In God’s perfect timing, Jesus Himself will return suddenly and the dead will rise. The second coming of Jesus will usher in a time of judgment on the earth where all mankind will give an account. The unrighteous will be sent to a place of eternal punishment, and the righteous will receive glorified bodies as their reward and will dwell in the house of God forever in a new heaven and a new earth.
We are a family who worships Jesus and proclaims the good news.
● Family - The Bible tells us the church is the family of God. Because Jesus removed our sin on the cross, we are welcomed into his family as adopted sons and daughters. In Christ, we are all brothers and sisters. As a family, we strive to love one another unconditionally and point one another to Christ as we seek to be faithful to him in all things. All people are invited into the global family of God by trusting in Jesus. All people are welcomed into our First Baptist Church family.
● Worship - The Bible tells us true worshipers will worship Him “in both spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). This means that right worship, which is pleasing to God, depends on and is grounded in the true nature and character of God. Worship throughout Scripture involves the entire body: our hands, feet, voices, and minds. Love for God overflows into acts of love and service to others in our daily lives (Rom. 12:1).
● Proclaim - In Acts 1:8, Jesus tells His disciples, “you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” As His disciples now, we are called to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ everywhere we go. We believe this starts right here at home. We are called to bless our Greenwood community and the Mississippi Delta while continuing to proclaim Jesus through domestic and international missions.
Statement of Faith
Trinity
There is one living and true God, infinite in holiness truth and love. He is all powerful, all knowing, and is not limited in any way. He reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as equal, distinct, and eternal members of the trinity.
God the Father is the holy and loving Creator of the universe. He is infinite in wisdom, love, knowledge, and power. He sovereignly rules over the world and cares over His creation. He is our Redeemer, worthy of all honor and praise.
Jesus Christ
Jesus is the eternal Son of God and Son of Man, fully God and fully human. He perfectly revealed the will of the Father and identified Himself with mankind. He lived a perfect, sinless life and paid the penalty of sin as a substitute for mankind. He was raised from the dead with a glorified body and appeared to many before ascending into heaven. He sits at the right hand of God before returning in power and glory to judge the world. He dwells in all those who place their trust in Him.
Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is a divine, distinct person. He has emotions, a will, and Christians can have a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. He intercedes for us, gives us hope and comfort, convicts us of sin, works to advance the Gospel in the world and in the heart of believers, and fills us.
Man
God created man in His own image; therefore every person of every race possesses full dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love. He created mankind both male and female and placed them in a garden to enjoy perfect fellowship with the Creator. Mankind, in the freedom given by the Creator, rebelled against God and was subjected to divine wrath. Under this divine wrath, man was totally depraved and utterly incapable of returning to God apart from an act of grace. Without a special work of grace, mankind is enemies with God, and the fall has invaded every aspect of his being. God sent His son Jesus to die for all of mankind.
Salvation
Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
Scriptures
God has chosen to reveal Himself in Creation, through His Son, Jesus Christ, and through His Word. Men divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit wrote the Holy Bible. It has God as its author, salvation for its end, and is truth, without any mixture of error in all it teaches. The sixty six books of the Old Testament and New Testament constitute the pages of Scripture, which have been preserved for us. The words are authoritative, sufficient for all that God requires us to believe and do, and is the story of God’s sovereign plan of redemption. God has given us the precious gift of His Word, which is to be cherished, studied, obeyed, and trusted.
Church
The Church is both universal and local. The church universal is made up of individuals of all tribes, tongues, and nations who are genuine followers of Jesus Christ. The church local is the autonomous congregation of believers who meet together to observe the ordinances, worship God, exercise gifts, fellowship together, pray, study God’s Word, and make disciples. Each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord. Scripture outlines the offices of pastor and deacon to serve as the church leadership.
Ordinances
Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience to symbolize the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Baptism is a prerequisite for church membership.
The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience where members of the church memorialize the death of Jesus and anxiously anticipate His second coming.
The End
Our Core Values
We commit to sacrificially love the world.
We commit to intentionally seek out multi-generational relationships.
We commit to encourage and love one another.
We commit to be good stewards of His resources.
We commit to worship God in both spirit and truth.
We commit to a lifestyle of worship together and individually.
We commit to set aside our personal preferences.
We commit to live as missionaries by telling everyone about Jesus.
We commit to seek the benefit of our community, Greenwood.
We commit to reach the nations with the name of Jesus by the giving of our time, money, and talents.
We commit to bathe everything in prayer for God’s glory, in Jesus’ name, by the Spirit’s Power.