First, I want to thank you for taking this 28-Day Spiritual Challenge. In preparing this, I have prayed that God would encourage each participant in the ways needed for that person. I hope that you were encouraged in your spiritual journey.
Through this 28-Day Spiritual Challenge you’ve been brought to a basic understanding of who God is, what He has done, and our response of a faith relationship with him. If you have not yet committed your life to Christ, my encouragement is that you do so. Here is a prayer that people have prayed for those who desire that commitment.
"Lord Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. Please forgive my sins and give me the gift of eternal life. I ask you in to my life and heart to be my Lord and Savior. I want to serve you always."
If you have sincerely prayed this prayer or a prayer like it, you are in fact a Christian. To grow as a Christian and to remain in the faith, here are two very important growth areas, as described by Jesus in the Greatest Commandment (Mark 12:30,31):
1. Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.
In loving the Lord, it is important to gather with other Christians for worship, to receive the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, and to grow in faith through the study of God’s word. If you have not yet been baptized, you will want to speak to a pastor about doing so. There is no perfect church, but my encouragement would be to find a place you can worship, hear God’s word, and be encouraged to live a Christian life for the rest of your days.
2. Love your neighbor as yourself.
Loving your neighbor begins with loving those in your immediate family: spouse, children, parents, brothers and sisters. But love doesn’t end there. It extends to people we worship with, people who live near us, people who work with us, people who are in need, people who need the hope of Jesus. Love for neighbor is active caring for them in word and deed.
Love for yourself means taking care of your soul through a relationship with God. Love for yourself means taking care of your mind through education, good reading and intellectual growth. Love for yourself means taking care of your body with healthy habits, nutrition, exercise, sleep, and mental health. You will not be good for anyone if you do not take care of yourself.
As you look at number 1 and 2 above, where do you think the Lord is leading you for growth? What area might He be calling you to work on? Where the Lord leads, step out in faith and follow!
If I, or Resurrection Lutheran Church, can be of support to you in your spiritual journey, please don’t hesitate to contact us. May the Lord bless you with a life of love, forgiveness, and faithfulness, until He calls you home.
Resurrection Lutheran Church
PO Box 563, Cairo, NY 12413 ~ www.RLCCairo.org
The Rev. Victor Nelson, Pastor ~ vhnelson@gmail.com
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