Getting New Believers Grounded
by Beth Jones

Becoming a Christian is the greatest decision any person ever makes and being a Christian is the greatest adventure anyone can live. And, it all starts with the right foundation––the basics!

For the past 30 years, Beth Jones has been passionate about helping people "get a grip on the basics" through her series of books by the same name. Recently, she wrote a smaller "altar-call" type of book for new converts titled, 7 Basics: Strong Roots for Every Christian.

Inspired by this familiar verse, "And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. (Colossians 2:6-7, NLT) – the 96 page, 7 BASICS is portable, easy-to-read, written in language new Christians will understand and the perfect book to put in a new believer’s hand. 

The 7 BASICS retails for $4.99 each. Our wholesale discount (for bulk orders of a dozen or more and case lot orders of 152 books per case) is 40% off retail or $2.99 each. Friends of Tony Cooke receive special pricing on Beth Jones newest book entitled 7 Basics! Be sure to enter code "Cooke" when placing your order online to get the Friends of Tony Cooke price of $1.99.

Order at http://www.jeffandbethjonesmedia.com/products/7-basics 

The 7 BASICS include:

BASIC #1: Get To Know God
BASIC #2: Get Into The Bible
BASIC #3: Get Real In Prayer
BASIC #4: Get Into A Good Church
BASIC #5: Get Excited And Tell Somebody
BASIC #6: Get Your Head On Straight
BASIC #7: Get Ready For The Adventure

Here are a few excerpts.  

INTRODUCTION

Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Congratulations!

You get it! You are reading this book because somewhere along the way, you welcomed Jesus into your life. You heard about Him and something clicked. You understood the gospel and you responded to God’s invitation.

You may have invited Jesus into your heart today, last week, two years or thirteen years ago. You may have surrendered to Jesus at church, after hearing a sermon or through an altar call. Maybe you prayed the salvation prayer or confessed Jesus as your Lord on your own, in a quiet way or in a moment of desperation. Everyone has a unique story. You may have turned to the Lord while reading the Bible or a Christian book. Perhaps, a family member, friend or coworker led you to the Lord. Maybe you heard the gospel at a concert, in the hospital or while in jail. You may have prayed to receive Jesus into your life after hearing the gospel online, on TV, through a CD, a DVD or a download. Regardless of the path that led you to the Lord, surrendering to God and confessing Jesus, as the Lord of your life is the most important, life-transforming, eternal decision you will ever make.

It’s my hope that through reading this book, God connects-the-dots for you on what it means to be a Christian. I pray your Christian life gets started (or restarted) on the right foot and you develop strong spiritual roots. As your ead the 7 Basics, may you gain a better understanding of God, Jesus, the Bible, church, heaven, hell and all kinds of eternal things. May you truly get a grip on these basics and develop a passion to help others get it.

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BASIC #1
GET TO KNOW GOD

What were we made for? To know God. What aim should we have in life? To know God. What is the eternal life that Jesus gives? To know God. What is the best thing in life? To know God.
J. I. Packer

When a couple pledges their wedding vows and says, “I do”––those words aren’t the end of the relationship, they’re just the beginning. That young bride or groom doesn’t say, “Well, I did it. I said ‘I do’––now I’ll just go back to living the way I used to live as a single person.” No! That commitment and those vows are the beginning of a new relationship. After the “I do’s”––that married couple can really get to know one another intimately.

The same thing is true in your relationship with the Lord. When you welcomed Jesus to be the Lord of your life, it marked the beginning of your vow. Now that you’ve said, “I do,” let’s get this relationship started!

HE IS THAT INTO YOU

Some people may not be that into you, but God is very into you! He knit you together in your mother’s womb. He wanted you. He knows the number of hairs on your head. He knows when you wake up and when you go to sleep. His eyes are always on you. He orders your steps. He knows your thoughts before you do.

He knows all about you; but He wants to be known––by you. He is knowable and He wants to have a close, personal, heart-felt relationship with you. What do you know about Him? He knows all about you, but how well do you know Him? What is Helike? How does He think? What are His favorite things? If you don’t instinctively see Him as a God of love, mercy, goodness, kindness, favor, faithfulness, generosity, truth or holiness––among many of His characteristics––you are in for a nice surprise.

People have all kinds of unbiblical ideas about God. Some think He’s a far-off, uninterested, detached Being. Some people see Him as a mean Judge ready to slam them for their sins. Others see Him as a wimpy, spineless Being; a cotton candy God of love that just winks at everything. Some people see God as an uncaring, sovereign ruler who causes bad things to happen to good people; or as a ruthless, yet somehow all-wise God who punishes and abuses people to teach them lessons.

Don’t let the opinion of others, or even your own ideas or experiences define God for you; let the Lord reveal Himself to you. The primary way God reveals the truth about Himself to us is through His Word. As you spend time with the Lord and reading the Bible, He will become more and more real to you.

