Baptism | Dave Burrus

Baptism | Dave Burrus

April 30, 2023 |


What was life like before you met Jesus?

I grew up in church. To me, it seemed that being a Christian was about understanding that I didn’t want to go to hell, and acknowledging Jesus and God was the ticket to a hell-free afterlife. I went through the motions but there wasn’t much behind it. This combined with a church experience of people having to ‘dress a certain way’ or only listen to certain music only made me less interested in God. I started to drink alcohol at 16 and began to drift further away. Much of my 20’s were spent pursuing, partying, sex, and pornography. Life was about doing what I wanted, yet I still felt some sense of meaninglessness even then looking at my life. In my late 20’s I got married and had a son and settled into ‘dad life.’ However, shortly after my daughter was born I felt my world come crashing down when my spouse filed for divorce.

How did you meet Jesus?

For the first time in my life, I felt this deep hopelessness. I felt I had built a life around family and it was slipping away. As my spouse left, I tried everything to get her back, and I was angry. I felt so anxious and empty. I had heard about Veritas Church and in desperation, I sent a random email to the church’s information email. Richard Marsceau answered that email. We got connected and I will not forget the first time I stepped foot at Veritas. It was a radically different church experience than I had had in the past. The church felt alive. As the music started, tears soon came and I felt the weight of my sin and the life I had been living. I remember opening a Bible for the first time in maybe 20 years. It was the first time in my life I felt the gospel click and I knew Jesus was the only one who could save me from my sin and despair, and give me true hope and purpose. This truth is found in Romans 5:8 “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

After being saved by Jesus, what is your life like now?

I sought the church in hopes of saving my marriage, and even though I couldn’t, God saved me. I’ve come to realize looking back that God’s saving grace is far better than anything I could have had or lost in this life. I’m so thankful for the victories I’ve had over my sin struggles by trusting and relying on God. I’ve learned to be more patient as God continues to work on me for His Glory. I’m reminded of Philippians 1:6 “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” In this new life I must remind myself not to be ashamed of my sin or guilt as 2 Corinthians 5:17 reads “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”