I just became a Christian!

i just prayed the prayer of salvation from this board (look at my other thread on "Questions about Christianity")! i feel so much different than before! i have a hope to want to live and to be different! i am going to read my bible from beginning until end by tomorrow!

Oh I'm so happy for you

OK, i have my first few questions. why did god rest on the 7th day? did he get tired? also, as a new christian, can i watch the simpsons and king of the hill, or are those things christians shouldn't be watching?

I truly feel once you have been born again of the Spirit, the Holy Ghost residing within you will be the Help you need to discern whether something is healthy for you to partake in (tv shows, activities, thoughts etc.)
Just my thoughts and welcome to God's family!

since i just became a christian, do i have to go to church? i am up at college so i don't have to go to church. if so, what kind of church should i go to? should i go to one that has modern music or old music? there are many churches here in my college town, should i go to a baptist, episcapalian, catholic, lutheran, presbyteran, or just a church that doesn't say what kind of church it is? do i have to dress up? do i have to know everything about the bible?

should you go to church? yes, definitely. Going to church is not compulsory from the bible, but it is greatly encouraged. Church is a place where you can help each other grow, where relationships help christians to be more christ like. You can't grow without being in some kind of relationship, christians aren't supposed to be hermits.

do i have to know everything about the bible?

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having head knowledge is good (though it's useless if you don't apply it), but be sure you don't get the interpretation wrong. So trying bible study at church is a good starting place.

what kind of church should i go to?

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seriously pray about it, and just step out and go. You never know if you never try.

do i have to dress up?

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Just be neat and decent.

Welcome to the family of Christ!

Welcome to the family!! ((((((Big hugs to you!!))))))

I became a Christian recently also (about 5 months ago) and I also had (and still have) your keen sense of eagerness to learn and understand everything.

I found it helpful to go to a Christian bookstore and buy some books especially for new Christians, nothing too technical just explanations of the basics. That gives you the groundwork to begin your ongoing learning (it doesn't end!).

I was a bit flippant about the necessity of going to Church initially but eventually realised how important it is and now try to go at least 2 times in a month ( I work on the other Sundays). Now I am always looking forward to going!!

I went and bought the 3 different types of Bibles so that I would get a thorough understanding of what I am reading as some of the texts are written in a rather old style of English.
The 3 types are called 'word for word', 'thought for thought' and paraphrase.
King James Bible (KJV) = word for word
New Interternational Version (NIV) = thought for thought
Message Bible (MSG) = paraphrase (modern interpretation)
If you can try to get these and read them together, you will find it VERY helpful.

I wear just neat casual clothes just because I feel I am in the presence of the Lord when I go to Church so I want to be respectful but God loves you no matter what you wear!

Don't worry about knowing everything!
I am amazed at how much I have learnt already and I know I have so much more to learn, so don't go rushing yourself in your eagerness to learn God is guiding your path and remember that a good thing to know is - "God has a plan"!
I think that is a quote that I use on a daily basis and it seems to cover everything for me.

A good book to read once you have gotten some fundamental understanding is Rick Warren's "Purpose Driven Life".
It is a book that will help you to understand what it is that God wants from you as you now belong to Him.
I am sure you will find it hard to put down ( be sure to give the Bible highest priority in whatever you read though).

As for shows like the Simpsons etc....well, I still watch them occasionally but I seem to have a whole new perspective on them now.
My interest in "wordly" things has greatly diminished and I try to surround myself at all times with "godly" things.
If you like music I would highly recommend you listen to some good Christian rock/pop -
Newsboys - "Shine" & "Adoration"
Third Day - "Offerings" 1 & 2
Audio Adrenaline - Worldwide
Planet Shakers - Rain Down

Now, last thing was what Church to attend...
well basically you can do a bit of church-surfing 'til you find one you like or you can do a bit of internet research and find out about the different doctrines/beliefs of the churches and see what is nearest to your own beliefs.
When I was younger I went to a Baptist Sunday school, attended a Catholic college and went to a couple of pentacostal churches.
Then when God called me 5 months ago I decided to church-surf and went to an Assembly of God church one week, then the next week I went to a Baptist church and have remained there.

ummm... think that answers your questions...feel free to send me a private message if you want to discuss anything else!

Oh by the way I am actually getting Baptised soon ( 15th August hopefully )...I am so looking forward to it!!

Once again, WELCOME!!!

Bless you. You will find that things will change as you walk. What you feel and are compelled to do will be different than another person experiences.

Praise God!! if you have any questions about anything feel free to PM me.

hi, i have just been reading john 4, and what is a samaritan? also, what is such the big deal about jesus talking to a samaritan woman? why didn't the jews and samaritans associate? how did jesus heal somebody when he wasn't there? did he send the holy spirit to heal the boy or something?

Try not to get too overwhelmed, that's another key thing!!! I know you have all these questions about what church you should go to, 'Can I still do [insert activity here] or watch [insert show here]' and all that other stuff, but believe me... you can spend years figuring that stuff out. Read the Bible, pick up a version of it that you'll have a good time reading (I personally like New King James Version) and go through it! Churches run the gamut from contemporary, wave-your-hands-in-the-air charismatic to traditional, liturgical stuff, so you might end up church-hopping for a while to find someplace you're comfortable. And by all means talk to more experienced Christians on your campus, maybe go to church with them. There should be a Christian group or two at pretty much any college.

