Growthtrac, Essentials for Your Marriage...
   
 
Free eNews Signup  
About Growthtrac  
Tell-a-Friend...   
 
Free e-news signup ...

 

 

spiritual discovery

Back to Spiritual Discovery Home

Are You a New Christian? ...
First of all, welcome and congratulations! You have made the most important decision of your life, one you will never regret. Heaven is celebrating!
This section is about spiritual growth and how, by taking a few next steps, you can grow significantly and facilitate God's work in your life.
Now don't misunderstand. God could accomplish His work with or without you. He doesn't need your ability. He wants your availability. These steps — Connect, Communicate, Community and Celebrate — will help make you available to God. Think about it: The God of the universe wants to do His work through you!

Let's first review what's happened since you received Christ in your life. From the moment you asked Jesus in to your life, you began to change. Sometimes imperceptibly, but you are changing.

2Corinthians 5:17
John 10:10
Colossians 1:27

Gradually your motives, values and perceptions for your life will be transformed in to something worthwhile. You will begin to see things from a spiritual angle — at home, in the workplace, at church, at the mall.

Living the Christian Life More...
Learn through these Great Articles More...
You'll develop a connection with God. You'll discover enhanced communication with Him. Increasingly, you'll sense His presence and a relationship will unfold. God will move in to your life.

Christianity offers true freedom. Freedom to worship and talk to God directly — one-on-one. Freedom to experience the exciting life He had planned for you. Best of all, your sins are forgiven Collosians 1:14 and you will spend an eternity in heaven! 1John 5:11-13 Hebrews 13:5 John 5:24 You are now a child of God!

As a new Christian, you must be intentional about growth. You need to take some essential nourishment steps

Connect....
You need to connect with God by reading his word. If you don't have a bible, get one. I would recommend a newer translation like the New Living Translation (NLT) which might be easier to understand.
The New Believer's Bible is a great place to start!

Begin reading in the New Testament —the book of John is a good place to start. There you will read about Jesus' life, His miracles and a clearer understanding of Christianity.

Saturate yourself in God's word. Don't worry if you don't understand everything you read, because you won't. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to help you clarify and apply what you are reading. Memorize scripture. Join a bible study group.

Bibles More...
How to Study Your Bible More...

Communicate...
You communicate with God through prayer. If you come from a church background where recited, impersonal prayer was the norm, this might feel awkward. Jesus, in Matthew 6:5-13, said to pray quietly and personally in a private place. He said we shouldn't pray repetitively. Essentially, prayer is talking to God —It's a one-on-one personal conversation.

In what has become known as the Lord's Prayer, Jesus provided a framework for prayer. As a guide, remember these four elements when you pray: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication [requests]. As a reminder, remember the acronym ACTS.

A prayer might contain all or a combination of these elements. For example, you might begin a prayer by telling Him what an awesome God He is [adoration]. Next, you might bring some sin issues before Him and ask forgiveness [confession]. Then, you might thank Him [thanksgiving] for answered prayer or for provisions He has made in your life. Finally, ask Him for things you need [requests].

As Christians we have the privilege of addressing God as Father. In time, you will feel a personal relationship building and prayer will be easier and more natural. You'll even discover the best times and places to pray.

You'll find tape series on prayer, complete books and sermons on prayer and workshops on prayer. Use these resources.

Talk to God. He wants to hear from you. Remember, no prayer is too small.

Community...
God didn't intend for you to live your Christian life alone. Look for a Christ-centered, Bible teaching church. Find a church that will challenge you and give relevance to the Bible and to your life. A good church will provide corporate worship, meaningful relationships, accountability, learning and a place where you can discover your spiritual gifts and participate in a ministry.Begin your search with a requirements document. What are your needs? What do you expect from the church? Most importantly, document the non-negotiables —This list might pertain to the church's statement of faith. Take a look at our statement of faith as an example. If a church does not have such a document or if their statement of faith conflicts with your belief system, consider that a red flag and move on.

Is it possible to find such a church? Yes! Be selective. Ask questions, talk to friends, shop around... and pray about it.

Small Groups More...
Statement of Faith More...
Looking for a Church More...
Next Steps More...

Celebrate...
It is extremely important that you celebrate your your new life by sharing your decision with someone! This confession is a sign that you have converted and become a Christ-follower — a Christian Matthew 10:32.This gives you strength, confidence and courage to talk about Jesus.

Back to Spiritual Discovery Home


Need Spiritual Direction?
The New Believer's Bible...Featuring notes written by leading evangelist Greg Laurie, the New Believer's Bible is designed to help new Christians understand and grow in their newfound faith.More...
Descending into Greatness, Bill Hybels...Downward mobility: that means hand-outs, self-sacrifice, cutting back, putting others first—not exactly laudable behavior in our upscale, up-and-coming, upwardly mobile society.More...
Know Why You Believe...You'll find the answers you seek, and be certain of your faith. In this revision of the bestseller on Christian apologetics-the best just got better!More...

More Books ...

Questions...Just asked Jesus...Re-dedicated...
 

 
 
 





Growthtrac Marriage Resources...

Home |  About  |  Contact Us  |  Email Policy  |  Advertise  |  Donate
Site Map  |  Terms & Conditions  |  Legal Disclaimer  |  Help  |  Privacy Policy   matrix
BBB Accredited Charity...