Yesterday was an amazing day, maybe my favorite worship service ever. 112 people responded and came forward to be baptized, most of which were spontaneous decisions. The power of the Holy Spirit was very evident as people lined up to be immersed.
Of course there’s a story behind each person’s decision, and I hate to pick one person’s story over another, but I was especially overjoyed by watching one particular person being dunked. Larry is an ex-cop who does security and directs traffic every weekend at our church. When he started, Larry would not even come into the building. Like me, Larry grew up in a Catholic family, church, and school. He’s a big, tough-talking, ex-offensive-lineman teddy bear. We’ve been “working on” and praying for Larry for years now.
Out of all the people baptized this weekend, why was I so excited about Larry? One word: relationship. “The church” as an organization did not change Larry’s life. A program didn’t bring him to Jesus. No, God used relational disciples like Tim, Bob, Steve, Randy, Pat, and many others in natural circumstances and conversations to bring about transformation in Larry’s life.
Larry was immersed because Christ-following friends immersed themselves into Larry’s life. I’m glad I got to be a part of it.
See more about our baptism weekend here.
