At that time Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River so that John would baptize him. John tried to stop him and said, “I need to be baptized by you, yet you come to me?”
Jesus answered, “Allow me to be baptized now. This is necessary to fulfill all righteousness.”
So John agreed to baptize Jesus. When Jesus was baptized, he immediately came up out of the water. Heaven was opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down like a dove and resting on him. A voice from heaven said, “This is my Son whom I dearly love; I find happiness in him.”

-Matthew 3:13-17

It may be strange for a church so near Houston to talk about baptism so soon after Hurricane Harvey.  But the waters of baptism are not the waters of destruction.  They are the waters that bring life and transformation and hope.  And hope might be the one thing we need more than Mold Armor.   [hear sermon audio]

This week, take some time to go deeper.  Ponder your own baptism, or what being baptized could mean for your life.  Read and reflect on these scriptures and questions.

Texts to read:

• Mark 1:9–11
• Luke 3:21–22
• John 1:29–34

Questions to ponder:

• If you soul were a house, what room needs renovation?
• What changes need to be made?  What stands in your way?
• Look around you; where are hope and transformation needed?

Do and share:

• Tag @dpumc on twitter with one sentence describing where you see a transformation happen this week.
• Get to know someone affected by Hurricane Harvey.  Commit to chronicling their transformation.  In 6 months share an album of pictures or a short post about how God was active in their story with #harveyhope