Who is Jesus

You can’t come to a church website and not have an opportunity to hear about Jesus. But one thing we want to make clear in this section is that for us Christianity is not about religion but about a relationship with our Creator. Too often people get Christianity confused with a system of rules. For us here at The Connection it’s really about knowing God in a deep and personal way. So let me explain how you can start that relationship with Him.

Someone, years ago, put it this way: We all are born with a God-sized hole in our hearts. Too often we fill that hole with the wrong things. We seek to fill that hole with everything from material things to illicit relationships. But over and over again we discover that those things only temporarily satisfy. There’s good reason for this. You see, God made us to not only enjoy the things He created but also to enjoy Him. If you’re like me, you’ll finally realize that the really seriously answers to life’s questions come once we get to know God. And how do we get to that place? It’s not that difficult.

God created us to have relationship with Him but that was broken years ago by our original parents, Adam & Eve. Since then man’s relationship with God has been an “on again, off again” sort of thing marked by intrigues, wars and broken lives. There was a huge gap between what God required of us and how we performed. And the sad thing was that even when we did our best it was like a pile of dirty laundry compared to what was needed to allow us into His presence. God sent prophets and priests to try and reconnect with us, but all to no avail.  Finally he sent his Son in the form of man. This man was Jesus Christ. He not only taught us how to live he also lived in a completely perfect way that’s become a model for the right way of living. But it didn’t end there. God allowed his Son, Jesus, to become the means of restoring our relationship with Him. He allowed his Son to die in our place. Yes, that’s what the whole thing of the Cross is all about. It’s God reconnecting us with Himself. Our own efforts were not enough and our good deeds could never make up for our failure to live up to His standard. So if we recognize and accept that our failures (sins) have been paid for because Jesus suffered for us in our place and then acknowledge that he also rose from the dead after this all occurred, we will be the beneficiaries of a transforming energy that turns us into new people.

This all starts with a change of heart and mind. In other words it’s a refocusing of our attention on the Truth. Now here’s what is significant about that. Truth is a person. Sound strange? Well it does to a lot of people at first. But Jesus put it this way, “I am the Truth”.  In other words entering into a relationship with God means that you’re coming to a place of honesty….admitting to God and others that you recognize that there really is an ultimate meaning in life, and that it centers on aligning your life with God’s purpose for you. Of course that means change. The Bible calls it repentance, which means a true change of mind that is heartfelt. And then this leads to a prayer of faith to God. If you’d like you can pray that prayer right now by reading what follows and making it the starting place for your relationship with God.

Here goes: “Dear God, I come to you sincerely and openly. I want to begin a relationship with you. I also acknowledge that I can’t bridge the gap between us on my own. I need what your Son Jesus has done for me to become a reality in my life right now. I also acknowledge that I’ve disappointed you and others with my selfish acts and thoughts and I sincerely am sorry for them and want to start afresh. Please forgive me for my sins and help me to live life the way your Son Jesus did through the power of the Holy Spirit. I believe that He has risen from the dead and I openly submit to His total leadership in my life. In fact I now invite you Jesus to come and live within me by your Spirit and lead me every day into what is right, loving and true. Thank you Lord for coming into my life. Amen”.

If you truly expressed the above from a sincere heart you should be experiencing the amazing grace of God in your life right now. But let me encourage you to continue this process by getting in contact with us and letting us know about the step you’ve just taken. Send us an email at info@theconnectionsd.com. We’d love to help you move forward in your new life with God. You see, God calls those who have chosen to follow Him to do so together in a wonderful community of love called the Church. We’re here to help one another. So come and join us as we continue this great faith journey together. I’ll look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,

Bob Maddux
Lead Pastor
The Connection