back to index2020-8-9 Christine Kim Baptism
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Hi, my name is Christine and I'm currently in the Bruin Adult Ministry and this is my 00:00:09.060 |
I was blessed to have grown up in the church my whole life and my father was called into 00:00:14.180 |
ministry when I was in elementary school and he served as the English ministry pastor under 00:00:22.320 |
Although filled with many graces, growing up in the church was difficult and many times 00:00:26.360 |
when leadership changed or there were any kind of clashes, we would have to move to 00:00:31.280 |
This resulted in us moving churches about every two years until I entered high school. 00:00:36.840 |
As a result, church was just a mandatory Sunday activity because I was a pastor's kid but 00:00:42.320 |
If anything, I was very hardened towards the church and had an incorrect view of Christians 00:00:46.600 |
because I could see what was going on in the background. 00:00:49.960 |
Despite my hardened heart, I thought I was a Christian because I knew all the Sunday 00:00:52.940 |
school answers and didn't do anything bad but I didn't truly know God or have Christ 00:00:59.480 |
My greatest priority in life was to achieve the American Dream. 00:01:02.760 |
My parents struggled so much my whole life and I didn't want to struggle like them or 00:01:09.040 |
From kindergarten, I was set on becoming a doctor and I wanted to heal people like Jesus 00:01:12.800 |
healed but in reality, I wanted to be respected and make money. 00:01:16.840 |
I studied hard in school and achieved all that I wanted and what my parents wanted but 00:01:24.160 |
I had no love in me nor the ability to recognize love around me thus I had no love to give. 00:01:30.160 |
I was selfish in my words and actions and hurt my family and friends and many other 00:01:34.000 |
people in my life thinking I could just cut them out whenever they didn't meet my needs. 00:01:38.960 |
I was self-righteous and placed unjust expectations on them and I placed them at fault for my 00:01:44.300 |
I only loved those who loved me how I wanted to be loved. 00:01:51.560 |
Senior year was a roller coaster of emotions and growth. 00:01:54.000 |
I was at a more stable church at that point and was blessed to be under good teaching 00:02:00.400 |
Through this church, I learned about the gospel and recognized my shallow faith and truly 00:02:06.360 |
I was sprinkled and confirmed at my church and made the decision to live for God. 00:02:10.280 |
However, college was when my faith was really put to the test and I fully recognized my 00:02:16.960 |
After getting rejected from almost every school, I got into my top choice and I always like 00:02:21.120 |
to say I went to Cornell to become a Christian. 00:02:23.480 |
Again, I was blessed to have found a Bible-loving and preaching church right away and grew my 00:02:27.960 |
love for God's word and through that my love and understanding of God. 00:02:31.840 |
However, I was still striving after the American dream, pretending it was in the name of Jesus. 00:02:37.480 |
School was very hard to say the least and as I grew my love for God and his word, I 00:02:41.400 |
was constantly conflicted with whether or not I should be spending more time in his 00:02:47.720 |
And at one point, God opened my eyes to my idolization of myself and how my identity 00:02:52.320 |
was rooted in my achievements and desires for worldly respect. 00:02:56.320 |
I was struck with the realization that if I was already struggling this much between 00:03:00.200 |
God and my career, there's no guarantee that I would continue to pursue and love God if 00:03:06.280 |
I had to decide was it worth taking, was it worth risking my eternal salvation for my 00:03:14.140 |
It was difficult but by his grace I was finally able to lay down my future plans and my desires 00:03:19.880 |
As I surrendered this idol, God further opened my eyes to my depravity and helped me to repent 00:03:24.060 |
of my sins of selfishness and self-righteous expectations towards my family and friends. 00:03:29.060 |
My decision to trust God with my career led to many arguments and conflicts regarding 00:03:33.560 |
God's plan for my life with my parents as well, another idol I needed to surrender. 00:03:39.120 |
But I truly believe God honored my decision and I knew that I had to have faith that God 00:03:43.080 |
would also love and guide my parents as well. 00:03:45.400 |
It's been a rough road of repentance and reconciliation, a road that I'm still on, but I'm so thankful 00:03:51.520 |
for how God has changed my heart and has taught me how to love and trust him in all things 00:03:57.160 |
As I look back, I know my natural heart is so sinful and could have taken so many wrong 00:04:01.000 |
turns but God has held me so tightly and has so fiercely protected my heart for him and 00:04:06.320 |
I am floored and grateful that the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells 00:04:13.520 |
I stand here today not necessarily as the first time that I am proclaiming my faith 00:04:17.320 |
before the church but in recognition of the significance of immersion baptism in its representation 00:04:23.880 |
of my union with Christ in his death and resurrection and my reverence and obedience to God's ordinances. 00:04:29.600 |
Thank you church family and I hope you can all continue to run with me and keep me accountable 00:05:08.700 |
>> Chrissy do you understand when you go into the water you're, 00:05:11.200 |
you're uniting with Christ in his death and when you come out 00:05:16.040 |
>> And I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son,