Welcome to the wonderful adventure of following Jesus! 

Use the instructions in these words below and begin the exciting journey of following Jesus every day into the amazing territory of stability, productivity, purpose, and joy.

Step 1: Be Certain that You are a Follower of Jesus 

Have you come to the place in your spiritual journey where you know with absolute certainty that you are going to Heaven? If you have trusted Jesus as your Savior, by surrendering your life to Him, then you are Heaven-bound. God’s Word tells us, “if we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord, because we believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead, YOU WILL BE SAVED… Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:9-10, 13) 

God gives you an unbreakable promise in 1 John 5:13 – “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may KNOW that you have eternal life.” If you have given your life to Jesus, you can be absolutely certain that you are going to Heaven because Jesus never breaks His promise. When you follow Jesus, you become His child, and a good parent will never reject their children. God is a perfect Father who will always take care of you as you faithfully follow Him as part of His forever family.

Step 2: Connect to God’s Word

What food does for your physical body, God’s Word does for your spirit. “As newborn babes desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow.” (1 Peter 2:2) The Bible is God’s living word, and it is your source for spiritual nutrition. God’s Word is timely and timeless. A healthy diet of God’s Word will give you strength for dealing with the daily challenges of life. The front door of the Bible is the Gospel of John. Read John’s Gospel carefully, slowly and prayerfully. Take notes. Ask a spiritual mentor to help you discover how God’s word applies to your daily life. Learn it so you can live it. After you have mastered the contents of John’s Gospel, continue with Matthew, Mark, and Luke. In order to know the Jesus way, you must learn God’s transforming truth. God’s Word reveals God’s will so that you do not waste your life.

Step 3: Connect to God’s People

The Bible tells us the church is not a building, but it’s a group of people who form the Body of Christ. Jesus is the head and His followers become His hands and feet. “You are the body of Christ and members of it individually.” (1 Corinthians 12:27) God’s people will uplift you with encouragement. God’s people will provide you strength, direction, consolation, and the joy of belonging to Christ’s team. “Do not forsake assembling together, but ENCOURAGE one another as the time for meeting Christ draws near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25) God’s people will also hold you accountable to God’s standard of correct belief and conduct. When you are part of the body of Christ, fellow Christians will mentor you and help you follow Jesus’ way instead of the world’s way. It is very important for you to become a member of a local church and serve God’s purpose with the body of Christ.

Step 4: Learn to Pray

God’s Word is your spiritual food, and prayer is like spiritual breathing. Prayer is simply constantly communicating with God. Communication grows all relationships. When you study Jesus’ life, you realize He constantly prayed. Like Jesus, make prayer a priority. Study Luke 11: 1-13, and you will discover the basic principles of a dynamic prayer life that keeps you constantly communicating with your heavenly Father.

Step 5: Obedience

The first followers of Jesus were called disciples, which is based on the root word for discipline. God wants you to be His stable, productive, consistent, and disciplined follower. The key is obedience. Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will obey Me.” (John 14:21).

The first step of obedience is to be baptized. Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. The Lord gives you a model of what He expects. Jesus adds to His example a command, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, teaching them everything I have taught you. And I will always be with you.” (Matthew 28:18-20) Baptism is not an action that results in salvation, rather it’s a symbol of surrender and an expression of appreciation for God making you part of His family.

Your next steps of obedience include moving from a selfish person to a servant of the Savior.  Jesus said, “I have not come to be served, but to serve and give My life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45) Obeying Christ includes moral purity. Jesus never told a lie or stole anything. He lived a life of complete integrity and moral purity. He expects you to follow His protective path of purity.  God’s Word explains your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. You have been bought with the death of Christ, so glorify God with your body. Another feature of obedience is treating people with love. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give you that you love one another, just as I have loved you.” (John 13:34) Ask God to help replace your jealousy, bitterness, and hate with His authentic love. Another feature of obedience is sharing your faith in Jesus with others. Christ said, “You are to be My witnesses.” (Acts 1:8) A witness gives evidence of their experience. Simply tell other people about your relationship with Jesus and help them discover God’s love and purpose.  Live on “soul patrol.” Look for opportunities to tell your family members and friends about what Jesus has done in your life. Tell people what your life was like before you met Jesus then share how you met Jesus. Conclude by telling friends the difference Jesus makes in your life now. 

When you consistently obey Jesus by sharing His love and light with others, your life will overflow with joy, peace, stability, and productivity.  “Be a doer of God’s Word and not a person who only hears God’s Word, but never acts and deceives himself.” (James 1:22) God’s beautiful plan for your life is for you to know Christ, constantly grow into Christ’s character of love, purity, and serving; and then show Jesus to your world by living in obedience to His Word and to His will.