If you have received Jesus as your Lord and Savior and wondering what comes next, keep reading. Hopefully you're stepping forward into your relationship with Jesus (read Knowing God ), reading your Bible, and are plugged into a local church. If you do not have a Bible, message us, and we will get you one. Congratulations on the best decision you can make! Now get baptized! The Bible makes it clear that after you accept Jesus you should immediately be Baptized. Baptism is the representation of the spiritual transaction that is taking place in your life. You confess with your mouth that Jesus died on the cross for your sins. You believe in your heart; He rose from the dead three days later. Evidence of your belief and surrender to Him, as the ruling authority in your life causes you to repent (turn away) from your old sinful life. You ask Him to be your Lord, because you trust He is good. So, why is baptism an important next step? Let me break it down for you. Obedience You humble yourself and follow Jesus's instructions. Baptism is one of the first acts of obedience to truly making Jesus the ruler of your life. You yield to him: all self-consciousness, your reputation, your inconvenience, your fears. You get in the tub, lake, or river (whatever form of water is available) and possible, you can even share the story of how Jesus has brought you to this place. You may even inspire somebody else to make the same decision. Sharing your testimony is also a first step of faith and reliance on the Lord, as you share the truth of what God has done in your life. (Rev. 12:11, 1 Peter 3:15, Acts 1:8). Blood and Water 1 John 5:1-8 "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father also loves those born of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God: when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome, because everyone born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith. Who then overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ—not by water alone, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies to this, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and these three are in agreement." 1 Peter 3:18-22 "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits—   to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,   who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him." Everyone born into this world came through water and blood when birthed by their mother. When you responded to God's call on your life and submitted to Jesus, as your Lord, you receive a washing by the blood. 1 John 1:7 " But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." You must also go through water in the process of walking in new life. This baptism in water is the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. While it is putting your faith and trust in Christ that brings salvation, Jesus modeled baptism and commanded his followers be baptized. If you are a professing follower of Jesus, do not wait. You Die and Are Washed Clean The pastor or leader will assist you in going under the water and coming back up. As you go under the water, the old you dies and is buried in the grave, just like Jesus after he died on the cross. The water washes away every sin you ever committed, all of your guilt, shame, and everything you would have been ruled guilty for, in your old life. The old man, deserving punishment, gets left in the water. You come up a new creation; totally clean, holy, and righteous through the Holy Spirit that now lives in you. Baptism is symbolic, but there are many testimonies including my own that brought freedom. For myself it was freedom from feeling dirty, guilty, and shameful. I have also listened to people describe demonic thoughts and tormenting dreams, which stopped after being baptized. For some, sinful habits fell away. Some have even been healed, or experienced God in a powerful way. (Below is a YouTube link explaining Baptism further, along with testimonies of its power). This certainly is not the case for everybody, but it is important we don't limit the possibilities of how God can move, based on our own experiences. I have heard a pastor joke that he likes to hold a person down until the bubbles stop, and then he brings them up for air, resurrected into their new life. Please don't be scared, it is just a joke, and nobody will hold you under! It should give a good visual though of what is truly taking place: The death of your old life and being made new in Christ. Ironically, maybe we should do baptisms in a giant toilet bowl. Then you could flush the old dirty water, filled with your old life, down the hatch. Now you get to learn how to walk as a brand-new baby Christian. Just like a baby needs to be fed, so do you. Just like a baby learns walk, so will you. I believe many don't stay the course because they keep the old man alive and don't have a clear understanding of who they are as a new creation. They try to bring Jesus into their old life, keeping it alive, instead of yielding all trust to him, so they can walk in their new life. Understanding your new identity, righteousness, purpose, and the power of the Holy Spirit living in you, is vital to walking in victory. Go to a church and ask to be discipled. Contact us through this site, we will direct you to somebody and come along side you any way we can. If Only I Had Known I wish I had understood baptism after I accepted Jesus. Nobody talked to me about it. I didn't fully understand what it meant. Most importantly, I didn't fully understand my salvation. I was 17 when I said a prayer to get to heaven, and I asked Jesus to be the Lord of my life. I was sincere, but it was the lack of knowledge that brought many wasted years and hurts. When somebody asked me if I wanted to get baptized, I probably would have said, "Not yet, because I'm not fully committed." Knowing what I know now, I would have asked 17-22 year old me if Jesus was truly the Lord of my life. I can tell you now, no He wasn't. My lack of knowledge is not an excuse, as the Holy Spirit that was now living inside me, brought a burning conviction. Trying to guide me away from self destruction. I seared my conscience as I lived a double life. God's grace was good, and I am so grateful that he pursued me. It was my understanding, if I said a prayer I would go to heaven. I didn't understand that I was surrendering my life to Jesus, just as He surrendered His life for me on the cross. Jesus tells his followers to deny themselves daily, pick up their cross daily, and follow Him (Matthew 16:24). He also says, put your hand to the plow and don't look back (Luke 9:62). Oh man! I was young and afraid I would miss out on life. What a lie of the enemy. The old man will try to stay alive, but you now have the Holy Spirit, who Jesus sent to live inside you. The Holy Spirit will guide you, teach you, and empower you to live new. Our new life grows and matures as we surrender and yield to the Holy Spirit. It is also important to spend time with Christian friends who have been walking it out longer than you. Remember, you didn't say a prayer to get to heaven you said a prayer to get heaven inside you. The Early Church Baptized Immediately Matthew 28:16-20  "Then the eleven followers went to Galilee. They went to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw Jesus, they worshiped Him. But some did not believe. Jesus came and said to them, “All power has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go and make followers of all the nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to do all the things I have told you. And I am with you always, even to the end of the world.” So today my friend, don't just put one foot in the grave and keep the rest of your old man alive. Go both feet in and get baptized. I promise the joy and freedom you get in Jesus is far greater than the lies of the world. It is the goodness of God that leads to repentance. Go all in and you will get a taste of Him and see how good He is and nothing else will matter. Jesus instructed that you can't be friends with the world and serve Him. Everything I held out for wasn't worth it and if anything, brought pain into my life.

Ryan Gilroy grew up in a normal home, but a deep emptiness led to depression and no hope. Eventually deciding suicide was the answer if there was no God. He set aside 1 week to find out. Hear what he learned.

Debra Smith was delivered from alcoholism instantly by the power and grace of God after a suicide attempt.