Alex Early - The New Believers Guide to the Christian Life: What Will Change, What Wont, and Why It Matters

In June of 1997 I became a Christian. It was one of those dramatic events that become legendthough they are certainly not the normbut this isnt my book, so I wont get on that soapbox!

I was nearly sixteen. Id grown up, to that point, identifying as a part-time Catholic. Though we had spent seasons (theres a great definition for this Christianese word in the appendix) in other church traditions, Catholicism was my foundation.

The period leading up to my salvation I now see with absolute clarity as organized and ordained by my heavenly Father, from start to finish. My dads friend Johnny invited him to church, and my dad acquiesced because he was his friend and this new church seemed like a good idea for his two teenage boys. Id describe my emotions around my first experience with this particular church as a mixture of fear, curiosity, and entertainment. The church was wildly, wildly , charismaticwhite dresswearing praise dancers, dramatic choir, and emotion-filled gospel presentations. They were weird to me then, but Im certain Jesus was there.

We went with regularity, but I was only present, not engaged. My mother had become a Christian nearly eight years before this time in my life, after shed attempted suicide and come to the end of herself in trying to solve some deep childhood trauma. Though I respected her decision, my thought was that she needed this church stuff to get better, and Id be cool with it, but it wasnt for me. I was agnostic, though I had no term for it then.

Then something happened that I could not have anticipated: Jesus rescued my father from three generations of works-based, saved-by-being-a-good-man faith! He changed so dramatically that it almost seemed pretense to me. As I watched him, I noted the obvious genuineness of this new dad, and something softened in me. I can look back now and know that the Holy Spirit was preparing me for the moment Id truly meet Jesus.

A few weeks after my father became a Christian, I was out playing basketball at a local park. A young man approached me whom I did not recognize, but apparently he recognized me. He came straight up to me and invited me to his youth group, which was not so coincidentally the youth group for the church wed been attending. I said no. In fact, Id say no four or five times. He just kept coming back, embarrassing me in front of my friends merely by his presence, and he kept inviting! I finally relented, only to get him to leave me alone. Little did I know that the day I relented would be the last day of my life that I didnt know the love of Jesus.

I look back on that time now and I have few regrets, but one stands outafter I became a Christian I wasnt completely sure what to do next. I am in no way saying that my local church wasnt trying to disciple me. I am, however, saying that often, even though many local churches have the very best intentions, new Christians can get lost in the shuffle. If not lost in the shuffle, shoved into leadership too quickly (i.e., I was leading a small group just weeks after becoming a Christian. I couldnt even find Deuteronomy in the Bible!)

I believe thats why Alex Earlys work is so vital. As I began to read, my first thought was Why hasnt anyone written this book before now? As God would have it, my dear friend was the one for whom God was waiting.

Alex has taken great care to lovingly craft not just a guide, but an insightful piece that answers many questions we dont even yet know we have when were new to following Jesus. He covers many difficult topics with precision and love.

What do we do when we sin, once weve been forgiven of sin? How do we avoid spiraling into hopeless self-pity when we just cant seem to get it right? Does God expect us to always be on?

These few questions only scratch the surface of the depth and care that went into this book.

My early life in Christ was not all roses, as Alex says. In fact, there was a real formula at work: Legalism + Sin = Condemnation. And it would repeat, for years. Only in my twenties did I really begin to understand grace and the gospel. I only share this because I truly believe that this book potentially would have altered the course of my early walk with Jesus.