Where are you and how can you take a next step forward?
Introduction to the Stages of Faith
Hi, I’m Craig Roberts. I was born in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, raised by loving parents who have always put Jesus first and encouraged me to do the same. We knew as a family what it meant to have plenty and to have little (as Paul writes in Philippians), and I would trust that through it all we learnt what contentment was all about. My upbringing consisted of great times at school, family holidays, local church life and being part of Christian adventure camps during my teenage years.
After studying in the U.S.A. and South Africa, through an out-of-the-blue email, I found myself on a plane back to Zimbabwe to lead the ministry running the adventure camps that I had been on as a teenager. That began an incredible adventure of faith and fun. It included meeting and marrying my amazing wife Sarah, planting an evening service, helping a church transition, and having a beautiful daughter Layla (yes, dads can be biased!). With the arrival of number 2 (Erin) we decided running camps and being far from home was a little too much so we handed over leadership of the ministry and have enjoyed being part of helping another church transition for the past few years.
Thank you so much for reading through this short guide. I am honoured that you would take the time and I pray that as you go through it, wherever you are on the journey of faith, it would be a source of encouragement and direction as you take next steps towards Jesus Christ & the purpose He has for your life. Jesus Christ said in John 10:10 “I have come to give you life, and life in abundance” and in Jeremiah 29:13 The Lord says, “You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.” I believe these promises are 100% true for me and you! So ask the Lord to speak to you and then take a next step. Your life will never be the same.
Your friend,
Craig
Stage 1 – Exploration
This stage represents the initial phase where an individual begins to explore their faith. It involves seeking understanding, asking questions, and being open to new ideas and experiences. This stage is characterized by curiosity and a desire to learn more about Christ.
Potential Indicators
- A nagging sense that there is more to life than what you are living at present;
- A feeling of numbness/dissatisfaction with things that used to bring you happiness;
- An eagerness to explore faith in Christ.
Possible next steps
- Ask God to show you the Way (John14:6)
- Read Matthew/Luke in the Bible which is a
biography of Jesus. If you don’t have a bible, you
could use YouVersion app to start. - Join an Alpha Course near you: alpha.org. You can start
by watching Part 1 & Part 2 - Look at first section of the Embrace the Cure PDF
- Talk to a friend who is a Christ follower and ask them to share about their journey to
faith and what Jesus has done in their hearts - Visit a vibrant, bible believing local church where you can ask questions and further
explore faith. We would be happy to help point you in the right direction (contact us) - Ask Questions on the Got Questions App
Stage 2 – New Found Faith
Potential Indicators
- You have committed your life to Christ and want to follow Him and His ways
- You are experiencing a hope, joy and purpose that you cannot quite explain
- You want to grow closer to Him & are eager to find out all you can about how to do that.
Possible next steps
- Pursuing a first-hand relationship with Jesus by regularly praying and reading the bible,
asking the Lord to speak to you through His Word. There are also many bible reading plans available on YouVersion, Bible in One Year App and more. - Join a vibrant, Bible believing local church where you can be part of God’s family
through community groups & friendships, grow your faith and serve. - Get baptised
- Read section 2 of the Embrace the Cure PDF
- Watch the Foundations of A House Video
Stage 3 – Earthy Growth
Potential Indicators
- Life is moving steadily towards the Lord & you have a sense of purpose, fulfilment and peace
- You can see your life, habits and heart lining up with the Lord
- You are starting to restructure your life priorities around the Lord
Possible next steps
- Keep pursuing the Lord each day, learning how to hear & discern His voice
- Read this blog post to learn more about connecting with God and hearing his voice
- Say yes to the opportunities God gives you as you grow in faith
- Continue to restructure your life around God and His Mission
- Read Part 3 of Embrace the Cure
- Purchase a Prism Planner to help you restructure your life around what is most important
Stage 4 – Consistent Growth
Potential Indicators
- Your love for the Lord continues to grow
- You are walking with the Lord daily and your sensitive to His voice increases
- You are leading yourself and stepping out in faith in different areas of life as you learn to listen and trust God’s voice
- Your life is orientated around God’s story
- You love the local church and are committed to this family
- You are leading and helping others in their journey of faith
How to remain in this stage
- All of the next steps in the Early Growth section.
- Know that you are 100% safe in God’s grace – that he has bought you, you can’t buy him
Eph 2:1-10 - Walk in authority as a son/daughter, but stay humble as you grow in leadership.
