WHAT’S NEXT?

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

Wow! What a remarkable leap of faith you have just taken. We know that God is rejoicing and He is celebrating right now because of the decision you have made by choosing to believe in Him. The best part is He knew you were going to choose Him to be your Lord and Savior on this day! How crazy is that? You are now a child of God and you now have eternal life in Heaven, and let us encourage you by saying that you will never lose your salvation! You are sealed with the Holy Spirit, who now lives in you. Our prayer for you as you go through this packet is this;

“Heavenly Father, thank you. Thank you for Jesus Christ and thank you for bringing one of your children to the saving grace and knowledge of You. Father, we pray the eyes of their heart may be enlightened, so that they will know what is the hope of Your calling, what are the riches of the glory of Your inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of Your pow- er toward us who believe. We pray for strength when they are weak. We pray for encouragement when they are discouraged and most of all we pray You will reveal to them how deep Your love is for them as they walk through this packet.”

“To know God’s Word is to know God.” -Unknown

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO FOLLOW JESUS?

Your life is no longer your own. You exist for the

Our Sin

glory of God!

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. Ro- mans 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.

• But 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

A Symbol of Your Faith

Baptism shows others that you have been made new. It rep-

resents 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. If you would like to be baptized or learn more about Baptism, ask your small group leader, or find your men’s/women’s director in your area. They would love to help you take this next step!

How is your study so far? Is there a lot to retain? Are you not sure what some of this means yet? Do not be burdened or sad- dened by this for our minds are limited and we are trying to grasp and understand the One True God who has no limits. Ask God to reveal to you the depths of His Word. As you continue to study these Truths, ask God to continue to conform you into the image of His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. May this study not be a means to an end for you, but rather let God, the Author and Per- fecter of our faith be the very end of all your studying. Our prayer for you is this;

“We pray as you continue to study that your spirit will be nour- ished by God Himself, that your heart will have the strength to comprehend the breadth, the length, the height, the depth, and that you would know the love of Jesus Christ which surpasses all knowledge. We pray you may be filled with all the fullness of God. We pray this study will encourage you to a more intimate rela- tionship with Jesus and that you may take delight in His Word, The Bible. May every time you open it up, may it penetrate your heart to its core in a way that brings you to a genuine love for Jesus.”

“If it’s not in the Word, forget what you heard.” -Adam Donyes

What Do Followers Of Jesus 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 follower of Jesus, you are a new cre- ation 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! 1 John 3:1 NLT

The Son

Jesus is fully God and fully man and is alive today in Heaven.

• But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name. John 20:31 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. 1 Corinthians 2:12 NLT

The Bible

We believe the Bible is the supreme and final authority for faith and life.
(2 Timothy 3:16-17; Peter 1:21, John 17:17)

You are half way there! You are beginning to learn what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. This is a daily battle and it is al- ready won because of what Jesus Christ did for us on the Cross. Now all God asks you to be is obedient to His Word. To think just a few days ago you received Jesus Christ into your heart and asked Him to be your Lord and Savior is absolutely amazing! No sin, death, nor fear can take away your salvation! For when Je- sus, the Son of God, died on the cross and when He was buried for 3 days, death and sin could not hold Him in the Grave! He de- feated sin and death and reigned VICTORIOUS! His name is Vic- tory and He has robbed the grave! Praise God. Only by Holy Spirit were you able to rise from the ashes of defeat. Take heart, for the resurrected King has resurrected you from death. Now that deserves a huge praise to God! As you continue with the rest of your study our prayer for you is this;

“Beloved, may your heart be refreshed and renewed today. We pray that your heart and desires will begin to align with God’s heart and His desires. We pray the Holy Spirit will teach you how to love God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your mind and with all of your strength. We pray you continue to walk in the newness of life to which you have been given by Je- sus Christ, never to return to the old ways with which you used to live. We pray that as your heart begins to take hold of God’s Word that you will begin to understand who He is as God the Fa- ther, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, and learn how to love and worship Him all the days of your life.”

