There will be no SUNDAY EVENING services for the summer (beginning May 12).
Hickory Grove Baptist Church; 20000 S. Hickory Grove Rd; Pleasant Hill, MO 64080
how to become a christian
What is sin?
Sin is anything that is contrary to God's teaching. There are no small sins or large sins, although there are varying levels of consequences and hurt from sin. In God's eyes all sin is sin; "for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23); "There is no one righteous, not even one" (Romans 3:10). For a child, sin is more "simple" such as disobedience to parents or lying. It would be impossible to list all sins, but God has given us a good start in the 10 commandments. Each commandment (Exodus 20), when broken, leads to more sin and distance from God. God reveals to each person, the sin (s)he needs to turn from. Open your heart and hear His voice.
The ABCs of becoming a Christian
A - Admit -- Admit to God that you are a sinner; you have done things that do not please a Holy God. Sincerely turn away from your sin.
B - Believe -- Believe that Jesus Christ is God's Son and accept God's gift of forgiveness. Only Christ can cover our sin through His death.
C - Confess -- Confess your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Commit to trust Him and make Him Lord of your life.
Can I be too "bad" for God to forgive?
Simple answer is "No". The Bible is full of less than perfect people who came to God asking for forgiveness; adulterers, murders, liars, cheaters, and more. Jesus Christ died on the cross to take the penalty of every sin we ever committed - or ever will commit. With a sincere heart, ask God to forgive you and then trust Him to help you walk away from the sins that plague you.
What if I mess up again?
God knows we cannot be perfect. He helps us walk the path He has chosen for us, and will forgive us when we fail. Repentance means you admit you messed up, turn away from the sin and return to the path with Jesus. Repent every time you mess up - even for repeated sin. Do not let Satan convince you that you are too bad for God to forgive. God's love knows no limits. He will forgive us as long as our hearts genuinely repent.
I accepted Christ, now what?
Tell others. Expect some people to be skeptical or even disrespectful, but don't let that deter you. God did a wonderful thing in your life so share that boldly.
Join a local church. Find and join a Bible believing, Bible preaching church who can help you grow into the person God has designed you to be. Being with others who share your faith is important.
Read your Bible. Choose a Bible "version" that is easy for you to read and understand. The Bible has many lessons from people of faith; how they came to know God, how they failed God, and how they returned to God after failure.
Pray. Prayer is just talking with God in your own words. He understands what we mean even when we sometimes cannot make the words sound right. The more you pray, the easier it gets. Tell God every day how much you love Him and ask Him to walk with you throughout your day.
Love and serve others. As you love and serve others who need Christ, your own faith and trust will grow.
Will all my troubles go away?
Expect trouble from Satan. Satan (the devil) will be very upset with you for turning to Christ, so expect him to try to distract you or tempt you to return to your old ways or to give up on God. He will add stress or challenges to your life to make you sorry you trusted in Jesus to save you or make you question whether God really loves you or not. Satan is the father of lies, so hold fast to your trust in Jesus. Life will not be perfect; you will still make mistakes; you will still experience sadness, sorrows, and anxiety. God will make a way for you to do what is right and He allows u-turns to get back on track. He will hold you up under the strain of living in a broken world. Troubles in life do not mean God has left us; it means God wants us to lean on Him and to trust Him in all things, even when we don't understand. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6
James 1:2-5
"My brothers and sisters, you will face all kinds of trouble. When you do, think of it as pure joy. Your faith will be tested. You know that when this happens it will produce in you the strength to continue. And you must allow this strength to finish its work. Then you will be all you should be. You will have everything you need. If any of you needs wisdom, you should ask God for it. He will give it to you. God gives freely to everyone and doesn’t find fault." (New International Reader's Version - NIRV)