Parkwood Baptist Church

“Then the LORD said to Noah, ‘Go into the ark you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation.'” (Genesis 7:1)

Our “One Story” actually contains hundreds of smaller stories that all contribute to the bigger picture.  It is a symphony of many instruments working together to produce a beautiful piece of music.  Each instrument has its own unique sound, but, when put together with the other stories, they produce a harmony and unity that reveals a single-minded God, set on redeeming His people.  We know this because we started at the beginning.

This knowledge helps us whenever we read the stories of the Bible.  We read each story in the context of the foundations established from the very “beginning”.  God created this world, loves this world, provides for this world, and pursues the redemption of this world.

For example, today’s story is a very familiar one, the story of Noah and the ark.  It is a great story known by people in the church and outside it.  But if we read it without knowing the whole story it is simply about an angry God who destroys His creation that has gone out of control (with the exception of Noah’s family and some animals).  The story taken on its own is a good one but, taken out of the context of the bigger story, our understanding is limited and the deeper meaning can be missed.

For this reason we can see that this story is about hope.  It is a story about a God who refuses to give up on His beloved creation and provides an opportunity for salvation.  It is a dramatic rescue mission carried out by a caring Creator.  It is the intervention of a loving Father desperate to save His rebellious children.  How do we know this?  Because we have been reading from the beginning.

The Bible tells us that Noah was a righteous preacher (2 Peter 2:5) and that it took Noah a long time to build the ark.  This shows us another characteristic of our wonderful God…He is patient and provides more than enough opportunity for His people to respond to His pleas…if they choose to.

Once again the choice that God has provided from the beginning presents itself.  Will you trust Him?  Will you believe?  Will you come when He calls?

In the story of the flood, God intervenes.  He takes the initiative to reach out and rescue a stubborn people.  He not only takes the initiative but He also provides the way of salvation.  Then He provides ample opportunity to respond…to accept His help…to grab onto His hand.  Sound familiar?  Do you see how this fits together?

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly…and God demonstrated His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6-8)

As we meditate on the sacrifice of Jesus, we can see the God of Genesis, once again, providing the way for His people.  Jesus referred to Himself as the “door”…”the narrow gate”…”the Way”.  The ark of Noah was an illustration of things to come.  A greater rescue…once for all.  Do you see it?

From the very beginning, God has been committed to rescuing you…He has not stopped pursuing you now.  Today, in the flood of activities around you, will you take the opportunity that He offers you to come into the ark of His presence and experience His rescue?

This can be your story.

“The LORD said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.‘” (Genesis 4:6, 7)

We are still at the beginning of our story and setting the stage. It has been quite dramatic as the Almighty Creator called the world into existence and formed us in His image! Then, with loving care, He placed us in a garden, provided all we needed, including…a choice. Freedom to enter into a loving relationship with our heavenly Father.

But, instead of trusting in Him, we used the gift of this freedom to go our own way (Isaiah 53:6). We questioned the intentions of our compassionate Creator and our intimate communion was broken. A new character has entered our story. In today’s Scripture that antagonist is called “sin”…and the stage is set for the greatest story ever told. The story of the relentless pursuit of a God committed to rescuing His loved ones at all cost!

Throughout the Bible this struggle with “sin” is referred to as a war that we are battling. A constant temptation to question the intentions of our God. We now have an enemy that pulls us away from our intended fellowship with God and leaves us in a state of despair and hopelessness.

Of course, our hero…the God of all creation, has not left us but continues to intervene. In today’s passage the Lord speaks to the discouraged Cain with a word of warning and encouragement. “Look out, Cain, sin is at the door!” Again we are reminded that there is a choice to be made. God has not rejected us. After we opened the door to unbelief and went our own way, God did not give up. Although we broke His heart with our choice He did not leave us. He began His divine mission to bring us back into fellowship. In Cain’s part of this story we are made aware that our new enemy is close by…”crouching at the door”. Later, the Apostle Peter gives this description:

“Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him…” (1 Peter 5:8, 9)

Jesus described the enemy as a thief who “comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10). As we will see, most of the drama in our story comes from our struggle to resist or “rule over” such a destructive force. In fact, in today’s part of our story, Cain’s failure to win the day reminds us of our shortcomings when dealing with this lion at our “door”. How can we win this battle on our own? We, like Cain, find it hard not to follow this path of self-destruction. Who can save us? We cry with David in Psalm 121, “Where will our help come from?”

The answer…”My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:2). Before we get too far down the road in our story we must not forget about the God who made us and loves us and wants to take care of us. He is still here. He is still pursuing us. He is standing ready to rescue those who will “choose” to return and follow Him.

Today, are you angry? Are you frustrated with the condition of our world today? When watching the latest tragedy on the news are you wondering what is going on? Are you tempted to blame the compassionate Creator? Look out! The enemy is “crouching at the door”. The pain and destruction you see is the evidence that sin exists…it is real. Turn to God in trust and faith.

It breaks His heart too. Jesus said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28).

This is your story.

“And the Lord planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there He put the man whom He had formed.  And out of the ground, the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food.”      (Genesis 2:8, 9)

Yesterday our story started “In the beginning…” where we learned an essential truth to understanding the rest of the story…we are made by God.  He is the Author and Creator of our story.  We did not just stumble into God’s story by accident.  He intentionally created us for this.  We are not just some secondary characters in this world.  We are not just “extras” in God’s movie.  This is our story!

Another truth that we find at the beginning of our story is that the God who made us takes care of us.  The Scripture today reveals that He made a beautiful place for us and provided all that we needed.  This is also essential in understanding everything that follows…our God is the God who provides all that we need!  Later David says,

“The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures.  He leads me beside still waters.  He restores my soul.” (Psalm 23:1, 2).

We will find that this is consistent throughout our whole story from beginning to end…God provides.  He is described not only as the Good Shepherd, but also the Loving Father, the Tender Gardener…”our Refuge and Strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1).  The Author of our story never leaves us hanging.  He is the Hero of our story!

Yes, God loves us and His desire is for us to love Him and enjoy fellowship with Him.  He provides everything needed to make that happen…including a choice.  For love to be genuine there needs to be the freedom to respond or not respond to this One who loves us.  Therefore, we find that God provides a choice.

“You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but…” (Genesis 2:16)

What?  A small tweak to this wonderful story…a decision to be made.  The rest is, as they say, history.  As the readers of this story we see it coming a mile away.  It’s an accident waiting to happen.  We are sitting in the theater shouting at the screen, “Don’t do it!”  “It’s a TRAP!”  How could our “loving” God sabotage us like this?  What possible good could come out of this?

It is a question asked since the beginning, but answered over and over throughout the story.  God so loved us that He gave us the freedom to believe Him or not…to follow or not…to love Him or not.  Choice is a key ingredient to Love.  It is a matter of trust in our Maker.  It is believing that He has our back and that He would never steer us wrong.  The Bible calls this “faith”.   The temptation of Adam and Eve was to not trust God…not believe Him…to not have “faith” in Him.

“Did God actually say…“, said the serpent, “God is not interested in your well-being.  He is holding you back.”  They chose to believe the lie and our story takes an unfortunate turn.  We have broken fellowship with the very One who created us and cared for us.  We find ourselves outside the garden…cold and alone…longing for the warmth we enjoyed before.  We want to come home but we are lost and can’t find our way back.

Wait!  It’s just getting started.  The rest of this wonderful story tells us how our Father came after us to restore what was lost.  Although we did not trust Him, He has not stopped loving us.  He has pursued us from the “beginning” and still does today.

Maybe you are doubting today.  You are struggling with trust.  Your faith seems fragile at best.  Know this…the One who created you loves you and has made a way for you to come back.

This is your story.

“In the beginning God created…” (Genesis 1:1)

The Bible is the greatest story ever told!  It is the wonderful story of God and us…His creation…His people.  It is not God’s story.  That story is more than any one book could ever hold.  God “was” before this story begins.  He has no beginning.  He has always been.  This story is God’s story about us and the world we live in.  It is a story about a loving God pursuing His people who lost their way and needed rescuing (oops…spoiler alert).  The climax of this story is the death and resurrection of Jesus which we are thinking about during the Lenten season.  Everything before this event in the story leads up to this and everything after it refers back to it.

So, let’s walk together over the next 40 days and 6 Sabbaths through this story.  Yes.  I want to challenge us to look at the ONE story from the beginning to the end.  The “whole enchilada”.  An overview…the bigger picture!  It is my prayer that we will be able to see the story as one and gain some insight into how the Scripture is unified in theme and purpose.  It is the story of true love revealed and experienced!

It is an old story that has been written over thousands of years and includes many parts…66 Books…1189 chapters!  It is a story told by God and, although He is the Author, many writers were called on to contribute to this story under God’s inspiration and direction.  God is already present when our story begins and He remains the main character in this story from “the beginning”, as the Scripture tells us.  He also will continue “to be” after this story finishes (spoiler alert…we can too).  He has no ending.  He is eternal.  This story is our story narrated by God.

All great stories have great beginnings.  The common phrase, “Once upon a time…” often takes us to that place.  It’s a place “A long, long time ago…”  Great beginnings are very important because they tell us the foundational things that we will need to know and remember throughout the story.  It is usually about origins and almost always introduces the main characters that we will follow.

The story of the Bible has a great beginning!  It takes us back to the “beginning”…our beginning.  It is not the beginning of God.  As stated earlier, His story is bigger than any One story can hold.  This is the beginning of our story.  Since He has always been He is already there when our story starts.

As we start this journey together we are reminded in the opening line of our story that God started it all.  He created this world and all that is in it.  He created us…and that means you!  We have His fingerprints all over us.  He thought this world up and brought it into being.  We must understand that The Bible is not a science book concerned with theories and hypotheses.  It is a Truth Book concerned with answering the bigger questions in life like, “Who are we?”, “Where did we come from?”, and “Why are we here?”.

Our story begins by giving us a foundational Truth that is essential in understanding the rest of the story.  Don’t miss it as we start our Lenten season together.  God started it.  “In the beginning God created…”.  You are created by God.  Make no mistake about it.  You are His idea.  You are His handiwork (Psalm 139:13-16).

Rest in this Truth today as you begin this Lenten journey:

This is your story.

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.  Be sober minded; be watchful.  Your adversary, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  Resist him, firm in your faith…” – Peter      (1 Peter 5:6-9)

Resistance is a hard discipline.  By definition, it requires a concerted effort to pull against a natural stress or tendency.  The Scripture tells us that we are all pulled toward the “natural” tendency of sin.  We are born selfish and self centered so our minds and our hearts are fertile ground for the seeds of the devil’s temptations.

Peter was a disciple familiar with temptation and the grief it can bring when we allow it to distract us from our relationship with Jesus.  His failures have been documented and read in churches for the last 2000 years.  So what advice does this salty old disciple have for those of us who are struggling?  “Resist!”

He doesn’t say, “Run!”  He doesn’t say, “Don’t worry about it.  You’re only human.”  He calls us, as disciples, to active resistance.  This word demands us to be a part of our ongoing sanctification.  Peter is reminding us that we are to remain aware of the temptation around us and that the devil is always looking for an opportunity to distract us.  In every encounter with this hungry lion, we are given the choice of resisting or giving in.

Peter acknowledges that we will have cares and concerns in this world and that it will not always be easy to resist, but he gives us some direction…”cast your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you”.  The devil does NOT care for you.  His goal is to bring you down and make you ineffective.  Resist him!  You have a Father in heaven who cares for you and will be there for you…always!  You can do this!  Because He is with you…you can do this!  Resist!

James said, “resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).  This is not because you are a spiritual super hero…this is because Jesus is your Refuge and Strength and the devil fears HIM!  So, we must anchor ourselves in the arms of Jesus and resist!

Easy?  No.  Resistance is a deliberate act against our natural tendency to be our own savior.  It is a decision to live contrary to what the world says and to find fulfillment in our relationship to “Our Father who art in heaven”.

Today, O Believer, embrace your Savior and resist the devil!

A Message from Pastor Daniel

“And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the place ‘The LORD will provide,” as it is said to this day, ‘On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided’” (Gen 22:13-14, NRSV)

The story of God’s call to Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice is known to most people, Christian and non-Christian alike. The account as found in Genesis 22 is certainly telescoped, yet the reader hardly fails to notice the high drama and intense emotions in the story. The story reveals the patriarch’s agonizing obedience, faith, and trust in God’s providence.

The drama begins when Abraham is commanded by God to “take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love,” and sacrifice him on a mountain in the land of Moriah (v. 2). It is certainly not a stretch of the imagination to envision father and son’s embrace as Abraham got ready to sacrifice Isaac, who voluntarily presented himself as the sacrificial offering (vv. 9-10). It is at this point in the story that God ordered Abraham to spare Isaac’s life. The patriarch looked up and saw a ram providentially “caught in a thicket.” Abraham substituted this sheep for Isaac as a burnt offering, illustrating God’s willingness to accept animal sacrifice in place of human life (vv. 11-13). The story shows that God, the Creator, would not have human sacrifices used to appease Him, possibly a commutation of human sacrifices that were rampant in ancient cultures. A better and ultimate sacrifice is provided by the promised Messiah. Jesus Christ is sacrificed in our stead, as this ram instead of Isaac, and His death is our discharge.

