Putting Your Foot in the Water: Crossing Over From Death to Life

July 19th, 2026
by Pastor Billy

This week, Pastor Billy started with a classic joke:

"Why did the chicken cross the road?"

He imagined how different famous Christians might answer it—John Calvin, Martin Luther, Rick Warren, Billy Graham, and Charles Spurgeon. It was funny, but it made an important point: we spend a lot of time asking why about small things while overlooking life's biggest question.

How do people like us cross over from death to life?

Not just, "What happens when we die?" But, "How do we move from drifting, fear, and emptiness into a life that is truly new, meaningful, and secure?"

Surprisingly, the answer begins at a flooded river.

Standing at the Edge of the Jordan

Pastor Billy took us to Joshua 3:14–17.

After wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, the Israelites finally stood at the Jordan River, looking across at the land God had promised them.

They faced some overwhelming obstacles:

The Jordan River was at flood stage—fast, deep, and dangerous.
Spies had reported giants and fortified cities on the other side.
The wilderness behind them was difficult, but familiar. The future ahead was unknown.

Isn't that often how life feels?

We know our "wilderness." Even if it isn't ideal, it's predictable. The future can feel uncertain, and uncertainty is frightening.

Yet God told them to move forward.

The priests carried the Ark of the Covenant—the symbol of God's presence—and were instructed to step into the river first.

Here's the remarkable part:

The water didn't part until their feet touched it.

Only after they stepped into the rushing river did God stop the water and provide dry ground for everyone to cross.

They had to take a step of faith before they saw the miracle.

The People Who Cross Over

Pastor Billy pointed out that the Hebrew word for "Hebrew" (Ivri) describes someone who crosses over—someone who leaves what is familiar to follow God into something new.

That is still what faith looks like today.

He asked several honest questions:

What is God asking you to step into that scares you?
Where do you sense Him leading you while you're holding on to what's familiar?
Is there something you need to leave behind—an old habit, hurt, or belief—to move into the future God has for you?

If the Israelites had relied only on what they could see, they would have turned back.

Instead, they trusted God and stepped into the water.

Often, that's exactly how God works. The invitation comes first. The miracle follows our willingness to trust Him.

From Joshua to Jesus: A Greater Crossing

About 1,500 years later, Jesus Himself was baptized in that same Jordan River.

The Hebrew name Joshua is actually the same name as Jesus (Yeshua). Joshua led God's people into the Promised Land. Jesus leads us into an entirely new kind of life.

Pastor Billy read John 5:24:

"Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life."

That phrase—crossed over—is incredibly significant.

This isn't only about what happens after we die.

It's about a transformation that begins today.

Through Jesus we move:

From spiritual death to spiritual life.
From guilt to forgiveness.
From fear and uncertainty to hope and confidence.
From wandering without purpose to walking with God.

Pastor Billy also shared Ephesians 2:4–5, which reminds us that although we were dead because of sin, God, because of His great love and mercy, has made us alive together with Christ.

We don't make ourselves spiritually alive by trying harder.

God gives us new life through Jesus.

What Baptism Pictures

This message connected with the church's baptism service later that afternoon at the lake.

Pastor Billy explained both what baptism is—and what it isn't.

Baptism is...

A public declaration of faith in Jesus.
A picture of the new life Christ has given us.
An outward expression of an inward reality.

Baptism is not...

What saves us.
A way to earn God's love.
A replacement for faith.

Jesus saves. Baptism simply celebrates what He has already done.

In Romans 6:3–8, baptism is described as identifying with Jesus:

Going under the water pictures dying with Christ—leaving behind the old life.
Coming up from the water pictures being raised with Christ into a new life.

In other words:

"I belong to Jesus. His death counts for me, and His new life is now my life."

Some people were baptized for the first time.

Others had been baptized earlier in life and chose to reaffirm those promises publicly, declaring that the faith they had been raised in had become their own.

Whether someone was immersed in the lake or reaffirmed a baptism received as a child, the central question remained the same:

Have you crossed over with Jesus—from death to life?

A Father's Joy—and God's Joy

Pastor Billy shared a personal story from a trip to Israel.

While standing in the Jordan River, members of his group renewed their baptism vows.

One of them was his son, Joshua.

Years earlier, Pastor Billy had baptized him as a baby. Now, as an adult, Joshua entered the water by his own choice, personally affirming his faith in Christ.

Pastor Billy described the overwhelming joy he felt as he embraced his son and lowered him into the Jordan.

Any parent or grandparent who has watched a child choose to follow Jesus can understand that moment.

He suggested that this gives us a glimpse of God's joy whenever someone turns to Him or renews their commitment to follow Him.

Renewing Our Own "Yes"

Near the end of the message, Pastor Billy invited everyone to quietly renew the promises connected with baptism—whether they remembered their baptism, had never been baptized, or were still exploring faith.

He invited us to consider questions like these: