1. God's Love
God loves you and created you to know Him personally.
John 3:16-21 - “For God so loved the world,[fn] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
2. Our Problem: Sin
We all fall short of God’s standards because of sin, which separates us from Him and leads to spiritual death.
Romans 3:23 - “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Romans 6:23 - “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
3. God's Solution: Jesus Christ
God sent His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins. Through His death and resurrection, we can receive forgiveness and eternal life.
Romans 5:8 - “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
4. Our Response: Receive Jesus
By repenting of our sins and putting our faith in Jesus, we begin our relationship with God as his adopted children and we receive His salvation.
John 1:12 - “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
Romans 10:9-10 - “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Pray to Receive Jesus
If you're ready to begin your relationship with God, you can pray something like this (your heart is infinitely more important than the exact words.):
“Dear God, I know I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe Jesus died for my sins and rose from the dead. I trust and follow Him as my Lord and Savior. Please guide my life and help me to do Your will. In Jesus' name, Amen.”
Grow your relationship with Him
After believing in Jesus, the next step is to get to know Him. Read the Bible (I suggest starting in John) and seek to find Him there - so you can recognize who He is, how He relates to people and what He says is true and right and good. Find a good church (obckc.com is a great place to start if you are in the Kansas City metro area), and talk to people who know Him.
Hebrews 11:6 - “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”
James 4:8 - “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
1 Chronicles 16:11 - “Seek the LORD and his strength;
seek his presence continually!”