Baby Dedication for Jed Gill

Baby Dedication for Jed

Children are a blessing from God

Psalm 127:1–5 CSB

1 Unless the Lord builds a house, its builders labor over it in vain; unless the Lord watches over a city, the watchman stays alert in vain. 2 In vain you get up early and stay up late, working hard to have enough food— yes, he gives sleep to the one he loves. 3 Sons are indeed a heritage from the Lord, offspring, a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the sons born in one’s youth. 5 Happy is the man who has filled his quiver with them. They will never be put to shame when they speak with their enemies at the city gate.

When Hannah took Samuel to dedicate him in the Lord’s temple:

1 Samuel 1:27–28 CSB

27 I prayed for this boy, and since the Lord gave me what I asked him for, 28 I now give the boy to the Lord. For as long as he lives, he is given to the Lord.” Then he worshiped the Lord there.

Introduction

Family, we come at the invitation of Arsalan and Nafisa Gill to share in this very precious, serious, and yet joyous occasion.

It is always a joy when new life comes to bless a home. This home has been blessed by the birth of Nirel Jedidiah Gill (Jed). We thank God for his birth and for his growth over these past 11 months.

Since God has been gracious to Arsalan and Nafisa, we are gathered here today to dedicate this family, Arsalan and Nafisa, and especially Nirel Jedidiah to our great and wonderful God.

Statement of Intent

God established the home as one of the most vital institutions on earth. God said to Adam and Eve, “Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth.” Since that time, God has blessed man and woman with the wonder of birth.

We can take our rule of faith and practice for this service today from God’s Word, the Bible. We find several accounts in the Bible of children being dedicated to God; to include Samuel in 1 Samuel 1, and even Jesus as the account of His dedication to God is recorded in Luke 2.

So we come today, not only to ask God’s special blessing on Jed’s life, but also to challenge and encourage Arsalan and Nafisa to be a godly father and mother who will love and care for Jed and give him every opportunity to live the kind of life that God wants him to live.

So in this act of dedication, I ask these questions:

Pastor Ryan: Do you, Arsalan and Nafisa, present Nirel Jedidiah to God? they answer: We do!

Pastor Ryan: Do you stand before us and before God today seeking to be godly parents? they answer: We do!

Pastor Ryan: Do you commit before God and these witnesses that you will do all that is within your power to maintain your home where Jed will be cared for and loved, and do you commit to rearing this child to love and honor God with all his heart? they answer: We do.

Charge

With that, I remind you again that God has graciously given you this child. He belongs to you, but in a greater way, he belongs to God. I remind you of the great responsibility that is placed on you because of the needs of clothing, food, shelter, love, and discipline. Even more importantly, you are also charged with the responsibility of his spiritual needs because we are more than just physical beings, we are spiritual.

You are charged with the responsibility of seeing that Jed is in God’s house, learning about God. You must teach him to honor, love, and worship God. You are charged with teaching him God’s holy Word. You must teach him godly, Christian morals and values and how to know God’s will for his life by teaching him to love the Bible.

And so, God has given us the family unity, the family home: father, mother, and children. God established the family home as the first institution in existence. The Church, also has a role and is given to the family by Christ. These two have been brought together to faithfully train and encourage our children.

We in this church, the Refuge Aviano faith family, stand nearby to assist the Gill family in every way we can, to properly teach little man to live life to the fullest. It is God’s plan that the home and church unite forces to train him, so that when he reaches the age of being accountable for his own actions, he will personally accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. Then, he will be ready for water baptism, and he will follow Jesus as his own Lord.

But you, Arsalan and Nafisa, are responsible to do your part in raising him. Raise him to be not only a child of knowledge and grace, but a child of faith.

Do you rejoice in this responsibility and gladly accept it before God and those of us gathered here today? (parents: we do)

Prayer of Dedication