Planting and Watering

It has been an exciting month of baptisms here at Huntingdon. Praise God! I am reminded of what 1 Corinthians 3:6 says, “God was causing the growth.” Sometimes we get hung up on who baptized a person. Sometimes one person taught another person the gospel all by themselves, but the reality is that when we see an immersion into Christ, there are usually many who played a part in that conversion.

Let’s think about those young people. Who has poured into their lives? Maybe there were parents, grandparents, or family of some kind who have planted seeds, prayed, or allowed them to come to services. Maybe there are friends who have set good examples or said encouraging words. Do not forget about those in the cradle roll classes who have shown the love of Jesus and laid a foundation in God’s word. How about those who have shown kindness by preparing and serving food or driving the bus, etc. Then there are the teachers and helpers and others striving to live Christ out in front of them. The list could go on. For those of you who are helping plant and water for God, thank you. If you are not, what can you do to plant and water for God? We need the whole church making that a priority in their lives.

That is just where the work begins. In class the other night, we got into a discussion about following up with new Christians. We do a good job of getting folks to baptism, but once they are baptized, we seem to turn them loose. How can you continue to help new converts grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus? I heard someone say that every new Christian needs a friend and a job. How about making it your mission to get to know them and be their friend? If you do something here at church, encourage them to get involved. They might fit in your work or maybe not. If not, help them find something else. Let’s not forget them but bring them into the family of God.