Accepting Christ as your personal Savior and letting Him become the Lord of your life is not reaching a destination, but is simply the first step. To truly live the "abundant life" which is offered to us by Jesus, we must trust in His grace and make step by step, moment by moment choices.

Although this lifestyle is available, many settle for much less. Don't you want all that Jesus has in store for you? Make that choice and use these simple "mile markers" as you chart your course on the road to freedom.

1. What happened when you received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?

 

 
 
 

You became a child of God (John 1:12; I John 3:1-2). You received a fresh, clean start in the eyes of God. You're a new person (II Corinthians 5:17 and 5:21). You changed your eternal home. You "crossed a line" between eternal life and eternal death!!! (John 5:24; John 3:16-18)

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2. The Bible

 

 
 
 

The word of God, the Bible, is more than just ink and paper; it is a living book. It will be like an infusion of life into your spirit every time you read it. It is this book and the life that it gives that will literally transform you.

It will take a little discipline on your part to learn to receive from the word of God. So, here's a plan.

Make a commitment something like this: Lord, I want to "grow up" as a Christian. I will commit for the next week to read from the book of John for at least ______________ (commit to a certain amount of time) every day. I ask You to teach me and to change me as I read. Thank you in advance.

Stick to your commitment. Have a notebook and a pen handy and write down in journal fashion anything that really "speaks" to you. Read about the powerful effects of the word of God in Deuteronomy 32:46-47, Acts 20:32, Romans 12:2, Romans 15:4, Hebrews 4:12, and I Peter 2:2.

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3. Prayer

 

 
 
 

One of the greatest privileges we have as believers is to communicate with God, prayer(I John 5:14-15; Jeremiah 29:12; Hebrews 11:6). Although the very thought of this may seem too complex to even imagine (John 16:23-24), prayer is simply communication and trust (Matthew 21:22) that He is willing to hear and respond (Isaiah 65:24; Psalm 34:17; Jeremiah 33:3).

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4. Holy Spirit

 

 
 
 

Jesus said that He would send a Helper (John 14:16-17) who would live in us (I Corinthians 6:19). He guides and enables us to fulfill His purposes (Philippians 4:13) and accomplish His will (Galatians 5:16-25; Acts 1:8). He strengthens our relationship with Jesus (John 16:7-15).

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5. Passing It On

 

 
 
 

If Jesus had only saved us to keep us from hell, we would have been taken to heaven immediately after the prayer of salvation rather than face the temptations and trials of life. He has called us to be His representative on earth (II Corinthians 5:20) and tell others how they can receive the good news of salvation (Matthew 28:18-20; Matthew 10:32-33; John 14:12-14).

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6. Church

 

 
 
 

In Christianity, there are no "lone rangers." Jesus designed us to be a part of something larger than ourselves (I Corinthians 12:12-27). Just like a limb needs to be connected to the tree (John 15:1-8), we need to be connected to the Body of Christ, the Church (Romans 12:5). Commitment and Involvement with the church is essential for progression on the road to freedom (Hebrews 10:25).

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7. Lordship of Jesus Christ

 

 
 
 

Becoming all that God has created you to become is a real and wonderful possibility (II Thessalonians 1:11). These mile markers will point you in the right direction. The common thread that weaves all of this together is letting Jesus become the Lord (master, ruler, boss) of you life (Romans 12:1-2). As you yield your heart, mind, and actions to become obedient to the Bible (Joshua 1:8; II Timothy 3:16-17) and responsive to the leading of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 6:19-20), a challenging and fulfilling life awaits you (Jeremiah 29:11)!

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8. The Secret of Success

 

 
 
 

Read Luke 8:4-15. This passage contains the secret to your success as a Christian.

You will notice that there are four kinds of people when it comes to responding to God's word: the "rejecters," the "shallow," the "distracted," and the "productive" (the highly successful). What separates the successful from the failures?

Did they not have the pressures that the "shallow ones" had? Of course, they did. Everyone faces pressures in this life. Did they not encounter the distractions that the third group did? Certainly. everyone has numerous "opportunities" and/or temptations that compete for their attention.

Their secret is in Luke 8:15: they "hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce..."!

Here is the greatest "secret" of success ever recorded: Commit to the word of God and persevere. Persevere through hard times, the dry times, the confusing times. Persevere past the temptations, the setbacks, the distractions.

Don't Quit! Don't give up! Through perseverance, you too will be a successful, productive, happy Christian. Hang on to the word of God.
 
 

Print this out and take it with you to the churches you visit until you find one that ministers to you.

___Did the people make you feel loved and welcome?

___Was the music enjoyable and meaningful to you?

___Did you find the message challenging, practical, and applicable to your everyday life?

___Did you find the message to be Christ-honoring and focused on what the Bible says?

___Did you sense that the speaker had a genuine love for Jesus and for those he was addressing?

___Did the speaker call for people to make a personal commitment to Jesus Christ?

___Did you leave there wanting to be more committed to Christ?

If the church lacks any of these characteristics, go on to others until you find one that measures up to this standard. It will be worth the search. When you find this church, go to the speaker or one of the leaders and ask if they will commit to you in the areas listed below.

...personally be my friend and/or help me find one in this church?

...help me develop a systematic plan for Biblical-based growth?

...lead me into a closer relationship with Jesus Christ?

...help me to find and to fulfill God's purpose for my life?

...be there for me?

...my spiritual growth to the same degree that I commit to this church?

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