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BASIC #2
GET INTO THE BIBLE

A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education. Theodore Roosevelt

The God of the Universe wants to talk to you! That ought to get your attention. God has things to say. The Lord wants to load you up with His Word. A huge treasure of wisdom, knowledge, understanding, revelation and faith awaits you as youstart reading the Bible!

A LOVE LETTER, A MAP AND AN OWNER’S MANUAL

Have you ever loved someone so much that you just had to tell them? Have you ever written or received a love letter? How did you feel when you read words that were written just to you––so you would know how much you are loved?

How about a map? Ever needed your GPS to map out the route for a big road trip? How about an owner’s manual? Ever read an owner’s manual so you could operate all the options on your new car or technological toy?

God’s Word––the Bible––is His personal love letter to you! It’s His map–– His global positioning system––for living. It’s the owner’s manual for every option in life. The Bible is God’s living Word. When you read the Bible, God talks to your heart!

Sometimes people hope God will talk to them through a booming voice from the sky, or by writing on a billboard that comes floating down from heaven. God wants to speak to you, but in most cases, He won’t speak to you through booming voices or billboards from heaven.

The primary way God speaks today is through His Word––the Bible. Through spending time reading the Bible, you will get to know the Lord. You will hear Him speaking to your heart and you find out how much He loves you. You will find the route He wants your life to take. You will learn how to access all the options He’s given you for driving through life. Let’s take a look at the Bible.

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BASIC #3
GET REAL IN PRAYER

Of all things, guard against neglecting God in the secret place of prayer. William Wilberforce

Do you like to talk with people? How about texting? Connecting on Facebook, Twitter or the latest and greatest social media tool? How about meeting up for coffee with an old friend to catch up? There’s something about heartfelt communication that helps us connect with others. The same is true in your relationship with the Lord.

God wants to connect with you! He wants you to get real in prayer.

HAVE A HEART TO HEART

Prayer is simply talking to the Lord from your heart. You don’t have to make it more complex than it is. You don’t have to be kneeling or lying face down to pray––although if you want to do so, that’s fine––you just have to talk to the Lord from your heart.

When you pray, you are having an actual conversation with the Lord. You can picture it many ways. First, you could see yourself talking to the greatest President or King of all time and this would prompt you to be intentional, honoring and respectful in having strategic Kingdom conversations. Second, you could see yourself talking with your Heavenly Father and it will cause you to feel secure and loved as you pour out your heart or seek His insights. Third, you could see yourself talking with your dearest and wisest Friend to seek counsel or ask for whatever you need, knowing that He desires to help you and meet your needs. Fourth, you could see yourself talking with the highest ranking, military Commander in Chief and this would cause you to be humble, submissive, excellent and attentive in your conversations. Get the idea? Our view of God should always be in line with His Word. We don’t invent a God to pray to; we pray to the God we have encountered in the Word.

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BASIC #4
GET INTO A GOOD CHURCH

You can be committed to church but not committed to Christ, but you cannot be committed to Christ and not committed to church. 
Joel Osteen

You were not designed to do the Christian life all by your lonely self. God created you to have relationships with others. He wants you to be connected to people who will connect you to Him!
One of the main vehicles Jesus has established to strengthen, equip and encourage you in life, in relationships and in serving His purposes, is His Church. Jesus is building His Church and it is growing all over the world. We have found that those who are planted in a local church are some of the healthiest, most stable and fruitful Christians we know. Those who bounce all over and never quite get rooted into a local church seem to have a life that reflects instability and confusion.

This is a huge piece of wisdom: get planted in a good church as soon as possible!

You might be fired up and full of zeal today, but if you don’t get connected to a vibrant local church, your fire will slowly die. Being disconnected from the body of believers is like taking a log out of the big, raging bonfire and setting it off to the side. In time, the log that was glowing brightly will go out. God wants you to flourish, not flounder! It’s no wonder the psalmist said this, “Those who are planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God,” Psalm 92:13, NKJV.

So, let’s talk about finding your tribe…

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BASIC #5
GET EXCITED AND TELL SOMEBODY

No one has the right to hear the gospel twice, while there remains someone who has not heard it once.
Oswald J. Smith

When exciting things happen in our lives, it’s natural to want to tell everyone we know. When a girl gets engaged what does she want to do? When a young man buys a new car what does he want to do? They both want to tell everyone their good news! That’s how you should feel about knowing Jesus.

Becoming a Christian is the best thing that has ever happened to you. Knowing Jesus and being completely forgiven of every sin you ever committed is definitely good news. It’s better than winning the championship game, getting a new car, becoming engaged or finding a million dollars! Knowing Jesus is news worth shouting from the rooftops!

