Baptism Sunday at LEV Church | Run the Race, Pass the Faith
Baptism Sunday at LEV Church
Run the Race, Pass the Faith
There are moments in the life of a church that remind us just how beautiful it is to follow Jesus together. Moments when faith becomes visible through the decisions people make, the families standing together, and the joy of watching lives transformed by the love of God. This past Baptism Sunday at LEV Church was one of those moments. We had the privilege of celebrating four children dedicated to the Lord and five people publicly declaring their faith in Jesus through baptism. It was a morning filled with joy, prayer, encouragement, and a powerful reminder that the faith we carry was never intended to end with us.
Before the dedications and baptisms, Pastor Jordan Bousum shared a message from Hebrews 12 about the race of faith that every believer has been called to run. What made the message especially meaningful was how naturally it connected to everything we would celebrate that morning. The families dedicating their children were making a commitment to intentionally cultivate faith in the next generation, while those being baptized were publicly declaring their decision to follow Jesus. Both were expressions of something much greater than a single moment. They were reminders that following Jesus is a lifelong journey, one that requires endurance, intentionality, and a willingness to pass on what God has entrusted to us.
The Race of Faith Requires Endurance
In Hebrews 12:1-2, believers are encouraged to lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily entangles us, and to run with endurance the race set before us, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. It's an interesting picture because Scripture doesn't describe our relationship with Jesus as a race that simply requires a strong beginning. Instead, we're called to run with endurance, recognizing that the journey of faith will involve challenges, obstacles, and seasons that require perseverance.
Most of us know what it feels like to begin something with excitement. We start a new endeavor with enthusiasm, convinced that we're ready for whatever lies ahead. Yet somewhere along the way, we discover that the excitement of beginning and the endurance required to continue are two very different things. Pastor Jordan illustrated this through her own experience as a young athlete. Having grown up enjoying races and regularly winning them, she assumed joining the cross-country team would be another opportunity to succeed. It didn't take long for her to discover that being a fast runner and having the endurance to run long distances were entirely different abilities.
There's a valuable spiritual lesson in that distinction. Passion and enthusiasm are wonderful things, and they often help motivate us to take our first steps of faith. But enthusiasm alone cannot sustain us through every season of life. There will be moments when circumstances become difficult, when prayers seem unanswered, when relationships are strained, or when following Jesus requires more perseverance than we anticipated. In those moments, we discover why Scripture places such importance on endurance. Our faith must become more than something we're excited about when life is going well. It must become the foundation upon which we continue to stand when life becomes difficult.
Thankfully, the endurance we're called to develop isn't dependent upon our own strength or ability to navigate every situation perfectly. Hebrews reminds us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the One who has already endured the cross and completed the work of redemption. He is both the author and finisher of our faith, which means our confidence rests in His faithfulness rather than our own perfection. We may encounter difficult terrain along the way, but we can continue moving forward because we know the One we're following.
Remembering God's Faithfulness Along the Way
One of the greatest challenges to endurance is our tendency to become distracted by what's happening around us. We see this throughout the Israelites' journey from Egypt toward the Promised Land. God had miraculously delivered them from generations of slavery, demonstrated His power through extraordinary signs, and promised to lead them into a land of their own. Yet when the journey became uncomfortable, they began questioning whether they should have left Egypt at all. Their immediate circumstances became so overwhelming that they temporarily lost sight of the faithfulness of the God who had delivered them.
It's easy to read their story and wonder how they could have forgotten everything God had done, but their struggle is remarkably familiar. We, too, can find ourselves so consumed by the difficulties of the present that we lose sight of God's faithfulness in the past. A disappointment, an unexpected challenge, or a season of uncertainty can begin to dominate our attention until the promises of God seem distant compared to the problems immediately in front of us.
This is one reason the instruction in Hebrews 12 is so important. We're told to lay aside the things that weigh us down and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. Sometimes those weights are obvious patterns of sin that need to be surrendered, but other times they involve the discouragement, offense, fear, or disappointment we've allowed to accumulate along the way. Left unattended, those things can gradually affect our willingness to continue pursuing God. We may still believe in Him, but somewhere along the journey we've stopped actively participating in the life of faith He has called us to live.
Perhaps you've experienced a season like that yourself. Maybe something happened that left you hurt or discouraged, and without even realizing it, you began pulling away from the things that once strengthened your relationship with Jesus. You might still attend church, celebrate what God is doing in other people's lives, and genuinely want others to grow in their faith, while quietly feeling as though your own race has come to a standstill. Yet the invitation of Scripture remains. We are encouraged to lay aside what has hindered us, turn our attention back to Jesus, and continue running the race set before us.
