HELLO

The
Journey
Begins

Seekers, Starters, and Returners to the Faith Journey, we see you! You are at the right place at the right time. We want to give you a comprehensive overview of the journey God has you on. Take a look through the information below. Stay open to what God may be telling you and where He is leading you. This is the beginning of something wonderful!

There’s So Much To Experience…..

1.

How Do I Become A Christian?

SALVATION

JESUS IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH,
AND THE LIFE!

The first step towards becoming a Christian is believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died for our sins and rose again. The Bible states in Romans 3:23, that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” We are in need of righteousness, and only Jesus was the perfect and sinless One who could become the substitution for our sins and make redemption possible.

The second step is summarized in Romans 10:9, when it says, “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Once we believe these truths in our hearts, we make confession with our mouths. That can take the form of a prayer, but becomes even further solidified within us as we share the good news of the transformation we have received from inviting Jesus into our lives with others.

This brings us to a third important aspect of becoming a Christian, which is also stated in Romans 10:9. We surrender to the Lordship of Jesus, which describes us accepting Him as supreme authority, master, and ruler of our entire life. Our lives are no longer for ourselves alone, but as we enter into this intimate relationship with a loving God, we become transformed from the inside out.

2.

How Do I Take Steps Towards Living My
Faith Out Loud?

BAPTISMS

RAISED TO WALK IN THE NEWNESS OF LIFE

There are two primary types of baptisms that we read the early church celebrated and experienced.

Water Baptism is where a believer is immersed in water to symbolize their union with Jesus Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection, and to publicly identify with their faith in Him. The act of being submerged and then rising from the water represents the believer’s old life being “buried” and their new life in Christ beginning.

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is an empowering experience, equipping Spirit-filled believers for witness and ministry. 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 and Romans 12:6-8 describes different gifts given to believers by the Holy Spirit for the building up the body of Christ, allowing for believers to grow in faith, and for the expansion of the gospel. The Baptism of Holy Spirit can immediately follow a Salvation Experience or come subsequently later, and must not be confused with the “sealing of the Holy Spirit” that comes at the point of Salvation as described in Ephesians 1:13-14 and 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, which signifies ownership, security, and the marking of believers as those belonging to God and assuring them of their future inheritance in Christ.

3.

What Tools Do I Need To Walk This Journey Of Faith?

WORD, WORSHIP, AND PRAYER

DAILY GIVING YOUR WHOLE BEING TO GOD

Word. “My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh” (Proverbs 4:20-22). The Inspired Word of God is our plumb-line in life. It is the truth of who God is and who we are in Him when we become believers (identity). Continual growth in our faith is the byproduct of how much investment we put into reading, studying, and understanding the Word.

Worship. Worship goes beyond singing. The first reference to worship in the Bible is Abraham going up the mountain to bring his son Isaac, the son of promise, as a sacrifice. “And Abraham said to his young men, ‘Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go younger and worship, and we will come back to you’” (Genesis 22:5). We can see from this verse that Abraham believed that he and Isaac would return, even if it meant he would be raised from the dead (Hebrews 11:19), and that it was always God’s intention that Isaac be spared. What is revealed to us from this story is the profound reverence, love, and adoration Abraham had for God, and whether that manifests in song or sacrifice, that heart posture reveals what true worship is.

Prayer. Prayer is the act of communicating with God. It is fellowship. It is relational.

Here are 9 types of prayer that the Bible speaks about that will bring us into closer fellowship and oneness with God and His will for our lives:

Adoration (praising God).
Thanksgiving (expressing gratitude).
Confession (Healing & Restoration through Repentance & Forgiveness).
Supplication/Petition (asking God on behalf of others).
Intercession (asking God on behalf of others).
Declaration (speaking out loud the promises of God; putting a demand on the anointing).
Ministering unto the Lord.
Prayer of Faith.
Praying in the Spirit.

4.

What Does It Mean To Be Part Of The Body Of Christ?

3 TYPES OF DISCIPLESHIP

Committed to a Lifestyle of Community and Fellowship

Acts 2:42-47 gives us a glimpse into the life of the early church. Teaching and prayer thrived within the context of mutual accountability, fellowship, the sharing of meals together, and going house to house. Central to the life of the early church was its focus on knowing Jesus and making disciples. While seeking out a church, there are three levels of discipleship that we should all pursue as part of our spiritual journey as we seek to follow Christ.

Who is pouring (mentoring) into me?
Who am I pouring into?
Who am I journeying alongside with?

These three questions represent the three levels of discipleship that allow for spiritual maturity and continual growth within the church community that we live and in fulfilling the Great Commission as laid out in Matthew 28:18-20.

5.

What Does Being An Ambassador Of Christ
Look Like?

GENEROSITY

LIVING THE FULLY DEVOTED LIFE

It says in Acts 2:44-45, “Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.” These verses are discussing communal living and the sharing of personal finances, but there is a deep principle here that applies to us all in the church! Generosity. When we come to the table, we are not to just bring ten percent or twenty percent of ourselves, but the entirety of who we are. Generosity in our Time, Talent & Treasure. Let’s look at three areas the fully devoted disciple can bring their “all in” to the table:

Time— “So continuing daily with one accord in the temple” (Acts 2:46a). The word accord is descriptive of the early churches unity of heart and vision, while the word daily speaks to the relational capital that they invested. These were not just casual and occasional social club gatherings. They took seriously that relationships grow through not only the quality (vulnerable and real) of their time spent, but also of quantity of time spent, both in community and in serving.

Talent— “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10). The abilities, talents, and anointing that are upon your life is needed by the rest of the body of Christ, and the world! You have a sphere of influence that God has placed you within to transform and bring it from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His light! Steward what you have been given and even more will be added to you! Watch and seen how you can never out give God in any area of your life!

Treasure---“For where your treasure if, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Where you spend your finances not only shows what is in your heart, but it will be the direction that your heart goes. God wants us blessed, but what would happen if believers around the world decided that they could live on a lot less than they do and gave all the rest away! What could we do in the world in seeing the Kingdom of God advance, poverty addressed, and widows and orphans looked after? Living a fully devoted life means that when it comes to finances, Jesus is Lord of all, and that we allow Him to lead us in our lifestyle decisions and how we spend our money.