Once we become followers of Jesus, we are all called to grow as believers. There are five disciplines that every follower of Jesus should partake in to develop their faith. They are:

1. Read, study and engage with the Bible

2. Have a regular prayer life

3. Live a life of generosity

4. Fellowship with other believers

5. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you daily

We have gathered resources below to help you grow in each one of these areas.

Here are some books we suggest for every believer’s growth:

• Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: It's Impossible to Be Spiritually Mature, While Remaining Emotionally Immature

• A Contrarian's Guide to Knowing God: Spirituality for the Rest of Us

• The Master Plan of Evangelism

• What's Next?: The Journey to Know God, Find Freedom, Discover Purpose, and Make a Difference

Quick Tips ON THE BIBLE

• Use a version of the Bible you can understand and read. We suggest ESV (English Standard Version), NIV (New International Version), NLT (New Living Translation), or NKJV (New King James Version).

• Use a Bible reading plan from YouVersion.

• Set RISE Church as your church in the YouVersion App.

• Read the Bible with seasoned believers. They can help you understand textual and historical context. It takes years of study to understand everything within its proper context.

• Understand the Bible has two major divisions: Old Testament and New Testament. It has several other types of books within each of those:

  • OLD TESTAMENT BOOKS

    • The Law - the first 5 books of the Bible (Genesis to Deuteronomy) that are narratives of the chosen people of God, Israel, and the laws God established for them.

    • History - 12 books (Joshua to Esther) that give further narratives.

    • Wisdom/Poetry - 5 books (Job to Song of Solomon) that give us wisdom, poetry, and songs from God’s chosen people.

    • Prophets - 17 books (the remainder of the Old Testament) that give us the warnings and messages of the prophets to God’s people Israel.

  • NEW TESTAMENT BOOKS

    • Gospels/Acts - the first 5 books (Matthew - Acts) of the New Testament give the narratives of the life of Jesus and his early followers.

    • Epistles - 21 books (Romans - Jude) of the New Testament are letters written to various people, churches, and communities after the life of Jesus.

    • Prophecy - 1 book (Revelation) of the New Testament written to warn and encourage the church.

• While verse and chapters weren’t originally in the writing of the Scriptures they were added later to help us with location.

• Read scripture in context. Look before and after to get an idea of what the writer is addressing. Who is it written to? Who is the author? Does the text reference any of these or give any clues?

• Interpret scripture with scripture. Where can you find other verses that address the same thing?

• There are three main types of literary styles in the Bible: Poetry, narrative, and prose discourse. Poetry makes 33% of the Bible. Narrative (storytelling) makes up 43% of the Bible. Prose discourse (convincing and instructing) makes up 25% of the Bible.

• The S.O.A.P. method is one possible way of regularly engaging with scripture.

  • Scripture - read a passage (paragraph or grouping of verses/chapters) in context. Feel free to read it through 2-3 times in a sitting.

  • Observation - make note of what you are noticing while reading the scripture. Who is the writing speaking to? What are they referencing?

  • Application - what are your takeaways from these verses/chapters/passages? What can you put into action today? The Bible isn’t just for reading, it’s for doing.

  • Prayer - ask God to help your understanding of what you’re reading. Ask Him for His wisdom to apply it to your life.

Resources To Help You Grow in Engaging the Bible

SERMONS

• RISE YouTube Channel

• RISE Media Archive

• Bible 101 by Pastor Jason Martin

• Bible 201 by Pastor Jason Martin

BOOKS

• How To Read The Bible For All Its Worth

• What The Bible Is All About

• How to Read the Bible Book by Book

• Can We Still Believe the Bible?

• That’s Just Your Interpretation

OTHER RESOURCES

• A basic introduction to the Bible - a pdf resource about what the Bible is and how we got it in its current form.

• The Bible Project - a resource helping you experience the Bible as a unified story leading to Jesus. They have videos, a podcast, studies, and an app all for free.

• Bible.com - the YouVersion Bible app is a free Bible for your phone, tablet or computer. They have the ability to bookmark, highlight, journal, and use Bible reading plans.

• Bible Gateway - a searchable online Bible in more than 200 versions and 70 languages that you can freely read, research, and reference anywhere.

