These are such exciting days in the Forest! God is at work and I am so grateful to be a part of it with all of you. I hope that you are getting plugged into all that God is doing because our best days are ahead of us!

This Sunday is a Baptism Sunday here at Vaughn Forest! I cannot wait to celebrate baptism this weekend. Have you ever questioned why here in the Forest we put so much emphasis on baptism? Or do you wonder why we want people to understand baptism and what it represents?

“For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.”
-Romans 6:4, NLT

Baptism is a symbolic action. In Romans 6:4 we see what God wants us to understand about baptism. Baptism is the perfect picture of what should happen when we come into a relationship with Christ. We die to self and our old way of life dies. When we put someone under the water it’s like they are being buried. Their old life is gone. But we don’t leave them under water. We raise them up out of the water. That’s a picture of the new life that comes through a relationship with Christ. It’s far better than the old life because it’s not focused on self. Instead, it’s focused on God.

Have you been baptized? If so, how does the symbolism of baptism show what has happened in your life? If you haven’t been baptized, what’s keeping you from it?

“We may never be martyrs but we can die to self, to sin, to the world, to our plans and ambitions. That is the significance of baptism; we died with Christ and rose to new life.”
-Vance Havner

Again, our next baptism time is this Sunday, May 22nd at 10:30 AM during the service, so please be obedient to Jesus and follow Him in baptism by contacting us at info@vaughnforest.com and being a part of baptism this weekend.

Also, please remember to come say farewell to Matt and Jess Laughter this Wednesday night at 6:00 in the Warehouse. We want to make sure the Laughter’s know we will be praying for them as they pursue God’s call on their family.

As always, it is a blessing to be your pastor. Keep chasing the vision that God has called us to!

Live Sent!

-Pastor Eric