[augurey]

Hello, I'm new to this forum (the whole forum), and well, obviously this part as well.

The whole faith thing is relatively new for me. I've always had my own beliefs, but have never considered myself x, y or z, but I've still had my own beliefs, but at the same time was never really deep into them.

Sometime in June, after my ex and I broke up, he introduced me to a positive alternative radio station that is faith based. A lot of Christian music, and this music I have come to love, music that has come to help pull me through some of the tougher days, and help me enjoy some of those great ones even more.

With listening to this music, hearing the people on the other end, and hearing the impact it's made in other people's lives, it seems to be making an even bigger one in mine every day.

And even more recently, I feel it even more.

And I wonder, to those of you in this part of the forum, how do you feel your faith has helped you in all of this?

I see in the sticky that people use their faith as the center for their diet support, but how exactly do you do that?

I'm sure it is very individual, how each person feels and relates, but I am curious.

I know that I want to start focusing on my own more, and I know I focus on mine a lot more through the music I listen to, and even the station itself, but I feel lost?

I'm (almost) 25 and grew up in a fairly non-religious home. I know my mom has her beliefs, but I really didn't grow up with it. I feel like I'm trying to find my way, but at the same time I don't even know where I'm at, so I don't even know where to begin or which direction to even start heading in.

[EZMONEY]

Hey Kiddo ~

I have kids just a bit older and a bit younger than you. Since you enjoy the music I would suggest you find a Christian church in your area that plays that type of Christian music and has college aged and young adult groups.

I would also suggest reading Bible based books and of course the Bible. There is a wonderful Bible based study guide here on this site that Kelli puts up daily.

Good luck and Prayers ~ We are here to answer all your questions.

Welcome and join us at Christian Encouragers if you'd like ~ Gary

[CountingDown]

Glad you joined us! Feel free to post over on the Christian Encourager's thread (in this forum). We LOVE new folk.

For me, I did Weigh Down Workshop several years ago. I lost weight, and practiced many of the spiritual principals over the years. This time around, I used a book Faithfully Fit. It was an excellent devotional journal that really helped me focus on using my faith as a resource for dealing with my eating.

[Justwant2Bhealthy]

WELCOME, AUGUREY ~ I love Christian music too -- we have a local Christian station (that comes out of a local church here in town), and I love listening to the upbeat music they play; and they broadcast their weekly sermon twice weekly as well.

I also read the bible daily (ie I read one PSALM a day); and do devotionals (which are mini-bible studies that are only one page long with a verse and scripture reading) that take less than 15 minutes to do. They really give me a boost: right now I do THE DAILY BREAD in the morning and the POSITIVE MINUTE from Crystal Cathedral later in the day as well. I also have them send me their awesome uplifting weekly sermons which I just love.

GARY is also putting up a daily devotional right here in this forum that you could start with, if you like; and Kelly is doing a bible study that offers scriptures concerning living healthier. I have found praying and reading scriptures has helped me with my plan a lot, esp when I hit a ruff spot ... and just like I have committed my life to GOD, I have made a committment to try and live a healthier lifestyle too.

Someone here said, "Motivation gets you started -- but COMMITMENT keeps you going!" I like that ... we can find dozens of motivators, but as time goes on, it's commitment that will keep us on the straight and narrow.

Just the other night, I was tempted to have a snack that I didn't need; so I prayed about it, and felt immediately that I should just go to bed early, and sure enuff I did, and kept to my plan. When these good thoughts and ideas come to our minds after praying, we can rest assured that these are answers to our prayers ...

The others have given you some really good ideas too ... we would love you to join our daily Christian thread in this forum -- it is called "Christian Encouragers" ... hope to see you there sometime soon!

[Kelli]

HI AUGUREY WELCOME!!!

I am so excited you are here. It sounds like Jesus is stirring your heart because He wants a relationship with you. You said

The whole faith thing is relatively new for me. I've always had my own beliefs, but have never considered myself x, y or z, but I've still had my own beliefs, but at the same time was never really deep into them.

You are definitely on the right track, Jesus doesn't care what religion you are, what he does care about is your relationship with Him. He want's you to get to know Him. He pursues a relationship with you that is real and personal.

