In this episode of Everyday Walk, Jasmin tackles some popular misconceptions and talks about five things being a Christian is not, what being a Christian is, and how to become a Christian. If you are spiritually curious or exploring faith, this will help clarify some things for you about belief in Jesus. If you are a follower of Jesus, this will help you grow in communicating what faith in Jesus is about to the people in your life. See below for Bible verses and more study resources based on this conversation.
Episode Outline and Bible Verses
What Being A Christian Is NOT
1. Being a Christian isn’t cultural.
2. Being a Christian isn’t inherited from family.
- Romans 2:28-29
- Ephesians 6:1-4
3. Being a Christian isn’t just about being a good person.
4. Being a Christian isn’t just about going to church.
- Hebrews 10:23-25
- Acts 2:42-47
5. Being a Christian isn’t about simply believing in God.
- James 2:19-20
- Hebrews 11:6
- John 20:31
What Being A Christian IS
A Christian is someone who has personally put their faith in Jesus to save them from their sins and surrendered their life to following Him.
Example of sinful actions (wrong things we should not do)
- Romans 1:26-31
- 1 Corinthians 5:10-11
- 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
- Galatians 5:19-21
- Colossians 3:5-9
- 1 Timothy 1:9-10
- 2 Timothy 3:1-5
Examples of righteous actions (right things God says we should do):
- Romans 12:9-21
- Galatians 5:22-23
- Colossians 3:12-17
- Titus 3:1-2
How to Become a Christian
The Gospel: The message of how we find forgiveness from our sins through Jesus.
- Acts 2:22-41
- Acts 3:12-26
- Acts 10:34-43
- Acts 13:13-41
- Acts 17:22-31
Resources for New Christians – Next Steps!
1. Harvest.org/knowgod + You Version Bible App (Free Bible)
Click HERE to view the Know God page curated by Harvest Ministries. You can enter your address and they will mail you a free Bible (with some special study notes in it written by Pastor Greg Laurie) if you need one. They also have some great blogs and video content to help you understand what your new faith in Jesus means and help you know what to do next as a new follower of Christ.
If you want to buy a Bible on your own online or at your local Christian bookstore, I recommend you get a New Living Translation, New International Version, or Christian Standard Bible. They communicate the truth of God’s Word in easy-to-understand, contemporary language. You can also download the You Version Bible App for free and have access to a digital version the Bible anytime! They also have a bunch of Bible reading plans and devotional studies you can do to encourage you in your faith.
2. The New Believer’s Guide to Effective Living by Pastor Greg Laurie
This is a short, easy-to-read book that you can read in less than a day. It explains what it means for you practically now that you are a Christian, and the key things you need to do to help you grow in your faith like reading the Bible, prayer, dealing with challenges in life, living a new life, and going to church. Get the book HERE.
3. Devoted To Jesus: From First Steps to Fully Surrendered by Alex and Stephen Kendrick
Similar to the New Believer’s Handbook, this book is designed to take new Christians or Christians wanting to start taking their faith more seriously through the main concepts you should know about being a Christian–what we believe about Jesus and salvation, how to read the Bible and pray, the purpose of going to church, how to handle temptation and problems in life, and all kinds of other good teachings and practices to help you start growing your new relationship with Jesus.
It’s broken into 52 short chapters you can read over 52 days or over a full year (52 weeks), ideally, but you don’t have to keep that exact pace. I recommend reading one chapter a day for 52 days so you can get an overview of your new faith, and then reading it again going through one chapter a week to dive deeper. It’s also great–but not required for you to benefit from the book–to have someone who is a little further along in the faith than you read through the book with you so they can guide you through it and you can discuss it together! So, feel free to ask a trusted Christian in your life who wants to invest in your spiritual growth if they would help walk you through the content in the book.
This is an incredible resource, and I highly, highly, highly recommend! Get the book HERE.
4. The Purple Book: Biblical Foundations for Strong Disciples by Rice Broocks and Steve Murrell
And lastly, The Purple Book is an interactive workbook that guides you through the essential doctrines (teachings) of the Christian faith. This will help you understand the key things Christians believe and how we live.Each chapter focuses on a topic and and poses questions to help you grasp the topic and points you to Bible verses about that subject so you can look up the answers for yourself. This one is great (and might be more helpful) for a more mature Christians to go through the content systematically with you.
I hope these help! If you’re a new Christian, welcome to the family of God! And if you’ve been a Christian for a while use these resources to help you share the gospel with others and to help new Christians in your life grow in their faith. Get the book HERE.
LET’S TALK! Let me know if you prayed and made a decision to follow Jesus during this episode! If you’ve been a Christian for a while, what did you take away from this conversation that will help you share the gospel with others? Discuss this episode in the comments below!