God's faithfulness doesn't disappear when our circumstances become difficult. In fact, some of the greatest opportunities to develop endurance come through the very seasons when we must choose to trust Him despite what we see around us. As we learn to remember His faithfulness and hold tightly to His promises, our faith becomes something that can endure beyond the excitement of a new beginning.
Passing the Baton of Faith
While Hebrews 12 reminds us to run with endurance, another important question emerges as we consider the purpose of our journey. What are we doing with the faith we've received, and how are we helping others discover the same faithfulness of God that we've experienced?
In Deuteronomy 6, God instructed the Israelites to love Him with all their heart, soul, and strength. These words were to remain upon their hearts, shaping their lives and influencing the decisions they made. But God's instruction didn't end with their personal devotion. He commanded them to teach His words diligently to their children, speaking of them while sitting at home, walking along the road, lying down, and rising in the morning. Their relationship with God was never intended to remain an isolated personal experience. It was meant to become part of the everyday rhythms of life, influencing the generations that followed.
Pastor Jordan connected this passage to the experience of running a relay race. Unlike an individual race, a relay requires runners to work together toward a shared finish line. Each person has a portion of the race to complete, but the success of the team depends upon more than individual speed. One of the most important moments occurs when the baton is passed from one runner to another. During her years running track, Pastor Jordan recalled how much time her team spent practicing that exchange. They learned one another's pace and stride, developing the timing and coordination necessary to pass the baton without losing momentum.
That picture beautifully illustrates something essential about the Christian life. The faith we carry is not something we're meant to hold indefinitely without sharing. God has entrusted us with the opportunity to influence others, encourage their relationship with Jesus, and help them discover what it means to follow Him. Whether we're raising children, mentoring younger believers, building friendships, or simply living faithfully in our everyday environments, our lives are continually communicating something about what we believe.
The question is not whether we're passing something on, but what we're passing on. Our words, attitudes, priorities, and actions all influence the people around us. We can unintentionally pass along fear, bitterness, insecurity, or spiritual indifference, just as we can intentionally cultivate faith, forgiveness, generosity, and a genuine love for Jesus. None of us will do this perfectly, but recognizing the influence we've been entrusted with should encourage us to become more intentional about how we live.
There's another important detail in the picture of a relay race. A runner cannot successfully pass the baton to someone who isn't close enough to receive it. The exchange requires proximity, relationship, and a willingness to move together. In much the same way, passing on faith requires more than offering occasional advice or telling someone what they should believe. It involves walking alongside people, allowing them to see our faith expressed through everyday decisions, and creating opportunities for them to experience the goodness and faithfulness of God for themselves.
This calling isn't limited to parents or those who serve in formal ministry positions. Every follower of Jesus has opportunities to encourage and strengthen the faith of others. The people God has placed in our lives may be looking to us for an example of what it means to trust Him, even when we don't realize they're watching. As we continue running our own race, we have the privilege of helping others move forward in theirs.
Celebrating Four Child Dedications
This understanding of passing on faith made the child dedications especially meaningful. As four children were brought before the church, their families publicly expressed a desire to raise them in a way that honors God and helps them develop a personal relationship with Jesus. These moments were not simply about celebrating the arrival of children into their families, although every child is certainly worth celebrating. They represented an intentional commitment to steward the precious lives God has entrusted to them.
At LEV Church, we practice child dedication rather than infant baptism because we believe baptism is a personal declaration of faith in Jesus Christ. Dedication provides an opportunity for parents to publicly acknowledge their desire to raise their children according to God's Word, recognizing that their greatest responsibility is not to manufacture faith in their children, but to cultivate an environment where they can come to know and love Jesus for themselves.
That distinction is important because no parent can guarantee the spiritual decisions their children will eventually make. What parents can do, however, is faithfully demonstrate what it looks like to follow Jesus. They can pray with their children, teach them the Scriptures, model repentance and forgiveness, and help them recognize God's presence in the ordinary moments of life. They can also acknowledge their own imperfections, showing their children that a life of faith is not about pretending to have everything figured out, but about continually turning toward the Lord.
During the dedication, Pastor Jordan presented the families with batons as a tangible reminder of the spiritual legacy they have the opportunity to pass on. The symbolism connected beautifully with the message from Hebrews and Deuteronomy, emphasizing that the faith we carry is meant to influence the generations that follow. As the families stood together, prayers were offered over each child and the unique purpose God has for their life, as well as over the parents and extended family members who will help encourage them along the way.
