  Have you ever thought about how quick we are to baptize people? I'm not against baptizing people. Please don't think that. Someone pointed out to me the other day how often people went up to Jesus and said they wanted to follow him. What was his response? Jesus said, "The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head (Luke 9:58).
" Another time he said, "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot by My disciple," and also, "So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions (Luke 14:27, 33). " Jesus wanted all people to come to him, but he also wanted them to know the cost. He wanted them to realize what they were getting into. He wanted to take a step back and look at it once more before they jump in. I think in the past, if we didn't just dunk them right then and there, we would make people delay their baptism for the wrong reasons. We felt they should first act like a Christian (quit smoking, quit cursing, etc...) and then we would allow them to become a Christian. I think that is the wrong reason to delay baptism because only the Spirit can give one the power to do those things and they receive the Spirit at baptism.
I do believe that we should ask people to step back and realize the seriousness of following Jesus. Following Jesus is a commitment for life much like marriage, not a free pass to Heaven. We shouldn't be scared to let people know beforehand that it will be tough. It takes sacrifice. It is not always fun. But we should also let them know it is worth every bit of our sacrifices because none of them can compares to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross. What do you think? 
