What's Next

what’s

CONGRATULATIONS!

I have come that they
may have life and have it
2 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 the
line of faith. But this is just the
beginning. 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 3

UNDERSTANDING
YOUR DECISION TO

FOLLOW CHRIST

Yet to all who received Him, to
those who believed His name,
He gave the right to become
c4hildren of God. John 1:12

“For I know the plans I have for
you,” declares the Lord, “plans
to prosper you and not to harm
you, plans to give you hope and a
future.” Jeremiah 29:11

5

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
6

But God demonstrates His own
love for us in this: While we were
still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8

7

THE LOCAL CHURCH

8

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
9

BAPTISM

10

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

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.

11

LIVING A LIFE OF
WORSHIP

12

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 praying, 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
13

SERVING

14

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

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.

15

THE HOLY SPIRIT

16

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

18

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

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.

19

GIVING

20

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 21
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

22

What is S.O.A.P.?
S.O.A.P. stands for Scripture,
Observation, Application, 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.

23