Every pursuit begins with a first step.

That first step is a step of faith. In fact, some may say that risk and faith have a lot in common.
The Bible says it this way about taking a step of faith. Hebrews 11:6 NIV “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Pursuing or seeking God starts with a step of faith and ends with a promise that God will bless those who pursue Him. Jesus already initiated this pursuit by taking the first step to us. The Bible says that “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19 NIV). Consider how the love of Jesus motivated him to make a path for transformation and connection with him.

Consider how the love of Jesus motivated him to make a path for transformation and connection with him.

  1. Jesus loves you and has more for you
    John 10:10 NIV “…I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
  2. We are all broken (sin) and lost (separated)
    Romans 3:23 NLT “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”
    Isaiah 59:2 NLT “It’s your sins that have cut you off from God…”
  3. Jesus became the cure and sacrificed his life for you
    Romans 5:8 NLT “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”
    Romans 6:23 NLT “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”
  4. Jesus seeks you and invites you to him
    Luke 19:10 NLT “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”
  5. Jesus wants to empower a fresh life for you
    2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”
    Acts 1:8 NIV “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you…”
    Galatians 5:22-23 NIV “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
  6. Jesus gives you a choice
    Revelation 3:20 NLT “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.”

Saying yes to Jesus is the first step of faith and is our reasonable response to Jesus’s radical love.

Sometimes we feel that in order to take a step, we need all the answers and all of our questions have to add up in our minds.
God usually answers our questions while we are in motion towards Him. So instead of waiting to get all of our questions answered, start with a step of faith first. Other times, we wont make a choice to believe thinking we can hang out in the neutral zone. But Jesus actually says there is no neutral ground. In Matthew 12:30 he says, “Whoever is not with me is against me…”. So in his own words, Jesus says that to not choose faith in him is to choose to be against him. If you haven't taken that first step of faith, it's as simple as praying this prayer. You can pray by yourself, using your own words. There is no special formula. Just pray from your heart to God, and he will save you. If you feel lost and don’t know what to pray, here’s a salvation prayer that you can follow:

“Lord Jesus, I ask your forgiveness for my sins. Thank you for dying on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins. I believe you died for my sins and I receive you as my Savior and Lord. I invite you into my life and I want to follow you as my Savior and Lord.”

This is the most important day of your life!

We’re excited that you have made a commitment to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and serve him as your Lord. 
Life still isn’t perfect now that I’m following Jesus, but it is purposeful. The more we get to know God, the more we see the purpose of our own lives.

So, what is next?

First, you need to know that you have been given a new life! The Bible says, “Those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun”. 2 Corinthians 5:17

Second, meet the Holy Spirit, who can do it all. He is the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit is a person. He is God. He is the third person of the Holy Trinity. He comes to dwell inside every person who receives the Lord Jesus Christ as his or her Savior. The Holy Spirit pours God’s love into our hearts and moves us from death to life. Saying yes to Jesus is the most supernatural thing we will ever experience. When a person puts their faith in Christ for salvation, it is the Spirit who opens the heart and imparts divine life. The Bible says, "And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.” Romans 8:11 NIV. He has limitless power and wisdom, yet He willingly comes to live inside any person who believes in Jesus Christ. That means we have access to His amazing power. The Holy Spirit is a beautiful and powerful part of who God is. We need Him in our life as a conduit to become who God created us to be, and through His power we have aid in all situations. Without Him, we are powerless.

Third, when Jesus talked with His disciples about experiencing life to the fullest, He challenged them to have an “ALL IN” mentality. Having an “ALL IN” mindset and attitude is about living a life centered around Jesus, where we decrease so that He can increase in us. Jesus said it best in Luke 19:26 (MSG) “He said, ‘That’s what I mean: Risk your life and get more than you ever dreamed of. Play it safe and end up holding the bag.” Living as “ALL IN” requires a “Risk ALL” attitude. Risk requires vulnerability and the willingness to be known by others. Risk requires sacrifice and obedience to God’s voice and direction. It means to risk all that I have to be all that he wants me to be. This is the Vertical Pursuit Creed!

“Risk All To Be All”

You are now ready to start your Vertical Pursuit journey and dive in to the Book and begin your discipleship experience!