The Start

We start on our own. Our journey to Christ is a personal one. We must wrestle with the fact that we are not good enough to enter God's presence (Romans 3:10-12: "As it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away; all alike have become useless. There is no one who does what is good, not even one."). We have sinned, we have failed, and there are consequences (Romans 3:23: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."). We are shown the great lengths God went to in order to redeem us (Romans 5:8: "But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!"). His son paid the price for our failure, our sin, our inability to measure up to real perfection and righteousness. He finished the process with His resurrection, and in doing so, made a way for His righteousness to cover our sin. We simply have to come to the point where we give up the authority over ourselves and hand that to Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9-10: "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation."). That is a very personal decision. We must come to that conclusion on our own.

The next steps are meant to be taken together.

Our faith journey is meant to be shared and enriched by the company of fellow believers (Hebrews 10:25: "...not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near."). Seeking discipleship is a crucial step; finding a mentor who can guide us in our spiritual growth and help us to deepen our understanding of God's word can provide us with the foundation we need to stand firm in our faith. Fellowship is also a vital aspect of our Christian journey; by surrounding ourselves with other Christians, we find encouragement, support, and a sense of belonging. Moreover, as we progress in our walk with Christ, we must also remember that we have a duty to lead others to Him. Our own experiences and the wisdom we gain along the way can be used to help those who are seeking or struggling, offering them the hope and light that only Christ can give. This is the beautiful cycle of discipleship—as we are poured into, we, in turn, pour into others, creating a ripple effect of God's love and transforming power.

I did the "Christian thing" on my own for far too long. I did not seek out discipleship, I didn't involve myself in ministry that really built the kingdom. I did not find fellowship with other Christian guys. I chose isolation. I stayed home and spent my time on video games or other entertainment. I had to have my "me time." Over the years, God burdened me with the need for solid Christian fellowship with other guys. I felt that I had been losing so many spiritual battles by fighting on my own. I needed fellow warriors.

We are meant to grow together. We are meant to learn together. We are meant to fight together, and boy do we have a fight in front of us. There is the fight for our family, the struggles against our own temptations, the defense of our faith, and so much more. The Bible lines this out so many times. The most obvious to me is in Ephesians 6:12: "For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens." We will have some battles we must face on our own, but let's follow the example of the disciples of Jesus. They ministered and faced adversity together that I don't think most of us can imagine. Paul even went so far as to refer to others as "fellow soldiers" (see Philippians 2:25 and Philemon 2).

The Christian life is not meant to be lived in isolation; rather, it is a battle where we uplift and strengthen one another. As iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17), so do believers sharpen each other, helping us to become more effective witnesses for Christ. Through discipleship and fellowship, we find the support and encouragement we need to continue on our path, and as we mature in our faith, we can take ground from the enemy by guiding others along the same path, leading them to the saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In a world that often feels cold and lonely, the Christian community offers a haven of warmth and belonging. As we journey together, we find strength in our shared faith and mission. Discipleship and fellowship provide us with the tools and support we need to navigate the twists and turns of life, and as we lead others to Christ, we find that our own faith is deepened and our joy made complete. Together, we can conquer the darkness by shining as a light, reflecting the love and grace of our Savior.