Dear First Friday friend,
Do you feel like you’re on a quest? Do you come to First Friday, or are you visiting this website because you’ve found it to be a place where you receive ways to deal with your challenges? That is what we offer. But if you sense there’s more than the techniques and advice, you’re right. The truth is, you can try and try to live life well. You can attempt to find peace and satisfaction from following the principles that you’re learning from our experts. You can continually try to fill a void through work, family, motherhood, exercise or material possessions. But you still come up empty. Again, if you sense there’s something more, it’s because there is more and you were made to find out what it is.
There is one thread that connects each one of our speakers. It is the basis of their success, their happiness and their peace in not just their area of expertise, but in their entire lives. It is knowing God. Because of this relationship with their Creator, they receive purpose, peace and hope, even in the midst of insurmountable circumstances.
Life can be tough, and the lessons our speakers share have been learned from experience. Yet because they have a real relationship with the One who made them, they have held His hand through tough times, and received power, strength, peace, love and joy.
“I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future…” Jeremiah 29:11
This is God’s original plan. It was not for you to strive by yourself to make life work, which only results in defeat and despair. God’s plan for you to be so connected to Him that you walk through your whole life with an abiding peace and an abundant joy. Jesus said:
“My peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
John 14:27
HOW DO I FIND THIS PEACE?
This inner peace does not come from tips and techniques. Sure, God has given us each other for help along the way, and we must have instruction to learn how to really live the way we were created to live. God made us to need each other. But to find lasting peace, the first step is to realize where you came from. Here’s a little bit about our heredity:
When God created Adam and Eve, He gave them a perfect place to live as they enjoyed life and enjoyed a relationship with their Creator…God. No unhappiness, emptiness, or dissatisfaction existed. There was nothing blocking the relationship between them and God. Their schedules weren’t too busy. They had employment. They had no fear, no worry, no stress. But because He created them to choose a relationship with Him, they were not mindless robots. He gave them a free will. When the time came for them to choose between good and evil (sin), they chose to sin. And now all of us have inherited this sin nature from Adam and Eve. This is the bad news. Black or white, big or small, female and male, we are all sinners.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23
Deep inside, you probably already knew you’ve sinned. It’s not a secret that we all are sinners. Like everyone else, you’ve made mistakes and poor choices. Our entire heredity is sinful. This is why we have no peace with God. Our sin disconnected us from Him. Sin means literally “to miss the mark.” Note the middle letter of the word “sin” is “I”. And when I put “I” at the center of my life, I miss the mark. In fact, there’s a verse in Isaiah 47:8 that describes sin as: “I am, and there is none besides me.” Or, as Frank Sinatra signature song proclaims, “I did it my way.” Perhaps this has been your motto. “I am! And there is none besides me!” This type of self-centeredness comes “natural.” If you have been around children, it is obvious they did not have to be taught to say, “mine,” or “I want!” This is the essence of our sin nature. And when we set ourselves up as our own god, we are left empty, hopeless and miserable.
Here’s some good news….you are not God! Just realizing this much takes off so much pressure. But, you are made to be in relationship with God. When we’re disconnected from Him because of our sin, we are uneasy, something’s just never right. And we are held captive to eternal death–physically and spiritually.
“Your sins have separated you from God.” Isaiah 59:2
and “the wages of sin is death…” Romans 6:23
SO HOW DO I RE-CONNECT WITH GOD?
JESUS IS THE ANSWER!
We re-connect with God through Jesus. When sin demanded a ransom. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay that ransom for you. Jesus came:
to forgive your sins
to offer you the free gift of salvation
to restore your relationship with God
to redeem you from an empty way of living
to be an abiding peace in the storm of your life AND
to give you a purpose and fulfilling life on earth.
God demonstrates His love for us in this:
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
Jesus wants to connect to you personally. His death and resurrection was for you, personally, before you did anything right or worthy. Jesus died for your failures so you don’t have to.
“God loved you so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that when you believe in Him you shall have eternal life.” John 3:16
HOW CAN YOU RESPOND?
To embrace this amazing gift of love Christ offers, all we have to do is open our hearts, and ask him in.
“Jesus said “Behold I stand at the door and knock.
If any one opens the door, I will come in.” Revelations 3:20
You can have a tree filled to overflowing underneath with wrapped Christmas gifts, but until you accept, open and receive them, they are not yours and you do not receive the benefit. Your response to Christ’s gift of salvation and forgiveness is to open your heart and receive that gift.
Have you received Jesus’ give for you? Has there been a specific moment that you have asked him in and told him you believed? There was a moment when you heard about First Friday. And now you are reading this letter. Could this be a “gift awaiting to be open under your tree.” If you haven’t done so already, let this be your moment you ask Jesus in.
“If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”
Romans 10:9-10
Here is a simple prayer you can pray now to receive this gift:
Dear Jesus, I need you. I am so lost and hopeless without you. Yes, I admit I am a sinner. I can’t live my life without you anymore. And I don’t want to be god of my life. I believe you are who you said you are–that you came to earth to die for ME. You rose again 3 days later and are still alive in heaven for me. Please come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. Change me to become the person you created me to be. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
“I (Jesus) tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes in Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” John 5:24
YOUR NEXT STEPS:
1. Tell a friend or a First Friday woman what you have done.
2. Get to know God by reading your Bible regularly, praying and finding a local church:
*Get a Bible and read it. We have Bibles at First Friday or can recommend one for you. The Bible God’s Word to you, and it is the best way to get to know Him. As you read His letter, you will learn what He is like, hear Him speak to you, and gain strength and direction for your life. If you are not at First Friday when you read this, use the email, info@firstfridaywomen.com and ask for suggestions. Find a women’s Bible Study and join it. Ask a friend, but we also keep a list of area studies that are available.
*Pray. Prayer is simply talking and listening to God. Talk to Him as you would as you get to know a friend. Some people close their eyes when they pray. You can talk to God anywhere anytime. He hears you.
*Find a church. Look for a place where the Bible is opened every Sunday and is used as a basis for the message. Church gives you a place where you find support, connect with other believers, hear God’s message “out loud” weekly, and learn to grow and worship Him.
God loves you so much He laid this letter before you today. If you sincerely prayed this prayer, Jesus now lives in you. Begin your relationship with Him like you would with a new friend. Talk to Him, listen to Him and spend time with Him. The First Friday team and our speakers learned how to do it…and as your read the Bible and seek God, He will show you how to do it, too. This is your destiny.
