A Final Experiment: A Simple, Direct, and Personal Formula to Connect with God

By Tom Stegeman

Maybe . . .

Maybe you already think you have a good connection with God.

Maybe you’re not sure if you have a solid relationship with God.

Maybe you’re confused about this concept of Salvation, Being Saved or Born Again.

Maybe you hate the entire idea of people saying God has a plan for your life.

Maybe, just maybe this experiment will finally settle your concerns about God’s existence, what He wants,
             and how to meet Him.

Maybe what you need right now is a challenge to settle these issues once and for all.

This book is a step-by-step formula that will result in a drastic change in your life. But only if you take on the challenge and do the whole experiment.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Feb 23, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664222267

Tom Stegeman

Tom Stegeman grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. Confused by organized religion as a youth, his search for God and a meaning for our existence on Earth was finally answered by an unexpected question someone asked him one day: “Did you know that you could have a personal relationship with God?” Tom answered: “No?” Followed by: “Would you like that?” Tom said: “Yeah.” He prayed a simple prayer of salvation for the first time in his life and knew that he and God had finally made a real connection. The simplicity of that moment is what led Tom to writing this book. Tom does not have the typical credentials from a theological seminary that some people expect from someone writing a book on spiritual matters. He does, however, have a Post-Hole-Digger (PHD) that he keeps in the back of his truck. This only qualifies him as an average guy who has experienced 65 years of life’s ups and downs. You will find many amusing real-life analogies of Tom’s life and how they relate to God’s love for us. Please visit his website: www.afinalexperiment.com for more information about the book and the author.

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ISBN: 978-1-6642-2228-1 (sc)

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WestBow Press rev. date:  02/18/2021

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CONTENTS

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

My Story

My Challenge

THE EXPERIMENT

A Few General Observations, Disclaimers, And Ground Rules Before We Start The Experiment

FIRST INGREDIENT

Acknowledge God: Allow God To Reveal Himself

SECOND INGREDIENT

Express Your Need For God: I Wish To Have A Real Relationship With God

THIRD INGREDIENT

Admit Your Sinful Nature: I’ve Ignored God And Live A Self-Centered Life

FOURTH INGREDIENT

Ask God To Save You: Ask Him To Forgive You, Clean House, Come Into Your Life, And Take Over

FIFTH INGREDIENT

Expect A Result: God Will Let You Know That He Has Done This

I’ll Take My Chances

PREFACE

Once, someone ask me a simple, direct

question: "Did you know that you could

have a personal relationship with God?"

I replied, No?

Would you like that?

I said, Yes.

And that is why I’ve written this book.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I want to give a tremendous thank-you to the following people who helped me accomplish this book.

My wife, Ellen, not only reedited this book several times but also allowed me to put off a few house projects so that I could finish it.

Dr. Sara (Sally) Johnson Worley is my spiritual big sister who initiated my spiritual journey when I first became a Christian.

Jim Holbrook of McGregor Baptist Church, Fort Myers, Florida (retired), has been my pastor and good friend since 1978.

Bob Fain is a long-time friend as well as an inspirational Bible study teacher.

Pete Adams helped me with this book, even though he was battling terminal cancer.

Mark Siverling and Bill Nunez. Two great Christian brothers.

Young Life Ministries. A truly awesome outreach for teenagers.

Most of all, I want to thank my Lord and Savior for inspiring me to tell my story.

Please search A Final Experiment on the web or social media for further information regarding this book, its author and additional reference materials.

INTRODUCTION

Do you feel like you’re important? I believe that most of us have an innate desire to feel admired by others. Maybe we would like to accomplish something in life that would leave a lasting mark showing who we are. Even if we don’t outwardly admit it, I believe that our basic nature is to think that we only have one life to live and that we must make it count for something. Why else would we be trying so hard to find our self-worth?

So what would your ultimate motive be in satisfying this need? Would it be to earn a lot of money, become a celebrity, or to win a Nobel Prize? How about being a political leader or a famous artist or writer?

Many of us think that these things would leave marks on society, which other people would admire. In other words, we’ve convinced ourselves that if we could somehow feel important to ourselves and others, it would be the ultimate satisfaction in our lives. However, the reality for most of us will be that we lived never fulfilling this desire. Maybe if we’re lucky, a few family members and friends will say that we were pretty good people when we’re gone.

You see, I believe there is a God-shaped hole in us that can only be filled by God. Psalm 139:13 (AMP) says, For You formed my innermost parts. This may sound strange, but think about it—we’re constantly trying to fill or satisfy our inner needs with things or accomplishments. Most of the things that we strive for take tremendous amounts of time and effort and sometimes still don’t satisfy or fill this void.

Think about the people in history who have accomplished something important during their lives. Many of them were still not completely satisfied with their lives. Their lives often ended sadly in some disaster.

My point is that you probably want your life to be meaningful or count for something. At some point, you would like to feel that you are an important part of this world. What if this were possible and easy? That