Aaron shares his story about finding faith and why he chose to get baptized.
I was resistant to accept Jesus because of my pride. I thought I had it all figured out. Like a lot of people, you go through life and you figure stuff out kind of on your own. You feel pretty confident that you don’t need anyone or anything and that you take pride in the fact that you are self-sufficient. But I found myself unexpectedly in a season where I needed a place to live. My friend suggested someone he knew who had a room for rent. After I moved in I discovered they had Bible study they hosted once a week. They asked me if I wanted to join and I had a LOT of questions about it and wondered what it was all about. My first week, they welcomed me with open arms and even welcomed all my questions. They didn’t have all the answers and weren’t preaching but they took time to struggle through the “big” questions. Delving into the Bible wasn’t as big and scary as it seemed in my head. Each week, I was getting to know others in the group and learning a lot. My questions got deeper and wider, and I realized I needed to ask more people than just those in my Bible study group. So I started reaching out to friends and family.
I happened to be with my aunt one day, so I asked her a bunch of questions and she stopped me mid-sentence and she said, “You know at some point you just have to choose to believe.” It was what I really needed to hear at that moment to get me over the threshold. I was able to put my pride aside, my past aside, and to take the leap of faith and say that’s it….. I believe!! In that moment it was such a freeing experience. It wasn’t long after that I decided to get baptized. The day I got baptized I just stood with tears in my eyes. I mean, it was an awesome feeling, I was so excited and just ready. That day was also committing to those I loved, that I was going to love something greater than myself. I can’t imagine our God not wanting us to think and to expand, to push ourselves out of our comfort zone, and to put our pride aside.
Today I can confidently share that God wants to push you outside your comfort zone. He wants to help you grow and will put things in front of you that are going to challenge you and maybe even cause you to ask your own questions. But I’ll warn you, it does take guts. It does. I mean, pride in our own experiences can really get in the way and cause us to think we know what we are doing on our own. If you are like me and maybe set in your way, it might feel like you don’t want someone to come in and change your ways. I’ll be honest it might feel very uncomfortable to go through change, especially as something as big as believing in God or stepping out in faith to get baptized. For me personally, now that I found God, I have a purpose, I have a destination, and confidence that no matter what comes my way God offers hope and a real peace. If you are ready to take that next step or you’d like to learn more about getting baptized go to eastside.com/baptism.
If you were inspired by this story, we would love to tell you more about Eastside. We have a relentless love and commitment for all to know God. We are committed to finding unique ways to serve in our local communities and help our global neighbors. We are passionate about finding solutions, building bridges, and bringing the love and hope of Jesus to hurting communities. We would love to invite you to join us in person or online. At Eastside we believe that this is a place for everyone, wherever you are on your journey. If you would like to find out more about Eastside, please visit eastside.com.
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In a world that rewards conformity and celebrates mediocrity, what does it mean to live a life of courage? What would it look like to get outside our comfort zones and have the boldness to expect more?
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