New to Christianity- To do??? (Gospels, hell, doctrine, churches) - - City-Data Forum

slucas234 · 01-16-2008, 03:24 PM

Hello,

I have a lot to say and I'm not really sure where to start…

I was raised Catholic although my parents never encouraged going to Church, reading the Bible or anything of the sort. I was baptized and that’s about it, I never received Communion or went to Bible Study.

I am now 31 and just a year ago I went through a terrible divorce after a 13 year relationship- I am now in a great relationship with a wonderful man who is a Christian. I started looking for 'direction' much before I met him, but after moving home, quitting my very successful job I felt lost and had nowhere to go spiritually

.

I now want to convert to Christianity, I want to be closer to Christ but I'm extremely ignorant to everything- to give you an idea I am afraid to go to Church because I don't want to do anything wrong, I have started reading the Old Testament but wonder if it's the wrong place to start? (I have the New Testament on CD) I have tried to Pray but feel I'm doing it wrong and not being heard. I feel so lost, I want to be saved- what on earth am I supposed to do? Everything seems so complicated to me.

I’m So sorry if I'm offending anyone,
Shelly

cg81 · 01-16-2008, 03:37 PM

Hi Shelly

Thanks for posting! If you want to get closer to Christ, you can take that as a sign that God loves you, and wants to get closer to you! You wondered what you should do.. there is nothing we can do! All we can do is feel in our heart, and say something like this: "God, I want you. I know You love me, for You sent Your Son to die for me that I could be saved. Please forgive my sins, and accept me as Your child!" It's that simple!

God sees our heart... it's not so much the words. But, as a child of God, He will continue to teach and guide us!

I'll pray for you!

kaykay · 01-16-2008, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cg81

Hi Shelly

Thanks for posting! If you want to get closer to Christ, you can take that as a sign that God loves you, and wants to get closer to you! You wondered what you should do.. there is nothing we can do! All we can do is feel in our heart, and say something like this: "God, I want you. I know You love me, for You sent Your Son to die for me that I could be saved. Please forgive my sins, and accept me as Your child!" It's that simple!

God sees our heart... it's not so much the words. But, as a child of God, He will continue to teach and guide us!

I'll pray for you!

Good advice there from cg. Our accepting Jesus into our life brings us into relationship with God initially. You asked about Bible reading. Yes, it would be more understandable for you to start with the New Testament. I would suggest beginning with the book of John. Blessings to you in your new Christian walk-

dojilynn · 01-16-2008, 03:46 PM

Shelly,

You are not being offensive at all! Your post has a lot of questions, and I don't want to skip any, so I'm going to answer them below:

Quote:

Originally Posted by slucas234

[color=black]I now want to convert to Christianity, I want to be closer to Christ but I'm extremely ignorant to everything- to give you an idea I am afraid to go to Church because I don't want to do anything wrong, I have started reading the Old Testament but wonder if it's the wrong place to start? (I have the New Testament on CD)

I would recommend starting in the book of John. It is very informative as to what Jesus was all about. The Old Testament is vital to our walk with the Lord, but is not as easy to understand for the new believer. Definitely start with the New Testament, as it usually pertains more to daily life.

Don't worry about doing something wrong at church. Church is for people like you who are searching. Hopefully you can find a church in your area that is seeker-friendly and will not worry about you being perfect (because none of the current attenders are). That is what I like about my church...people are free to have their problems. We don't judge people because they are different or new to the church. We are there to help one another become stronger in the Lord.

Quote:

Originally Posted by slucas234

I have tried to Pray but feel I'm doing it wrong and not being heard. I feel so lost, I want to be saved- what on earth am I supposed to do? Everything seems so complicated to me.

There is not a right/wrong way to pray. Praying is just talking to God. He is always listening. Sometimes Christians will make it seem like praying is easy, but really, it is a difficult habit to cultivate. Be patient with it, you won't be an expert overnight. Just don't give up. The Lord will honor your desire to know him better.

Really, I think the thing that will help most right now is finding a church to attend. It is crucial to get some teaching to follow. If you go blindly, you will always be wondering and feeling lost. You mentioned that your boyfriend is Christian. You could attend church with him and ask him questions following the service to get a better understanding of doctrine.