Abraham clearly understood God’s provision and called the place in Hebrew Yahweh yireh, which is translated “the Lord will provide” (v. 14; the Hebrew verb ra’ah, from which yireh is derived, means “to see;” the God who “sees” everything, past, present, and future, is able to anticipate and provide for our needs). Abraham presented himself before God, willing to give the very best offering and trusting in God to supply his every need. First, Abraham’s instruction to his two servants reveals his implicit trust in God: “Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you” (v. 5). Abraham then explicitly reiterates his trust in God in his response to that heart-wrenching and piercing question from Isaac: “Father, …the fire and wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? Abraham said, ‘God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.’ So the two of them walked together” (vv. 7-8).

Sure enough, the Lord met Abraham’s needs by providing a ram. We can also expect God to provide for us when we truly trust Him and offer all we are to Him. God demonstrated His generosity by giving us the perfect and ultimate sacrifice in Jesus (Rom8:32). May we imitate and worship Him in love with the best of our time, talents, and possessions.

“And a ruler asked Him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to have eternal life?’ And Jesus said, ‘You know the commandments…’ And he said, ‘All these I have kept from my youth.’ When Jesus heard this, He said to him, ‘One thing you still lack. Sell all you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.'” (Luke 18:18-22)

Wouldn’t you hate to find out that you missed out on eternal life because of “one thing”?  When Jesus was talking to this young rich man about his eternal destination it came down to just that…”one thing you lack”.  This was a good and moral man.  He was religious and had kept all the commandments since he was younger.  He was successful in life and had done well for himself.  He had an interest in spiritual things and his eternal destiny.  In other words, he was primed and ready for a salvation experience.

Jesus begins by answering the man’s question the way we think he should…be a good religious person.  This answer, however, was not enough for the young man.  In fact, he knew that it was not the whole answer.  He had enough spiritual awareness that he knew there was something more than religious laws and being a good person.  That was what brought him to Jesus in the first place.  He had already realized that his religious practices were falling short of providing what his soul needed.

“Come on, Jesus!  Give it to me straight.  There has to be more than going through the motions of religion!”

Your right, there is “one thing you lack”.  For this young man, it was his material wealth that stood between him and a genuine experience with Jesus.  It was the “one thing” that he was unwilling to give over to Jesus.  It was the “one thing” that kept him from being 100% surrendered.

Everyone of us has that “one thing”.  For some, like this man, it is their material comfort.  For others it is health, relationships, position, power…pride.  The man in the story walked away from Jesus sad because he was still unwilling to give it all.  The Scripture says that Jesus was grieved as well.

How many people come so close to Jesus…aware of who He is and what He has to offer…and, yet…”one thing” keeps them from that abundant life that God promises through a relationship with Jesus.

Today, O believer,  is there anything between you and total surrrender to Jesus.  Come to Him…lay it on the altar…and follow Him.  You will never regret it.

“Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how He told you, while He was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.”                                           – Angel at the tomb (Luke 24:5-7)

“I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.  Do you believe this?” -Jesus  in a graveyard (John 11:25, 26)

“Death is swallowed up in victory.  O death, where is your victory?  O death, where is your sting?  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!”                                                                       – Apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 15:55-57)

He has risen!  He has risen indeed!  Don’t believe it?  Roll away the stone!  Nope.  He is not here.  He has things to do.  He is the living God and, like all living things, He is up moving about doing the work of His Kingdom.   We serve a LIVING Savior!

Many have come and gone that have claimed to be a god or divine.  There have been just as many that have given their life for a cause or were martyred on behalf of their followers.  We can go to graveyards and tombs around this world and give tribute to their memory.  However magnificent and altruistic their words and deeds were…none were able to defeat the final enemy of death.

But…then came Jesus!!!

 “He is the image of the invisible God, the first born of all creation.  For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through Him and for Him.  And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.  And He is the Head of the body, the church.  He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead…” (Colossians 1:15-18)

He came to reveal God to us in the flesh.  “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father” (John 14:9).  He then died for us taking away the barrier of sin that separated us from our Holy Creator.  Then, to show His authority over death and life, He rose from the dead and is alive today!  That’s right, Jesus took death out of the picture.  You can try to bury Him in a grave or put Him away in a tomb.  You can put a stone over the entrance and seal it up but Jesus will always burst forth!  He is the LIVING Savior and cannot be contained!

Friend, do you live in fear of what is to come?  Are you looking for a hope that will give meaning to this life and the next?  Do you need a Savior that not only is willing to die for you but give you the life you were intended to experience?  Well, I have good news…Jesus is ALIVE!  He lives so that you can live through Him!

