Posts by TheHopeLine Team

What is TheHopeLine? Who is Dawson McAllister?  We are best defined by the people who we have helped.  Here are their stories with their heartbreak, and their victories expressed. These are some of the amazing thank you's we've received from people who have come to us in their time of need.  We are honored and blessed to have been a small part of their lives...giving love, encouragement, advice, guidance, and hope when all else seemed lost.

Fighting With My Sister...

"Seven years ago my older sister and I got into a big fight. I didn't talk to her for a long time. Then about 5 months ago, I was listening to Dawson's talk show and he helped me. Dawson was talking to someone else about the same situation that my older sister and I had. Well, that helped me because Dawson said to forgive and move forward. And so my sister and I made up. So thank you so much Dawson." ~ Sierra 

Suicidal...

"My life was saved tonight, thanks to a HopeCoach who selflessly listened to me and helped me find the strength within myself to keep going. I was ready to end my life, had last all hope in any redemption. Without this service I would be gone. Thank you for saving my life, for supporting me when I had nobody else to turn to and for showing me that there is hope for me. This is an amazing service that has the power to move mountains. Thank you." ~ Jenna

Feeling alone...

"I was feeling totally and utterly alone tonight, so alone that I didn't want to be here anymore. I had an online chat with Kelsey and honestly she couldn't of helped me more! I got that attached, I didn't want to stop talking!! haha Sometimes, you feel like all life is doom and gloom but you've just got to find out what you're good at and show people what you can do, and do something you love! I'm super happy now and although actions still need to be took to get me back on track, after speaking the Kelsey at TheHopeLine, I already feel one step closer to happiness!" ~ Emily

I'm 39 now, I will never forget...

"Hello! Yes, it has been a long time since hearing Dawson McAllister but he was placed on my heart. I would tune in when I was in high school. I struggled with bulimia, cutting and lived in an abusive environment. There is hope!! I am free from bulimia and cutting. I have forgiven those who have abused me...and one of them I dearly love! There is hope!!" ~ Katey

Parent's Divorce...

"My parents divorced in 2008 and it impacted me a lot. I was really attached to my dad and not having him around has really affected me. I was listening to the radio on a Sunday night and I happened upon Dawson McAllister. I thought it was wonderful and decided that I would try it [TheHopeLine], so I did, and I feel wonderful! Thank you Hope Line!!!!" ~ Isabell

Dawson, thank you...

"Hi, I'm Hannah. I was about 10 when I turned my local radio station on for the night and I heard the show. I heard it once, but I didn't turn it on again until I was about 13. That was a horrible time in my life, and it honestly only got worse, but with listening to your show and listening to what other people were going through and the advice that was given to other people, you helped me to feel a lot better about myself and who I was becoming. I felt like a bad person before. I still do sometimes, but now I listen to the show every Sunday night and it is a great start to my week. So, thank you." ~ Hannah

Child Abuse...

"When I was 3 years old, my parents divorced. Now that I'm getting older I have to pick sides. When I was 12, I chose to live with my mom because my dad threatened me. Now I am 13 and being abused in a way my parents don't see. They think everything is okay. In the way I see it, it's hard and it's a struggle. I have tried to commit suicide once and now a year after, I have decided to get help. I got on here and talked to one of the Hope Coaches. I chatted with Bay, she talked me through everything. She listened to me and even suggested that I call the Childhelp. These people really helped me and is helping me to change my life. Thank you!" ~Tia

While I Was in Prison...

"Dawson, I just wanted to tell you that I listened to your radio program while I was in prison. I was 20 years old when I committed my crime. When I listened to the young people's stories, I heard so much of my own problems that lead me to prison. Your advice was good and I was glad to know you are a believer. I served 19 years in prison. I used that time to get an education and take classes that helped me better my thinking and behavior. Most of all, God got a hold of me and transformed my life. Keep doing what you do, Dawson. Had I heard your program sooner, it might have kept me from making the bad choices I did. I'm 40 years old and starting my life over, its not easy, but I have a whole different attitude and perspective now. Praise God! May you be blessed." ~ Sherry Ann

Diagnosed with Depression and Anxiety...

"I was going through a lot. I was going through getting diagnosed with depression and anxiety. It was very rough, I wanted to die. I felt like I had no one that cared about me at all. Then I realized there was people out there who cared and might have no clue who you are. The people on TheHopeLine were people who did not even know about me but they still cared about me and how I felt.

