Picture of Obedience to Christ

I wrote yesterday about celebrating baptism at Grace Church. Baptism services are always so special to me and I usually cry…sometimes a lot. This weekend was no different. But I kind of cheated.

I saw Saturday night that they were putting the baptism videos on our pastor’s blog, so I watched them all Sunday morning before church. It was fantastic. One video made me more emotional than all of the others, though. Usually it’s hearing small children explain the Gospel that gets me, but this time it wasn’t.

One of our high school students began sharing how he became a follower of Christ. He spoke of how he always knew a little about God and Jesus, but never saw the need for God in his life. Then he shared the turning point for him – hearing another high school student share how Christ completely changed his life. That’s pretty much when I lost it.

I couldn’t stop the tears from coming as I thought of how these two teenagers have given us a beautiful picture of obedience to Christ, discipleship, and inviting others to join. I didn’t know the first student before he became a Christ follower, but I know that hours and hours were poured into him by leaders and friends. I know that it was a difficult process. And though I didn’t get to see the whole process, I get to see the result – a young leader growing daily in Christ, and inviting others to do the same.

Faithfulness by many in this teenager’s life led to the salvation of a peer. And this is just one life that he touched. I don’t know either young man very well, but I know that they are both natural leaders. They have it in them – the ability to impact and lead people. Now, they are leading people to Christ.

I know they will still struggle. I know they will fall. I know they won’t always succeed. But I pray they will continue to live lives sold out to Christ. I pray that they will continue to be an example to all of us – young and old – of what Christ calls us to.

Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. – 1 Timothy 4.12

New Life

Several years ago, my sister said something to me that completely changed our relationship. I can’t remember if it was on the phone or on skype or over email, but I remember being in my apartment in China being completely overwhelmed with God’s grace and power.

My sister had recently begun moving back towards God, very much like I had years before. We had both decided to follow Christ at a young age, and had periods of obedience and great relationship with Him. However, we also had times of blatant disobedience. There were areas of life that we had not surrendered to Christ. We were not living lives true to who we were – children of the Lord.

So what did she say that changed our relationship? She shared with me that as she had been reading in 2 Corinthians, one verse jumped out at her. That verse was 2 Corinthians 5.17:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

The power of Christ in our lives means that we are a new creation. We have new life. We are no longer held captive by our flesh. We live in freedom from sin because of Christ’s death and resurrection.

This verse changed our relationship because from then on, we truly began to relate and interact not just as sisters, but also as sisters in Christ. I am so thankful for Christ’s work in our lives, and for the opportunity to celebrate His victory over death.

This weekend at Grace Church, we are celebrating victory in the lives of 44 people. That is 44 brothers and sisters in Christ, each of whom have powerful stories of redemption. You can hear their stories on our Pastor’s Blog, be encouraged by their stories, and celebrate with them.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you…” - 1 Peter 1.3-4