You Said Yes - New Believer

You said yes to Jesus—and we’re really proud of you.

There are a lot of ways you might hear people talk about saying yes to Jesus. You might hear phrases like “committing your life to Jesus,” “becoming a Christian,” “getting saved,” or “choosing to follow Jesus.”

But what does it mean to follow Jesus? What changes and what doesn’t? Why? Those are some of the questions this book will help you answer.

So, let’s start with that first question. What does it mean to say yes to Jesus?

We’re able to connect with God on a first-name basis because of Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins. And we need this kind of connection if we’re going to live our lives His way and become more like Him.

Jesus lived His life with integrity. He loved His enemies, pushed back against injustice, and welcomed people that culture rejected.

After we say yes to Jesus, we start the lifelong process of following Him.

Is God:

God the Father? Jesus the Son? The Holy Spirit? All three in one?

Yes!

Choosing to follow Jesus is a three-in-one decision: You are accepting the invitation through Jesus (the Son of God) to become a child of God the Father, filled with the Holy Spirit, and empowered to live as a daughter or son of God. God is three in one.

Who is the Holy Spirit, and how does He guide us? Do we have to act really spiritual to get the Spirit’s attention? Jesus promised something different.

The main topic we’re exploring today is baptism. Baptism is a public way Jesus followers declare their decision to follow Jesus. A pastor or trusted friend stands with you in a pool (or other body of water) and helps you lean back into the water and come right back up and out.

But why go underwater?

How do you get to know someone? Most of us get to know a new friend by asking questions, spending time together, and sharing meaningful stories from our lives. But interacting with God can feel a little different than getting tacos and talking with your friends.

So how do we get to know God?

Congratulations! You’ve made it to the end of week one. We’re so proud of you for taking intentional steps to grow in your faith.

Deciding to follow Jesus is a big decision, and it’s probably stirred up some new ideas, questions, and perhaps doubts. That’s okay. Remember, following Jesus is a lifelong journey, so we don’t need to have all the mysteries of faith figured out after one week.

Welcome to week two of our three-week journey (or week four, or five, or however long it takes you)! Last week, we discovered that being a Christian begins with a choice to accept God’s gift of forgiveness, followed by a lifelong process of becoming more like Jesus.

Now, you might be wondering: What does it actually look like to become more like Jesus?

To Jesus, the Bible was so much more than words on a page. That’s because God shaped the Bible to show followers of Jesus how to live and love across generations. But how do we use it? After all, it’s a massive book full of ancient poetry, songs, history, laws, and letters.

Jesus spent a lot of time in prayer. The Bible tells us on multiple occasions, Jesus stayed up all night to pray. Why? He’s God, right? Why does He need to pray?

Throughout His ministry, Jesus surrounded Himself with people who could encourage Him, pray for Him, and support Him. Yes, Jesus was their Savior, but He was also their friend.

What happens when you join a group of Jesus followers, learn Scripture, pray to God, and build life-changing relationships? Worship

Jesus’ spiritual practices helped Him overcome temptation.

Jesus knew the Bible, and He also knew His purpose—and how living it out would include making hard, uncomfortable choices for the good of others. Only by making those choices could He change the world. No easy way out and no shortcuts.

Do you ever feel anxious about everything going on during the week? Or do you wish you had more time for the people in your life? If so, you’re in good company. Life often seems to demand for us to be busy. But Jesus invites us to a different (and better) way of living.

Welcome to the final week of our journey!

Last week, we started some spiritual practices to help us live the way Jesus lived. We witnessed how His mindsets, practices, and habits made way for His ministry. This week, we’ll explore how Jesus loved. In other words, how did Jesus relate to other people? How did He make people feel? And How did He use His words and actions to accomplish His purpose.

We all want a place to feel “at home.” Jesus knows this, and that’s why He made people feel at home everywhere He went. He did this by taking time to welcome people into His life, listening, showing empathy, and giving them permission to be honest. We call this hospitality.

Generosity means sharing what you have to help someone else. See how simple that definition is? It includes our money but also everything else we have—our time, our skills, our resources.

So, how can you become a generous person? It’s not complicated, but it’s not always easy. Here are a few ways to be generous.

Today, let’s talk about a skill Jesus shows us in the Bible that’s easy to overlook. On the surface, it seems ordinary. But it’s actually one of the most important ways we can love like Jesus.

Jesus is brilliant at noticing needs.

As Christians, we know what it’s like to be forgiven. We’ve all made mistakes and hurtful choices. But God offers us forgiveness through Jesus—not because we earned it, but because God loves to forgive.

Not everyone has experienced Jesus’ grace, forgiveness, and acceptance. Jesus wants to change that, and He wants our help. So He calls us to go into our neighborhoods, workplaces, and all over the world, loving people how Jesus does and showing them the joy, passion, and purpose of a life that’s fully devoted to Him.

Congratulations on finishing the course! We hope it gave you some clarity, confidence, and direction as a Jesus follower.

So, what now?

The best thing you can do now is continue taking the daily steps you’ve been reading about in this course. There isn’t one cookie-cutter path for following Jesus, but we’ve noticed some common steps.