As you start on this journey with Jesus, you need to see it as being different from the other things you have tried over the years. We have all been experimenting with certain rules for life, philosophies we accept as ours, and things we accept as truths. We got great promises from world systems to help and aid us in our success in life. And, we have tried them, believed in them, and have felt that they worked for us or we have been disappointed by them. Those things you feel worked for you, you tend to keep; those things you feel failed you, you are willing to allow Jesus to replace with something better.

The thing you are being exposed to, in these programs is, to present Who Jesus is and how He feels about people. Your opinions about Jesus have a lot to do with your “experiences” with Him. Some have prayed for things that they felt they must have and He didn’t provide them. Some have read the Bible and have disagreed with Jesus concerning what He requires or how He handled things in the Old Testament. Other people have had people tell them their experiences or what they believe about God. Then from all those sources of information they have formed an opinion, as to Who Jesus is and how He treats people.

No matter how long you have been a Christian, the issue still is, how well are you getting along with Jesus? Is the Bible an enjoyable experience? Is your prayer time something you could stay in all day, if you could? Do you look to Jesus for every decision you make? And, do you have wonderful feelings toward Him?

Have you ever been mad at someone only to find out you simply misunderstood them? Have you ever misjudged a person by thinking they were one kind of person and they weren’t? Have you ever trusted a person only to find out they weren’t trustworthy? We all need to accept the fact that our limited thinking, ability to analyze things, and what we consider to be the facts on the matter aren’t perfect.

Some of us need to give Jesus another chance, give Him the benefit of the doubt, let Him be innocent until proven guilty, and accept the fact that we could be wrong on a few things about Him. The Scriptures used in these programs, can help you grow to new heights in your relationship with Jesus.

You and Jesus can have a relationship that flows into life-changing things. But, you have to understand that He doesn’t approach things the way you are used to. The world evaluates you based on how much money, possessions, positions, power, prestige, popularity, or accomplishments you have. But, Jesus evaluates you on the basis of how you got all that money, possessions, positions, power, prestige, popularity, pleasure, or accomplishments. He cares about how you treated all those people in the process of getting them.

What if you allowed Jesus to show you how to live your life in complete win/win relationships with other people? What if you allowed Him to teach you His knowledge, understanding, wisdom, and love? What if you were changed in your behavior, character, and attitudes in such a way that Jesus could trust you with incredible power and opportunities to succeed at life?

Would you want the greatest accountant in the world to help you keep your books? Would you want the best lawyer in the world to represent your case in court? Would you want the most successful business person help you succeed in your business? Would you want the wises person on the planet to teach you how to live life? The answer is different the moment you consider attitudes and character. If these people became great and successful through questionable and dishonest means, they would use you and abuse you.

You want happiness, why won’t God just give it to you? You want success, why can’t you just pray and get it? You need money to pay your bills, why can’t you just get a principle out of the Bible that tells you how to do it? If all the other books and articles on the internet will give you a step-by-step set of instructions on anything you want to know, why doesn’t the Bible do that?

The answer has to do with what Jesus requires of a person, before He joins them in their efforts to try to succeed in life.