“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.” – John 3:16

God’s love for you is so vast and so deep that it’s hard to fully grasp. John 3:16 (above) captures the heart of this amazing truth: God loves you so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to save you. This love is beyond any human love – it’s unconditional, sacrificial, and eternal. From the very beginning, God’s plan was to rescue and restore us, even at the highest cost to Himself. Let’s walk together through the beautiful story of that rescue, often called “the Gospel” (meaning “Good News”), and see just how incredible God’s love truly is.

A Savior is Born: Jesus’ Miraculous Arrival

God’s rescue plan entered our world in the most humble way: through the birth of Jesus Christ. Jesus was no ordinary baby – He is the Son of God, sent from heaven, born of a virgin (just as God had promised long ago in Isaiah 7:14). On the night of His birth in Bethlehem, even the heavens burst into celebration. The Bible tells us a multitude of angels appeared in the night sky, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:13–14). Can you imagine that scene? The dark fields outside Bethlehem suddenly lit up with dazzling angels rejoicing because Hope had come into the world.

Every Christmas, the song O Holy Night brings me to tears as I picture that moment – “a weary world rejoices” at the Savior’s birth. I feel the awe and wonder of that holy night in my heart. God had sent His promised Messiah, just as foretold for centuries in the Scriptures. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given… And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). That tiny baby in the manger was indeed the Son of God in human flesh – Emmanuel, which means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). What a beautiful picture of God’s love: the King of Heaven humbled Himself to be born as one of us, all so He could save us.

The Life and Mission of Christ

Jesus grew up and, when the time came, began a public ministry that proved He was no ordinary man. He went around doing good wherever He went – healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, making the lame walk, cleansing lepers, and even raising the dead. He performed countless miracles that showed the power and compassion of God flowing through Him. People who met Jesus could sense that there was something unique and holy about Him. Many recognized Him as the long-awaited Messiah. For example, the apostle Peter looked at Jesus and declared, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Jesus confirmed that this was true. Though fully human, He was also fully God, and He lived a completely sinless life, showing perfect love and mercy to everyone around Him.

Jesus taught with authority about God’s Kingdom, about forgiveness, and about how we should love one another. Crowds followed Him wherever He went, hanging on His every word. He also fulfilled numerous prophecies from the Old Testament that had promised God would send a Savior. All the signs pointed to Jesus being exactly who He claimed to be: the Messiah (the Anointed One) sent to redeem humanity and bring us back to God.

Yet tragically, not everyone accepted Him. The religious leaders of the time – the Pharisees and teachers of the law – refused to see Jesus for who He truly is. Despite their deep knowledge of Scripture, their hearts were hardened by pride and fear of losing their influence. They criticized Jesus, tried to trap Him with trick questions, and ultimately they plotted to kill Him. None of this took Jesus by surprise, however. He knew exactly what would happen, long before it did. In fact, the ancient prophets had predicted that the Messiah would be “despised and rejected” (Isaiah 53:3). Jesus Himself often told His closest disciples that He would have to suffer, be killed, and then rise again on the third day – it was the very mission for which He came into the world.

The Ultimate Sacrifice: The Crucifixion of Jesus

Through all of His kindness, teachings, and miracles, Jesus’ ultimate mission was to save us from our sins. The truth is, we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s perfect standard (Romans 3:23). Our sins – the wrongs we have done, the selfishness and disobedience in our hearts – separate us from a perfectly holy God. And the penalty of sin is death (Romans 6:23). We could never pay that debt on our own or make ourselves righteous by our own efforts. So in His great love, Jesus came to pay it for us. The Bible says, “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). In other words, Jesus took all of our guilt and shame onto Himself. He became the perfect, innocent sacrifice to atone for the sins of everyone – everyone before Him and everyone after Him, including you and me.

