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BaptismNext%Steps

Let’s% br eak%down%what%just%happened.%John,%a.k.a.,% John%the % Baptist,% was%Jesus’% older%c ousin.%He% spe nt%his%life%telling%people%about%the%day%that%a%man%would%come%to%baptize%people%and%free%them%of%their%sins.%John%was%shocked%when%Je sus%asked%to%be%baptize d% by%him.%Why%would%a%man%who%never %committed% a%sin%need%to%be%baptized?%Because,%as%Je sus%explained%in%verse%15,%it%is%God’s%will.%If%the%Son%of%God,%sinless%and%blameless was%baptized,% shouldn’t%we%do%the % same?% We%sin%every% day,%we%desperately% need% a%savior.%We%define%sin%as%doing%something%God%said%not%to%do,%or%not%doing%something%He%said%to%do.%Anytime% you%are%unkind,%tell%a%little%white%lie,%ignore%someone%who%is%in%need,%anything%that%isn’t%loving%and%respectful%towards%God%or%the%people%around%us.The% “d o v e”% -like%spirit%that%came%down%from%heaven%was%the % Holy%Spirit.%When%we%are%baptized,% we%also%rec eive % the %Holy%Spirit.% %It’s%God’s%way%of%always%being%with%you%and%guiding%you.%The%Bible %loves%to%use%symbols%and%metaphors%to%get%its%messages% across.%The% most% important%one%is%baptism.%Baptism%is%a%sym bol%of%Jesus’%dea th%and%resurrect ion.%When%we%go%under%the%water,%we%die%to%our%old%sinful%selves%and%com e%up%as%a%ne w%person%in%Christ .%It%is%a%commitment% in%front% of%other%Christians%to%follow%Christ.But%eve n%more%than%a%symbol,%baptism%is%a%mom ent% you%will%never%forget%as%you%be gin%a%lifelong%journe y%as%a%follower% of%Jesus.THE$BIBLE$ON$BAPTISMRead$Matthew$3:13-17$On$Je sus’$Baptism

Imme diately% afte r%Jesus%was%Bapt ized% he%face d%temptation%from%the%devil%himself.% Not%onc e%did%he%fall%to%temptation.% Meanwhile,%we%find%it%hard%enough%to%avoid%eating% that% last%slice% of% pizza.% Jesus%relied% on% his%heavenly%father%for%supp ort%by%praying%and %qu oting%scripture.%He%didn’t%r ely%on%his%own%str ength.%If%we%r ely%on%our%own%st re ngt h,%we%will%fail%t he%m ajority%of%the%t ime.Deciding%to%follow% Jesus% doesn’t% mean% our% lives%become%easier,% it%means%we% become% a% bigger%target% for% temptation.%People%will%want%to%see%us%slip%up.%But,%we%gain%a%community% of%other%Christians%to%help%us%grow.%We%also%gain%the %Holy%Spirit. %We%c an%re ly%on%the%st rength%of%God%to%face%any%of%our%tr oubles.%Tips:$• When%you%are%struggling%with%a%temptation,% pray%about%it.%Tell%God%what’s% going%on.• Tel l% a% close% fr i en d %wh en % y o u %ar e% str u g gl ing.% It’s% har d %to %face%temptatio n%alone.%TEMPTATIONRead$LUKE$4:1-13$On$Jesus’$Temptation

God%calls%us%to%be%in%community% with% one%another,%to%encourage% each% other%through% difficulty%and%temptation.% If%you%don’t%already%have%a%commu nity%of%Christians,%find%a%church,%find%a%youth%group.% The%church%is%the% place% to%wrestle%with% our% faith%inside %a%safe%space .%If%we%separate %our selves%from%the%church,%we%lose%the%oppor tunity%to%wrestle%and%to%learn%how%to%live %out%our%faith%outside%the %church.%Yo u % need%people%who%will%help%you%grow%in%your%faith,%ask%the%tough%questions%and%he lp%give%you%answe rs.%People%who%will%c elebrate % the %big%mome nts% and%comfort%you%in%the %bad%ones.%Challenge:Find % and%accountability%partner.%A%fellow%Christian%and%friend%who%will%encourage%y ou.%Someone%you%will%call%you%out%when%you%slip%up%and%help%p ull%you%up%when %you%fall.%We%were%never %meant% to%be% on%our%own.%Even%Jesus%had%his%disciples.COMMUNITYRead$Hebrews$10:24-25$On$Encouraging$Others

