What's Next

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“I HAVE COME THAT THEY MAY HAVE LIFE AND HAVE IT ABUNDANTLY.” JOHN 10:10 ++ ++ ++ ++

++ ++ ++ ++ Taking the step of faith to follow Jesus Christ is the greatest step you will ever take. It’s the one action that will allow you to gain a new perspective on life and experience what God has in store for you. The abundant life you began the moment you stepped over theline of faith. But this is just the be- ginning. You’ve taken the first step — but now what? This book will give you an idea of what’s next and help you discover what your next step is through God’s word about each step. You may still have questions about your decision. You may even have doubts. That’s okay. But don’t let those questions or doubts stop you from moving forward. Use those thing to fuel your walk. And continue to experience the abundant life – one step at a time. This is fun! Pastor Justin

UNDERSTANDING YOUR DECISION TO FOLLOW CHRIST “YET TO ALL WHO RECEIVED HIM, TO THOSE WHO BELIEVED HIS NAME, HE GAVE THE RIGHT TO BECOME CHILDREN OF GOD.” JOHN 1:12 ++ ++ ++ ++

“FOR I KNOW THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU,” DE- CLARES THE LORD, “PLANS TO PROSPER YOU AND NOT TO HARM YOU, PLANS TO GIVE YOU HOPE AND A FUTURE.” JEREMIAH 29:11 1 MAN GOD

BUT YOUR INEQUITIES HAVE SEPARATED YOU FROM YOUR GOD; YOUR SINS HAVE HIDDEN HIS FACE FROM YOU, SO THAT HE WILL NOT HEAR. ISAIAH 59:2 2 SIN GOD MAN

BUT GOD DEMONSTRATES HIS OWN LOVE FOR US IN THIS: WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR US. ROMANS 5:8 3 MAN + GOD

++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ THE LOCAL ++ CHURCH

++WHEN YOU STEPPED OVER THE LINE OF FAITH AND CHOSE ++TO FOLLOW JESUS, YOU BECAME PART OF A MOVEMENT. ++BUT THE MOVEMENT, CHRISTIANITY, IS NOT A SOLO SPORT. THAT’S WHY THE LOCAL CHURCH EXISTS. EACH WEEK, WE WE GATHER TOGETHER AS A CHURCH, WE UNITE TO WORSHIP GOD, DISCOVER HIS PLAN FOR OUR LIVES, AND LEARN HOW TO LIVE OUT HIS PRIORITIES. AS YOU CONTINUE TO WALK IN FAITH, REMAIN COMMITTED TO THE LOCAL CHURCH. BECAUSE, AS WE LEARN FROM THOSE WHO STEPPED OUT TO FOLLOW CHRIST, THE LOCAL CHURCH IS CRUCIAL TO OUR GROWTH AND EXPERIENCE OF THE ABUNDANT LIFE IN CHRIST HAS IN STORE FOR US. LET US NOT GIVE UP MEETING TOGETHER, AS SOME ARE IN THE HABIT OF DOING, BUT LET US ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER AND ALL THE MORE AS YOU SEE THE DAY APPROACHING. HEBREWS 10:25

++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ BAPTISM ++

++SIMPLY PUT, BAPTISM IS AN OUTWARD DISPLAY AND ++CELEBRATION OF YOUR INWARD DECISION TO TRUST CHRIST ++WITH YOUR ETERNITY. IT’S AN ACT OF OBEDIENCE, A STEP OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT IS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE FACT THAT JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS, WAS BURIED AND WALKED OUT OF THE GRAVE, ALIVE, SO EACH OF US CAN HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. WHEN YOU STEP INTO THE WATER, YOU ARE LETTING THE WORLD KNOW THAT YOU HAVE WALKED INTO A NEW LIFE OF FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST AND THAT YOU ARE COMMITTING TO FOLLOW HIM DOWN A NEW PATH. IF YOU’VE MADE THE DECISION TO FOLLOW JESUS, BAPTISM IS THE NEXT STEP IN YOUR SPIRITUAL JOURNEY. YOU WILL BE HIS WITNESS TO ALL PEOPLE OF WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN AND HEARD. AND NOW WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? GET UP, BE BAPTIZED AND WASH YOUR SINS AWAY, CALLING ON HIS NAME. ACTS 22:15-16

