other Christians in a church where Christ is preached.
As Christ’s representative in a needy world, demonstrate your new life by your love and concern for others.
Get plugged into the education classes at your church.