Next Steps

Your decision to receive Jesus Christ as Savior is the most important choice you will ever make. There is no greater joy in all the world than to know Christ personally, to know your sins are forgiven and to have peace in your soul. You have been born again – born of the Spirit. You are a new creature: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) God, the Creator of the universe, has become your Father. Now for the first time you are considered as child of god and Heaven is your eternal home.

Although your decision to become a Christian was great and important, it marks only the beginning of your new life in Christ. When you were saved you were not immediately a full grown Christian, but a “babe in Christ.” As a baby you are commanded to “grow.” (2 Peter 3:18) Everybody loves babies, but nobody wants them to stay in the nursery. Only by growing spiritually can you please God and glorify Him in your life.

In order to grow to maturity as a Christian, you must be loyal and obedient to the commands of Christ. He said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”(John 14:15) Some of these requirements are listed here in order that you may know what our Lord expects of His disciples.

Be Baptized

Baptism is the first step of obedience for a new Christian. The first public act in the ministry of Jesus was His Baptism by John the Baptist in the river Jordan. (Matthew 3:13-17) The New Testament teaches that baptism is an outward sign of an inward change. (Romans 6:4) It is a public profession and testimony of what has already taken place in your heart. Baptism is a burial and a resurrection. We are buried with Christ (immersed in water) in the likeness of His death, and we are raised with Christ in the likeness of His Resurrection. (Romans 6:2,3) Not only does baptism picture the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, it also pictures the burial of the old sinful life and the resurrection of a new life in Christ. As a believer, you should be baptized, not in order to be saved but because you are saved. (Acts 8:35-40) It is a witness to your faith in Christ.

Read Your Bible Daily

Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4) Just as you need physical food in order to sustain physical life, you need spiritual food (the Bible) to maintain spiritual life. We suggest you begin in the New Testament by reading the Gospel of John or Mark. Follow this with the book of Acts. Next, read Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. The entire New Testament can be read in three months by reading three chapters a day. By reading three chapters of the Old Testament each day, the whole Bible can be read in a year. Set aside a few moments early in each day for Bible study. Look for promises to claim and commands to obey, examples to follow and sins to avoid. Memorize key verses such as John 3:16. Your growth as a Christian will be directly related to your personal application of the Word of God.

Pray Every Day

Jesus said, ” Men ought always to pray.” (Luke 18:1) In another place we read, “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) You should form the habit of praying daily for definite people and specify things. A prayer list may prove helpful in making your prayers more meaningful. There is nothing too great and nothing too small to take to the Lord in prayer. Thank God for all He has done for you. Ask him for the strength and help you need to live for Jesus Christ.

Witness for Christ

The greatest work in the world is soul winning, and every Christian can and should bring others to the Savior. Jesus said, “Ye shall be witnesses unto Me.” (Acts 1:8) Try to speak naturally and cheerfully every day to someone about Christ. The Bible says, “He that winneth souls is wise.” (Proverbs 11:30) Remember that you witness by what you do as well as by what you say. At home, at work, at school, there should be something about you that’s different – love, patience, and understanding. Then tell someone about Him Who makes the difference.

Tithe Your Income

Tithing (giving a tenth) of your income is the Biblical method of supporting God’s work. The Bible tells us, “Upon the first day (Sunday) of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him.” (1 Corinthians 16:2) God says to bring the tithe into the “storehouse,” meaning the local church. Your church is your storehouse of spiritual food, blessing and service, so this is the proper place to give your tithe. “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse…and prove me herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” (Malachi 3:10) The right use of money is a test of character. If you are dishonest toward God in money matters you cannot grow spiritually.

Attend Church Regularly

The Christian life is not just our own private affair. It is to be a family affair, in which we enjoy fellowship with our Heavenly Father and with each other. Every Christian should unite with a local, Bible believing church and share its worship, its fellowship, and its witness. If Jesus loved the church enough to die for it (Ephesians 5:25), this is sufficient reason for us to love and support it. Regular church attendance should be as much a habit as eating. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together” (Hebrews 10:25) is a clear command of the Word of God. At the church services you will hear God’s Word read, explained, and applied to your everyday problems of life. God has ordained (set aside) men to minister and preach His Word. Every Christian, young and old, needs inspiration and information gained in a church worship service. If you try to live the Christian life alone, failure will result. In unity there is strength. Through the church you can render service to a lost and dying world.

There is far more to the Christian life than what is included here. But, if these initial steps are carefully followed, you will find yourself growing more and more in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Please accept this as a personal invitation to worship with us so that we may help you continue your growth as a Christian. If God should lead you to do so, we know you will find a friendly atmosphere of worship. Most of all we hope Christ will be made real to you through our preaching and fellowship.