In the competition for our free time the Bible faces stiff challenges today.   It’s not as entertaining as cable television, not as emotionally accessible as a music video, and a lot more work than the latest novel.  Furthermore, some of you are asking:  “What’s free time?  I can barely keep up with life as it is!”  I can identify with all of these.  Reading the Bible, for many of us, is neither easy nor convenient.  Quite frankly, lots of Christians don’t read the Bible very much.   

This week I want to talk with you about prayer.  Most people, even those who aren’t yet Christians, know something about prayer.  Lots of us have talked to “the big guy upstairs”, if only to ask Him to give us something we really want or to get us out of a jam.  It just seems like a natural thing to do.  That’s because it is.  You and I were made to talk with God as freely as we breathe.

Last time we jumped in an airplane and flew over a territory called “the Christian life”.  From way up high I wanted you to glimpse the big picture; briefly mentioning seven spiritual practices that are part of a healthy Christian walk.  This morning, that airplane is back in the hangar.   Put on a pair of comfortable shoes.  For the next few weeks we’ll be walking; taking a closer look at most of these spiritual practices from ground level. 

In my earlier broadcasts I’ve encouraged you to take a good look at Jesus Christ and to seriously consider believing in him and in the salvation he offers.  Perhaps some of you have done that and, to your surprise, Jesus now makes sense to you after all.  So you’ve chosen to repent of your sins and to believe in Jesus for salvation.  What happens now?  Where do you go from here? 

In the last 6 posts/broadcast I’ve shared my own faith journey with you; how I came to believe in Jesus and what my life with him has been like.  I’ve presented what the Bible teaches about Jesus and the way to receive his salvation.  Some of you listening (or reading) are probably already followers of Jesus, but some of you aren’t.  For any number of reasons you’ve hesitated to believe in Christ in this way.  

In the previous articles/broadcasts I’ve talked a lot about how Jesus Christ has changed my life for the better.  I’ve encouraged those listening to consider following Jesus as well; to put your faith in him.  Maybe you’re still not clear as to exactly what salvation is or what it means to put your faith in Jesus.  So today I’d like to explore these in more depth.

 “Big” was too small a word to describe what loomed in the mists before him.  Even “massive” felt like an understatement.  It was “massively massive”.  Years ago, in Chicago, the Sears Tower had launched his jaw into free fall, but compared to this the Sears Tower perched like a toothpick in a forest of ancient redwoods.  In front of Fred squatted a truly mountainous mountain, its girth stretching out of sight, its peak thrusting far above layers of clouds.  On the summit, barely visible, shone a ring of light.

 A young man, asked to define “faith” replied:  “Faith is believin’ what you know ain’t true.”   Another man has defined faith as “a persistent false belief held in the face of strong contradictory evidence” (Richard Dawkins).  These are common perceptions of faith which perceive it, essentially, as wishful thinking. Today I want to offer you a different understanding of what faith is and how it works, one more in keeping with my own experience.

The Grammy Awards Ceremony occurred the week that I began writing this column.  Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran – these were a few of the happy musicians who basked in the limelight of 2016.  We human beings love to give and receive awards.   

              As generations come and go and heroes rise and fall, there’s one name that stays at the top of the list for many.  That name is Jesus. 

Last week I shared with you my own faith experience – the journey with Christ which started as a young child and has continued to this day.  I admitted that my faith journey has been both rewarding and difficult.   

              So why have I continued with Jesus all these years?  Let me explore that with you. 

 Have you ever wondered about God?  Does He actually exist?  If so, what’s He like?  What does He expect from me?  These are mind-boggling, change your whole life kinds of questions, aren’t they? I’ve been exploring these issues for many years, just like a lot of you.  While I don’t pretend to have all the answers I’d like to share with you what Ihave discovered with the help of a close friend of mine.  His name is Jesus.  He and I have walked many, many miles together on life’s journey.