Now, I know that if I need someone they are always here for me and I get a different person every time but they still try to understand what is going on." ~ Cassady

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Related Posts:
Video: Musician Chris Mora's Struggle With Depression
Mental Illness is not Mental Weakness
3 Keys To Recognizing And Understanding Depression
The Do’s (And Don’ts) When Your Friend Is Battling Depression

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Helpful and Encouraging...

"I have used TheHopeLine chat. The people I talked to were helpful and encouraged me. God loves me and you too!" ~ Kimberly

Battling with Depression...

"I was getting really low, and I was starting to think about suicide more and more every day and then I started listening to Dawson. I heard how there were so many other people like me out there and the words of advice that Dawson shared with them, it felt like he was sharing with me. I took what he said to those people to heart and I got some help. My life has gotten so much better! I have a girlfriend now and i have an awesome relationship with my parents. Thanks Dawson for the second Chance at Life! you truly are the grace of God!" ~ Damion

Hopelessness...

"I am older and perhaps not the intended user for the TheHopeLine. But I brought my sorrows here several times and I was startled by the quick response, patience of the coaches, and generosity of spirit. I would like to encourage all young people, whatever issues that challenge you to reach out to your fellow spiritual beings that share this world with you. You will see, most of all, that you are not alone. And from my age perspective, you can survive almost anything with a brighter future to be yours." ~ Tony

I Felt Like I Wanted to Cheat...

"I started my relationship with a girl and it's not a bad relationship. All of a sudden, I started getting an urge to start kissing random female's on the street, but then I found TheHopeLine and started chatting with someone. Now, I am back to normal and loving my girl like no tomorrow. We are now happily married and we have decided to explore the world together as a pair while coming back to our small apartment in the UK every once in a while." ~ John

Frustrating Relationship...

"I was very frustrated with my relationship. HopeCoaches helped me to calm down and attack the problem instead of each other. After a long conversation, I felt great and was ready to make it work with my girlfriend. I just want to say thanks!" ~ Cedrick

Depression...

"For the past couple weeks, I was depressed and I did not talk to anyone about it.  Then I decided to talk to a HopeCoach at TheHopeLine and they were very helpful. When they helped me out I could feel the depression and anger leaving me and now I feel better than I did before." ~ Austin

Bullied...

"I signed up for this thinking it was just going to be a website where you get told advice that you have been given before. But I was wrong. They offered me sites to go on and advice that helps. Now I am more happy and can deal with things a lot better!" ~Zack

I Felt Like Ending It...

"I felt very low.  Just to say a big thank you to Dawson McAllister on the telephone today as I am in a bad way and he understood and gave me some good resources and guidance that should hopefully help me in the future. Bless TheHopeLine! Hope is Here."  ~ Unknown

If you have a story to share about how you were helped by Dawson McAllister or TheHopeLine,

My name is Tayla and this is my story: 

What would you do if you had a cheating boyfriend?

"I found out that there was a high chance my boyfriend was cheating on me but unfortunately didn't know for sure. So I was stressing out about how to go about this issue as I struggle with anxiety. I spoke to a HopeCoach online who helped immensely. She gave me strategies to help me get through my situation and helped me figure out what steps I wanted to take to confront the issue without losing my mind. I can't thank TheHopeLine® and my HopeCoach enough for helping me."
~Tayla

For more on cheating, take some time to explore our cheating topic page with article, more stories, podcasts, and more! 

Director and Founder of Door of Hope 4 Teens and Young Adults, Debra Cornacchia, gives TheHopeLine an inside look at how they provide help for those struggling with self-harm.

Door of Hope Started from Debra's Own Struggles with Self-Harm

Door of Hope was birthed out of founder, Debra’s emotional pain and her struggles. She had self-harmed from the age of 12 years old to 25. She said there was no one to tell back then. Her goal with starting Door of Hope is to give hope to people struggling with self-harm. Debra has recovered from her addiction, gone to college, and has a successful career and a wonderful family. She wants others who are struggling with self-harm to know that recovery is possible for them as well.

Debra started Door of Hope as a support group in her local church.  They would meet once a week but no one was really showing up.  Then teens and young adults started coming to the meetings from 2 and 3 hours away.  She soon realized that people in the local neighborhood didn’t want to come out of fear, shame or being embarrassed because the people at the church would know who they were.  So, that’s when she decided to create a website.  And she wanted a way to be able to chat with people from all over the place so the texting hotline was started.  Door of Hope may have started off in a church but now they are an international organization.

