Calvary Chapel Fontana - 15998 Merrill Ave. Fontana, Ca 92335

From the beginning of our life, we have a drive, a need that can be described as an unquenchable desire for acceptance, gratification, and love. As children we are dependent upon those who are responsible for us, to discipline us and supply our needs. As we become older, we become more independent and increasingly responsible for our choices.

As time progresses we find that this empty unquenchable feeling increases. We try various platitudes to fill this void: work, entertainment, intellectualism, drugs, sex, etc., and find ourselves serving them, yet nothing seems to quench this desire. As servants these desires become the enthroning power of our hearts, a never-ending vortex that we must and will serve. They are in essence false gods. "You shall have no other gods before Me. (Exodus 4:3).

We find ourselves worshiping these false gods, praising them for the placeboes they generate with no quenchable value. You may find yourself preaching these platitudes, desiring acceptance or notoriety to quench this emptiness inside your heart. Even with all the toys you may obtain and all the recognition you may receive, you still find yourself desiring more, a never ending cycle, and for what! You can't take it with you, and at the end of the day you come to the realization, what else is there!

If you find yourself admitting to this, welcome to the club!

We have all missed the mark. As a matter of fact that's what sin means, missing the mark (the target or the point). We have chosen to disobey God and sin against Him; all of us have done wrong and failed to do what is right. "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). We are guilty (1John 1:8), and have walked away from Him, and it pains Him to see us in this condition. God hates sin! and the destruction it brings into our lives.

All Jesus wants is for you to hit the mark, to know and desire the value of God's love (more precious than gold), to turn and walk back, and allow Him to be enthroned on the seat of your heart. The simple truth is that there is a God who created you and loves you very much. (Genesis 1:1). He gave us life and deserves our gratitude and love. Only He can quench your thirst, not anyone or anything else! Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). Jesus took upon himself the sins of the world so that you can have that eternal, quenchable, reconcilable relationship with the creator of all things, which He so much desires.

Jesus, the one and only Son of God, came to earth and lived a perfect sinless life. He was crucified even though He was completely innocent. He received the punishment that we deserved. He was the perfect sacrifice. He was put into our place and took on Himself the

sentence of death that should have been ours. (Romans 5:8) Rejecting Jesus, God's son, and His redeeming sacrifice means an unquenchable, spiritually, eternal death, hell! God is perfect, completely good, always right and fair.

He cannot tolerate sin. He cannot simply overlook the fact that we have chosen to disobey Him. The bible says, "the wages of sin is death." (Romans 6:23). This means that the fair payment for our rebellion against God is death. It is

punishment that we deserve. However, Jesus rose from the dead after three days and ascended into heaven, paving the way for those who receive Him, the same eternal life he enjoys. He will return for all those who are trusting in Him as Savior. This is the good news!

So what do I need to do?

When you recognize that you are a sinner, by remaining in sin assures eternal death in hell. That repentance and acceptance of Jesus' death on the cross is the only way to heaven.

If you truly desire, from your heart, to quench your thirst by drinking from the well of the living water you must turn around. That's what repenting means; it's to turn around in a different direction. This is what's needed to quench your emptiness. By repenting or turning away from your sin and walking toward His heart, you can enter into a relationship with God that promises to restore you. It doesn't matter what you have done in the past. If you cry out to Jesus for forgiveness, He will not reject you. "Repent therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out" (Acts 3:19)

Jesus is the only way! Salvation through faith in Jesus is the only way to be assured of a relationship with God and a place in heaven when you die. Not being a good person, going to church, or doing good things can give you these two things.

Jesus is everywhere at all times. He can hear you now if you ask Him for forgiveness. Receive Him Now and He promises to change your life and guarantee your eternity! "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

If you want to pray and ask Jesus to be your Savior, you can say a prayer something like this:

"Jesus, I know that I have sinned against you. I know the truth is that I have sinned by my own choice, and I am the one responsible for it. I know that I have earned punishment from You, and that the fair punishment would be death. Jesus, I believe that You died in my place. Forgive me for my sin. I cannot cover or take my sin away, I am relying totally and only on You. You are the only one who can save me. I reject my sin, I turn away from it, I repent. Come into my life, take away my sin, and show me how to live my life in a way that is right and pleasing to You."

If you have prayed this, in all sincerity, YOU ARE SAVED! You are now completely forgiven, a new creation, innocent in the eyes of God.

Welcome to the family of God!

Four things that we'd like for you to know as a new believer in Jesus Christ.

1. You Have Eternal Life: Eternal life is a gift from God; it's not something you can earn through works, rituals or sacrifice, it is a free gift. It's also something that you have here and now, not just when you die. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (NKJV-emphasis added). God sent His Son as a perfect sacrifice for our sins, to pay the debt for our sin against a holy and righteous God. His acceptance of that sacrifice (signified by the resurrection of Jesus Christ) and your acceptance of this gift is what makes reconciliation possible.

2. You Are a New Creation: As a believer, you have a new nature in you that seeks to follow the will of God. Your old self is still around, but you have been empowered by the Holy Spirit of God, to follow that new nature more and more as you learn to trust in God more and more. (2 Corinthians 5:17).

3. You Have Received Forgiveness of All Your Sins: Everything in your life will not be perfect overnight. The reality is that you still have a choice. God will not subvert your will or force you to choose His ways all the time. When we do sin, however, we have "an advocate with the Father" who will always say, "Yes, this person has sinned against you, but I have paid the price for him" (1 John 1:8-9) It is important that we confess our sins to God so that we may receive forgiveness and allow Him to cleanse our hearts.

4. You Are a Child of God: By accepting Christ into our lives, by receiving Him, we become adopted as God's children. A child, by nature, desires to do the will of his father. The father's desire is to raise that child, protect the child from harm and do everything to ensure that the child will be able to live and grow to maturity. Our heavenly Father, who knows the beginning from the end can guide our lives in a more perfect way than any of our earthly fathers ever could. John 1:12 tells us that, "[But] as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name" (NKJV). Only those who are trusting in Jesus Christ alone and His sacrifice for our sins alone are God's children. Without that, there can be no relationship with the Father.

It is important for you to start to grow in your relationship with Jesus. Just like any relationship, you need to spend time with someone if you want to know them well. The way to know God is through the Bible. We have a New Believer Packet we would like to send you that will help you get going. It's also important to find a church you can attend where they teach the Bible. This will allow you to talk with a pastor who will help explain questions you might have, and it will give you a chance to spend time with other Christians who can encourage you. Or if you like, click here to contact us.