You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.
My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help.
This I know: God is on my side!
Psalm 56:8-9 (NLT)
My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help.
This I know: God is on my side!
Psalm 56:8-9 (NLT)
Searching For Hope?
Do you ever feel like a cell phone that just keeps searching for a signal and can't find one? You just want some signal, some sign that God cares, that God can help, that there is hope?
We have good news for you! God has sent a message to you and he sent that message in the person of Jesus Christ.
God's desire is for you to be connected to Himself, experiencing His love, his power, his hope!
1 Timothy 2:4 (NIV) tell us that God, "wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."
THERE IS A PROBLEM
If you are not connected to God, and have never experienced His love, it isn't God's fault! The problem is that you, like everyone else, have chosen to go your own way and end up making wrong choices - sinful acts - that offend God, and hurts yourself and those you love. You know all to well that this is true.
The Bible says, "There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins." Ecclesiastes 7:20 (NIV)
And it says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23 (NIV)
THERE IS A CONSEQUENCE
The consequence of your sin is death, not just physical, but spiritual and eternal death. As a sinner you are dead to God and face eternal judgment in hell.
The Bible says, "For the wages of sin is death, ..." Romans 6:23 (NIV) The prophet Ezekiel said, "The soul who sins is the one who will die." Ezekiel 18:4 (NIV) And Jesus said, "But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters, and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." Revelation 21:8 (NIV)
Understand this, whether you like it or not, the truth is that God hates sin, He is a holy God and will not tolerate sinful people in His presence or into His family.
THERE IS HOPE
But there is hope for you, for everyone . . .
God has provided everything needed for you to be forgiven of your sin and be reconciled to Himself. He sent Jesus, His own Son, to pay the price for your sin. Jesus, was a perfect sacrifice for you. Romans 5:8 (NIV) says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
You can't earn his mercy. You can't pay off your own sin. You can't work to obtain heaven.
Ephesians 2:8,9 (NIV) says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast."
Did you get that? You can give to charity, you can volunteer at a homeless shelter, you can hate your sin and punish yourself, but it doesn't do a bit of good. Your only hope is to have faith in the grace of God. In other words, trust God to forgive you of your sin, on the basis of Jesus' death on the cross, and save you from a life and eternity separated from Him.
When you trust God, He does more than forgive you of your sin, He gives you eternal life. And as you then begin to follow Him you will experience a life full of love and purpose and hope.
The rest of Romans 6:23 (NIV) says, ". . . but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Jesus spoke of himself in John 10:10 (NIV) saying, "I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly."
THERE IS ASSURANCE
Maybe you have long believed that God is against you. No, friend, He loves you and calls you to fully trust Him. Jesus himself assures us, "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 (NIV)
The promise of God is that when you believe in Jesus you will have eternal life. There is no one and no thing that can take that away from you.
1 Peter 1:3-5 (NIV) exclaims, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birh into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time."
That is GOOD NEWS, that is HOPE! So, now . . .
THERE IS A DECISION TO MAKE
Are you truly sorry for your sin, and are you ready to turn away from your sin? Are you ready to ask God for forgiveness and eternal life? Then repent (turn from your sin) and believe (turn to God).
2 Corinthians 7:10 (NIV) says, "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret"
Romans 10:9 (NIV) tells us, "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved."
To "confess" literally means "to agree, to declare." If you are ready, then tell God! There are no magic words, what matters is what you believe in your heart.
We offer this prayer as an example: "God, I believe that Jesus died in my place and rose from the dead. I admit that I am a sinner and ask for your forgiveness. I commit my life to following you. Thank you for giving me eternal life. Amen."
THERE IS NEW LIFE AND PURPOSE
Jesus doesn't save you, just for you to go back to your old ways and life - that makes no sense. What does make sense, is to follow the One who created you and has a plan for your life. He is now your Master!
2 Corinthians 5:15 (NIV) "And he (Jesus) died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again."
This new life is a journey with Jesus and your Christian brothers and sisters. You are a young, new Christian and have to have support. You need to be baptized and join a Bible believing church so they can help you grow. If you choose Hope Baptist Church, great! But the important thing is to join a good church.
You also need to begin reading the Bible and praying daily. Start with the Gospel of John and read a section at a time.
If you made this decision or if you would like to talk to somebody about this decision, our pastor, Dan Taylor, would love to talk to you about it, please contact him at [email protected]
We have good news for you! God has sent a message to you and he sent that message in the person of Jesus Christ.