When the appointed time came, Jesus willingly allowed Himself to be arrested, falsely accused, and condemned to a horrific death. He knew all that was about to happen and could have stopped it at any moment – after all, He had the power of God at His command. But He chose to endure it, out of love for us and obedience to His Father’s plan. As Jesus said, “No one takes My life from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord” (John 10:18). He was not a victim; He was a willing savior.

Before His crucifixion, Jesus was tortured terribly. Roman soldiers beat Him savagely and flogged Him with whips until His back was torn and bloody. They mocked Him cruelly, pressing a crown of long thorns onto His head in a vicious parody of a king’s crown, causing rivulets of blood to run down His face. They draped a purple robe around His wounded shoulders, bowed in fake reverence, and sneered, “Hail, King of the Jews!” (Matthew 27:29). They spat on Him and struck Him. Through it all, Jesus silently endured this abuse – the Son of God allowing His own creations to humiliate and torture Him. At any moment He could have called down legions of angels to rescue Himself, but He didn’t. His love for us kept Him there, suffering in our place – even suffering for the very soldiers who were hurting Him.

Finally, the soldiers forced Jesus to carry a heavy wooden cross through the streets to the hill called Calvary. There they laid Him down and nailed His hands and feet to that cross – an excruciating pain beyond words – and lifted Him up to hang there and die a slow, agonizing death. Crucifixion was one of the most brutal forms of execution in history, reserved for the worst of criminals. Jesus, though completely innocent, was crucified between two common criminals, as if He were one of them. And yet, even in the midst of His own agony, Jesus was full of mercy and love. He prayed out loud, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34), asking God to forgive those who were in the act of killing Him.

As Jesus hung on the cross, some of the bystanders and rulers shouted insults at Him: “If you’re really the Son of God, come down from the cross and save yourself!” But Jesus remained there, bleeding and suffering – because saving us was more important to Him than saving Himself from the pain. One of the two criminals crucified beside Jesus began to hurl insults at Him as well, but the other criminal had a change of heart. That man rebuked the mocker and then said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” In that moment, he realized that Jesus truly was the Messiah and King. Jesus turned to him, with compassion in His eyes, and promised, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:42–43). Even at the very end of His life, hanging in agony, Jesus was extending grace and salvation to a sinner who reached out to Him – showing that it’s never too late to turn to Him in faith.

After about six hours on the cross, Jesus knew that His mission of paying for our sins was completed. He cried out in a loud voice, “It is finished!” and then He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. At that very moment, a series of astonishing signs occurred. The midday sky, which had already grown dark from noon onwards, suddenly shuddered as the earth itself began to quake. The ground trembled, rocks split apart, and tombs nearby even broke open. And inside the great Temple in Jerusalem, something miraculous happened: the massive veil that hung between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place was torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:50–51). This was no ordinary curtain – it was about 60 feet high and several inches thick. No human could have ripped it, especially not from top to bottom. God Himself tore that veil.

Why is the torn veil significant? In the old covenant, that heavy curtain represented the separation between a holy God and sinful people. Only the High Priest could pass beyond it, and only once a year, to offer a blood sacrifice for the people’s sins. But when Jesus died, He offered Himself as the final perfect sacrifice for all sins, for all time. The tearing of the veil was God’s dramatic way of showing that Jesus’ death opened the way into God’s presence for everyone who believes in Him. The barrier of sin was removed by Jesus’ blood. We are no longer separated from God if we trust in Jesus – He has opened a new and living way for us to come to God freely. No more curtain, no more separation.

When the Roman centurion (the officer) who was overseeing the crucifixion saw the earthquake and everything that happened, he was filled with awe. He exclaimed, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39). Even a hardened Roman soldier recognized that Jesus was no ordinary man – truly, He is the Son of God. All of creation seemed to mourn and tremble at the death of its Creator, but in that darkest moment, a plan of unimaginable love was being fulfilled.

