DEFINITIONS and QUALITIES
When I use the phrase “New Believer,” I'm referring to individuals who either came to Christ recently or did so several years—or even decades—ago. Yes, unfortunately, there are New Believers who came to Christ years ago. They've sat on church pews Sunday after Sunday and haven't grown. Their lives are usually marked by the following:

1. They haven't been taught (or learned) HOW TO READ God's Word for themselves, nor the importance of doing so. As a result, they don't read God's Word very often.

2. They haven't been taught HOW TO STUDY God's Word on their own, nor do they understand its important. As a result, their knowledge and understanding of the basics of the faith are minimal at best.

3. They haven't been taught HOW TO PRAY, nor the importance of doing so. As a result, their prayers are often short, sporadic, or sometimes even nonexistent. In short, they don't know how to spend an hour (or more) on their knees in prayer.

4. They haven't been taught the daily, weekly, or monthly DISCIPLINES of spiritual growth (e.g., bearing fruit, fasting, sacrificial giving, godly living, holiness, etc.). Some may unfortunately have fallen into the worldly mindset of "being a good person." And as a result, their lifestyle may not look that much different than it did before they met Christ.

5. They haven't been taught the fundamentals of Biblical Christianity (e.g., the Gospel, Christ, God, fellowship, Heaven, the Judgment Seat of Christ, Hell, Angels, Demons, the Great White Throne, the purpose of church, etc.). As a result, some may appear “religious.”

FOCUSES
Reading God's Word is vital because it serves as both His handbook for godly living as well as a love letter to His children. Within its pages, we discover His promises—both to us personally and to humankind as a whole.

Studying God's Word is essential to growth because the Scriptures carry great depth and meaning. And, like any good Father, He promises to teach, guide, and protect us through His Word.

While the written Word speaks to our minds and hearts, prayer is how we speak to God. And just like in any strong relationship, meaningful, heartfelt and frequent communication is key!

Daily, weekly, and monthly disciplines are how we live a life that pleases Him. Remember, as Believers, we are both Children of God and Servants of God. As Children of the King, we have benefits that others—especially non-believers—do not. As servants, we are called to serve our King with the life, resources, talents, and gifts He has entrusted to us.

So, the life of a New Believer should be focused on drawing nearer to Christ in prayer, learning more about Him and His eternal Kingdom, and becoming more like Him in both speech and action. These things are foundational - for they solidify the relationship and guard us from becoming merely “religious”—the kind of people who merely attend church services, strive to be “good” by living “a good life,” yet miss the deeper transformation Christ desires for each of our lives!

Here's an idea for taking the time necessary to lay a foundation in their walk with Christ - one that involves daily prayer, Bible reading, personal Bible study and the memorization/meditation on God's Word. (NOTE: I'm talking about a commitment of 90 minutes to two hours of these activities each week - which amounts to roughly 12-20 minutes each day!) These four activities will become the foundation of their lives - and will prepare them for the eventuality of spiritual warfare. Without this solid foundation, they will more than likely stumble, fall away or become religious.

SIMPLE SCHEDULE FOR GROWTH
Here's a simple schedule anyone can use:

1. Three to four minutes of prayer when you first wake up.

A. Praise. Worship. Give thanks. Confess sin. Ask for forgiveness.

B. Pray for unsaved family members, friends, co-workers, neighbors, etc..

C. Pray for saved family members, friends, co-workers, neighbors, etc..

D. Pray for your pastor, priest, church, city, etc..

E. Praise. Worship. Give thanks.

2. Three to four minutes of Bible reading after prayer.

A. Read the book of Ephesians, chapter four, slowly.

B. Read it a second, third, fourth and fifth time this week.

C. Ponder and apply its words.

3. Three to four minutes of prayer during lunch.

A. Same as #1.

4. Three to four minutes of Bible reading at lunch.

A. Same as #2, or choose a different book and chapter.

5. Three to four minutes of Bible reading before dinner.

A. Same as #4.

6. Three to four minutes of prayer right before bed.

A. Same as #3.

Since all of us have and use our mobile phones daily, we can put these activities on our calendars and set an alarm to them - because that's what we do for important things, right?

I pray this has been helpful. If you have questions or comments, email me here.

In His Name,

Roy