STEP ONE: Study God's Word
The Apostle Paul urged a young believer named Timothy to "study (give diligence) to show (present) thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (correctly understanding) the word of truth" (II Timothy 2:15).
The Bible is indispensable to you as a Christian! The Word of God gives you direction. The Bible says, "Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path" (Psalm 119:105). The Word, as it takes root in your mind, helps you to deal with sin. King David wrote from experience on how powerful God's Word is, "Thy Word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against thee" (Psalm 119:11).
Scripture gives you a proper understanding of God; it can scold us when we've done wrong, it can correct us when we are wrong, and it can give us instruction to live lives pleasing to God. The Bible says about itself, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (II Timothy 3:16-17).
When you read the Bible, learn to meditate upon the verses you have read. Scripture tells us that a godly person "delights in the law of the Lord; and in His law he does meditate day and night" (Psalm 1:2).
Learn to take the Scripture you have meditated upon and start putting into practice what you have heard and learned. We are told in Scripture to "be doers of the Word, and not hearers only..." (James 1:22). As Christians we are to apply God's Word to every area of our lives. When we live according to the Bible, it will be a blessing upon our own lives, it will help people we are able to share with, and it will honor our Savior.
How to study the Bible
Where to begin reading...
STEP TWO: The Importance of Prayer
Prayer is communication with God. Communication is vital if you are going to have a strong relationship with the Lord Jesus. The Apostle Paul wrote, "continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving" (Colossians 4:2).
When you pray, talk to God as you would a close friend. Remember, God wants to talk with you more than you want to talk to Him! He looks forward to His time with you! He looks forward to His time with you!
Prayer is more than saying a blessing before a meal, and it is more than coming before God with a long list of requests. Prayer for the Christian is a life style. The Bible says, "Pray without ceasing" (I Thessalonians 5:17). That does not mean to constantly keep your head bowed, your eyes closed and your hands together. It does mean that "praying without ceasing" is to constantly be aware of God's presence and work in your life, and at a moment's notice you can go to Him in prayer.
Prayer helps us in many ways. Prayer is the way God provides for us to share our needs with Him. Scripture tells us, "In everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God" (Philippians 4:6). God will answer our requests according to His will. Jesus prayed "not my will, but Thine be done" (Matthew 26:39).
Prayer causes us to see things from God's perspective. God uses prayer to prepare us for His will to be done. The Lord's Prayer reminds us "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10) The Apostle Paul's willingness to accept God's will was so strong that he wrote, "and we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) Prayer leads to great confidence in God!
Prayer protects us from temptation. The Lord's prayer asks God to "lead us not into temptation, but to deliver us from evil..." (Matthew 6:13). You see, Satan takes great pleasure in causing believers to stumble. Prayer keeps our focus on God's strength and promises instead of on the temptations.
Yes, prayer is vital to your relationships with Christ. Prayer opens you to God's Word, to true worship, to fellowship with other Christians and to sharing with others what God has done in your life.
Ideas about Prayer
STEP THREE: The Blessing of Worship
The Psalmist David wrote, "Bless the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me bless His holy Name" (Psalm 103:1). Dear friend, God alone is worthy of your worship! David continues, "Bless the Lord, O my soul and forget not all His benefits" (Psalm 103:2). The psalm proceeds to list the benefits God extends to us. There is an old hymn that tells us to "count your blessings, name them one by one, count your many blessings to see what God has done."
To experience the blessings of worship, it is good to prepare for worship before you enter into it. A great way to experience the blessings of worship is to dwell on all the great things God has for you... especially your salvation through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ! Remember, as you enter into worship, whether it is by yourself or at a worship service with other believers; your worship brings you into the presence of the Creator and Ruler of the universe!
If you were to meet someone famous in our society, wouldn't you try to prepare yourself for the meeting? How much more should we prepare ourselves to meet our great God and Savior Jesus Christ!
Sometimes you may not feel like worshipping the Lord. Maybe the disappointments of the day or week have caused you to lose "focus" of God's holiness and love for you. What you need to do is "refocus" on who God is and what He has done for you. The old chorus puts worship in a proper perspective, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full into His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace."
An important aspect of worship is to verbally express our love and adoration to God. You see, God wants to be praised. King David realized how important verbally expressing our praise of God is. He wrote, "I have trusted in Thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the Lord, because He hath dealt bountifully with me" (Psalm 13:5,6).
In order for worship to be meaningful, two important elements need to be incorporated. Jesus said, "God is Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). As you enter into worship with a grateful heart, the Holy Spirit communes with your spirit to open your mind to God's truth.
