Embracing Belonging: Baptism, Prayer, and Communion

Devotional

Day 1: Baptism as a Symbol of New Life in Christ

Baptism is an outward sign of an inward transformation, a public declaration that one has died to self and is now alive in Christ. It is a powerful picture of Jesus’ death and resurrection, symbolizing the cleansing from sin and the beginning of a new life in God’s family. Through baptism, believers proclaim their belonging to God’s covenant community and their commitment to follow Jesus as King. Just as wedding vows mark the start of a marriage, baptism marks the start of a life surrendered to Christ, celebrated by the church as a joyful moment of spiritual rebirth. [18:13]

Romans 6:3-4 (ESV)
"Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life."

Reflection: What does it mean for you, today, to live as someone who has been raised to new life in Christ? Is there an area where you need to let go of your old self and embrace the new?

Day 2: Prayer as Honest Connection with God

Prayer is not about posturing or hiding; it is about bringing your full, honest self before God. God invites you to come as you are—with your strengths, weaknesses, joys, and frustrations—knowing that He can handle it all. In prayer, you are encouraged to be genuine, to speak openly, and to trust that God desires real connection with you. This honest conversation with God is the foundation for a deepening relationship, where you can experience His love, correction, and perspective. [39:13]

Psalm 62:8 (ESV)
"Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us."

Reflection: What is one thing you have been holding back from God in prayer? Take a moment today to pour out your heart to Him, honestly and without reservation.

Day 3: Abiding in Christ—Remaining Connected to the Vine

Jesus calls His followers to abide in Him, to remain connected like branches to the true vine. This abiding is the source of spiritual sustenance, perspective, and transformation. When you rest in Christ, you draw life from Him, allowing His presence to renew your mind and shape your actions. Abiding is not a one-time event but a continual returning, resting, and receiving from Jesus, who invites you to make Him the center of your life each day. [01:07:58]

John 15:4-5 (ESV)
"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."

Reflection: In what practical way can you intentionally abide in Christ today—perhaps through a moment of stillness, prayer, or Scripture meditation?

Day 4: The Power of Praying Together in Community

Praying with others is a vital part of spiritual growth and belonging. When believers gather to pray, they learn from one another, support each other, and experience God’s presence in unique ways. The courage to pray for and with others, even when it feels awkward or intimidating, opens the door to blessings and deeper connection within the church. God often nudges His people to step out in faith and pray for someone, and responding to that nudge can bring encouragement, healing, and unity. [01:03:30]

Matthew 18:19-20 (ESV)
"Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."

Reflection: Is there someone God is prompting you to pray with or for today? How can you take a step of faith to pray together, trusting God to work through your community?

Day 5: Confession and Renewal through Prayer

Prayer is a place to bring both your alignment with God and your brokenness, confessing the ways you fall short and seeking His renewing work. God invites you to come honestly, not in shame, but in the strength of who He says you are. Through confession, you open yourself to transformation, asking God to renew your mind and guide you in His will. This ongoing process of confession and renewal is essential for spiritual growth and living out God’s purposes in confusing and challenging times. [01:10:28]

Romans 12:2 (ESV)
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need God’s renewing work? Take time today to confess it to Him and ask for His transformation.

Sermon Summary

Today, we gathered in the goodness of God, welcoming His presence and opening our hearts to His work among us. We celebrated the powerful symbol of baptism, which is an outward proclamation of an inward decision to follow Jesus. Baptism is a vivid picture of dying to self and being raised to new life in Christ, a cleansing from sin, and an entry into the family of God. Just as wedding vows mark the beginning of a marriage, baptism marks our public commitment to Jesus, while communion serves as our ongoing renewal of that commitment, reminding us continually of our belonging in Christ.

Our church is in a two-year season focused on deepening our sense of belonging in Jesus, with practices like generosity, joy, scripture memorization, and, most recently, prayer. We looked at the disciples’ request, “Lord, teach us to pray,” and reflected on how Jesus’ life was centered on prayer in every circumstance—alone, with others, in joy, in sorrow, aloud, and in silence. Prayer is not just talking to God, but also listening, being still, and simply being with Him. We are invited to bring our honest selves before God, to listen for His voice, and to rest in His presence.

We heard from members of our prayer team, who shared their personal rhythms, joys, and frustrations in prayer. Their stories reminded us that prayer is both individual and communal, and that we learn from one another. Sometimes, God nudges us to pray for or with someone, and when we respond, we experience blessing and deeper connection. We were encouraged to cultivate a culture of prayer—not relying on our own strength, but on God’s, and to overcome our hesitations to pray with and for each other.

As we moved into a time of prayer, we brought our full selves—our confusion, frustration, and hope—before God, confessing our need for His renewal and comfort. We prayed for the Spirit’s help to love, forgive, and bless others, and we stood together to pray the Lord’s Prayer, receiving afresh the sustenance, forgiveness, and deliverance that only God can give. We ended by coming to the table of communion, renewing our vows to Christ, and proclaiming His faithfulness and life-giving power.

