Knowing Jesus
Every event, every service, every meeting, everything we do at Canby Foursquare in Canby points to one thing: knowing Jesus. If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord, we pray that we can help you know Him better. If you haven't made that commitment yet, we hope you will today. Below, you will find some practical steps to help you do that. After you do, please know that the life of a believer in Jesus is lived in community. We would love to get to know you and pray for you.
WHERE WE START
God created us in His image. His plan for us is to know Him, to spend time with Him and to follow Him. Sin entered the world long ago, through disobedience and pride, and we, by nature, follow that pattern. We share the experience of doing things we wish we had not, saying things we regret, and even at times being who we do not want to be. Left to our own devices, this life is heading nowhere but ultimate destruction.
WHAT WE NEED
God loves us in a way that is beyond human comprehension. He didn't want our suffering and separation from Him to last forever - which it would have without His intervention. In ages past, mankind could make up for, or atone, for one sin at a time, through sacrificing an animal. The shedding of blood would show the gravity of sin, and would serve as an outward sign of being sorry. We all know outward signs are never enough. We needed a change of heart. And we needed a relationship with God.
WHAT GOD DID
God, in His great love for us, sent His only son, Jesus, to be the ultimate sacrifice for us. Jesus came to earth, born of a virgin, fully God and fully man. He taught us great truths, healed and delivered people, but His true purpose for coming began on the cross. He gave Himself to be sacrificed, for the payment for all of our sins, once and for all. This was the beginning of our reconciliation with God. Then, just as He told us He would, on the third day, He rose again. He was resurrected, so that we who trust in Him could live as well, in relationship and right standing with God. All because of Him. All because of what He did.
HOW TO ACCEPT HIM INTO YOUR HEART
The grace of God. The beauty of this plan, is that He, as a loving Father, did this for us by His grace. No good work, no right living, nothing we can do can earn the salvation of God. He did this and offers it to us as a gift. Our part is to believe. A heart that understands and believes in His atoning sacrifice and resurrection will, by nature, call out to God in thanksgiving. And that is what it takes. A sincere prayer to God, acknowledging our sin, thanking Him for His work on the cross, and committing our lives to living for His purposes - those are the components of a life-changing prayer. Your own words are just right. If you'd like some to follow, here is a prayer you can use: "Dear Jesus, I see and understand that I have lived my life for my own purposes, and that I have sinned. I know I need you. Thank you for dying on the cross for me. Thank you Father for raising Jesus from the dead so I can have new life. Lord, I receive the gift you have given me by your grace. I receive you into my heart, and I commit to living my life for you, with your help and by your grace. Thank you God. Amen."
WHAT'S NEXT
The next step is discipleship - learning to be more like Jesus. This is a lifetime process for all of us, so don't think this will happen overnight. It is full of new discovery, beauty, and getting to know each other, ourselves and God more everyday. We encourage you to get connected and join one of our small groups, this is a great way to learn more about your faith and live it out alongside other believers. If you do not have a Bible we would love to give you one on any Sunday when you attend here at Canby Foursquare Church. Simply ask the main information desk for one, if you are unable to attend you can click here to navigate to Bible Gateway, where you can read the entire Bible online. We recommend you start with one of the four Gospels (stories of Jesus' life) Matthew, Mark, Luke and John found in the New Testament. Please contact us if you have any questions, would like us to pray for you, or would like to meet with a pastor.