God's desire is for you to be connected to Himself, experiencing His love, his power, his hope!
1 Timothy 2:4 (NIV) tell us that God, "wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."
THERE IS A PROBLEM
If you are not connected to God, and have never experienced His love, it isn't God's fault! The problem is that you, like everyone else, have chosen to go your own way and end up making wrong choices - sinful acts - that offend God, and hurts yourself and those you love. You know all to well that this is true.
The Bible says, "There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins." Ecclesiastes 7:20 (NIV)
And it says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23 (NIV)
THERE IS A CONSEQUENCE
The consequence of your sin is death, not just physical, but spiritual and eternal death. As a sinner you are dead to God and face eternal judgment in hell.
The Bible says, "For the wages of sin is death, ..." Romans 6:23 (NIV) The prophet Ezekiel said, "The soul who sins is the one who will die." Ezekiel 18:4 (NIV) And Jesus said, "But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters, and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." Revelation 21:8 (NIV)
Understand this, whether you like it or not, the truth is that God hates sin, He is a holy God and will not tolerate sinful people in His presence or into His family.
THERE IS HOPE
But there is hope for you, for everyone . . .
God has provided everything needed for you to be forgiven of your sin and be reconciled to Himself. He sent Jesus, His own Son, to pay the price for your sin. Jesus, was a perfect sacrifice for you. Romans 5:8 (NIV) says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
You can't earn his mercy. You can't pay off your own sin. You can't work to obtain heaven.
Ephesians 2:8,9 (NIV) says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast."
Did you get that? You can give to charity, you can volunteer at a homeless shelter, you can hate your sin and punish yourself, but it doesn't do a bit of good. Your only hope is to have faith in the grace of God. In other words, trust God to forgive you of your sin, on the basis of Jesus' death on the cross, and save you from a life and eternity separated from Him.
When you trust God, He does more than forgive you of your sin, He gives you eternal life. And as you then begin to follow Him you will experience a life full of love and purpose and hope.
The rest of Romans 6:23 (NIV) says, ". . . but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Jesus spoke of himself in John 10:10 (NIV) saying, "I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly."
THERE IS ASSURANCE
Maybe you have long believed that God is against you. No, friend, He loves you and calls you to fully trust Him. Jesus himself assures us, "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 (NIV)
The promise of God is that when you believe in Jesus you will have eternal life. There is no one and no thing that can take that away from you.
1 Peter 1:3-5 (NIV) exclaims, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birh into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time."
That is GOOD NEWS, that is HOPE! So, now . . .
THERE IS A DECISION TO MAKE
Are you truly sorry for your sin, and are you ready to turn away from your sin? Are you ready to ask God for forgiveness and eternal life? Then repent (turn from your sin) and believe (turn to God).
2 Corinthians 7:10 (NIV) says, "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret"
Romans 10:9 (NIV) tells us, "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved."
To "confess" literally means "to agree, to declare." If you are ready, then tell God! There are no magic words, what matters is what you believe in your heart.
We offer this prayer as an example: "God, I believe that Jesus died in my place and rose from the dead. I admit that I am a sinner and ask for your forgiveness. I commit my life to following you. Thank you for giving me eternal life. Amen."
THERE IS NEW LIFE AND PURPOSE
Jesus doesn't save you, just for you to go back to your old ways and life - that makes no sense. What does make sense, is to follow the One who created you and has a plan for your life. He is now your Master!
2 Corinthians 5:15 (NIV) "And he (Jesus) died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again."
This new life is a journey with Jesus and your Christian brothers and sisters. You are a young, new Christian and have to have support. You need to be baptized and join a Bible believing church so they can help you grow. If you choose Hope Baptist Church, great! But the important thing is to join a good church.
You also need to begin reading the Bible and praying daily. Start with the Gospel of John and read a section at a time.
If you made this decision or if you would like to talk to somebody about this decision, our pastor, Dan Taylor, would love to talk to you about it, please contact him at [email protected]
Hope Baptist Church
Physical Address: 7498 Zaugg Drive, Missoula, MT 59802
Mailing: P.O. Box 755, Milltown, MT 59851
Phone: (406) 258-6572
Email: [email protected]
Physical Address: 7498 Zaugg Drive, Missoula, MT 59802
Mailing: P.O. Box 755, Milltown, MT 59851
Phone: (406) 258-6572
Email: [email protected]