Door of Hope Helps Anyone Struggling with Doing or Even Thinking About Self-Harm

They deal with mostly with self-harm but along with self-harm comes eating disorders, depression, anxiety.  You can get help from them even if you are thinking of self-harm and not actively even doing it.

Door of Hope Can Help You Stop Cutting

There is no quick fix to overcome the desire to self-harm.  Debra says, “I wish I had a magic wand where I could just wave it over you and your problems would be gone but unfortunately that doesn’t work because cutting is so addictive.  It takes time, recovery is not a race. 

Recovery is a process, it’s a journey.  If they want to walk that journey out and take the tools that we give them to help them through that. Recovery can be absolutely obtained. A lot of people don’t think that people who struggle with cutting can ever stop cutting but the good news is that they absolutely can.”

Door of Hope tries to get to the root cause of why someone is cutting.  They believe cutting is a symptom of far greater emotional issues, often stemming from trauma (physical abuse, sexual abuse, bullying) or feelings of neglect or low self-esteem.  There are many things that can be at the root problem of self-harm.

Debra reads 2 letters from people who were helped by Door of Hope:
Door of Hope shares 2 letters of hope - YouTube

Door of Hope Believes Secrets Grow in the Dark

Door of Hope connects people locally…with faith-based organizations, therapists, guidance counselors or someone else who can help.  They believe secrets grow in the dark.  There is such a secret with self-harm that if you are not able to express it to anyone then you’re not going to get help.  Door of Hope encourages the person struggling to reach out and tell someone they trust.

Door of Hope offers a texting hotline where you can contact them by texting or calling 803.570.2061. You can also email - [email protected]. And now they are offering recovery coaching where sessions are set up through Skype or FaceTime.

Door of Hope Focuses on Forgiving

Most people who are hurting themselves have been hurt by others. They help people to walk through the process of forgiving.  It’s about giving the person a voice about what happened to them. They want to help them forgive the people who hurt them.

A lot of people are bullied and very angry at the people who have bullied them so they turn to cutting because it releases that pain but forgiveness is so much better. Forgiveness is setting yourself free.
Door of Hope - What is Forgiveness? - YouTube

If you are struggling with self-harm, help is available! Debra sums up who Door of Hope is and what they can do to help if you are struggling with self-harm:
What is Door of Hope? - YouTube

Door of Hope wants you to know it is confidential when you speak with them. They are not mandated reporters so they don’t have to report what you tell them.

Contact them:
Website - https://www.doorofhope4teens.org/
Call or text - 803.570.2061 or 914.393.1904
Email – [email protected]
Set up one-on-one personal recovery coaching – call or text Debra at 914.393.1904

Your Journey May Be Dark but That Doesn't Mean It's Hopeless

I remember sitting in my room one night after I had just got home from smoking weed and drinking a little too much with a group of people that I had convinced myself were real friends. I was about nineteen years old and still trying to navigate my purpose in life as most of us do. As I sat in my bed and stared at the wall with glossy eyes and tears beginning to stream down my face, I remember thinking to myself, "This is hopeless." I then walked into the bathroom and proceeded to look at myself mirror. I remember being confused at who I saw staring back at me.

"This isn't me," I mumbled under my breath. "Who have I become?" I thought to myself.

I had been going down this dark road for quite some time now. I wasn't the person God created me to be. I was doing things I swore I'd never do; I was becoming a person I swore I'd never become; I was spending time with people I swore I'd never spend time with, and I was digging myself a hole that eventually felt too deep to climb out of. I had convinced myself that there was no way out of this darkness. I felt stuck. I was depressed, lonely, searching for worth in all the wrong places, and I was sure that God wanted nothing to do with me.

WE ALL GO THROUGH DARK TIMES

Depression does that to you. Anxiety can do that to you. Darkness can do that to you. You begin convincing yourself that darkness actually means hopelessness. But it doesn't. This couldn't be any farther from the truth. The reality is we all go through dark times in life. And although our darkness may look and feel different depending on the person, this doesn't make hope any less obtainable, no matter how broken and lifeless one may feel.

Hopeless is how I spent most of my life. But what I perceived as hopelessness was actually just darkness in disguise. It wasn't until I learned to drop my guard, admit that it was okay to not be okay, share my hurt with others, and grab hold of God that things started to change for me. The darkness started to subside, and hope began infiltrating every crevice of my life. It wasn't immediate.