Key Takeaways

1. Baptism is a profound act of surrender and identification with Christ, symbolizing death to self, cleansing from sin, and entry into God’s family. It is not just a ritual, but a declaration that Jesus is now the center of our lives, and that we belong to a covenant community. This act calls us to continually remember and live out our new identity in Christ. [18:13]
2. Prayer is meant to be honest and holistic, encompassing both our words and our silence. God invites us to bring our true selves—our doubts, joys, frustrations, and hopes—without pretense. In this authenticity, we find deeper communion with God, who meets us in both our speaking and our stillness. [39:13]
3. The practice of prayer is not limited to private moments; it flourishes in community. Praying with others, learning from their experiences, and responding to God’s nudges to pray for someone else are vital ways God shapes us and blesses His church. When we overcome our fears and step out in prayerful support, we participate in God’s work among us. [58:24]
4. Spiritual renewal comes through confession and abiding in Christ. We are called to bring both our strengths and our brokenness before God, allowing Him to transform us by the renewing of our minds. This ongoing process of confession and dependence on Christ is what keeps us rooted and fruitful, especially in confusing and challenging times. [67:58]
5. Communion is our continual renewal of commitment to Jesus, reminding us of His faithfulness and the life He offers. In the midst of life’s chaos, we return to the table to remember His sacrifice, receive His grace, and proclaim our trust in Him as our sustenance and hope. This rhythm anchors us in God’s unchanging love and faithfulness. [80:05]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:45] - Opening Prayer and Introduction
[02:10] - The Meaning of Baptism
[07:30] - Baptism as New Birth and Cleansing
[13:00] - Baptism and Belonging to God’s Family
[18:13] - Celebrating Baptisms
[26:26] - Prayers for the Newly Baptized
[29:00] - Our Two-Year Focus: Belonging in Christ
[32:00] - Practices for Deepening Connection with God
[36:00] - The Disciples’ Request: Teach Us to Pray
[39:13] - Expanding Our Understanding of Prayer
[42:37] - Learning from the Prayer Team
[44:05] - Personal Rhythms and Joys of Prayer
[48:03] - Struggles and Encouragements in Prayer
[58:24] - The Power of Praying Together
[63:30] - Responding to God’s Nudges
[64:31] - Guided Time of Prayer and Confession
[71:47] - Praying the Lord’s Prayer
[80:05] - Communion: Renewing Our Vows to Christ

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Luke 11:1-4 (ESV) — > Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” And he said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.’”

Romans 12:2 (ESV) — > Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

John 15:4-5 (ESV) — > Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Observation Questions

In Luke 11:1, what did the disciples specifically ask Jesus to teach them, and how did Jesus respond?
According to the sermon, what are the three main symbols or meanings of baptism? [[02:10]]
What are some of the different ways Jesus modeled prayer in his life, as described in the sermon? [[36:00]]
What does Romans 12:2 say about how we are to be changed as followers of Jesus?

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, rather than to perform miracles or teach like he did? [[36:00]]
The sermon compared baptism to wedding vows and communion to renewing those vows. What does this comparison suggest about the ongoing nature of our relationship with Jesus? [[02:10]]
The prayer team shared both joys and frustrations in their prayer lives. What does this tell us about the reality of prayer for most believers? [[48:03]]
According to John 15, what does it mean to “abide” in Jesus, and how does this relate to the practices of prayer and confession mentioned in the sermon? [[01:07:58]]

Application Questions

Baptism is described as a public declaration of dying to self and being raised to new life in Christ. If you have been baptized, how does remembering your baptism shape your daily life and decisions? If you haven’t, what questions or hesitations do you have about it? [[02:10]]
The sermon encouraged bringing our honest selves to God in prayer—including doubts, frustrations, and hopes. What is one area of your life where you find it hard to be honest with God? What would it look like to bring that to Him this week? [[39:13]]
The prayer team talked about the importance of praying with others and learning from each other. Who is someone you could ask to pray with you this week? What holds you back from praying with others? [[58:24]]
The sermon mentioned that sometimes God nudges us to pray for or with someone, but we hesitate. Can you recall a time when you felt nudged to pray for someone but didn’t? What might help you respond differently next time? [[01:03:30]]
Confession and abiding in Christ were highlighted as ways to experience spiritual renewal. Is there something you need to confess to God or to someone else? How can you make space for confession and renewal in your week? [[01:07:58]]
Communion is described as a regular renewal of our commitment to Jesus. How does participating in communion help you remember and live out your faith? Is there a way you can bring that sense of renewal into your daily or weekly routine? [[01:20:05]]
The sermon talked about practices like generosity, joy, scripture memorization, and prayer as ways to deepen our belonging in Christ. Which of these practices do you feel drawn to grow in right now, and what is one step you can take this week? [[32:00]]

Sermon Clips

Never do we see Jesus' friends saying, hey, teach us how to teach like you do so we could get like great crowds and wow the people. Teach us how to do awesome miracles... No, teach us Jesus how to have compassion on people like you do... What they said is teach us to pray.

If God says, hey, go up, go up, and I just think, I think this person needs some prayer, and I want, just go pray with them... maybe it's even, hey, go after service and sit with some of those people who pray, who are just here making themselves available to pray with you. And that the prayer offered in community, in genuine hunger and humility... all of a sudden God just breaks through.

Baptism is an outward sign, an outward proclamation of an inward decision. Baptism is a picture of what Jesus did for us—that he gave his life that we may have restored relationship with God. And that through his death comes resurrection, new life. [00:18:22]

When someone makes a decision to be baptized, they're saying a few things. They are saying, hey, I am dying to myself being the center of my life. I'm dead to self, alive in Christ. It's a symbol of new birth. It's also a symbol of a cleansing from sin. [00:18:47]

Baptism is like in marriage. You have the wedding vows, the actual marriage ceremony. Baptism is like that—like this one-time proclamation and decision saying, yeah, I'm a follower of Jesus. Where communion, which we will do at the end of service today, is like a weekly renewal of vows saying yeah, I continue to take it in, I continue to set it as a center, I continue to come back into this relationship and make it primary. [00:19:38]

Our church right now is in a two-year season, it's a focus as a church and the desire during these two years is for us, for everyone, for this church and all that come and are connected within it, to deepen our belonging in Christ, in Jesus, until everyone belongs. [00:35:06]

An outcome and an outgrowth of spiritual mature formation is the fruit of joy—the production of God's work of joy in our life. [00:36:02]

We see you praying alone, we see you praying in front of people, we see you praying during the day, we see you praying at night, we see you praying all night, we see you praying with laughter, we see you praying with tears, we see you praying aloud, we see you praying quietly. Jesus, we see this robust center of prayer in your life—teach us that. [00:38:28]

Teach us how to pray, to connect with God, to commune with the Father, to pray in such a way that it gives perspective, clarity, cleansing, authority, correction. Jesus, teach us to pray. [00:38:54]

Be honest. Bring your honest, genuine self. You don't posture in prayer, you bring the fullness of who you are. God can handle it. Don't hide. [00:39:38]

Sometimes even in this, like we go to ancient prayers and written prayers and the Lord's prayer and all the different ways. Then it was listening to God, praying where you shut up—sorry—praying where you be quiet, okay? Maybe some of you need to hear the first one, though. Well, we be quiet. We seek to hear from Him through His Word, through His Spirit, through His creation. He speaks. [00:40:00]

Prayer is in just being with God. Remember it? He looks at me. I look at Him. And we are happy. And just sitting in the profound truth, not a fluffy, over-sentimentalized, just God's beautiful love. Like it's God's heavy, beautiful, true reality of who He is and just being able to sit still with Him and in that. [00:40:37]

Let me be really clear with what I've hoped for for us as a community and us as a church these past few weeks. Number one, that we're stretched, that we're expanded in our understanding of prayer. That somehow it broadened or challenged your connection with God, your understanding of what prayer can be and what rhythms of prayer can be. [00:41:18]

I hope you prayed. You got honest with God. You heard His voice. You simply sat with Him. You said, man, I had this profound encounter just sitting with God and not needing to fill the space with noise and voice and activity. [00:41:51]

Man, I just hope, I hope all of us are so much more impressed with God. We just want to be more impressed with who He is. [00:42:44]

None of us have it all figured out, and one person's way of prayer might be different from another, but we can learn from one another. [00:43:45]

Part of the heart, me saying, man, let us grow in prayer, Lord. Let us know you and our connection with you and our own unique voice and your unique voice to us. But also part of that is a, they spoke of a culture of prayer. A congregation of church that relies not on ourself, but on the strength of God. [01:03:00]

I think God, a lot of times, has nudged people in this church to pray for, or to pray with someone. And we're too embarrassed, or scared, or don't know if we'll do it right, so we don't do it. And we lose a blessing. We lose a powerful word from God. [01:03:30]

When we talk, when we come to God, we do not hide. And sometimes in prayer, we know, God, God, you know us even better than we know ourself. So, Lord, we bring ourself to you. [01:04:59]

Jesus, you are the vine, you are the true vine, we are the branches, you invite us, you call us, you remind us, remain in me, abide in me, return and rest in me, let me be the sustenance and perspective for your life. Lord, we abide in you. [01:07:58]

We would not be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds. So that we could test, God, what your will is, your good, perfect, and pleasing will. Renew us. [01:10:16]

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