Prayer %is%one%of%the%most%important%ways%to%build%a%relationship%with% God.%Prayer%is%a%conversation,%simple% as%that.% Say%you% have%a% close%frie nd,% and%you%ghost%them,% does%your%relationship%with %that%person%get%any%better?%Do%you%grow%any%close r%to%that %pe rson?%Of%c ourse %not.%The %sam e%applies%to%your%relationship%with%God.Praying%can%seem% intimidating,%especially% if%you’r e%not%sure%what%to%say%or%do.%Let ’s% see%what%the %Bible%says%about%it:Read$Matthew$6:6-15$on$Je sus$lesson$on$Praye r.Tr y %beginning%each%pr ayer%by%thanking%God%for%the%good%things%he%has%done %in%your%life.%%Thank%him%for%everything%he%has%done,%is%doing,%and%will%do.%A cknowledge%how%awe some% he%is.%Then,%if%you%are%anxious%about%anything,%tell% him%about%it.% If%you% are%excited%about%something,% tell%him%about%it.%He%already%knows%everything%going%on%in%your %head,%but%he%still%wants%to%hear%it%from%you.%He%is%your%safe%space .%One%misc onception% is%that% God%works% like%a%genie.% That%we%can%send%up%our%reque sts%and%the%big%man%upstairs%will%grant%the m. %He%doe sn’t%give%us%e ve rything%we%w a nt%because%he%knows%what’s%best%for%you.%Trust%in%what%God%has%planned.%He%knows%ever ything%that%will%happen.%When%you%pray,%it%is%less%about%receiving%the%answer%you%want,%and%more%about%being%honest%with%God%and%ac knowledging%his%greatness.%%You%can%share%anything%with%him%at%any%time.%PRAYER

Praying%with%other%people%can%be%a% powerful%thing.% The re%is%a%sense%of%unity%that%comes%with%praying%for%each%other ’s%pr oblems%and%successes.% %Read$Matthew$18:20$ on$praying$ together.Tips:• It%is%easy%to%get%distracte d%when%praying.%Try%writing%out%your%pr ayer%in%a%journal.%This%can%help%focus%your %thoughts.% The n%down%the%road,% you%can%look%back%and%see%how%your%payers%have%been%answered.• Pray%for%other %people%on%a%daily%basis.%Even%the%people%who%annoy%you,%pray% t hat%some thing% great%will%happen%for%them.• If%something% is%re ally%bothe ring%you,%try%praying% out%lou d,%even%if%its%just%under%your%breath.%Yo u’ll%be%surprised%what%happe ns%when%you%have%to%organize %your%thoughts%into%wor ds.%PRAYER$– CONT.

The%Bible %has%a%reputation%for%being%ve ry%big%and%boring. %There% are%some %boring%mome nts,% but%there%are%also%some %CRA ZY%sto ries%in%th er e.%We’ve%all%heard %about%Jonah%and%the % whale,% how%Noah%survived%a%worldwide%flood%in% a%giant%boat,%and%a%young%boy%named%David%killing%a%giant.%But,%have%you%heard%of%when%a%donkey%yelled%at%its%master %for%ac ting%stupid?%Yes,%t he%donkey%actually% yelled%WORDS%at%his%master.%%(Numbers%22 :21 -35)%Or%what%about%a%when%some%boys%ke pt %making%fun%of%a%m an%for%be ing%bald,%so%the%man%called%out%two%bears%from% the% woods%to%maul%the%boys.%(2%Kings%2:23 -25)%Don’t%believe% me,%read%it%for%yourself!The%Bible %is%full%of%am azing%stories.%The %greatest% stories%are %those%of%God%displaying%his%powe r%and%love %for%mankind.%The%crazie st% one%is%the%story% of%a%man%who%people%admired,%a%man%who%did%amazing%things%for%other%people,%but%he%was%wrongfully%accused%of%crimes%he%didn’t%commit.% He%was% beaten% and%mercilessly% killed.% Sounds% like%the % plot%of%an%action%movie,%right?%The% man%in%this%story%was%Jesus.% The%most% mind-blowing%par t%of%the%stor y%was%when%he%came%back% from%the%DEAD%three %days%later!%That’s%not%nor mal,%but%it%happened.%Jesus%went%through%torture%and%de at h,%not%to%prote c t %some %big%sec re t % or%to%save%a%pr etty%girl,%but%simply%because% he%loved%all%of%us%so%much.%He%couldn’t%st a nd%the%t hought%of%hea ven%wit hout%ea ch%and%every%one%of%us.%REA D$THE$BIBLE

