On October 14th I had the amazing privilege of baptising my sons Ethan and Edison. It was such a wonderful day, and my wife and I are so proud of them. I’ve finally uploaded their testimony and baptism video to youtube and want to share it with you.
The audio isn’t that great, so here’s a copy of their testimonies. Every word is their’s — I only helped with assembling the paragraphs. They were very specific about the font and style of the page — which is why I’m sharing that little graphic too!
When I sent out their invites, I included a short explanation of what baptism is, because they were planning on inviting some non-Christian friends. I borrowed a little of the language from theresurgence.org. Feel free to use it:
What is Baptism?
Baptism is an outward expression of the inward faith a person has in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation. It is an act of obedience to Jesus who commanded us to be baptized and a visible declaration of their belief in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. It also identifies the person as a follower of Jesus, a member of the universal Church, and an active participant in their local church.
Ethan’s Testimony
Before I found, and was saved by God, I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t really care about God then. I just wanted to go to church and get some delicious treats. I didn’t have a choice to go, but I was just going for the fun stuff. I didn’t like to just sit there and listen to my dad, but all the rest I liked.
It took a while to learn about God, but being home-schooled, with my dad as a pastor, going to AWANA, and going to VBS, it’s pretty easy to learn about Jesus, the Bible and God. It was worth it to learn about the bible because I found out about Jesus, and it answered questions for me.
Jesus loved me so much that He was willing to die on the cross to save me from my sins. I’m lucky to be alive right now. Because of my sin God could kill me and send me to Hell, but Jesus died on the cross for my sin. Jesus didn’t have to die on the cross for my sins, but He did it because He loves me. I believe He had to die on the cross for my sins, or I would be going to hell.
It’s sometimes hard to pray and read the bible, but that does not stop me from learning about the gospel. Nowadays, it is easier to pray, but still a little bit harder to read the bible, but I know I’m supposed to do it. If I quit, what’s the point of being a believer?
I’m getting baptized today because God told me to in the Bible.
Edison’s Testimony
I was born into a Christian family. I love God, but being part of a Christian family doesn’t save because you need to believe in God and that Jesus died on the cross for your sins. Being in my family helped me to learn more about God and it still does today.
Romans 3:23 says “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” My dad said that if I believe that I am a sinner, and that Jesus died for my sins, that I will be saved. John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”
That is just so amazing! That God loves me so much that He died on the cross for my sins so that I can have everlasting life. Jesus means to me that I can go to heaven and have eternal life with God, and that I can read my bible and pray to learn about God and to talk to Him. I also go to church, AWANA, and other places that teach me about God.
What He did is true! To know someone will always love you means to me that someone cares for me no matter what happens.
I am getting baptized today because I heard my dad say the bible says it is important, and because I am being obedient to God.
