WHAT WE BELIEVE

THE RELATIONSHIP
Let’s face it. You’ve probably had a negative interaction with someone who claimed to be a Christian or with “churchy people”. Maybe it was an awkward moment in church or someone made you feel like you weren’t good enough to do the“christian thing”, and you’ve decided that if this is what Christians are like you don’t want anything to do with God.

The truth is, religion or church attendance has never gotten anyone into heaven, and “being good” has never made God love someone more. It’s not about religion or what you’ve done in the past. In fact, God loves you regardless of anything you’ve done and wants to have a personal relationship with you.

So what is this relationship? It’s a real one-on-one connection to a God who wants to walk with you through life, talk you through the difficult moments, and be with you every step along the way. It’s not a relationship status that will ever change – He will never let you down!

Unfortunately, we can’t accomplish this relationship on our own. Because God is holy and perfect, our mistakes separate us from Him. As loving as God is, His nature also demands justice. The punishment for sin is death. Because God loves you so much and desires a relationship with you, He chose to provide a substitute to receive the punishment that you deserve. Jesus, God’s Son, was that substitute.

THE CHOICE
What does it cost you to have this relationship? Absolutely nothing – it’s a free gift. All you have to do to have this incredible relationship with God is invite Him to be a part of your life. Actually, He wants to be more than just a part, He wants all of who you are. By surrendering your life to Him, you receive His promises of heaven, unconditional love, and forgiveness, and you know that
He will always be with you. He asks that you love Him and love other people just like He does as you walk with Him through life. All you need to do is believe that He has provided a substitute for your sin and invite Him into your life. It might sound something like this:

 "God, thank you for loving me enough to die in my place, even though I don’t deserve it. God, I choose you. I want a relationship with you. Would you please come and be a part of my life? I surrender everything that I am to you. Forgive me of my sins, and change me from the inside out. Thank you for wanting to have a relationship with me. Please teach me as I go. I love you, thanks for loving me. Amen."