Faith @ First - July 31, 2026
Dear Noblesville First Family,
This summer, I discovered a new hobby: hiking. Whenever I had a free morning, I laced up my walking shoes and explored paths I had never traveled before. Some wound through quiet forests, others opened onto beautiful overlooks, but one of my favorites quickly became Trail 4 at Holiday Park.
Along that trail, a small stream quietly bubbles and bends its way toward the White River. It doesn't roar like a waterfall or command your attention. It simply keeps moving, carrying its waters faithfully toward their destination. As I walked that trail again last week, I found myself thinking about a simple phrase: water speaks.
Throughout this summer worship series, we've discovered that water is never just water in Scripture. It tells the story of God's people. It parts to make a way where there seems to be none. It becomes living water in the hands of Jesus, offering grace that quenches our deepest longing.
Water echoes the faith experiences of countless people in the Bible, but if we listen carefully, it also echoes our own. It reminds us that God is always moving, always renewing, always leading us somewhere deeper.
This Sunday, we conclude our Take Me to the Water series by standing with Jesus at the Jordan River as he is baptized. Together we'll discover why the sinless Son of God entered those waters and what his baptism reveals about our own. My prayer is that as we remember his baptism, we will also remember who we are: beloved children of God, claimed by grace and sent into the world with purpose. Until then, may you listen for the ways water still speaks, and may its gentle voice remind you that God's love is always flowing toward you.
Keep the Faith @First,
Pastor Nicole
