For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.

Today, I want to share the gospel with you. This is the message of how Jesus has changed my life.

Before I met Jesus, I was ________.

(insert identity before knowing Christ, either feelings or lifestyle: e.g. depressed, lonely, insecure, worried, scared, a sinner, a thief, an addict, felt like I wasn’t good enough, felt like I was living a lie, etc.)

I thought life was always going to be this way.

The truth is, all of us have made mistakes, and none of us can seem to fix ourselves. The punishment for these failures is death, separation from God. This may not sound very important to you, but this separation was the source of all my __________ (pain, fear, depression, mistakes, etc.)

But God loved me and had better plans for me. One day, I found out that despite my issues, God still wanted to have a relationship with me. He didn’t think I was too ___________________ (unlovable, bad, worthless, messed up, etc.) Since God realized that I could never solve my own problems, He took things into His own hands. Out of His great love for me, God sent Jesus to put away my ________________ (pain, fear, depression, mistakes, etc.) once and for all.

Jesus came to show me how good God really is and how much better my life could be. He went about doing good and healing all who were messed up by the brokenness of this world, people like you and me. While on earth, He faced all the temptations and struggles that I’ve seen, yet He was without sin. Because of this, He was able to pay the price for my freedom.

When the time came, Jesus willingly laid down His life on the cross. People thought He was being punished for His own mistakes, but in reality, He was being punished for mine. So that _______________ (insert what you have been delivered from) would never have to control my life again.

After He died, His body was placed into a tomb. In that moment, all of my ________________ (insert what you have been delivered from) was buried with Jesus. My old life was left in that grave. Three days later, Jesus was raised from the dead, victorious over death and sin. This resurrection wasn’t just for Jesus though, it was for me too. By making Him my Lord, that same power that raised Jesus from the dead has come in and changed my life. Since meeting Jesus, I am __________________________________ (share the transformation that the Gospel has produced in your life).

But the best part about my story today is that it isn’t finished. There are still many people in this world who are facing the same problems and hurt that controlled me for so long. Do you relate to this? Maybe as I was speaking today, you heard how Jesus has changed my life and wondered if He could do the same for you. He can. He loves you, and wants you to know Him like I do.

To enter into this relationship with Him today, you don’t have to be perfect. God didn’t save me because of my good behavior. I simply believed that He died and was raised from the dead for me. I gave my life to Him by calling on His name, and He came and gave me a new life. If you believe what I’ve shared with you and want to experience it for yourself, then repeat this prayer after me to call on Jesus.

“Jesus, I call on you as my Lord. Take my old life. Make all things new. I receive your love and forgiveness. I thank you for saving me. Amen.”

If you prayed that prayer for the first time and meant it or you just want to learn more about how to discover who God is, comment below or send me a personal message.

Now I challenge ______________ (Insert 3 Fellow Believers) to take the challenge!