1 Peter 2:22

If you've ever cared for a newborn - whether it be human, puppy, or lamb - you have experienced their frequent need for nourishment. Every few hours, they are crying for milk. It's fascinating to watch a newborn lamb stand up on its wobbly, knock-kneed legs for the first time and immediately seek out its mother's milk. Even puppies, eyes closed and barely out of the womb, find their mother and latch on to a nipple for sustenance. 

So it should be for new Christians. We need spiritual nourishment to grow in our relationship with Jesus. But how do we receive that nourishment?

Read The Bible

Learn as much as you can from the Bible. As the saying goes, BIBLE stands for Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. The Bible is God's Word given to you so that you can better understand what God expects from you and what you can expect from Him.

The Old Testament gives us a rich, amazing history that helps us understand the foundations of the Christian faith.

The New Testament provides the New Covenant, which is God's promise of salvation and eternal life.

Reading the Bible isn't always easy - there are lots of unusual words, contextual meaning and symbolism. If you're just starting out, a good study guide is very helpful. There are study guides for just about every imaginable topic, but a good one to start with is something like the New Christian's Handbook by Max Anders.

Find Other Christians

This is probably as important as regularly reading the Bible. God doesn't intend for us to try to do this by ourselves. In fact, he encourages us to seek out other Christians who can support us in our journey.

Even if you're not a "church" kind of person, you can find the fellowship you need. For example, Fresh Expressions is a movement that started in the UK and has been adopted by the United Methodist Church. Activities are geared to meet people where they are, in environments in which they are comfortable - everything from walking clubs to Bible discussions at the local pub. The Florida United Methodist Conference has a list of initiatives and you can probably find something similar in your area or with your preferred denomination. 

Many churches have "small groups" that are informal opportunities for fellowship and Bible study. 

Talk With Jesus

Maybe three hours a day is too much for you, but having real conversations with God every day is an important part of your nourishment. Prayer is talking with and listening to God.

Not sure how to pray? Here's my favorite way to pray.

Honestly, it doesn't matter how you do it. Just do it. Every day. It doesn't matter if it's while you're driving to work (my favorite time), late at night after the house is quiet, or stolen minutes throughout the day. 

Prayer helps ground us and gives us the opportunity to really listen to God as He guides us through the challenges in our lives.

"I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn't change God. It changes me." - C.S. Lewis

Worship

We were made to love God. And how do we show that we love Him? By worshiping Him.

Worship doesn't mean just going to church on Sunday morning. Romans 12:1 tells us that our bodies should be a living and holy sacrifice. That means that everything we do and say should honor God. He wants us to love others the way that He loves us.

When we honor Him, we are showing respect and love and that is a way of worshiping all that He is.

Worship can be formal, such as a church service on Sunday morning and Jesus encouraged his followers to worship together.  Matthew 18:20 says that Jesus will be wherever two or more are gathered.

But, however you choose to worship, know that it doesn't have to be perfect, just honest and earnest.

I pray that you find the nourishment you need to grow as a Christian. For me, it's a lifelong process!