Many people have dismissed Christian belief on the basis of second-hand knowledge or ideas they had in childhood. It is very difficult to draw conclusions about Jesus without going through the Gospels for yourself, with your adult intelligent mind. If you feel it is time to do this, you might like to start with Luke's Gospel and go on to read his account of the rise of the early church in the second volume of his work, known as the Acts of the Apostles. Both books are short and are easy to obtain in modern translations. They can be found in every copy of the New Testament.

After reading each chapter, you may like to try praying. If there is no God, you will only be talking to the empty air. But if Christianity is true, then God will hear you. Tell him about your doubts and difficulties. Tell him the things you don't understand. Be honest with him - he knows you through and through anyway. Ask him to make things clearer to you. Apologise for anything in your life that you know to be wrong and ask his forgiveness on the basis of Christ's death in your place.

Jesus promised 'Seek and you will find'. By the same token, if you don't look you won't find. But beware! Jesus is not looking for people to develop an interest in 'religion'. He is looking for people who will do his will. You could find yourself coming 'under new management'.

Ultimately, each of us must personally decide about Jesus, whether to accept his claims and become his follower or to reject him. He demands our allegiance, warning that 'he who is not for me is against me'. He leaves us no fence to sit on!

Jesus promised that he would not turn away anyone who came to him. He invites us to enter 'the Kingdom of God', that is, his rule in our lives. We must make our response.