Baptism Stories - Genevieve, Tyler & Vilson
Celebrate and praise God with us, that three more people took the step of baptism, declaring their commitment to Jesus and living with Him as King of their lives. At the end of services on Sunday, July 6, Genevieve, Tyler and Vilson, were baptized. Please take a moment to read their stories below and join us in praying for them as they take this step of faith. If you are interested in learning more about what this step means, visit our Baptism page.
Genevieve M.
I was baptized as an infant in the Catholic Church, raised with a foundation of faith and tradition. But as I grew into adulthood, I realized that while I had heard about God, I hadn’t yet experienced Him personally. I wanted to know He existed and that what the Bible said was true, but I was for the most part, living through the motions & checking the boxes to “look” like a believer.
Everything changed when my second son was born with a congenital heart defect. His first days of life were filled with complications and uncertainty. I’ll never forget one morning in July when the doctors told us there wasn’t much more they could do. It was in that moment of desperation, when I had nothing left but surrender… I knew.
I confessed my doubt in His power, in His presence. I laid it all bare. And in return—I felt peace. A peace I can’t explain.
I believe that was my moment where God made Himself tangible to me.
I’ve come to realize as a parent myself now, this life is all too difficult & messy without God. I will never have all the answers. I will encounter pain, trauma and difficulties. I will also experience miracles and transformative moments and that is all because of God himself. He’s passionate about me,
About my family
About my life, my soul and my future both on earth and in Heaven.
He’s never given up on me even when I felt like he wasn’t real.
I finally began to understand His love, not just as something I had been taught about, but something I live with.
Today, I’m choosing to be baptized again—not because my first baptism didn’t matter, but because now, I want to publicly profess that I believe. I want to show my obedience and commit to a heart postured after Jesus. I don’t want to just talk the talk, I want to walk the walk.
Today I’m declaring that I belong to Jesus, and I trust Him with everything.
I pray today that Jesus transforms my anxious heart to one that fully rests in His plan & timing. That my children, my marriage, my life be a true reflection of Him always.
Tyler V.
My family has been in and out of church from the time I was little. We went through phases of going regularly and not going at all. I feel like I have always been a believer in Christ but have never been willing to fully commit. As I got older, I realized walking in faith is something you can’t play on both sides. Unwilling to let go of my desires and addictions, basically scared of change. I accepted my fate and never thought I’d be a religious person. These last few years I have felt like a shell of my self. Even though I was accomplishing things that were meaningful and life changing. Like graduating college and starting a career. I had these overwhelming feelings of doubt, worry, and over thinking.
In April my younger brother came home from school ready to give his life to Christ. He was Baptized here at Bridgepoint. My moment of truth was opening my bible the night after he’s baptism. A picture of him I was using as book mark was there for months maybe even years that’d I forgot about. I knew then I needed to change my life and surrender myself to Christ a few days later. My journey the last few months has not been straightforward. There have been moments of doubt and temptation. But I’m learning the more you lean into God’s way, especially in those low moments. Is when he touches you the most. My life is totally different from just a few months ago. I’m more assured, confident and joyful with and because of Jesus. And wish I had surrendered years ago. This is truly my first moment of saying out loud. I am a follower of Jesus and I now live my life for Him.
Vilson L.
In the past, I’ve dealt with racism and hate directly toward me. This made me bitter to everyone and made me feel like I’m an outcast, even at BridgePointe. This bitterness let me down a dark path and I will listen to dark music, and create art with evil content, engage in toxic relationships, and the use of drugs to cope with the pain. I also started engaging with other spirituality and religions. But God showed me that I didn’t need to hold on to that bitterness and that other religions and spiritualities were false. God has shown me while that I can’t change my past, I can forgive those who hurt me, give my mistakes to Him, and I can ask for his help every single day.
I am ready to give my life to Jesus and am excited to share his love and grace, kindness, and love that he has showed me with the world around me.