Buried in a Rich Man’s Tomb (and the Passover Lamb)

Jesus died willingly on that cross, for you and for me. As evening approached (it was the day of Preparation, the day before the Sabbath), a godly Jewish leader named Joseph of Arimathea went bravely to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, to ask for Jesus’ body. Joseph had been a secret follower of Jesus, and he was determined to give Jesus a proper burial. Pilate consented. So Joseph, along with Nicodemus (another Jewish leader who believed in Jesus), carefully took Jesus’ body down from the cross. They wrapped His body in strips of fine linen cloth along with burial spices, according to Jewish custom. They then laid Him in Joseph’s own new tomb, which had been carved out of solid rock (John 19:38–42). They had to hurry, because the Sabbath was about to begin at sundown. Jesus, who had died in the most shameful way among criminals, was given a burial fit for a king – in a rich man’s tomb, wrapped with expensive spices and linen. Remarkably, this even fulfilled an ancient prophecy that said the Messiah would be “with the rich in His death” (Isaiah 53:9).

That night began the Passover festival, the most sacred celebration in Judaism. Passover commemorated how God had delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt centuries before. During the first Passover, each Israelite family sacrificed a spotless lamb and painted its blood on their doorposts. That night, God’s judgment passed through Egypt, but wherever the lamb’s blood was on the door, the household was spared from death – the plague “passed over” them. Every year since, the Jews would sacrifice a Passover lamb to remember how blood had saved them from death and freed them from slavery.

All of this was a foreshadowing of Jesus. The New Testament calls Jesus “our Passover Lamb” (1 Corinthians 5:7) because He fulfilled the symbolism of Passover. Just as the lamb’s blood protected the Israelites from death, Jesus’ blood, shed on the cross, protects us from the judgment of God and from eternal death. Just as that lamb’s sacrifice led to the Israelites’ freedom from slavery, Jesus’ sacrifice sets us free from slavery to sin and death. What happened on the cross was like a new Passover – a mighty act of deliverance by God. Through Jesus, the Lamb of God, God’s judgment passes over us and we are given life instead of death. By the precious blood of Christ, we are rescued forever.

He Is Risen: The Empty Tomb

All through the next day (Saturday, the Sabbath), Jesus’ body lay wrapped in the silent tomb. His disciples and loved ones were devastated and confused – their Master, whom they believed was the Messiah, was gone. It must have been the darkest day of their lives. But Jesus had promised that “on the third day” He would rise again. And God always keeps His promises.

Early on the morning of the third day (Sunday), just before dawn, a group of women who were followers of Jesus set out for the tomb. They carried spices, intending to honor Jesus by completing the burial anointing that had been left unfinished in the haste of Friday. As they walked, they wondered how they would move the huge stone that had been rolled across the tomb’s entrance – it was far too heavy for them.

What they didn’t know was that the religious leaders had taken extra precautions after Jesus’ death. Remembering Jesus’ prophecy that He would rise in three days, they were worried the disciples might try to steal the body and claim He rose. So they convinced Pilate to place an official Roman seal on the stone and station armed guards at the tomb (Matthew 27:62–66). The tomb was shut tight and guarded by Rome’s finest. But none of man’s efforts could possibly stop God’s plan!

Just before the women arrived, there was a great earthquake and an angel of the Lord descended from heaven. That angel rolled back the massive stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. The guards were so terrified at the sight of him that they shook and fell to the ground like dead men (Matthew 28:2–4). When the women reached the garden tomb, they were astonished to see the stone rolled aside and the entrance open. Tentatively, they peered in – and saw that Jesus’ body was gone.

In the tomb sat a young man dressed in a radiant white robe – an angel – who said to them, “Do not be afraid. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is not here; for He has risen, just as He said! Come, see the place where they laid Him” (Matthew 28:5–6). Imagine their shock and confused joy. The women looked at the stone slab where Jesus’ body had been placed on Friday. Sure enough, it was empty – except for the linen grave cloths lying there. John’s Gospel tells us that the strips of linen were lying there, and the cloth that had been around Jesus’ head was folded up neatly in a place by itself (John 20:5–7). It was as if Jesus had passed right through the grave clothes, leaving them behind as evidence. The tomb was truly empty. Jesus Christ had risen from the dead!

