Baptism Weekend | Menlo Church Live Stream

May 17, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Feet in the Floodwaters

The priests stood knee-deep in the Jordan’s current, ark heavy on their shoulders. No dry path yet. No miracle on the horizon. Only the command to step into floodwaters. Their sandals sank into river mud as the people held their breath. Then—the upstream waters piled like a wall. God didn’t part the river from a distance. He moved when obedience got wet. [36:04]

This moment redefined Israel’s relationship with God. He didn’t want theoretical trust from dry land. He wanted active faith that walks into impossible currents, proving His power grows brightest in human helplessness.

Where is your Jordan today? What step have you avoided because the risk feels too real, the outcome too uncertain? Pick one obedience you’ve postponed—a hard conversation, a surrendered habit, a “yes” to serving. Will you let your feet get wet before demanding a miracle?

“And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the LORD—the Lord of all the earth—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.”
(Joshua 3:13, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God for courage to take the first physical step toward what He’s calling you to do.

Challenge: Text one trusted friend today: “Pray for me as I ______ this week.” Name the specific step.

Day 2: Stones of Remembrance

Twelve men waded back into the dry riverbed, muscles straining against memorial stones. These weren’t pebbles—each rock weighed enough to leave calluses. Joshua stacked them at Gilgal, a visual sermon for future generations: “God brought us through.” The stones didn’t celebrate human achievement. They marked divine intervention. [40:34]

God built Israel’s memory muscle. Our hearts atrophy toward forgetfulness, minimizing past miracles when facing new trials. Physical memorials—communion, baptism, journal entries—rebuild our trust in God’s consistent character.

What “stone” have you neglected to stack? When did God last part a river for you, yet you rushed ahead without gratitude? Carve out 15 minutes today. Write one specific instance of God’s faithfulness in your notes app or a journal. Whose story needs to hear about that stone?

“In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them…the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over.”
(Joshua 4:21-23, NIV)

Prayer: Thank God for a specific breakthrough from your past. Ask Him to show someone who needs to hear that story.

Challenge: Place a physical reminder (a rock, photo, or verse card) where you’ll see it daily this week.

Day 3: Baptism as Your Jordan

The waters didn’t save the Israelites—God’s covenant did. But the river marked their transition from wanderers to conquerors. Baptism works the same way. Going under declares, “My old life is buried.” Rising up shouts, “Christ’s resurrection power lives in me.” Like those twelve stones, it’s a public marker for private grace. [43:30]

Jesus didn’t commission us to secret discipleship. Going public with baptism isn’t earning salvation—it’s erecting a memorial. It gives your community permission to ask, “What does this mean?” and you permission to testify.

Have you stayed silent about your faith journey because you fear awkwardness? Baptism isn’t about having a perfect story—it’s about pointing to a perfect Savior. Who in your life needs to hear you say, “Let me tell you what Jesus did”?

“We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead…we too may live a new life.”
(Romans 6:4, NIV)

Prayer: Confess any hesitation about publicly identifying with Jesus. Ask for boldness.

Challenge: If baptized, share your baptism story with one person this week. If not, email “I have questions about baptism” to your church.

Day 4: Crossing with Yeshua

Joshua (Yeshua in Hebrew) led Israel through water into promise. Jesus (Yeshua in Greek) leads us through death into life. The Jordan prefigured the ultimate crossing—when Christ’s resurrection split eternity open. His empty tomb is our Gilgal stone, proving no river of sin or brokenness can overwhelm His people. [45:57]

Every earthly Jordan—cancer, divorce, addiction—is a tributary to Christ’s victory. He doesn’t promise calm waters, but presence: “I crossed first. Follow My path.”

What flood threatens to drown you today? Write it down, then write Christ’s resurrection over it. How might this trial become a future testimony of His faithfulness?

“The LORD your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea…so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful.”
(Joshua 4:23-24, NIV)

Prayer: Name your current “flood” to Jesus. Ask Him to show you His already-crossed path.

Challenge: Write “Joshua 4:24” on a sticky note. Place it where you’ll see it during moments of overwhelm.

Day 5: No More Almost

A generation died in the desert, close enough to Canaan to taste its fruit but too afraid to fight for it. “Almost” became their epitaph. Joshua’s generation rejected that legacy. They chose blistered feet over barren regret, wet robes over wasted years. [52:29]

Jesus stands on resurrection’s shore, calling us from almost-obedience to wholehearted following. He’s not waiting for you to become fearless—He’s waiting for you to become His.

What “almost” have you tolerated? Almost forgiving? Almost sober? Almost serving? Almost believing? What one action—today—could shift you from spectator to crosser?

“Now then,” said Joshua, “consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you.”
(Joshua 3:5, NIV)

Prayer: Tell Jesus, “I’m done with almost. Today I choose ______.” Fill the blank with one concrete surrender.

Challenge: Do within 24 hours what you’ve postponed for months—schedule the counseling, delete the app, call the estranged relative.

