No idea where to even start...

[HappyLibrary]

I am a new Christian, days old. There are a lot of things I still don't understand and all I really know is that I felt that God honestly helped me before and after I made my choice.

I think that for me, being non-denominational would be the best route at present. I'm confused, can someone offer some advice? I hope this is in the right place, I just thought I should post it here as it is the non-denominational route I've been thinking about.

[rob64]

I am a new Christian, days old. There are a lot of things I still don't understand and all I really know is that I felt that God honestly helped me before and after I made my choice.

My mother is from a Catholic background and my father is from a Protestant background, neither go to church however, and neither do I, and the topic of religion is rarely spoken about in my house, so I'd like to sort this one out by speaking to others. I live in Northern Ireland so I think it is more by upbringing rather than personal religious choice that my parents have those beliefs, however I was raised in a 'Protestant/Loyalist' area, but I have never cared about the differences between Protestants and Catholics here.

I think that for me, being non-denominational would be the best route at present. I'm confused, can someone offer some advice? I hope this is in the right place, I just thought I should post it here as it is the non-denominational route I've been thinking about.

HappyLibrary, Hello! and welcome.
rob64 here. I'm fairly new to this forum, but I've had a relationship with Jesus Christ for a while now. I think it was the best thing I ever did.
As a new christian, if I were you, I'd try to find a church to go to. Ask God to guide you to a church. He probably already has that in mind, but He wants us to ask Him for these things.
It would be a good idea to read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Not in that order if you dont want to, but the important part is to READ the BIBLE. You have to get into the word. Jesus said, "My true disciples continue in my word". He didn't say 'read every once in a while', but CONTINUE. Look that up in a dictionary!
Anyway, be carefull in this forum, because there are "false teachers" all around. But you have God's Spirit within you. It's the Spirit's job to "lead and guide you into ALL TRUTH".
There are some very loving people here too!
If you ask a question, you might get 50 different answers. That's why you gotta read the Bible yourself, so that you eventually know the good from the bad!
Many prayers are going up for you, I'm sure.
Peace
rob64

[Condor]

I am a new Christian, days old. There are a lot of things I still don't understand and all I really know is that I felt that God honestly helped me before and after I made my choice.

My mother is from a Catholic background and my father is from a Protestant background, neither go to church however, and neither do I, and the topic of religion is rarely spoken about in my house, so I'd like to sort this one out by speaking to others. I live in Northern Ireland so I think it is more by upbringing rather than personal religious choice that my parents have those beliefs, however I was raised in a 'Protestant/Loyalist' area, but I have never cared about the differences between Protestants and Catholics here.

I think that for me, being non-denominational would be the best route at present. I'm confused, can someone offer some advice? I hope this is in the right place, I just thought I should post it here as it is the non-denominational route I've been thinking about.I agree with rob64. I would also add to read 1 John and get encouragement that you are in the faith. You may begin to have doubts of your salvation as a new Christian. It will cripple your faith as it has mine in the past if you let it. Compare yourself with 1 John and ensure that you are in the faith. (Willing to obey Jesus commands, acknowledge your sin, love fellowship, do not continue to sin as a way of life, love all others etc.) This will give you encouragement and a knowledge that the spitit of God is in you.

Read your Bible every day and pray, pray , pray.

[IsabellaJayde]

Hey HappyLibrary :)

I agree with what Rob64 said. I think one of the best things to do is find a church, and pray that God will guide you to one. Non-denominational churches are all over, but pray that God will guide you to one that fits you.
Keep in mind you may need to make several visits to a church before you completely rule it out, or completely commit to it. Then, once you do find a church, I recommend joining some Small Groups. Every church calls them something different, but I think most non-denominational churches call them Small Groups. It's a group of people from the church from all age groups who get together and grow as Christians through bible studies, devotionals, etc. I also would recommend seeing if the church has a newcomers class. A lot of churches have something similar to that for people new to Christianity and they will really help you better understand what it means to be a Christian, and also a little more about the denomination you choose. Those classes really helped me when I first became a Christian.

Best of luck!! :)

Isabella

[Catherineanne]

I am a new Christian, days old. There are a lot of things I still don't understand and all I really know is that I felt that God honestly helped me before and after I made my choice.

My mother is from a Catholic background and my father is from a Protestant background, neither go to church however, and neither do I, and the topic of religion is rarely spoken about in my house, so I'd like to sort this one out by speaking to others. I live in Northern Ireland so I think it is more by upbringing rather than personal religious choice that my parents have those beliefs, however I was raised in a 'Protestant/Loyalist' area, but I have never cared about the differences between Protestants and Catholics here.

I think that for me, being non-denominational would be the best route at present. I'm confused, can someone offer some advice? I hope this is in the right place, I just thought I should post it here as it is the non-denominational route I've been thinking about.

I think the first thing is to find someone to talk to. I don't think it makes much difference whether this person is Protestant or Roman. Hopefully whoever you see will have the good sense to point you towards a church which will be right for you.

So I would go and see the minister at the nearest church to your home, to start with. Have a chat, and if it doesn't help, then go to the next nearest church. I don't think it will take long to find what you are looking for. We don't choose churches; ultimately they choose us and we only have to find a place which feels like home.

I wish you well in your search. :wave:

[HappyLibrary]

Thanks everyone for your advice, time, and help, I'll take what you all said onboard!

