Welcome to the family of God! As a new believer, you can expect to have new attitudes and desires. You may need to replace some old habits and patterns with new activities that will cause your new life in Christ to grow.
The process of change takes time, but God accepts us as we are today. If you haven’t already, please take a moment to find one of our pastors and let us know about your decision. We’d like to give you a free Bible and pray for you as you begin to grow in your relationship with Christ.
First of all, imagine with me that you’re about to be a parent; in 9 months you’ll have a child. You’re excited and scared and want to learn everything possible about parenthood, so you read books, decorate the nursery, ask people for advice and prepare for the big day.
When that day finally comes, and the baby arrives, there are high fives and cheers. You call your family. Everyone is excited for you. Now what? It’s time to begin life with that newborn.
The same is true when we accept Christ into our lives. There has been a rebirth. Life changes. God takes your old life and makes it brand new. We call that being born again. (John 3:5-7) You see, you were created to know God in a personal way—to have a relationship with Him, through His Son, Jesus Christ. You might have chosen to surrender your life to Christ today, yet may be wondering, “What now?”
Step 1. Read and Study the Bible
The Bible will tell you everything you need to know in order to grow in your spiritual life. God speaks through His Word and you will get to know Him better and learn what pleases Him by reading it. As you obey His Word, you will grow strong and begin to see positive changes in your life.
We recommend reading the book of Mark. The gospel of Mark is a comprehensive glance at the life of Jesus. Another practical book you can read is the book of James. The book of James outlines our faith walk through genuine religion, genuine faith, and genuine wisdom.
Step 2. Pray
Prayer is one of the greatest privileges we have as a child of God. Just think, the God of all creation wants to hear from you! You can call on the Lord any hour of the day or night and He will listen. It doesn’t matter to God if your prayers are eloquent or flowery—what matters is that you pray with a pure and sincere heart. Prayer is basically talking with God; communicating all that is on your heart.
Step 3. Get connected to Church
In order to get connected, we encourage you to get involved at church. Church is a big part of spiritual growth. Fellowship with other Christians will keep you spiritually active and give you much needed encouragement and support. Church provides you with instruction from God’s Word, and gives you the training and opportunity to use your God-given gifts and abilities. Lastly, staying connected to other believers helps you withstand the enemy, Satan, whose main desire is to destroy your new life in Christ.
Step 4. Start Living for God
A sure sign of a changed heart is the desire to live for God. What does this mean? It means that you want to please God and to obey Him, and as you do the previous steps, this fourth step will happen naturally. You will begin to filter your thoughts and actions through God’s Word in order to become a reflection of Jesus Christ. These changes will help to establish a lasting foundation in your spiritual walk.
Step 5. Share Your Decision with others
Good news is hard to keep to yourself! God wants you to share your newfound faith with others. You don’t have to wait until you’re a Bible expert to share what God has done in your life. You can share what you know—your own story of what Jesus has done for you. Though some may not be interested in your faith, putting words to your experience fuels a enthusiasm that is contagious.
Step 6. Don’t Get Sidetracked
Being a Christian is not always easy. There will be times when you’ll feel pressured to give in or go back to your old ways. When you became a child of God, you also became an enemy of the devil; and he will try to tempt you into disobeying God. It isn’t a sin to be tempted – even Jesus experienced temptation (see Luke 4:1–3), but giving into the temptation is sin. Christians will experience times of testing and trials, but God promises to be with us, strengthen us and always give us a way out. So, stay strong, let other Christians you trust know when you’re being tempted so they can pray for you and help you find victory.