Tag Archives: salvation

Sunday School: Temple and Family History Work, Salvation for the Living and the Dead

The first lesson in the Temple and Family History Work manual as used by the Church for this alternative Sunday School class is entitled, “Salvation for the Living and the Dead.” We learn that the Atonement was provided to enable us to overcome death, and to give us the chance to gain exaltation. Because of this marvelous gift, everyone will be resurrected, not just the righteous. But in order to attain eternal life, which is, to live forever in the Celestial Kingdom, we must have faith, repent, and receive the saving ordinances which are done in the temple. These ordinances … Continue reading →

Tearing Down Walls and Starting New

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One of the hardest things to come to grips with before I’d truly turned my life over to God is that God was really capable of changing me. I lacked the faith He would because I’d cried out to Him and didn’t initially see anything great take place. Perhaps the reason I wasn’t seeing change in my life was because I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t ready to let go of my old life. Once I was ready, I was at a point where I wanted to throw everything down. This is exactly what God wanted and needed from me. Because … Continue reading →

I’m Too Far Gone for Jesus to Save

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“Jesus wouldn’t want me; I’m too much of a sinner.” It grieves my heart to hear these kinds of statements from people who are very much in need of a savior. People with these feelings of inadequacy seem to miss the point entirely of what it means to need saving. Being “far gone” at any level is precisely why Jesus paid the price He did for us; we were not capable of saving ourselves. While it’s true that God expects us to strive toward holiness, He knows that spiritual maturity doesn’t happen over night. That’s why I believe it’s important … Continue reading →

Who Will Be In Heaven?

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There are many who feel Christians who proclaim their beliefs of what the Bible says in regard certain sin come off as judgmental. It is true many Christians are like this. I personally don’t ever want to come across as anything extra special as a Christian because apart from Christ, I am hell bound. None of us should speak out on such things without humility remembering not one of us is without sin and each one of us need Jesus. I’ve compiled a list of many of the sins mentioned in the Bible that prevent the entrance of a person … Continue reading →

Parables: The New Cloth/Old Garment, New Wine/Old Bottles

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I have never really understood what Jesus was talking about when he gave the parable about not putting a piece of new cloth on an old garment. All four of the gospels record this parable, so the meaning must be important for us to understand. The text of Matthew 9:16-17 says, “No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment; for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth … Continue reading →

Leading a Child to Christ in 4 Steps

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Are you confident that you know how to present the gospel to people? Sharing the love of Jesus and His plan of salvation is a blessing, however, if you feel unprepared you may be reluctant to do so. Here are 4 steps you can use for presenting the gospel to children: 1. Show him his need for a Savior. Tell the child, “God loves you and wants you to come to heaven to live with Him someday.” Read Romans 3:23 and Isaiah 53:6. Ask him, “What will keep you from heaven?” Explain to him what sin is. A definition I … Continue reading →

Freedom in Christ

Turning your life over to Christ means coming to the realization that you can’t save yourself; you need a Savior. It also means trusting God knows what’s best for your life and believing He’ll guide you in righteousness. One reason I think many are reluctant to abandon their old sinful lives is because the unknown can be scary. Putting our trust in God is an act of faith. I’m not sure why so many would rather hold on to their sinful nature. I understand sin feels good for a time, but I’ve just assumed more people are capable of looking … Continue reading →

Works and Grace

Until recently, I wasn’t aware of the many misunderstandings people have in regard to salvation through grace rather than works. Those who have not been raised in the Christian church or have not read what the Bible has to say about being saved by grace rather than works, I can now understand why this part of Christianity has been so misjudged. I’d like to clear up some misconceptions. First of all, just because we don’t believe we’re saved by our works does not mean that good works are in vain or invalid! What the Christian faith teaches is that none … Continue reading →

Discipline and the Plan of Salvation

I am the kind of person who overplans and overanalyzes pretty much everything. Lest you think I am exaggerating, at the age of thirteen, I worried that someone might break into our home, so I practiced walking around barefoot in the woods in case I had to flee, shoeless, in the middle of the night. So you can only imagine how far into overdrive I shifted before I gave birth to my daughter five and a half years ago. And if you are a parent, you can also imagine how much of that has gone out the window. Not that … Continue reading →

Thanksgiving: A Good Reminder

I love Thanksgiving! It is one of my favorite times of year. I enjoy the fellowship with friends and family, the food, as well as the time to reflect on how blessed I have been in my life. While I certainly do not celebrate Thanksgiving as any sort of religious holiday, it certainly can be that “friendly reminder” to Christians to be thankful for all of God’s rich blessings. Christians have even more to be thankful for than the rest of the world because we have received blessings from God. I want to use this blog as a reminder to … Continue reading →