I. The Good News About Jesus
I.1. The Joy, Peace, the Fulfilled Life: God loves you to know and love Him. He offers you peace, joy, and a fulfilled eternal life. If God offers so much, why don’t more people have it? “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” – (John 10:10). Do you know how Jesus gives us abundant life? He does so by giving us Himself! You could have all the money, relationships, wealth, and power, but you would still have a deep sense of emptiness because life isn’t found in these things. The only One who can truly satisfy you is Jesus Christ. To live the abundant Christian life is to allow Jesus to live His life through us. His love motivates and empowers us, so we obey Him out of joy and thankfulness.
I.2. “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” – (John 14:27). The peace of Jesus “surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7) because its source is Christ Himself. His peace keeps us from fear and worry because it brings us straight to Him — and teaches us to depend on Him in everything we face. And we know that no matter what our circumstances, the Lord Jesus will sustain us, strengthen us, and enable us to walk through it victoriously.
I.3. “Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy” – (1 Peter 1:8). The Christian life should be characterized by joy because of the unassailable power, love, and wisdom of our Savior Jesus Christ. Although we face adversity and cannot see Him in it, we know He can redeem any situation. He uses everything that touches our lives for our good and His glory. The dark moments of our life last only long enough for Him to accomplish His purpose in us. How could we not have joy in our hearts when we know God loves us, is with us, has promised to help us, and wants to bless us forever?
I.14. How do I handle a difficult trial not of my own doing? (1 Peter 1:6-7). Even those who maintain close, intimate fellowship with the Lord are not immune to disappointments, obstacles, challenges, struggles, and feelings of hopelessness. In fact at times, God allows us to face impossible circumstances in order to test and try our faith. It is the adversity that motivates us to seek Him, and when we do, He faithfully strengthens and refreshes us. God knows every emotion, need, and desire we have. He cares when we face difficult situations and grow weary. He hears our cries and understands exactly what it will take to bring us into a more intimate relationship with Him. The apostle Peter addressed his two letters to “the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia” (1 Peter 1:1; 2 Pet. 3:1). If he were choosing a modern title for his letters, he might consider “Encouragement for Times of Suffering,” or “Hope for the Hurting,” because encouragement and hope are exactly what Peter conveyed to these distressed believers. These Christians faced all kinds of persecution. They were beaten, slandered, assaulted, and in many cases lost their lives for their faith in Jesus Christ. Peter called them “aliens” because their citizenship was not of this world but of the kingdom of God. Still, they faced times of great discouragement and loss and needed the courage only available through Christ. Peter explained that they could rejoice even in times of trial because Jesus—their risen Savior and Lord—would always be the living hope within them (1 Peter 1:3). So long as we have the Lord Jesus Christ, no situation is hopeless. Would you like to have eternal hope? Then focus your heart on Jesus (1 Timothy 4:6). He wants to bring His will and good pleasure to fruition in your life. Even if you find yourself in a seemingly impossible situation, remember that He has an entirely different view of the details. And if you will let Him, He will take your life, no matter how bruised and broken, and make something beautiful out of it. Isn’t this what hope is all about—beauty for ashes, gladness instead of sorrow, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of heaviness (Isaiah 61:1-3)? This is the ongoing ministry of Jesus Christ in your life. Therefore, bring to Him your afflictions and disappointments. Tell Him your sorrows, and He will restore your hope.
II. The Problem: Our Sin: Everyone is born with a tendency to sin and has freedom to make choices. We are all chosen to sin.
II.1. “As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one” – (Romans 3:10). We are all sinners and need the forgiveness of our transgressions. The way the sinful nature is expressed in people’s lives may be different, but its depth and the intensity is the same in all of us.
II.2. “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” – (Romans 3:23). We sin when we fail to comply with God’s will or we violate His law — we don’t do the things He created us to do or fulfill the purposes that He planned for us (Ephesians 2:10). So we are judged guilty of committing sin and must pay retribution (Romans 6:23). That is why sin is a debt that we owe — because we have broken the law against God. Jesus alone lived a sinless life and could pay for our sin debt in full (2 Cor. 5:21; Col. 2:13-14; Heb. 4:15; Heb. 7:26–28).
