Jesus is coming! Our king is coming! The one who raises the dead is here!

“HOSANNA! HOSANNA!” (John 12:13)

These were the words of the large crowd that met Jesus at His triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

It was the time of the Passover feast, and the crowd was growing into a frenzy at the rumor that their long-awaited Messiah was finally here. Jesus had just raised Lazarus from the dead and His popularity was reaching astronomical levels. The people loved Him. They spread out palm branches and shouted Hosanna as He entered the city, which literally meant “save now”. Everyone were excited to finally have the Savior that would be able to stand up against Roman oppression and restore the glory of Israel.

But Jesus didn’t fulfill the Messianic expectations the way they were expecting. He didn’t do a lot that week; He did throw over some temple tables as well as a little teaching, but for the most part He hung out with His disciples and laid low.

Well, as the week went by, the people began to become restless and upset with Jesus. They had gone out of their way to give Him all this honor as Savior and how did He repay them? By doing nothing. Maybe this guy was just a charlatan like so many before Him. By Friday morning they heard a rumor that Jesus had been arrested during the night by the Sanhedrin. This guy must be bad news if the religious leaders were after Him.

As the day progressed, it was revealed that Jesus had claimed to be God. A very strong claim for a guy who didn’t take advantage of the people’s approval just a few days earlier. The Religious leaders then began to convince the crowd that Jesus must die for His blasphemy against God and against Rome. The crowd was swayed. Just days after crying out “Hosanna!” the crowd was shouting “Crucify Him!” and Jesus was put to death for the sins of the world.

Now, You may be thinking that your nothing like the crowd that 2000 years ago, turned on Jesus and aided in His crucifixion. But the sad fact is my friends, you and I are the very people that shouted “Crucify Him!” all those years ago. We are all pragmatists to the core of our being. We love things that work well and are accepted by the masses, and we openly reject the things that in our minds, are horrible failures.

As Easter approaches, let’s all remember the fact that we didn’t choose Jesus as our Savior, we rejected Him.  Jesus saved us, not on the basis of our righteous deeds, but according to His mercy and grace!  Praise the Lord!  Forgive us oh God, for being such fickle followers!

-Pastor Josh

Matthew 4:19,20
“Come, follow me” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men” At once they left their nets and followed Him.

I don’t know if your like me, but sometimes I worry about a lot of things in my life that seem totally urgent and important and yet, aren’t. Maybe your mind works like mine: Bills are due on the 25th; the big project/presentation is this Thursday; I’ve got responsibilities at church on Sunday; I’m not getting along with my co-workers; my frustration levels are through the roof; when is life going to slow down?

Life throws us many challenges, and we often find ourselves so engrossed in our own agendas and problems that as Christians, we forget the simplicity of following Jesus. In Matthew 4:19,20, Jesus reminds us of His formula for a simple, satisfied life.

“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men”

Jesus told the disciples that day to leave everything they knew and follow Him. For many of them, this required leaving their jobs, their families, their securities and everything they knew, to follow the Savior. Notice the order in which Jesus lays down His request; he said “Follow me…AND…I will make you fishers of men.” Jesus is literally said “Follow to me 1st…and then…I will make something of your life”

You know, we normally get our formulas switched around. We normally think, I’ve got to make something of my life first, I’ve got to get out in front, get that promotion, get that education, get that position, get all my ducks in a row, get that car, get that house, teach that Sunday School class, act really spiritual…and of second importance, Jesus is there as well, and He can hop on the caboose car of the train called MY LIFE if He wants.

While we may want Jesus to ride in the caboose of our lives, Jesus doesn’t work that way. Jesus demands that we make him captain and engineer of our train. We’re called to follow Jesus first and foremost, and only then, will we we discover His calling in our lives and a passion for the gospel! So that begs the question…What about YOU? What are your dreams? What are your ambitions? What are your plans? Is Jesus at the front of those?

Too often in our lives, we mistake our lives as being all about us; Jesus says “No!”
True, genuine, powerful Christian lives have always been rooted in passionate FOLLOWER-SHIP of Jesus Christ! He calls us to pursue Him passionately, constantly & wholly, and then & only then, will He use our lives effectively for the Gospel.

