Jesus said in Matthew 28 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit". Citylight Church believes and practices believer’s baptism. Baptism is an outward expression of an inward faith in Jesus Christ. It is a picture of God’s grace, His love, forgiveness, and mercy. Jesus took those who were lost, and He found them. He sought them and saved them. He took those who were dead, and He made them alive. This past Sunday at the West location, brothers and sisters in Christ publicly declared that truth through their baptism. Below is just one of their stories.
Logan Thomas:
“My parents baptized me as an infant at the Lutheran church I grew up in. Throughout my High School and college years I fell away from the faith. I was looking for my meaning and purpose and value in all the wrong things. I wanted to know my place in the world. I felt empty. There was nothing that was fulfilling. The things that I thought would fulfill me only left me wanting more. I felt despair. My future felt dark. I remember being surrounded by people who didn’t care. They were so set on the things that most college students do at that age. They didn’t seem to mind but I felt like it was empty. I knew I was missing something.
I had some friends who were strong in their faith. They reached out to me regularly and shared truth and helped me to understand what the gospel meant. They invited me to a Bible study, and I began to see. I felt compelled and convicted. I felt heavy. A lot of my past brought me to tears and all of it began to shed away ... All the sins and burdens I carried. The effort I was trying to build myself and couldn’t was taken by Jesus. I confessed and submitted my life to Jesus.
The last couple of years I have been learning more about my faith again. Shortly after turning to God and getting saved, everything after that has been beautiful. One was meeting my wife nine months later. Another blessing was a strong community of believers to do life with. Instead of being bombarded with worry from the world, I’ve been given truth to navigate the world. I have been freed, and my eyes have been opened.
Looking back and knowing where I have come from and what I went through, I would tell myself and anyone that hasn’t submitted to Jesus to open your eyes, open your Bible, and submit to Christ. Jesus saves. I would then say get baptized. Baptism, I think, is one of the most important steps to admitting and submitting to Jesus.
Today, my wife is baptizing me. Since I met her 2023, she has been helping me to take the right steps. She pushes me to be better and towards the next step. She helps me and I want to strive for things and to lead. It is better to have someone like her behind me and supporting me. I love her and I am thankful for her. And I am thankful for my Citylight family. Thank you for being there in life and giving me a place to vent and learn and grow.”