At first, the women and Jesus’ other followers didn’t know what to make of this. It seemed too good to be true. But the empty tomb was the first proof that Jesus had conquered death. Death could not hold the sinless Son of God. Jesus was alive again, just as He had promised. This fact – the resurrection – is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. If Jesus had remained dead, then everything He said and promised would have been meaningless. But He did rise, victorious over the grave.

The women ran back to tell the disciples. At first, some of the disciples were skeptical of their report. But soon Jesus Himself began appearing to His followers, proving beyond a doubt that He was alive.

The Shroud of Turin: Evidence of His Resurrection

Before we move on, it’s worth mentioning a fascinating piece of physical evidence related to Jesus’ death and resurrection: the Shroud of Turin. This is a long linen burial cloth that appears to be the very shroud that was wrapped around Jesus’ body in the tomb. What makes it so intriguing is that this ancient cloth bears a faint but remarkable front-and-back image of a man who has been crucified. It’s almost like a photo negative burned onto the fabric. The wounds visible on this mysterious image match the Bible’s description of Jesus’ crucifixion in detail: there are scourge marks on the back from flogging, puncture wounds on the head consistent with a crown of thorns, nail wounds through the wrists and feet, and a large wound in the side. Bloodstains on the cloth have been tested and confirmed to be real human blood (interestingly, of type AB). It’s as if the shroud recorded every part of Jesus’ suffering.

But even more amazing is how the image could have formed on the cloth. Scientists have studied the Shroud of Turin for decades, and their research shows that the image was not painted on, nor made by any kind of known artificial process. There are no pigments or dyes creating it. Instead, the best explanation they can suggest is that the image was produced by a sudden burst of intense radiant energy – almost like a flash of bright light that imprinted the cloth at a microscopic level. Some researchers have hypothesized that an extremely powerful surge of ultraviolet light emanating from the body (at the moment of resurrection) could have caused the image. To give you an idea of the power required: it would be like thousands of high-powered lasers firing all at once from inside the cloth! Needless to say, no natural occurrence can explain that. In simple terms, the shroud appears to have been marked by something supernatural – it’s like a snapshot of the moment Jesus rose in glory.

For those of us who believe, the Shroud of Turin is a tangible reminder of what Jesus went through and of the power that brought Him back to life. Our faith doesn’t rest on physical artifacts – it rests on the living Jesus – but how wonderful that we may even have this relic of His resurrection! The shroud isn’t just about His death; it also seems to bear witness to His victory over death. It’s as if the linen itself is preaching the message: Jesus truly died, and He truly came back to life by the power of God.

The shroud is a remarkable artifact, but even more compelling is the fact that Jesus Himself appeared, alive, to His followers after His resurrection. Unlike any other religious figure in history, Jesus did not just vanish or appear only to a select few. He showed Himself openly to many people, to prove that He was truly alive.

He Lives: Eyewitnesses and the Ascension

For forty days after rising from the dead, Jesus walked and talked on earth in His resurrected body, appearing multiple times to His followers. The risen Jesus was not a ghost or an illusion. His body was glorified and immortal, but it was real and tangible. He spoke with people, ate with them, and allowed them to touch Him. The disciples were able to verify that it was truly Jesus, the same one who had been crucified, now alive again.

One of Jesus’ disciples, Thomas, wasn’t with the others the first time Jesus appeared, and he doubted their story. He said he wouldn’t believe unless he could actually see and feel Jesus’ wounds himself. A week later, Jesus appeared again when Thomas was present. Jesus gently invited him, “Put your finger here; see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas was overcome and exclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:27–28). His doubt melted into worship. Jesus then said, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). That includes us today – we haven’t seen Him with our physical eyes, yet we believe through the eyewitness accounts.

