STEP INTO THE DEEP 

Kimberly Lawrence 

Today's Scripture: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16, ESV  

Theme: Jesus didn’t just tell us to believe. He told us to follow Him.  

INSIDE OUT 

Baptism is often described as the outward sign of an inward change. It’s making a public proclamation by taking a bold step into the water, surrounded by family, friends, and even strangers, proclaiming a life changed by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Oh, the evidence of transformation this symbolizes! We should all be sprinting into the water! Praise the Lord!  

BAPTISM 

Baptism should follow our prayer of salvation, proclaiming Him as Lord of our lives. We are filled with the Holy Spirit and desire to follow His example in baptism. Jesus commands His followers to make disciples and baptize them (Matthew 28:19-20). As a believer, this should be easy, right? Well, let me tell you about my journey toward baptism. 

It started with procrastination…over years. It continued with excuse-making, such as “I’m going to lunch after church,” “I don’t want to hold everyone up,” or my personal favorite, “I was christened as a baby so, that counts.” I was never quite vulnerable enough to verbalize the truest excuse of all, “My friends might think I’m some kind of religious nutcase when I’m soaked to the core in a full emersion baptism as a grown adult.” So, there I sat, weekend after weekend, fighting with God and with myself about taking the plunge!  

GOD’S NOT BUYING IT 

Pastor Josh gave the message one Sunday and I’m pretty sure he was talking directly to me! He listed every objection, hesitation, and excuse I’d been wrestling with in my own head. He shared Scripture about following Jesus’ example and the importance of making a public proclamation of faith. I don’t think God was buying my excuses! Suddenly, I understood how I had put my pride, vanity, and ego ahead of God. I had overlooked the significance of baptism…a new life in Him…and publicly claiming Him like He had already claimed me! Instead of viewing baptism as something I “had” to do, I realized it was something I couldn’t wait to do.  

Alongside my husband, in front of my children and my parents, with my pastor, and before God, I did it! Thinking of it now brings tears of joy to my eyes. Looking back, I regret the time I wasted and the trivial thoughts that kept me from this experience. A photo of me and my husband, soaking wet and smiling in Cove t-shirts, sits on the nightstand beside my bed. I smile each time I see it, not only because of the experience, but because of the lesson God taught me through it. 

THERE WILL BE SIGNS 

There is a difference between believing Jesus exists and allowing Him to be the Leader of our lives. Following Him means surrendering our preferences, changing our priorities and, in my case, overcoming my own ego. In today’s verse, Paul boldly declares that he is not ashamed of the Gospel. To Paul, the Gospel isn’t just a message to believe; it represents the power of God. When we truly embrace that power, it should become visible in the choices we make and how we live.  

Make It Personal: Following Jesus isn’t always comfortable. It may mean standing for truth when the world disagrees, showing grace when we’d rather judge, or obeying God when we don’t understand His plan. Where is the Holy Spirit prompting you? Maybe you’ve never prayed to receive Christ as your Savior. I remember sitting in a church service, sweating profusely, as I raised my hand after repeating the prayer of salvation. Perhaps you’re working up the courage to pray out loud. Again, I was thankful everyone’s eyes were closed for my first audible prayer because my face was beet red, and yet again, I was sweating. Maybe it’s baptism, giving, serving, missions…consider where God is calling you to step out and follow Him today. Pray you’ll be brave in taking a step into the “water,” whatever that may be for you.  

Pray: Lord, thank You for the power of the Gospel. Help me move beyond simply believing in You to faithfully following You. Give me the courage to live a life unashamed of my faith and the humility to surrender my plans to You. I want to overcome my ego and let my life demonstrate the transforming power of Your love. Amen. 

Read: Matthew 28:19-20; Luke 9:23; Titus 3:4-7

Weekly Memory Verse: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19, ESV