My Next Steps - Pastor Jack Ward (ebook reader wifi .txt) 📗

My Next Steps-a guide to spiritual growth by JACK WARD
Copyright by Jack Ward All Rights Reserved.
Scripture verses from the New Living Translation.

To all of you who are just beginning your journey,
May you grow to be fully developing followers of Jesus.

CONTENTS
Congratulations.....................................5
My Story............................................8
Next Step #1 Study Your Study Bible.................9
Next Step #2 Learn to Pray.........................11
Next Steps #3 Connect to a Church & Small Group....13
Next Step #4 Be Baptized...........................15
Next Step #5 Live a Life of Worship................16
A Final Thought....................................17

Appendix 1 Who I Am When I Follow Jesus............18
Appendix 2 Questions about Baptism.................19
Appendix 3 How Can I be Sure of God's Forgiveness?.21
Appendix 4 Resources for Further Growth............23
Appendix 5 Lake Hills Statement of Beliefs.........24
The Gospel of John.................................27

Congratulations

The decision you've made to become a follower of Jesus Christ is the most important decision of your life. God created you with a purpose and that purpose begins with knowing Him. You may not be completely sure what happens when you decide to follow Jesus or what you should do now. They're probably a million questions running through your mind. This book will answer some of those questions and help you get on the right track in your new Christian life.

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! ~ 2nd Corinthians 5:17

Following Jesus is both a one-time decision and a life-long process. God wants you to have a meaningful life in a relationship with Him through his son, Jesus. However, he doesn't force that desire on you. He gives you a choice. You can choose to live according to His plan, or you can choose to go your own way. If you choose to say “no" to God - if you decide to live life on your own terms - that decision separates you from Him. Not only is refusing God a result of a sinful nature, it is sin itself.

On your own, there is nothing you can do to bring yourself into a right relationship with God. Good works won't do it. Religion won't do it. Morality won't do it. Neither will money nor philosophy nor knowledge nor science.


For centuries, seekers have tried all of these paths with little success.

Take note of the story the following verses tell:
There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. Proverbs 14:12

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8
For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity--the man Christ Jesus. First 1Timothy 2:5

Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but He was raised to life in the Spirit. 1st Peter 3:18

You have taken a big step by coming to the point of realization that Jesus is the mediator who restores your relationship with God. You have stepped across the line and have asked Jesus to be the leader and director of your life. You've asked Him to forgive you for all the ways you've sinned against Him while living life on your own terms, and you've committed to becoming more like Him.


In this book you will find tools to help you get started on this path--tools to help you better understand the decision you've made and to help you grow in your faith.

In the following pages, you will find:
 The story of how I became a follower of Jesus
 An explanation of your five Next Steps
 Lake Hills Church Statement of Beliefs
 The entire Gospel of John, plus a reading plan to help you get started
 Additional resources to help you grow

The Bible says, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; the new life has begun!” 2 Cor. 5:17

Anything prior to knowing Jesus was simply existing, but knowing God and walking up with Him is really living. Welcome to your journey. -Pastor Jack

MY STORY

I became a follower of Jesus when I was 10 years old. My father passed away when I was a young boy. My Mother raised my two sisters and one brother and myself to love and know God. I was fortunate to be brought up in a home where God's love was demonstrated in a very tangible way. I remember when I was in grade school, that after school I would go to our church where our minister taught a series of classes that lasted for several weeks-the purpose of these classes were to teach boys and girls my age what it meant to be a follower of Christ. I'll never forget that it was on Palm Sunday in 1970 that I made my confession of faith that Jesus was Lord of my life and later that day I was baptized in the church baptistery. I also remember as a young boy attending Christian service camp in my teen years, and that one of the evening worship times they asked for those who were interested in making a commitment to go into ministry if they would stand. I knew then without a doubt that I was being called by God to go into the ministry. At that time I was not sure what was in store for my life but I knew it was one of the best decisions I would ever make. Since that time until now my desire has been to make Jesus real to people in ways that are relevant. In 1980 I enrolled at Ozark Christian College located in Joplin Missouri. Because I love music so much I immediately became part of a musical group that would travel on behalf of the college with the purpose of reaching out to teens who might want to enter into full-time ministry. While travelling with this particular music group on the very first day of practice I happened to sit by a cute girl (I didn't know at the time) Michele would one day be my wife! God knew then - together we would both be serving Him and using our talents in ways we would never have dreamed! It has been our privilege to minister in several churches including Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri. It was in February of 2008 Michele and I started Lake Hills Church. Lake Hills is located in Ozark, Missouri. I trust that, if you are reading this, you have made a decision to give your life to Jesus at Lake Hills Church. I am thrilled to be on this path with you.

