April 26, 2026

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By Jeremy Bledsoe

President and Executive Director,

East Tennessee Biblical Counseling

Our church has had the blessing of baptizing several new believers so far this year! Baptism is a public profession of a believer’s faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Jesus Christ (our Savior). It is a profession of the believer’s death to sin, the burial of their old life apart from Christ, and their resurrection to walk in the newness of life in Christ Jesus (Matt 3:13-17; 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11; Acts 2:41-42; 8:35-39; Rom 6:3-5).

Through baptism the believer is declaring that their greatest need has been met by Jesus. The believer was once dead in their sins and separated from the Lord, but now they have new life and they have been reconciled to the Lord. They have gone from having nothing to having everything! The love of Christ and the redemption they have received in Him can never be taken away (Rom 8:31-39). No trial or amount of suffering can separate a Christ-follower from His love and the new life that He gives!

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This includes the suffering we experience that can often lead us to respond in emotions of anxiety, worry, fear, depression, anger, and hopelessness. As a biblical counselor, one of my favorite joys is when a sufferer grows from anxiety, depression, hopelessness, or bitterness to experiencing joy in the Lord. This only takes place when the sufferer places their hope in the One who suffered in our place so that we might have eternal redeemed and resurrected life with Him (1 Pet 3:18-22). It is a joy for myself and our counselors to have the opportunity to serve others by providing counsel that points them back to Jesus and his finished work! We are grateful to the Lord for this opportunity and the support we have received from our partners. Thank you!

Jeremy Bledsoe serves as President and Executive Director of East Tennessee Biblical Counseling. He loves helping people grow in their love for Jesus and training biblical counselors. Jeremy has a B.A. in Psychology from Marshall University and a M.A. in Biblical Counseling from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is a certified member of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors.