Emphasis Preaching Journal

Alice was one of the many shut-ins in the church. She was 82 years old. During one visit, she told Pastor Jim she was terribly bothered by something. The church she had attended as a child had burned down. All the parish records were lost. As she neared the end of her life, Alice was nervous. She didn't know whether or not she had been baptized. She had outlived all her family, so there was no one to ask about it. Alice had no baptismal certificate for proof. Her parents were devout Christians. Alice herself had been a pillar of the church; she probably was baptized.