May 25, 2025
Baptism
Repentance
This Sunday, we start a short3-week message series on baptism.
The first mention of baptism in the Bible begins with John. John was the cousin of Jesus and also His opening act. John called the people of his day to "Get Ready." The public sign of a life getting ready for God was, and still is, baptism. Get washed so God can do what God wants to do.
Songs for this week: Spotify
Questions
Luke 3:1-20
- Have you been baptized? Tell that story. In your opinion, what is the purpose of baptism?
- What is required or involved in repentance? Be sure to consult verse 4.
- John gave his listeners specific directions about what repentance would look like in their lives. Examine those closely. How might the Holy Spirit speak to you about how to "produce fruit in keeping with repentance"?
- John knows that Jesus is the Main Act. What might it mean (see v. 16) to have Jesus baptize us in “the Holy Spirit and fire”?
- John spoke out against Herod for stealing and then marrying his brother’s wife. Should Christians speak up about the sin in other people’s lives, or keep quiet about it?
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Recent Sermons
James 4:6-10 -James knows that the heart of the Christian message is grace. God gives us good that we couldn’t ever deserve. The truth is that we earn and deserve justice and punishment. Thankfully, Jesus took both of those for us and gave us the good he deserved. As powerful as grace is, there is one thing that can re
James 3:1-18 -James is at it again! He has a real concern for the words that Christians use on themselves, with each other and with the world. Our tongues (James' favourite image for our words) can cause such destruction, and they are nearly impossible to control.
James 2:14-26 -James continues to press deep into the muscles and tissues of our faith. Is your faith doing what it was designed to do? Just like you might go to the doctor for a physical check-up, James offers a self-administered faith check-up in this passage. Where do you see signs of life in your faith?
James 1:19-27 - James is direct: angry words, thoughtless words, and religious words don’t have a place in a life of faith. Our words don’t work … but God’s word does! Our job is simply to cooperate with his word.
James 1:1-8 - James gets right down to business! For everyone not currently soaking in a hot tub, suffering is a first order of business. In just a few verses, James explains how trials can grow maturity, how wisdom helps the journey, and how to avoid wasting a suffering experience.
Empowered Baptism is recognized throughout the Church as the beginning of a ‘God thing.’ John’s baptism was a visible demonstration of the start of a new life — clearing out the junk to prepare for what God was about to do. Jesus’ baptism reveals the true heart of baptism: God’s desire to bless and express His delight. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the start of the Kingdom. Ordinary women and men were now filled with the Spirit of Jesus to continue on the ministry Jesus started.
