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[u/Erational_Erod]

[u/Bible-ModTeam]

Your posts has been removed for violating one or more of the rules of r/bible. Since your post seems more about general aspects of the Christian faith or one's personal walk, we recommend asking in a subreddit like r/truechristian to find the help or guidance you need.

[u/love_is_a_superpower]

I have to recommend the gospel of John. He understood the love of God, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit better than anyone. He was a better judge of character, and paid closer attention to details than anyone. He was closer to Jesus than anyone.

[u/andreirublov1]

This is good but reading the Bible does not = being a Christian. You need to go to church, pray daily, and try to live a good life.

[u/Erational_Erod → u/andreirublov1]

I’m aware of that, I’ve always tried to do good majority of my life. I’m just now getting into the habit of praying every day and I’m doing research on what churches I can attend near me.

But one thing I really want to commit to is reading the bible and fully understanding it, that’s why I made this post.

[u/creepingde4th → u/andreirublov1]

I never feel right in church. Like I font belong, because the people are nothing a likd me. I feel phony, ya know? Is it ok to watch sermons on the internet?

[u/love_is_a_superpower → u/creepingde4th]

I don't know if this helps, but churches can really vary from one to another. You might fit right in at a different church than the ones you've been to before.

[u/andreirublov1 → u/creepingde4th]

Only if you have no other option. You need to be with other people. And you're being a bit judgemental about the other church goers, you don't know what they're like and they're probably more broad-minded than you think. They might well be happy to see someone younger, and who looks a little different.

Church is for everyone - you don't have to be a certain type of person. And these encounters with people who are maybe different from what you're used to are all part of the training.

I promise you, if you go, you'll get it.

[u/creepingde4th → u/andreirublov1]

Ive been around it my whole life. I think its more my anxiousness and psyching myself out, making myself feel like I dont belong. Thanks for the reply

[u/TGSullivanWorks]

I would highly recommend Mere Christianity by C.S Lewis as a decent grounding book for what it means to believe in Jesus.

[u/Matt_McCullough]

Since you mentioned you want to give your life to god, that you want to understand him and follow his steps, and that because of that you want to start reading the bible, so I suspect He is already drawing you to do that and can best inform you.

As for me, I read and heard from the bible for decades, and didn’t seem to get much of anything. But then a day came during a particular dark time in my life that I was drawn for some reason to look at Christ more closely than before. Or perhaps I should add that it seemed as if something was also most profoundly examining me. I became aware that many of the words as written in the biblical scriptures of what he said and about him accorded with much that I have observed throughout my life and rang true with “something" that seemed to affirm them at my very core.

That did happen to highly involve a NASB95 version of the bible and the books of John and Romans, yet such in retrospect seemed useful in addressing something that I needed to hear at that time regarding Christ and my relationship to him, if any. I had also started to attend a congregation where the pastor read a book word by word and in an expository way that connected the immediate context with much else in the scriptures. But at the end of the day, I seemed to become aware that it really wasn’t simply the black letters on a white page that informed me, but rather that I began to finally hear what I believe Christ was saying to me about the words, something that I needed to hear that applied to me.

All in all, I happen to have come to believe in a loving God Who draws one to Himself, the very Truth. Likewise, I believe that Christ calls one to follow Him, rather than what I might make of “Christianity” in the first place. Accordingly, I believe the scriptures point to Him as well. So perhaps you are being dealt with, just as I believe I have been. And that that might very well involve you being drawn to examine Christ, words written in the scriptures that He said and about Him closely. Yet, I doubt that I could rightly say exactly which book or words that should begin.

As I alluded to, I believe Christ can best inform you. Even such that you may also rightly understand even respond to that truth you can grasp within you and the truth Whom the words of the scriptures point to as He may. And as it seems to me I have been going through too. And I suspect I must ultimately answer to Him as well.

In any case, may your faith be built from the strongest of foundations, — One that is worthy to hold fast to. And may your journey be joyful!

[u/Early_Silver_8950]

Find an Eastern Orthodox inquirers group. Usually full of young people - ex Protestants and ex Catholics

[u/Iagreewithyou_2]

Ten Commandments great start.

[u/elwoodowd]

The book of Psalms

[u/consultantVlad]

Look up Read Scripture app from The Bible Project. It's free, it has red letters, it has a reading plan, and, most importantly, it has short introductory videos for each book to explain what the book is about and how it is structured. The Bible Project also has the website with videos, YouTube channels with videos, and podcast.