"God, I didn't believe You existed. I want to know the truth. If you do exist, please reveal Yourself to me."

That is literally all it takes to start the journey, fren. The only caveat is, you must pray this little prayer (in your own words) with a sincere desire to know the truth. No mocking, no fooling around. Just a sincere, humble prayer calling out to God and asking that He reveal Himself to you. Start there.

As for churches, you are right to be wary. Sadly. I would strongly suggest you avoid denominations altogether and find an independent, Bible-believing church. Look around your town or towns close by and see what's out there. Most churches these days will have a webpage, so you can go there to see what their beliefs are. They should be clearly stated. Doctrinal points to look for are:

• They believe that the Bible is the Holy Word of God

• They believe that Jesus was/is God

• They believe that Jesus was a blood sacrifice, once for all, so that ALL who believe may be reconciled to God and have eternal life.

• They believe in the virgin birth of Jesus

• They believe in the Trinity (God the Father, Jesus - aka God the Son, and the Holy Spirit.)

Btw, I don't believe one simply 'converts' to Christianity. One has an experience with God that opens their eyes and convinces them of His uniqueness and divine position. So if you aren't yet to the point of belief, pray the prayer as I suggested. If you're not ready to pray that prayer in all humbleness and sincerity, you can still visit some churches. Churches often have unbelievers visiting, seeking to learn about God and see what is what.

And you can also find some great videos on youtube. Even small local churches often video their services and post them online. Just start browsing around with good keywords like, 'bible - believing church sermon.'

And here's a website with a lot of information. Bob Utley has been teaching for decades and is such a sincere man. There is literally tons of information here. Various Old testament and New testament books which he has taught chapter by chapter, both in video, audio and in text formats.

http://freebiblecommentaries.org/

And since you were raised by atheists, you may not be aware so I'll explain. The Old Testament was about and directed at, Jews. It has a ton of history of the Jewish people. In that dispensation, the Jews were under 'the law.' They had very strict religious laws they were supposed to obey in a fastidious way. (Basically, that was burdensome and designed to show them they could never be perfect on their own and that they needed a savior - aka the Messiah.) Sadly, when Jesus showed up, many rejected Him, though many also believed.

The New Testament is about something different. While in the Old Testament, the Jews were waiting and looking 'forward' to their Messiah arriving, the New Testament is the story of how He did arrive and about His ministry and all the great things He did. Beside the gospels themselves, there are many other books in the New Testament speaking of Jesus. In the New Testament, believers are no longer under 'the law,' they are under, 'grace.' The Messiah / Savior has come and is offering the free gift of salvation to all who shall believe in Him.

Alright, best wishes to you. Please begin to pray. You may find that once you start, you don't want to stop. Talking with God is very pleasing. And if you have any more questions, please feel free to DM me and I'll help any way I can.

Just put yourself out there and God will lead. Stay close to Him.

"God, I didn't believe You existed. I want to know the truth. If you do exist, please reveal Yourself to me."

That is literally all it takes to start the journey, fren. The only caveat is, you must pray this little prayer (in your own words) with a sincere desire to know the truth. No mocking, no fooling around. Just a sincere, humble prayer calling out to God and asking that He reveal Himself to you. Start there.

As for churches, you are right to be wary. Sadly. I would strongly suggest you avoid denominations altogether and find an independent, Bible-believing church. Look around your town or towns close by and see what's out there. Most churches these days will have a webpage, so you can go there to see what their beliefs are. They should be clearly stated. Doctrinal points to look for are:

• They believe that the Bible is the Holy Word of God

• They believe that Jesus was/is God

• They believe that Jesus was a blood sacrifice, once for all, so that ALL who believe may be reconciled to God and have eternal life.

• They believe in the virgin birth of Jesus

• They believe in the Trinity (God the Father, Jesus - aka God the Son, and the Holy Spirit.)

Btw, I don't believe one simply 'converts' to Christianity. One has an experience with God that opens their eyes and convinces them of His uniqueness and divine position. So if you aren't yet to the point of belief, pray the prayer as I suggested. If you're not ready to pray that prayer in all humbleness and sincerity, you can still visit some churches. Churches often have unbelievers visiting, seeking to learn about God and see what is what.

And you can also find some great videos on youtube. Even small local churches often video their services and post them online. Just start browsing around with good keywords like, 'bible - believing church sermon.'

And here's a website with a lot of information. Bob Utley has been teaching for decades and is such a sincere man. There is literally tons of information here. Various Old testament and New testament books which he has taught chapter by chapter, both in video, audio and in text formats.

http://freebiblecommentaries.org/

And since you were raised by atheists, you may not be aware so I'll explain. The Old Testament was about and directed at, Jews. It has a ton of history of the Jewish people. In that dispensation, the Jews were under 'the law.' They had very strict religious laws they were supposed to obey in a fastidious way. (Basically, that was burdensome and designed to show them they could never be perfect on their own and that they needed a savior - aka the Messiah.) Sadly, when Jesus showed up, many rejected Him, though many also believed.

The New Testament is about something different. While in the Old Testament, the Jews were waiting and looking 'forward' the their Messiah arriving, the New Testament is the story of how He did arrive and about His ministry and all the great things He did. Beside the gospels themselves, there are many other books in the New Testament speaking of Jesus. In the New Testament, believers are no longer under 'the law,' they are under, 'grace.' The Messiah / Savior has come and is offering the free gift of salvation to all who shall believe in Him.

Alright, best wishes to you. Please begin to pray. You may find that once you start, you don't want to stop. Talking with God is very pleasing. And if you have any more questions, please feel free to DM me and I'll help any way I can.

Just put yourself out there and God will lead. Stay close to Him.