LIVING A LIFE ++ OF WORSHIP ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++

++WORSHIP IS SIMPLY WHATEVER YOU FOCUS ON, RESPOND TO, ++AND CELEBRATE. AS A NEW BELIEVER, IT IS VITAL THAT YOU ++WORSHIP. JUST MAKE SURE YOU ARE DIRECTING IT TO THE RIGHT PLACE. AS YOU STEP INTO YOUR NEW LIFE, REMAIN FOCUSED ON WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE FOR YOU, RESPOND TO HIM WITH OBEDIENCE AND CELEBRATE HIM DAILY WITH YOUR WORDS AND ACTIONS. WORSHIP ISN’T SOMETHING THAT ONLY HAPPENS ONCE A WEEK IN A CHURCH BUILDING. IT’S A 24/7 DEAL. IT’S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ARE AT WORK, AT THE STORE, IN THE GYM, OR EVEN AT HOME. AND FROM BIBLE STUDY TO PRAY- ING, FROM WEEKEND SERVICES AT CHURCH TO JOURNALING AT HOME, WORSHIP IS SOMETHING THAT WILL DEEPEN AND STRENGTHEN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS AS YOU CONTINUE TO WALK WITH HIM. WORSHIP THE LORD IN THE SPLENDOR OF HIS HOLINESS; TREMBLE BEFORE HIM, ALL THE EARTH! PSALM 96:9

++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ SERVING ++

++MOST OF US WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE; WE WANT TO ++LEAVE OUR FOOTPRINT ON THE WORLD. AND GOD HAS GIFTED ++EACH OF US WITH A PARTICULAR SET OF SKILLS TO DO JUST THAT – THROUGH THE LOCAL CHURCH. AS A NEW CHRIST FOLLOWER, ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL LESSONS YOU CAN PUT INTO ACTION IS SERVING THE CHURCH; IT’S STEPPING OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT LEVEL AND STEPPING UP TO SERVE OTHERS. JESUS HIMSELF SAID THAT HE DID NOT COME TO BE SERVED, BUT TO SERVE OTHERS. WHEN YOU VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME AND TALENT IN THE LOCAL CHURCH, YOU WILL DISCOVER THE KEY TO UNLOCKING A LIFE OF INFLUENCE AND CHANGE. READ THESE WORDS FROM THE BIBLE. AND TAKE YOUR NEXT STEP OF SERVING IN THE CHURCH. EACH ONE SHOULD USE WHATEVER GIFT HE HAS RECEIVED TO SERVE OTHERS, FAITHFULLY ADMINISTERING GOD’S GRACE IN ITS VARIOUS FORMS. 1 PETER 4:10

++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ THE HOLY ++ SPIRIT

++THE HOLY SPIRIT PROVIDES THESE THINGS FOR US: ++• COMFORT (JOHN 14:16, ACTS 9:31) ++• GOOD CHARACTER (GALATIONS 5:22-23) • SPIRITUAL GIFTS (1 CORINTHIANS 12:4-11) • CONVICTION (JOHN 16:5-8) • GUIDANCE (JOHN 16:13) • POWER (ACTS 1:8) WHEN WE ARE OPEN TO IT, WE CAN ASK GOD FOR THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN OUR LIVES. RECEIVING THE GIFTS OF GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT PUTS US IN A POSITION TO LIVE A LIFE THAT IS SPIRIT- EMPOWERED. IF YOU LOVE ME, OBEY ME; AND I WILL ASK THE FATHER AND HE WILL GIVE YOU ANOTHER COMFORTER, AND HE WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU. HE IS THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE SPIRIT WHO LEADS INTO ALL TRUTH. THE WORLD AT LARGE CANNOT RECEIVE HIM, FOR IT ISN’T LOOKING FOR HIM AND DOESN’T RECOGNIZE HIM. BUT YOU DO, FOR HE LIVES WITH YOU NOW AND SOME DAY SHALL BE IN YOU. JOHN 14:15-1717

