My First 52 Days in Christ

By: Curtis Hartshorn, MBS Posted: July, 2023

A new Christian emerges from baptism having just received the Holy Spirit and bursting with enthusiasm. They have obeyed the gospel, but now what? How do they strengthen and grow in their faith? This series provides a welcome answer for the newly baptized Christian. Through daily exercises, this series guides the reader on a journey of personal growth using the New Testament to explain the basics of Christianity. The course takes 52 days, which is how long it took Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Like that wall, this series will help the new Christian build a stronghold of faith.

The Lord has granted you a fresh start. This morning you are a brand-new person.

The Lord has blessed you with another opportunity to learn from His Word. Never take for granted the privilege of reading the Bible.

Make sure your mind is clear and you are alert before you begin your study. What if you had an appointment today with someone you wanted to get a job with?

Yesterday you invited someone to come to church with you. How did it go? Were you nervous? The more you share your faith the more natural it will be for you.

As you are reading through the gospel of Matthew, notice how Jesus conducts His ministry and how He treats people. He genuinely cares about each lost soul.

Yesterday I quoted a couple of passages from the Bible to you. The wording might have been different from the way your Bible reads.

You have now been a Christian for one week and have spent a week in daily prayer and Bible study.

Why does God's Word contain four accounts of the life of Jesus?

Many Christians have wonderful daily quiet times year after year and never lose their enthusiasm.

Notice, as you are reading, the impact Jesus has on everyone He comes in contact with.

Jesus was innocent of the crimes they accused Him of. After flogging and making fun of Him they nailed Him to the cross.

Luke was a Gentile doctor. He was a traveling companion and possibly a convert of the Apostle Paul.

Are you grateful for the way God has chosen you to be part of His divine plan?

Your wall against sin and Satan is rising up steadily, but you still have a few gaps to fill in.

It is so great to be a Christian. You wake up every morning knowing God loves you.

Jesus never says following Him will be easy. But it is rewarding.

If you are not the kind of person who thanks others for helping you, I hope you will make a change in your life and attitude.

How can we know for certain that Christ was truly resurrected?

This is the fourth and final gospel, written by the apostle who walked more closely with Jesus than anyone.

Some who claim to be Christians treat their faith as a once-a-week activity, but Christianity is not just what you do on Sunday.

God's kindness has resulted in forgiveness and salvation for you.

The Gospel of John teaches us how to identify a true Christian.

This is no ordinary day. Today you will be reading John's account of the single most important event in human history.

The book of Acts follows on the heels of the Gospel of Luke and explains what happens after Jesus ascends to heaven.

The early church cared about each other and gave all they could.

Saul's whole life is about to turn upside down. Saul is about to be transformed into the apostle Paul.

There are certain spiritual habits that mark healthy disciples of Christ.

Have you ever thought about doing missionary work? The church is always in need of missionaries to strengthen the Lord's work.

God's Word gives us strength to face the challenges of each new day.

Now it is time to see what God has to say to you. Today you will be reading the rest of the book of Acts.

They church in Rome did not get along and much of this letter is dedicated to healing the faction between them.

A Christian is not really a Christian if it is all about the outward appearance.

Can you fall away from the Lord? Can a person who is saved become unsaved again?

Bible reading instills in you a constant awareness of the presence of God. It also encourages you to stay pure.

The church in Corinth was a mess but God still loved them.

What did Paul mean when he said, do not be bound together with unbelievers?

It is important to keep yourself physically fit, but it is not more important than staying spiritually fit.

Why was Paul upset with the churches in Galatia?

We sing our hymns a'capella, without instruments because this is the type of music that was used in the first century church.

Do you know someone who is fun to be with until things don't go their way?

God sees your hard work and rewards you even if others do not. Do everything you do for God.

Have you ever met anyone who regretted spending too much time reading the Bible?

II Timothy was probably the last letter Paul wrote.

Paul writes to explain why he had Titus stay in Crete.

Walk by faith today and not by sight.

It does not do much good to love God's Word and study it all the time, if you are not planning to apply what it says to your life.

Hopefully you want your faith to grow. It won't happen by accident. Crave growth. Crave the Word.

There is nothing else you have to do today that is as important as what you are about to do right now.

Today we will get an overview of Revelation, and glean its most basic messages.

Is Jesus a lion or a lamb?

You can overcome the dragon through the blood of Christ and the testimony of the saints.

The book of Revelation is one single revelation but what is it revealing?

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