In the world of religion, we've made salvation complicated. There are so many hoops we've established for people to jump through. But none of them TRULY save you. And NONE of them give you access to the Father. You see, its simple. All we must do is BELIEVE. Believe that Jesus came to this earth, lived a life of obedience to the Father, died for our sins, and rose again. Once we express that belief, we're made NEW! And as new creations, it should be our hearts desire to OBEY God...just like our Savior did.

From the reading of the Scriptures, we learn that God loved the world SO MUCH that He sent His Son...that whoever would believe in Him would not perish...but have everlasting life. You see, God loved the WORLD. Not just one particular people group, race or nation. He loves us all. So much so that He sent His Son as the ultimate sacrifice for our sin. And even knowing that MANY people would reject Him, He STILL sent Jesus. Just so that we might have the opportunity to be cleansed and forgiven.

If you're a mother...consider your love for your child. Think back on the moment you laid eyes on your baby. Remember the indescribable love and joy you felt. Now think about this: Our Heavenly Father's love FAR exceeds that of any mother. It's almost hard to believe, but it's true! God loved us so much that I made a way for us to be forgiven! All so that we would have the opportunity to be saved and restored unto Him. You see, He LONGS to have a relationship with each and every one of us. But will you believe?

We'll learn today that the life of a believer is SOMETIMES easy. But that's not always the case. You see, it's a common misconception that once you receive salvation, that all your problems will cease to exist. That's not the truth. What REALLY happens when we come to faith in Jesus...is that we are forgiven. We are made NEW. We become the servants of the one TRUE God. And as His children, He has promised to never leave or forsake us. He gives us a peace and joy that surpasses ALL understanding. In HIM...we have hope.

We will learn today that we are far from righteousness. In fact, we are sinners. The Bible tells us that there is NO one righteous...not even one. But that's why Jesus came. He bled and died so that we might be cleansed of our sin. So that WE might become the righteousness of God. There's nothing we can DO to earn that righteousness. There's no way to attain it. The ONLY way WE can be made righteous...is by believing in the finished work of our Messiah. Without that belief, without being BORN AGAIN. We are lost.

The Scriptures teach us that we're to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. But ask yourself this: How DO we love God? How do we express that love? Well, it's simple really. Jesus said: If you LOVE ME...keep My commandments. So you see, if we TRULY love God...if we really love our Savior...then we'll OBEY. Now our obedience doesn't SAVE us. It's what SAVED PEOPLE DO. As followers of the God of the Bible...shouldn't we WANT to follow Him?

In today's message, we'll see that God had great plans for Cyrus. And the same goes for you and I. As believers, our Heavenly Father has beautiful plans for our lives. He wants to work in and through us. And not just for OUR benefit, but for the benefit of OTHERS...AND for His glory. But you see, we must be willing. We must be ready to relinquish our OWN plans and ideas. We need to accept HIS will in our lives. If we want to be used in His ministry...if we desire to be vessels in HIS HANDS...then we need to have a heart that is ready to follow Him.

God has given each and every one of us talents. And it's with these very gifts, that we're to serve Him. So believer, what are YOU doing with the skills God has blessed you with? Are you putting them to good use? Are you serving the Father? Are you ministering to others? OR...are you ignoring those gifts? Are you afraid to use them? Don't you believe that the very GOD who GAVE you those gifts will also enable you to USE them? So step out in faith! Believe that God KNOWS what He's doing...and USE your gifts.

God's Word tells us that when we take a stand for the truth...for the name of our Messiah...we WILL be persecuted. It's true. When we proclaim the Word of God...we will be mocked, ridiculed, and rejected. But know that you're not alone. Jesus went through the exact same scenario. He understands what it's like to be rejected. And it's with that understanding...that He comforts us. You see, even in the face of persecution...He gives us a peace. He gives us a joy. And there's nothing or no ONE that can ever take that away.

We will learn today that we are far from righteousness. In fact, we are sinners. The Bible tells us that there is NO one righteous...not even one. But that's why Jesus came. He bled and died so that we might be cleansed of our sin. So that WE might become the righteousness of God. There's nothing we can DO to earn that righteousness. There's no way to attain it. The ONLY way WE can be made righteous...is by believing in the finished work of our Messiah. Without that belief, without being BORN AGAIN. We are lost.