SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM PASTOR BJ

Congratulations! You have made a decision, by faith, to commit your life to Christ. So, now what? Now that you've established a relationship with God through his Son, Jesus, you can begin to grow in that relationship and see your life begin to change in big and small ways. We would be honored to help you grow in that relationship.

Prayer & Additional Questions

We would be honored to pray with you! Our pastors are passionate about doing just that. You can request prayer and ask questions HERE.

Our Sin, God's Gift, & Our Response

OUR SIN

We are all born with a sin nature. Because of our sin, we are unable to have a relationship with God without forgiveness. "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard." - Romans 3:23 NLT

God's Gift

We can’t earn God’s forgiveness – it must be given. Jesus gave His life as a sacrifice so that we could be forgiven.

• But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. - Romans 5:8 NLT

• For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 6:23 NLT

Our Response

We must accept this free gift from God by committing our lives and heart to Jesus.

• If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. - Romans 10:9 NLT

A Symbol of Your Faith

Baptism is an outer symbol of inner decision.  Baptism does not make you a Christian.  Baptism is not salvation.  But, baptism is an important step of obedience that every Christian should take quickly after placing their faith in Jesus.  It's a way to publicly proclaim that you've made an internal faith decision to follow Jesus.

• For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. - Romans 6:4 NLT

Celebrate Your Faith THROUGH BAPTISM

If you’ve made the decision to follow Jesus, baptism is one of the first and most meaningful next steps. Baptism is a public physical celebration of your decision to follow Christ and it is very symbolic of what happened to you spiritually when you placed your faith in Christ.  Don't put it off, sign up for baptism today! 

STARTING POINT

If you’re new to faith, just checking it out, or coming back to church after some time away, Starting Point is a great first step.  This is a safe place for your questions, no matter how simple, how complicated or controversial.  One or two leaders facilitate a group of up to eight adults for about an hour on Sunday mornings.

GROWING YOUR FAITH

There are no hidden secrets on how to experience growth as a Christian. God has made it simple and clear, and everyone has the same opportunity for growth.

The following explains some steps to growth:

G = GO TO GOD IN PRAYER EVERY DAY

Prayer is talking with God – like a child talking with a trusted parent. There is nothing too big nor too small to pray about. Jesus gave us a pattern for prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. 

R = READ THE BIBLE EVERY DAY

The Bible is a guide for life. We suggest you start by reading one chapter a day from the book of 1 John and then continue by reading one chapter a day from the book of John. We provide a daily devotional at Grace Fellowship called “The Word for You Today” it’s a great way to start getting into the Bible daily. The main thing is that you start getting God’s Word into your heart and mind consistently. (2 Timothy 3:16 & Psalm 119:105)

O = OBEY WHAT YOU READ FROM THE BIBLE

The most important thing you can do when you read the Bible is to obey. If you obey what you read, you’ll grow. If you don’t obey, you won’t grow. (James 1:25 & Joshua 1:8-9)

W = WORSHIP REGULARLY

Worshiping with other followers of Christ will help you grow. (Hebrews 10:24-25 & Romans 10:11-14)

T = TELL OTHERS WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR YOU

A short time after Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead, some religious leaders did not want His followers to talk about how He changed their lives. This is how two of them responded:

"But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We cannot stop telling about the wonderful things we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:19-20

You’ll experience even more growth when you begin to tell others about what Jesus is doing in your life.

H = HANG WITH PEOPLE WHO WILL HELP YOU GROW

We need to spend time with people who will encourage us to keep on growing in our relationship with Christ. One of the best choices you can make is to do this by getting involved in a local church. If you don’t have a church home, we’d love to have you in our church family at Grace Fellowship. (Proverbs 13:20, Hebrews 3:13, & 1 Thessalonians 5:11) While at Grace, you'll have an opportunity to connect with other through serving and LifeGroups! Click any of the buttons below for more information.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS & PRAYER REQUESTS

We hope and pray that this information has helped. If you have any further questions or prayer requests, please fill out the form below or call us at the church office at 940.969.2427