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Marti Byers, who is in the center in blue, was baptized into Christ on 4-17-11. Praise God! Marti and her husband Jeremy and son Braydon (4) came and visited us at the High Pointe Church of Christ about six months ago. I followed up on their visit, and I went out with Jeremy (on right in red) for coffee. There he shared how he wanted to strengthen his faith and that of his family.

Jeremy grew up going to church, but Marti did not. We invited them into our small group (which is the rest of the gang pictured above), and then Jeremy and Marti started going through a Story of Redemption study. This was the very first Bible study that Marti had ever had. (This is becoming more and more common for people in our culture. Because of this, The Story of Redemption assumes no Bible knowledge.) Throughout this time, Marti continued to study and grow. Their family really fit well into our small group, where they also received love and nurturing.

A couple of weeks ago in the study, I talked about how we did not have to know everything to make the decision to follow Jesus and be baptized. On Sunday, when we got to the end of the study, Marti said that this statement from two weeks ago had really opened her eyes. Previously, she had been approaching the study very academically (being a school teacher), thinking that she needed to know everything first. But she now knew that she just needed and wanted to make this decision for Christ and to start following him.

We really have loved getting to know and spend time with the Byers family. Marti's learning the gospel story for the first time really gives this story a fresh perspective. In fact, it helps us rediscover the gospel all over again.

After the baptism, we went back to our house to share a meal. Then we read through 1 Peter as a group, as 1 Peter is thought by many to be a baptismal or post-baptismal sermon. We each read about a chapter, and then we shared how we thought that particular chapter applied to someone who had just been baptized. When you do this, the baptismal themes and themes for new Christians just pop out all over the place! Then I had each of us a share with Marti something that has been helpful for us in our Christian walk.

Please pray for Marti as she continues down the path of following Jesus!

³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time (1 Peter 1:3-5).

Have you read 1 Peter through a baptismal perspective? What themes do you see there that would apply to someone who has just been baptized?