Here at Lakeside, it is our prayer that many will come to follow Jesus. We are thankful that you have taken the time to seek Him!

We are confident that you will find Jesus to be everything you have been longing for and
looking for. As you will learn, following Jesus isn’t just a one time commitment that you make, following Jesus is a lifelong relationship with Him where you constantly learn more about Him and grow closer to Him. However, it is important to understand a few foundational elements that will help you know how to begin a relationship with Jesus, so that you can follow Him all the days of your life.

The first step toward beginning a relationship with Jesus is to know who He is. Although this list is not an exhaustive one, the Bible describes Jesus in many ways. Take some time to read the verses that are associated with each name of Jesus. If you do not have a physical copy of the Bible, you can download the Bible app to reference the following verses.

Jesus is: 
- The Son of God (John 1:29-34)
- The Savior of the World (1 John 4:14)
- He is our Friend (John 15:13-15)
- He is Lord and Master (Philippians 2:9-11)

Learning who Jesus is helps you learn how to begin a relationship with Him, because a
relationship with Jesus ultimately is about believing in who He is and what He’s done for you. Now that we’ve discussed who Jesus is, it’s important to spend some time understanding what He’s done for you.

In the beginning, God created everything (Genesis 1). When everything was
created it was initially good. This means that everything was in obedience to God and in a right relationship with Him. After God created man, He gave them dominion over everything on the earth. He allowed them to enjoy all of the beauty the world has to offer with only one limitation. God asked mankind to refrain from one particular thing- to never eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

In Genesis 3, Satan, in the form of a serpent, tempted Eve (the first female created) to eat the fruit of the tree God asked them not to eat from. She gave in to the temptaion and also offered the fruit to Adam (the first male) and he ate of the fruit also. By doing this, they sinned, because of their disobedience to God. Because of their sin, they were separated from a right relationship with God. Since every human being is ultimately the offspring of Adam and Eve, we are born with a sin nature separated from a right relationship with God.

The main problem with our separation from God is that if we don’t have our sin dealt with
before we die we will live eternally separated from God in a place called Hell. Hell was never
intended for us, it was intended for Satan and his demons. But, anyone who isn’t in a right
relationship with God will live there a part from God for eternity.

We need a perfect person who has never sinned to choose to die, paying the penalty for those sins in our place in order for us to be saved from our sins. This is what Jesus did for us. He chose to come to the earth He created, to live amongst the people He created, in order to live a perfect sinless life. Because of Jesus' sinless life, He could die for our sins and
raise from the dead 3 days later giving us the opportunity to be in a right relationship with
God.

Now, by knowing who Jesus is and what He’s done for us, it’s important to understand the step of faith that you need to take in order to begin a relationship with Jesus. Romans 10:9-10 says that if you declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved. Salvation from your sins begins a right relationship with Jesus and all you have to do is believe in who Jesus is, what He’s done for you, confess your sins to Him, and commit to following Him all the days of your life.

If you would like to speak further with a staff member please email us at
office@lakesidechurchwh.com