Hi friends! Another Christmas Day has come and gone, but I pray the spirit of Christmas remains in your heart always.

Did you receive a meaningful gift this Christmas? One that testified to the love of a special person in your life? Whether this Christmas or not, we’ve all received those precious gifts that forever bind us to the special person who gave the gift. What if that gift was the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, given by God the Father!

The birth of our Savior was the beginning of what became the means of salvation, and we should never forget that Jesus was born in shepherds’ fields, that He might become the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!

Have you been set free from your sins? Have you been made righteous by the blood of the Lamb? Are you certain where you would spend eternity if you were taken from this earth today?

Dear friends, if you have not been set free from sin, been made righteous by His grace, and are not certain where you will go when you die, what better time to make it all right? Jesus was born for you, and He died for you so that every sin you would ever commit would be forgiven. Perhaps you think you have done too many wrong things to be worthy of heaven. Well, join the crowd! The Bible clearly states that we are all sinners (Romans 3:23) and our just punishment is death (Romans 6:23a). Even our best deeds are as filthy rags in light of the righteousness of Jesus (Isaiah 64:6). None of us are worthy of heaven!

Perhaps your “greatest gift ever” was under the Christmas tree this year and unwrapped with great joy. Truly, that gift doesn’t hold a candle to the free gift of God…salvation from sin and eternal life with Jesus (Romans 6:23b)!

How do you get that gift? Simple. Confess with your mouth (sincerely admit your sin to God) and believe in your heart that the Lord Jesus, whose birth we celebrated, was raised from the dead to take away sin (Romans 10:9).

It is really as simple as that! Talk to the Lord with a contrite heart and a humble spirit:

A = Admit you are a sinner
B = Believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead to save you
C = Confess your sins to Him
D = Declare that you cannot save yourself and ask Jesus to do so!

When you believe and receive Him as the greatest gift ever given, you become a child of God (John 1:12). That means you have a personal relationship with Jesus, the Son of God! To really grasp the reality, try reading the small book of 1 John.

Here is a model prayer to help you communicate your thoughts with God. It isn’t a magical prayer. Use your own words if you’d like. But something like this:

Dear Lord Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner and cannot save myself. In my heart I believe that You died to take away my sins and to save me from the power and the eternal punishment of sin. Therefore, I confess my sins and invite you to come into my life and change me forever. Thank you for Your grace and mercy, and now teach me how to follow You all the days of my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

If you accepted Jesus, you just received the greatest gift you will ever have! Your next steps:

• Begin to read your Bible. If you don’t have a hard copy, use this online version, starting in the book of 1 John. Listen carefully, because your new best friend is talking to you!
• Tell someone! If you have a Christian friend, tell them you invited Jesus into your life. They will be thrilled, and will help you grow in your faith.
• Get plugged into a church where the pastor teaches straight out of the Bible. If no one has a Bible or the pastor doesn’t read and teach straight from the Bible, find another church. Good teaching will help solidify your walk with Jesus.
• Get to know Jesus more. In addition to reading the Bible, talk to God about what you read. We call that prayer, and it is an essential element to building your faith. If it seems awkward or you don’t know what to say, just talk like you would talk to a friend. Or, just read a passage of Scripture to God and ask Him to reveal deeper meaning to what you read. He will be faithful to do so!

Hey, welcome to the family! Christians are not perfect people…we are just like you! Sometimes we struggle…sometimes we live in victory. At all times, we grow in our trust of Him. Grow your circle of Christian friends, and know you are welcome to hang out here!

God bless you!