Welcome to the great adventure. Here are some first steps.
You now have a personal relationship with God. Jesus' death on the cross opened the door for you to have an intimate relationship with God. He is your Heavenly Father, and He loves you and desires to take care of you.
You are forgiven. It doesn't matter what you've done. When Jesus died on the cross, your sins weren't just forgiven - they were forgotten. You're starting all over again with a clean slate in God's eyes!
You are on your way to heaven. Heaven and hell really do exist. And if you die today, heaven will be your new eternal home - forever! You are a child of God. You now belong to His family. That means you can trust Him completely to take care of you. He desires to meet your needs and help you live in health and victory.
Pray
The best way to get to know someone is by talking to them. That's what praying is - talking to God. You can talk about how thankful you are for Jesus, any needs you have, or just say hello. Next, listen. God has a lot to say to you. You may not hear Him with your physical ears, but you'll hear Him in your Spirit - the deepest part of you (1 Thessalonians 5:23, John 3:6-8).
And as you read the Bible, there should be an alignment between what you hear in your renewed spirit, and what you're seeing from the Word of God.
Read the Bible
Everything you want to know about God can be found there. This is one way you will learn - your born again spirit is right in God's eyes. Now, by reading the Bible, your mind will grow to catch up with that spirit. You can discover His personality, His plan for your life and how much He loves you! Think of the Bible as spiritual food that can help you grow into a strong Christian.
There are lots of great places to start in the Bible, but we recommend starting in the New Testament. Billy Graham said, “Begin by reading the Gospel of John, for it tells us of Christ, of the ‘greatest life ever lived,’ and what He has done for us. Next read Acts, for it tells us what His first disciples did in the power of God’s Holy Spirit. Then perhaps the letters of John and the letter to the Philippians. Then you may want to read Romans, which sets forth the great doctrines which Paul taught.”
If you don't have a Bible, you can use a website or app like Blue Letter Bible, YouVersion, or BibleGateway.com
Attend a Church
Find a church where you are loved and accepted, and that preaches the Word of God. There you should find people who can guide and encourage you. You may visit a few churches before you find the right fit - that's ok! Pray and ask God to help you find the right place and people. Prioritize finding a place that teaches the Word of God clearly. And remember, no church is perfect because it's made up of people, but there is a place for you!
If you're in the Southwest Ohio area, it'd be great to see you at Faith Christian Fellowship of Trenton. Click here to find out more about us.
Some of the resources on this page were modified from materials created by our friends at Eagle Mountain International Church and Kenneth Copeland Ministries