“When our hearts feel it least is when we need most to remind our souls, ‘For me it is good to be near to God’”
- David Mathis

How Do I Grow My Faith?

The reality is - it is never going to happen by accident. Spiri- tual growth is intentional. God wants to have a relationship with us and He’s given us ways to know Him better. As we get to know God, we better understand His plan for us and we can strive to be more like Jesus.

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. One way to do this is to download the YouVer- sion Bible app and start a reading plan, or get with your small group leader and ask him/her how to study the Bible.

(See diagram 1.1 at the end of the packet)

• 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

Make Prayer Part of Your Day

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 wor- shipping 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. (Follow our Spotify page to begin listening to

worship music by some of our favorite artists)

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

Now you are beginning to take steps into understanding what it applicably looks like to walk with Jesus. It is a daily walk that takes action on your end. Be encouraged, God will not give you more than you can handle and He will never leave you, nor forsake you, no matter what your emotions or feelings may be telling you. Always remember this key point, feelings are fleeting, but God’s Word is the one True constant in your life. When He makes a promise, He will be sure to follow through on it until the end. Just like when you were a baby and had to learn how to walk, you are beginning to learn how to walk right now with Je- sus. And if you can remember that far back, your first few steps did not come without you falling. The same goes for you right now. You are learning what it looks like to walk with Jesus and you will fall, it is inevitable. But, do not be discouraged by this, because you have been given grace, which is freely given to you by Jesus. However, we urge you not to deliberately walk in sin and abuse grace just because it is freely given for you are called, now that you are a Christian, to live in obedience to God’s Word and commandments. We are filled with joy right now at how far you have come these past few days. Keep walking, and when you don’t feel like walking, just keep walking. God will satisfy you so much more than anything this world can offer you. We are proud

of you! As you enter your last day of this packet, our prayer for you is this;

“Father, we pray that You would place a community of be- lievers around Your Child so they may be encouraged and strengthened in their walk. We pray You would speak to them in their prayer time and through their time in Your Word. May the words they read take root in their heart every time they open up the Bible. May You reveal to them how You have gifted them and what their talents are. We pray in advance against emotions they may experience that tell them something other than Your Truth. In those moments, may You remind them of how much You love them and remind them of Truth. May you give them strength in those moments so they may overcome any temptation and take refuge and shelter in Your presence. Help them to walk with You, God. Remind them in the moments they fall that You have defeat- ed sin and death, and that ‘It is finished.’ Stir the affections of their heart to love You.”

“God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called.” - Chad Hampsch

What’s My Next Step?

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

Connect

us.

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

our faith. Find the small group that’s right for you.
• All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fel-

lowship, and to sharing in meals, 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. Giving isn’t just talking about money. God has given you unique gifts to use for His glory and we want to give you the opportunity to use

those gifts. (See diagram 1.2 at the end of the packet)

• Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do...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

Serve

God gave us all passions and gifts that He wants us to use. When we follow God with our actions, we point others toward

Him. KLIFE has plenty of opportunities for you to serve.
• God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts.

Use them well to serve one another. 1 Peter 4:10 NLT

Share

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 KLIFE 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

You are done with your first few days of studying, and learn- ing about your relationship with Jesus! You may be asking your- self what you should go and do now that you're done with this study, and we encourage you to get plugged into a small group, if you are not already in one, and we also encourage you to go tell people about Jesus because you now have something that your friends and family need. What you have is Good News! For our God knew that man-made words would never do. For words are just tools that we use to point to the Truth. So be reminded that He sent His Son Jesus Christ as THE WORD, living proof. Jesus is the image of the invisible God. He is the firstborn of all creation. For by Jesus all things were created, giving nothingness forma- tion. And by His word He sustains, in the power of His name. For He is before all things and over all things He reigns. HOLY IS HIS NAME!! Be reminded of the way He persevered in strife. He is the humble Son of God who become the perfect sacrifice. He willing- ly stood in our place. He lovingly endured the grave. He battled our enemy, and on the third day rose in victory. He is everything that was promised. For one day He will return for us and we will finally be united with our Savior for eternity. So it’s not just words that we proclaim, for our words point to the WORD, and the WORD has a name. Hope has a name. Joy as a name. Peace has a name. Love has a name, and that name is Jesus Christ! Go and share this Good News with those around you. You now have a

