6 Things Every Christian Needs

Friends 1

Lately our church has seen many adults come to faith in Jesus for the very first time. Some of these have attended church for years, and they just recently understood the gospel for the first time. Others are brand new to church life, and they just recently heard the gospel for the first time. As I’ve watched these new believers take ownership of their faith, I’m convinced that every Christian, especially new Christians, need these 6 things:

  1. Every Christian needs a place to belong. By place I mean church. Every Christian needs a church family. Period. End of story. There simply is no New Testament category of the lone-ranger Christian. You need older and younger, richer and poorer, all together in Christ.
  2. Every Christian needs a group to join. Group here refers to a sub-group of the church. Maybe it’s a men’s group, a Sunday school class, or a life group. But every Christian needs to be part of a group. This is the place genuine relationships are formed with others.
  3. Every Christian needs a teacher to learn from. This teacher can be a pastor or a Sunday school teacher. But ideally this teacher is more like a mentor. Every Christian needs someone who will take the time to personally invest in their life. We all need this kind of teacher.
  4. Every Christian needs a friend to give encouragement. Following Jesus is not easy. There are trials, temptations, and suffering for anyone who claims the name of Christ. For that reason, every Christian needs a friend who can listen and give encouragement.
  5. Every Christian needs an example to follow. What does it mean to follow Jesus? The apostle Paul knew that was an abstract concept. That’s why he told the Corinthian Christians to follow his example as he followed the example of Christ. We all need examples to follow.
  6. Every Christian needs a student to invest in. Just like there is no New Testament category of lone-ranger Christian … There is no category of a Christian who does not invest in the next generation. It doesn’t matter who you invest in, but you must invest in someone.

Originally published January 5, 2016 on landoncoleman.com.