++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ PRAYER ++

++PRAYER IS COMMUNICATION WITH GOD. ++GOD CREATED MANKIND FROM THE BEGINNING TO ++HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM – BUT BECAUSE SIN WAS ALLOWED INTO HUMANITY, GOD SENT JESUS TO RESTORE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GOD AND MAN. THROUGH JESUS’ SACRIFICE AND EXAMPLE, WE CAN NOW RECONNECT WITH GOD THE WAY THAT HE ORIGINALLY INTENDED. WHEN WE PRAY, WE ARE INTENTIONALLY OPENING THE DOOR FOR GOD TO CONNECT WITH US AND WE ARE LETTING HIM KNOW THAT WE TRUST HIM, WE WANT TO HEAR HIS VOICE AND THAT WE ARE READY TO BE LED BY HIM. BE JOYFUL ALWAYS; PRAY CONTINUALLY; GIVE THANKS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES, FOR THIS IS GOD’S WILL FOR YOU IN CHRIST JESUS. 1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18

++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ GIVING ++

++HONORING GOD WITH YOUR GIVING. ++MAINTAINING A GIVING HEART IS ESSENTIAL FOR A FOLLOWER ++OF CHRIST. THE BIBLE TEACHES US A BASELINE STANDARD FOR GIVING: THE TITHE. THE WORD TITHE JUST MEANS A TENTH. WHEN WE GIVE THE FIRST 10% OF OUR INCOME TO THE CHURCH, WE PUT GOD FIRST IN OUR LIVES. IT TEACHES US AND TRAINS OUR HEART TO TRUST GOD AT HIS WORD. IT IS AN ACT OF WORSHIP THAT EXPRESSES OUR GRATITUDE, FAITH, AND LOVE FOR OTHERS. AND WHEN WE BRING GOD OUR FIRST AND OUR BEST, HE PROMISES TO BLESS THE REST. “TEST ME IN THIS AND SEE IF I WILL THROW OPEN THE FLOODGATES OF HEAVEN AND POUR OUT SO MUCH BLESSING THAT THERE WILL NOT BE ENOUGH ROOM TO STORE IT.” MALACHI 3:10

++ ++ ++ ++ S.O.A.P ++ ++ ++ ++

WHAT IS S.O.A.P.? S.O.A.P. STANDS FOR SCRIPTURE, OBSERVATION, APPLICA- TION, AND PRAYER. IT IS A WAY OF GETTING MORE OUT OF YOUR TIME IN GOD’S WORD. WE DID NOT INVENT IT, WE JUST DECIDED TO MAKE IT AVAILABLE FOR YOU! HOW DOES IT WORK? IT’S QUITE SIMPLE. WHEN YOU SIT FOR YOUR DAILY READING TIME, READ THE BIBLE AS YOU NORMALLY WOULD WITH ONE SIMPLE DIFFERENCE. UNDERLINE OR TAKE NOTE OF ANY VERSES THAT JUMP OUT AT YOU WITH SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE. THIS IS THE BASIS OF DIVING DEEPER AND USING S.O.A.P. S - SCRIPTURE: WRITE DOWN THE VERSE OR VERSES THAT STUCK OUT TO YOU IN YOUR READING. O - OBSERVATION: WHAT DID YOU OBSERVE ABOUT THE SCRIPTURE THAT STUCK OUT TO YOU? A - APPLICATION: HOW CAN YOU APPLY THE OBSERVATION SO IT AFFECTS YOUR LIFE? P - PRAYER: PRAY FOR GOD TO HELP YOU APPLY WHAT YOU LEARNED. ++ ++ ++ ++

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