It took time. And nor did it prevent darkness from trying to control me on a daily basis. But it was there, and it was present.
Hope is one of those things we can't outrun no matter how quick and witty we think we are. It's always one step ahead of us, waiting to be seen and grabbed hold of.  God's love, regardless of if you believe in it or not, is a light in dark and weary times. It's a lighthouse to a ship lost in a sea of colossal waves, and life-raft for those who are sinking.

HOPE IS AVAILABLE

Your life has a purpose no matter how broken you think it may be. And although "darkness" is something you might struggle with throughout your life, you must always remember that the hope of God is there to grab hold of in times of need.
-Jarrid Wilson

Jarrid Wilson was the founder of Anthem of Hope.  Anthem of Hope is a non-profit organization dedicated to illuminating hope for those battling brokenness, depression, anxiety, self-harm, suicide and addiction.

https://youtu.be/NtzrLpxM298

Skillet’s song, “Stars” is featured in the movie, The Shack.

John Cooper, lead vocalist for Skillet, talks about writing the song “Stars” and what the song means to him personally.  He shares some personal struggles he had as a teenager.  And he talks about how his song came to be on the soundtrack of the movie, The Shack.

What inspired you to write the song, “Stars?” What does the song mean to you personally?

Interview with John Cooper about the song "Stars" - YouTube John Cooper: The song is about we believe that God is in control of very big things.  In other words, most people don’t question whether the sun is going to come up the next day, if we are going to all freeze to death because the sun burns out, or the Earth in rotation, all these big things in the Universe are being run every day and we have faith for that.  But a lot of times we don’t have faith for the little things: that God can help heal a relationship between a husband and a wife, or a parent and a kid, or save a marriage, or help me when I feel alone, or help me through a bad time...things like that. When I’m struggling with depression or loneliness or whatever that may be. So, the song “Stars” is about the fact that God is in control of all these big things, but He still knows who you are. He knows your name. He knows your pain and He knows where you live.  It’s very worshipful but it’s also very personal as well.

Did you write the song “Stars” by yourself or what happened with this song?

John Cooper: This was a little bit different because normally my wife, Corey and I write most of our music but we do write with other folks as well.  This is one of the only songs we’ve ever written that had 4 people involved.  It was me and my wife and two other writers. It was good because I wanted to get something a little bit different than what Skillet normally does.  So, I drew on some people I was a fan of and some writers and we wanted to try something new and worshipful. We’ve done things like that in the past but it’s been a very long time.  And that’s why “Stars” is kind of cool.  I’m a fan of music, of course, and other bands and I love it when bands do something that I’m not quite expecting.

So, I’m assuming you write the song, “Stars” first and then the movie people like your song so they come to you and say, “Can we use your song in the movie?”  Is that the way it works?

Personal interview with John Cooper from Skillet about "The Shack" - YouTube John Cooper: It works in lots of different ways. In this particular situation, it was very unique because the Shack sound track is meant to be songs inspired by the film.  And most people wrote new songs for it.  I think we might be one of the few that did not, we happened to have an existing song that just very much tied into what the movie was about. It was meant to be. It was kind of a long, crazy bunch of events that led to this happening which all seemed kind of miraculous.  I was really excited and very proud because this is a really powerful movie. I’ve seen the prerelease of it. Honestly, I watched it 5 times, I could not quit watching this movie…it was extremely moving.  I think a lot of people are going to be impacted in a huge way from the film.

You’ve released an album recently, called Unleased with this song on it?

John Copper: The album was released last August.  The song “Stars” is on our record but there is the new version which is kind of the acoustic version which is on The Shack soundtrack. It’s not on the record, it’s its own release. So, it’s the same song but different versions, I guess you would say.

There’s a line in the song: “If you can calm a raging sea, you can calm the storm in me.”  Do you have a personal story of God stepping in and calming a storm in your life?

Skillet interview about their lyric, “If you can calm a raging sea, you can calm the storm in me.” - YouTube John Cooper: That is my absolute favorite line in the song. To me, it not only sums up what the song is about, that very much sums up what a lot of Skillet is trying to convey in our music over our career.  It’s very much us.  Probably the biggest struggle in my life, my mom passed away when I was 14. She had cancer for about 3 years.  When I was 11, she got diagnosed with cancer and fought that.  She had operations and chemotherapy and after 3 years of fighting it, she passed away. I was a Christian and my mom was a devout believer and my family was.  But nothing quite prepares you for that sort of thing.  My mom used to tell me, if something happens and I do die, you can’t be mad at God.  God is in control and God is good and things like that…which is great parenting and great teaching. But after she did die, my dad got remarried and there just began to be this struggle in our household and fighting. Honestly, I struggled with hatred and anger and bitterness for years and years and years.  And I remember when I was 16, is probably when I really reached out to God and asked Him to calm that storm in me. I needed to know Jesus as a friend.  I knew him as my Savior and my Lord, but I began to talk to Him like a friend, like I need someone. That was probably my biggest moment, hardest moments of my life and some of the most beautiful too.

