1. Know God yourself

John records a time when Jesus says a prayer to God about people who believe.  In that prayer, Jesus asks that they actually obtain eternal life and that we understand what eternal life is about and receive it. And he says this about eternal life “Now this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” John 17:3 [ESV]  Eternal Life is about knowing God. It’s about a relationship with God, and experiencing perfect love through that relationship. Paul speaks of this relationship as well in a letter to Ephesus. He mentions that he continually prays for the Ephesians that, “…the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him…,” Ephesians 1:17 [ESV]  Not only that, but we can use Jesus as an example. He will act as God will act, because He is God. Many times throughout the Bible Jesus spends time on the relationship. He gets to know people, eats with them, and finds out who they are. It didn’t matter if they were someone shunned, greedy, or scandalous. Jesus was relational. He was acting how God would act toward anyone, including you.

God wants a relationship with us. Our first goal is to help a relationship with God form. We want to help you get to know God better and through that have a better understanding, and eventually feeling, of His love toward you.

2. Be Light and Salt to others

Let’s say you see a friend of yours and she tells you she just ate at the best place she’s ever eaten at before. She describes the food she had and even though you had just eaten, you are now salivating and almost hungry again. She continues to describe the excellent dishes, meats, sauces, and oh dessert! Now you have to know what place this is, so you can have this great experience yourself. And then, she tells you it’s free!! Well now, you are dying to know what this place is. But what if she didn’t tell you? How could she even be considered a friend?

Excusing some differences, this is similar to the gift that we (as Christians) have and want others to know about. We have an amazing relationship with God that provides us with true and perfect love. That is something to be shared.

Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. ¹⁴"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:13-16 [ESV]

Salt gives things taste and flavor. We give the world taste and flavor by showing them what is truly awesome. That is, God’s love for us. Light shows the way. We are light when we guide people into a relationship with God lets them experience God’s great love for them.

Our 2nd goal is that once you’ve gained a relationship with God and begun to feel and experience his love for you, that you then begin to share this with others. This is not in a “Bible Thumper” way, but in the way that a friend tells a friend what his favorite movie is and why, except that this is your favorite being.

We feel it is important to point out that I believe more is being done for Christianity by people who are not “in the ministry” or “professional church workers”. Generally, workers within the church are just that. They work and help people who are “within the church”. This is great and helps many people grow in their relationship with God, but everyone else has a great opportunity at their jobs, with co-workers, or with their friends to help people know who God is by sharing who He is to them. We hope to help grow these skills of expressing and sharing your faith and relationship in God, so that it can be taken elsewhere.