Here Scott’s story about why he decided to get baptized:
My name is Scotty B Giles, and I’ve been going to Eastside since 2016. I grew up in a large family on a big ranch. And what is interesting is that my parents always taught us, if you want to see Jesus, you gotta earn it. You gotta be the best kid you can be. And you know, that was indelible for me as a little boy because I grew up thinking, I have to work so hard.
Finally, one day I decided you know what if Christ doesn’t want me, I get it because I’m never going to be good enough. Around this same time, I had some friends who invited to go to Eastside. My thought was well it is just another church why not check it out?
What if Christ doesn't want me?
The weekend I came, Gene was giving a sermon talking about Jesus Christ, and he was talking about how Christ wanted us. It was the first time I heard that I was good enough. During the message Gene mentioned something about taking a class called Next Steps where I could learn more about Jesus Christ. So I went in and it happened to be week #2. During the class, they said how we are welcome at His table and that all Christ asked me to do was to be baptized in His name. That moment literally changed my life. I went straight from this class and decided to get baptized.
Shortly after that weekend, I began to boldly ask God what was next. I discovered He was calling me to go back to school and I became a chaplain. Today, I volunteer here at Eastside on the weekend as a pastor-on-call. I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to pray with people after services. More importantly, I’m expressing my love for Jesus Christ by sharing his love and helping others.
I want you to know something: wherever you are is just perfect. You can live your life knowing you are enough for Jesus Christ. He loves you today! You have never been more loved than you are today and God is calling you to a relationship.
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 strive to inspire ourselves and others to discover transformational change. 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.