Tracts & Booklets

The “Lord’s Prayer” is how Jesus taught his disciples to pray. And by his example, he showed them the need for time alone with the Father in prayer. We too must set aside time to talk with God and read his Word. The following are suggestions for your time with God: 1. NECESSITY OF PRAYER. Jesus taught that prayer is not an option—something to do when we “feel like it”—it is a God-given responsibility. Few of us “find time” to pray, but we must make the time (Ephesians 5:16). 2. THE BIBLE. The Bible and prayer go hand in hand. Pray as you read, and meditate on God’s Word as you pray. As you read the Bible, praise God for what he reveals of himself and pray for strength and wisdom to obey his commands. Try using the prayers of the Bible as patterns: Matthew 6:9–13; Ephesians 1:15–23; Ephesians 3:14–21; and the Psalms are excellent inspirations. 3. PRAYER LIST. A list of prayer requests reminds you of specific needs and will keep your mind from wandering. By recording how God has answered a request, you will be encouraged to keep praying. But don’t let this steal your spontaneity. You are praying to a Person, not compiling a list! 4. PRAYER PARTNER. To help you pray consistently, ask God for a friend with whom you can share and pray. Meeting regularly provides mutual encouragement. 5. DISTRACTIONS. Because prayer is spiritual warfare, Satan will try to distract you. Ask God to help you pray regularly and he will direct you. If you have trouble with wandering thoughts, try changing positions, praying aloud, consulting a prayer list and your Bible, singing a hymn, or whatever you find most effective. But whatever you do, pray! Lord, teach us to pray, Jesus’s disciples asked. This simple prayer, which Jesus taught his disciples, can also show us how to talk with God in prayer. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. MATTHEW 6:9–13 “OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN” Jesus taught his disciples to call God “our Father.” It is this intimate father/child RELATIONSHIP that makes prayer possible. As children of God, we come to his throne expectant and unafraid because we are accepted in his beloved Son (Hebrews 4:15–16). Because we are his children, we can speak with our heavenly Father often—he loves to hear our prayers! “HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME” Worship—to honor and adore God—is the highest privilege of the Christian. We who have experienced the miracle of his saving grace can PRAISE HIM for his greatness and love. Throughout the day, we can offer praise and thanksgiving as he showers us with his blessings. “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him! Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness” (1 Chronicles 16:29). “YOUR KINGDOM COME, YOUR WILL BE DONE, ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN” As God’s children, we long for his righteous reign throughout the earth. But HIS REIGN must first begin in our own lives. We are made sensitive to his will for us as we prayerfully read and meditate on the Word of God. Even as we pray, God exposes our spiritual condition and brings our desires into conformity with his will (Romans 12:2). “GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD” We are DEPENDENT upon God for all of our needs— spiritual and material. And, like any loving Father, he desires to richly bless us. Nothing is too great for his power; nothing is too small for his love. He invites us to shar

Why Is Being Thankful So Hard? Life is hard. It may be that way because of unemployment, serious illness, or the death of a loved one. For many of us it’s the sting of financial loss. Maybe you’re distraught over a relative serving in a war zone. And even if you’re not affected by anything like that today, hardship comes to everyone sooner or later. No wonder thankfulness doesn’t come naturally! Yet thankfulness is an important part of life. In fact, it’s so important that those who refuse to honor God with gratitude destroy their own hearts. Concerning them, the Bible says, “they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:21). We routinely take significant things for granted such as the air we breathe and the ability to breathe it. The Bible says, “The God who made the world and everything in it . . . gives to all mankind life and breath and everything” (Acts 17:24–25). How long has it been since you thanked God for the ingenious life-support system you live by? And that points back to a bigger problem. The very first generation of humankind rebelled against God and passed on that rebellion to every following generation: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Sin taints everything we do and condemns us to eternity apart from God. God never desired for humankind to be crushed under the weight of sin. Yet for God’s justice to be met, the penalty of our sins had to be fully paid. Our situation would be hopeless if Jesus Christ hadn’t stepped in to pay the penalty for us. God’s perfect Son became a human to do just that: “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). God accepted Christ’s death in payment for our sin debt. And because of Christ’s resurrection three days later, those who believe in him can be assured of life with God in heaven after death. Jesus promised them, “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19). The way to God is clear. Jesus said, “I am the way. . . . No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). “Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name” (Acts 10:43). The offer of forgiveness is an absolutely free gift: “It is the gift of God, not a result of works” (Ephesians 2:8–9). It’s made possible by believing that Christ died in our place. Now That’s Something to Be Thankful For! Imagine being ungrateful for such an amazing gift and rejecting it! If you don’t accept God’s offer, if you don’t appreciate his love, then what will you say to him on judgment day? “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). How do you expect God to respond to you if you never accepted his amazing offer of salvation, made possible by the greatest sacrifice ever? This Thanksgiving season is a perfect time to accept what God has done to secure your forgiveness and eternal future. If that’s your heart’s desire, you can tell him by praying words like these: Dear God, I’m sorry for living my own way and ignoring your gracious offer of forgiveness. I now believe that Jesus died to pay the debt of my sins. I don’t deserve it, but thank you for forgiving me and giving me eternal life. Thank you for making it possible for me to start a relationship with you that will last forever. And thank you for your love for me. Amen. The God “who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all” (Romans 8:32) wants to help you face all your difficulties—beginning the moment you place your trust in him for salvation. In a world with so much hardship and pain, that’s definitely something to be thankful for!

