This weekend we will be having a baptism celebration where 10 people will be baptized, publicly declaring their faith in Jesus. As a church we are pretty excited about it and desire to see more and more baptisms as friends and strangers put faith in Jesus.

Have you ever wondered what baptism is and what exactly it means? Sam Storms has a helpful article on the question that is worth you time. In short he tells us that baptism hold great significance in the life of the believer.

"Baptism is designed to direct our attention to the source and cause of our salvation: the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. We are not saved because of or through baptism but because of and through Christ and what he did for us. When people witness a person being baptized they should immediately think about the way salvation has been obtained for us... baptism in water is a visual enactment of the gospel itself. The gospel is the good news of what God did in and through his Son, Jesus Christ, to obtain for us redemption and forgiveness of sins."

"Baptism is a visible picture of the believer’s death in Christ’s death as well as his/her resurrection in Christ’s resurrection... In other words, baptism is a picture of the believer’s identification or union with Christ. It’s more than simply a statement that I belong to Christ. It is a statement that I am “in” Christ. I am united with Christ. My life has no meaning or purpose apart from Christ. We are one. I in him and he in me."

That is just a taste of the meaning of baptism. Read the rest of the article here. Baptism declares the glorious truths of what Christ accomplished to save, how we are united with him, it is our declaration of new life in Christ, it physically represents our spiritual reality and it is our pledge of allegiance to Christ . How can we not rejoice?!

Join us Sunday, August 9 for our baptism celebration. 1pm (with baptisms around 2) at 1772 Continental, in Escondido.