The Bible says in Romans 3:23 that "...all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God." You must realize that you are a sinner and in need of forgiveness. Our sin (stuff that displeases God) separates us from God. God is perfect and we’re not. So sin comes between us and God.

In Romans 6:23 it says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." If we keep on sinning and doing our own thing, ignoring God, we will die spiritually.

And when we die physically, we will spend eternity separated from God in a place called hell.

But Romans 5:8 tells us that "God demonstrates His love toward us, in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." God gave us a way to escape hell and a free ticket to heaven, through Jesus Christ. God showed us His love by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die so we wouldn't have to. It's a free gift.

To receive this gift is simple. Roman's 10:9-10 "...if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Just tell Jesus Christ He is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, and you will receive the free gift of eternal life! Romans 10:13 "For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved." There are no secret hand shakes or rituals - just call on Jesus and you will be saved!

It's a matter of fully believing in God and placing your trust in Him...as well as being broken over your sin and separation from God.

If you truly believe this in your heart and are willing to repent and turn from your past, not just in your head, but in your life as well - you can receive God's gift right now, by praying a prayer similar to the one below. The key is simply talking to God sincerely from your heart.

"Dear Jesus. I don't understand it all but I want a relationship with You. I want to thank You for loving me. I want to thank You for coming to earth for me. I also want to thank You for giving Your life for me so I could go to heaven. Please come into my heart and forgive me of my sin. I want to accept Your free gift of forgiveness and salvation. I want You to be the Savior and Lord of my life. My life is yours. I want to learn to trust You and to love You and to fulfill Your purpose for my life. Amen."

*If you are in our services...

At the close of the service, there is a time of decision where Staff Pastors will stand at the front of the auditorium. During this time, feel free to go forward and inform the minister who greets you of your decision.

You may also initiate the Membership process on the basis of any of the following:

• By profession of faith in Jesus Christ as a candidate for baptism.
• As a Christian from another denomination.
• By letter from another Baptist Church; or
• By statement of your previous profession of faith and Scriptural baptism.

You may also contact a pastor after any of the worship services or call the church office for a pastoral appointment at 330-745-8824 ext. 0