Read$2$Tim othy$3:16-17$on$the$import ance $of$the$Bible.$In%Bible%tim es,% G od%spoke%through%people%ca lled%pr ophets.%These%people%told%other%believe rs%what% God%had%to%say .%Then,%God%appointe d%spec ific% pe ople %to%write% down%his%message.% Each%story%in%the%Bible%comes%directly%from%our %heavenly%father.%Consider%th is%your%“road%map%to%life.”%It%give s%examples% of%t he%right%and%wrong%way%to%handle%situations.%Rea ding%the%God’s%word%is%how%we%get%t o%under stand%his%character,% how%we%begin%to%under stand%how%he%wants%us%to%live.%Reading%the%Bible%is%essential% to%growing%your%faith,Tips:• Find % a%reading%guide .%It%can%be%difficult%to%know%whe re%to%start%reading.% You%c an%find%daily%devotionals,% topic -based%guides,%etc.% In%the%Yo u Ver s ion Bible%App,%you%ca n%find % 10 0s%of%guides%and%devotionals.%• Read%with% other%people.%The%Bible%can%be%confusing,%so%it’s%fun%to%talk %things%through%with%other%people.REA D$THE$BIBLE$– CONT.

If%you’ve%h ear d%this%word,%you’ve%probably%h eard%it%in%reference%to%Jesus%and%his%12%disciples.% The%word%disciple%simply%means%a %follower,%belie ver,%or%admirer.%When%you%are %baptized,% you%bec ome % a%disc iple%of%Jesus.%Read$Matthew$28:18-20$on$our$Mission.This%is%our%mission%as%disciples%o f%Jesus.%Make%discip les,%who%make%disciples,%who%make %disciple s.% We%are%calle d% to%live%lives%u nashamed%o f %the%freedom%Jesus%gave%us.%O ur%ac tions%should%reflec t % the%beliefs%of%the%churc h%in%a%positive%light.%%It’s% not%our%responsibility%to%change%p eop le’s%h earts,%only%God%can%do%that.%It%is%our%r esponsibility%to%introdu ce%the m% to%Jesus.% But,% we%do%have %the%responsibility%to%love%others%unconditionally%and%r egardless%of%their %personal%beliefs,%just%as%Jesus%did.%Je sus%spent%time%with%the%misfits,%the%we irdos and%the%trouble%makers.%He% showed%love%to%people%who%followed%a%differ ent%r eligion.%He%didn’t%win%people%over %by%for cing%his%thoughts%onto%the m.% People%noticed%the%way%Jesus% treated%others%and%wanted%to%know%what%he%was%all%about.%He%share d%the%truth%with%love .%Read$John$4:1-44$on$Je sus’$talking$with$an$outcast.$The%Samaritan%woman%was%a%part%of%the%“rival”%culture%of%the % culture%Jesus% was%born% into.%The%Jews% and%the%Samar itans%were%not%supp osed%to%be%friends,%but%that%wasn’t%something%Jesus% let%stop%him.%DISCIPLESHIP

He%offered%her%this%“living%water,”% which%was%ac t ually% a%symbol%for%receiving% the%Holy%Spirit%and%new%life% through%Je sus.%Je sus%knew%e ve rything%this%wom an%had%done%and%the % sinful% life% she%was%leading.% He%loved%her%and%offered%her %new%life%in%spite%of%her %flaws.%She%was%worth%it%to%him,%just%like%we%are. %E a ch%a nd%e very%one %of%us%are%wort h%his%time,% his%sacrifice,% and%worth%his%forgiveness.%God%knows%everything% we%have%ever% done;%the% good,%the%bad,% and% the%ugly.%But,%he%still%wants%to%offer %us%new%life.%How%amazing%is%that!%Challenge:$• Tel l% a%friend%you%got%bapt ized% and%why%you%made%that%decision.%%• And%remember,% “I%am%with% you%always,%even% to%the%end%of%th e%age.”- Ma tthew%28: 20.DISCIPLESHIP$– Cont.YAY !Congratulations%on%either%th inking%about%getting%baptized%or%getting%baptized!%This%is%the%best%dec ision% of%your%life,%so%get%pumped.%This%marks%a%lifelong%journ ey%towards%a%relationship%with% God,%the%most% fulfilling%relationship%you%will% ever%be%a%part%of.% There%will%be%many%ups%and%downs,%but%you%have%a%new%chur ch%family%who%will%be%there%with%you%through%it%all.%%Get%hyped%and%welcome%to%the% family!