You Were Seen!
The hard work and great attitude you displayed today made a difference to someone or they just wanted to let you know how much you matter.
You are a stand-out, a treasure. There is only one YOU. And for that reason today you were seen by someone you served ... or someone who cares about you! It could have been a customer, a neighbor or a casual interaction.
Maybe it was a divine appointment...
The truth is: You are seen every day by Jesus, the Almighty God who created you and loves you! He sees your hard work, your dreams, and your heart. And guess what? He is calling you closer to Himself, even now. Whatever you are going through.
No one cares about you more than Jesus. No one loves you more.
He is not political and He cannot be found in social media wars. He is not religious and He is not a church membership. He is outside all of that. Above it. Bigger than it. Right now, He stands arms open, ready to help you and encourage you, lead you and save you.
Forever.
Each day of your life is like a page in a book. There are many chapters that have been successful. Some are not. There will eventually be no more pages. Along the way, people come and go, and life changes. Hard times are inevitable. In fact, it has been said that we are all coming out of a trial,
heading into a trial, or smack in the middle of one. One thing remains constant…
Every story needs a hero.
You know, that Person who sweeps in and saves the day – no matter how difficult the story. Someone who is guaranteed to rescue you. The One who will give your story a happy ending, no matter what you’ve been through.
In the story of our lives, that Hero – the only Hero who can save us – is Jesus Christ. Fully God and fully man.
You might struggle with God. You might not think of Him as someone who saves, but rather as someone who condemns. You might ask: “Why would a good God send someone to hell?” The truth is God doesn’t send people to hell. He sent Jesus to die on the cross to restore us to Him, one of the bonuses is salvation from Hell.
God is not the reason for the bad times.
He is the rescue. Remember that.
Here’s the catch. Having this Hero in your story is up to you. Only you can accept His free rescue, the gift of salvation.
Imagine this. Earth has been overtaken by a swirl of hot lava. You’re trapped in a small boat, inches above raging molten fire. And suddenly it occurs to you: This is it. You won’t make it out alive. You are about to go down in flames.
Then you look around and see every person on earth is fighting for their lives atop the burning sea of flames. We’re all in the same boat. Everyone is about to die.
Suddenly from the heavens all around you, life ropes are dropped. People who grab hold are saved, whisked from certain death to a beautiful place just out of sight.
You realize something.
No one’s being forced to grab hold of the rope. Some people turn away from it or roll their eyes in disbelief. Others mock the rope in sarcasm or engage in angry debate about its existence. But a few – here and there – actually take hold of the rope.
Those people are saved.
Now it’s your turn. What will you do?
Grab on to the Hero’s life rope, and spend eternity in love and light and joy? Or let the moment pass by.
Maybe this is your chance. Maybe you were seen today so you can grab the rope. Jesus stands with open arms waiting for you to simply choose Him. He isn’t calling you to a religion. He’s calling you to a relationship. As long as you are alive, He has great plans for you. He knit you together and knows you by name.
He wants to be your Wonderful Counselor, your Mighty God, your Everlasting Father, and your Prince of Peace. See, Jesus died on a cross that long ago Friday. Good Friday. He paid the price for sin. Your sin, my sin. The sin of every person who ever lived or will live.
Adding the Hero to your story works like this. Simply turn away from your old life and take hold of Jesus. That’s called repenting. It just means turn around. Then tell Him you’re sorry for every wrong thing you’ve done and ask Him to forgive you. Make a decision to stop running your own life and ask Him to run it instead. Ask Him to be your Savior.
How do you talk to God? You just talk. He already knows you, your thoughts, your dreams and heartaches. All of it. Talking to him is called prayer. Prayers don’t have to be formal or official, memorized or eloquent. Prayer is just you sharing your heart with Him. He’s listening – He’s the perfect, Everlasting Father. He cares about your problems because He’s the Wonderful Counselor. He stands ready to hear you anytime, anywhere.
How does God talk to you? Through the living Word of God. The Bible. Start with Matthew or John, it does not matter as long as you start reading. Underline what speaks to you; write notes in the margins, buy a journal.
Download the YouVersion Bible app to explore different translations and find reading plans and Bible verses based on whatever you’re going through today, right now at this moment.
You will absolutely find peace and help.
Finally, locate a Bible-believing church where you can grow in your faith and be surrounded by other people looking to follow Jesus. Church isn’t a place for perfect people. It’s a place for people who know they need a Savior. People who love Jesus and want to make a difference in their community.
The person who handed you this card is a member of Connect Church and we’d love to have you join us for service - Learn More about Connect.
For more information on salvation and the choice to make Jesus the hero of your story by grabbing onto that life rope, CLICK HERE. If you’d like to get a Bible, CLICK HERE. Provide your name and mailing address in the email and we will send you a free Bible!
If you aren't sure if God is real or that Jesus came to earth as a baby that first Christmas morning, that He lived a sinless life, and that He died on the cross to save you – watch the film, Case for Christ. It is based on the true story of Lee Strobel, an atheistic journalist. The film includes a great deal of historical data, verifying and proving the existence of the Savior Jesus. There is also a book by the same name.
There’s an exchange that happens when you ask Jesus to be your Savior. When you let Him take you into His arms, and when you hand over your hurt and heartache, loneliness and loveless days to the One who loves you the most. The exchange is this.
His life for yours.
We lay down our life and take up His. With that comes the immeasurable gift of the Holy Spirit. This is God living within you. Helping you through every hour of every day. The Holy Spirit in turn gives you these priceless gifts – gifts that are only real when they come from God:
Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. And Self Control.
Can you imagine a life like that? A life marked with freedom and peace, victory and joy?
The path to that life requires that we spend time with Jesus. Walking with Him. Letting His life infuse yours. The most practical way to do this is to read the Bible. A chapter a day is a great goal, so that God’s Word will start to change you from the inside out. His Word is holy and righteous. True and good.
As you read the Bible and talk to Jesus, instead of a life saturated with the world’s sadness, loneliness, and darkness … yours will be a life marked by peace, light, and goodness.
Of course, it also means laying aside the sins that plague you – whatever those might be. Sin is like handcuffs.
However, we will not be freed until we lean into Jesus.
Whatever you struggle with today, give it to Jesus.
Let it go. Ask Him for help. Then find a way to serve others, look for the chance to tell people about Jesus. You don’t have to be a biblical scholar or an expert at communication. You can share the truth about Jesus through sharing your story.
Turning away from your old mindset, reading the Bible, praying, helping others … these are ways to grow in your faith. Ways to make your faith alive and life-changing.
Additional tips to grow your faith:
● Start your day with prayer. Thank God for the new morning and ask Him to walk with you through all that is ahead.
● Through church, find a smaller group Bible study that meets on a regular basis. You’ll find that these meetings can become very important to growing closer to God and people who follow Him. CLICK HERE to grow your faith.
If you’d like additional prayer or support, Connect Church would love to be that for you. You can call us, email us or visit us. You matter to God, you matter to us... Come matter here.
Are you hurting and broken, battered and bruised? Battling something in secret no one knows about? Sometimes people who serve others are the most overlooked, the ones who struggle in silence.
No longer.
If you’re struggling today, Jesus is calling.
He isn’t standing across from you with a pointed finger. He’s looking at you with the loving eyes of a perfect Father, a perfect Friend, arms open, waiting for something you might desperately need this very moment.
An embrace. A hug.
If you hold to the teachings of Jesus, that very truth that will set you free. It is a truth that will change your life or even save it. You are important to Him and He cares for you.
CLICK HERE to find help with whatever you're dealing with. For 24/7 prayer right now, call 888-388-2683.
