Caleb's Baptism
Caleb's faith journey has been just that, a journey. From the moment he was born we have prayed for him- that God would awaken his heart to the truth of Christ and draw him into a relationship with His Son. We talk about the Gospel a lot in our house. It is the center of all we do. When we discipline our children, we do it with the Gospel at the center. When I am too harsh or impatient with my kids, I confess to them and ask their forgiveness and tell them how much I need the Gospel.
Caleb has always been a perceptive and intelligent child. I remember him being only 3 years old when he was already articulating parts of the Gospel. His understanding of sin and his need for a Savior at such a young age really floored us. I have already shared about this sweet moment we had before bedtime about 18 months ago when he was 5. I really believe that is the moment that Caleb surrendered to the Gospel. But he was so young. Jack and I rejoiced in that, but we waited for him to ask for more and to see that he understood fully.
Over the past year and a half, we really have seen fruit in his life. Moments of clear desires for the things of God, moments when we see him choosing to resist temptation to sin and make godly choices instead, and awesome conversations. Many of those conversations happened with me during our school day. It's one of the many reasons I love homeschooling. We do a lesson from the Bible everyday. I am allowed the great privilege of talking with my son all throughout our day about the things of God. I knew that he understood the Gospel. I knew he had given his heart to Christ.
And then one day this Spring, we didn't get to our Bible lesson. After we put the little guys to bed, I asked Jack to do the day's Bible lesson that we missed with Caleb while I ran to the grocery store. The lesson was on the baptism of Christ. Caleb asked lots of questions about baptism and Jack took him to Romans 6:1-5 to explain it:
It was an amazing day. Our church has everyone who goes through baptism record a video of their testimony to show the church as a means of a public statement of faith. Caleb recorded his back while Jack was in Ethiopia (thanks Lauren Adams for keeping the other 3 so I could take Caleb to the studio!!!). Caleb's video was awesome. I am not sure there was a dry eye in the room yesterday as we all watched it. I know I cried!And what makes this video even more special is that one of Jack's interns last year and a worship leader at our church and our good friend, Owen Eddy, watched Caleb's video and composed the music in the background. So very very special.
And another awesome thing our church does is allow those who were instrumental in sharing the Gospel with the person being baptized to be a part of the baptism. That meant that now only did Jack get to baptize Caleb as an elder of the church and his Dad, but so did I! Word cannot express how grateful I am for our church and for the opportunity to be a part of his baptism.
After the service, friends and family joined us for lunch at the BCM. We got some great pictures of Caleb with all of the kids who came to celebrate this day with him. Caleb will have many important milestones in his life- graduations, wedding, birth of his own children- but none of them are as important and the event we celebrated yesterday- his birth in Christ. We are so grateful to have had our families and friends there to celebrate with us.
Ok, now what follows is the video of Caleb's testimony and his baptism. Get your tissues ready. And then some pictures from our day. I pray you will be blessed as you hear from him about Christ. To God be the Glory!!!!!!!!!
Caleb has always been a perceptive and intelligent child. I remember him being only 3 years old when he was already articulating parts of the Gospel. His understanding of sin and his need for a Savior at such a young age really floored us. I have already shared about this sweet moment we had before bedtime about 18 months ago when he was 5. I really believe that is the moment that Caleb surrendered to the Gospel. But he was so young. Jack and I rejoiced in that, but we waited for him to ask for more and to see that he understood fully.
Over the past year and a half, we really have seen fruit in his life. Moments of clear desires for the things of God, moments when we see him choosing to resist temptation to sin and make godly choices instead, and awesome conversations. Many of those conversations happened with me during our school day. It's one of the many reasons I love homeschooling. We do a lesson from the Bible everyday. I am allowed the great privilege of talking with my son all throughout our day about the things of God. I knew that he understood the Gospel. I knew he had given his heart to Christ.
And then one day this Spring, we didn't get to our Bible lesson. After we put the little guys to bed, I asked Jack to do the day's Bible lesson that we missed with Caleb while I ran to the grocery store. The lesson was on the baptism of Christ. Caleb asked lots of questions about baptism and Jack took him to Romans 6:1-5 to explain it:
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.That conversation lead to Jack feeling as I already did that Caleb had a clear understanding of the Gospel and a love for Christ. Caleb asked us if he could be baptized. And yesterday, Sunday, June 23, Caleb publicly professed his complete reliance on Christ's death, burial and resurrection for salvation and was baptized.
It was an amazing day. Our church has everyone who goes through baptism record a video of their testimony to show the church as a means of a public statement of faith. Caleb recorded his back while Jack was in Ethiopia (thanks Lauren Adams for keeping the other 3 so I could take Caleb to the studio!!!). Caleb's video was awesome. I am not sure there was a dry eye in the room yesterday as we all watched it. I know I cried!And what makes this video even more special is that one of Jack's interns last year and a worship leader at our church and our good friend, Owen Eddy, watched Caleb's video and composed the music in the background. So very very special.
And another awesome thing our church does is allow those who were instrumental in sharing the Gospel with the person being baptized to be a part of the baptism. That meant that now only did Jack get to baptize Caleb as an elder of the church and his Dad, but so did I! Word cannot express how grateful I am for our church and for the opportunity to be a part of his baptism.
After the service, friends and family joined us for lunch at the BCM. We got some great pictures of Caleb with all of the kids who came to celebrate this day with him. Caleb will have many important milestones in his life- graduations, wedding, birth of his own children- but none of them are as important and the event we celebrated yesterday- his birth in Christ. We are so grateful to have had our families and friends there to celebrate with us.
Ok, now what follows is the video of Caleb's testimony and his baptism. Get your tissues ready. And then some pictures from our day. I pray you will be blessed as you hear from him about Christ. To God be the Glory!!!!!!!!!
All of the kids
The Cousins
Caleb with two of his very best friends- Drew and Hayden
Drew and Caleb
Hayden and Caleb
Comments