Real Hope: The Power of the GospelShembull

## Not Ashamed There’s a story that NASA spent millions developing a pen to write in space. The Russians, on a stricter budget, used a pencil. NASA did commission a pen that used liquid nitrogen at pressure to deliver the ink. The pen came out of the need for a solution to what seemed a simple problem. Did the pen work? Yes, it did. And we have the gel pen as a result. When we look for a way to solve life’s problems, we often overcomplicate things. We overthink. "It’s complicated," we say. It doesn’t need to be. The Gospel, the good news that we are saved by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, that our sins have been forgiven, is the most powerful message we can hear. It’s also the simplest. If you believe, then you are saved. The word "Gospel" means "good news," and it’s good news that we have the means of restoring a relationship with God who loves us. The power of the Gospel doesn’t end there. Paul tells us that to receive the gift of salvation all we have to do is believe, and this is true. But it goes deeper than that. Not only does the Gospel tell us what we receive, but it also tells us that the power comes from God. The Gospel tells us not just what God does, but also who He is. We are broken and without hope until we open our hearts to the good news that God has reconciled us to Him, through Christ’s death and resurrection, simply because we are loved. And all we have to do is believe. #### Written by CHRIS PARFOOT