Pastor J.D. discusses the three most important things for new believers to do as they begin their relationship with Christ.

A glimpse inside this episode:

#1: Learn how to spend time with God.

There’s absolutely nothing that will benefit you more than spending time with God every single day.
- Find a time that works for you, and set aside time.
- Start with 10-15 minutes if you need to, but make sure you have time to read Scripture and spend time praying.
- A lot of people who start well in the Christian life don’t always end well — like in the parable of the seed. The problem with the seed, though, is that it didn’t go deep enough.
- I recommend reading a book of the Bible all the way through, rather than trying to read the whole thing front-to-back.
  - The book of Mark is a great place to start.
- We advocate the “HEAR” method here at our church. Highlight, Examine, Apply, Respond.

#2: Plug into a gospel-centered local church and get involved.

You’ve gotta be known, you’ve gotta be serving… there’s just something essential about the local church.
Yes, you can get podcasts like this one and sermons online and that’s great, but good content can’t replace being a part of the church.
Even though it doesn’t technically have to be your nearest Summit Collaborative church, I am of the opinion that they’re the best… even though I may be a little biased.
Seriously though, it’s vital to get plugged into a local church that preaches the Word of God right away.
- If you’re not sure where to start, ask some friends that are believers where they go.
- Or, look around online, and make sure you read the “What we believe” section of the church’s website.
- - One of the best analogies for the body of Christ is… well, the actual body. When I have an itch on my left arm, my body sends a message to my mind which sends a message to my hand telling me to itch. It doesn’t just magically happen.
    - In the same way, if you’ve cut yourself off from the church, you’ve cut yourself off from one of the ways God has to meet your needs.

But do you really need the church?

#3: Get into a small group.

You need to be able to ask questions and get honest answers.
You need to be able to be honest with people about struggles and sin.
You need accountability.
And, you need people to have fun with and live life with that have the same beliefs as you.
A small group is a great connection point of connection.
- Your friends are the future you. You will be the average of your 5 closest friends in 5 years.
- So when you’re in a small group where people are calling out things to you and about you and preaching doctrine constantly, that’s a big step in the right direction.
You need someone to help you know God. A lot of people never take that initiative.

The sponsor for this week’s episode:

For more than 25 years, Portable Church® has helped thousands of churches launch strong and thrive in a mobile setting. They design custom solutions that fit each budget, vision, and venue. Everything you need to launch a mobile church — an inviting worship space, kids ministry areas, welcome spaces, storage cases, etc — all in a system refined to make it fast, easy & fun for the weekly volunteer teams. portablechurch.com/lifeway

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