Once again, I just want to say that you were not offensive at all, and I hope all goes well for you in your search.

Welcome to the forum.

MomtoFour · 01-16-2008, 04:19 PM

If your boyfriend goes to church, going with him would probably be the easiest place to start.

I can relate to be nervous about visiting church. I spent 30 years in one denomination, and when I decided to leave and had to look for a new church home, I was very nervous. My original church had very plain services, and I was concerned I wouldn't know when to stand or sit, when to speak and when to be quiet.

In reality, it's pretty easy to know when to stand and sit just by following what everyone else is doing. And people are focused on what they are doing, not looking around to see if you are making a "mistake."

I found it helpful to attend lots of different churches to get a feel for what style of worship was the best fit for me. There is no rush to pick a church. The book How to Be a Perfect Stranger (there are at least two volumes; your library might have them) will give you an idea of what to expect at the church services of various denominations. It includes things like what to wear or not wear.

You may find some of the "Dummies" books or similar to be helpful in addition to reading the Bible (and I agree you should start with the New Testament). I think they have a Christianity for Dummies and a Bible for Dummies. This may help give you some of the background that will make everything else easier to understand.

Once you find a church you like, talk to the pastor. He or she can probably suggest some good books to help understand their doctrine. Many churches have classes for new or prospective members that would help too. In my experience, there is no pressure to join, and it's not uncommon for people to take the class and decide not to join, even if they continue to attend.

Breathe. Enjoy the journey. You can encounter God all along the way, even if you have more questions than answers.

twin.spin · 01-16-2008, 04:24 PM

I would recommend these for reading,

Romans 8
Considered by Christian theologians as the greatest chapter in the New Testament.

1 Corthinians 13 "Love" Chapter

Greatest New Testament Bible passages:

John 3:16 "Famous 'GOSPEL-IN-A-NUTSHELL' " passage
Ephesians 2:8,9 "The most clear 'way-of-salvation' " passage
John 14:6 "The Only-WAY-to heaven" passage

Look for "By grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ's death & resurrection alone" in a church.

Nick4466 · 01-16-2008, 06:13 PM

There is no wrong way to pray...as long as it comes from your heart, thats all that matters. Good luck with everything, I will be praying for you!

freedom · 01-17-2008, 12:23 PM

There is much that you can do, and are directed to do.

The Sermon on the mount Matt:5-7 is a great place to learn how to walk like Christ, how to be-live the teachings.

A magic prayer might make others think that you are saved, but scripture teaches differently...accepting Christ into your heart is a process of repentance and gratitude, which grows into praise and Love...

The first and great commandment is to Love the lord thy God with all your heart, mind, soul and Strength... it is a asking, seeking, and knocking process of learning to be still and know that God is God. As you ask, you will receive, that is the promise.

Be a seeker and you will find...

freedom

Miss Blue · 01-18-2008, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slucas234

I now want to convert to Christianity, I want to be closer to Christ but I'm extremely ignorant to everything- to give you an idea I am afraid to go to Church because I don't want to do anything wrong, I have started reading the Old Testament but wonder if it's the wrong place to start? (I have the New Testament on CD) I have tried to Pray but feel I'm doing it wrong and not being heard. I feel so lost, I want to be saved- what on earth am I supposed to do? Everything seems so complicated to me.

I’m So sorry if I'm offending anyone,
Shelly

Aw Shelly, God didn't make any ignorant people..Get that out of your head..IMO the best way to get closer to Christ is simply go inside yourself and ask the Holy Spirit to help you to connect..There is no set way to pray..Just talk to Him..Ask him to help you build your faith..Tell Him what you desire and that you want Him to guide you to the place that He feels is right for you..Ask Him to remove all the things you have been taught by men and to lead you to scripture He desires you to follow..IMO you have to be patient and follow the little nudges you get somewhere in your mind as you open your bible as if for the first time..JMHO, and I probably shouldn't be giving any advice, but the Gospels brought me more knowledge, faith , love and the real meaning of Gods love than anything else in the bible..God Bless you, Shelly