Speaker: Ben Sigman
Theme: Baptism & Communion
Weekend Music links on iTunes: God is With Us by Michael Olson; Yesterday, Today and Forever by Vicky Beeching; Your Name by Paul Baloche; Lead Me to the Cross by Hillsong United.
READ: Col. 2:11-12
THINK: Have you ever won an award for something you participated in? Have you ever been called out at a meeting for the great work you accomplished? Has your kids ever written you a note telling you how great you are as a parent? If you have, remember back to how that felt… that is what you experience but tenfold after getting baptized.
Listening to Pastor Ben’s message over the weekend, I remembered back to when I was baptized and how great it felt. I was 12 years old and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. My pastor scheduled my baptism the following Sunday before I could back out.
During that whole next week, I was on cloud nine…so anticipating my baptism. My parents, extended family and the whole congregation would be there. I remember like it was yesterday, I sat there in front of the whole church totally a whopping 105 people or so, but for me it felt like the Kingdome… (yes, I am that old).
He heated the water up on Saturday so it would be hot on Sunday, but forgot to turn the heater off the night before so it kept heating the baptismal. By the time I got in there at 11:00 the next morning, it was about 106 degrees. Needless to say, it was hot!!! He joked about saying that I was such a sinner that God was going to have to really wash that sin off me. Needless to say it was amazing time in my life.
That whole next week, I was telling my friends, family and everyone who’d listen what had happened. I had never felt so much joy and clarity in my life that I was doing the right thing.
DO: If a friend, family member, church member, spouse or co-worker is asking you if you’ve ever taken that step in faith in asking Jesus Christ into your heart and to follow up with believers baptism- really listen, that is God working through them.
PRAY: Just pray: “Oh God, I know I am a sinner. I believe Jesus was my substitute when he died on the cross. I believe His shed blood, death, burial and resurrection were for me. I now receive you Jesus as my Savior. I thank you for the forgiveness of my sins, the gift of salvation and everlasting life, because of your merciful grace. Amen.
The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.
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