Perhaps one of the most meaningful aspects of child dedication is that it reminds us parenting was never intended to be an isolated journey. As a church family, we have the opportunity to come alongside parents, offering encouragement, prayer, friendship, and practical support through the many seasons of raising children. We recognize that families will experience both beautiful moments and difficult ones, and we want them to know they have people who will walk alongside them through it all. When we dedicate children at LEV, we're not simply celebrating the commitment of their parents. We're also acknowledging our shared opportunity to help create a community where the next generation can grow in their understanding and love of Jesus.
Celebrating Five Baptisms and New Life in Christ
Following the dedications, the celebration continued as five people publicly declared their faith in Jesus through baptism. Each person stepped into the water with a unique story, representing different experiences, backgrounds, and journeys of faith. Yet despite those differences, they were united by the same declaration that Jesus Christ is Lord and that their lives belong to Him.
Baptism is one of the most beautiful expressions of our identification with Jesus. In Romans 6:4, Paul explains that we were buried with Christ through baptism into death so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead, we also should walk in newness of life. The act of going beneath the water and rising again provides a visible picture of the transformation that takes place when someone places their faith in Jesus. Our old life no longer defines who we are, because through Christ we've been made new.
That doesn't mean every challenge immediately disappears or that the journey ahead will be without difficulty. Rather, baptism publicly acknowledges a new identity and a new direction. It declares that our lives are no longer centered upon ourselves, but upon the One who gave His life for us. We belong to Jesus, and we desire to follow Him with everything we are.
Throughout the baptisms, the connection to Pastor Jordan's message became increasingly evident. One especially meaningful moment involved multiple generations of a family gathered around a young person being baptized. A grandfather spoke about watching his daughter and son-in-law faithfully raise their family with Jesus at the center of their lives. In that moment, the congregation witnessed a beautiful example of faith being passed from one generation to another. What had been described earlier through the illustration of a relay race was now unfolding before our eyes.
Another baptism involved someone who had walked with the Lord for decades and felt prompted to publicly renew his commitment to Christ. His story was a reminder that the race of faith isn't only about those who are just beginning. It also involves those who have faithfully walked through many seasons of life, experienced both victories and hardships, and continue choosing to follow Jesus. Whether someone is taking their first steps of faith or renewing their commitment after many years, every decision to pursue Christ is worthy of celebration.
As each person came out of the water, the church responded with joy and encouragement. These weren't merely ceremonial moments or traditions we were observing. We were celebrating real people, real stories, and the transforming work of Jesus in their lives. Every baptism was a reminder that God continues to draw people to Himself and that the Gospel remains just as powerful today as it has ever been.
A Legacy of Faith Worth Passing On
As we reflect on this Baptism Sunday, the significance of what we celebrated extends well beyond a single gathering. Four children were dedicated to the Lord, five people were baptized, and an entire church family was reminded of the responsibility and privilege of walking together in faith. Each of those moments represents an ongoing journey, one that will continue unfolding long after the celebration has ended.
For the families who dedicated their children, the journey will be filled with opportunities to demonstrate God's love, teach His Word, and encourage their children to discover Him personally. For those who were baptized, the journey involves continuing to grow in their relationship with Jesus, learning to trust Him through every season, and living out the new identity they've received in Christ. And for the rest of us, the responsibility remains to encourage, disciple, support, and walk alongside one another as we pursue the purposes of God together.
Perhaps that's one of the most encouraging aspects of the picture presented in Hebrews 12. Although each of us has a race set before us, we were never intended to run it in isolation. We belong to a much larger family of faith, surrounded by the testimony of those who have gone before us and strengthened by the relationships God has placed around us today. We have opportunities to encourage someone who is weary, help someone who has stumbled, celebrate someone who is growing, and invest in those who are just beginning their journey.
At LEV Church, our desire is to love people where they are, lead people toward Jesus, and launch people to live on mission. Baptism Sunday was a beautiful expression of that mission, but it also reminded us that our calling continues throughout the ordinary moments of everyday life. The conversations we have, the relationships we build, the encouragement we offer, and the example we set all contribute to the spiritual legacy we're leaving behind.
Wherever you find yourself in your own journey of faith, there's encouragement to be found in this message. If you're just beginning, remember that following Jesus is a lifelong relationship that will continue growing as you walk with Him. If you've been running for years, don't lose sight of the faithfulness of the One who has carried you this far. And if you've found yourself discouraged or distracted along the way, remember that you can turn your attention back to Jesus and continue moving forward.
We are deeply grateful for every family and individual who participated in this Baptism Sunday, and we celebrate what God is doing in each of their lives. As we look ahead, our prayer is that the faith being cultivated today will continue bearing fruit for generations to come. May we be people who run with endurance, keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, and faithfully pass on the hope we've received to those who follow after us.