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God loves you, but He is holy – which means that He is perfect and without sin.
Sins are thoughts or actions that fall short of God’s commands. If we are honest, we don’t even measure up to our own standards, let alone God’s perfect standard.
Sin has separated us from God and prevents us from going to heaven. The Bible is very clear that all of us are sinful and do not meet God’s standard of perfection.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” – Romans 3:23
“For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” – James 2:10
“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” – 1 John 1:8
“All of us also lived … gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of [God’s] wrath.” – Ephesians 2:3
Yet, God provided the solution for the sin that separates us from Him!
Jesus Christ, God’s son, died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. He loves you so much that He sacrificed Himself for you! He paid the price we could never pay.
“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” –Romans 5:8
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” – John 3:16-17
We can think God is impressed by our good works, but none of us will ever be good enough to earn God’s favor. Our only hope for salvation—freedom from sin and a relationship with God—rests in God’s grace and His gift of forgiveness.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” – Ephesians 2:8-9
To become a follower of Jesus, put your trust in Jesus Christ—this means admitting that you aren’t perfect and that Jesus paid the price for your sin. The biblical word for this is repent, which essentially means to make a U-turn and go in the opposite direction than you are heading right now.
“He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” – 1 John 5:12
“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” – Romans 10:9-10
“Lord Jesus, I know that I have sinned against you and have lived a life that has not been pleasing to you. I am sorry for my sin and know I cannot save myself. Please forgive me!
“I believe that you died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead. I thank you for your incredible gift of love and mercy. I now place my trust in you alone to forgive me and cleanse me.
“Lord, I also ask you to please take control of my life. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and help me be obedient and pleasing to you according to the Bible. I thank you for the promise of eternal life in Heaven! In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
A Christian trusts Jesus as Lord and Savior and is committed to following Him. God gives Christians confidence in their freedom from sin by transforming lives through His Holy Spirit. Surrender your life, present and future, to the Lord and commit to following His commands.
“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” – 1 John 5:13
“Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” – Acts 2:38
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” – 2 Corinthians 5:17
“…Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of His glory.” – Ephesians 1:13-14
“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” – Titus 3:4-5
If you just made a decision to follow Jesus Christ, congratulations and welcome to the family of God! Here are you next steps…
Share the Good News: We’d love to celebrate your new life! Email us at info@pccsc.org or call us at (949)940-2600. Tell your family and Christian friends—if you’re feeling bold, tell your non-believing friends too! (Acts 5:42)
Read the Bible: Begin developing the habit of reading God’s Word. We recommend starting with the Gospel of Mark. Every Sunday, we provide material for you to have a daily time in God’s Word.
Talk to God: Every good relationship requires good communication! To grow spiritually, you will need to develop the habit of talking, and listening, to God. Share your heart and be real. Give thanks for as many things as possible, starting with His forgiveness. Ask God for help, He cares about your big problems and your small problems—they are all small to Him! (Matthew 6:6-15)
Get Connected: Join us at PCC every Sunday or on-line if you live out of the Southern California area. We also encourage you to check out a Grow Group (click here for more information). (Acts 5:42)
Get Baptized: Baptism is a public declaration of your commitment to Jesus and a symbol of your transformation as His follower (Acts 2:38). To learn more about baptisms at PCC, text baptism2023 to 940-00.
We would love to hear from you! If you have any questions or want more information, email or call (info@pccsc.org or 949-940-2600).