Seven Helps for
Growing Your Faith

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NOW THAT YOU'VE REPENTED AND
have become a Christian,
what do you do now?  Here are seven helps to growing your faith.

1. Read the Bible - Gaining Knowledge of God

Reading the Bible gives to you knowledge and understanding of God. The more you read, study, and memorize God’s word, the more you come to understand what who God is, what He expects and what glorious promises He has given to you and me.

1 Peter 2:2 encourages you to read the Bible in the same way that a newborn baby desires milk—everyday and several times in a day. Your priority should be to read the Bible daily, considering it as more necessary than the food you eat. The more you read the Bible and apply it, the quicker you will grow in your Christian life (Psalm 1). The more you memorize the Bible, the easier it will be to keep sin out of your life (Psalm 119:11).

It is important to remember not to concern yourself with what you don’t understand about the Bible. Concern yourself with what you do understand. You will find that through daily study your understanding will increase.

2. Pray - Talking With God

You communicate with God through prayer. Without communication, a relationship will not develop and will eventually bring separation. If you don't develop a habitual prayer life, your relationship with God will not develop and you may eventually separate from Him.

It is important to remember to pray without doubting (James 1:6-7). Understand that God is real and therefore He does hear and will answer you. When you pray you should:

    Pray with faith (Hebrews 11:6)
    Pray without sin (Psalm 24:3-4)
    Pray from the heart, not repetitious prayers (Matthew 6:7)
    Pray to the God who created you (Exodus 20:3-6)

Make prayer a daily routine, getting up each morning before you begin your day, but don't let it stop there. The Apostle Paul encourages you to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). This means to develop your subconscious in such a way that you are aware of God's presence with you all the time.

As you pray regularly and habitually, you may be surprised at how you will grow.

3. Do Good Works - Doing Things With God

As a Christian, you are expected to do good to others. The Bible tells us: "As you have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith" (Galatians 6:10).

It also informs us that the reason God created Christians is to do good works (Ephesians 2:10).

In a growing relationship, it is important that you do things with the person with whom you are in relationship. Good works is how you do things with God and share in those things that please Him. You demonstrate Christ's love to an unbelieving world and encourage others to glorify God through your good works.

It is important to remember that good works do not just "happen." You cannot just wait around for them to take place.  You must choose and plan to do them whenever you see that you can.

The more you imitate God's actions of goodness toward others, the more quickly your behavior will grow to be like God.

4. Evangelize - Sharing God With Others

Jesus gave His disciples (which include you and I) one final command before ascending into heaven: "Go, and make disciples.... " (Matthew 28:19). he commands you and I to share with others what He has shared with us and to strongly encourage them to have faith in God through Jesus.

Think about it! Jesus has given to you your life and the promise of eternal life. He has saved you from God's wrath and the hell to come. God has done great and marvelous things for you through Jesus. This is such great news that you want your friends, co-workers, acquaintances, and anyone else that crosses your path to share in these also.

Think about it! Every person that you meet is enveloped with the flames of eternal hell, unless they escape God's wrath through repentance and trust in Him...but who is going to tell them? That is where you come in. God has given to every Christian the responsibility to share the wonderful provision of salvation with others.

Think about it! A house is on fire. Inside are people talking on the phone, eating dinner, and watching television, totally oblivious to the flames that in a few minutes will consume them. What would be your response? Of course you would do everything you could to save those inside. There is a fire consuming men, women, and children that is greater and more deadly than any house fire...that is the fire of hell. Most people are oblivious to the flames surrounding them. It is your responsibility to do something, anything, to help save them from the fire.

This is all that evangelism is: seeing the enveloping fire of hell and doing something to extinguish the flames.

Determine to tell others about Jesus. Start with those close to you (family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, acquaintances, etc.) and then move out to those not normally in your circle of influence. Determine to share with them the salvation they can have through Jesus.

5. Fellowship With Believers - Hanging Out With Christians

Hanging out with other Christians is something God wants you to do. In Hebrews 10:25 you are encouraged to "Not forsake the assembling of ourselves together." In 1 John 1:3, new believers are encouraged to join with other Christians: "that you also may have fellowship with us." In 1 John 3:14, John writes, "You know that you have passed from death to life, because you love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death." As a Christian, you will have a love for other Christians and will want to be with them. The old saying that ‘birds of a feather flock together’ is true of Christians.

As you fellowship with other Christians, you receive instruction from God’s word and encouragement. In turn, you are able to encourage and build up those around you.

6. Be Obedient – Letting God Know You Love Him

Imagine that you asked your son or daughter to do something for you and they consistently refused or neglected to do it. Would you feel like they loved you? Of course not: love is expressed through action.

Obedience is the proof of your love for God. The Bible tells us: "For this is the love of God, that you keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous" (1 John 5:3). Obedience is also the evidence that God lives in you and you live in God (1 John 3:24). Obedience is the most important ingredient to growing as a Christian. Everything written in this pamphlet has to do with obeying God.

Obedience is nothing more than reading the Bible and putting what you read into action. As you read the Bible, don’t just read the words, ask yourself how you can put the words into action. Everything you need for dealing with this life and preparing for the life to come is found in the Bible. Read the Bible and do the Bible.

7. Fulfill Your Ministry - Using Your Spiritual Gifts

The Bible gives us these words in Luke 19:13: "And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come." As we read further in this passage, the servants then went and used what their master had given them (Luke 19:15-27).

While we continue to live in this present age, we are to take the measure of the Holy Spirit that God has given to each of His children and allow Him to work the work of God through us. We will be held accountable for how we have allowed the Holy Spirit to work in us.

Now that you are a Christian, find out what gifts God has given to you and use them. As Paul told Archippus:

"Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfill it." (Colossians 4:17)

There you have seven helps to growing your faith.  Now go and live in the adventure of a Christian.