It doesn’t take much convincing that we are hopelessly broken. The Bible answers the reason why is sin. We have disobeyed God and broke His Law and are liable for the consequences of it. We deserve death. So far, we are hopeless. However, God loved us enough to make a way. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, lived the perfect life we couldn’t live, died the sacrificial death on a Cross we deserved, was buried and resurrected three days later, defeating death and hell forever. So that anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

A non-negotiable for a healthy relationship with God is being with His people. There are so many wonderful churches in and around Traverse City. A few that we love are Bayview Church, City Church, Faith Reformed Church, Harvest Bible Chapel, Kensington Church, New Hope Community Church, Sojourn Church, The Tabernacle Church, and West Side Community Church. No church is perfect; they should not even be aiming for perfection. The goal is faithful service for God’s glory and our joy. A healthy church has leaders who love the Lord and love others, who know the Bible and teach it, who care for people well and often.

This is not the end, it’s the beginning. The biblical word for this is sanctification which means to ‘become like Christ’. You became like Christ when he saved you and justified you. But it’s also ongoing, we become more and more like Christ as we learn about him and worship him and serve him. Once you’ve surrendered your life to Jesus, get a Bible and begin a lifelong adventure of learning it. Start reading in the gospel of John. Ask these three questions: What does it say? What does it mean? What difference does it make? That is a simple but effective way of reading the Bible. And finally, don’t try and do it alone. The Christian life is meant to be lived in community.