Beginning a Relationship with God

Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” John 10:10

The most important decision we ever make is understanding our life begins separated from a relationship with God by our sin, but that we can choose to receive the free gift of God’s forgiveness. This happens when we turn from our old way of thinking, trust in what Jesus did on the cross for us and begin to follow him.

Watch this short video from Pastor Steve as he shares his story of beginning a relationship with God and see how you can begin your own relationship with God too.

If you recently decided to receive God’s gift of forgiveness and become a follower of Jesus, or if you would like to learn more about what that means:

  • Let us know by clicking the Faith Form button below.
  • We will be in touch to hear more about your story and show you ways to connect with resources and other ways to help you grow in your faith.
Faith Form

CONTACT

Not sure you’re ready to make the decision to follow Jesus but want to learn more?

SARAH PURDY

Adult Discipleship Associate Director

spurdy@blackrock.org

Featured Group

The central message of the Bible is the Gospel. It’s a proclamation of good news that answers the most important questions of – Who is God? Where did we come from? What is our greatest need and How is Jesus relevant to our lives today? Through a combination of videos and online discussions through Zoom, this group will help you see the gospel for yourself and the way that it changes everything.

This group meets at different times online or in-person during the year. Click the sign up button to register for the next session or to express interest.

Sign Up

Questions about this group? Email groups@blackrock.org.

Beginning a new relationship with God through Jesus is exciting, but sometimes knowing what first steps to take can feel overwhelming. God’s Spirit at work in your life gives you a desire to grow in your faith and to help simplify things, here is a brief list of ways to grow in your relationship with Jesus and understanding His Word, the Bible.

Grow in a Group

Building relationships with other Christ-followers is essential to growing in your faith. We offer group options where you can connect with others and increase foundational understanding of what it means to follow Jesus.

“New to Faith” Groups
In a conversational setting, “New to Faith” groups discuss core ideas and beliefs about God and the Bible. Topics include:

  • What is God’s Story and what is your place in it?
  • Who Is Jesus, why did He come, and what does it mean for us?
  • And your questions too!

To see current or upcoming group options, click the button below and select the filter “New to Faith.”

Grow at Home

From the Bible, we know Jesus spent time in community with others but also spent time away from the crowds to be alone with God. Likewise, as Christ-followers, we must balance spending time with others and time alone with God. Developing a daily time of listening to God through His Word, and speaking to Him in prayer, is essential for growing your relationship. Here are a few basic resources and tips for getting started.

Begin reading the Bible for yourself
  • Pick a Bible translation that is both accurate and readable.
    The Bible has been translated from Hebrew and Greek original writings into many languages and versions which makes choosing a translation an important task. Translations are named by 3-4 letter abbreviations and we recommend new Bible readers start with the New International Version or NIV for short. As you become more comfortable with Bible reading, you may want to pick a translation that is more word-for-word such as the CSB or ESV. Biblegateway.com or the YouVersion Bible app is a good place to find the NIV, CSB, or ESV translations.
  • Begin by reading a Gospel (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John).
    The whole Bible is God’s Word, but starting to read it in Genesis can be difficult before understanding the bigger picture. Reading about Jesus in the Gospels first, and then going back to the Old Testament helps us see more clearly how it all points to Him.
  • Start reading today using this 21-day online reading plan through the Gospel of John.
    Each day includes a Scripture text and a brief devotional to help you understand and apply it. Click the button below.

Use tools to aid your Bible understanding
  • The Bible Project is an online resource featuring hundreds of easy-to-understand videos that help people see the Bible as one unified story that points to Jesus. At bibleproject.com, you can find video series about: How to read the Bible, Book of the Bible overviews, and more. These videos are especially helpful for providing background information when reading any passage of Scripture.

Make prayer a regular part of your everyday life
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says that we are to pray all the time. Sometimes prayer is made more complicated than it should be. Prayer for Beginners provides simple suggestions for getting started making prayer a regular part of your life. Additionally, if you are interested in reading a book about prayer, we highly recommend A Praying Life by Paul Miller.
BAPTISM

Baptism is a symbol of identifying with Christ in his death and resurrection. We are lowered into the water and raised out as a visual representation of our new life as a follower of Jesus. 

If you are interested in being baptized or learning more about what baptism is or why you should be baptized: Click here

CHAT