Start Your Christian Journey: A Beginner’s Guide to Growing in Faith
Have you met Jesus?
If you haven’t received salvation but would like to learn more about what Jesus did for you, start here!
Quick Summary: Starting your Christian journey is an exciting new beginning, but it can also feel overwhelming. The good news is that you don’t have to figure everything out at once. Learn what it means to be a Christian, how to grow in your relationship with God, and four simple steps to begin growing in faith: read the Bible, pray, learn about your salvation, and connect with a Christian community.
At a Glance:
- Being a Christian is more than following religious rules—it’s about developing a relationship with God through Jesus Christ
- Reading the Bible and praying regularly help you know God, understand His Word, and become more like Christ
- It’s important to find a Bible-believing church or Christian community where you can worship, learn, serve, and encourage other believers
Starting Your Christian Journey
Have you recently made the decision to receive salvation through Jesus? Congratulations! You’ve just made the biggest decision of your life. When you accepted Jesus as your Lord and savior, you entered into a relationship with Him. You are now a Christian and have received eternal life!
The start of your Christian journey can be exciting because it feels like a brand new beginning for your life. It can also feel confusing and overwhelming. You may find yourself asking “now that I’m a Christian, what should I do next?” Or “what does it mean to grow spiritually and how to do I deepen my relationship with God?” Dear friend, if that’s you, take heart! Most Christians have the same kinds of questions and challenges when they begin living for Jesus. You are not alone. Over time, you’ll find yourself growing stronger in your faith, deepening your relationship with Jesus, and transforming by faith into the person God intended.
If you would like to learn how to start your Christian journey, keep reading. Below, you’ll find the answer to the most common questions you may have after receiving salvation and steps that every new believer needs to take to grow in faith.
What Does It Mean to be a Christian?
Being a Christian simply means choosing to follow Jesus Christ and His teachings. In fact, the term “Christian” was first used by the Greeks in the Roman Empire to refer to members of the early church after Jesus ascended to heaven (Acts 11:26). It was used mostly to mock those who believed in Jesus. Today, the term “Christian” is commonly used to refer to those who believe in Jesus and follow His teachings.
So what does it actually mean to be a Christian? Being a Christian means being a disciple of Jesus by choosing to follow Him. Christians believe in salvation through Jesus as the first step to starting a relationship with Him. We also believe in developing a personal relationship with God that includes spending time with Him daily and serving Him in ministry. Lastly, we believe in sanctification, a lifelong process of being transformed by God to develop Christ-like character.
Looking for more resources to help you start your Christian journey?
Take a look at Shining Ever Brighter’s collection of articles, devotionals, and Bible verse lists to help new believers deepen their relationship with God.
What is Salvation?
Salvation, or being saved, means receiving eternal life through Jesus. According to the Bible, sin, or intentional acts of wrongdoing, came into the world through the first man and woman—Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:1-7). This means that every human being born after Adam and Eve has been born with a sinful nature. In short, we are all capable of wrongdoing and rebelling against God.
Although God continued to love Adam and Eve and remain involved in their lives, He also held them accountable for their disobedience.That means that Adam, Eve, and all of humanity were sentenced to death as that is the punishment for all sin. This might sound harsh, but God is a righteous king (Isaiah 5:16). In fact, the Bible calls Him holy meaning He is perfect and cannot sin. Even though God loves us, He will always do what is right, including punishing us for breaking His law and choosing to live in sin.
This is where Jesus changed everything! God the Father sent His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins and make a way for us to be reconciled to God. Jesus was born as a human and died on a cross in the Roman Empire as a sacrifice so that our relationship with God could be restored (Romans 5:12-21). Jesus’s sacrificial act resulted in the opportunity to have eternal life, a restored relationship with God, and a purposeful and fulfilling life.
What Does It Mean to Have a Relationship with God?
As Christians we are called to relationship not just religious activity. We are meant to spend time getting to know God through reading the Bible, praying, and going to church where we worship, serve, and encourage each other in faith. In John 17:3, Jesus makes it clear that having eternal life is about being in relationship with God. He says:
Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
According to this verse, we are called to know God in a deep, intimate relationship. That should be the goal for our faith walk. In fact, Deuteronomy 6:5 says that we ought to:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
This verse reminds us that we are called to dedicate all of our lives to pursuing a loving relationship with God. It’s important that we choose to follow and serve Him, and we must be careful not to neglect spending personal time with Him.
Being a Christian means being a disciple of Jesus by choosing to follow Him.
Articles to Help You Grow Your Relationship with God:
- Tips for Embracing God’s Unconditional Love for Us
- How Do You Know God Loves You?
- The Secret to a Blessed Life: Job’s Story Reveals God’s Presence is the Greatest Blessing
What is Sanctification and How Can I be Transformed by Christ?
