Part 2:Taking My First Steps

Daily Thoughts and Encouragement for December 18, 2014

 

Part 2: Taking My First Steps

 

Daily Thought: "Its up to me to prioritize my faith"

Daily Reading: Colossians 1:9-11

 

For New or Returning Believers:

Congratulations! Your in the club. You officially accepted Jesus into your life. Or maybe you once followed and now you have come back. Now what?

 

Like much in life- your faith will be a lot of what you put into it. If you don't put in the effort to get to know God or the plan he has for your life- you are unlikely to discover it. But here are some simple and straight-forward tips to growing and thriving in faith:

1.) Get connected: If you haven't done so already- get connected into a faith community. You simply will not flourish if you fail to do this. On top of just attending a regular worship, it is doubly important to get connected into a small group. The people you connect with will become your partners in your spiritual development.

      Side note on finding a church: Every church has a distinct personality. Whether you are a farmer 

      to a biker to a "city slicker"- there exists a church for you. When visiting a church, look to see if

      they are teaching solid biblical truth, if the people who go there are growing in faith, and if the

      leaders model godliness in character. If the pastor is driving a Bently- back away slowly and get

      out of there!

2.) Learn: There is a lot to learn. Start by obtaining a decent study bible in a language you can understand. Then get started in a relevant bible study and get into the swing of digging into God's word. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Keep in mind that your pastor likely has a masters degree or higher in this stuff. That means that it can be a little complicated.

3.) Learn to pray, and often: Praying can seem really weird to someone who has never done it before. In fact I know Christians who still struggle with it. But there are specific reasons for it and I can promise you that it is a practice you don't want to skip. It doesn't need to be eloquent, fancy and include a bunch of religious jargon. It just needs to come from the heart. 

 

Focus on these three steps, and your on the way to your new life. Have patience, and watch for the incremental changes. Once you discover how God is moving in your life- it will inspire and motivate you to continue your adventure.

 

Prayer: God, thank you for moving me and for providing me a new life through your son. I pray for learning and understanding as I discover the unique path that you have laid out for me. Amen.

 

FOR THE LONG TERM BELIEVER:

Have you ever heard a testimony in which the person came to God and grew in God all on their own? Without a godly influence, or someone to teach them the basics of faith and to hold them accountable? Even in the bible, the disciples went out two-by-two. Often an elder believer would take a younger "believer in training" when planting the early churches.

 

The believer has a great responsibility and purpose entrusted to him/her by God. The responsibility to invite individuals to a life in Christ is part of it, but the second is the responsibility to nurture those still developing in the faith. To take these individuals under your wing, to love them and to model godliness in your actions. It is a tall order, and although there is often training in evangelizing, there is often little training in how to do this. Here are some simple tips for "bringing up" new believers:

 

1.) Modeling: You don't need to be Pope Francis to model godliness to a new believer, but you do need to be genuine. The greatest lessons will likely be told by your actions, not your words- so if your falling short in a specific area of your life, demonstrate an "active willingness" to overcome it.

 

2.) Avoid "Shoulding" the Person to death. When I first came to Christ- People were gracious in informing me of all the things I was doing wrong. Notice struggle in the marriage? Share with the person information on an upcoming marriage seminar or retreat that you would just LOVE for them to join you on.

 

3.) Be available and hold accountable- Share more of your life than an hour on Sunday. This person will learn countless more from you at the dinner table or backyard gathering than he/she will on Sunday alone. Love this person. Make them part of the family. Then if they bail on coming to church they aren't offended when they hear the age old comment "We missed you on Sunday" but are instead motivated to not miss next week because they knew that they were legitimately missed.  

 

Prayer: Lord God, I thank you that I was encouraged in faith and have assurance in your promise. I pray that I am provided opportunities to share this promise and my faith with a new believer this coming year and pray for your hand on that relationship so that I may do it well. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.