Helping “Puzzle Piece” Christians Grow in Their Faith

by Chuck Lawless Church Answers Consultant

I followed Christ at age 13 after having heard the gospel from a seventh-grade classmate for more than a year. I did not own a Bible, and the day I got saved was the first time I had ever been inside a church building. I knew about Christianity and church only what I needed to know: God loved me, and I needed salvation.

That day, God made me His child as I prayed with my pastor at the end of the worship service. To my surprise, a lady in the congregation—a lady I had never met—immediately greeted me and invited me to Sunday school the next week. That next Sunday, I was there.

In fact, I was at church almost every time the doors were open. Sunday morning Sunday school, followed by the morning service. Sunday night discipleship training, then the Sunday night service. Wednesday night Bible study and prayer meeting. Thursday night outreach (we called it “visitation”). Other special events throughout the year.

I never missed going to church unless my family had a prior commitment or I was sick.

Every activity was an opportunity for me to learn something as a new believer, and I devoured whatever I could get. Looking back, it’s amazing how much l learned in my first years as a believer.

Here was the problem, though: I learned content by sitting through sermons and classes, but I didn’t learn how to put all the content together well. More specifically, I had little idea how to absorb the content, apply it to my young life, and consequently walk more faithfully with Jesus.

I was getting content but still living inconsistently—a baby in Christ whose head was filling with information, but whose feet weren’t moving quickly enough toward obedience.

I was getting the puzzle pieces, but I didn’t know how to put the puzzle together.…