Next Steps

Next Steps

Have questions about what’s next on your faith journey? We are here to help guide you along the next steps in your walk with Christ.

Trust in Jesus

What does it mean to trust in 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

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.

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 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

Baptism

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.

Upon making the decision to follow Christ, baptism becomes a next step that serves to solidify and celebrate your decision. Let Blue Oaks support you as you embark upon your journey with God!

People often have questions regarding baptism: Why should I be baptized? What if I’ve already been baptized as a child — do I have to do it again? Does it matter if someone is sprinkled or dunked? Take a few minutes to read the answers to these 6 common questions about baptism.

Grow In Faith

How do I grow in my faith?

God wants nothing more than to have a relationship with us. As we get to know Him better we can strive to better understand His plan for us and grow in His likeness.

Read the Bible

As we embark upon our faith journey, the Bible serves as our foundation of truth. We can learn about Jesus throughout Scripture, and in doing so, learn to know Him deeper and more intimately. Downloading the Bible app on your phone is an easy way to plan your reading! You can also dig deeper into Scripture with BibleX and The Bible Project online.

“When you walk, their counsel will lead you. When you sleep, they will protect you. When you wake up, they will advise you” (Proverbs 6:22 NLT).

“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105 NLT).

“The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8 NLT).

Daily Prayer

Oftentimes prayer seems intimidating, but it is actually rather simple. You just talk to God like you would talk to anyone- tell him your worries, anxieties, fears, joys, gratitude- anything! The best part is that you can be sure He will listen patiently, love you unconditionally, and always ensure confidentiality.

“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 NLT).

Listen

Talking to God is rather easy. However, the struggle comes when we try to make out His response. God can speak to us through many different outlets- whether that be people around us, a voice in our head, or unfolding life circumstances. Although it may be difficult at times, we can be sure that one way or another He will communicate His response.

“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you” (Psalm 37:4-5 NLT).

Worship

There are many ways that we can take part in worship. Anytime we express gratitude for the good in our lives, and even the bad, we demonstrate our thankfulness. We can worship through prayer, service, singing, giving, walking, hiking, thinking, loving others, etc.

“Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people the sheep of his pasture” (Psalm 100:1-3 NLT).

Next Steps

What are my Next Steps?

In order to grow deeper in our relationship with Christ we need to invest both time and effort in getting to know His heart for us.

Connect

Through interacting and learning to love others we can find both support and encouragement in our faith journeys. One way that we connect is through small groups – these are communities in our church where we build relationships with one another in service and love.

“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24-25 NLT).

Serve Others

As you grow and mature in your relationship with Jesus you will naturally want to imitate His life – a life which was defined by serving and sacrificing for others. He served others not out of duty or obligation, but out of love for His Father, and His Father’s children. Serving others is one of the most important steps in your spiritual growth.

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45 NLT)

Share

Once you develop a strong system of faith, it is difficult to not share it with others. We want to support you as you talk about how God has changed your life and built relationships that have helped you to grow and inspired you to invite others to this growing community of faith.

“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

Give

Through giving of our time, talents, and financial gifts, we can grow both in our relationship with God and serve His Kingdom. We can express God’s love through service and worship through giving financially. God wants to use you to make a difference in the lives of others!

“The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed” (Proverbs 11:25 NLT).

Going Deeper

Are you new to Christianity, or want to go deeper into learning about what Christianity teaches and why? Check out some of the resources below.

  • For Beginners

    With Blue Oaks' subscription to the "Right Now Media" library, you can find thousands of videos covering a wide range of topics for beginners and beyond. Click here to register for free.

    Once registered, we suggest starting with studies like these:

  • For Advanced Learners

    "Defenders" is a Sunday school version of an undergraduate level, systematic theology course covering all the essential doctrines of the Christian Church. Completing this in-depth course will equip you with a comprehensive and cohesive Christian worldview, and answer many questions you never knew existed. Audio, video and written versions of each lesson are available for free at ReasonableFaith.org