Sanctification is a fancy word to say that we become more like Christ in our character as we spend time with God and serve Him. Sanctification is a slow process and may take years, even all of our lives. It is through this process that God changes us so that we no longer desire to sin or give in to bad habits. During this process, we may also find healing from past trauma as God changes our hearts.
While we have a role to play in sanctification, it’s important to understand that God leads us through this process. This may be frustrating because we want things to change quickly. We no longer want to desire to do the wrong thing, or struggle with an addiction, or suffer from a hurt. While we are waiting for God to touch these areas of our lives, it’s important to remember that His timing is perfect. As Christians, we can participate in the process of sanctification by reading the Bible and following its teachings, praying for God to change us, and faithfully pursuing God even if we don’t feel different. As we continue to follow God, He works in us to transform our hearts, strengthen us against sin, and bring healing according to His will and timing.
If you’re starting your Christian journey, don’t worry about being perfect or getting everything right. God is with you and will help you. Jesus has already proven His love and commitment to you at the cross. Instead, remember that being a disciple of Jesus is a lifelong commitment. You don’t have to understand everything right away. Just fix your focus on loving God and pursuing Him!
What Should I Do After Receiving Salvation?
Now that you’re a Christian, it’s time to start your journey to having a deep and intimate relationship with God. Your loving savior is waiting for you to draw close to Him and find purpose in Him. If you’re ready to dive into this new relationship with God, there are a few steps you can take to start growing in faith. You can:
- Start Reading the Bible
- Begin Spending Time with God in Prayer
- Learn More about Salvation and the Cross
- Find a Church Home or Christian Community
Take the Next Step of Faith!
Want to know more about what to do after receiving salvation? Check out this article. I’m Saved! What to Do After Getting Saved!
Why You Should Start Reading the Bible
How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
Reading the Bible is an essential part of being a Christian. It is how we grow in our understanding of God’s character and ultimately grow close to Him. It is also how we begin to know how to live to please God. 2 Timothy 3:16 says:
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
This verse reminds us that the Bible is meant to help us grow our character, and prepare us for living the Christian life. It is inspired by God and teaches us how to live morally, shows us God’s character, provides historical context for our faith, and shapes us so that we become more like Christ. If you’re struggling with reading the Bible, take a look below! There are a few resources to help you get started with reading the Bible.
Articles to Help You Start Reading the Bible:
- Find Bible Verses about Christian Living
- Tips to Start Reading the Bible
- Learn to Use the Bible in Everyday Life
Spend Time with God in Prayer
Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.
Prayer is the way we communicate with God. In prayer, we talk to God, spend time with Him, celebrate Him with praise, and ask Him to meet our needs. Prayer can also help us to accomplish the things God calls us to do.
Throughout the Bible, we see believers accomplish incredible feats through the power of prayer. Joshua prayed for the sun to stand still so that Israel could defeat an enemy army (Joshua 10:12-14), Elijah the prophet called down fire from Heaven through prayer (1 Kings 18), and Nehemiah encouraged the rebuilding of Israel through prayer (Nehemiah 1-2).
Not only do we find encouragement to pray through the stories in the Bible, but the Bible also has verses that encourage us to pray. Verses like 1 Chronicles 16:8-11 says:
Give praise to the Lord, proclaim His name; make known among the nations what He has done. Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts. Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always.
This scripture reminds us to seek God continuously. As His children, we are meant to spend time with Him in prayer, honor Him for the things He has done, and seek His wisdom and provision for future situations.
Articles to Encourage You to Pray:
- Why Daily Prayer Matters and Simple Ways to Pray throughout the Day
- The Power of Short Everyday Prayers (A Devotional)
- Bible Verses About Prayer that Can Motivate You to Pray
- A Beginner’s Guide to Prayer
Learn about Salvation and the Cross
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Understanding your salvation and the importance of the cross is essential to growing in faith. This is because Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross is the foundation of our faith. It is because of Jesus that we have a restored relationship with the Father and eternal life. As you begin to understand more about what Jesus did on the cross, it will help you to be more confident in your faith and help you to share your faith with others. According to the Bible (1 Peter 3:15-16), we should:
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
God calls us to be ready to explain our faith and share our beliefs with others so that they, too, can be saved. This is called giving our testimony or testifying. If you would like to learn more about the cross, what Jesus accomplished through it, and the benefits of His sacrifice, check out the article below!
Learn More about the Cross:
Find a Church Home or Community
So Christ Himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.
Starting your Christian journey means learning to be in community with other believers. According to the Bible, we are meant to meet together. This allows us to all grow in our faith by encouraging each other through difficult times, helping one another grow through sound teaching, and working together to help accomplish the great commission—testifying and sharing the truth about Jesus. Hebrews 10:25 tells us to:
Not [give] up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but [to encourage] one another.