II.3. “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” – (Isaiah 59:2). God may refuse to hear our prayers when we stubbornly refuse to abandon some sin or evil course of action. Peter says, for example, that husbands may hinder their prayers by treating a spouse with disrespect (1 Peter 3:7).
III. Sin’s Result – Death: God is holy and just. God will punish sin. The Punishment is death – eternal torment, separated from God.
III.1. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – (Romans 6:23 NIV). Our sin has earned us death. Either you pay it and forfeit your life, or Jesus pays it and gives you eternal life (Matthew 16:25-26) — you make the choice. All of our good works cannot earn us a place in heaven. Our only hope is to receive the free gift that Jesus Christ has purchased for us on the Cross (John 3:16–18).
III.2. “These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” – (2 Thessalonians 1:9 NKJV. False teachers were telling the people that when a person dies without Christ, they merely cease to live or are destroyed in some way. But this is not true. Every person will exist eternally — believers in heaven with the Lord and unbelievers in the eternal lake of fire that is never extinguished (Revelation 20:15; Rev. 21:8). Even though hell is described as a place of “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Luke 13:28), the worst thing about it is not the physical suffering that will be involved, but the intense loneliness of absolute separation from God.
III.4. “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” – (Revelation 21:8 NASB).
IV. What People Have Tried to Do: “Nothing We Can Do” Will Fix Our Sin Problem: People try many ways to deal with their sin reach God. Some try by going to church or giving money. Every way people have tried falls far short. None of these will ever take away sin. Doing things cannot save us.
IV.1. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” – (Proverbs 14:12).
IV.2. How can I deal with the anger or bitterness of another? (“Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy” – Proverbs 14:10) The unfortunate fact is, sooner or later, all of us will run into someone who feels angry or bitter toward us. What should you do when you find yourself the object of another bitterness? How should you respond to someone’s red-hot anger aimed straight at you? Responding to bitterness with more bitterness leads only to a combative and even explosive situation. So what should you do?
First, tell yourself the truth about the situation. What happened? How did the situation unfold? Are you really at fault? It may be that you can’t entirely reconstruct the event in question, but try your best to honestly recall what led to the outburst.
Second, listen carefully to what the bitter person is saying. Bitterness and anger are usually the offshoots of deep hurt. Say something like, “It seems that you are really upset. Can we talk about it?” Even such a simple question may help to defuse the situation. Although you may not be able to uproot the bitterness in someone else life, you can stop it from taking root in your own heart by asking God to help you understand why this person feels the way he or she does.
Third, any time you come under personal attack, it is very important to recall God’s personal love for you. You may have made mistakes, but that does not change the Lord’s feelings about you. Ask Him to encourage you through His Word.
Fourth, ask God to help you respond with His love and grace and to protect you from angry attacks. In Psalm 64, we read how David prayed for God’s deliverance from the attacks of an embittered enemy. He wrote, “Who . . . bend their bows to shoot their arrows—bitter words, that they may shoot in secret at the blameless” (Psalm 64:3-4). At times, the angry person will attack by turning others against you with their accusations. Yet you should not fear their venom because God protects and vindicates His people (Psalm 64:7–10). Bitterness is a much deeper and more complex reaction than a simple expression of quick anger. It is a satanic stronghold and needs to be faced in an honest manner. God tells us to beware “lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled” (Heb. 12:15). When you find yourself the target of a bitter accusation or a hateful personal attack, pray for God’s protection. Ask Him to give you wisdom in dealing with the other person, as well as a healthy perspective on the entire matter. Your reaction to the assault is the most important issue with God. Therefore, be firm but loving in what you do and say.There is not anything we could possibly say or do that would motivate God to save us. He offers us salvation completely because of His mighty grace, which was displayed on the Cross (Romans 11:6). He cleanses us, imparts us with a new nature, and gives us eternal life because of His great love for us.
IV.3. “He saved us. It wasn’t because of the good things we had done. It was because of His mercy. He saved us by washing away our sins. We were born again. The Holy Spirit gave us new life.” – (Titus 3:5). There is not anything we could possibly say or do that would motivate God to save us. He offers us salvation completely because of His mighty grace, which was displayed on the Cross (Rom. 11:6). He cleanses us, imparts us with a new nature, and gives us eternal life because of His great love for us.
