How Can I Become a Member of  Midway?

This is the most important page of all the content on our webpage.  You see, all the material that you have read here is not designed to advertise this church.  It is not designed to entice you to join with us to be a part of the activity that is going on.  Rather, the purpose of all this information is to help every searcher realize what life is all about.

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You can become a member of this church family in one of the following ways:  1)  By profession of your faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, then following in Baptism, 2)  By moving to this church from another Southern Baptist Church where you were a member we will accept the recommendation from  your former church and your testimony that you are a Christian, 3) By your testimony that you are saved by Grace through Faith, having been Scripturally baptized by immersion. 

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            Whether you are a searcher on the web, or whether someone cannot even turn on a computer, every man, woman, boy and girl is a “searcher” in life.  We are all searching for significance, for the reason for our existence.  The Bible tells us that the reason for our existence is to be with our Creator God for all eternity.

            Let me ask you a question!  In your personal opinion, what do you believe it takes for a person to go to heaven?  Well, you might say that being a good person gets you there, or never hurting anyone, or being a law-abiding person, or even going to church and giving money gets you to heaven.  While those are good things to do, they cannot buy God’s affection and get you into heaven.  We can never be good enough in our own rights.  We cannot buy our way into God’s good graces by behavior or by money.  After all, how good is good enough anyway? 

            Here is how the Bible answers the question of how do I get to heaven.  You must have “FAITH”.  Faith in Jesus Christ.  Let’s look at Faith this way:

            F stands for “Forgiveness”!  We cannot have eternal life and heaven without God’s forgiveness.  The Bible says “In Him (meaning Jesus) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” (Ephesians 1:7)  In other words, we have broken God’s laws and commands and we deserve punishment for those offenses, which are called “sins”.  His Forgiveness is…

            Available for everyone.  Jesus said “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  (John 3:16)  Jesus wants to forgive you of your sins.  However, that forgiveness is not Automatic.  Just because we believe in God, or go to church does not automatically make us right with God.  The Bible says “Not everyone that saith unto me ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.”  (Matthew 7:21)   Being a good person, growing up in a Christian family, or even going to church does not get us into Heaven.  You see, our human attempts at being good just won’t do.  Our humanity is sinful, so it is…

            Impossible for God to allow sin into heaven where there is perfection.  Yes, God is love as we saw in John 3:16, but He is also Just and will deal with man’s sin.  The Bible shows us that His justice is perfect.  As a matter of fact, hell awaits those who have refused Him in this life’   So, how then can a sinful person enter heaven where God allows no sin?  He cannot!  God’s Word shows us that Jesus Christ, God’s Son has paid the debt of our sin because only He is good enough.  We must…

            Turn from our sin to Trust Christ only.  We must believe that Jesus was crucified, buried, and that He rose again the third day.  He took your sins and my sins and the sins of everyone in the world and buried them.  Some people, however, want to hold on to their sins because they actually enjoy them.  Yet, when Jesus’ Holy Spirit makes you think about your place in eternity and how your sins are really destroying you rather than blessing you, He is calling you to turn from that sin, and to turn to Him.  He is waiting to give you forgiveness if you ask for it.  You see, Romans 10:9-10 in the Bible says “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine Heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart, man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”  The Bible calls turning to Jesus “Repentance”.  That means these things:

1)       Admitting that you are a sinner,

2)     Asking Jesus to forgive you of all your sins,

3)     Turning away from sins that you are doing right now

4)     Turning your life over to Jesus and giving Him control, and

5)     Confessing (telling with your mouth) to others your new Faith.

Now we aren’t quite done.  You see, there is one other letter, which is the promise from God to you when you Repent.  You see, you then receive the promise of…

  Jesus wants you to have a great life here.  He said in John 10:10 “I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.”  Heaven is also…

Hereafter>  Jesus said “I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am there ye may be also.”  It is a place where every Christian (follower of Christ) goes when his body dies.  Aren’t you glad we aren’t just destined to live a few years and then die, and that is it?  That would be a hopeless existence, wouldn’t it?  No!   You and I are created to live eternally with Jesus.  And we will, when we repent of our sin and turn our life over to Jesus.

But how can a person have God’s forgiveness, heaven and eternal life and Jesus as personal Savior and Lord?  Pray!  Ask for Forgiveness of your sin, then repent of it (turn from it) and share your salvation with a local church. 

You might pray a prayer like this: 

Dear Lord, I have sinned against you and broken your laws.  I realize that I deserve to die and be punished in hell eternally for my sins.  But, I thank you for sending Jesus to die on a cross, be buried, and rise again from the dead.  Jesus, please forgive my sins and take them away.  Please take control of my life and be my Lord, and help me to live for you.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen!

When you have prayed this, go to a church and share your newfound life in Jesus.  In our church, we offer people the opportunity to share their decisions for Jesus at the close of every Worship service.  Just follow the Pastor’s directions. 

As a Biblical covenant with your new church family, you will follow in Baptism by immersion.  In making this commitment, you are also doing this:  Forsaking All I Trust Him!

See You In Church!