We serve a relational God and much of our growth as Christians will come through building our relationship with God and each other. When we meet together, we honor God by blessing each other with our skills and talents, treating each other with love by caring for each other’s needs, and working together to fulfill our purpose as the church, which is to testify about Jesus while comforting, serving, and loving people (Ephesians 2:10).
Articles about Living in Christian Community:
Final Encouragement for New Believers
Once again, congrats on receiving Christ into your life and starting your Christian journey! Receiving salvation through Jesus is the beginning of a beautiful new life with God.
Remember, you don’t have to become a perfect Christian overnight. Spiritual growth takes time, and God is faithful to continue working in you as you follow Him. Spend time with Him through prayer and His Word, learn more about what Jesus accomplished through the cross, and connect with a Bible-believing church where you can grow alongside other Christians.
There may be times when you feel like you’re not growing fast enough or when following Jesus feels difficult. Don’t give up. Keep seeking God, keep trusting Him, and keep taking the next step of faith. Be patient as He transforms you and soon you’ll become more grounded in your faith!
God loves you, He is with you, and He will continue to guide you as you grow. Your Christian journey is just beginning!
Key Takeaways for Spiritual Growth on Your Christian Journey:
- Your Christian journey is about knowing God. Salvation isn’t simply about receiving eternal life; it begins a relationship with God through Jesus Christ (John 17:3)
- Spiritual growth takes time. You don’t have to have everything figured out immediately. As you spend time in God’s Word, pray, and follow Him, He works in you and transforms you to become more like Christ (Philippians 1:6)
- You were never meant to walk alone. Christian community gives you opportunities to worship, learn, serve, receive encouragement, and encourage others as you grow in faith (Hebrews 10:24–25)
As you seek God through prayer, His Word, and Christian community, He will continue to guide and transform you as you grow closer to Him.
Pause and Reflect on Starting Your Christian Journey
Take some time to reflect on starting your Christian journey as a new believer. Bible verses, a prayer, and reflection questions are included below.
Key Bible Verses about Starting Your Christian Journey
Philippians 1:6
He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Our journey of faith starts with the Lord, and He will continue to grow and strengthen our relationship with Him. It is through His power, grace, and mercy that we will transform more into the likeness of Christ and receive the full benefit of what Jesus paid for on the cross.
2 Peter 3:18
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
We are called to grow in our understanding of God by spending time with Him, praying to Him, and studying His Word.
A Prayer for New Believers
Father God, I thank you for saving me through the cross. I’m excited to begin my journey of faith with you as a new believer. Please bless my walk of faith. Give me a heart to pursue you so that my relationship with you will grow strong. Guide me as I make decisions about joining a new church and give me a hunger for your Word and prayer.
Lord, I thank you for your grace! Help me to become the person you desire me to be. Show me how to live to honor you and help me to make wise decisions. Lord, I thank you that it is you who perfects my faith. I love you and put my trust in you completely. May you bless and transforms every area of my life according to your perfect will. In Jesus name, amen!
B.R.I.G.H.T Reflections Questions to Encourage You on Your Christian Journey
Go deeper on this topic with Shining Ever Brighter’s B(elieve) R(eflect) I(nvite) G(row) H(ope) T(ake action) reflection questions.
Believe: Read Philippians 1:6. What does this verse teach you about God’s role in your spiritual growth? How does knowing that God is still working in you encourage you as you begin your Christian journey?
Reflect: Think about where you are in your relationship with God right now. What are you most excited about as you begin following Jesus? What questions or concerns do you have about growing in your faith as a new believer?
Invite: Spend a few minutes talking with God about your new life in Christ. Ask Him to help you know Him more deeply, understand His Word, and grow in your faith.
Grow: Choose one area of your Christian life you would like to grow in—prayer, Bible reading, understanding Scripture, or connecting with other believers. What is one small step you can take this week?
Hope: Read 2 Peter 3:18. How does knowing that growing in your faith is a lifelong journey change the way you think about making mistakes or not having everything figured out yet?
Take Action: Choose one practical step to take today. You could read a chapter of the Bible, spend five minutes in prayer, learn more about Jesus and the cross, or begin looking for a Bible-believing church where you can grow with other Christians.
FAQs for Starting Your Christian Journey
After receiving salvation, begin growing in your relationship with God by reading the Bible, spending time in prayer, learning about Jesus and the cross, and connecting with a Bible-believing church or Christian community.
Sanctification is the lifelong process through which God transforms believers to become more like Christ. You don’t have to become perfect overnight—God continues working in you as you follow Him.
The Bible helps you learn about God, understand His will, grow in wisdom, and develop Christ-like character. Scripture also equips you to live out your faith.
Share Your Story: What was it like for you when you started your Christian journey? What tips do you have for new believers?
Noelle Williams
Nice to meet you, friend! I'm a Christian and inspirational blogger. I write Christian living tips, devotionals, and prayers to encourage my fellow believers in their journey of faith.
