WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO FOLLOW JESUS

GOD LOVES US ALL

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16

He created each of us by hand, and each one of us is unique. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost, so we feel compelled to do the same. All of this wonderful diversity means we hold a variety of views. We focus on what unites us. We choose to love and to offer grace to one another.

We are here to laugh with you, cry with you, and walk beside you on your faith journey. By having a relationship with God, we choose to encourage you to deepen your spiritual walk with Him. If you are in a different place right now, we choose to introduce you to a community who loves you more than you know.

The bottom line is this: God loves us. All of us. And He chooses for us all to love one another.

FAITH

We hope you will choose to know God better through His Son Jesus Christ, and it is your decision to accept him into your heart. We will continue to love you either way. Our Voices and leaders are Biblically based teachers who share truths found in the scriptures. Some share their own unvarnished faith stories with courage and transparency.

OUR SIN

We are all born with a sin nature. Because of our sin, we are unable to have a relationship with God without forgiveness.For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. - Romans 3:23 NLT

GOD"S GIFT

We can’t earn God’s forgiveness – it must be given. Jesus gave His life as a sacrifice so that we could be forgiven.

God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. - Romans 5:8 NLT

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 6:23 NLT

OUR RESPONSE

We must accept this free gift from God by committing our lives and heart to Jesus.

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. - Romans 10:9 NLT

GIVING YOUR LIFE TO JESUS

BEFORE PRAYING

Use Bible Scripture to explain and understand the Gospel:

All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s standards. (Romans 3:23)
The just punishment for our sin is eternal separation from God in hell. (Romans 6:23)
There’s no way we can ever earn our way into heaven. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Jesus, the Son of God, lived a sinless human life among us. (Hebrews 4:14-15)
He died on the cross then rose again, defeating sin forever. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
Because of Jesus’ perfect sacrifice, we can be reconciled with God and spend eternity with Him in heaven. (John 14:6, Galatians 3:26, John 3:16)
Salvation is God’s free gift to us, but we must accept it. (Romans 10:9-10)

PRAYING TOGETHER

Emphasize that there are no magical words to pray—it’s more about the condition of your heart. Some important components can be remembered with ABC:

Admit that you’re a sinner in need of a Savior
Believe that Jesus died for you and rose again
Commit to live the rest of your life for Him

Here’s an example prayer:

“Heavenly Father, forgive me of all my sins. Make me brand new. I believe Jesus died for me and rose again so I could live for you. Fill me with your Spirit so I could know you, serve you, and follow you the rest of my life. My life is not my own—today I give it to you. Thank you for new life! In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.”

WHAT's NEXT?

Congratulations! You have decided to dedicate your life to following Jesus. You may be wondering what's next on your journey. We want to help! Join us as we guide you toward the next steps in your walk with Christ.

DOWNLOAD THE YOUVERSION BIBE APP

YouVersion creates biblically centered, culturally relevant experiences that encourage and challenge people to seek God throughout each day. It’s through these experiences we create opportunities fit for anyone’s daily routine, ultimately helping them form a spiritually-rich rhythm of seeking God intimately.

YOUVERSION APP

A SYMBOL OF YOUR FAITH

Baptism shows others that you have been made new. It represents your old sinful life being washed clean because of your faith in Jesus.

For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. - Romans 6:4 NLT

CELEBRATE YOUR FAITH

If you’ve made the decision to follow Christ, baptism is one of the most meaningful next steps you can take. Baptism is a public celebration of your decision to follow Christ.

What do followers of Christ Believe?

We believe in God as the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are all one God and are joined together into what we call the Trinity. As a fully devoted follower of Christ, you are a new creation made to live for Him.

GOD THE FATHER

God is the creator of the world and calls us His children. See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.
1 John 3:1 NLT

THE SON

Jesus is fully God and fully man and is alive today in Heaven. See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.
1 John 3:1 NLT

THE HOLY SPIRIT

The power of God is alive in us through the Holy Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. Corinthians 2:12 NLT

WHAT's MY NEXT STEPS?

Just like any other relationship, we need to invest time and effort into getting to know who God is and what He wants for us.

READ THE BIBLE

The Bible is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs about living. It’s God’s Word written specifically to guide us through life.

Download the Bible App and find a Bible reading plan to help you make the Bible part of your everyday life.

You can also dig deeper into God’s word with the What's Next bible plan. Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. Psalms 119:105 NLT

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 2 Timothy 3:16 NLT

Download the YouVersion Bible App

MAKE PRAYER A PART OF YOUR DAY

EVERYDAY

Prayer is talking to God, and there’s nothing more powerful than asking for God’s help.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. - Philippians 4:6 NLT

LISTEN

Talking to God isn’t a one-way street – He wants to talk to us, too. Take time to learn His voice and listen to His direction for you.

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27 NLT

WORSHIP

Any time we give God credit for His goodness, we are worshipping Him. When we pray, serve, or help others in their faith, we are following God’s will and showing our gratitude for who He is.

Honor the lord for the glory of his name.Worship the lord in the splendor of his holiness.
Psalms 29:2 NLT

CONNECT

Life is better together. When we interact with other followers of Christ we find support and encouragement to continue in our faith.

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.
Acts 2:42 NLT

GIVE

When we give our time, talents, or financial gifts, we give God the chance to prove His faithfulness.

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! Malachi 3:10 NLT

When you experience something as good as God’s love, you want to share it with the people in your life! Talk about how God has changed your life, build relationships, and invite someone to come to church with you.

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19 NLT

HAVE QUESTIONS?

Connect with G!