Make Baptism a Family Celebration!
“On the Sabbath we (Paul and his missionary companions) went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there. One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying. She was baptized along with other members of her household….”
Acts 16:13-15a (NLT)
Each of Paul’s missionary journeys chronicled in the Book of Acts resulted in miraculous encounters of life change as he shared the Good News of God’s love and forgiveness in Christ. Among those was a successful businesswoman named Lydia in Acts 16. God brought her all the way to Greece so that she might hear the Gospel and receive Jesus as her Savior! Wow! Talk about a “Divine Appointment!” A Divine Appointment is when a seeking soul crosses the path of a willing witness and experiences the forgiveness of a gracious God! Lydia was called "a worshiper of God," a Gentile who was not a full Jewish proselyte but who openly worshiped with the Jews. She was seeking truth. Because God always honors the desire of a searching heart, He sent Paul and his missionary team to Philippi, a major city in the district of Macedonia, a Roman colony, where he would meet Lydia and share with her and the members of her household the glorious truth of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. God opened her heart to receive Christ as her personal Savior and Messiah, and her life was forever changed! She boldly identified with Christ by being baptized in the river just outside the city. The Bible says that all the members of her household were baptized as well!
One of the great joys of our baptism celebrations at Woodlands Church each year is to witness whole households being baptized together! I can’t think of anything more exciting and fulfilling than seeing families together publicly declaring their faith in Jesus Christ. This was the case for Laura and Jeremy W. at a recent Baptism Celebration. Though both husband and wife had been baptized as babies and, like Lydia in Acts 16, had believed in God, their hearts were opened to the Gospel to experience a personal and intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. Both made a commitment to Christ as their personal Savior and were baptized together. They said, “The moment we set foot in Woodlands Church, we felt the change, and we knew a new journey had begun. Coming up out of the water seeing our children and grandchildren there to witness our baptism was truly a humbling and joyful moment. One we will never forget!”
ln Acts 16:31 (TLB), the Bible says, "Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, and your entire household.” Imagine the joyful celebration it would be for this to happen in your family! Sometimes, it just takes the courage of one member, like Lydia, to open their heart to Christ for others to take that same step of faith! When you read this amazing story in Acts 16, you’ll find two families that were all baptized together because of one family member trusting Christ. Your decision could impact the eternity of others. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate it than at our Winter Baptism this weekend at Woodlands Church! You can register now.
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.