V. Receive the Good News by Faith: It’s only by faith can we receive the wonderful gifts God gives us the living Lord Jesus Christ.
V.1. Faith means believing on the risen Lord. (Acts 16:31) – They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus. Then you and everyone living in your house will be saved.”
V.2. Faith means trusting the living Lord Jesus Christ to save you. (Acts 4:12) “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” If Jesus did not really have to die to save us, then why would God send Him to the Cross? God does not make mistakes, and His wisdom is always sound. Jesus died so we might have eternal life. He says that we can only come to Him through faith and acceptance of His life, death, and resurrection.
V.3. Faith means repenting of our sin – being sorry and turning from sin. (Mark 1:15) and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Confessing our sins reminds us of our guilt and inability to make ourselves right, even as it points us to the grace of God, who alone gives eternal life.
VI.3.1. John the Baptist: A Man of Discernment (Mark 1:1–11)
What would you think of a man who lived alone in the desert, wore camel skins, and ate wild honey and locusts? And how would you feel if this man said you needed to let God change your life? You can see why many people who heard about John the Baptist went to see him out of sheer curiosity. But John was no lunatic, and neither was his message his own. For almost thirty years, God prepared John to announce the coming of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. John was a man of great spiritual discernment who knew the difference between those who came with humble, repentant hearts, and those who came to mock or criticize. When you ask God for discernment, He gives it to you freely. For those who truly seek His face and His direction for their lives, the Lord brings a wisdom that comes only from Him.
V.4. Faith means inviting Jesus to live in you and take completely control of your life. (John 20:28) Thomas answered and said to Him [Jesus], “My Lord and my God!.”
V.4.1. Thomas: From Doubt to Faith (John 20:24–29). The name Thomas is the Hebrew equivalent of the Greek name Didymus, which means “twin.” Thomas reminds us of the similarities between doubt and faith—both originate from the same place: a confrontation with the unknown. Doubt concedes defeat, while faith claims the victory. When Jesus appeared to Thomas, hope became reality. The Resurrection renewed his confidence in God (John 20:24–29) and motivated him to spend the rest of his life proclaiming the certainty of the risen Christ. Tradition holds that Thomas spread the gospel to India and helped dispel others’ disbelief about the Resurrection. If uncertainties have smothered your confidence in the Lord, remember His power so evident in the empty tomb. The Crucifixion was not the end of the story—and neither is the trial you face. Choose the path of faith and declare that triumph lies just ahead. Allow Jesus’ resurrection to strengthen your hope, renew your certainty, and be your greatest victory.
VI. How Can You Receive Jesus? Will you repent, surrender to Jesus, and receive Him now as your Lord and Saviour? Why not tell Him so right now?
VI.1. Admit your need – you are a sinner.
VI.2. Ask the Lord Jesus to forgive your sins, come into your heart, take control of your life, and your Lord and master.
VI.3. Believe in the crucified and risen Lord Jesus Christ, trust Him to forgive your sins, and to give you the power to resist temptation.
VII. Growing in Your Walk with God: God reached to wonderfully save you. If you truly repent, you will want to love Him more and know more Him better. On this page and the next are some important steps that will help you grow.
VII.1. Read the bible, especially the New Testament. God loves o speak to us through the Bible.
VII.2. Obey. Obedience is the way we show our love for God. Seek to obey everything you read in the New Testament.
VII.3. Pray. Prayer is simply talking to God. Talk to Him often throughout the day. Tell Him you love and adore Him. Ask Him to fill you with His Holy Spirit and to you more like Jesus. Prayer honors Him. He is happy to hear you pray about you face the problems.
VII.4. Remember, you have an enemy – Satan. You will face difficulties. But as you trust and obey Jesus, He will help you overcome trials and become more like Him.
VII.5. Fellowship with other believers. Find and join a church that teaches and obeys Bible. God wants His children o be part of a local body of believers.
VII.6. Tell others about the wonderful things Jesus done for you.