Relationship
with God
+ Grace to All.
You are here because you have made a decision to follow Jesus and start your relationship with God, firstly: What an incredible decision you have made for your life!
Take a moment to recall the decision you made. The moment God encountered you, the moment you experienced His love, the moment you sensed/felt something you hadn’t before. God, because of His great love for you, was drawing you to Himself, to reveal who He is
The decision you have made is the beginning of the most amazing journey you will ever embark on. This journey of following Jesus is an exciting one – one that brings freedom, joy and restoration. We would love to encourage you, resource you, support you and answer any questions that you might have.
Your Next Step
Having made this decision, you most likely have questions about what this decision means for you and what following Jesus is all about. The questions we can have about God are numerous: “Is God real?” “Is what we know about Him really true?” and “What does He have to do with my life?” just to list a few.
We would love to invite you to join us for our How to Follow Jesus course, which provides you with an introduction to faith, what it means to be a follower of Jesus and how you can be connected into the church.
What are the next steps?
Engage in a local church
With the decision you made to follow Jesus, there is also the opportunity to build great relationships with other followers of Jesus. Relationships that are fun, supportive and encouraging. Through gathering together, this is also called fellowship, there is space to learn and grow together in the ways of Jesus. So, we encourage you to engage in a local church in your area and set aside Sunday as a day of meeting together with other followers of Jesus.
We'd love you to have a Bible
In a world where the truth is always shifting, God’s truth always remains the same. God’s truth is written in the Bible. It is like a road map of life. It is filled with principles around living with purpose and meaning, The Bible provides encouragement, assurance, hope, guidance, wisdom and insight for your everyday life. The Bible also gives you the opportunity to learn about God and His character, which will grow your relationship with Him and grow you in your journey of following Him.
These words I (Jesus) speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on.
Matthew 7:24 (MSG)
How to read the Bible
Start from the New Testament and begin to read through the Gospels (ie. the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), and find out about this Jesus you are following. Who is He, what is He like, what lessons about life did He share with his disciples that you can learn from? What is His attitude to people like you? Do not just read it like a novel, but think about the implications of what you are reading. God wants to speak to us through His Word, the Bible.
If you do not have a Bible, we would love to give you one.
Click here to connect with us.
You can also access the Bible App from your computer or smartphone.
Baptism in Water
Baptism is an outward declaration of your inward decision.
If you’ve recently made a decision to follow Jesus or have never been baptised before, getting baptised by full immersion in water is a great next step in your journey of faith.
(Full immersion baptism is biblically and uniquely different to infant dedication or christening)
Baptisms are an outward declaration of the decision you have made in your heart to surrender to Jesus. It provides a marker in your life that anchors your faith when you face the hard times of life. It becomes a reference point that God has saved you and is faithful to continue what he has started in your life. Being baptised is a public declaration of your personal decision to make Jesus Lord and Saviour of your life.
If you’d like to get baptised or find out more about baptisms, fill out the form below.
Baptism in the Holy Spirit
But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. John 14:26 (NLT)
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. John 16:13a (NLT)The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a gift for your life. It gives you power to live the Christian life and to share your faith with others.
And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.” Luke 24:49 (NLT)
Additional Resources / Information
Here are some resources that will equip you on this journey and perhaps answer some of the questions you may have.
When you prayed a prayer of declaring Jesus as Lord; and believing that God raised Him from the dead, you received salvation.
“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 (NIV)
Salvation is God’s gift to you and I. Because of His great love, God sent Jesus to die on the cross so that you and I could be restored to right relationship with Him. So that you and I could have eternal life – one day going to heaven to be with God. So that you and I could live a full and abundant life.
For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16 (NLT)
I (Jesus) came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].
John 10:10b (AMP)
Be encouraged and be confident. When you made the decision to follow Jesus and prayed the prayer of believing and confessing Jesus as Lord of your life, It wasn’t a knee jerk reaction. It was a life changing moment that impacts you each day and for all eternity.
We have been created by God, for a relationship with Him. Jesus is the Son of God, who lived on this earth, blameless without sin. Sin is the word used to describe the separation between God and man.
God’s love for us was so great that He sent Jesus Christ to bridge the gap that sin made. Having known no sin, Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice by dying on the cross. He paid the price for our sin, a price we could not pay on our own.
Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Romans 5:18 (NLT)
Because of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, you and I have right relationship with God and a new abundant life with Him.
Jesus is so unique because two worlds collide in him: the Divine and the human.Yes, His Name is the Name above all names. His star-breathing, storm-calming, miracle-working power is second to none. Yet, He is also the human Jesus, the personal friend who knows what we are going through and cares about us. That’s why the Bible also calls Him “Immanuel”, God with us.
When you made the decision to follow Jesus and prayed the prayer of believing and confessing Jesus as Lord of your life, you became a follower of Jesus. Followers of Jesus are also called Christians or disciples of Jesus. Followers learn to follow in the ways of the One they follow.
God has a unique plan and purpose for your life.
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)
When you made the decision to follow Jesus, you start the journey of being a new person in Jesus.
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)
God’s heart for you is that you grow more and more like Jesus in your thoughts, words and actions. Why? So you can walk out this unique plan and purpose as you follow Him.
Following Jesus looks like God guiding you, protecting you, strengthening you and supporting you each and every day.
For He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down relax My hold on you)! Assuredly not!
Hebrews 13:5b (AMPC)
Following Jesus involves the journey of developing healthy practices. Some of these healthy practices include reading the Bible, prayer, worship, building relationships with other followers of Jesus, growing spiritually by living a Spirit-led life, and serving.
You can find out more about these things through the following short courses:
- How to Follow Jesus
- Gateway Growth Track