Can I Be Forgiven? In an out-of-the-way cemetery an unmarked tombstone bears the single word, Forgiven. A person can’t help wondering, who was forgiven and by whom? What happened that caused someone to leave that message forever engraved upon his tombstone? The secret of that tombstone has long been buried. But one thing is certain, the need for forgiveness will always exist, since we all fail to live up to our word and others’ expectations of us at one time or another. What is more serious is that we have failed to live up to what God expects of us! No one is able to perfectly keep God’s commandments. The Bible states it simply, “all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “Your iniquities [sins] have made a separation between you and your God” (Isaiah 59:2). Our disobedience separates us from our Creator. We need his forgiveness. But how can we know that God will forgive us? How could a perfectly just and righteous God overlook our sin? Our situation would be impossible if God had not settled the issue himself. He sent his Son—Jesus Christ—to earth to become a man, live a perfectly sinless life, and ultimately give his life for you and me. On the cross where Jesus died, he took the punishment for sin that we deserved. The Bible says God made Jesus to be sin for us, the One “who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Then Jesus rose from the tomb and came back to life three days later and was seen by hundreds of people (1 Corinthians 15:3-6). Can I Be Sure? Because of what Jesus has accomplished, it is possible to know that God will forgive you and one day receive you into heaven (John 14:1-3). You can have the assurance of God’s forgiveness by making the following choices: Recognize that your sins have separated you from God. In honest repentance agree with God about your sinfulness and admit your need for forgiveness: “If we confess our sins, he [God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Realize that God loves you, and believe that the sinless Jesus Christ died for your sins—taking the punishment you deserve: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). In response to your trust, God promises you eternity with him! Receive Jesus Christ into your life by faith as your Savior from sin’s consequences. When you respond to God’s offer of forgiveness in faith, you can know that he has forgiven you. God’s Book, the Bible, promises that “to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). If that is your heart’s desire, right where you are you can pray something like this: Dear God, I know that I have sinned against many people and against you. I need your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ died for me and arose from the dead. I invite him into my life to be my Savior. Thank you for your gift of forgiveness and eternal life. Are you forgiven?