purpose greater than this world can ever offer. You now have the greatest mission any man or woman can have and that is to go tell people about the Jesus you accepted into your life just a few days ago! Do not be afraid of what others may think of you, for your Heavenly Father is so proud of you and He loves when you share Jesus with others. Go and be a world changer for Jesus Christ. We believe in you, but most importantly your Heavenly fa- ther believes in you. He cares for you and He loves you. We are so proud of you. Your Heavenly Father is proud of you. Our prayer for you now is this;

“We pray that you would be bold in your faith. We pray that when your heart is weary and when your soul becomes weak that you will remind yourself of the Gospel. We pray that you will remem- ber daily to fix your eyes on Jesus, who is the found and finisher of our faith. We pray that you will begin to see your purpose in life and allow that to drive you. We pray that God will begin to re- veal to you your passions in life. We pray that you will never grow weary in doing good. We pray that you will become everything God has created you to be, for you matter to us and you matter to Him.”

“Preach the Gospel to yourself. No one is more influential in your life than you are.”

- David Mathis

Diagrams

Here are some practical ways to help you take your relationship with Jesus to the next step. You will also find some information on areas you can use your gifts and talents within KLIFE to serve. Serving will help you grow in your faith because it will place you around a group of believers that will encourage you, push you, and help you grow in your faith.

Brief Introduction on how to study the Bible

Observe- After you pick a book of the Bible you want to read/study, simply being reading and making observations about what you read. Begin to mark words/phrases that are used repeatedly, ask yourself who, what, where, when, why, how, and notice moments when the author is making a list of things or comparing and contrasting between two ideas, mark down any references to time and any geographical locations. Don’t be afraid to write in your Bible.

Pray- Before you open the Bible, pray that God would reveal to you His Word. Remember, we have limited minds and we are trying to love a God who is limitless; we need His help. Plus, one of the Holy Spirit’s jobs is to teach you.

Interpret- Context is important. Make sure your interpretation is consistent with the theme, purpose, and structure of the book in which it is found. Another thing to remember is the era of time this book may have been written in and the type of culture during that time period. All of these will play into how the Scriptures should be interpreted. Don’t lose heart, this will take practice and help from the Holy Spirit. Your Bible may already have a bunch of these answers for you at the beginning of the chapter.

Apply- Once you have observed and accurately interpreted a passage of Scripture, your next step is to live by it. Like we mentioned earlier, our part of our faith is to live it out and walk in obedience to God’s Word.

Diagram 1.1

Serving Opportunities

Worship Team

Leads us in a time of worship before talks. Areas of need: vocalists, guitarists, pianist, drums. Your role is key because you help transition our time of fun into a time of preparing our hearts to hear and learn form God’s Word.

Hype Team

Arguably the best job. You are in charge of leading up front games and big group games, and having crazy fun. Your job is important because you will be setting the tempo for the whole entire night!

This is a simple but much needed job. After Klub, your job is to pick up any trash left in the room and make sure the lights are turned off. You are what helps keep KLIFE going and keep us looking fresh.

Welcome Team You are the first face anyone will see. You set the tone for the night with how inviting and

welcoming you are. Your job is to give as many high fives as you can let new students know they are welcomed.

Clean up Team

Prayer Team

You play a vital role in the ministry. Prayer is more important than planning, organizing and preparing for any Klub or event. Your job is to meet with the prayer team once a week and pray for the ministry as a whole and for your classmates. You will be blown away at how much you will grow personally and how much this ministry will grow when we ask God to move.

Diagram 1.2

If there are areas that are not addressed and you have talents elsewhere or would like to serve in a different way, please let us know and it may end up you leading a new serve team!