It starts with Jesus
Who God is and what He’s done can often be topics at the center of confusion and debate. Alive or dead, good or bad, past or present – all questions that change the picture. We believe the picture finds its clarity in Jesus.
I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. John 14:6
Jesus made these bold claims – saying that as this human man, He not only knew God, but that He was God, both statements with incredible weight, then and now.
It was a big deal then because those statements upset the religious leaders of His day so much that they killed Him. But is it still a big deal today? In our modern culture, as we go to work and school and raise kids and pay bills, just trying to keep up, does His claim still matter?
It still matters because God, the creator of the universe, has a purpose for you and for your life. He is a good God that loves you and wants to help you. Because of that, His plan is better than your plan, and Jesus’ coming as a man, claiming to both know and be God, is a part of that plan. Through His death on the cross, and his coming back to life, He once and for all – then and now and in the future – covers all of what we’ve done wrong with all of what He did right. It’s about what He did.
And because of that? You don’t have to understand everything. Or get it right all of the time. Or get it right part of the time. Or match up to some list of standards. We just follow Jesus.
In the Bible, and in our lives, over and over again, we see people choose to follow Jesus. Here’s what they do:
They BELIEVE in Jesus.
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. – John 3:16
They CONFESS this belief, admitting – to themselves and others – that this is what they believe.
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
They REPENT – not gaining perfect lives, but choosing to turn to a new way.
Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. – 2 Corinthians 7:10
They are BAPTIZED.
And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name. – Acts 22:16
This is only the beginning – though we believe that Jesus saves us, we also believe that He has so much more in store – ‘life in abundance.’
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. – John 10:10
Following Jesus is the first step on the greatest journey of your life. The best is yet to come!
We’d love to connect!
If you’ve made the decision to follow Jesus, or still have questions, we’d love to talk with you about it! Stop by the Welcome Center at any campus this Sunday, email us below, or call us at 402-293-1700. We want to help you take your next steps and get in rhythm with Jesus!