Jesus appeared to many others as well. He surprised two followers walking on the road to Emmaus. He appeared inside a locked room to encourage His disciples, saying, “Peace be with you.” He even cooked breakfast by a charcoal fire on the shore of the Sea of Galilee for some of His disciples, and ate with them there. The Book of Acts records that Jesus presented Himself alive “by many convincing proofs” over those forty days (Acts 1:3). The Apostle Paul later wrote that Jesus appeared to more than 500 people at one time after His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:6)! Imagine – a crowd of five hundred eyewitnesses seeing the living Jesus with their own eyes. Paul even noted that most of those people were still alive at the time he wrote that, as if to say, “If you don’t believe me, you can go ask them!” The resurrection of Jesus was a well-attested reality.

These eyewitness encounters changed everything for Jesus’ followers. The disciples, who had been cowering in fear after the crucifixion, became bold and joyful witnesses once they saw Jesus alive again. They talked with Him, learned from Him, and finally understood how His suffering and triumph fit into God’s salvation plan. Jesus helped them see that everything written about the Messiah in the Scriptures – His death for sins and His rising again – had now been fulfilled. It must have been an amazing, joyful time: their Lord was back with them, and hope was restored.

At the end of forty days, Jesus gathered His core disciples together one last time on the Mount of Olives, just outside Jerusalem. He gave them an important mission: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19–20). He promised that they would soon receive power from God when the Holy Spirit came upon them, and that they would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

After He said this, Jesus blessed them, and then, before their very eyes, He began to rise up into the sky. He ascended upward until a cloud hid Him from their sight (Acts 1:9). The disciples stood there, jaws dropped, staring up into heaven! Suddenly two angels appeared beside them and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). Then the disciples returned to Jerusalem with great joy. Jesus had returned to His Father in heaven. Even now, Scripture says that He sits at the right hand of God, interceding for us. And as He promised, He is preparing a place for all who believe in Him (John 14:2–3). Ten days after Jesus ascended, on the day of Pentecost, He sent the Holy Spirit to fill and empower His followers – but that’s another wonderful story. The key point here is: Jesus lives! Death could not defeat Him. He is alive forever, and one day He will return.

Everything about these events turned the world upside down. The resurrection of Jesus is the ultimate proof that He is the Son of God and that His sacrifice for sin was accepted by the Father. It transformed the despairing disciples into courageous preachers who were even willing to die for this truth. Because they knew Jesus had conquered death, they proclaimed that good news everywhere. And it’s the cornerstone of our hope as well: because Jesus lives, we can have confidence that we too will live with Him forever.

Our Hope: Jesus Will Come Again as King

The Gospel story doesn’t end with Jesus ascending to heaven and us carrying on somehow alone. We have a magnificent hope for the future: Jesus has promised that He will come again. When He returns, it will be in glory and power. The first time Jesus came, He arrived quietly and humbly – a baby in a manger, a suffering servant, the Lamb of God who would be sacrificed for our sins (John 1:29). But the second time He comes, it will be as the Lion of Judah (Revelation 5:5) and the King of kings. He will come as a conquering King to judge evil, to restore all things, and to rule forever.

We all know the world today is still full of pain, injustice, and sorrow. But Jesus promised to return to set everything right. He said He is going to prepare a place for us, and “if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me, so that you also may be where I am” (John 14:3). When He comes back, every eye will see Him. He will come on the clouds of heaven with great glory, and He will reign as Lord of lords over a renewed creation. All who have trusted in Him will be resurrected and will share in His kingdom. The Bible says that in that day, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4). What a day that will be!

For those who belong to Jesus, His return is not something to fear – it is something to long for with eager hearts. It means final rescue and eternal reunion with our Savior. It means the end of all the brokenness we experience now. We don’t know the exact day or hour, but we know He will come at the perfect time. In the meantime, we are called to stay faithful, to love others, and to share His good news until He comes. Jesus warned us to “keep watch, because you do not know the day or hour” (Matthew 25:13), but He also assured us that if we are His, we can look forward to His coming with joy, not dread.

