Everyone has heard of Christians and everybody has an idea of who they are and some of the things Christians believe - the problem is that there are so many different ideas around that some bizarre ideas about what it means to be a Christian have stuck in people's minds (if you've read "The Da Vinci Code", you'll get the idea !!). So what does it mean to be a Christian ?

Getting Itchy about Life...

If you've wondered about your life, how you ended up who you are, where you are, when you are ... you're not alone ! Most people think them - and many try to ignore these thoughts ... but they're itchy, uncomfortable. Well, if you want to give your brain a good scratch, read on...

Did you know that you are amazing. No ... AMAZING !! When God pressed the "Go" button, he created a perfect universe and got everything in balance - including all the right conditions here on earth so life could thrive.

The Bible says that of all the amazing things God made, including stars and planets and everything, human beings, us, we're what He took the most effort and care over. He made us "different" from all the animals, with the ability to choose between right and wrong and the ability to love.

Small World - BIG problem...

OK, you've got friends ... having mates is good, but all of us want something more because being in love - giving and receiving from the heart beats everything else. God's gift of "love" included the idea that he loves the world he created - and he gave them a world to live in and look after. But, you guessed it, we took this wonderful gift and messed it up - not just with the way we treat the world in which we live, but the way we treat other people. And, not suprisingly, it upsets God when we do these things - the technical name for it is "sin".

And because of all this sin, the perfectly good God has a rather large problem - and so do we ! The tiniest bit of badness in God's presence takes away from his perfection, so he can't stand it. It's a bit like one of those hospital dramas where they're all clean and someone comes in with mucky shoes - everything comes to a halt ! And all of us do it - and all of us have a problem cos it means we can't get close to God - ever.
'...all have sinned and are not good enough for God's glory.' (Romans 3:23)

Getting It Sorted ...

But, like Baldrick (only a lot better) God had a plan ... and it focussed around one perfect bloke called Jesus. He was born in rather unlikely circumstances in a back alley of a slum - but he grew up to become the most fascinating person who has ever lived. He never did anything wrong. Not ever. Never swore, Never told a lie, never hurt anyone, never hurt God - that was because he was the "Son of God" - God was in Jesus completely and utterly, so he lived the perfect life. And then he died. A vile, horrible death - but one which (because he was innocent) offered to take all of the sin for the rest of us.

And it worked. When Jesus died he yelled at the top of his voice "It is finished!" - something along the lines "I've done it - it's sorted !" All the mess we've made going back to when God pressed the "Go" button was sorted.
'This how we know what real love is: Jesus gave His life for us...' (1 John 3:16)

So Does Being A Christian Means I Have To...

Lots of people think being a Christian is about rules and regs, about not doing stuff everyone else does and about being BORING. Nope. Not at all. Jesus came to break chains - chains of being addicted to things, chains of guilt about stuff we've done and chains of worry and fear - and once they are broken, broken they stay. Freedom - that's what it's about !

If we love someone, we want to please them and do things which make them happy. Want to know what being a Christian is ... it is making God happy ! When we live his way and love people, when we keep to the Makers Instructions to look after his world and love our neighbour as ourselves, then he's happy - very happy. That means enjoying life ! At BFPC, we have a statement which tells people what we're about - "To Discover and Nurture Relationships in Jesus Christ." Being a Christian is about doing that - discovering this amazing bloke is the start of a relationship with someone who changes life.
'I have come that they might have life - and have it in abundance' (John 10.10)

Getting It Sorted ...

Christians come in all shapes and sizes - and they do things in different ways and ... well, there are lots of different ways to understand what being a Christian is. Ultimately, what makes God most happy is when people turn round and say "I want to do it your way, not mine". When they recognise that life keeps itching and doesn't make sense when we do things our way - and we need to say "sorry" and start again.

At BFPC, we have lots of people with lots of different stories about how they have got to know God and discovered that making him happy by going his way, guess what ! .... it makes them happy, too ! We all do lots of things wrong and we are certainly not a perfect church ... but we have discovered something special and want to share it !!