Knowing Jesus

You're welcome here, questions and all.

Grief has a way of bringing up the biggest questions. Where is God? Does He care? Is there any hope beyond this?

Maybe you've followed Jesus for years and you just need to remember. Maybe you've never been sure what you believe. Either way, I'm glad you're here. Take your time with this page. There's no rush and no pressure.

Jesus made a promise to anyone who comes to Him:

"All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out." John 6:37 (ESV)

Being a Christian isn't about joining a church or trying harder to be good. It's about knowing a Person. Here's what that means.

The problem we all share

The Bible is honest about all of us. We've all gone our own way and fallen short of the life God made us for.

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23 (ESV)

Our deepest need isn't to be a little better. It's to be forgiven and brought home to God.

God's love came first

God didn't wait for us to clean ourselves up. He moved toward us.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 (ESV)

Why Jesus came

Jesus lived the life we couldn't live. He died in our place, carrying the weight of our sin. And three days later He rose from the dead.

"But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 (ESV)

That empty tomb is why there's real hope at a graveside. Standing near His friend's grave, Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live" (John 11:25, ESV).

A gift you can't earn

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Ephesians 2:8 to 9 (ESV)

Grace means a kindness nobody earns. You don't have to have it all together. You just receive it.

So what do you do?

You trust Him. Not just believing Jesus lived, but putting your whole weight on Him, the way you'd lean on a friend. And you turn toward God, ready to follow Him.

"For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans 10:13 (ESV)

If you're not ready yet

That's all right. Here's one simple thing to try. Read one chapter of the Gospel of John each evening for a week. Before you start, pray something honest like, "God, if You're real, show me who Jesus is." Then watch how Jesus treats hurting people.

If you're ready

There are no magic words. God looks at your heart. But if it helps, you could pray something like this:

Jesus, I know I've gone my own way, and I can't fix that on my own. Thank You for loving me anyway. I believe You died for me and rose again. Please forgive me. I want to trust You and follow You, in my grief and in everything else. Amen.

Trusting Jesus doesn't make grief disappear. But it means you'll never face life, or death, alone.

Let me know

If you prayed that prayer, or if you have questions, I'd love to hear from you. Email me at howard@mygriefmatters.com.

The door is always open.

Blessings,
Pastor Howard