I've made a Decision to Follow Christ
Now What?

1. Get to know God better by spending time in his Word, the Bible
2. Find a Church and begin to spend time with other believers
3. Live according to what God's tells you in His Word
4. Begin to hide God's Words in your heart by memorizing scripture
5. Remember, we are saved from eternal separation by God's grace alone

1. Get to know God - Start spending time in God's Word, the Bible, to develop a personal relationship with Him.
   
   "All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man [and woman] of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16, 17
   
   Tips for an effective daily Bible study:
   - Set aside a regular time and place to be alone with God.
   - Pray before beginning, asking God to speak to you through His Word.
   - Write out the thoughts and truths you learn.
   - Make time to be still and listen, reflecting thoughtfully on what you read.
   - Don't rush. It may take you several days of prayerful meditation on a passage to discover meaningful lessons and hear God speaking to you. Do not merely get through the material, but begin to develop your personal relationship with God.
   What you need for Bible study
   - Bible (NIV study Bible is my favorite, but pick a version you can understand best)
   - Notebook
   - Pen or pencil
   - Quiet place
   - Prayerful, seeking, open attitude
   - Concordance and Bible dictionary (for times of deeper study)
   Steps to help you in your Bible study
   - Look in God's Word
   - What does the passage say?
   - What does the passage mean? (You can read footnotes and commentary for help)
   - How can I apply the passage to my life?
   - Ask God to help you live in response to what you have learned
   
   "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." Psalm 119:105
   
   
2. Find a Bible-teaching church and begin to fellowship with other believers
   
   "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another..." 1 John 1:7
   
   
3. Live according to God's Word
   
   "How can a young man [or woman] keep his [or her] way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands." Psalm 119:9,10
   - God has set up rules of love for us to follow. These rules of love are for our own good and they protect us so that we can experience God's best. When we sin (miss the target) we are setting ourselves up for trouble and pain. We are now free in Christ, but we are not to use our freedom as a cover up for evil, rather, we are to live as servants of God. (1 Peter 2:16).
   
   Living according to God's Word also means fulfilling our God-given destiny. "For we are created in God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10
   
   
4. Begin to hide God's Word in your heart by memorizing it.
   
   "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." Psalm 119:11
   - Memorizing God's Word will help us to live by God's promises of love and grace instead of wrong choices.
   
   
5. Remember, when we are saved by God's grace alone nothing can take our salvation away
   
   "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8,9
   
   "Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession - to the praise of his glory." Ephesians 1:13, 14