Saved by Grace—Now What?: Build the Relationship

By Kennie Floyd

Saved by Grace--Now What? answers questions, stimulates thoughts and discussions, and provokes the readers to action. Unfortunately, so many of us have several lingering spiritual questions in the back of our minds. If not addressed, they can open a door for doubt, hesitation, and disbelief. The basic questions in the minds of believers could be:

Who am I?

How does God see me?

Does God have a plan for me?

What is the purpose of my life?

What must I do to achieve my purpose?

How do I start achieving my purpose?

The nature of these questions requires us to slow down and think carefully about the implications and consequences of our actions or inaction. Unlike novels that we read quickly, the design of this book is for intentional, slow, deliberate study and reflection. Is not your present and eternal life worth the time investment?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Sep 27, 2022
• ISBN: 9798885402620

Book preview

cover.jpg

Saved by GraceaEUR"Now What?

Build the Relationship

Kennie Floyd

ISBN 979-8-88540-261-3 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88540-262-0 (digital)

Copyright © 2022 by Kennie Floyd

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Scripture quotations labeled NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations labeled NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations labeled NLV are taken from the Holy Bible, New Life Version, copyright 1969 and 2003. Used by permission of Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683. All rights reserved.

Any Internet addresses, phone numbers, or company or product information printed in this book are offered as a resource and are not intended in any way to be or to imply an endorsement for the existence, content, or services of these sites, phone numbers, companies, or products beyond the life of this book.

To my late mother, Georgia Odell Floyd, a lady of great faith and intentional actions, who was very instrumental in introducing me to Jesus Christ

Acknowledgments

This book has taken more than fifteen years to write. There were times when it seemed like there was no end to what God was showing me. However, with the prompting from God and the encouragement of others, it is complete.

I want to acknowledge and thank God for His long-suffering toward me, His wisdom, patience, and encouragement, which provoked me to start this project and to finish it. I would also like to thank those who provided words of encouragement and support.

Special thanks go to my wife, Lorene, and our children, Kenora and Georgia, for their patience and understanding during my endless edits, early morning writings, and discussions.

To the pastors I have discussed this manuscript with over the years, thank you for your willingness to hear me out and for your input toward my greater understanding.

I would be remiss if I did not thank Muriel Thompson, who helped me polish my unique writing style to one that can communicate to a broader audience.

The completion of this book has been a passion for me. I fully acknowledge that without the help of mentors and others, I would not have finished it. Thank you!

Introduction

It is amazing how God works things out. Years ago, I asked Him a simple question hoping for a simple answer. I said, Lord, I am confident of my salvation, but what am I supposed to do now? I believed in God and did those things for others which are nice and Christian-hearted. However, life’s issues troubled me so, and I did not know what I should do next. My life’s compass was spinning out of control. I often thought of the lives of my father and other men whom I grew up respecting. The conclusion of those times of reflection was that they too experienced the salvation of Jesus Christ but were lost in the issues of life. I needed an answer, one that would place me on the course of life God wanted me to follow. Suddenly, there it was. God pricked my heart and supplied the simplest answer one could receive, Study My Word.

In my smugness, I thought I was already doing great at studying the Bible. I went to church on Sundays and taught and attended Sunday school and Wednesday night Bible studies. However, the urge from God increased, and I started seeking Him more. His simple answer turned into so much more.

Within months, God steered me to attend worship services at churches of other denominations and in other cities. God wanted me to see the unrest, stress, and wilderness nomads in church congregations everywhere. Shortly thereafter, God revealed to me what I must do. I was to start a written record of what I was experiencing and learning. I thought my journal would be a private document only for me to see how God has changed me. Then He put an urge in my spirit to share it with the world, which became the making of this book.

In this book, there are challenges to long-standing beliefs and understandings of different denominations. This is not a quick read but will require a great deal of reflection and thought. At no time are there any statements made to support any denomination, but the statements are based upon the written Word of God and my current level of understanding of His Word. It is not the intent of this book to exaggerate or create an emotional excitement, but to offer the unadulterated Word of God. Due to the strong challenging nature of the material, reference footnotes are available on most pages for confirmation. Why is it necessary to draft a book such as this one? I believe Matthew 15:8–9 documents the reason:

These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules. (NIV)

I have chosen to accept God’s Word and change my beliefs where His Word does not agree with my beliefs, and I strongly encourage you to do likewise.

God increased my responsibilities toward others as He increased my understanding of His wisdom and ways. There have been opportunities for me to address groups of believers over the past years after starting my journey of saved, now what? He planted in my heart the desire to start a ministry for men, to help them to understand their godly role in life. Through this ministry, I have spoken to men in Alabama Correctional Facilities, met with current and past street gang members, helped men recently released from prisons, addressed church congregations, and hosted discipleship Bible study groups for men.

So what am I supposed to do now, after salvation? Take advantage of every opportunity presented to make new disciples and teach them all that God’s Word commands (Matthew 28:19–20). By doing so, I will continue to fight for the cause of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and do those things which He will take pleasure in, true worship and praise.

