Lesson 21: What Happens Next?

... I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Philippians 1:6 NLT

Paul wrote these words to a group of Jesus followers
two thousand years ago. The whole chapter is full of encouragement for people doing their best to follow Jesus each day. They weren’t perfect, but they were making progress, like we are.

We don’t know where you were when Jesus found you and you chose to follow Him. And we don’t know the challenges you’ve had to overcome in the past few weeks. But we are confident that God has started a good work in you, and He will continue His work for the rest of your life.

Our prayer for you is the same prayer Paul shared with some of the first Jesus followers in the ancient city of Philippi:

I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. Philippians 1:9 NLT

You said yes. Now keep saying yes to Jesus every day. Seek progress, not perfection. God is love, so He won’t abandon you when life gets hard or when you make a mistake. It won’t always feel easy, but as you make progress, you’ll witness God working all around you as you live and love like Jesus.

So what happens next?

Your journey of following Jesus is unique—but that doesn’t mean you have to figure out your next step on your own. A pastor would love to help you find the best next step for you.

You might choose to find friends through a small group.

You might choose to use your gifts to make a difference through serving.

Or you could choose something completely different!

If you have a small group, let your leader know you finished this book. They’d love to congratulate you and help you discover your best next step as you follow Jesus. Until then, check out the next page for a few more opportunities to grow your faith.

If you’re not yet in a small group, there’s no better time than now to find one or start one.