When Jesus called, the disciples left their nets. They left their livelihood and their entire world to follow Jesus Christ! What about you? Have you left your nets behind? Maybe it’s the net of worry, maybe it’s the net of fear, maybe it’s the net of sexual slavery, or maybe it’s the net of ambition and pride. We all have nets that we have to let go of. Jesus is calling you to drop your nets and follow Him today. Will you answer His call?

-Pastor Josh

Each year there are certain holidays we celebrate as individuals and as a church.  One of the most special is Easter.  Unfortunately today Easter is going the way of Christmas and is being taken over by consumerism.  What we want to realize and celebrate here at Lakeside is that we serve a risen Savior.  You see, there are many religions and traditions in the world that have had their celebrated leader die, but only one has had their leader come back from the grave.

The fact that the tomb is empty is a huge deal.  It means that Christ conquered death.  It means everything.

Please join us on March 23rd at 10:30 am at West Elementary as we celebrate the fact that the tomb is indeed empty.

Ladies, you won’t want to miss this life-changing gathering of love and praise.

You will be stirred in worship by Fernando Ortega, you will be inspired in prayer by Jill Briscoe, and Anne Graham Lotz will lead you into the pages of God’s Word through proclamation and inductive study.

When: April 18-19 at the Wells Fargo Area in Des Moines

For more information click here

Join us for an informal evening of coffee and conversation at the building on the square.

Tuesday, March 4 at 7 pm.

Join the ladies of Lakeside Fellowship on Friday, Feb 22 at 7 pm for a fun night of games and pizza.

We’ll be meeting at the Loft @ Jenny Subra’s.
5505 NW 134th Ave Polk City

Please bring your favorite game and a snack to share.

Due to bad weather we are canceling all Sunday activities.  Please  contact us if you have any questions.

Looking for the perfect evening out with your spouse? Well look no further because we have what you crave.

Drop off your kids for a night of well deserved rest and relaxation as you and your spouse spend a fun and wonderful evening together.

We will provide, food (hotdogs, chips, & fruit) , games, crafts and movies to keep your kidos entertained and having as much fun as you are.

There is no charge but you must register by Friday, February 8th.

Where: The Building on the Square
When: 2/14/08 5:30pm - 9:00pm
Who: Children 3 months - 6th grade

Register today by filling out the form below. If you have questions please do not heistate to contact us.

Come and join the exciting experience of Shooting Stars on Saturday February 9th! This free clinic offers kids in 2nd through 6th grade an opportunity to have fun, learn skills and become a better basketball player. The clinic is led by two outstanding Iowa basketball players who bring talent, expertise and a love for teaching to the table.

Coach Doug Diers is from Carroll, Iowa and attended high school at Carroll Kuemper. Doug pursued his college career at Iowa Lakes Community College where he led the Iowa-NJCCA in scoring. He then went on to receive a full ride basketball scholarship to Morningside College in Sioux City. Doug is currently the Freshmen boys basketball coach at Boone High School.

Josh Daggett was a 3 time All-American at Faith Baptist Bible College and was the national player of the year in 2004.

During the clinic some of the things we’ll cover include:

• Correct hand placement
• Form shooting
• Proper footwork
• Passing fundamentals
• Shooting hand follow through
• Basic ball handling
• Life lessons
• And most importantly - Having FUN while playing basketball

Clinic Details

Date: Saturday February, 9th
Time: 9-11 am
Grades: 2nd-6th
Cost: Free ($5 recommended donation)
Registration Deadline: January 31st (If you have already registered you do not need to register again)

There will be insurance waivers to sign on the day of the clinic.

Please register each child individually using the form below.

Starting on January 13th we will begin a 4 week module on Sunday mornings with two courses to choose from.

Prioritizing with Purpose

In this series you will learn to prioritize the activities, people, and events in your life. Facilitator, Pastor Josh Daggett, will take you through a day in the life of Jesus to examine how He managed to accomplish all He did in a given day. You will be challenged to reflect on the priorities in your own life. This four week module will provide biblical and practical strategies for mastering your own schedule!

Parenting with Purpose

This interactive four week series will equip you with effective parenting techniques for children of all ages while providing a biblical example of God’s plan for parenting. Facilitator, Jen Diers, will challenge you to reflect on yourself as a parent, reflect on your walk with Christ, uncover the source of your parenting successes and challenges, and will provide parenting strategies you can implement immediately.