Upwards Church

Do you feel disconnected from God?

 At some point we all are.  Humanity has a natural desire to be in charge of our own lives and to ignore God’s principles for living. The Bible calls this attitude “sin.”

 “All of us, like sheep, have gone astray, and each of us has turned to his own way.”  Isaiah 53:6

 Sin separates us from God and causes us to live our lives out of His will.

 “All have sinned and fall short of God’s glorious ideal.”  Romans 3:2

It looks like this…                

All the best attempts in the world won’t get you to where you need to be.  Many people say things like: 

•  “My mother was a Christian, so I am too!” Is salvation by heritage?                 
• “I’ll work real hard and earn it.”        Is salvation by service?
• “It doesn’t matter what you believe, just be sincere.”  Is salvation by sincerity?
• “I’m better than so-and-so.”  Is salvation by comparison?
• “I’ll give up all my bad habits.” Is salvation by subtraction?
• “I’ll be religious and go to church.”   Is salvation by religion?

 No, none of these will work.   The Bible teaches us a relationship with God is NOT based on GOOD WORKS or RELIGION.

 “It is by grace you have been saved, though faith – it is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God – not by works so that no one can boast.”  Ephesians 2:8-9

 WHAT’S THE SOLUTION?

  “Jesus said, ‘I AM THE WAY, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father, except THROUGH ME!’”  John 14:6

 God came to earth as a human being [in Jesus] to bring us back to Himself. If any other way would have worked, Jesus would not have had to come.  “The Way” is through the person of Jesus!

 “The wages of sin is death, BUT the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  Roman 6:23

JESUS PAID THE PRICE FOR YOUR SINS ON THE CROSS!

 “For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people.  He is the man Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 2:5

 Because of Jesus, now we can be reconciled with God.  It looks like this,

WHY DID GOD SEND JESUS TO DIE IN YOUR PLACE?

 Because He loves you and wants you to KNOW Him.

 “God demonstrated His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  Romans 5:8

  God has already done His part to restore our relationship to Him. HE TOOK THE INITIATIVE.  NOW HE WAITS FOR EACH OF US to individually ACCEPT what He has done for us.

 Are you ready for Your Next Step?  Go to : ← How to Commit Your Life to Christ

  Darrell

Sources and more information:

 http://www.billygraham.org/specialsections/steps-to-peace/steps-to-peace.asp

 http://www.saddleback.com/resources  (Class 101)

 www.ridgefellowship.com

 1.  ADMIT THAT I AM A SINNER.

 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from every wrong.”  1 John 1:9

 2.  BELIEVE THAT JESUS DIED TO PAY FOR MY SINS AND THAT HE ROSE AGAIN, AND IS ALIVE TODAY.

“If you confess that Jesus is your Lord, and you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”  Romans 10:9

 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name (Jesus) by which we must be saved.”  Acts 4:12

3.  COMMIT  MY LIFE TO CHRIST.

  “To all who received him, to those who believed in His name, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12

 “Jesus says, ‘Listen!  I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in…’”  Revelation 3:30

  YOU CAN TAKE THESE STEPS BY PRAYING A SIMPLE PRAYER OF COMMITMENT TO CHRIST LIKE THIS…

  “Dear Jesus, thank you for making me and loving me, even when I’ve ignored you and gone my own way.  I realize I need you in my life and I’m sorry for my sins.  I ask you to forgive me. Thank you for dying on the cross for me.  Please help me to understand it more.  As much as I know how, I want to follow you from now on.  Please come into my life and make me a new person inside.  I accept your gift of salvation.  Please help me to grow now as your follower.”

•  It Forgives Your Past.
• Secures Your Future
• Makes Your Present Manageable With God’s Help.

   “Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”  Romans 10:13

  Now, we would love to help you grow in your faith!  I will get you some free resources if you comment at the bottom of this blog with your email.

 Sources and more information:

  http://www.billygraham.org/specialsections/steps-to-peace/steps-to-peace.asp

 http://www.saddleback.com/resources.com   (CLASS 101)

 www.ridgefellowship.com

 The New International Version of the Bible

The decision you’ve made to become a follower of Jesus Christ is the most important decision of your life. God created you to know Him. You may not be completely sure what happens when you decide to follow Jesus or what you should do now.  You may have a lot of questions.  The next series of blog posts will answer some of those questions and help you grow in your new relationship with Jesus Christ.

