Posts Tagged: refusing to coast

“All In and All Out”

On January 7, 2019 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer


I was baptized yesterday.

Yes, I know: It seems quite strange, doesn’t it?  I am an old guy who was a pastor for 29 years.  I have been a follower of Christ (at least part-time) for many decades.  I have taught and still teach at a Christian university.  Why on earth would I be baptized?

Actually, this is my third baptism.  The first was when I was nine years old.  Did I understand everything about the Christian faith?  No.  But I did understand that I was a sinner, and Christ was the Savior.

I was also baptized when I was twenty-four.  I had been pastoring a church for a year-and-a-half, and realized—while preparing a sermon—that I might know a bit about the Bible, but I didn’t really know Christ.  I was baptized by my father-in-law in the baptistry of the church I was serving as pastor.

For a long time now, I have been having a desire to be baptized again, to renew my vows to Christ and to the Church.  Today I decided to quit desiring, and follow through.

No, I still do not understand everything about Christ.  Sometimes I wonder if I even understand much.

But this I do know: Without Jesus Christ in my life, I wouldn’t have one—a life that is.

Some people tend to coast when they get older.  I have decided to take the opposite approach.  I am too old now to coast.  Some people get cautious when they get older.  I have decided that I am too old not to take some risks.

I am not about retirement.  I am not about taking it easy.  I am about learning new stuff, loving more unlovable people (are there any, really?), sliding into second base head first.  I refuse to rust out.  I would rather flame out. I want to be all in for Christ and His Church, and I want to be all out for Christ and His Church.

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