Sermon Summary

We stand before a vivid portrait of moving from almost to arrival: a nation on the bank of the Jordan, a risky river before a promised land, and a community called to step forward. We remember four hundred years of promise, an exodus delayed by fear and wandering, and the moment when priests carried the ark into floodwaters so the people could follow. We see that God does not usually clear every obstacle before obedience; God often clears the path as our feet get wet. The miracle happened not when the crowd prayed from a safe distance but when obedient feet dipped into the riverbed.

We recognize baptism as a deliberate, public memorial shaped by that story. The twelve stones from the Jordan marked a deliverance for future generations, a way to remember God’s faithfulness when the next impossible river appears. Baptism functions the same way today: it does not save by water, but it names the saving work already accomplished in Christ. Going under the water images death to the old life; rising images resurrection into the new. That visible marker both testifies to the world and anchors our own memory.

We trace the story forward into the person and work of Jesus. Joshua’s crossing prefigures a greater crossing: Jesus steps into death so we can cross into life. The empty tomb becomes the ultimate memorial that validates God’s power to bring us through. The invitation stands plain and urgent: we do not have to die in the wilderness of almost. We may choose to step, to obey, to be marked, and to follow the one who already crossed for us.

We must act with intention. Consecration here means showing up expectant, preparing to see God move, and allowing our obedience to carry risk. When we stack stones—through baptism, remembrance, or testimony—we create anchors that reshape doubt into trust for ourselves and for generations to come. The river is dangerous, but God promises presence on the other side; the call is to step and trust that the path will follow.

Key Takeaways

1. Almost keeps us from crossing We live in the place of almost when we can see the promise but refuse the risk required to reach it. Remaining on the bank preserves dignity and options while it steals arrival. Choosing almost trains us to explain why we cannot obey rather than to trust beyond our sight. [26:16]
2. Obedience requires stepping into risk God regularly waits to part the water until feet touch the river, honoring active trust over theoretical faith. Obedience therefore becomes concrete action that incurs vulnerability and real cost. We must accept that clarity often follows the first risky step, not the other way around. [36:04]
3. Memorials shape our memory of God Creating visible markers of deliverance prevents forgetfulness and prepares future generations to believe. Stones, baptisms, and shared stories convert past grace into present courage when new floods arrive. We should build and tell so the next Jacob, daughter, or friend remembers who God has been. [40:12]
4. Jesus is the greater Joshua The crossing at Jordan points forward to the one who stepped into death and rose for us, making the final passage possible. That reality reframes baptism as a public alignment with a completed work, not a self-made achievement. We cross because Christ already crossed; our obedience affirms that completed rescue. [45:57]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[20:40] - Baptism Sunday Announced
[23:27] - Prayer Before the Word
[24:43] - Travel Story from Atlanta
[26:16] - The Weight of Almost
[27:48] - Promise to Abraham Reviewed
[32:22] - Arrival at the Jordan
[35:18] - Priests Step into the River
[38:35] - Stones as Memorials
[43:30] - Baptism Explained
[45:57] - Jesus as the Greater Joshua
[50:15] - Invitation and Prayer
[51:47] - Celebration and Next Steps

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
Joshua 3:15-16 (ESV)
"As soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam... and the people passed over opposite Jericho."

Joshua 4:6-7 (ESV)
"...When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord... So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever."

Romans 6:4 (ESV)
"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."

Observation questions

What specific action caused the Jordan River to part, and what does this reveal about how God works?
According to Joshua 4:6-7, what was the purpose of the twelve stones? How does the sermon connect this to baptism? [43:30]
What parallel does the sermon draw between Joshua’s role and Jesus’ work? [45:57]
How does Romans 6:4 explain the symbolism of baptism?

Interpretation questions

Why do you think God required the priests to step into the river before parting the waters? What does this teach about faith and obedience?
The sermon says, "Almost is the loneliest zip code in humanity." [26:16] Why might staying in "almost" be more isolating than stepping into risk?
How do physical memorials (like stones or baptism) combat spiritual forgetfulness in both personal and communal faith?
In what ways does Jesus’ crossing into death and resurrection redefine what it means to "arrive" in God’s promises?

Application questions

Where in your life are you currently standing on the "bank" of almost—close to a decision, healing, or step of faith but holding back? What would it look like to let your "feet get wet" this week? [36:04]
What "stones" (practices, rituals, or shared stories) could you create or revisit to remember God’s faithfulness during future challenges?
The sermon warns that "almost trains us to explain why we cannot obey." [26:16] What explanations or excuses have you used to delay obedience? How can you confront one this week?
If baptism is a public marker of crossing from death to life, how might your daily choices reflect that identity even if you’ve already been baptized?
Who in your life needs to hear about a time God brought you through an "impossible river"? How can you share that story this month? [40:12]
What risky step have you been waiting for God to "clear first" before acting? What would it look like to take that step without full clarity?

