In this message, we explored the meaning of baptism by returning to Acts 2, where the earliest believers responded to the gospel with repentance and baptism. From the beginning, baptism was the first act of obedient faith and a public declaration of belonging to Jesus.

Drawing from Jesus’ own baptism, the Great Commission, and Romans 6, we saw that baptism is more than a symbol—it is a declaration that we have died with Christ and been raised to new life, and that our ultimate allegiance belongs to Him as Lord. Baptism also reminds us that to belong to Jesus is to belong to His people. Through the waters of baptism, we are joined to the body of Christ and called to live together as a family shaped by love, commitment, and shared life.

As we celebrated baptisms in our church family, we were invited to reflect on our own belonging—whether taking the step of baptism, remembering our baptism, or committing to receive and walk with one another as God’s people.