A lot of people who come to TheHopeLine, come to us during their most time of struggling, during their darkest time. What would you say to someone who is in one of their darkest times? What do you think would help them the most in that moment in that time of their life?

John Cooper: It’s different for different people, of course. There is no easy answer that anyone can give that is going to all of a sudden make someone feel not sad or not lonely or not depressed. I will say, in my own life, reaching out to God and asking Him to be…The Bible says that the Holy Spirit is a comforter. He is someone that comforts us when we need to be comforted so that is truth from the word. I do tell people, if you reach out to God, he will comfort you, he will draw near to you.  That’s also what the Bible says…if you draw near to God, he will draw near to you. It’s not going to be like you’re asking Him for help and He’s going to refuse to answer you but it also doesn’t mean everything is just going to be great all the time, that’s not necessarily what the Bible teaches.  You might have to do that all the time and you might still struggle in certain ways.  But I think beginning to find your value, not in yourself, and not in your achievements, or how many friends you have or how you are treated at school or your job or whatever. Finding your value in being a son or daughter of God is really what’s going to take your eyes off of yourself and onto Him. So, I do think in America we need a big dose of: It’s not about me and my life isn’t really about me. If you belong to Christ, then your life really is not your own…it belongs to Him and for His glory so if you can focus on Him, all of a sudden you’re going to find out, you’re not as sad as you used to be.  It’s a little bit like having kids. When you have a kid, you don’t really have time to think of how you feel because you’re so tired all the time…you’re giving out to this child and all of a sudden you begin to be a little bit more fulfilled. You are finding your fulfillment in being there for someone else…that’s a little bit what it’s like.  You’ll put your eyes on Christ and all of a sudden you won’t have time to remember you are feeling down or people don’t like you at school and things like that. I’m not minimalizing or trivializing the pain of adolescents and growing up, all those things are very real and it doesn’t mean they’re going to go away right off. But I know from personal experience, if you reach out to God, He will draw close to you. Watch Film Trailer: THE SHACK Connect with Skillet: Website Facebook Twitter

Receiving Something You Don't Deserve

If you have accepted Jesus' gift of salvation, you have been saved by grace! But what exactly does that mean?

Being saved by grace means that we have received a gift from God that we do not deserve. God gives us his favor, his love, his son...despite the fact that we have done nothing to earn it.

God sent his son to pay for our sins through his death on a cross…EVEN though we are sinners who have done nothing for God.  God freely gives GRACE to us out of His love for us.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

And now that we have received His Grace – we are made right with God. We can have a relationship with him. And we can look forward to eternal life in heaven with him.

Sometimes people refer to this acronym for Grace:

God’s
Riches
At
Christ’s
Expense

We are the recipients of all the goodness of God through Christ's death.

This amazing grace has been sung about for centuries by millions of people.

Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.

https://youtu.be/CDdvReNKKuk?si=KeqdmAK3K3O2U5R-

Why Would God Give Us His Grace?

God knows we are sinners. He knows we mess up. He wants us to live obedient lives but knows that we will never be able to do that on our own. Even so, He still wants a relationship with us.

So, Jesus came to earth, lived a perfect life, and died a sacrificial death on a cross. All we need to do is believe that is the truth and confess it and we will be “washed clean” by Jesus’ blood. When God, the Father, looks at anyone who believes in Jesus, His son, He sees them as forgiven and pure, and they can be in relationship with Him.

What Does Grace Look Like?

Picture this:  You are standing before a judge who has a huge list of all the crimes you have committed that are punishable by death. However, there is someone in the crowd who promises to take your punishment of death, and you will be given their clean slate. That results in getting something you don’t deserve. And that is what Jesus did for you. But just as you would need to

ACCEPT the clean slate in court which you didn’t earn, you need to believe in and receive this same gift from Jesus.

Accepting God's gift of grace is the best decision you can ever make!

Jesus! What a Beautiful Name!

One more song for you today.  It's all about the beautiful name of Jesus because he made a way for us to be in relationship with God.  As the song says:

You didn't want heaven without us
So, Jesus, You brought heaven down
My sin was great, Your love was greater
What could separate us now.

https://youtu.be/nQWFzMvCfLE?si=IX1S5_L1HBmCrWhc

Be encouraged by these Verses of Hope for Salvation. And if you are a new believer, please check out the resources found here - For the New Believer.