If, for some reason, this book is in your hands and you have never taken the step of faith to make Jesus first in your life, let me encourage you to do so as soon as you can. It's the most important decision you will ever make!


NEXT STEP #1

STUDY YOUR BIBLE
How much do you really know about the Bible? Maybe you have read bits and pieces of the Bible, but you never understood it as a cohesive unit. As followers of Jesus, we believe that the Bible is the inspired, and inerrant WORD of God.

Think about these facts:
The Bible is comprised of 66 books that were written over a period of 1500 years by over 40 different authors, from different places, and with different life experiences. These authors did not collaborate with one another. In many instances, they didn't even speak the same language. If there were, passed down through many generations and translated many times, has resulted in a consistent manuscript that you are about to integrate into your life-the manuscripts that tells God's story of creation of the universe, the beginning of the fall of man, and God's plan and purpose for us to know him through his son, Jesus Christ.

God communicates with us through his Word. There are several methods for making that communication a daily part of your experience with God.


You lose your grip on something easily if you only hold on two or three fingers. God wants you to get a good grasp on what is written in the Bible and how you can apply it in to your life. Think of holding onto the Bible with all five of these fingers.
 Hear: Make sure you listen to good Bible teaching, both for your church and through other resources you can find. Take notes on what you hear.
 Read: You will get to know God better by spending time reading His Word. Set a goal to read the Bible for at least 15 minutes every day.
 Study: Make sure you're studying the truths you read. As you dig into the Bible, ask yourself these questions.

o What promise is there to claim?
o What example is there to follow?
o What command is the error to obey?
o What sin is there to confess?

One of the best ways to study your Bible effectively is to get involved with a small group. Small groups are groups of people that meet to study the Bible, pray for one another, and enjoy life together. We'll take a closer look at small groups and the “Next Steps #3.”

 Memorize: God wants us to hold Scripture close to our heart and to be able to call on it when it is needed. This ability comes as we memorize verses that speak to us. To memorize at least one verse a week.
 Meditate: This ties in with memorization. After you memorize a verse, spent some time meditating on it. Analyze and well on its truth as you jog, walk, ride your motorcycle, cook, or play. The Bible is useful and helpful in all situations. Here's a powerful verse from the book of Hebrews reminding us of this truth:
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Hebrews 4:12

CHOOSING A BIBLE TRANSLATION
Although there are many worthwhile translations of the Bible, here are three that are easy to read and accurate:
 The New Living Translation(NLT)
 The New International Version (NIV)
 The New King James Version (NKJV)

Try going to a bookstore or reading passages online. One of my most favorite is YouVersion.com or BibleGateway.com (see appendix 4) to see which translation that you are most comfortable reading.
As you take this step to integrate the Bible into your daily life, you will see how it is relevant to everything that you face. God will use your time in the Bible to teach you about His truths and draw you closer to Him.

NEXT STEP #2 - LEARN TO PRAY

The best way to build a relationship with someone is to spend time talking to the other person. You wouldn't have many friends if you never talk to them, would you? How would your relationship with your family suffer if you never made time for them, or never let them speak to you?
The same thing is true in your relationship with God. Just as reading your Bible helps you know God more