Welcome!

I would like to welcome you to our website.  It is our hope and prayer that this site will help you discover Lakeside.  Furthermore, it is my desire to meet you personally in the days to come.  Whether you see me at church or in the community, it would be my honor to meet you face to face.

Growing up in East Texas, I certainly was no stranger to large trees.  Many areas around my house in Tyler provided wonderful climbing trees.  I can remember scaling great heights just to see how high I could actually go.  It was not the height that bothered me but rather the moving out on the limbs that caused me to be fearful.  Just to feel the branch sway up and down caused my stomach to quiver and my legs to shake.  I was much braver hugging the trunk of the tree than being out on one of the limbs.

That is why I have to swallow just a little bit harder when I implore the church to move out on the limbs of life where we have to trust the Lord to protect us and work for us.  I have even been guilty of saying, "God enjoys seeing His people out on the limbs of life as we become risk takers in taking the Gospel to the world."  Most people enjoy comfort.  I mean who doesn't?  But I have learned that God is not so much interested in my comfort level as He is with my level of faith.

Would you classify yourself as a risk taker?  By this I am asking, are you willing to move away from your comfort zone so that you might have the opportunity to impact and influence another person with the story of Jesus Christ?  Inside the church, we can discover multitudes of people who are extremely bold in their witness as long as they are able to hug the trunk of the tree.  But when those same people are asked to try something new which has the element of failure attached to it, that boldness begins to evaporate.

There is nothing wrong with being comfortable as long as that comfort doesn't get in the way of influencing others for Christ.  When we discontinue our efforts to impact our world for Christ because it is too risky, then we must ask ourselves if the comfort level is more important to us than our mission.  I am thankful that our military didn't just go to Iraq and Afghanistan, set up camp and then just hang around close to headquarters.  I am thankful that our missionaries don't just go to a mission field and lock themselves in their houses with the attitude "if they want to hear about Jesus they will knock on our door."  I am thankful that the people who shared Jesus with me didn't become satisfied because they discovered eternal life for themselves.  I am thankful the founding members of Lakeside didn't just provide space for themselves.

If you have not been actively involved in a Bible study group or you have just not found your place inside the church, please join with us as we offer many new classes and opportunities to study, fellowship, and grow in Christ.  You are always welcome!