My Baptism

As some may know or may not know, depending on whether I told you, I was baptised last Sunday at my home church. The service went really well as I was baptised with one of my best friends and had some relatives come as a surprise. The luncheon was great - as always - and fed everyone really well. Unfortunately Jo, my sister, couldn't come back from Albury so she missed out but will get to see a video at a later date.

It was a great weekend too as Jonny came down and we got a couple of games of squash in.

Below is my Baptism Testimony which I hope you enjoy reading:

Baptism Testimony

Most of you would know that I was born in Timboon and have lived here for most of my life. I am so thankful to God for the rock-solid Christian foundations that were laid for me. My parents have raised me in a loving Christian family, instilling positive attitudes from the beginning. My grandparents are incredible role models and a huge encouragement in how they live their lives for Christ. This church has also played a huge part in building the foundations and furthering spiritual development through Sunday school, youth group, church services, prayer and more. I feel I take so much of this support for granted but I truly am thankful to God for it. (2 Corinthians 9:15 – “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift(s)!”)

When I was 7, I was doing a mailbox club lesson that Mum does (no postage costs at home) and at the end it asked whether I wanted to make a decision to accept Jesus into my life – and that was when I accepted Him into my life. Of course at the age of 7 you do not fully understand how you should follow Jesus, etc and so I kept learning more about Jesus through church, R.E., mailbox club and more. It wasn’t until I was about 15 or 16 (and in Year 9 or 10) when God really challenged me to live for Him and to follow up on my earlier decision. This was the decision to keep following Jesus or to turn away and go my own way. Obviously I chose to follow Jesus which meant that I needed to make that known at school to friends and anyone I met by the way I live.

Moving away from home to Ballarat for uni was a pretty big change and it has changed me. God has taught me more about myself and how He wants me to live for Him. Looking back on the move I can see how God was in control of it all to make everything to work out really well. This has helped increase my faith – knowing that He is always there, He listens to my prayers and that He has a plan for my life. God continues to reveal new things to me all the time and I am growing in Him. I know that if I am following His will then that is the best place to be.

There is a particular sentence in a song that I know that is very challenging and God has used it to help me let Him be in control of my life, rather than me trying to do what I think is right.

You don’t ask too much, You just want my everything – The Lads, “Call My Name”

In the last year or two, this has been God’s biggest challenge to me in giving everything to Him for His glory. At the Planet shakers conference I went to at the start of this year, God challenged me to step out in faith and to rely on Him for everything.

The reason I am getting baptised is in following Jesus’ example of being baptised by full immersion as he came up out of the water, and being obedient to Him by dedicating my life to Him. It is also a great opportunity to share what God has done in my life and can do in yours as well (and much more), only if you let Him.

I am excited at what God has planned for my life because the next year is only the beginning with Ballarat mission and then Kenya early next year. Who knows what He has planned but I don’t need to worry about that.

Hymn 849 says that I am not skilled to understand, what God hath willed, what God hath planned; I only know at His right hand, is One who is my Saviour!

Galatians 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

I will live my life for Him……..