What Would Your Life Be Like… If you didn’t have access to Jesus? What if you didn’t know about Him, or no one ever told you about Him? What if you drove by churches on Sundays and thought, “What do those people do in there?”

What if there was nowhere to go to learn about Jesus? It humbles me to think of the people thousands of years ago who rejected the true God. They ended up denying their children and grandchildren access to God.

Sin Stinks. Sin is at the root of every problem. Everything that’s wrong in the world is connected to this reality. Relationships are ruined by sin. Finances are ruined by sin. Our health, our families, and our very lives are all disrupted because of sin.

Sin is a REAL Problem. Sin is not is God’s unfair, harsh, damper on our fun, or punishment. In the scripture above, we see that sin is why death is here. Sin hurts and even kills people. Suicide and homicide are caused by SIN. Sin is not a joke, it’s not funny, and even though it looks like fun; it always destroys the very thing it promises.

If you would really like to understand how serious this is, consider what happened to Jesus.

God put His Son on the cross because of OUR/MY SIN. How could we ever consider the death of Jesus Christ and not be stricken? My sin cost the DEATH of GOD’S SON.

Can you Understand how Serious this is? Really? Saving another person from their sins is an impossible idea. It’s hopeless. So many believe that ANY sincere search for God will be successful. This causes them to believe there are many ways to be saved, but quite honestly, I don't know that there is a way to be saved AT ALL.

It feels like there is literally NOTHING a person can do to change this situation it seems like there is NO ANSWER. ...except there is.

Jesus is the Answer. This isn’t a prayer, Jesus Is THE WAY. Believing in Jesus isn’t mental assent or agreement. Faith isn’t a feeling. Faith changes the WAY you live. Faith is when you BELIEVE in Jesus so much that it recalibrates, redirects, and rebirths your life.

A Defining Moment. It is time to make the decision that Jesus is right, and I am not. How do you feel about God’s Son directing your life? How do you feel about His commands?

The way we do things and the things we do are self-centered and often cause harm to ourselves and others. In general, we are wrong. Only Jesus Christ is right, right for us, and the right one to model.

When Peter tells us to repent, he is telling us to repent or to “change our mind” about Jesus; AND, change our behaviors so that we become more like Jesus.

Many people say and believe things like this: “I have always been a Christian.” Or, “I have always believed.” Or, “I grew up in a Christian home.” These are red flags because none of them make any difference in regard to one’s relationship with God. A person’s defining moment is a particular time and/or place in which you chose to follow Jesus. There has to have been some moment or season in which you chose Jesus’ way over your own way.

Baptism is… Baptism confirms your defining moment through a public display. A public commitment. It’s like a line in the sand. (Acts 2:38). It says I’m with Jesus. I’m on His side. It is a metaphor for an eternal reality. We have died and been resurrected with Christ. (Romans 6). And, it is a symbol for future remembrance. Very much like a wedding band reminds us of our marriage, baptism reminds us of our commitment to Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 3:21)

This is not a plea to become religious, but, it is not enough to have Jesus as some small part of your life. None of us know how much time we have left on this earth. It may be 20 years, 20 days, or a mere 20 minutes. What we do know is that everyone leaves sooner or later, and that is the problem.

You either leave this world in victory and honor or with sin and shame. And, because God is Good, He gives people what they want. They can either have what they don’t deserve by following Jesus or not following Jesus and receive what they do deserve.

So, please, follow Jesus. If you would like to speak with someone about this, please send a text with your name to 307-224-4404.

1. Have 3 people in your group read Romans 3:24-25 from different translations of the Bible. Highlight any words or phrases that you find interesting. Discuss your selections.

2. What is Sin? Please share some of your thoughts on “sin”. How are our problems in life connected to our own habits, thoughts, behaviors, and actions?

3. Discuss Matthew 7:24-26. Do you think Jesus is right? Why or why not?

4. Discuss the statements “I have always been a Christian.” Or, “I have always believed.” Or, “I grew up in a Christian home.” Do these ideas help or hinder our search for Faith? Why or why not?

5. Could someone share their baptism experience? Why is baptism important?

6. What should you do with today’s topic? How could we follow Jesus today? This week?

How May We Pray For You?

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