More than a Decision: What Does True Conversion Look Like?
Welcome back to The Stoop Sessions—where we gather for honest, down-to-earth conversations about ministry and the life of the church, straight from a Baltimore stoop.
What does it actually mean for someone to be converted? And how can a local church know whether someone has truly been changed by the gospel?
In this episode of The Stoop Sessions, Joel, Akin, and Stephanie talk about the importance of rightly understanding conversion in the life of the local church. They begin by asking what biblical conversion actually is and why churches need to be careful not to confuse a profession of faith, a prayer, or a desire to be baptized with genuine saving faith. The conversation emphasizes that the church has been given the gospel message, but only God can truly make disciples.
The conversation then turns toward some of the ways churches can misunderstand conversion. What does it look like when someone's testimony centers on being a good person, believing for a long time, giving, or doing the right things rather than on Christ and his saving work? Joel, Akin, and Stephanie discuss why a person's understanding of their own sin, their need for Christ, and their inability to save themselves are essential when discerning a credible profession of faith.
They also talk about baptism and church membership, particularly the responsibility of the local church to look for evidence of genuine conversion. What should pastors do when someone desperately wants to be baptized but may not yet understand the gospel? How should churches think about the age and maturity of children who profess faith? And how can we patiently walk with people while still taking conversion seriously?
Finally, the conversation turns toward discipleship and the evidence of conversion. Rather than simply teaching people to imitate a pastor or follow a set of Christian behaviors, the goal is to help people know God's Word, depend on the Holy Spirit, and see the gospel transforming the way they think and live.
True conversion is not simply making a decision for Jesus. It is God making a new creation in Christ.
In this episode, we discuss:
Why churches need to rightly understand biblical conversion
What genuine conversion actually looks like
The difference between a profession of faith and evidence of true conversion
Why our stories must begin and end with Christ How churches can discern whether someone is ready for baptism
How pastors should respond when someone desires baptism but may not understand the gospel
Why baptism is a church's affirmation of a person's credible profession of faith
How churches can patiently walk with children and young people toward baptism
The role of God's Word and the Holy Spirit in discipleship
Why discipleship should produce genuine spiritual transformation rather than mere imitation
How evidence of conversion can encourage Christians in their faith
Joel Kurz is the Lead Pastor at The Garden Church and Director of ONE HOPE.
Akin Omisanmi serves as Pastor at Southwest Baptist Church, a ONE HOPE church.
Stephanie serves with The Garden Church and alongside ONE HOPE, laboring for rooted discipleship in the city.
📍 Learn more about The Garden Church: thegardenbaltimore.com
📍 Learn more about Southwest Baptist Church: swbcbaltimore.com
🌱 Learn more about ONE HOPE: onehope.gives
❤️ Support the show: onehope.gives/donate