Start here.
If you are wondering who Jesus is, or what it would mean to follow him, you are asking the right question.
There is no test to pass and no background you need. What follows is the heart of what we believe, in five short steps, straight from the book of Romans. Our pastors walked through these same five passages one autumn, and you can watch any of those messages as you go.
What we believe, simply.
Read them in order. They build on each other, and together they are the road most of us walked to faith. The quotations are from our pastors' own messages in this series, transcribed and lightly edited for punctuation.
01
Sin
"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"
Romans 3:23
This is the honest starting place. Not that some people are bad and others are fine, but that every one of us has fallen short of the life God intended. Including the people standing at the front on a Sunday.
"The key word in this particular passage is all. All have sinned. There is no exception. It doesn't say some, it doesn't say just that group of people who are not very nice people."
Pastor Mark Addis, from this message
Pastor Mark Addis · watch this message
02
God's love
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 5:8
Notice the order. God did not wait for us to clean ourselves up first. The cross came while we were still in the middle of the mess, which means his love was never a reward for getting it right.
"There's no secret concerning our Father's love. God doesn't just love his children every now and then. It's not an every now and then kind of love."
Pastor Mark Addis, from this message
Pastor Mark Addis · watch this message
03
Eternal destiny
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 6:23
Wages are earned. A gift is not. That single contrast is most of the Christian faith in one sentence, and it is why nobody arrives at God on the strength of their own record.
"I could only get there when I humble myself and say, I need forgiveness, and I'm ready to receive the free gift Jesus Christ paid for and is offered to me."
Pastor Tim Rolen, from this message
Pastor Tim Rolen · watch this message
04
How to gain salvation
"If you declare 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 profess your faith and are saved."
Romans 10:9-10
"for, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'"
Romans 10:13
Everyone. That word is doing a great deal of work, and it is the reason we can say with confidence that this is open to you.
"Our righteousness doesn't come by good works. Our righteousness comes by belief and faith in Jesus Christ."
Pastor Tim Rolen, from this message
Pastor Tim Rolen · watch this message
05
New life
"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,"
Romans 8:1
This is where following Jesus begins rather than ends. Not a life of walking on eggshells, but one lived out from under the weight of condemnation.
"We will not be condemned to eternal suffering, because of our life in Christ."
Pastor Mark Addis, from this message
Pastor Mark Addis · watch this message
If you want to take that step.
There are no magic words. God is after your heart, not a script. But if you do not know how to begin, praying something like this is a real place to start:
Jesus, I know I have fallen short, and I cannot fix that on my own. Thank you for dying for me while I was still in the middle of it. I believe God raised you from the dead. I am turning to you, and I am asking you to lead my life from here.
If you prayed that, or you are close, please tell someone. It is not a formality. Talking it through with a pastor is how most people find their footing in those first weeks.
Come and see
You're welcome at New Hope. Come as you are.
All three Sunday services at 8, 9:30, and 11 AM are identical, same teaching and same worship, so come at the hour that works for you.