Baptism

I was adopted as a baby; I accepted Jesus and prayed with my parents when I was younger, and now I want to get baptized because Jesus would be pleased, and I’m taking the next step in my journey with God.

I was adopted into a Christian family, but as I got older, I became more independent in my faith. I grew to know God on my own and faced challenges that I knew, if I was on my own, I wouldn’t overcome. I am a Christian now because I chose to be, and God showed me in many ways that He was there for me. I am being obedient to His Word by getting baptized.

I have loved Jesus my whole life, but the way I lived my life didn’t always portray that. God has blessed me and helped me so much in my life that now I want to be a light in the darkness and bring glory to God.

Before my freshman year of high school, everything changed. During band camp, our section leader, Brenden, would gather us together during breaks to read the Bible and talk about what we had learned. At first, I mostly joined in because everyone else was doing it, and honestly, I didn’t want to be the odd one out. It all felt unfamiliar because faith had never really been a part of my life. But as the days went on, I found myself becoming more curious. Those conversations made me start asking questions I had never really thought about before, and for the first time, I wanted to know more about God for myself.

For a long time, I called myself a Christian but never truly knew Christ. I was lost in the ways of the world until God used the love of those around me, the teachings at Cornerstone, and the study of His Word to open my eyes to His truth. Today, I live with peace and purpose, with my mind set on things above, knowing I am saved by grace through faith.

Over the years, I have struggled with my faith, and leaving my teenage years, I did not have a good relationship with Jesus. I was going down the wrong path for years, making big decisions without consulting God and listening to His warnings (there were many in hindsight), as well as making bad life choices.

When I hit my lowest point, I turned to God and gave Him control of my entire life, all the situations He puts me in, and listened closely to what He wanted for me. When I did this, He made some truly impossible moves in my life that brought me back to church and to a relationship with Jesus.

I have since put my entire trust in God and His path for me, and instead of living for my own desires, I am trying my best to let my faith in Jesus lead my life and follow what He knows is best for me, even when it may not seem like it makes sense to me.

I’ve known who Jesus was my entire life, but I spent years seeking validation from other people instead of finding my identity in Him. As I started attending Cornerstone and joined a Rooted Group, my faith grew, and I began surrendering my life to Jesus rather than simply knowing about Him. He has shown me that my worth comes from Him alone, and now I live with purpose, knowing I am loved, valued, and called to help grow His Kingdom one step at a time.

I was living in a cycle of addiction and depression, and my thoughts were getting very dark. My spirit was dying, and when God felt that, He sent an angel to save me. A dear friend that I hadn’t talked to in over two years contacted me, and a few days later, she brought me to Cornerstone for a Sunday service. Pastor Paul gave his sermon about Daniel chapter 2, and when he said, “Everything you are afraid of has an expiration date. And the kingdom you belong to doesn’t,” I felt hope.

When we prayed at the end, I felt the unconditional love of Jesus Christ, and I knew I was saved. I am currently in recovery and treatment, and I am ready to turn my life over to Him.

Throughout my whole life, I believed that Jesus was the Son of God, but I never took the time to think about what that meant and how important it was. That was until I was invited to Cornerstone on Easter last year. I started going to church every Sunday and looking forward to Sundays, and since then, my life has changed so much for the better, so quickly, and I could feel the Holy Spirit with me.

Even though I do struggle at times, I look to Christ to be the light when things are dark rather than living in the dark. I want to get baptized today to make my faith public and continue my walk with Christ.

I’ve always wanted to get baptized. I’ve believed and accepted Jesus as my Savior. I’ve never taken the next step. Last year, I went through a tough time in my life. I have stepped up in my faith as a father, husband, and person. I realized that maybe this was my sign from God to take my next step in my faith.

I believe Jesus died on the cross for me. Though I have attended Cornerstone for many years, I have never taken the step to be baptized. Now, I feel it’s about time. I know I am forgiven, and with God’s help, I am on the right road. I am thankful for the family and friends God has blessed me with, and I want to be a good, strong example. I thank God every day for the opportunity.

God has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, but there were seasons when I felt closer to Him than others. Throughout my life I’ve struggled with trying to be perfect. I’ve put off being baptized for years because I felt that I “wasn’t ready.” I have accepted that I don’t need to be perfect to be enough. The beauty behind God’s grace is that I’m fully known, chosen, forgiven, and loved despite my many mistakes.

I attended church as a child but never really understood nor committed. I made a lot of mistakes in my 20s and 30s. I’ve been attending Cornerstone for over 3 years now, and since then, I’ve fallen in love with getting to know Jesus. I’m ready for the next step in my walk with Christ. I want to right all the wrongs I did in life.