The Greatest Story Ever

How to Begin Walking with Jesus

Starting a relationship with Jesus is like meeting someone for the first time. Although Jesus knows everything about us, we want to get to know him deeply for ourselves. We do this by learning who he was and what he said. We familiarize ourselves with his voice and surrender to his leadership and truth over our lives. Walking with Jesus begins in a moment, but the journey persists throughout the rest of our lives as we learn and grow and continue to say yes to him and his ways.

Bible

Reading the Bible is a great way to begin your journey with Jesus. After all, God’s Word tells the story of humanity and leads us to him. But opening the pages to such a large book, with numerous translations, chapters, and authors, can be daunting. A good place to start is by reading the first four books of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), also known as the gospels. These share four different accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus.

An organization called BibleProject also has helpful videos, podcasts, blogs, and more to help you better understand what you’re reading. You can access these resources by clicking here.

Prayer

Talking to God is a great way to draw close to him. It allows us to share our life with him and hear from him in return. You can give thanks, talk about your emotions, or share your difficulties. A great way to start your journey is by repeating this simple prayer.

“Lord Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God. I believe that you died for my sins. Please forgive me for my sins and come into my life. I believe that you rose again from the dead and are alive today. I receive you as my Lord and Savior. I will follow you for the rest of my life. Amen.”

Baptism

One consistent theme we see in the Bible is instruction for followers of Jesus to be baptized. When we are baptized by water, it is a symbolic act that represents the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. We turn away from our old way of life and are made clean. Baptism is an invitation to make a public declaration of our faith. If you want to take the next step in your faith journey and be baptized, the best opportunity for this is after you join a local church.

“And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’” (Acts 22:16)

Fellowship

Building relationships with other Christians and being part of the Body of Christ is vital to pursuing a relationship with Jesus. In the Bible, we see God’s intent to utilize the Church to accomplish his plan and to bless others. Attending a weekly church service helps us to grow spiritually as we listen to biblical teaching. Our Christian journey is not meant to be walked alone, and attending a church is a great way to surround yourself with a community of believers to walk through life with.

“Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:46-47)

Finding a church can be a very exciting but also overwhelming experience. You may live in a city with churches on every corner and don’t know how to choose one. Or maybe you don’t know of any options near you. A great place to start is with The Greatest Story Ever card you received that led you to this website. Does the person who gave that to you attend a local church? Or do you know of any other Christians who attend a church? Join them! You can also search for churches online, read about their beliefs, and ask God to lead you to the right place.

Witness

Your life story has power. Where you came from and what Jesus has done in your life can point others to him. Your testimony is evidence of God’s heart for and pursuit of all humanity. Being a witness for Jesus is as simple as sharing that with others.