With children, signs of growth are measured by height, weight, ability to crawl and then walk, and many other indicators. Babies come out of their diapers and start becoming self-sufficient.

Spiritually, one of the many signs of growth in a Bible-believing church is that of people coming to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and then following the Lord's command to follow in believer's baptism. Now understand that this is not the only measuring rod, but it is an important one.

I pastored a church on the east coast a number of years ago that had not had a baptism in over 5 years. When I took a tour of the facility given by the chairman of the deacons, he showed me a beautiful baptistry almost 3 floors up off the main floor. It was huge with beautiful maroon velvet curtains. But there was trash and plaster that had fallen from the ceiling above and it was unusable. That was when I found that there had not been a baptism in over five years!

If you were in church yesterday, you heard me share my heart in a number of areas but one really stands out; I have asked God for 52 souls saved and baptized this year! God will answer that prayer if we will do our part. Many of you continue to bring your friends and co-workers and the lost to our services. This is a God-honoring goal to the glory of Jesus Christ.

We have had 7 baptisms in 7 weeks ... God is good ... all the time! Will you help me? I know you will.

[By the way ... I just counseled another couple tonight after church who know the Lord but have not been baptized. We have 4 more believers awaiting baptism on January 24th! Praise God.]