What is the best news you have ever received? For some, it might be the moment you and your spouse were standing at the altar and heard those life altering words, “I now pronounce you husband and wife.” For others, it may be when you graduated or received an acceptance letter to a university. Or, it may be the day that you were offered a promotion that you have been striving toward for a long time. And for some of you it may be the day that you discovered that you were going to have a baby. In a world where famines, natural disasters, disease, crime, and all kinds of evil are often the norm, to receive news of good things such as these is refreshing.

     However, there is good news that is even greater! It is good news that can change your life forever. This news is that…The Creator of the universe loves you and wants to be in a relationship with you!What great news! The creator of the universe is not a distant watch maker God. He wants to be close to you. However, there is something standing in the way. We all know that we have made a few, if not many mistakes in our lives. We know that we have sinned (lived life imperfectly and opposed to God’s ways). The Bible says that the consequence of this sin is separation from God–an existence that after death will be painful and devoid of goodness.Think about this for a moment. Since we are sinful and God is flawless, it is a wonder that He would even give us the time of day! However, the Bible says that God so relentlessly desires a relationship with us that He sent His son, Jesus, to suffer the penalty that our sins against God deserve. But, this is not the end of the good news. After willfully dying for us, Jesus arose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and works on our behalf so we can truly know God, love God, and live a life of meaning, purpose, and significance for God for all eternity. This is the good news of the Bible!

      So, what about you? If you want to start a relationship with God today, all you need to do is to tell God that you believe Jesus died for you, confess to Him that are a sinner in need of His forgiveness, and ask Him to enter into a personal relationship with you. You can do this prayer anywhere! You can do it on your knees, sitting down, or standing! You can also do it silently or out loud, either way He will hear you!Once you have made this decision, you can begin fostering your relationship with God by reading the Bible, seeking to apply it to your life, and getting plugged into a Bible believing church. If you are looking for such a church, then we invite you to join us at New Hope. We are a community that truly desires to help people know God and make a difference in the world. Feel free to visit us this Sunday or contact us at 814.880.3049 because we would love to meet you. May the Lord richly bless you!