I feel like I’ve always known about Jesus. When I was six, I asked Dad about what it meant to be a Christian. I had always gone to church, but I started having more questions after that. I started to understand what it meant to be a Christian and why we go to church. God helped me see what Jesus did on the cross. God is the creator, and he made the world and he’s in charge. He can’t be around sin because he’s a holy God. Everyone in the world is sinful. The penalty for sin is death but Jesus died on the cross for sinners. He died so that we didn’t have to die and go to hell. I want people to know that I’ve put my trust in Jesus. I love Jesus because he paid for the sins that I did like disobeying my parents and losing my temper with my brothers. I deserve death, but Jesus paid for my sins with his blood. After he died, he rose again and one day he’ll come back and take me and everyone else who trusts in him to heaven. 1 John 1:9 is a good way to explain it, and it helps me understand the gospel because it's so simple. It says, if we repent of our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Now, God helps me want to obey him, but I still struggle with sin. When I do sin, I know he is ready and waiting to forgive me. The Holy Spirit is helping me understand my Bible more. I really like the song His Mercy is More. I think it's just amazing that God has more mercy than I have sin! He has more mercy than the sins of everybody in the world put together. After reading about John Newton for a school project, I learned something he said in the year he died. He said, “My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things: that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior.” Even though my memory is certainly not almost gone, I want to always remember this. Today, I want to be baptized because I know that I am a great sinner, and Jesus is my great Savior!