118 High Street, Wadsworth, Ohio 44281
Thursdays at 6:30 PM
Sundays at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM
In Romans 6:11, the apostle Paul explains how baptism by immersion identifies the believer with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Going underwater symbolizes Jesus' death and coming up out of the water illustrates his resurrection. Baptism is how you show your commitment to saying Jesus is the Lord of your life and you want to live like Him.
No. While you can be a Christian without being baptized, a Christian should be baptized. If nothing else, Jesus commanded baptism as a public declaration or symbol of your relationship with Him. Similarly, married people are married regardless of whether they wear their wedding ring, which is the symbol of their relationship with each other. I, for one, am glad that my wife wears her wedding ring...
If you were baptized as an infant, your parents made an act of faith. This was not a decision of your own. "Those who accepted (believed) his message were baptized ..." Acts 2:41 In this verse, there is a choice being made—an act of faith. An infant can't make that decision. We believe the Bible teaches that the commitment to be baptized should take place when someone is old enough to understand the decision they are making. If you are ready to make that decision, you should view it as the fulfillment of what your parents were doing for you.
Make sure you dress in dark clothes that you are comfortable getting wet. Bring a towel & change of clothes for afterwards. Lastly, expect to be celebrated by your Mosaic tribe!
Nope! Pastor Adam won't even be holding a microphone. Someone will walk you through writing and recording your public declaration beforehand.
The People Confess Their Sins
1 On October 31[a] the people assembled again, and this time they fasted and dressed in burlap and sprinkled dust on their heads. 2 Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all foreigners as they confessed their own sins and the sins of their ancestors. 3 They remained standing in place for three hours[b] while the Book of the Law of the Lord their God was read aloud to them. Then for three more hours they confessed their sins and worshiped the Lord their God.
Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector
9 Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: 10 “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer[a]: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! 12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ 14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
A Discussion about Fasting
14 One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, “Why don’t your disciples fast[a] like we do and the Pharisees do?”
15 Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
16 “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. 17 But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. 18 Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
