NEW BELIEVER

Welcome to the Family of God

We are so excited that the Lord has led you to take the first steps to follow Jesus and we want to personally welcome you to the family of God! Choosing to follow Jesus is the most important decision you have or will ever make. 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 help you to grow your new life in Christ. Growth takes time, but it begins—right now—right here by simply responding to Jesus.

Whether this is your first time committing your life to Jesus or a rededication of your life, these steps below will help build a strong and lasting relationship with Jesus on this messy journey in life.

Read the Bible Daily

The Bible will tell you everything you need to know in order to grow in your spiritual life. Because God speaks through His Word, you will get to know Him better and learn what pleases Him. As you obey His Word, you will grow strong and begin to see positive changes in your life.  We suggest starting in the New Testament with the Gospel of John and reading straight into Acts. You can buy a Bible online, download one onto your smart device, pick one up at your local bookstore, or even as a local church for one. Here are a few internet links that offer a variety of great  ways to explore the Bible: www.bible.com www.faithlifebible.com www.biblestudytools.com/Library www.biblegateway.com

Pray Daily

Prayer is one of the greatest privileges we have as a child of God. Prayer is the way you connect with God.  God wants you to know Him personally and wants you to share your heart with Him. The A.C.T.S method is a good easy way to learn and remember how to pray. Adore –  Start your prayer by telling God how much you adore Him, giving Him recognition for who He is and thank Him for what He has done for you. Confess – Confession is acknowledging that you have messed up and asking God to forgive you of those sins.  The Bible says that if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful to forgive our sins and cleanse us of all that we have done wrong. Thanks – We have so much to be thankful for in our lives, including our salvation.  God’s people should Joyful and grateful people who spread that wherever they go. Supplication – Supplication simply means praying for your personal needs and the needs of those around you.

Find a Church to Attend

You can’t do this alone! Going to church is the primary way you will grow in your faith. You will meet other believers, develop friendships and find community that will support you on this new journey in life.  It is important that you find a local church that teaches the Bible, values worship, evangelism and community.  Great churches are in most communities, if you cannot find a church within driving distance, we invite you to join us Sunday Mornings at 10:00am at Light of Christ Church www.lightofchristwi.org.

Share Your Faith

Good news is hard to keep to yourself! Now that you are following Jesus, it’s time to tell people about Him.  Don’t hide your faith from people around you, they need Jesus just as much as you needed Jesus.  How will they know that Jesus is real if the people around them don’t tell them? A great way to share with them is tell your story. Tell them what Jesus has done for you and what He will do for them.

Stay the Course

Being a Christian is not always easy, remember that life is messy but Jesus is real.  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. Know that it isn’t a sin to be tempted—even Jesus experienced temptation (read Luke 4:1–3)—but giving in to the temptation is sin. Christians will experience times of testing and trials, but God promises to be with us and give us the strength we need to get through hard times.