The Heart of the Good News
God loves you — more than you can imagine.
You weren’t made to drift or settle. You were made for a vibrant relationship with Him — now and forever. Read on a discover how to find it.
The Problem: Sin
God is holy and perfect. His standard isn’t “try hard” or “do your best.” His standard is absolute holiness: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).
That’s why the Bible says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
Sin isn’t just breaking rules. It’s turning from God and putting ourselves in the center.
James reminds us that even one sin makes us guilty of breaking the whole law: “Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it” (James 2:10).
Isaiah paints the picture this way: “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way”(Isaiah 53:6).
The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). That’s more than just a warning about eternity. Sin brings death in all kinds of ways right here in this life.
Broken relationships — Lies, anger, selfishness, and pride tear marriages apart, fracture families, and destroy friendships.
Inner damage — Guilt weighs us down, shame isolates us, and destructive habits chain us to things that hurt us.
Ripple effects — Our choices wound the people around us. Sin doesn’t stay private; it spreads pain outward.
Most important, sin also breaks our fellowship with a holy God. He is light and cannot simply ignore the darkness we choose. And because God honors our freedom, if we continue to push Him away, He lets us have what we insist on — life without Him. That’s what hell is at its core: eternal separation from the God of love and life.
In other words, the Lord doesn’t “send us” to hell against our will. By rejecting Him, we choose a road that leads there. But God created an off-ramp!
The Solution: Jesus
Here’s the good news: “But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
Jesus lived the perfect life we could never live. He carried our sins to the cross — “the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). When He died, He paid the penalty we owed. And when He rose, He broke the power of sin and death forever.
Your Response: Trust Him
Trusting Jesus is more than agreeing with facts about Him. It’s a step of faith—like leaning your full weight on something solid. It means resting your whole life, your past and your future, on what Jesus has done for you.
Trust looks like surrender: letting go of the illusion of control and saying, “Lord, I need You.” It feels like peace replacing guilt, hope replacing fear, and love pushing out shame. Problems don’t disappear overnight, but you no longer face them alone. His Spirit lives in you, giving strength to change and courage to follow Him.
Trust also shows up in daily choices—choosing honesty when lying would be easier, forgiving when holding a grudge feels more natural, serving others instead of living only for yourself. These don’t earn God’s love; they’re evidence that His love is already at work in you.
When you trust Jesus, He forgives your sins, gives you a new heart, and welcomes you into God’s family forever.
A Simple Prayer to Begin
“Jesus, I know I fall short of Your standard. I’ve sinned, and I can’t save myself. Thank You for taking my place on the cross and rising again. I turn from my sin and put my trust in You as my Savior and Lord. Please forgive me, make me new, and help me follow You. Amen.”
What to Do Next
Trusting Jesus is the beginning of a new life, not the end of a moment. Like any relationship, it grows as you spend time together and walk it out day by day. Here are some simple next steps:
Talk with someone. Share your decision with a pastor, a Christian friend, or someone at Solid Ground Church. Faith grows stronger when you don’t walk alone.
Open your Bible. Start with the Gospel of John. It will help you get to know Jesus in His own words and actions.
Pray daily. Prayer doesn’t have to be formal. Just talk to God honestly, the way you would to a close friend.
Gather with other believers. Join a church family and a small group where you can worship, learn, and grow together.
Take a public step. Baptism is a way of saying, “I belong to Jesus,” and it marks your new life with Him.
Keep moving forward. Following Jesus doesn’t mean you’ll be perfect. But when you stumble, you can confess it, get back up, and keep walking with Him.
Remember: salvation is God’s gift of grace, but discipleship is the daily journey of growing more like Jesus. He promises, “I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20).
If you prayed the prayer, or if you have questions, please reach out to us. We’d love to walk with you on this journey.