BEGIN THE JOURNEY
God loves you.
It’s as simple as that. He loves you just as you are. He loves you with all the bumps and bruises you’ve collected along your life journey. He loves you no matter what mistakes you’ve made, what you’ve done and what you’ve resisted doing. He says to you-come as you are…I forgive you. I love you and I have good plans for you!
God has a plan for you.
You may be wandering down the wrong path right now or you may be lost in the woods. As soon as you reach out for God and say “help!” He will guide you to the light. He offers a future of hope. Jeremiah 29:11 says: “ …I know the plans I have for you” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” In one instant, God can change anything and He does. That is a promise.
There’s one thing you need to do.
Acknowledge it. Admit the failures of your past journey-your mistakes, your blunders-your “sins” whatever that means to you or whatever you want to call it. Boldly ask for forgiveness.
Then take the step of belief.
This is the most important step of all in your faith journey. Believe that God sent His son, Jesus, to die for you, in your place, once and for all-opening the hope of heaven to you. It’s so simple, it’s almost unbelievable-that’s why it takes faith to believe it. That is why we are talking about a journey of faith here. Take a moment in your journey to stop and pray-simply thank Jesus for dying for you, forgiving you and giving you eternal life in heaven with Him. Ask Him to guide you along your life-path and shape your life in the right direction. He will never let you down.
So what’s next?
Once you take that step-that flying leap of faith, you are welcomed into God’s Kingdom. You will be with Him forever. Ask God to take control of your life-you’ve probably learned by now that you’re not really in control anyway, no matter how hard you have tried to be. Relax. Rest. Take a deep breath. He’s in charge and he will lead you down the path of the rest of your life, helping you make decisions at every crossroads. His spirit is alive and well in your soul.
Tell someone.
You don’t walk the journey of this life alone. God designed us to walk out our faith in community. Others have also taken that step/leap and would love to walk the journey with you. They’ve learned things they can share with you. They will be there to remind you of the hope you now have. Integrity and Grace exists to connect you with many believers to encourage you and walk with you. We can’t wait to hear about your decision.
Continue down the path.
The journey of faith is an expedition, not a short stroll. There will still be mountains to climb and storms that roll by, but there will always be beautiful sunrises and sunsets along your path. Throw a Bible in your backpack and fix your eyes on Jesus. You’re on your way, with hope. A hope this broken world is so desperately looking for. A hope that can only be found in the finished work of the cross. We are so excited for you and can’t wait to see what God is going to do in your life. He is in the business of transformation.