What Does the Water Say? | Learning Guide

January 15th, 2023

10:15am I Facebook Live & Zoom

Watch last week's message here

Worship Lyrics

Title

What Does The Water Say?

Text

John 1:14-18, 29-34

Introduction:

My favorite mode of river travel these days in my Stand Up Paddle Board or SUP. This has become my preferred mode of navigating the Buffalo, Kings and Mulberry primarily because of what I can see. The angle you get from standing, not on the bank, but on the river from a SUP provides a view you can’t get from sitting in a canoe or kayak. Not just the view down into the waters, but also along the banks and, maybe most importantly, ahead. You have more warning of snags and submerged rocks and rapids, more time to anticipate what you need to do to be ready. It places you in a different relationship to the environment.

In a way, so does our baptism. Let’s dig in this week and see what we can find.

Grace and peace y’all,

John Ray and the teaching team.

Big Idea:

The baptism of Jesus reveals much about Him. Our baptism reveals much about us.

Take Away:

Few of us consider the long range and far reaching implications of our baptism. We need to recognize it is an essential revealing of deepest identity. We need to let it continue to form us more and more into the image of Christ.

How does this fit with Belong, Become, Believe?

Baptism demonstrates our radical belonging in Jesus. This happens not at the end of some process of perfecting or transformation, but is the start of it. This is one reason we start with belonging at Grace. This is what initiates and shapes our becoming. Our experiences with baptism form and are formed by our beliefs.

What's Next?

Jesus and Satan go head to head in the wilderness.

Contact Grace Church NWA here