Following Jesus is both a one-time decision and a life­long process. God wants you to have a meaningful life, in relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus. However, he doesn’t force that desire on you. He gives you a choice.  You can choose to live according to His plan, or you can choose to go your own way. If you choose to say “no” to God—if you decide to live life on your own terms—that decision separates you from Him. Not only is refusing God a result of sinful nature, it is sin itself.

On your own, there is nothing you can do to bring yourself into a right relationship with God. Good works won’t do it. Religion won’t do it. Morality won’t do it. Neither will money nor philosophy, nor knowledge nor science. For centuries, seekers have tried all of these paths with little success.

 Take note of the story the following verses tell:

 There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.  —Proverbs 14:12

 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.  —Romans 5:8

 You have taken a big step by coming to the point of realization that you cannot earn salvation and that Jesus is one who paid the penalty for your sins on the cross.  You have prayed and committed your life to Jesus.  You’ve asked Him to forgive you for all the ways you’ve sinned against Him while living life on your own terms, and you’ve committed to becoming more like Him. At the moment you asked Jesus to come into your life, He did. Your salvation is sealed and secure.

You can’t lose your salvation, but the process of growing in like Christ is ongoing.

In the follow­ing blog entries you will find an explanation of your next five steps: 

• Be Baptized:  http://theridgeblog.com/2011/04/14/be-baptized
• Study Your Bible:  http://theridgeblog.com/2011/04/14/study-your-bible
•  Learn to Pray: http://theridgeblog.com/2011/04/14/learn-to-pray
•  Connect to a Growing Church: http://theridgeblog.com/2011/04/14/connect-to-a-growing-church
• Live a Life of Worship: http://theridgeblog.com/2011/04/14/live-a-life-of-worship

 The Bible says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come!  2 Corinthians 5:17

 If you have asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins and come into your life, then, according to God Himself, you are a new creation! As of right now, real life starts.  Knowing Christ and Growing to be like Him is really living! 

Darrell

For more about The Ridge go to www.ridgefellowship.com  

Sources:  Nelson Searcy Coaching,   http://www.churchleaderinsights.com

 The New Living Translation of the Bible

Baptism confuses a lot of people. Initially, it’s not easy to understand the significance of being totally immersed in water after becoming a Christ follower.

  Much of the confusion centers on questions like, “I was sprinkled as a child, so I don’t have to be baptized, right?” or “If I don’t get baptized, does that mean I’m not saved?”

 When you make the decision to commit your life to Jesus Christ, the Bible teaches that you should be baptized to follow Jesus’ example. Baptism is an act of obedience and a public declaration of faith.

 When Jesus was ready to begin His earthly ministry, He showed His devotion to the Father by being baptized:

 Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be bap­tized by John. But John tried to talk Him out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by You,” he said, “so why are You coming to me?” But Jesus said, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.” So John agreed to baptize Him. After His baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on Him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings Me great joy.”  — Matthew 3:13-17

 Later, the apostles taught that all who accept the message of Jesus Christ and invite Him into their lives should follow His example of baptism:

 Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins, turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins…” Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.  — Acts 2:38, 41

 Baptism is symbolic of two essential truths of your faith:

1. What Jesus did for you:  “He died for your sins, was buried and came back to life” (1 Corinthians 15:3–4).
2.  What has happened to you: “You died to your old life, are buried in baptism and raised to live a new life in Jesus Christ” (Romans 6:3–4).

 Never get tricked into thinking that baptism is what saves you. The work of your salvation was done the moment that you believed in your heart that Jesus is Lord and professed that belief with your mouth by asking Him to come into your life and forgive you of your sins.

 Baptism is a Next Step of obedience—the outward symbol of the work that God has done in you. You have been raised to walk in newness of life!

 Just check the box “be baptized” on your Connection Card  or tell your Growth Group Coordinator you need to be baptized, or comment to me at the bottom of this blog post and you can get signed up to take part in The Ridge’s next baptism celebration.

  Darrell

 For more information or to sign up for baptism go to www.ridgefellowship.com

Developed from Nelson Searcy Coaching,   http://www.churchleaderinsights.com

The New Living Translation of the Bible