Who Is Jesus? A Historical Person An Extraordinary Person God One of Us Alive A Historical Person Maybe you have never really thought about who Jesus is, or whether his claims have any implications for your life. After all, we’re talking about a man who was born in the first century into an obscure Jewish carpenter’s family. The basic facts of his life—where and when he lived, how he died—are all pretty well agreed upon. But what about the significance of his life and death? Was he a prophet? A teacher? Was he the Son of God, or just an unusually gifted man? And for that matter, who did he think he was? For all the questions, though, everyone seems to agree on one thing: Jesus was an extraordinary person. An Extraordinary Person Without a doubt, in his day there was something about Jesus that caught people’s attention. Over and over Jesus said things that left his contemporaries amazed at his wisdom, and even confronted them in ways that left them fumbling around for a way to make sense of it all. (Matthew 22:22). “Many who heard him were astonished, saying, ‘What is the wisdom given to him?’ . . . and ‘How are such mighty works done by his hands?’” (Mark 6:2) Then there were the miracles. Hundreds and hundreds of people saw with their own eyes Jesus do things that no human being should be able to do. He healed people from sickness; he made water instantly turn into fine-tasting wine; he told lame people to walk again, and they did; he stood on the prow of a boat and told the ocean to be quiet—and it did; he stood in front of the tomb of a man who had been dead for four days and called to him to come back to life—and the man heard him, stood up, and walked out of the tomb (Matthew 8:24–27; 9:6–7; John 2:1–11; 11:38–44). With every one of his miracles and in every one of his sermons Jesus was making and backing up claims about himself that no human being had ever made before—claims that he was God. God On a number of occasions Jesus took a name for himself exclusively used for God, the present tense “I am” (John 8:48–58), which brought to mind the ancient and famous name of Israel’s almighty God (Exodus 3:14). Prophecies that Jesus claimed to fulfill also pointed to his deity. The people of Israel were looking forward to a king occupying the centuries-vacant throne. One prophet described this King as “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end” (Isaiah 9:6–7). The people of that day would have seen that this promised King didn’t sound like just another man who would sit on the throne for a time and then die. They would have heard their God promising that he himself would come and be their King. Jesus also asserted his identity as, “the Son of God.” It wasn’t just a royal title; it was also a claim that Jesus was equal to God in status and character and honor. John explains: “This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because . . . he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God” (John 5:18). One of Us Christians call the reality that God became human the incarnation. The Bible tells us that Jesus got hungry, he got thirsty, he got tired, and he even got sleepy. He did things with a deeply human tenderness, compassion, and love (Matthew 15:32; Mark 6:34, John 11:33–36). He not only was human; he showed us what God intended humanity to be all along. Jesus was identifying with us, becoming one with us so that he could represent us in life and death. When Adam, the first man, sinned, he did so as the representative of all who would come after him (Genesis 3:1–15). “One trespass led to condemnation for all men” (Romans 5:18). Jesus would let God’s sentence

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. MATTHEW 11:28-30 THE INVITATION Are you stressed? Does your life seem to be in constant conflict? Do you sometimes feel as if there is a burden on your back—a heaviness in your soul—that continually weighs you down? If you are struggling to cope with a life that is confusing and out of control, take heart. If you are searching for rest for your soul, there is good news. Jesus is offering a personal invitation to you. WHY IS REST SO DIFFICULT TO FIND? The work of this world always seems more important than Jesus’s invitation in Matthew 11:28. Even though you desire to give your heart and mind a break, it is nearly impossible to turn away from the priorities set in place by the culture you live in. Too often, people search for comfort and rest in the form of drugs, unhealthy relationships, self-help books, and even vacations. But these are often just an escape from reality, creating empty promises of relief from the stress of the real world. The rest offered by Jesus Christ is one that lasts for eternity. WHERE CAN I FIND REST? God’s Word (the Bible) says that only a personal relationship with Jesus Christ can bring you true rest for your soul. Jesus calls for you to come to him and he will give you rest. This means that you must turn aside from relying on your own efforts—your attempts to measure up by your own power—and trust solely in Jesus. HOW CAN JESUS GIVE ME REST? In Matthew 11:29, Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart.” He welcomes you to cast your worries and fears upon him and to believe that he has already paid the price for your sin, your burdens, and your guilt. He will give you rest by promising forgiveness of every sin you ever committed, or ever will, and eternal life with him in the new heavens and new earth when he returns. WHAT MUST I DO? To receive this wonderful peace and rest that Jesus promises, you must understand and accept the following six important biblical truths: 1. All people are sinful. Sin comes in the form of the bad things that we say, think, and do. Sins are even the good things done with selfish motivations. All sins are committed in the presence of God, who is holy. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) 2. Sin is so serious to God that death is the necessary and just result. “For the wages (payment) of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23) 3. There is no way you could do anything good enough to save yourself. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) 4. Although you deserve to die for your own sins, Jesus Christ (who never sinned) died for you. He was your substitute. He made the payment for your sins when he died on the cross and rose again. “Christ died for our sins . . . he was buried . . . he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) 5. You must place your trust, not in anything good you have done or will do, but only in what Christ has already done for you. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) 6. You cannot earn eternal life; it is a gift that you either accept or reject. When you receive God’s gift, you become his child, and you are adopted into his family. “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12) If you’ve already trusted Christ as your Savior, here