“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18)

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.  Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” – Jesus (John 3:16-18)

Life is filled with choices.  Everyday we must decide how we respond to the circumstances around us.  Do we go right or left?  Do we say hello or keep silent?  Do we get up or hit the “snooze”?  Where should I go to college?    Some are simple and have little impact on our life and some are big and can determine our future path.

There is a decision that is THE most important decision that you will ever make.  It is the decision that affects every aspect of your life from now to eternity.  This decision deals with your past, defines your present and determines your future.  There is no greater decision you will make.  In fact, this decision will direct every other one you will ever make.

How will you respond to the cross of Jesus?

Is it just another dramatic story of a martyred religious leader or was this a rescue orchestrated and carried out by God Himself?  Is it what the Scripture says it is…God demonstrating His great love for you?  Or, are we doomed to fend for ourselves in bondage to our selfishness and pride…lost in a world without meaning?  Could the cross be the pathway to your forgiveness and fulfillment?  Is the cross foolishness or the power of God to you?

The cross of Jesus requires us to respond.  Do you believe it or not?  We can decide that it is foolish…that it doesn’t make sense…the cross was a failure…and we can walk away continuing to search for the answer to the aching within us.  We can decide that it is unbelievable and not for us.  There is no way the God of the universe would do this for all people…let alone me.  And we bury the body of Jesus in a tomb and walk away without hope.

It was almost like God gave the followers of Jesus some time to think it over that first Saturday after Jesus was buried.  It was a day when the reality of the cross of Jesus began to sink in and each one needed to decide what they believed.  Was He really who He said He was?  Were all the promises of hope and eternal life empty?  What was that He said about suffering and dying…and the third day?

How do we find the hope of the Messiah in the midst of the graveyard?  We must understand the simple truth that Jesus died, but He died in our place so that we could live!  Jesus erased our sin and transformed an instrument of execution into an instrument of restoration.  He took away the fear of death and transformed a “dead-end” into a pathway into eternal life.

The beatitudes are characteristics of those who have chosen to believe it for themselves.  They are signs that you have made the cross and the resurrection personal.  It is no longer a religion for you but a relationship.  All of the blessings of these attitudes are the benefits of a genuine decision to follow Jesus as your Savior and Lord.

Have you decided to follow Jesus?  The answer to that question determines everything.

“…for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:10)

“When Jesus received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished,’ and He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.” (John 19:30)

“And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed His last.  And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.” (Mark 15:37, 38)

Done.  The last towel has been folded.  The last dish has been washed.  Done.  The bill has been paid.  Mission accomplished.  Nothing left to do…no loose ends to be tied up.  Done.  We have pulled into the driveway…we are home.  “You have arrived at your destination”

There is a sense of relief when something is finished.  A celebration when you have arrived at the destination or achieved the goal you were striving for.  The apron comes off…you hit the send button and you are able to sit down and relax.

This phrase spoken by Jesus from the cross is actually only one word that we translate “It is finished”.  It is an accounting term that literally means “paid” or “done”.  Jesus was not saying, “I give up.” or “I have had enough.”  Jesus was finishing what He came to accomplish.  This was a cry of victory not of concession.  Everything that needed to happen to bring redemption to His creation was finished.  There is nothing left to be done.  Every barrier has been removed and every debt paid.  Nothing has been left outstanding.  Done.

This tells us some wonderful things about our God.  He had a plan, a process and a goal in mind.  The cross was the plan from the beginning and the means for restoring our relationship with Him.  It also shows us that He is the one who executed the plan.  He has done it!  Paul said,

“For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”   (Ephesians 2:8, 9)

Therefore, it was His plan that He executed and…that He completed!  Done!  Nothing left for Him to do or, more importantly, nothing left for you to do.  That’s right, there is nothing more that needs to be done for your salvation.  The bill has been paid.  There are no dishes to wash…no hoops to jump through.  Put a stamp on it.  You don’t have to get your act together before you experience the forgiveness made available to you in Christ Jesus.  “Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).  Your sin?  FORGIVEN.  Your burden?  LIFTED.  Your salvation? COMPLETED.  Every stumbling block has been removed…the gates have burst open…the curtain that has separated us from the presence of God has been torn in two…from TOP to bottom (God did it).  Access Granted.  Done!

The work is done!  The table is set.  The food has been prepared.  There is a place for you.  Come, you who are weary of striving for your own salvation.  Come all you who are punishing yourself and feeling unworthy.  Come!  Jesus loves you and has demonstrated it by His work on the cross.  Come to the cross.  It is sufficient for you!  He has made a way and all you need to do is come to Him just as you are and He will take it from here.