Being a disciple (meaning student/follower) of Jesus Christ is a big thing for me, so I want to reserve a space here to be able to discuss it.
Please try to approach this page with an open mind! I'm very happy to do my best at answering any questions that you may have, anyone is welcome to email me here!
The 4 Points have a great outline of the fundamental points behind my beliefs:
- God loves me
- I have sinned
- Jesus died for me
- I need to decide to live for God
If you found an amazing treasure, one which had the ability to make you and all of your friends and family rich, without ever running out, would you not want to share that with anyone you could find?
This is the joy of following Jesus. He is the amazing treasure, and his love makes us rich. And it can do the same for you too!
One of the best things I can recommend is reading the books of the Bible known as the Gospels. These explain the events of Jesus life, containing his teaching and showing how he lived day to day.
I'm also currently reading from the writings of the Apostle Paul, whose life of attacking followers of Jesus was turned around when he met Jesus for himself.
I've typically always used 'Christian' to describe myself, as I felt it was the most sensible term. However, I've heard a few older folks in the church recently mention that they no longer refer to themselves in this way.
The crux of the matter is that 'Christian' is a pretty loaded term nowadays. Depending on where you're from, you may associate Christians with a number of different things, and unfortunately many of them are not positive.
I believe that we are called not to name ourselves a specific term, or to say that we belong to a specific group, but to become part of a wider family, one which follows the teachings of Jesus Christ.
On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
I have been fortunate enough to experience a relationship with God.
When I have stepped away from that relationship, I have ended up chasing after things that I wanted, but which did not lead me down paths that left me feeling satisfied or fulfilled. Instead, the decisions I made for myself led me to hurting others.
But Jesus teaches a different way. He provides guidance that enables us to live life to the full. He teaches of how we can be free from guilt and shame, and how we can live in unity.
I'd recommend watching this short animated video by BibleProject if you're interested in understanding the difference it can make when you follow the way of Jesus.