(Discipleship)
The term Christian means Christ-like. To be a disciple (follower) of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are to follow the example of Jesus Himself. Discipleship is learning from Jesus (through reading the Bible) how to become more Christ-like. If you are not a Christian, please go back to the tab How to Be Saved.
The following is a partial list of things you can do to help you with your spiritual growth:
The Bible – Read your Bible daily. You can read a verse and meditate on it all day long or you can read approximately 10 Chapters a day and read the whole Bible in a year. The important thing is to read the Bible each and every day (Job 23:12). It doesn't matter if you read a verse or two or a chapter or two, please get into the habit of reading God's Word. If you are a new believer, we suggest that you start reading the book of John in the New Testament. After that, go to the beginning of the New Testament and read Matthew, Mark and Luke.
Prayer – You need to make sure that you are praying to the one true God, the God of the Bible (John 17:25-26). You need to pray sincere, heart felt prayers. Please pray with a pure heart and talk to God like you would talk to a person sitting next to you who you respect. God knows your heart. Be honest with Him. An important part of prayer is to listen to what God is saying to you. Communication is a two way street. Listening to God is even more important than talking to God.
Spiritual Disciplines - Meditation (meditate with a repentant and obedient heart, meditation is sincerely reflecting on God's word), Payer (ask for forgiveness, pray for others and pray for your needs), Fasting (you can skip a meal or two or fast for days, fasting helps us realize how reliant on God we really are and you should drink water while fasting), Submission (we love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and we love our neighbors unconditionally - Jesus showed these attributes by dying on the cross for us undeserving sinners), Service (we don't serve others for selfish reasons, we should serve others out of humility and obedience to God), Confession (you should confess your sins to God but you need to find a devout Christian that will also hold you accountable), Worship (we should worship God privately and corporately, worship should honor God, it is more about what we are giving God than what God is giving us, we should praise and adore God) and Guidance (the Holy Spirit guides us individually and the Holy Spirit guides us as a group of believers, people who gather in fellowship. Please come to God with a humble heart and allow Him to guide you in all that you do and remember that God will never ask you to do something that goes against His word). By being obedient to God we can be filled with His joy that surpasses all understanding.
Mistakes – We all make mistakes, but don’t keep committing the same sin(s) (Romans 6:6). Don’t keep sinning habitual sins like you did before you were a Christian (1 John 3:6). God has given you a new heart. Turn away from your sins. Follow God’s Law, the Ten Commandments. Not in a legalistic self-righteous way, but try to keep the commandments out of your love and reverence for God. Jesus said if you love me you will keep my commandments (John 14:21).
Church – Find a Bible believing church where the preacher preaches the Truth from the Word of God. You can go to 9marks.org for advice on how to find a church that honors God.
Mentor - Find a mature Christian who can impart godly wisdom and knowledge to you. A devout Christian who can guide you on your spiritual journey and hold you accountable. You need to have a teachable heart. Please humble yourself and realize that you need someone to help you. Having a mentor is very biblical. Just look at the apostle Paul and Timothy (2 Timothy 1:13-14).
Fellowship – Being around mature Christians who are grounded in their faith and who believe the Bible is inspired by God is invaluable to you on your spiritual journey (Romans 1:12). Being around other true believers is a way of being a part of the body of Christ. You need fellowship with a godly purpose, for you to learn from other believers who are farther along their spiritual journey. This will help you grow stronger in your faith.
Faith – Keep your faith in Jesus Christ no matter what happens to you. You may have seen religious people on television talk about wealth, health and prosperity. But the Bible tells us that Christians will have trials (1 Peter 4:12), temptations (James 1:2) and tribulations (John 16:33). Romans 5:1-5 shows us that going through difficult times helps us grow spiritually. God is shaping you to be the person He wants you to be for eternity!
Baptism – Baptism isn’t a requirement for salvation, but it is an outward symbol of obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 6:4).
Spiritual Warfare – The Bible clearly states that once you have become a Christian, the devil who is the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4) won’t like it. The evil one will do all that he can to hinder your spiritual growth and to keep you from spreading the gospel (Ephesians 6:12). The good news is that through His death and resurrection, Jesus defeated Satan! You are to resist the devil (1 Peter 5:9 and James 4:7). The key to resistance is stated at the beginning of James 4:7 where it says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God.” Surrendering your will completely to God is how you resist the devil.
Witness – If you are a Christian, you are called to share your faith with others. In Romans 10:14 the apostle Paul states, “and how shall they hear without a preacher?” Mark 16:15 says, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” These verses aren’t just for preachers. They are for all Christians. You may protest that you can’t preach the gospel. No matter how new of a Christian you are; you can tell your story. Give your testimony in three to five minutes. Tell others how you realized that you were lost, that you had sinned against God and how Jesus suffered and died on your behalf. It doesn’t matter that most of us don’t have a fantastic story to tell. Most people will relate to real stories by real people anyway. God just asks us to speak. We tell God’s truth and God is the one who convicts sinners.