[Grumpy Hillbilly]

Hello HappyLibrary, I'm just glad to hear you've come to Jesus! That's exciting just in itself. I do wish to echo rob though, be careful who you take advice from, make sure it's not against the Word of God. This will be an exciting time for you and I find myself kind of envious, you have the chance here to follow God's leading, He will mold you and shape you, just make sure you keep listening to him and don't let the cares of this life get in between you and him(read Mark 4:1-20).

Once again, welcome to the family of God and God bless you in your journey!!

[JasonX43]

The 3 most important rules of becoming a Christian:

1. Pray! I don't mean whenever you feel like it either! This should be an everyday practice for however long your soul wants to vent. Also remember this important rule: Proverbs 18:21 says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit" (NASB).

2. Read The Bible! This is our faith, our weapon, and our wisdom. The Bible tells us everything we need to know about being true Christians and, contrary to The Simpsons' Movie, all the answers to life ARE in there! Just remember that The Word is a banquet table, not a snack tray! Some things that are in there you will not understand on the first read, other things may jump out at you during a second or third read. Just remember that understanding it will lead you back to rule 1: Prayer!

3. Find a church! And not just somewhere to go every Sabbath and just sit and listen to somebody talk about God! Satan's most cunning trick in this world has been raising up powerless ministries that lead people astray more than they lead them to seek The Lord's face. The Bible says(see how reading it pays?):

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! Psalm 133
Acts 2:46 So continuing daily with one accord . . .And the Lord added to the Church daily those who were being saved.
Acts 5:12 . . . many signs and wonders were done 14: And believers were increasingly added. . .



Together, Christians can strengthen one another, council one another, and care for each other in accordance to The Lord's decrees. It may take attending many churches for you to find the right one, but once you do, you will notice the change it has on your life!

[iamjcs]

:wave: Welcome sister to Christ's family.

You may want to ck-out here:
http://christianforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=43 (for new Christians)
&
http://christianforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=47 (for Women)

[Michael_]

I am a new Christian, days old. There are a lot of things I still don't understand and all I really know is that I felt that God honestly helped me before and after I made my choice.

My mother is from a Catholic background and my father is from a Protestant background... I was raised in a 'Protestant/Loyalist' area, but I have never cared about the differences between Protestants and Catholics...
I'm confused, can someone offer some advice?

Read your Bible. Start from the beginning and go! The more you read, the more you will fall in love with God's revelation to man... I guarantee it. God's written Word will absolutely blow your mind as you discover what great lengths He went to in order to redeem us from slavery to sin. Go to church, listen to Christian radio, audio sermons, classes; read commentaries - and always study to see if the things you are hearing line-up with God's Word.

It takes practice and time, but God guarantees precious jewels will be discovered in His Word!

And remember: The main things are the plain things, and the plain things are the main things.

God bless.

[Wade Smith]

I am a new Christian, days old. There are a lot of things I still don't understand and all I really know is that I felt that God honestly helped me before and after I made my choice.

My mother is from a Catholic background and my father is from a Protestant background, neither go to church however, and neither do I, and the topic of religion is rarely spoken about in my house, so I'd like to sort this one out by speaking to others. I live in Northern Ireland so I think it is more by upbringing rather than personal religious choice that my parents have those beliefs, however I was raised in a 'Protestant/Loyalist' area, but I have never cared about the differences between Protestants and Catholics here.

I think that for me, being non-denominational would be the best route at present. I'm confused, can someone offer some advice? I hope this is in the right place, I just thought I should post it here as it is the non-denominational route I've been thinking about.



I would suggest prayer and looking for a good church. Not just any church will do, but find a church that looks as close to the Book of Acts church as possible.


For Bible reading, I would suggest reading John's Gospel first, as it deals with the creation, the incarntion of Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Cross of Christ in a more compact and understandable form for the new believer.

After that, I would say read the entire New Testament in order, especially acts. Then come back to Matthew, Mark, and Luke.


John-Revelation, then Matthew - Luke.


When you read the Bible, ask the Father in the name of Jesus to open up your understanding, and to have the scriptures, the word of God, to overturn the doctrines of man.

[SpiritualAntiseptic]

I am a new Christian, days old. There are a lot of things I still don't understand and all I really know is that I felt that God honestly helped me before and after I made my choice.

My mother is from a Catholic background and my father is from a Protestant background, neither go to church however, and neither do I, and the topic of religion is rarely spoken about in my house, so I'd like to sort this one out by speaking to others. I live in Northern Ireland so I think it is more by upbringing rather than personal religious choice that my parents have those beliefs, however I was raised in a 'Protestant/Loyalist' area, but I have never cared about the differences between Protestants and Catholics here.

I think that for me, being non-denominational would be the best route at present. I'm confused, can someone offer some advice? I hope this is in the right place, I just thought I should post it here as it is the non-denominational route I've been thinking about.

You should recognize that non-denominational churches are not a 'neutral' place between Catholics and protestants. Non-denominational churches, although they vary in beliefs between locations and congregations- are pretty much based on reformation (protestant) theology and its derivatives.

Although many non-denominationals don't like to be called protestant, on a theological basis, they are. They don't like to be labelled or seen as taking one side or the other, but in terms of theology, they are recognized as holding protestant views- while most Catholics and protestants view them as protestants without a particular greater organization or structure.