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The following are some of the bible verses that tell God's love story:

God’s Loving Sacrifice to Forgive our Sin, Make Us a New Person and Have a Relationship With Us.

Romans 5:8-11 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

Romans 3:22-26  “We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.  For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. . . . God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.  

1 Corinthians 5:21 “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”

Ephesians 1:6:7 “So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.”

Ephesians 2:8-9 “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”

John 3:5-7 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’

. . .anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17–18, NLT)

Our Hereditary Sin Nature

Romans 5:10 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.

Romans 7:18-20 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.* I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

Ephesians 2:1–3 Once you were dead (spiritually) because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world.* He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

Making Our Choice

Luke 9:23-25, 14:28 Jesus said “ . . . If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed? . . . But don’t begin until you count the cost.”

Matt. 7:21 Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.

Matt. 7:13 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.

2 Corinthians 5:14–15 “. . .Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.  

God Gives Our Life Purpose and Meaning

Genesis 1:26-28  Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”

Ephesians 2:9 says “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

Psalms 139:13-18. “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body  and knit me together in my mother’s womb.  Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!  Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.  You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,  as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.  You saw me before I was born.  Every day of my life was recorded in your book.  Every moment was laid out  before a single day had passed.  How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.  They cannot be numbered!  I can’t even count them;  they outnumber the grains of sand!  And when I wake up,  you are still with me! “

Matthew 16: 23-25 “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”

God Gives us Guidance

John 10:10 Jesus said “. . . My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”

Ephesians 1:6-11 “So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.  . . . because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.”

1 Corinthians 2:11-12.  No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.

God's Blessings, Peace & Strength

John 1:12 “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.”

Matthew 6:25-33 Jesus said “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?  “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?  “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

Philippians 4:6-7 “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

John 14:27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

John 16:33 “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” 

Philippians 4:12-13 “ I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Matthew 7:24-25 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.

1 Cor. 4:20 For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power.

Begin every day reading the Bible.  Reorganize your daily routine in order to start with at least 15 min of reading in the books of Psalms and Proverbs. The Psalms are filled with expressions of emotion, of pain, joy, and praise. They show us how to process our experiences before God. Proverbs is a very different book. It calls us to study, to think, to learn the practical discipline of centering all our thoughts and actions on God.2

Alternate between the two and use a modern translation like the New Living Translation Bible.  (Bible.Com) Read until something encourages you or convicts you, then stop ask God to help you change in the area of conviction or thank Him for the area of encouragement. Repeat this at bedtime before going to sleep and then thank God for His love and care and for what He accomplished through you that day.

In addition to your daily reading, use the following free resources to begin deepening your knowledge of Jesus and the Bible.

•    The Chosen - A multi-season video streaming series on the life of Christ. Use The Chosen study guides which follow the series for Bible study. You can view it free on The Chosen App ( https://www.comeandseefoundation.org/watch  ) or with a subscription to Amazon Prime Video. This will bring the story of Jesus and his disciples to life and help you better understand Jesus and His teachings.

•    Bible Project - Watch the following video series produced by the Bible Project. These are a collection of 5-7 minute animated videos on Bible topics important to helping you understand the Bible and key topics in it that help ground your faith.

•    How to Read the Bible - https://bibleproject.com/videos/collections/how-to-read-the-bible

•    Heaven and Earth - https://bibleproject.com/videos/heaven-and-earth

•    The Sermon on the Mount - https://bibleproject.com/videos/collections/sermon-on-the-mount

•    Creation - https://bibleproject.com/videos/collections/creation

•    Gospel in Life Podcast series. This series is a collection of ~30-minute sermon series from world-renowned pastor Tim Keller. Search for topics of interest and listen to the series. Listen to at least one per week. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/timothy-keller-sermons-podcast-by-gospel-in-life/id352660924

•    The Way of Wisdom “A Year of Daily Devotions in the Book of Proverbs” by Keller, Timothy. 2017. This is a great daily 15-minute devotional reading that goes deeper into Proverbs. It will provide practical help on issues you face in life. Purchase available on Amazon at https://a.co/d/02C5rrbN

There will be times in your journey with Jesus when you face trouble or hardship. Some difficulties come from choosing to live the Kingdom way of life that Jesus taught. Other hardships happen simply because we live in a broken world.

During these times, remember that you are not alone. God sees what you are going through, and He can use even hard situations to help you grow spiritually and to show Himself to others.

The Bible reminds us that God works through difficult seasons to strengthen our faith and shape our character. You may want to read these passages for encouragement:

(Romans 5:3–5, Romans 8:17–28, Romans 8:35–37, 1 Peter 4:17–18, 2 Corinthians 4:17)

When you face hardship, consider taking these steps:

1. Trust God with your situation.

Believe that God sees you and is working through your circumstances to help you grow and to reveal Himself to others.

2. Ask God to search your heart.

Pray and ask Him to show you if there is any area of your life that needs change or refinement.

3. Seek support from wise believers.

Invite a few spiritually mature friends to pray with you. Ask them to speak honestly if they see anything in your life that may be contributing to the difficulty.

4. Ask God to use the situation for His glory.

Pray that your response to hardship will honor God and help others see His goodness and truth.

Even in hard times, God is at work. Trust Him, stay faithful, and allow Him to shape your life through every season.

There may be times in your journey with Jesus when you feel stuck or like you are not growing. Don’t worry—this happens to every follower of Christ. Spiritual growth takes time. There will be ups and downs, and you will make mistakes along the way. That is a normal part of learning to follow Jesus.

If you ever feel like you are not connecting with God or receiving His guidance, the questions below can help you reflect on what may be happening. If one of the questions reveals a problem, admit it to God right away and ask Him to give you the courage and strength to make things right. If the questions do not reveal an issue, continue being faithful in your daily spiritual practices and trust God to guide you in His time.

You may also find it helpful to read the July 1 devotion from My Utmost for His Highest called "The Inevitable Penalty."   https://utmost.org/modern-classic/the-inevitable-penalty/

Diagnostic Questions

1. Are you spending time with God each day? Are you regularly reading the Bible and praying?

2. Is there someone you are angry with or holding resentment toward? If so, ask God to help you forgive and work toward peace. (Matthew 6:14)

  You may also want to read the July 27 devotion from My Utmost for His Highest called 'The Way to Knowledge.'  https://utmost.org/modern-classic/the-way-to-knowledge/

3. Are your priorities out of balance? Are you focusing more on gaining money, success, or security than on following Jesus and living by His teachings? (Matthew 6:25–33, Matthew 13:22)

4. Has God asked you to start doing something—or stop doing something—that you have not acted on yet? Growth often requires us to take a step of obedience.

You may also want to read the May 10 devotion from My Utmost for His Highest called 'Take the Initiative.'  https://utmost.org/modern-classic/take-the-initiative/

5. Is there a behavior God has shown you that is not good for you spiritually or physically that you have not stopped? If so, ask God to help you turn away from it and choose a healthier path.

6. Are you continuing in an activity or habit that has become more important than your mission to follow Jesus? Has it begun to weaken your devotion or affect how others see your faith? (Matthew 6:24–33)

Remember: When something needs to change, God will give you the strength to change it. Stay faithful, trust Him, and keep moving forward in your journey with Christ.