Congratulations on your new relationship with Jesus Christ! We are excited that you made this most important decision and we'd love to help you. We hope this page serves as a reminder of the good news and is a stepping stone to growing closer to Him through His Word, presence & people.

Your decision to follow Jesus isn't by accident. Here's what that means, and where it's found in the bible - it's the GOOD NEWS OF JESUS!

• You understand that God created you to be in a loving relationship with Him. (John 3:16, 1 John 4:19)
• You know that your sin caused a separation to this relationship. (Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23a)
• You believe that God has provided a way to restore your relationship to Him through Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:8, John 14:6, Romans 6:23)
• From your heart, you've made a decision to give your life to Jesus and follow Him. (Romans 10:9)

Our enemy, the devil, will sometimes want to throw your past at you and make you doubt God’s love for you. But be encouraged, and tell him to leave you, because if you have believed in Jesus and have made that decision to follow Him, you can KNOW that you are saved and that He has you.

Once you have received Jesus as your Savior, you can also be encouraged to know that nothing can take you away from Him. You are secure in the Holy Spirit who guarantees that He will get you home with the Lord. Nothing and no one can separate you from Him.

Also know that when you accept Christ, and He gives you the Holy Spirit, He makes you new! Your old life is gone and you are new, clean, forgiven, and now a loved child of God. That is who you are! Again, the enemy will want to remind you of things in your old life, but God wants to remind you that those things might be things you’ve done, but now who you ARE is His!

Like any new relationship, sometimes we have to ask where do we even begin? As you start this new one, with the truths listed above, we want to give you a few things that we believe will help you know Him better and grow in your faith!

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)

You have access to the Father any time, all the time. You are His child and He loves to talk to you and hear from you. Begin to learn to talk to Him often. You don’t have to make your words sound perfect. You can talk to Him as you would a friend. But as you talk to Him, you can remember to consider this acronym to help you: A.C.T.S.

Remember to worship Him and praise Him for who He is. Think about His characteristics that you appreciate and brag on His goodness. He is worthy of praise!

Also remember to keep short accounts with God. Confess sin areas in your life, or ways you messed up recently. Talk with Him about them, agree with Him that those things aren’t what He desires for You. And, tell Him you will turn away from continuing in those things. He is faithful to forgive and help you!

Take time to tell God things you are thankful for. This could be things you are learning about Him personally, things you’ve started to see Him do in your life, or blessings in your life that mean things to you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

This just means asking for something earnestly—or simply, praying for things on your heart (prayer requests of family and friends, talking with God about things going on in your life, etc.).

“Your Word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.” Psalm 119:105 (CSB)
 
God’s Word, the Bible, is a special gift from the Lord as it is like His love letter to us. He tells us everything we need to know about Him, our lives, and our purpose in walking with Him daily. The Bible can feel a bit overwhelming at first, as it is large, and some of the writings can be difficult. However, consistently spending time in it will not only teach you and impact your life, it will continue to make the Bible feel smaller and more understandable.

Regularly reading is the key. Here are some things you can do to help you as you get started:

Always start here. Ask the Lord to help you understand and hear from Him as you read His Word. He’s there with you!

Take small chunks to begin with. And read things multiple times. Repetition helps! Some books of the Bible we’d recommend starting with would include: John, Romans, Ephesians, Philippians, James, and 1 Peter.

We’d recommend taking smaller portions at a time to get started. Read the passage several times and try to just make some observations. What do you see? What is it talking about? What questions come to mind? Just reflect on what you are reading and think about it for a bit. Write down things you’re thinking or questioning. Then, think about what the author was teaching his readers. What did he want them to know, believe, or obey?

Talk with God again (or even all throughout your reading and thinking). Talk with Him about your questions as well as things you’re learning. Then, ask Him how He would have you apply what you’re reading.

After thinking and praying through the passage, write down how it applies to you. How can you put God’s Word into action practically in your life? What are things you need to believe or obey?

God never intended you to walk through life, or your faith, alone. He’s given us more of Himself, as well as other believers, to do life with and to help us.

One way we are never alone is because of the Holy Spirit God gives us. The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity—He is God, and He’s given to us when we receive Jesus into our life. He lives within you to help you daily walk with Him. He helps you to know how to live pleasing to God, gives you strength over temptation so as to not sin, teaches you God’s truth, and empowers you to make a difference for the Kingdom of God.

“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have old you.” John 14:26 (CSB)

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come.” John 16:13 (CSB)

Commit to praying—talking to Him all day.

Commit to the Word—listen for Him to speak to you through the Word, through other believers, and through nudges to your own mind and heart.

Commit to obey—its important to respond when He’s leading you so you can continue to learn to hear His voice and follow His leading.

Another way we are not alone is because we are a part of a family—the family of God. You have been created uniquely on purpose, and gifted by the Holy Spirit… find a way to plug in to God’s family. You can do this in a number of ways. At NEXT, we encourage you to get into a Community Group, as well as find a place to serve/volunteer (Greeters, Ushers, Nursery, Audio/Video, etc.).

“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Romans 12:4-5

“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Romans 12:4-5

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another— and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25

“From whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” Ephesians 4:16

A couple other things we’d encourage you to do is let other people know of your relationship with Jesus. You can do that through baptism & sharing your testimony:

Baptism is an outward declaration of your inward belief, and it’s something Jesus wants us all to do. At NEXT we call it declaring yourself to be on Team Jesus. (Romans 10:9; Acts 2:38)

Your testimony is simply your story. It’s what your life has been like before you met Jesus, how you came to know Jesus (as well as what you have come to believe about Him), and what He’s been doing in your life since. Your story is PERSONAL, PORTABLE, PRACTICAL, and POWERFUL. And, God can use you to help other people’s lives change too.