- Stay compassionate and loving towards everyone as you pursue Jesus.
- Don’t get too busy/burdened.
Danger Ahead / Warning Signs
Potential Indicators
- You are feeling confused or disillusioned about your faith. You have un-answered questions.
- You are starting to believe that doing the right things is more important than being in right relationship with Jesus.
- You are beginning to look down on other people who believe differently from you.
- You are no longer intentional about your faith and spending time with the Lord has very little priority in your life.
- You have been hurt by a fellow Christ-follower, a leader, or an organization, and that is holding you back from pursuing the Lord.
Possible next steps
- Come back to why you first asked God into your heart and gave your life to Christ. Ask the
Lord to show you afresh the wonder of His Goodness and the incredible price He paid for your
sin on the cross - Remember that following Jesus is not meant to be easy, that trials will come – but that God is
with us in and through the fire - If you have un-answered questions, start by watching the videos linked in the appendix
- Speak to someone that you look up to and respect in the faith, ask for their prayers & advice
Road Block / Stagnation
Potential Indicators
- You are completely stagnant in your faith, you are ambivalent towards God.
- You feel far from God and don’t hear His voice.
- You do not attend church and don’t desire to return.
- You are picking up habits that are not healthy and do not feel any remorse.
- Being around friends who are close to the Lord is frustrating and annoying to you.
Next Steps
- Know that this is not the end, that there is hope and that God wants to continue to work in your life
- The first step is to be honest with the Lord. He knows what you are feeling and where you are at. Ask Him for His help to show you the way back
- Revisit when you gave your life to the Lord and what you felt. Assess if you have in fact given your life to the Lord
- Look again at what it means to be a follower of Christ and to give your life to Christ wholly and completely
- Forgive people that have hurt you, lead you astray or let you down, especially people that have been in leadership over you.
Appendix A – Further help
Your story is unique
When Jesus told the parable of the talents he warned against the perils of ‘settling.’ Whatever stage you find yourself in, we hope this guide has helped you to assess where you are in your faith and give you some tools to keep moving forward. The steps may come across impersonal and generic as they are one-way and do not consider your circumstances. This is why we encourage you to seek out help from people close to you that can listen to your story. If you feel like you have no one to turn to, or you have been hurt by the only people that you can go to, we would love to be able to help you if we can. Even if all we can provide is a listening ear, sometimes what we need in tough times is to be heard and to know that we can have hope to get out of the hole that we feel we are in.
Sometimes the problem is mainly physical
Christians can often shy away from the topic of mental illness but this is the truth, sometimes your
body and/or your brain are just not working properly. Seeking medical help is not failure, when we
are injured, we need a leg up and something to lean on before we can learn to walk again.
Please contact us if you would like to talk to us or for more information on how to approach medical help.
Appendix / Links
YouVersion App. Available at: https://www.youversion.com/the-bible-app/ (Accessed: 16 July 2024).
Got Questions App. Available at: https://www.gotquestions.org/apps.html (Accessed: 16 July 2024).
Unseen Pursuit (n.d.) ‘Hearing God’s Voice Blog’. Available at: https://unseenpursuit.life/hearing-gods-voice-a-simple-guide-to-connecting-with-god/ (Accessed: 16 July 2024).
Unseen Pursuit (n.d.) ‘Prism Planner’. Available at: https://unseenpursuit.life/prism-planner/ (Accessed: 16 July 2024).
Embrace the Cure. Available at: https://www.embracethecure.com/ (Accessed: 16 July 2024).
Unseen Pursuit (n.d.) ‘Fuel For Life’. Available at: https://unseen-pursuit.ck.page/5d4c1966b9 (Accessed: 16 July 2024).
Unseen Pursuit (n.d.) ‘Uplead+’. Available at: https://unseenpursuit.life/uplead/ (Accessed: 16 July 2024).
YouTube (n.d.) ‘The Wounded Spirit (dealing with pain/depression)’. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkL3R27ZV1o (Accessed: 16 July 2024).
YouTube (n.d.) ‘The Reason For God (dealing with doubt)’. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kxup3OS5ZhQ (Accessed: 16 July 2024).
YouTube (n.d.) ‘Making Sense of God’. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uIvOniW8xA (Accessed: 16 July 2024).
YouTube (n.d.) ‘Losing My Religion’. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vDptAGujas (Accessed: 16 July 2024).
Unseen Pursuit. Available at: https://unseenpursuit.life/ (Accessed: 16 July 2024).
