Southside Baptist Church

Wondering About God ???

If it is really your desire to know the truth about God - really know the truth - then you are a "seeker".

Matthew 7: 7-8 - Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

According to the Bible, if you are truly seeking God, you will be able to find him. "True Seekers" are all different kinds of people that have a variety of different backgrounds. Being a "Seeker" means that you truly want to find a way to connect with him. You've stopped pretending that you have it all together and are open to the possibility that God does exist and that He wants a very important place in your life. You may already know that He exists and are already in church serving Him the best way that you know how. Still you may think that you know about Him - but don't really KNOW Him.

Why do you really want to know God? Is it just to get something from Him or to really get to know Him on His level?

People seek God for many different reasons. Some are just into religion and feel that if they go to church and become a part of all the programs, that God is pleased with them. Others are looking for God to help them out of some big problem, or give them relief from pain in their lives. For most people to become a "true seeker", though, they have to get to the point that they are miserable in the condition that their life is in at the moment. As long as you are satisfied with the way your life is, you won't have a desire for anything better.

Please do some soul-searching and really find out why you want to know God. If you want to find him for any other reason than just to "know" Him, then your motivation is wrong. In the world, a person's success is gauged by money, prestige, material things, power, etc. God has a different plan for our success than what we might think we want. His plan will always be for our very best, but if we are not seeking Him just to "know" Him, then we might be disappointed.

It is good to ask yourself the questions "What am I looking for?" and "What does God offer me?"

If you will read the Bible, you will see how much God has given to you already. Since He always has your best interest at heart, He might not give you the exact thing you have asked for. You should always expect the unexpected, and make it your goal to find Who God Is - no matter what the outcome. What everything comes down to is that a person who is really "seeking" God learns to seek His Face, and not just what they can get from the gifts of His Hands.

Are you placing limitations on God?

We, as just fleshly people, are not able to see the whole picture as God can. He created us to have a close relationship with Him, as well as with others. He wants us to live this life in a way that lines up with His purpose for it. Even though we may think that we have everything figured out and know what is best for us, God always knows what's best. We can always trust Him with our lives because He will never leave or forsake us, and He always has our best interest at heart.

God wants to be a powerful presence in each of our lives, not just an idea in our heads. God will take you as you are, but He doesn't want to leave you that way. He wants each of us to let Him make us into whatever He wants us to be. In the long run, that will always be a thousand times better than anything we could ever dream up ourselves.

What do you think about Jesus?

Our intellectual mind wants to decide if there is a God, and then try to figure out who Jesus is. Many "seekers" discover that when they deal with the person of Jesus, they find answers to many other questions.

Is there a God?

Yes, and He came to earth in human form in the person of Jesus Christ. John 16: 28 - I (Jesus) came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.

Does God love me?

Yes He does. John 3: 16 - 17 - For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world though Him.

What does God want from you?

God wants a personal relationship with you. He wants you to become a member of a church that teaches His Word unashamedly. He also wants you to be a member of a church that believes that Jesus is the Son of God, that he was born of a virgin, that He died and rose again, that He lives right now interceding for His children to the Father on their behalf, and that one day He will come again to received all His children up to Heaven to live with Him forever. He wants you to be a vital member of a church that teaches these things so that you can grow and become a mature Christian.

What do I have to do to live forever?

Accept Jesus as your Savior and make Him Lord of your life. John 6: 40 - For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise Him up at the last day.

How can I experience meaning and purpose in life?

You can do this by following Jesus and growing in a personal relationship with Him. The church is the tool that He has chosen on earth to proclaim His wishes to the world. When you join the one that you feel God is leading you to, you can also begin to cultivate true Christian fellowship with other Christians. Then you can start to encourage each other and be there for each other in times of trials or problems. God meant for His Church to be a lighthouse for the world to see so that others could see that Christians handle things differently than people in the world do.

According to the Bible, you must come to terms with Jesus before you can have a relationship to God. Jesus is the way to God. He is the most influential person in history. He was a poor itinerant preacher, and the poor son of a carpenter, but He changed the entire course of world history.

No person really searching spiritually can overlook him. Because of Him, world history was split into two eras - B. C. and A. D. - before Him and after Him.

How will you respond to Jesus?

It is not enough to just have a head knowledge of Jesus. You can read and believe every word of the Bible, believe that Jesus walked on earth and lived a perfect life, that He died, that He rose again from the dead, and that He will come again one day to claim His Bride. But first of all, you must take a step of faith and receive Him into your life and believe that He paid the debt you owe for your sin but could never pay yourself. After this, you will need to get in a church that can disciple you so that you can become a mature Christian. Salvation is a free gift, but you must respond personally and deliberately, or the gift will remain unopened and unenjoyed.

You can receive Jesus into your heart right now. It's as simple as saying the following prayer and really meaning it.

"Jesus, I acknowledge my sin and Your payment for it on the cross. I now ask You to forgive me of my sins and be my Heavenly Father. Show me what I need to do to live a life where I can be useable by you. Also please give me a passion for you and a desire to read and understand your Word. Help me to put you first in everything that I do. Please show me your ways."

Some Practical Helps

Keeping in mind the previous questions, here are some practical ideas to guide you in your spiritual search:

Ask God to reveal Himself if you're not sure He's there.

Read the Bible by starting with the New Testament books of John, Acts and Romans.

Talk to people who have a genuine relationship with God - those who really love Him and who live by a different set of principles.

Spend time in nature, observing and experiencing God's creation.

Always love truth and question things for your own self to make sure they are really truth and not just another person's opinions.

Ask God-followers why they believe what they believe and how they know their beliefs are true.

Recognize that God must make sense, and that His truth may go beyond your logical reasoning in the flesh.

Look at Christian bookstores of church libraries for good books to read that can answer more of your questions. You can also ask Christian friends for authors who have inspired them in their Christian walk.

Write down your questions about everything and take them to a knowledgeable Christian who you think you can trust to explain the truth.

Try not to let the things you already believe or have been taught for years keep you from your quest of the truth.

Keep a journal of your feelings and thoughts during your search.

Remember that what has happened in your past can very much influence your present ability to be objective about the things of God.

Determine to seek God until you find Him and then act on that information.

To find out about the 5 Steps to Salvation, click here.