Prayer changes everything
At Westsyde Fellowship, we believe prayer makes a difference. How can we pray for you this week? Let us know using the form below.
Note: Any prayer request you share with Westsyde Fellowship will remain confidential and will only be shared with our Leadership and Prayer Teams for the purposes of prayer, unless otherwise indicated.
Follow Jesus
You probably have an opinion about Jesus. Maybe you think he’s a great teacher or a prophet. Maybe you think he didn’t exist at all. Whatever you believe, we can probably agree that Jesus changed things. We believe Jesus wants to change you too, and that he’s the way back to God for you.
Jesus himself said: I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. -John 14:6
Trusting Jesus as the way to God is not an exclusive path to God, it’s completely inclusive. No matter who you are, what you’ve done, no matter where you were born or the colour of your skin, Jesus is the way for you to have a relationship with God. Everybody’s invited. Everybody’s included. Everybody’s important. If you think you’re an exception to the rule, you’re wrong. Jesus loves you.
So how do you actually become a Christian?
You just have to take a few simple steps. Look at what Paul, a follower of Jesus, wrote to the church in Rome in the 1st century: If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,‘ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. –Romans 10:9
That’s it. Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord (Leader of everything, including you), and believe in your heart that Jesus died for you to save you and that God raised him from the dead. Just like that, your sins are forgiven and your relationship with God has begun. Do that, and you’re a Christian.
But you’re probably thinking, “Don’t I have to be a better person first?”
No, you don’t. You don’t change in order to gain God’s love. You change because you’ve experienced his love. When you trust Jesus as your Saviour, you walk into the fullness of God’s love. Gradually, over time, God’s love changes you as you follow Jesus. You change because you’re loved, not in order to be loved.
Through his death on the cross, and then coming back from the dead, Jesus took all of your wrong and gave you all of his right. If you believe that and commit to following him, your life will never be the same. It’s as simple as repenting of your sin, declaring you want to follow Jesus, and believing he is who he says he is.
Believing in Jesus is the first step on the greatest journey of your life. You haven’t finished the race—you’ve just gotten started.
Have you trusted Jesus with your life? If so, let us know below!
Read the bible and get to know Jesus
Read the Bible to Get to Know Jesus
So you want to get to know Jesus, but you’re wondering, “Where do I start?” Great question!
Start with prayer (talk to Jesus as if he’s right there with you…because he is and he hears you…really!).
But prayer really comes alive when you join it with reading your Bible.
You can’t have a close relationship with someone you never talk to. It’s impossible. God’s word—the Bible—is the primary way he speaks to us. Reading your Bible and praying is the absolute best way to discover how to follow Jesus on a daily basis. If you want to know more about God and his promises, reading the Bible is your next step.
You can download the YouVersion bible app for free for your phone or tablet. We also have hard copies of the Bible for free. Just ask one of our staff.
Then start reading. Start with 10 minutes a day.
We suggest starting with The Gospel of John and then reading Romans.
Going Deeper
There are typically two approaches to daily Bible-reading: wanting to know Jesus in the details of the Bible and wanting to know Jesus through the big story of scripture
Wanting to know Jesus in the details of the Bible involves slow, thoughtful reading that focuses on smaller portions of scripture and includes deeper study of passages and verses. This is the approach in most Sunday morning services, Small Groups, classes, and Bible studies. Wanting to know Jesus through the big story of scripture comes through faster reading of larger portions such as reading the entire Bible in one year.
Followers of Jesus grow through a healthy balance of both. We should seek to be familiar with the whole story of the Bible and we should go deeper into smaller passages. We also need to learn how to apply what we’re learning to our lives. We suggest using the SOAP method below.
Use S.O.A.P.
If you really want to get the most out of your Bible reading, we recommend using the SOAP method. It’s really quite simple and you can use it alongside any Bible reading plan. You simply read whatever chapter or verses for the day and then follow the steps below.
S – Scripture: From your Bible reading, write down whatever verse/s or phrase/s stuck out to you.
O – Observations: Write down your what you see happening in the scripture you wrote down. This could include who is writing or saying the words, who it was written or said to, what is happening, or what caught your attention.
A – Application: This is where it gets personal. Write down what you think God is saying to you through this scripture. Ask yourself the following questions: What is God saying to me today? How can I apply in my life what I just read? What changes do I need to make? Is there any action I need to take?
P – Prayer: Talk to Jesus about what he’s showing you in the Bible. Share your hopes and dreams, as well as your fears and failures. Ask Jesus for forgiveness if he’s revealed any sin in your life, and ask him to help you change. Thank him for who he is and what he’s done for you.
Just as we need to wash physically each day, we should also spend time with Jesus every day, so use SOAP!
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