Life After Baptism: What Do I Do Now?
3 practical steps for growing in your faith after getting baptized.
Did you know that Bethlehem church has baptized more people this year than in the history of the church!? That’s incredible. It’s a privilege to be a part of what God is doing here in our church.
As a church, we celebrate that not because of a big number but because each person baptized represents a story forever changed by the Gospel of Jesus.
It is often said that “Baptism isn’t the finish line. It’s a starting line.” If that’s true, what’s next? Here are three practical thoughts for you or someone you know:
- Move from Moments to Momentum
Baptism is an incredible moment in your spiritual journey. Salvation is a moment that begins your journey.
But relationships aren’t sustained by moments alone.
Marriage is a simple picture of this. A first date is a moment. The wedding is a huge moment. Your relationship with your spouse moves from moments to doing life together every day.
Your spiritual journey looks a lot like that.
As you grow in your faith, you move away from moments and towards momentum. Momentum is built by habits and rhythms: spending time with God in prayer and Bible reading, regularly gathering with others for corporate worship, and diving into other spiritual disciplines like fasting and study.
If you want to learn more about spiritual disciplines, we would recommend the Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster: a practical guide to spiritual disciplines that help you sustain your spiritual growth. - Don’t Journey Alone
Your relationship with God is personal, but it’s not private or a secret. That’s why the very act of baptism is important! It’s going public with your faith.
Faith is a really bad DIY project. If you’ve ever done a DIY home project, you know that you start with enthusiasm and usually hit frustration and problems you didn’t anticipate. DIY projects are frustrating in your home, but they’re downright treacherous for your soul.
Bethlehem is a growing church. Praise the Lord! Because of that, we have designed small groups to be a place to connect to a community of believers in a smaller setting. You’d be amazed how quickly you’ll feel connected to a group who are chasing after the same things in life that you’re pursuing.
There are groups for singles, couples, married, young kids, empty nesters, and any other life stage for any schedule. - Share Your Story
The cool part of baptism is you just had to write down and share your story. You’ve likely got pictures on social media and family and friends who visited.
As opportunities arise, it’s worth sharing what God has done. Some of the most powerful moments in scripture are moments when an imperfect person started following Jesus and shared their story. What if God wanted to speak through you to reach others?