I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. (Philippians 3:12–14 NLT)

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Unless otherwise noted, scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version (KJV). Public domain.

Scripture quotations labeled AMP are taken from the Amplified Bible, copyright 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org.

Scripture quotations labeled AMPC are taken from the Amplified Bible, copyright 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org.

Scripture quotations labeled MSG are taken from The Message Bible, copyright 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Scripture quotations labeled NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations labeled NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations labeled NLV are taken from the Holy Bible, New Life Version, copyright 1969 and 2003. Used by permission of Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683. All rights reserved.

Any Internet addresses, phone numbers, or company or product information printed in this book are offered as a resource and are not intended in any way to be or to imply an endorsement for the existence, content, or services of these sites, phone numbers, companies, or products beyond the life of this book.

To my late mother, Georgia Odell Floyd, a lady of great faith and intentional actions, who was very instrumental in introducing me to Jesus Christ

Acknowledgments

This book has taken more than fifteen years to write. There were times when it seemed like there was no end to what God was showing me. However, with the prompting from God and the encouragement of others, it is complete.

I want to acknowledge and thank God for His long-suffering toward me, His wisdom, patience, and encouragement, which provoked me to start this project and to finish it. I would also like to thank those who provided words of encouragement and support.

Special thanks go to my wife, Lorene, and our children, Kenora and Georgia, for their patience and understanding during my endless edits, early morning writings, and discussions.

To the pastors I have discussed this manuscript with over the years, thank you for your willingness to hear me out and for your input toward my greater understanding.

I would be remiss if I did not thank Muriel Thompson, who helped me polish my unique writing style to one that can communicate to a broader audience.

The completion of this book has been a passion for me. I fully acknowledge that without the help of mentors and others, I would not have finished it. Thank you!

Introduction

It is amazing how God works things out. Years ago, I asked Him a simple question hoping for a simple answer. I said, Lord, I am confident of my salvation, but what am I supposed to do now? I believed in God and did those things for others which are nice and Christian-hearted. However, life’s issues troubled me so, and I did not know what I should do next. My life’s compass was spinning out of control. I often thought of the lives of my father and other men whom I grew up respecting. The conclusion of those times of reflection was that they too experienced the salvation of Jesus Christ but were lost in the issues of life. I needed an answer, one that would place me on the course of life God wanted me to follow. Suddenly, there it was. God pricked my heart and supplied the simplest answer one could receive, Study My Word.

In my smugness, I thought I was already doing great at studying the Bible. I went to church on Sundays and taught and attended Sunday school and Wednesday night Bible studies. However, the urge from God increased, and I started seeking Him more. His simple answer turned into so much more.

Within months, God steered me to attend worship services at churches of other denominations and in other cities. God wanted me to see the unrest, stress, and wilderness nomads in church congregations everywhere. Shortly thereafter, God revealed to me what I must do. I was to start a written record of what I was experiencing and learning. I thought my journal would be a private document only for me to see how God has changed me. Then He put an urge in my spirit to share it with the world, which became the making of this book.

In this book, there are challenges to long-standing beliefs and understandings of different denominations. This is not a quick read but will require a great deal of reflection and thought. At no time are there any statements made to support any denomination, but the statements are based upon the written Word of God and my current level of understanding of His Word. It is not the intent of this book to exaggerate or create an emotional excitement, but to offer the unadulterated Word of God. Due to the strong challenging nature of the material, reference footnotes are available on most pages for confirmation. Why is it necessary to draft a book such as this one? I believe Matthew 15:8–9 documents the reason:

These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules. (NIV)

I have chosen to accept God’s Word and change my beliefs where His Word does not agree with my beliefs, and I strongly encourage you to do likewise.

God increased my responsibilities toward others as He increased my understanding of His wisdom and ways. There have been opportunities for me to address groups of believers over the past years after starting my journey of saved, now what? He planted in my heart the desire to start a ministry for men, to help them to understand their godly role in life. Through this ministry, I have spoken to men in Alabama Correctional Facilities, met with current and past street gang members, helped men recently released from prisons, addressed church congregations, and hosted discipleship Bible study groups for men.

So what am I supposed to do now, after salvation? Take advantage of every opportunity presented to make new disciples and teach them all that God’s Word commands (Matthew 28:19–20). By doing so, I will continue to fight for the cause of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and do those things which He will take pleasure in, true worship and praise.

I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. (Philippians 3:12–14 NLT)

Chapter 1

Saved by Grace—Now What?

Have you ever wondered what you should do after giving your life to Christ? To the experienced believer, the answer may be obvious—that is, to become a laborer introducing others to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.¹ However, what is not so clear is the responsibility of the believer to personally mature spiritually. We are to grow from a spiritual baby to a spiritually mature person in Christ.²

The maturation process is not possible through the thoughts of men