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Discover a welcoming community at Taringa Baptist Church, where you can explore faith, find belonging, and grow closer to God, no matter where you’re coming from.

Do you want to learn more about Jesus and explore the major questions of life?

So, who exactly is Jesus?

The questions that people are curious and wonder about are often:

“Is God real?”, “Is what we know about Him really true?”, “What does He have to do with my life?”, to name only a few.

  • Is God real?

The Bible may not answer every question about God – and may perhaps cause us to ask more – but it does provide a definitive answer to the question of who Jesus is.

Jesus applauds the apostle Peter’s revelation of Him as “the Messiah, the Son of the Living God” (Matthew 16:16), because Jesus understood that who He is – and could be to us – had the potential to change our lives. Jesus is unique because he embodies two worlds: heaven and earth, the divine and human.

C.S. Lewis, a well-known Christian author, remarked about Jesus, “Either this man was, and is, the son of God, or else a madman or something worse.”

You can shut him up like a fool, spit at him and murder him like a demon, or fall at his feet and hail him Lord and God, but don’t come with any patronising rubbish about his being a great human teacher. He has not made that available to us. “He did not intend to.”

Yes, Jesus is the name above all names, and His ability to create stars, calm storms, and perform miracles is unparalleled. However, He is also the human Jesus, a personal friend who understands and cares about our situations.

That is why He is referred to as “Immanuel” in the Bible, meaning God with us.

  • Is what we know about Him really true?

John 3:16 reminds us of the incredible depth of God’s love for the world. He gave His one and only Son, Jesus, so that anyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

This verse is more than just a statement; it is a promise that Jesus sees us, knows us, and cares deeply for each of us.

It shows us that God’s love is not distant or conditional. It is personal, sacrificial, and overflowing. Through Jesus, we are invited into a life of purpose, peace, and relationship with the God who created us.

At the heart of it all, God is love, and that love changes everything.

  • Is Jesus concerned about you? Yes, He is. How do we know?

We frequently exclude ourselves from God’s love because of our background, our failings, and the mistakes we have made. We carry shame, guilt, or a sense that we are not good enough, and that somehow disqualifies us from being loved by a perfect God.

The truth is, sin has separated us from God, creating a gap we could never bridge on our own. 

No amount of self-improvement, religious effort, or good deeds could ever fully make up for it. But the beauty of the gospel is that God did not wait for us to fix ourselves. He came to us.

Jesus stepped into our brokenness, not to condemn us, but to rescue us. His grace meets us exactly where we are, and His love is not something we can earn. It is a gift freely given.

  • Can God accept me as a sinner?

According to the Bible, nothing in all of creation can separate us from God’s love, which is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. This means that no mistake, no past decision, no fear or failure is too great to keep us from His reach.

God’s love is unshakable, constant, and always present, even when we feel unworthy or distant. Accepting His love means learning to trust in His patience, His forgiveness, and His deep kindness toward us.

It means laying down the burdens we were never meant to carry, such as guilt, shame, fear, and self-condemnation, and allowing Him to meet us with grace.

Only God can truly free us from the chains that hold us back and lead us into a life marked by peace, purpose, and wholeness. We do not need to have it all together. We only need to turn to Him with open hearts, and He will do the rest.

  • How do I start over?

To be made whole, or saved, means to surrender to God and His plan and purpose for our lives. It is a turning away from our old ways and towards Jesus, asking Him to pardon our sins and grant us new life in Him.

Romans 10:9 goes on to say: “If you declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Salvation is God’s free gift to us, and through it, we become His children.

It is an irreversible admission into God’s family, as well as an empowerment to live your life fully and purposefully to represent God to the rest of His creation.

If you are unsure whether you are in agreement with God or if you know you need Jesus in your life, you can choose to follow Him right now by praying a prayer of surrender to Jesus.

Dear Jesus. I’m praying this prayer because I recognise that living without You has been a mistake. I am sorry, and I hope you will forgive me.

I accept Your love and grace for me, and I ask that You become my Lord. Help me believe in You and love You every day, and help me show the world who You are and how wonderful Your love is.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Congratulations! To pray these words with a surrendered heart to Jesus marks the start of the most important journey you will ever embark on: the journey to follow Jesus.

Please let us know if you just committed to Jesus and prayed this prayer.