In Christ:

I Am Accepted I am a child of God. (John 1:12)
I am Jesus’ chosen friend. (John 15:15)
I am holy and acceptable to God (justified). (Rom. 5:1)
I am united to the Lord and am one spirit with Him. (1 Cor. 3:16)
I have been bought with a price. I belong to God. (1 Cor. 6:19, 20)
I am a part of Christ’s Body, part of His family. (1 Cor. 12:27)
I am a saint, a holy one. (Eph. 1:1)
I have been adopted as God’s child. (Eph. 1:5)
I have been bought back (redeemed) and forgiven of all my sins. (Col. 1:14)
I am complete in Christ. (Col. 2:10)
I Am Secure I am forever free from punishment. (Rom. 8:1- 2)
I am certain all things work together for good. (Rom. 8:28)
I am free from any condemning charges against me. (Rom. 8:31f)
I cannot be separated from the love of God. (Rom. 8:35f)
I am hidden with Christ in God. (Col. 3:3)
I am certain that God will finish the good work he has begun in me. (Phil 1:6)
I am a citizen of heaven, along with the rest of God’s family. (Eph. 2:19)
I can find grace and mercy in times of need. (Heb. 4:16)
I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me. (1 John 5:18)
I Am Significant I am salt and light to those around me. (Matt. 5:13,14)
I am part of the true vine, joined to Christ and able to produce much fruit. (John 15:1,5)
I am hand-picked by Jesus to bear fruit. (John 15:16)
I am a Spirit-empowered witness of Christ. (Acts 1:8)
I am a temple of God and the Holy Spirit lives in me. (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19)
I am at peace with God, and He has called me to tell others that they can also have peace with God. (2 Cor. 5:17)
I am God’s co-worker. (2 Cor. 6:1)
I am seated with Christ in heaven. (Eph. 2:6)
I am able to do all things through Christ who gives me strength! (Phil. 4:13)
More Verses of Hope.

Will This Last?

How do I know that Christ is in my life?

Did you receive Christ into your life according to His promise in Revelation 3:20? "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me."

Knowing Jesus Christ is the most exciting relationship you can have. It is the beginning of a life of adventure with an all-loving, all-powerful God. If you have asked Christ to come into your life, you can be sure that your relationship with God is secure. As a result of Christ's death on the cross, you have been completely forgiven and accepted by Him. There are many exciting things that are true in your relationship with Christ. Understanding these truths will help you build a firm foundation on which to grow.

My Feelings About God Keep Changing

1. Feelings can be unreliable

You might have expectations about how you should feel after placing your trust in Christ. While feelings are important, they are unreliable indicators of your sincerity or the trustworthiness of God's promise. Our feelings change easily, but God's Word and His character remain constant. This illustration shows the relationship between fact (God and His Word), faith (our trust in God and His Word) and our feelings.

• Fact - this chair is strong enough to support you.
• Faith - You believe this chair will support you, so you sit in it.
• Feeling- You may or may not feel comfortable in this chair, but it continues to support you.

The moment you received Christ by faith, as an act of your will, many things happened, including the following:

1. Christ came into your life - Revelation 3:20, Colossians 1:27
2. Your sins were forgiven - Colossians 1:14
3. You became a child of God - John 1:12
4. You received eternal life - John 5:24
5. Your great adventure for which God created you began - John 10:10, 2 Corinthians 5:17, 1 Thessalonians 5:18

2. Dealing with doubts

Even though feelings are important, your relationship with Christ is based on facts, not on feelings that can change daily. Doubts, questions and varying emotions are common parts of everyone's life, but they are very unreliable gauges of anyone's relationship with Christ. The Christian lives by faith in the trustworthiness of God and His Word.

But what if you don't feel like a Christian tomorrow? Place your faith in the faithfulness of God Himself and the trustworthiness of His Word. The more you learn, the more you will be able to answer any doubts with solid facts. Your feelings will begin to respond to the truth of God's Word and not to your circumstances.

Since you have trusted in Christ's payment for your sin, understood the basis of your relationship with God and have learned five truths about your relationship, you can be confident in your relationship with Christ.

If you would like to talk through what you have learned, you can  journey with a mentor and receive prayer.

This article is an adaptation by The Life Project of Dr. Bill Bright's material on Knowing Jesus Personally. It was originally posted here.