You’re not alone...

The word Christian is not always clearly understood.  Some people think of themselves as Christians because they grew up going to church.  Others think of themselves as Christians because they were baptized or confirmed.  Still others may think of themselves as Christians because they are good people or simply because they don’t follow a non-Christian religion.  And for many, the word has little, if any, meaning at all.

The word Christian was originally used in the very early days of Christianity to identify people who had made a specific decision to follow Jesus and his teaching.  In those days, while there was lots of confusion in the larger society about who Jesus was and exactly what Christians believed, there was a clear understanding that being a Christian—or follower of Jesus—was unique.

Who is Jesus?  The Bible tells us that Jesus was a man—but also more than a man.  He was sent by God to point people back to God by teaching, doing miracles, and serving people around him.  God also sent him to heal the relationship between God and humans.  The Bible says that, even though God created us in his image for a special relationship with him, that relationship has been broken by what the Bible calls “sin,” which is basically anything that goes contrary to God’s perfect character or his perfect desires for our relationship with him.

Jesus is the only person who lived a completely perfect life—he never said, did, or even thought anything wrong.  Despite that, though, the religious leaders of his day had him killed.  The Bible tells us that Jesus’ death was actually part of God’s plan, and that because Jesus died and rose again from the dead, our relationship with God can be restored.  This new relationship with God is not something that we earn.  It is purely a gift offered by God to us because Jesus died on a cross for our sin and in our place.

Are you interested in following Jesus yourself?  If you haven’t received this gift from God yourself, all you need to do is ask God for it.  Here is an example of a prayer you could pray:

Lord Jesus, thank you for giving your life for me.  I ask you to forgive my sins and start me on a new life following you.  Please send your Holy Spirit to cleanse me from the past, and to empower me for the future.  Amen.

If you would like help in doing that, we would love to support you.  You can email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Do you want to follow Jesus more closely?  If you have asked for that new relationship, we would love to help you understand more fully how God wants to change your life.  Whether it’s helping connect you with another Christian to help you along, finding a church near your home where you can grow in your faith, or helping you find a place here at First Covenant; please let us know if we can help in some way by contacting us at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .