Your New Life -
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Listen to God - One way we listen to God is by reading the Bible, God's word to us.  If you are not accustomed to reading the Bible, you need to realize that it is not like a novel.  Think of it as a library made up of many books.  You can jump in most any place.  We recommend that you start with one of the New Testament books, especially Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John.  They tell the story of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.  Then read other New Testament books.  Acts tells the story of the early days of the church.  Romans through Jude are letters written to early followers of Jesus and are included in the Bible because they have a timeless quality.  The Revelation talks about the last days and the time when God make the world right again.  Do not neglect this book, but don't get lost in its images.

Again, set aside some time regularly, every day if possible.  It does not have to be a long time, but it is an opportunity to help you grow in your relationship with God.

Another way to listen to God is to sit quietly, perhaps after reading the Bible and/or after prayer.  Often God's Spirit speaks to us when we pause and listen to what he is saying.  Please understand that God will never tell us something in our spirit that contradicts what he says to us in the Bible.  But often when we are quiet, he can help us know how to apply his word from the Bible to our daily lives.

Talk about God - You've had a marvelous experience of beginning a relationship with God.  Take a proactive stance of telling other people about it.  This does not mean you have to be overbearing about it.  But someone has said this is like "one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread."  Once we've discovered good news, we don't want to keep it to ourselves.

Gather with God's People - Attend church regularly.  Spend time in worship with other believers; in smaller groups for study, prayer and accountability; and in mission and service together.  Being with other Christians can help us grow in our faith and in being faithful followers of Jesus.  We need mutual encouragement, support, instruction, and accountability.  Our goal together is to "spur on one another to love and good deeds" (Hebrews 10:34-35).

Engaging in mission and service together to the world is an important part of together being the people of God.  Jesus did not isolate himself from people and their needs.  In fact, he met people at their point of need with love, words of hope and challenge, and acts of kindness and mercy.  We should follow his example.

We also engage in his mission when we give not only our time and abilities but also financially.  God is working through churches and Christians around the world.  We join God in his mission to the world when we share what God has entrusted to us.