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Sometimes, we get answers for our own situations by the question that someone else asks. Feel free to ask a question by sending it via email and I will pray and search the Word of God for your answer. Please make sure that it is a question that is not of a personal nature, as I will be posting the question and answer for all viewers to connect with. I will not include your name with the question. If it is a personal matter that you would not like shared, please let me know and I will respond to you individually as I can. Also, our Bible Trivia section helps us to grow in the Word by searching for the answers to Biblical questions and by providing the scriptural references in a very hands on manner. We tend to remember information that we search for. Thank you so much for participating in the question connection and Bible trivia! Love you all!

QUESTION CONNECTION

WHAT IS REPENTANCE?

A: Jesus and John The Baptist both taught on repentance in the Gospels. There is a major difference between just being sorry about something and repenting from it. A person can be truly sorry for something that they have done against God or someone, but unless they truly acknowledge that wrong AND CHANGE, true repentance has not taken place. Being sorry is what happens when we apologize, but have no intention of doing things differently. Repenting is when we recognize our wrongs, feel sorry about them, and committ to now doing things God's way. We have not repented if we tell God or someone that we are sorry, but have full intentions of continuing to do the same thing over and over again. A good example of true repentance is found in the Old Testament book of Jonah. When the people of Nineveh were confronted for their wrong doing, they received the Word, were convicted of and sorry for their sins, and changed their ways. It was the changing of their ways that made their actions true repentance. If they had not changed their ways, they would have only been sorry. True repentance says, "I see it your way, Lord, and I will govern my actions accordingly." This is the kind of repentance that God and John the Baptist were referring to in the Gospels. They were not just looking for people to recognize that God was right and they were wrong, but for a people that would also change! That is the evidence of true repentance. In a nutshell, true repentance says:

1. God is right and we are wrong. 2. I take responsibility for my wrong doing and I am sorry for my wrong doing 3. I make the decision to line up my actions with God's desires 4. I carry out those new actions and lifestyle by the power of the Holy Spirit

BIBLICAL REFERENCES:

THE GOSPELS (MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE, JOHN) NEW TESTAMENT

THE BIBLICAL BOOK OF JONAH (OLD TESTAMENT)