Congratulations on becoming a new Christian!
Congratulations on becoming a new Christian. You are about to embark on a wonderful adventure, one that is both difficult and easy at the same time. One that will encourage you to heights you never suspected or dreamed of.
You have been baptized, whether by water or by the Holy Spirit, into the community of Jesus followers. It is He who has made this all possible. Through Him we now have eternal life. Not just in this body but in a future body that will include both physical and extra physical traits.
You will not be alone either, as you will have the Holy Spirit comforting, guiding and training you and a family of people in the church group you attend, supporting you. What’s more you will be supporting and encouraging other people that God decides to invite into His community at this time.
Don’t worry if you feel you don’t know too much about being a Christian right now. This is a lifelong journey and you will learn and become proficient in many things as God sees you willing to open yourself to new experiences. Just as God chose you at this time to become a part of His community, He has a purpose for you to fulfill. He knows you are qualified and will see to it that you are trained to fulfill each task He has for you.
A part of that training may be in the study provided by this series. Here you can increase your understanding of the Bible, learn the ways of a true Christian and best of all you will increase your relationship with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit through the medium of Prayer and Worship.
Your task over the next few years will be learn where you fit in God’s community. You will accomplish this through prayer (getting to know and communicate with God) and study (learning to think and act like Jesus). It is our hope that this series will be of assistance in that task.
You will make many new friends and acquaintances but unfortunately you will also encounter some enemies. But don’t worry, they will not be allowed to overcome you, but they will test you. You will become a stronger Christian because of them. You will no doubt learn to grieve for them because they don’t yet see the hope that you have. They are caught up in a net of hate and discontent. You may begin to see them as God sees them, namely His children that have yet to see and understand His unconditional love for them.
Over time you will begin to teach others what you have learned and support them in their quest for a close relationship with Jesus. This may be within your own family, or it may be as a leader in your community, or even in the global mission field. None of these areas are better or more important than the other. God knows where you will accomplish the most for His purposes, so don’t feel that you need to be in a particular arena, the Holy Spirit will direct where you should be. Be content in that area.
As you mature as a Christian you will begin to train others to fulfill the position you are in at that time. You will then progress to a new position and begin the process of learning that position, only to train and give away that position to even more people. Those that are more mature will always be teaching and mentoring the newer members. This is the way the community grows, and you grow right along with it.
Each of us is like a piece of a jigsaw puzzle. Every piece has its place in God’s plan.
No one piece is optional.Wayne Cordeiro This series will attempt to provide suggestions on Bible Study, Prayer, Faith, Worship, and Personal Growth. Within these subjects we will learn how Jesus thought and acted in His time here on earth so that we can follow His teachings. You will learn what you have been invited to be and do in this life. And how you can multiply yourself through the training and mentoring of others.
This may sound like a lot, and it is; but it is doable through the strength of the Spirit of God.
Finally, as they say in Hawaiian, “mahalo” (thank you), thank you for accepting God’s invitation to join us as we learn and work in furthering God’s purposes in this community.