You may be thinking that the experience of worship begins the moment you enter into worship and concludes when the worship is concluded. Not so! True worship results in presenting ourselves for His service. When we truly worship God, we must ready and willing to respond to His call. Isaiah tells us that he "saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple" (Isaiah 6:1). Isaiah found himself involved in a worship experience. In that experience, he saw his own sinfulness verses God's holiness. He dealt with his sin and God purified him. Then God asked "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Isaiah responded, "Then said I, here am I; send me" (Isaiah 6:8). True worship moves us to respond to the truth and the Spirit's leading for whatever He calls us to do.
Suggestions for Worship
STEP FOUR: Fellowship With Other Christians
The Christian life was never designed by our Lord to be lived in a vacuum. That is why the local church is so important in your spiritual growth as a Christian. Have you ever noticed while sitting at a campfire, how hot and bright it is at the center of the fire? The reason for the brightness and heat is that the logs are in contact with each other. As you view the campfire, you may notice a lone ember that slowly is cooling and losing its brightness. A campfire can teach us an important lesson about our need for fellowship with other Christians. Christians that fellowship together, which includes praying, studying God's Word and worship, as well as social activities, are much more likely to burn hot and bright for the Lord than the Christian who isolates himself from other believers. Friend, you will glow brighter when you fellowship with other believers! Therefore, it is so important to find a solid Bible Church that will keep you bright and hot for the Lord!
Why is Christian fellowship important? First, we find encouragement in fellowship with other believers. Christian fellowship provides an atmosphere where we can share our joys and sorrows. The Scripture says "Bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2).
Another reason for Christian fellowship is that we gain enthusiasm and encouragement from one another. You see, as we share in the lives of other believers, we are encouraged and energized to live out our faith on a daily basis.
Finally, we are empowered from our fellowship with other Christians. Why? It's because we find Christ in the midst of other Christians. Jesus said, "For where two or three are gathered together in My Name, I am there in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20). The first century Christian's experienced the power of God "as they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship in the breaking of bread and in prayer" (Acts 2:42).
Make it a priority to pray that the Holy Spirit will lead you to a fellowship of believers with whom you can enjoy the blessings of growing in Christ together! Remember one of the ways our Lord identifies us as disciples is "if you have love for one another" (John 13:35).
How to participate in Christian Fellowship
STEP FIVE: Sharing your Faith
How did you become a Christian? Probably you knew how to become a Christian because another believer cared enough to tell you that you could have forgiveness of sin and eternal life. Think about it, since the resurrection of Jesus Christ two thousand years ago, believers have been telling other people how to accept Christ as their Savior! Every born again believer can connect their spiritual heritage all the way back to the eye witnesses of the resurrection! One person told another person, and that person told another and so on. You see, God has chosen to included us in His plan to direct people towards Him. Jesus said, "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Only we who know Christ as Savior can share the Gospel. When God's people are faithful in this plan, wonderful things happen to the people that receive the Gospel and we are blessed as well!
How do we share our faith? First, God's love is spread to those who desperately need it, and that means everyone! Jesus said, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" ( John 3:16). If you could quote no other verse, this "Gospel in a nutshell" would be enough to share the plan of salvation. Commit John 3:16 to memory. It will bless the lives of those you share it with.
Secondly, when we share our faith, those who do not know Christ as Savior can be saved. Understand this; we cannot save anyone, that is God's work. However, we can be faithful in telling others of God's promises that "whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved" ( Romans 10:13). Your faithful witness can have an impact on the eternal destiny of a person!
Lastly, when we share our faith, lives are changed. Scripture tells us that God's "word shall not return void" (Isaiah 55:11). In other words, God's Word will affect some response or change as the Holy Spirit works in a person's life that does not know Christ as Savior. When lost people respond to God's Word and to how you shared your faith, a miracle can happen. The miracle of salvation through faith! When a person responds to the Gospel, that person is changed. The Bible says "therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new" (II Corinthians 5:17).
Dear friend, if our lives have been changed by the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ, we cannot help but share our life changing experience with other people.
Start sharing your faith!
First give witness of your faith by being baptized. Baptism is an outward act of what has happened in your heart and life. Your baptism is a testimony to the people who see it that your old self (sin life) has been buried and that you are raised to a new life in Christ.
Ask God for a burden for lost people He puts in your life. Remember, the best gift you could give a friend who is lost, is to share Jesus with them!
Take time to put together a testimony that tells people who Jesus is, what He's done for you, with an opportunity for the person to ask questions and Lord willing, to accept Christ as Savior.
Be very sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading. Depend on His prompting to sharing your faith. Depend on Him to take your words and cause them to reach deep into the person's heart and mind.
Give god the freedom to impress upon your mind changes He wants to make in your life. This will help your life to match your words.
If you live in the Rochester, NH area, we would be glad to send you more information
about our church, please contact our church office at 603-332-5355.