One day – perhaps soon – the same Jesus who died for us as the Lamb will return as the Lion. He will be victorious over all evil, and every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10–11). If you have put your trust in Him, you will be on the side of that victory, and you will live and reign with Him forever. This is the blessed hope for every Christian. No matter how dark or difficult the world gets in the present, we know the end of the story, and it is glorious. Christ will make all things new.

Accept God’s Gift – He Loves You So Much

Friend, you’ve just heard the story of what Jesus has done for you. This whole story – from Jesus’ miraculous birth, His perfect life, His sacrificial death, His triumphant resurrection, and the hope of His return – is the Gospel. And Gospel means “Good News.” It’s the best news in the world: that God loves you more than you can imagine and made a way for you to be saved and to know Him personally.

Now the important question is: how will you respond to this Good News? God is offering you forgiveness, a fresh start, and everlasting life with Him. It’s a gift – but like any gift, it has to be personally received. It’s not automatically yours until you accept it. Jesus has already done everything necessary for your salvation through His death and resurrection. Now He extends His hand of grace to you, inviting you into a relationship with Him. But love never forces itself on anyone – you must choose to say “yes” to God’s offer.

So what does saying “yes” look like? It’s basically an act of faith from your heart to God. It starts with acknowledging the truth about yourself and about Jesus. You acknowledge that you are a sinner who needs God’s forgiveness. (The truth is, none of us is without sin – we all need forgiveness.) You believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He died on the cross for your sins and rose again to give you life. And you decide to put your trust in Him as your Savior and Lord. That means you’re no longer relying on yourself to be “good enough” for God – instead, you’re trusting what Jesus did for you.

It also involves a change of heart that the Bible calls repentance. Repentance sounds like a heavy word, but it really just means a sincere turning away from sin and turning toward God. When you place your faith in Christ, you are essentially saying, “God, I’m sorry for my sins and I don’t want to live that way anymore. I want to follow You.” It doesn’t mean you’ll instantly become perfect (none of us become flawless overnight!), but it means you’re choosing a new direction. You’re asking God to help you leave old sinful habits behind and to start living in a way that pleases Him. It’s a surrender – you’re letting Jesus lead your life from now on. You’re saying, “Lord, not my will, but Your will be done in my life.”

If you sense God speaking to your heart, urging you to take this step, you can respond right now, right where you are. You can talk to God – that’s what prayer is – and tell Him you believe in His Son and want His gift of salvation. You don’t need fancy or eloquent words; what matters is that it’s sincere. If you’re not sure what to say, here is an example of a prayer you can sincerely pray:

Dear God, I admit that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ is Your Son, that He died for my sins on the cross and rose from the dead. I ask You, Jesus, to come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. I turn away from my sins and I surrender my life to You. Thank You for loving me, forgiving me, and saving me. Amen.

There’s nothing magical about these exact words, because God is looking at your heart. But if that prayer reflects what you truly feel and decide, then according to God’s promises, you are saved. The Bible assures us that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). That includes you. Jesus said, “Whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). And “to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). If you have sincerely put your trust in Jesus just now, He has heard you and He has welcomed you into God’s family. You are now a beloved child of God!

If you have made that decision, I rejoice with you – and the Bible says even the angels in heaven are rejoicing over you right now (Luke 15:7). This is the most important decision of your life, and I’m so happy for you. You have been forgiven and given new life in Christ! Your eternal destiny is secure in Him.

