Week 10

Baptism

This week our pastor is preaching a revival and wasn’t in class. Matt filled in and did a good job discussing baptism. This is the next step after a person receives Christ. Part of the Great Commission is to go out and make disciples, not just make converts. We are to teach and help new believers grow in the walk with the Lord. We are to be, as the book puts it, their spiritual parent. Paul refers to Timothy as “[my] own son in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2).
Part of the teaching is to show them the importance of baptism. Baptism isn’t going to save us. It is done in obedience to God. It is an outward way to publicly show what has happened to us on the inside. We are buried with Christ and come up a new person. There are four reasons we should be baptized.
1. Jesus Commanded It (Matthew 28:19)
2. Baptism demonstrates Obedience.
Jesus set the example (Mark 1:9)
Jesus’ followers obeyed (Acts 2:41, 8:38)
3. Baptism represents a picture of breaking from the past and beginning a new life with Christ. (Romans 6:4)
4. In the New Testament baptism is a public testimony of faith. (Acts 2:41)

Our Visit

We had one assigned visit. It was a new residence. We parked at the end of the street, started with the first house on the block and made our way up. The first house was a nice Catholic lady. She gave a works answer on how a person gets to heaven. Sherri presented the gospel to her. When asked if that is something she has done, referring to repent and faith in Jesus, she said she didn’t understand what we were asking. Sherri did a good job at going back to her works answers and that she just wanted to make sure she know that wasn’t relying on works to save her and that it is through the sacrifice Jesus made for us. She said that she has done that. Whether she has or has not the gospel was presented. Sherri prayed before we left and again she gave the gospel in the prayer.

The second house was the assigned house. It was clear that they were eating. We told them that we would come back at a better time.

On the third house, Sherri said the house looked familiar to her. We rang the doorbell and a lady answer. She said that she was the caregiver and that the family is members of our Church. She invited us in. When I asked, “in your personal opinion what do you understand it takes for a person to go to heaven”, she responded with belief in God and heaven. It was kind of an unclear answer so I asked “do you mind if I share with you how the Bible answers this question?” She said that was fine. I went through the FAITH gospel presentation. She said that she has done that. We invited her to Church. She said that she would love to go but she takes care of Gary all but 40 hours a week. Gary is handicapped and his mother died within the last year. Her funeral was at the Church and he is not ready to go back. His is hard for him. We did go back and talk with him a little before we had to leave. He got emotional when talking about going to Church. We prayed with him before we left.

Prayers

There was one saved tonight. Pray for her and her new walk with the Lord. Still pray for Susan that was mentioned in the last blog. Pray that God will open up doors for us to share the gospel.