The Church of Joy

It is our desire to help you get connected to Jesus Christ. Connected in a personal, intimate and powerful relationship with the most important person in human history. Jesus brought love, peace, sacrifice, justice, dignity, wisdom, redemption, life, salvation and restoration into the world. Most of these things match up with the deepest longings of our heart. In fact, all of us spend our lives trying to gain each of these in some shape, form or fashion. The Bible teaches that these things can only be possessed through a relationship with Jesus Christ. The old saying is true, “It is not what you know, it is who you know that counts.” How can you get to know Jesus?

1) Begin by asking God to reveal Himself to you.

2) Read the Gospels of Jesus Christ - Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. These men wrote historical accounts of Jesus so we could know Him personally. Many people make decisions about Jesus without ever reading or being acquainted with the eye-witness accounts of His life. Do not make this tragic mistake. The Gospel of John is a great place to start.

3) Realize you must be born-again. This is a term used by Jesus in a conversation recorded in John 3. It is language that speaks of a new life, a new start, a new beginning. This experience is a supernatural encounter with the God Who created you. He is able to make you into a new person. Unfortunately, the term “born-again” has received much criticism in our day. Do not let this sway you away from the life God offers you. Without God’s new life, we would all die in our sins.

4) Realize that Jesus is both Lord and God. This is the big step for all of us. We relinquish the control of our life and destiny to Jesus Christ. We must acknowledge that He is exactly Who He claimed to be - the Son of God. Jesus spoke of Himself and our relationship to Him in John 3:16-17 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” Jesus proved this statement and all of His other claims when He rose from the grave on the third day after His death. His Resurrection from the dead proclaims him to be both Lord and God. This is the message of the New Testament!

5) Some benefits of our faith in Jesus Christ: accepted by God, the forgiveness of sin, righteousness is given, mercy and grace are granted, the curse is broken, the power of the adversary is broken, the power of sin is broken, the power of death is broken, the Holy Spirit lives within you, and fellowship with God is restored. Resurrection life is promised both now and later. We can now cooperate with God in the building of His Kingdom. We will rule and reign with Christ forever. All of these blessings and many more are revealed in the New Testament.

6) Respond in faith to Jesus. Faith is believing that Jesus is Who He said He was -- believing that He died for your sins, that He was buried and that He rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. This response of faith is the most important decision a person ever makes.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4
"For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures”

You may want to read Hebrews 11:1 - 12:2, which shows how many people throughout the centuries have responded to God in faith.

Remember: The Gospel of Jesus Christ is "good news", not just good advice. We are called to a life of faith. Jesus came to give us Someone to believe, trust, and follow. Unfortunately, many turn the truth of Jesus into "good advice." Religion seems to always lean this way - give us something to do, as if we could earn our way into God's favor. Our greatest challenge is to resist our "self-righteousness" and trust in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ to save us. It is the "good news" of what He has done and our faith in His life, death, burial and resurrection that saves us.

Scripture in Romans about Salvation:
Romans 3:23 - "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"
Romans 6:23 - "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 5:8 - "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 10:9-10 - "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead,
you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
Romans 10:13 - "For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."

Listen to these teachings:
     You Must Be Born-Again - 1 message
     Paid in Full - 1 message
     Jesus Christ, the Great & Awesome God - 1 message
     Salvation is a Person - 1 message
     The Naked Truth - 4 messages
     Freedom from Sin - 6 messages
     The Gospel of Grace - 9 messages
     The Lost and The Found - 3 messages
     Jesus Christ is Lord - 2 messages
     In Christ - 5 messages
     Why Should I Become a Christian? - 1 message
(Most of these messages can be accessed on this website. Go to "Current Teachings Page" and type title in search box at upper right.)

Once you have placed your faith in Jesus:
Read and study your Bible.
Embrace God's love for you.
Live in obedience to the teachings of Jesus.
Worship Jesus with other believers.
Become a part of a Church family that teaches the Bible. (see below)
Be baptized in water. (click here for more info)
Connect in fellowship and Bible study with other believers. (see below)
Share your faith and testimony with others.
Seek to be baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit.
Love your neighbor. Serve those in need.
Ask God to reveal His plan and purpose for your life.

Teachings to Listen to: In Christ, The New Creation, Resurrection: Why Is It So Important?, Basic Training, The New Humanity, The Gospel of Grace, The Lost & the Found, Restored, What is Water Baptism?. (Go to "Current Teachings Page" and type title in search box at upper right.)