TV shows and stuff like that are really up to the individual; there exists no universal rule that 'Thou shalt not watch the SImpsons' or anything like that. (I play Dungeons and Dragons myself, which is considered 'evil' by some.) You'll have to examine your conscience and decide if these things will interfere with your walk with Christ. If not, great, but if so then you might want to look to alternative activities. Maybe for these first stages you could try cutting down on all the 'worldly' stuff and get deep into the Word... who knows what changes might occur? (I wish I'd tried that!)

The Samaritans, by the way, were another ethnic group. For some reason or another the Jewish people didn't like them very much (probably since they were outside of Judaism) and therefore they did not associate. I'd have to check John 4 for that other part, though.

And BTW... welcome to the Family of Christ!

The samaritans were/are people living in samaria who lived according to the Old Testament religion but were not part of the Jewish bloodline. They also did not worship in Jerusalem and were shunned and considered scum by official jews. They're still there to this day and the muslims are hostile towards them as well.

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Ah, I remember the enthusiasm of being a new convert! Stay faithful even when the rush wears off!

Regarding your question on the Simpsons/entertainment. When I converted I got rid of a lot of my comic book collection, and some video games. You just have to let the word of God and Holy Spirit be your guide in convicting you of what's appropriate. As a Christian you're a temple of the Holy Spirit, so think about what you want to mentally ingest.

God bless.

whoa, yes you do have a lot of questions, good. questions are good. they help you learn. okay,

purposeinlife said:

OK, i have my first few questions. why did god rest on the 7th day? did he get tired? also, as a new christian, can i watch the simpsons and king of the hill, or are those things
christians shouldn't be watching?

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hmmm, im not sure why god rested on the seventh day, but, when you get to heaven you can ask him! i guess its okay if you watch those kind of shows, but you really dont need them, they dont help you at all, so its not the best thing to watch, but if you don't take the messages in the shows to heart i guess its okay...

purposeinlife said:

do i have to go to church?.......if so, what kind of church should i go to? should i go to one that has modern music or old music?.........do i have to dress up? do i have to know everything about the bible?

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YES, i would HIGHLY reccomend going to church, it is a place to fellowship with other chrisians, and you learn about god, and you can build a better relationship with god there and also with other christians... what kind of church should you go to??? i would reccomend not going to a church that seems "dead", and it needs to be a church that preaches the truth, that has a good feeling to it. the church i prefer that you might want to try is a non-denominational spirit-filled one, now those churches dont say that on the signs, but if you go to a church that doesnt have a label you could ask the pastor about what kind of church it is and what its teachings are based on.... the music should be the kind of music that interests you, if you are interested in modern music, then go to one with it and vice versa. no, you dont have to dress up, but be clean cut and decent looking, because you are representing god, and you dont want to look like a slob, lol. okay, well i hope i helped you, and welcome to the family!!!

purposeinlife said:

OK, i have my first few questions. why did god rest on the 7th day? did he get tired?

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I've heard a few theories on this... God did things deliberately to set a pattern for humanity to follow, so one possibility is hat He rested on the seventh day to set the precedent for the Sabbath.

Welcome to the family!!

You realise that you have now become one of the luckiest people to have ever lived. Don't let the world get you down, because when you die your getting eternal bliss!! And don't let the devil trick you that you've lost your salvation--because you can't! It is a Gift from God, and not something you deserve to get!!

purposeinlifealso said:

, as a new christian, can i watch the simpsons and king of the hill, or are those things christians shouldn't be watching?

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Watching the Simpsons is fine. In fact the Archbishop of Canterbury (in England) is known to be a huge fan and is reported to be appearing in a future episode.

In fact I'd personally advise Christians to watch the Simpsons as there are a lot of Christian parables in many of the episodes. i.e Should Homer cheat on Marge?

And Ned Flander has a big following amongst UK Christians. I've even seen Christians use Simpson tracts to spread the Gospel.


Whatever you do, DO NOT watch Harry Potter!!

Bonhoffer said:

Watching the Simpsons is fine. In fact the Archbishop of Canterbury (in England) is known to be a huge fan and is reported to be appearing in a future episode.

In fact I'd personally advise Christians to watch the Simpsons as there are a lot of Christian parables in many of the episodes. i.e Should Homer cheat on Marge?

And Ned Flander has a big following amongst UK Christians. I've even seen Christians use Simpson tracts to spread the Gospel.


Whatever you do, DO NOT watch Harry Potter!!

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ok I got to say yes, the simpsons rocks and yes the archbishop agrees, (did you see my favourite hymsn yesterday morning?) Ned Flanders has been used at some christian festivals etc so by all means watch it to learn about life and the Lord.
I have read Harry potter and seen one of the films, have you Bonhoffer? because I don't believe you should say that something is blasphemous until you really know what its about. I know people who claim to be witches, and they say that Harry Potter isn't anything like what it's like anyway, I don't believe that watching it will suddenly make anyone become anything that they weren't already. I would suggest that if one is worried about being affected in such a way then they should pray for the Lord's protection!,
C@ xx
just my take, hope I haven't offended anyone!

I was being sarcastic about the Harry Potter thing

However I saw the first two films before I became a Christian and didnt think much of them. What is all the fuss about? I not going to watch the 3rd movie not because its unChristian, but because I'm simply not interested in it.

I'm a bit of an odd bod because I found Lord of the Rings boring too!! I fell asleep through the first film and have no interest in watching any of the others.

I am Cronicles of Narnia fan myself!!