Gospel of John
YOU ARE READING A TRUE STORY
This is an eyewitness account of history that has stood the test of time and made a difference to billions of lives around the world.
Have you ever wondered why you are here on earth?
Have you ever had a sense that you were made for more?
Have you ever been amazed by the beauty of this world? Or the wonder of love? While at the same time also being shocked and discouraged by the hatred and evil around us?
THERE’S A REASON YOU FEEL THIS WAY… YOU WERE DESIGNED FOR GOOD
God created the world, and that includes you—and He declared everything He made to be good! In fact, He says you’re “very good” because you come from Him!
That longing you have inside yourself for the world to “be right” may seem like an echo—here one moment and gone the next—but don’t be confused, that sense of longing comes from God.
Not only do you come from God, but you have purpose. The Bible says that your purpose is to be with God in a world of love and beauty and meaning.
We know that something is wrong—and it is us. It’s me and you.
Without God, we choose to live for ourselves. You might think of it as walking away from God.
The Bible calls that SIN. Take a moment and ask yourself, “Do I do things I know are wrong?”
If we are honest with ourselves, we will admit we rebel…we sin.
When we sin, we break our relationship with God. And everything that was meant for our good gets broken.
CAN WE FIX THIS PROBLEM?
Great question! We cannot. Many have tried. Many try to build a bridge to God.
Have you ever tried? Tried to live perfectly? It’s impossible, right?
The problem is BIGGER than you may realize. Sin separates us from God forever.
BUT GOD INTERVENED BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU!
“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
What you can’t do through your own efforts, God the Son, Jesus, did by coming to earth to die on the cross for you. He took the punishment for your sin. Jesus became the way between God the Father and you. Jesus Christ is the only way for us to reach the Father (John 14:6).
WHAT DOES ALL THAT MEAN?
It means that you can have a real, meaningful life—today and forever.
“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10.
It means that when you believe in Jesus, you are restored to the “very good” relationship you were created for…you become God’s son or daughter.
“To all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12
It means, that you can live with passion and purpose because you walk in a loving relationship with the One who created you, serving Him and sharing the Good News of His love with others—reconciling the world to God.
HOW CAN I KNOW GOD?
There are three steps to take:
1. Admit that you need God and turn away from sin (see John 8:11).
2. Believe (have faith) that when Jesus died on the cross He took the punishment for all your sin, and He rose to life again to conquer death (see John 1:29).
3. Receive (ask) Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
A SIMPLE PRAYER
Here is a prayer to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. It is a suggested prayer. The exact wording doesn’t matter, what counts is the attitude of your heart:
“Lord Jesus, thank You for showing me how much I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for me. I believe that You are who You say You are and that You rose from the dead to conquer sin and death. Please forgive all my failures and sins. Make me clean and help me start fresh with You. I now receive You into my life as my Lord and Savior. Help me to love and serve You with all my heart. Amen.”
Jesus said: “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” John 6:37
WHAT’S NEXT? IT DEPENDS
If you prayed the prayer, congratulations. Becoming a follower of Jesus is only the beginning of an exciting adventure. Visit www.ptl.org/response and let us know about your life-changing response. We’ll send you information about free resources you can use to grow closer to God.
If you are not ready to respond to Jesus’ call, consider reading about Jesus. When people would meet Jesus and ask him questions, his answer was, “Come and see.”
So, come and see, you’re invited to meet Jesus. Our 21 Day Challenge unpacks the Gospel of John through a guided reading.
