Baptism 09.08.2024
Caleb Fulmer
Before I had Jesus in my heart, I thought little about Jesus. I thought everything should be perfect and spent most of my life trying to make it so. I doubted my trust in Jesus. Going to church felt like a punishment for me at the time because it made me feel guilty for the bad things I did. I felt underserving of Jesus' love. Most of my time was spent toward school and games. I read the Bible little and rarely prayed.
But one day, on May 4, 2023, my little sister Lillian went missing. My whole family and I were stressed out and kept worrying that she wouldn't return. While the police were helping my mom outside, I was inside on my knees praying to the Lord and saying I didn't deserve for Him to give Lily back to me, but that I wanted Him to. A few minutes later, we found Lillian at a neighbor's house. A couple of nights later, I was crying and told my mom that my heart felt like a stone, cold and hard. My mom asked me if I felt like Jesus was in my heart or my head, and I didn't know. My mom then explained to me the difference between knowing Jesus in my head and feeling Him in my heart. That day, on May 9, 2023, I gave my heart to the Lord, which changed my life forever.
Even now, sometimes my head gets confused and I doubt the Lord is real, but every time that happens, I know that Jesus is the one and only true God because of how He makes my heart feel and how He answers my prayers.
When I was born my parents named me "Caleb David," which means bold and wholehearted, and they gave me these life verses.
I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart;
Before the "gods," I will sing your praise.
I will bow down toward your holy temple
and will praise your name
for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
That it surpasses your fame.
When I called, you answered me;
you greatly emboldened me.
May all the kings of the earth praise you, LORD,
when they hear what you have decreed.
May they sing of the ways of the LORD,
for the glory of the LORD is great.
Today I want to be baptized because I want people to know that I belong to Jesus. That He is mine and I am His forever. And you can be too.
Landon Martin
My name is Landon Martin. I go to Warwick High School, and I'm sixteen years old. I am very blessed to have grown up in a Christian household, and I've been going to church ever since I was born. I accepted God into my heart when I was six. But there was still one problem: I still felt the same as I did before, and I wasn't sure I truly surrendered my heart. As I grew up, I was maturing both physically and mentally, but not spiritually. Going to a public school can be a harsh environment, and I let my peers easily influence me. I let the world around me manipulate me which led to all those negative things reflected in my very thoughts and my actions. And I thought this was okay because I thought acting like everyone else would give me validation and that I'd be accepted by others. Now I realize that I shouldn't worry about what others think, and instead I should care what God thinks of me. To make things worse, life didn't get any better either. I kept constantly giving into the temptations of Satan which ultimately was what was separating me from a meaningful relationship with God. It was this repeating cycle of sin and repentance that caused me to feel trapped and like there was no way out. And this is where Jesus comes in. I knew that I wouldn't be able to do this on my own, I needed his help.
I fully surrendered my heart to Jesus while at Beach Camp this summer. I still don't fully know why it had to be that time, but clearly it was a part of God's plan for me so I knew that I had to trust in him and follow. While there wasn't one particular moment, it was more like all of the moments, interactions, and feelings from that week were just boiling up inside of me. And I immediately knew that it was Christ taking a hold of my heart. I still find it hard to believe, but I remember that while I was there, I could hear God speak to me, and it was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. There was no one else there with me, just God and myself. He told me that I needed to leave my old life of sin behind me and that I needed to be wiped clean so that I could live an eternal life with him. Then and there I knew that I had to repent. But this time it was different than the times before, I remembered that Jesus was standing right behind me, waiting for me, which is just so beautiful.
I no longer have this huge weight on my shoulders -- I'm no longer a slave to sin. Before I came to Christ, I struggled with finding true happiness, I was never satisfied with where I was in life, and I always wanted more. Now I know that I can't find happiness through earthly possessions, only can I find true happiness through God. Psalm 1:1-2 says, "Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night." I no longer have this huge weight on my shoulders, I'm no longer a slave to sin. I try to apply this piece of scripture in my life by always remembering there is something to be grateful for even when it seems like all is lost, and I can always find peace since I know that I have a relationship with Jesus which will always be more important than any relationship or object while here on earth. He is my savior, God sent him to earth to die for all of our sins, be the ultimate sacrifice, and not long after he ran out of that grave and was resurrected. He is my judge, and although I don't deserve to be forgiven for any sin that I have committed or am going to commit, time and time again his grace will always outweigh every sin that I will ever commit, and I am so grateful for that. Jesus is also a friend. Whenever all hope seems lost, he is always there for me when no one else is.
Obviously, my battle with sin will be an uphill battle, and it will never end until I am with Jesus in heaven, but I can have hope when I remember that the living God is living inside of me. The only thing that can wash away my sins is the blood of Jesus Christ. For the first time I feel like I have a purpose. I'm not quite sure yet what that purpose is, but I don't even need to worry because God has a plan for me, and I'll always be ready to follow that plan. I no longer fear death as I once did or question what will become of me. He has helped me have faith, trust that I have a place in heaven, and that joining him in heaven shouldn't scare me but instead be something that I can rejoice in. My baptism is a proclamation of what Jesus has done in my heart, and I want everyone to know that I have taken that step in faith by surrendering my heart to Jesus, and I hope that this can inspire others to do the same.