Jacqui 0:13

Well , welcome everyone . I'm your host , Jacqui Adewole , and this is the Bible Basics Podcast , where , weekly , we break down the Bible into understandable , bite-sized chunks .

Gratitude & Peek into Future

Jacqui 0:28

Greetings listeners , welcome to the final episode of 2023 . Can you believe it's been six months since we started , since we posted our first episode ? Well , first and foremost , let's express gratitude to the Almighty for making this podcast journey possible . Thank you , God . I want to also send a big shout out and thank you to everyone who's tuned in , from different parts of the world and across the various platforms . Your support and encouragement means the world to me . I also want to extend heartfelt thanks to my spiritual authorities , who've provided guidance and kept me true to God's word . And thank you so much to the anointed teachers who joined us to share their wisdom regarding reading God's word . And now a big announcement for the future In 2024 , I'm planning to bring this podcast to YouTube and include an American Sign Language Interpreted version to reach Deaf and hard of hearing individuals . Stay tuned for updates on that exciting development .

Invitation for Salvation

Jacqui 1:45

Finally , as we prepare to step into a new year , I want to address something very important . I don't want to assume that all of you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ If you have never recognized your need for Jesus and asked Him to save you from your sins and be Lord of your life , then I want to invite you to do that right now

Problem

Jacqui 2:12

. God isn't looking for perfection , he's perfect . The problem is we all of us me and you are sinners . We miss the mark . Romans 3:23 tells us that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God .

Penalty

Jacqui 2:33

And when we move to the first part of Romans 6:23 , we learn that there is a penalty for our sin . It's death ,

Provision

Jacqui 2:44

which means to be separated from God . But guess what ? God knew about this and made provisions for us . He knew that we would be , as my pastor likes to say , jacked up jokers , tore up from the floor up . But the Bible says in Romans 5:8 that God demonstrates his own love for us in this While we were still sinners . Christ died for us . God loves you and he sent his son Jesus so you can live forever with him . The Bible also says , for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life . That's John 3:16 .

Promise

Jacqui 3:41

Romans 6:23 b makes this even better , if that's possible . It says that the gift of God is eternal life . By gift he means free gift . We don't have to work to get it . We only need to believe in Jesus Christ . There is nothing we can do to earn our salvation or to make ourselves good enough to get into heaven . It's a free gift . And also there is no other avenue to reach heaven other than through Jesus Christ , god's Son . That's an Acts 4:12

Salvation Prayer

Jacqui 4:22

.

Jacqui 4:24

You might be thinking how do I accept Jesus and become his child ? How do I get this free gift ? Well , god in his love , has made it easy . He promised in Romans 10: 14 that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved . He said in Romans 10: 9 and 10 that if you declare with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead , you will be saved . For it's with your heart that you believe and are justified , meaning made righteous and it's with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved , if you know God is knocking on your heart's door . If you desire this free gift from God and sincerely mean it in your heart , repeat this prayer with me now .

Jacqui 5:34

Dear God , I'm a sinner and I know I cannot save myself . I am sorry for the sins I have committed and I turn away from sin . I believe you gave your son , Jesus , to die for me . I believe he died on the cross for my sins . He was buried and he rose from the dead . I accept this by faith . I'm asking Jesus to come into my heart to rule and reign . Thank you , lord , for forgiving me and saving me In Jesus' name , amen . If you prayed this prayer by faith , welcome to the family of God . Know that this is just the first step in your lifelong pursuit of following God . Thank you all for an incredible end to 2023 . Stay tuned for exciting updates for 2024 and , as always , may the grace and peace of God be with you .