You’re not sure that you have a relationship with Jesus yet, but God is drawing you toward Himself. As you sense His invitation, how should you respond?

We are here to help you grow in your relationship with Jesus. Here are some great next steps:

1.  Believe that Jesus Christ is the living Lord of all. Through His death on the cross, Jesus paid for our sins. Through His resurrection, He proved He is God. Jesus is the only one who is able to pay your sin debt. He is the only one who can bring you into a right relationship with God the Father.

• John 3:16-17 - “For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” 
• John 14:6 - “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

2.  Confess and repent of sin: To confess means to agree with God; to repent means to change your way of thinking and acting. Tell God that you need His forgiveness for your wrong thoughts, words and actions. Repent of your old, self-centered way of living and acknowledge you need God’s power to live a different way.

• Romans 10:9 - “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.” 
• Matthew 4:17 - “From then on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near.’”
• Acts 2:37 - “When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what should we do?’”
  

3.  Receive the gift of salvation and abundant life. Jesus promises eternal life to those who receive him—but our forever life begins here and now! He gives His followers a “more-than-enough” kind of life so that we can face hardships with hope, joy and even love for our enemies. Abundant life means Jesus empowers us to live out His kingdom values in this world.

• John 10:10 - “A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.”
• John 16:33 - “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”

4.  Expect a new life. Change is not always easy, but in Christ, it’s always good. Acknowledging Jesus as Savior and Lord means we obey His commands. As you walk with Jesus, you’ll become a new person. The more you spend time in God’s Word and with God’s people, the more like Jesus you will become.

• 2 Corinthians 3:18 - “We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
• 2 Corinthians 5:17 - “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!”

You can pray something like this: “Lord Jesus, I acknowledge I am a sinner in need of Your mercy and grace. I repent for my wrongdoing in thoughts, words and actions. I trust You alone to rescue me from sin and selfishness and to empower me to live a life that is pleasing to You. You are my Savior and my Lord. Thank you for loving me and rescuing me!”

5.  Tell someone! Now that you’ve decided to follow Jesus, you’ve become part of a spiritual family. Let us know about your decision so we can come alongside you and support you.

• Matthew 23:8 - “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ because you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters."
• Acts 15:3 - “When they had been sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and they brought great joy to all the brothers and sisters.”