• Blue Letter Bible - provides powerful tools for an in-depth study of God’s Word through our free online reference library, with study tools that are grounded in the historical, conservative Christian faith.

Quick Tips ON PRAYER

• Prayer is talking and listening to God. Keep it simple to start.

• Prayer isn’t just asking God for stuff, it should be dialogue based on relationship. Just like there are different kinds of conversations, there are different kinds of prayers.

• Keep a list of people and situations you’re praying for.

• Find and pray scripture prayers or promises in the Bible that can direct you on the model for prayer.

  • The Lord’s Prayer Matthew 6:9-13 // Luke 11:2-4

  • Paul’s Prayers (only a few samples)

    • Ephesians 1:15-23

    • Ephesians 3:14-21

    • Philippians 1:3-11

    • Colossians 1:3-14

Resources To Help You Grow in Prayer

SERMONS

• The Lord’s Prayer by Pastor Aaron Grijalva

• Jesus is Greater Than Our Prayer Problems by Pastor Aaron Grijalva

• Jesus on Prayer by Pastor Jason Martin

• The Posture of Prayer by Pastor Jason Martin

• Five on Five Thoughts on Prayer

• How do I pray so that God will answer? by Pastor Aaron Grijalva

• What does God want me to know about prayer? by Pastor Jason Martin

BOOKS

• Waiting on God

• Praying for Your Elephant: Boldly Approaching Jesus with Radical and Audacious Prayer

• Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God

• On Prayer

• The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears

• Praying Thru the Tabernacle

OTHER STEPS

• Submit a prayer request.

• Join our prayer list team to pray over weekly needs and requests.

QUICK TIPS ON GENEROSITY

• Generosity isn’t just about money, we think of it in three primary areas: Time, Talent, and Treasure.

• We never look more like God more than when we are giving because God loved us so much that He gave.

• We have an abundance mindset, not a scarcity mindset.

• We live open handed, not close handed.

• We believe it is more blessed to give than to receive.

Resources To Help You Grow in Generosity

SERMONS

• RISE Church EnconoME series

• The Art of being Blessable - Generosity - AUDIO /// VIDEO

BOOKS

• I Like Giving: The Transforming Power of a Generous Life

• The Blessed Life: Unlocking the Rewards of Generous Living

• Worry Free Finances

• Giving Is the Good Life: The Unexpected Path to Purpose and Joy

OTHER STEPS

• Tithe Challenge (digital form coming soon)

• Take a step to give your time by starting Next Steps

Quick Tips ON FELLOWSHIP WITH OTHER BELIEVERS

• Make church attendance a regular priority.

• Find a small group to connect with other believers.

• Joining a team is another great way to get to know people. Start the process by attending Next Steps Class.

• Find ways to connect with your spiritual family outside the Sunday services:

  • Invite someone over to watch the game.

  • Treat someone to coffee.

  • Meet another family at a park.

  • Have a BBQ and invite some church friends over.

  • Plan a vacation together.

Resources To Help You Fellowship with Other Believers

SERMONS

• Church is a Family by Pastor Aaron Grijlava

• Gain People and Drain People by Pastor Jason Martin

• What Do I Do When God’s People Let Me Down? by Pastor Jason Martin

Quick Tips ON LIVING A SPIRIT-LED LIFE

• The Bible says to ask for the Holy Spirit in your life and God the Father will give you access to Him.

• It takes time to learn to know and understand the voice of God.

• Reading scripture, praying, and being around mature believers will help “tune” your spirit to the voice of God.

Resources To Help You Live a Spirit-Led Life

SERMONS

• How Can I Hear The Voice of God? by Pastor Aaron Grijalva

• RISE Church What I Wish You Knew About God Series

• Leadership by the Holy Spirit Part 1

• Leadership by the Holy Spirit Part 2

BOOKS

• Fresh Air: Trading Stale Spiritual Obligation for a Life-Altering, Energizing, Experience-It-Everyday Relationship with God

• The God I Never Knew: How Real Friendship with the Holy Spirit Can Change Your Life

• The Holy Spirit Today

• School of the Spirit: Living the Holy Spirit Empowered Life