Amazing. It’s the only way to describe the incredible transformation that took place in the life of John Newton. Newton was born in London in 1725. His mother died when he was seven. His father sent him to sea at age eleven. Working first as a cabin boy and then a deckhand, John was exposed to a life of drunkenness, profanity and immorality — and he embraced it. Soon, John surpassed his peers in outrageous behavior. Sharp-witted and sarcastic, he wrote offensive songs mocking the ship’s officers and expressing his contempt for their authority. He amused himself by inventing new swear words and leading his peers on reckless and dangerous escapades. He frequently deserted his post. Still in his teens, John was briefly enslaved on an African plantation and nearly died. But instead of sobering him, the experience only served to strengthen his rebellious spirit. After Newton regained his freedom, he served time in the British Navy and eventually became captain of his own slave ship. As a slave trader, Newton’s heart grew even harder He earned a reputation for being a foul-mouthed, ill-tempered man, despised by his subordinates and superiors alike. He cared for no one but himself and sought nothing but his own pleasure. Then one night, John Newton hit rock bottom. He had been punished for misbehavior by being publicly humiliated, beaten, and stripped of his rank. His attempts to regain his position had failed. No one cared to take up his cause. Now caught in a fierce storm, he came face to face with a gripping fear of death. As the waves pounded the ship and filled his cabin with water, terror filled Newton’s heart. He fought desperately to save the ship, bailing water and plugging holes in the hull with the ship’s sails, burlap bags, even his own clothing. As an experienced sailor, John knew he had little chance of survival. And he was not ready to face eternity. Memories of his childhood came flooding back — the Bible verses and hymns his God-fearing mother had taught him, her prayers on his behalf. John tried to cry out to God for mercy, but he was stopped abruptly by the thought of how little he deserved it. How could he turn to God for help, when he had ignored Him for so long? John spent a harrowing night in deep soul-searching. The following day, the storm subsided. Miraculously, the battered ship found safe harbor. It was then, Newton said, that he became convinced that “there is a God that hears and answers prayers.” He discovered anew the love of God expressed in Scripture: “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16,17). In the midst of the storm, Newton’s eyes had been opened. He realized that he was a sinner, in need of a Savior. For the first time, he understood the meaning of God’s grace. Repenting of the sins of his past, he surrendered his life to God completely. In an instant, he became a new man. Years later, as he reflected on his experience, Newton penned the words: Amazing Grace — how sweet the sound — that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see. ’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved; how precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed! Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come; ’tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home. At the age of 39, the former slave trader became a pastor. He dedicated the rest of his life to sharing with others the good news of the gospel: that Jesus Christ had come to ‘seek and save the lost.’ (Luke 19:10) Newton led the abolitionist movement in Great Britain, exposing the evils of slavery and fighting to outlaw the vile trade he had once engag

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing.”8 For the family facing foreclosure… for the father diagnosed with terminal cancer… for the wife struggling to conceive… for the young girl considering abortion… for the thousands who lost jobs and life savings…there is hope. The Bible says that each of us has been created by God…that he loves us…and that he wants us to have a fulfilling life. “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly,” Jesus said.1 He meant a life that goes beyond “mere existence” to a fulfilling life lived in harmony with the Creator’s knowledge of us and his desires for us. But there is something that separates us from this “abundant life” that God intended. The Bible says that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”2 It is because of this sin, this disobedience towards God, that every person is separated from him: “your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.”3 And even worse is the consequence of sin, eternal separation from God—“the wages [cost] of sin is death.”4 However, in his love and mercy, God sent his sinless Son, Jesus, to pay the price of our sins’ debt. Almost 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ died on a cross, was buried, and then rose from the dead on the third day.5 It is only through the death of Jesus that we can be reconciled to God. And through his death, God offers the free gift of eternal life to all who believe in his name.6 There is no greater hope than this—the assurance of eternal life offered to us through Jesus Christ, and his promise to stay with us and sustain us in all circumstances: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? …For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor power, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.7 God offers this hope to you today. To accept his offer, begin by admitting that you are a sinner separated from God and in need of his forgiveness. Then trust only in Christ to save you from the consequences of your sins. Believe that Jesus died for your sins on the cross, and was raised from the dead in order to conquer death, bridging the gap caused by sin between you and God. Accept Jesus’ offer to come into your life as your Savior. If you sincerely desire to have hope in Christ, tell God in words like these: “Dear God, I admit that I am a sinner and need your forgiveness. Thank you for sending Jesus to suffer the punishment that I deserve for my sins. Please help me every day to turn from my sin and live a life that pleases you. Thank you for your gift of eternal life and for the hope I now have in you. Amen.” Scripture references (ESV): 1 John 10:10, 2Romans 3:23, 3Isaiah 59:2, 4Romans 6:23, 51 Corinthians 15:3-4, 6Romans 3:23, John 3:36, 7Romans 8:35,38-39, 8Romans 15:13.

Learn who you are and what you have in Christ by studying New Testament expressions: IN HIM, IN CHRIST, IN WHOM, etc.