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By Brandon Baggett

Do you remember the excitement of getting a new pair of shoes when you were a little kid? I can still vividly remember the thrill of unboxing and lacing up a fresh new pair of kicks.

 My family couldn’t afford multiple pairs of shoes within a year’s time, and I was a typical little boy who was hard on my shoes. This meant that by the time I received a new pair, I really needed some new footwear. 

My new shoes were always so clean, and they were free from holes, scuffs and stains. I also distinctly remember my new shoes fitting really well! It was always so liberating to toss out an old and worn-out pair of shoes and replace them with something new. I still get excited about a new pair of shoes to this day! 

There’s good news for each of us! We can be made brand new despite the failures, mistakes and shortcomings of our past. We can take the person we used to be and put them behind us, put on Christ in baptism and arise to live a new life in God. 

According to the apostle Paul, “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). When we enter the waters of baptism, we desperately need a fresh start and a clean slate. Thankfully, a wonderful transformation takes place in our conversion. As we learn from Romans 6:1-14, just as Jesus died for us, was buried, and was triumphantly raised by God’s power, we die to sin, bury the old person we used to be, and are raised in newness of life. That’s some amazing news! 

Perhaps you are ready for a new start. Come to Jesus! Begin your journey with him today! 

Brandon Baggett is preaching minister at Luverne Church of Christ.