Sermon Clips

36s

#SayYesToday

“That's not your imagination. It's the God of the universe who has been chasing you not just your whole life but before the history of the world is finally catching up. Don't talk yourself out of it. Think about this story. The priests, they didn't wait till they felt ready. They stepped in, and you can step in too. Here's what I wanna invite you to do. If you've never given your life to Jesus, if you've never committed to follow him, you can do that right now, right here, wherever you're sitting. You don't have to have it all figured out. You don't have to have your life all cleaned up. As a matter of fact, you can't do that. You just have to say yes.”

37s

#ExpectGodToMove

“Get ready. Tomorrow is not a normal day. Tomorrow, God is going to do something that you have never seen. So go to bed tonight expecting something to happen tomorrow. Don't hit the snooze button. Don't walk through your morning routine. Wake up ready to see God move. And to be honest, I think that's a great principle just for us in life. Certainly, as we gather as people of God, I wonder how many of us, we walked in here this morning actually expecting God to do something. Not to just sing some songs and listen to a message and go to brunch, but to actually have God meet us here, to have God move in our midst.”

31s

#StepOffTheBank

“The bank can feel safe. It's predictable. The bank is dry. The bank is where you can keep your options open, your dignity intact, and you have good reasons. You can explain why a way why you can't take that radical step by like, No, no, no, God. Is that really what you're asking me to do? No, I gotta keep up appearances. I gotta manage the outcome. I've gotta do it my way. And I know it's not working, but someday it will. And I'm just telling you, the bank is where you can keep saying someday. It's where you can keep saying almost, but it will never get you to the other side.”

34s

#ChoosePromiseNotComfort

“And so after four hundred years of waiting, they're less than two weeks away from where they're headed. But if you know the story, you know it didn't take them two weeks. It took them forty years. And it wasn't because God got lost. It's because they did. They grumbled. They doubted. They complained. They built golden statues while Moses was up on the mountain getting commandments from God himself. They actually begged to head back into slavery because the predictable dysfunction was better than the unpredictable promise. I'm sure none of us have ever felt that way before.”

44s

#StepAndPathOpens

“A whole thing could have been risk free, but he waited until obedient feet touched cold water. And I think God does that a lot for us. He doesn't usually clear the path before you step. He clears the path as you step. He doesn't usually remove the risk before you obey. He honors the obedience that takes risk. Faith is not what we feel on the bank. Faith is what you believe enough to get your feet wet with. And I know that that's hard because the bank is safe. Your current circumstances, as dysfunctional as they might be, are familiar dysfunction. That was true for Israel, and it's way true for us.”

36s

#NextGenCrossOver

“Moses dies on a mountain overlooking the land that he never got to enter. The last thing that he sees is the place that he almost made it to. And now it's Joshua's turn, his successor. Joshua, he walks this new generation, the children of the wilderness. The kids who grew up eating manna, the supernatural provision that God gave to Israel in the wilderness, they grew up eating manna and burying parents. That was their task, right up to the edge of the Jordan River. On the other side is everything that God has been promising to his people for four centuries.”

32s

#GodIsOnTheOtherSide

“Some of you, you've been standing on the bank for years. You've prayed about it, you've journaled about it, you've talked to a friend about it, maybe you've talked to a counselor about it. Maybe you've even talked to God about it. You said, God, if you just make this a little easier, a little more obvious, if you'd move the obstacle first, then I'd do the thing that I know you're calling me to do. But see, for God, He's not trying to part the water at a distance. He's trying to do it once you take the step. He's saying, I'm on the other side. Come on over.”

33s

#DontDieInTheAlmost

“Now stop and think about that for a second. An entire generation died in the almost of what God had next for them. They could see it. They were days away at different points from the place that God was calling them. They knew the stories. Their parents had walked out of Egypt. They'd heard about God's faithfulness. Their kids would grow up in Canaan, but they themselves, the people who heard the promise themselves, never crossed. Moses is one of them. The greatest leader that Israel had ever known. The man who talked with God like a friend would talk to a friend.”

34s

#ShowUpExpectingGod

“Because the people who cross are the ones who show up expecting God to move. That was true thousands of years ago. It's still true today. Verse eight tells us that for them it says, and as for you, command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, when you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan. Now I want you to feel the weight of that moment. Remember, the priests, the spiritual leaders of the nation, are told to walk into a flood stage river carrying the presence of God on their shoulders. They are not told that the water is going to part first.”

33s

#WalkIntoTheUnknown

“They are not told that the water is going to part first. They are not told that the path will be made clear. They are told to walk into the river with the object that they had once been in an incredible temple and probably felt like all they had left of their god, now heading into the unknown, the dangerous unknown. That's where we find ourselves in verses fifteen and sixteen. These are the verses that if you're gonna circle something in your bible or take a screenshot and keep it with you, here it is. It says, and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan”

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Baptism Weekend | Menlo Church Live Stream

Devotional

Day 1: Feet in the Floodwaters

Day 2: Stones of Remembrance

Day 3: Baptism as Your Jordan

Day 4: Crossing with Yeshua

Day 5: No More Almost

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Baptism Weekend | Menlo Church Live Stream

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