If you have been reluctant to share your faith, remember where you came from and look at how far God has brought you. Not too long ago, you were completely separated from God because of your sin. You had a one-way ticket to hell and your eternity was not looking too blissful. While you were still a sinner, God reached down with His love and mercy to touch your life. He worked in your heart for many months or years and drew you to Christ until the day you finally surrendered and confessed Jesus as your Lord.

At that moment, Jesus forgave all your sins, wiped your slate clean, pronounced you righteous and gave you a complete do-over. Not only that, He lives within your heart and He’s promised to help you throughout the rest of your life. If that isn’t enough, He’s in heaven preparing a mansion for you so you can spend eternity with Him in a place where the streets are paved with gold. Now that’s news worth sharing! You have been handpicked to walk with God Almighty––can you think of anything more compelling to tell the world?

HELP YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS GET IT

One of the best ways to stay filled with joy and to experience God’s pleasure is by sharing your faith with others; one of the quickest ways to dry up on the vine is to keep your faith to yourself!

Don’t forget, there are a lot of people who don’t get it. They don’t get the God-stuff. They don’t get Jesus or the Bible or church. They don’t get why heaven and hell matter or why they should care about such things. They don’t understand what’s happened to you. Jesus needs genuine followers who will go into their world to help people get it––people who will share the gospel! If you are willing, God will use you to help others find Christ. Let’s talk about it.

Have you wondered how to tell your family and friends about Jesus? Let’s say you became a Christian today, now what? The church service is over, the conference has ended, the goose bumps have receded and it’s time to go home to family members or friends who don’t share your enthusiasm for the Lord.

What do you do when your spouse uses the Name of the Lord in vain or when your friends call you a goody two-shoes because you’re not doing shots or getting high with them any longer? How do you respond when you’re accused of being too naive or “holier than Thou”? How do you relate to family and friends who don’t understand what Jesus has done in your life?

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BASIC #6
GET YOUR HEAD ON STRAIGHT

We choose what attitudes we have right now. And it’s a continuing choice. John C. Maxwell

How is your Christian life going? Are you enjoying getting to know the Lord? Are you still experiencing the joy of your salvation? Do you have questions? Have you made a few mistakes and wondered if the Lord was mad at you? Are you struggling with some old thought patterns and trying to figure out what to do with them?

No matter what you are facing right now, be encouraged in knowing that God wants to help you get the victory! The process of growth in our lives is called: sanctification. Day by day God sanctifies us, sets us apart and makes us more and more likeJesus. If you’ve been struggling, don’t be discouraged. God will help you. He wants your life to be a progressive experience of one triumph after another. “In the Messiah, in Christ, God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade,” 2 Corinthians 2:14, MSG. After all, Jesus said, “…I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows),” John 10:10, AMP. To enjoy this perpetual victory and the abundant life, you will have to trust the Lord and His Word and get your head on straight.

As a Christian who is serious about walking with the Lord, you can be disconcerted and frustrated when you mess up or when bad, ungodly thoughts enter your mind. Before you became a believer in Jesus, you probably had some stinkin’ thinkin’––but you may not have noticed all the negative thoughts that assaulted your mind. They may have seemed normal for you. However, as you grow in the Lord, you will become aware of the thoughts and behaviors that work against you. As you read the Bible and get closer to God, you will want to get rid of the ungodly ways of thinking and behaving that you’ve been accustomed to. So, to help you overcome whatever battles you may face, let’s unpack some basic truths on what God says about you!

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BASIC #7
GET READY FOR THE ADVENTURE

I just want to do God’s will. And he’s allowed me to go to the mountain. And I’ve looked over, and I’ve seen the promised land!
Martin Luther King, Jr.

There is nothing like the adventure of the Christian life! God has a divine purpose for you to fulfill. You are not some random, unimportant person just stumbling through life; you’re a person of destiny with all kinds of God-given potential! You’ve been marked by God––chosen by Him––to live a life of significance. If you will follow Jesus and live out the faith-adventure He has for you; His fingerprints of goodness, blessing and favor will show up all over your life!

No matter what paths the Lord leads you to take, with God the Father on your side, with Jesus and the power of His Name given to you and with the great Holy Spirit living within you, you will always have the supernatural edge! If all of that isn’t enough, He has given you His living Word to guide you and His wisdom, strength, grace and power to navigate every road and overcome every obstacle. You are poised for a great adventure!

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In addition, there are Chapters titled: Just In Case – a gospel presentation for those who are not yet saved and What Else Do I Need To Know – quick reference guide to other common questions new believers ask. 

Friends of Tony Cooke receive special pricing on Beth Jones newest book entitled 7 Basics! Be sure to enter code "Cooke" when placing your order online to get the Friends of Tony Cooke price of $1.99.

Order at http://www.jeffandbethjonesmedia.com/products/7-basics