Like you, God has made a huge impact on my life, I won't bore you with my story, just suffice it to say I was one of the poor in spirit, when I found Him. I found Him by asking Him to come into my heart. I asked Him to be the my Savior. That's it, no classes, no ceremony, just Jesus knocking on the door of my heart (like He is yours) and me answering it.

Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

You may feel as I did that I had to be "good" before I could invite Him in, but that's like getting cleaned up to take a shower. He accepts you just as you are, and loves you.

I see in the sticky that people use their faith as the center for their diet support, but how exactly do you do that?

I couldn't have done anything without knowing who I am in Christ, over the years, He has renewed my mind, by hearing, reading, seeing, digging into the word of God. You hunt for the treasure, and wrestle with God. Through this I have learned who I am in Christ. I am His child and so are you.

You said

but I feel lost?

I'm (almost) 25 and grew up in a fairly non-religious home. I know my mom has her beliefs, but I really didn't grow up with it. I feel like I'm trying to find my way, but at the same time I don't even know where I'm at, so I don't even know where to begin or which direction to even start heading in.

You may have struggled to read the Bible, but until you become born of the Spirit you can't understand the things of the Spirit.

How do you become born of the spirit? I Corinthians 2:14 says, 14The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. (NIV)

The following is a quote from The Diet Bible study, It's long, but it explains about being Born-Again.

John 3:1-21 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”

5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”

10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God

Let’s take these verses one-step at a time. Nicodemus came to Jesus with questions, and at first Jesus, answers confused him. He asked, “How can a person be born again? Go back into his mother’s womb?”

Jesus answer was “unless one is born of the water” (the womb) “and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” Take note of verse nine, Nicodemus says, “How can these things be?” He wanted to know how to be born of the Spirit, And Jesus gives him the answer, gives all of us the answer in verse fifteen.

“Whoever believes in Him (Jesus) should not perish but have eternal life.” You may say to your self I have always believed in Jesus, but examine the word believe. What does it mean?

Read James 2:19-20 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

It doesn’t matter that you believe with your head you have to believe with your heart. What’s the difference you ask. The word “believe” is to follow as a creed, a way of life.

God tells us in His word, He wants us all to be with Him in heaven, yet heaven is a perfect place. God won’t let it be corrupted by sin, any sin.

Jesus was speaking about heaven when He said; Revelation 21:27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

So unless you are perfect, without sin you are not allowed in heaven. However, we are all sinners and separated from God, so now what do we do?

Romans 3:23,24 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Romans 6:23 For the wages (or price) of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Jesus is the perfect Son of God and He took the punishment paying the price for our sin, because we couldn’t afford it, we can’t be perfect. It’s important we realize our need for Christ and accept Him as your own savior. Confess your sin and need for him.

I John 1: 8-10 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins Jesus is faithful to forgive us our sins and cleans us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

Romans 5:8-10 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

John 1:12 But as many as received Him; to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name (or follow Him)

Romans 10:8-13 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”(that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”

It’s as simple as acknowledging you are a sinner and believe in your heart Jesus died on the cross for your sin. II Peter 3:9 God is not willing that any should perish but that all would come to repentance.

Pray a prayer like this, to Jesus, in your own words, and mean it with all your heart.
~Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner, I believe You died for my sins. Right now, I receive You as my Savior, and ask You to forgive my sins. I acknowledge You are the Lord of my life and I turn my life over to you, and ask you to help me turn from my sin and turn to You.
Thank you my Lord in Jesus name amen.~

Now you have prayed this prayer and meant it, God will begin to change you from the inside out, He will change your desires. In fact, your desire will be for the things of God.

It’s a process and takes some time. You need to understand you will still make mistakes. You will never be perfect while on this earth but just keep confessing those and God will keep forgiving them.

God makes this simple to go to heaven, we are without excuse, you can never tell God it was too hard.

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

By grace you are saved—a gift from your Lord!

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The cost of sinning (wages) is death (separation from God) but the Gift is eternal life. You can’t be good enough to get to heaven on your own. It’s a gift!

If you said that prayer, or something like it, please let us know we want to rejoice with you!!!

This is a wonderful, safe place to grow in Christ, especially the Christian Encourages group.