Do you believe there’s more to life than your everyday grind? Most of us want to believe what we do today will make a difference for someone’s tomorrow. And what about when our time in this life is over? We hope there’s a heaven, although we’re not exactly sure what it takes to get there. Some people talk about having “faith” in God–but what does that mean?

Wading through all of the opinions can make us more skeptical. And unfortunately many of us have been hurt in the past by people who were supposed to be “religious”.

We want to believe in something, but it’s hard to know what’s true.

This is where I was. Pursuing all the world had to offer yet burdened with a deep emptiness inside. Hiding my shame of the past while trying to find purpose in my career and everything I could buy. My life was full of broken relationships. So I kept striving for more success to gain approval. It was a vicious cycle: climbing up for more and then sinking into the dark pits of despair and loneliness when nothing took the pain away. I wrestled to find purpose, hope, and faith in something more.

That’s when I heard about Jesus.

It wasn’t a sales pitch. It wasn’t someone threatening eternal torment. It was someone shining the light of hope into my dark places. It was someone reaching out in love to take my hand. It was someone sharing the “crazy talk” of Jesus dying for my sins so that I could have new life, both here and for eternity. And it turns out that “crazy talk” is true.

My life is living proof that no matter where you are, no matter where you’ve been, God loves you and He will wash all of the pains and stains of the past away. How?

God sent His Son, Jesus, to find you and bring you home.

God wants you to come to Him so He can pour into you. He wants you to know Him, love Him, and trust Him. God is mighty. God is faithful. God is always on your side.

But how do we find new life? How do we have assurance we are going to heaven? How do we know God?

It starts with understanding our separation from God. God created us to be in an intimate relationship with Him. He loves us immensely and He knows everything about us–the good, the bad, and the ugly! There is nothing we can do to make Him love us more. And there is nothing we can do to make Him love us less. The problem is, God is perfect and we are not. God’s perfection is called holiness, and we can never be perfect or holy no matter how hard we try. Our imperfection comes from sins–things we do, things we think, choices we make. We are separated from our holy God because of our sins.

But remember, God wants us to know Him, love Him, and trust Him. This can only happen if we’re in relationship with Him. So God sent Jesus to us to be our Savior. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall 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 3:16-17

God didn’t send Jesus to tell us everything we’re doing wrong. God sent Jesus to make everything right. To call us from our brokenness. To give us hope. To change us from the inside out.

Jesus willingly died on the cross to take our sins away, and then He was raised from the dead. Why is this important? Because not only can Jesus wash away ALL of our sins, but He has completely defeated death. Jesus won! So He alone can bring us to new life–both now and for eternity.

Jesus has paved the way to new life. He is holding out His hand and offering to take us in a new direction. All we have to do is believe. Our part is to take His hand and place our trust in Him. This is “saving faith”. This is the beginning of a transformed life. This is the path to eternal life. This is the way to hope, healing, and a life of purpose.

I have been changed forever. And it all started the day I took Jesus’ hand and began to walk forward with Him to new life.

The path to hope, healing, and purpose is here for you too. Take His hand and believe.

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life.’” John 14:6

“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.” Romans 10:9

Let’s talk: What keeps you from fully trusting Jesus as your Savior?

May I pray? God, we come to You from many different backgrounds. Some of us are hearing about You for the first time, some of us have been walking with You for a while, and many of us are somewhere in between. Regardless of where we are, we want to believe that You know us and that You care about us. Help us to believe! Jesus, we want to believe that because You love us, You willingly gave your life to save us from death. Open our hearts and minds to Your truth! Help us to see that You are the way to new life, and You are the hope and healing we so desperately long for. Reveal Yourself to us, I pray. Encourage us as we take Your hand in faith and never look back. And for those who are coming to You for the first time, may they be forever changed because of the step of saving faith they take today. Amen.