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Connecting with God


 1. MAN’S ORIGINAL CONNECTION  

         In the beginning man lived in perfect harmony with God and carried out His will flawlessly (Genesis 1-2). 

2. SIN DESTROYED PERFECT HARMONY 

         Man and woman deliberately defied God’s command and chose their own way. (Genesis 3). 

      SIN Is Living For MYSELF 

           Isaiah 53:6 - We all, like sheep  have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him                 the iniquity of us all.  SIN is a rebellious attitude against the Captain  of  our “ship”:
 By nature we don’t want even God             to tell us what to do.                 

     SIN Is Universal 

        Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 
 Falling short of Jesus’ moral and spiritual                           perfection  qualifies us as sinners. Every person on earth falls short of his moral standard. 

3. BECAUSE OF SIN  WE ARE: 

    Separated from God 

    Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you             from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear (Isaiah 59:1-2). 

    Spiritually Dead 

        As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins (Ephesians 2:1). 

    Already Condemned

        Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has                  not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son (John 3:18).              

4. JESUS CHRIST IS GOD’S ONLY PROVISION FOR OUR SIN

    Jesus Is God’s Provision 

   For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that      he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). 

    There’s No Other Way  

        Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).    

        JESUS IS THE  ONE  WAY  BACK TO PERFECT HARMONY WITH GOD. 

5. WE RECEIVE GOD’S PROVISION [JESUS] BY REPENTANCE AND FAITH. 

Mark 1:15 - “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” 

 a. Repentance means turning from self-centered to God-centered living. The heart of repentance is being willing to do                  what  God’s wants.

 b. Faith means receiving Christ, God’s provision for our sin. 

         1) To believe in Christ means to receive him. 

         2) But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his                       name (John 1:12). 

         3) Revelation 3:20 pictures receiving Christ: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice                             and opens the door, I will go in and eat with him, and he with me.” 

        Only YOU can open the door of your life to Jesus Christ. 

        Opening the door means: 

                1. Being willing to follow Jesus instead of your own selfish desires [Repent]. God gives the desire and ability to obey. 

                2. Believing that God forgives you, not because of how good you are, but because on the cross Jesus paid 100% of                           the penalty for your sins [Believe the gospel]. 

         Have you opened the door of your life to Jesus in this way? 

        You can through the following prayer. There's no magic in its words. It expresses a sincere desire to follow and become           like Jesus.

        LORD JESUS, THANK YOU FOR DYING ON THE CROSS IN MY PLACE AND TAKING MY SIN, DEATH, AND JUDGMENT           UPON YOURSELF. I OPEN THE DOOR OF MY LIFE TO YOU. I WANT YOU TO COME INTO MY LIFE AND TAKE                           CONTROL. THANK YOU FOR FORGIVING MY SINS AND MAKING ME A CHILD OF GOD. I WANT TO BE LIKE YOU.                   AMEN. 

        The moment you open the door to Jesus you receive his life. You are born again. You can know that Jesus came into                 your life. What does he promise he will do in Revelation 3:20 if you open the door? He promised He’d come in. You can           take Jesus at his word. Nothing is more sure! Don’t expect a wonderful feeling inside. God honors faith. Don’t depend on          your feelings. In 1 John 5:11-12 God promises eternal life to all who have Jesus, the Son.  If you have Jesus, you have               eternal life. Take God’s  word for it! 

CHRISTIAN GROWTH BASICS 

        1. Read the Bible daily. Begin with Matthew. Write briefly in a notebook what you’ve learned and will try to apply to your             life (1 Peter 2:2). 

        2. Pray daily asking Jesus to control you and show you how to apply the Bible to your life to make you more like him.                    Pray about all your concerns (Philippians 4:6-7). 

        3. Every Sunday attend Sunday School and worship (Hebrews 10:24-25; Luke 4:16). Join a discipleship group in your                      church. 

        4. Share your time, talents, and treasures cheerfully. Jesus wants to serve others through you. Tell others how you                        received him and the difference he has made in your life. 

        5. Moment by moment yield to the control of the Holy Spirit of Christ who lives in you. 


If you asked Jesus to come into your life, call us at 717-564-6673 or email us at [email protected] for guidance concerning what to do now.


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