30 Next Steps for Growing Christians

​The preacher closed the sermon with a call for those ready to trust Christ as Savior to raise their hand. He acknowledged their decision and led them in a prayer of confession, repentance, and faith in Jesus Christ. Afterward, the church applauded in celebration of those who committed their lives to Christ. The pastor dismissed the congregation, and everyone went home talking about what a powerful service they had. But what happens next? What happens to those new believers who courageously placed their faith in Jesus?

​Discipleship is about continually taking the next steps. To be a follower of Jesus, you have to follow. So many Christians move forward until they find a place of comfort in their faith. It's here that, tragically, they plateau in their faith and stop growing. This is not God's plan, nor his will.

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"The righteous keep moving forward, and those with clean hands become stronger and stronger." (Job 17:9 NLT)

The goal of the new believer is the same as the established Christian. We are to keep moving forward in our faith. God's will is for us to keep growing in our knowledge of Jesus and continually be transformed to be like Christ

"May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord." (2 Peter 1:2 NLT)

It's important to remember that our spiritual growth is not accomplished by our next steps alone, but by the grace of God and the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. 
So, what are the next steps for growing Christians? The actions are endless, and they will continue until we someday meet the Lord, but consider the following steps.

• Water baptism
• Tell someone about your decision to place your faith in Jesus.
• Consistently attend church services.
• Be discipled and mentored by a mature believer.
• Read the Bible every day. 
• Commit to praying as a part our your daily time with God.
• Praise and worship God throughout your day.
• Invite a friend to church.
• Attend a new believers class.
• Get involved in a small group with other Christians.
• Discover your spiritual gifts.
• Join a ministry team to use your gifts and talents for God.
• Be involved in world missions to enable everyone to hear about Jesus.
• Tithe on your income in obedience to God's Word.
• Write daily in a journal to keep track of how you are growing.
• Resist a temptation to sin.
• Say yes to something God is asking you to do or stop doing.
• Allow God to reshape your character to be like Christ.
• Grow in the fruit of the Spirit.
• Consistently pray for the salvation of your family and friends.
• Develop a biblical worldview.
• Cultivate the spiritual discipline of fasting.
• Memorize key verses that help you walk in daily victory.
• Study Bible doctrine to know what you believe.
• Disciple other new believers.
• Forgive someone who has offended you.
• Meditate on Bible verses.
• Courageously step out in faith for God.
• Pray for an enemy.
• Evaluate your spiritual growth.

As you can see, the list is endless. The essential thing is to listen to the voice of God as you pray and read His Word. The Spirit of God will always lead us to the next step. Don't be overwhelmed, and try to do it all. Just take one step in obedience to God. Then, take another action. Keep going and keep growing.

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