The challenge of sharing Jesus with another person can be frightening and intimidating. But there's at least one hurdle that's already been jumped for you: people are naturally wired to worship.

If there's one thing we learn from the Bible, it's that salvation is not something we can earn. God just gives it. Because of what Christ has already done on the cross, our penalty has been paid. Our forgiveness has been authorized. All we do is receive it by putting our faith in him.

RALEIGH -- When he was coach of the Washington Redskins, Joe Gibbs spent a lot of time on top of the football world. But the message he delivered to prisoners Tuesday is that everyone answers to a higher authority.

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.  2 Corinthians 5:21

It is a critical mistake to try to eliminate feelings of guilt without dealing with the root cause of guilt. No matter how often someone says "you have nothing to feel guilty about" to someone who has sinned against God and others, his guilt feelings will remain.

"Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. He couldn't pay, so his master ordered that he be sold-along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned-to pay the debt.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9)

The Bible teaches Christ died for every person, without exception (1 John 2:2). He offers the gift of forgiveness, salvation and eternal life to everyone: "Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life" (Revelation 22:17).

Jesus told a story about three men, each presented with an allotment of money to handle in the way they thought best. Two of the men took their share, invested it wisely, and earned a 100% return. But the third man, afraid to risk any loss, buried his money in the ground. Rather than feeling free to be creative with what God had given, rather than enjoying a relationship with his master that gave him room to try and fail, he was always looking over his shoulder, motivated less by success and more by avoiding punishment. He thought of his boss as a “hard man” (Matthew 25:24), itching to crush anyone who crossed him. You never knew what might set him off.