Now, just like a newborn baby begins a journey of growth, you have a wonderful journey ahead as a new believer. Salvation is the beginning of a beautiful relationship with God. God’s Holy Spirit has come to live in you from this moment, so you are never alone – He will comfort you, guide you, and help you grow in faith. Here are a few ways to nurture your new relationship with God and keep growing:

• Spend time in God’s Word (the Bible). Even if it’s just a little each day, read the Scriptures because this is how God will speak to your heart and teach you. You might start with the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) to learn more about Jesus’ life and words, or follow an online Bible Study to read the Bible chronologically in a year. I love “The Heart Dive” on YouTube and Podcasts. The Bible is like spiritual food – it will strengthen you and renew your mind as you read it.
• Pray often. Prayer is simply talking with God, and also listening for His guidance. You can talk to Him about anything and everything – your struggles, your hopes, your questions, your gratitude. As you pray, you’ll draw closer to God and become more aware of His presence in your daily life. Remember, He is your loving Father and He cares about everything on your mind and heart.
• Connect with other believers. It’s so helpful to find a community of other Christians – perhaps a local church or a small group Bible study – where you can learn together, worship together, and support one another. We aren’t meant to walk this journey alone. Being around others who love Jesus will encourage you in your faith. They can help answer questions, pray with you, and celebrate the joys of following Christ (and there will be many joys!).
• Worship and give thanks. Make praise and gratitude a part of your daily life. Thank God for saving you and for the blessings, big and small, in your life. Worship isn’t just something that happens in a church service – it’s a posture of your heart that honors God in all you do. As you cultivate thankfulness and praise, you’ll find your joy increasing, even in tough times.

As you do these things, you will start to notice changes in your heart and life. You’ll find that God is working in you to make you more like Jesus. The Bible calls these positive character changes “the fruit of the Spirit.” As God’s Spirit works in you, you’ll see growing qualities like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22–23). These are evidence that God is transforming you from the inside out. For example, you may discover you have a new love for people, even those it was hard to love before. You might experience a sense of peace that you never had, even when life gets stormy. You’ll find new strength to overcome bad habits or to forgive others, where before it seemed impossible. This “fruit” in your life is like a little preview of the good things God is doing in your heart. Bit by bit, day by day, you’ll be growing, and your life will begin to reflect the love and goodness of Jesus.

And remember, whenever you stumble or struggle (and we all do at times), God’s grace is right there to catch you. You can always turn to Him, confess your sins or your worries, and know that He still loves you and will help you back on your feet. 1 John 1:9 says that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and purify us.” You are secure in His grace. The Christian journey isn’t about being perfect – it’s about knowing the One who is perfect, and letting Him lead you step by step.

Finally, never forget the hope we have because of Jesus. You are now part of God’s family, and your future is bright beyond measure. Jesus promised to be with us always, “to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). And as we talked about earlier, He will come again to make all things new. You can look forward to the day when you will see your Savior face to face, in a place where there is no more pain or sorrow – only joy and love in God’s presence forever.

I truly pray with all my heart that you will embrace this new life and hold on to Jesus every day. He will never let you go. He proved His love for you by stretching out His arms on the cross, and He proved His power by rising from the grave. You can trust Him with every part of your life – your fears, your dreams, your relationships, your future. He will be faithful to you, because He loves you more deeply than words can express.

If you haven’t yet made the decision to trust Jesus and you’re still considering it, know that His invitation remains open. He is gently knocking on the door of your heart. Don’t be afraid to open it and let Him in. You have nothing to lose except your guilt and brokenness, and everything to gain – forgiveness, peace, purpose, and everlasting life.

Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). That’s His desire for you – an abundant, meaningful life in relationship with Him, starting now and stretching into eternity.

God loves you, my friend, more than you can imagine. He’s been writing this love story throughout history, and the pages of that story include a spot for you. He’s waiting with open arms, just like the father in the parable Jesus told of the prodigal son – when the lost son came home, “his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him” (Luke 15:20). That is how God receives us when we turn to Him: with joy and love beyond measure.

So, may you respond to His amazing love. May you say “yes” to Jesus and begin the greatest journey of all – walking hand in hand with the God who created you and gave Himself for you. Your heart will forever sing, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!”