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A Word From Our Elders
Welcome to March! The trees are starting to bloom, and that’s a sure reminder of God’s love and beauty after a short, dim southern winter.
“Arise, my darling; my beautiful one, come away with me!
Look! The winter has passed, the winter rains are over and gone.
Blossoms have appeared in the land, the time for pruning and singing has come;
the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree has ripened its figs, the vines have blossomed and give off their fragrance.
Arise, come away my darling; my beautiful one, come away with me!”
(Song of Songs 2:10–13)
It’s like the Lord—along with all nature—is beckoning us back outside to enjoy the awesome Creator of this creation. That reminds me: I’ve got to get out there and prune those muscadine vines before it’s too late! Bro. Charles (residing with Jesus today) is likely not happy with my performance as a vinedresser. Of course, he knows this is not my gift!
Y’all have any pruning going on in your lives? Any dead, dry branches that need trimming so that new fruit—love, joy, peace, etc.—can come through in the coming seasons? John 15 reminds us that the Father has us connected to the Vine so that we can bear fruit that remains. And that kind of fruit doesn’t come about without seasonal pruning either (see John 15:2).
Your elders have been working through your prayer requests with understanding around frustration with life in this broken world. I’m not sure which is more difficult: suffering daily with a broken body that refuses to do everything I demand of it or suffering from a broken mind that refuses to submit and surrender everything to Christ. I know the latter is far more spiritually debilitating—and needs my immediate attention and the prayers of others (hint, hint)—far more than a breaking-down body.
Paul shows the priority clearly:
“Therefore, we do not despair, but even if our physical body is wearing away, our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary, light suffering is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison because we are not looking at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen. For what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.”
(2 Corinthians 4:16–18)
So, let’s keep our eyes fixed on Jesus this month far more than we do anything or anyone else that may be like the antichrists that distract us—and look for opportunities to share the good news of His life, death, and resurrection.
Remember: God, Man, Christ, Response (Holy, Sinful, Substitutionary, Repent & Trust in Him to deliver you from the sin that ruins you and the wrath that will destroy you in eternity). Run and bow down humbly to the throne of grace to find rest for your souls. There’s a world full of lonely people out there waiting for us to share our hope—and our lives—with them.
Stay focused, stay ready. Prepare for sharing the gospel and for the sudden, visible return of Jesus any day. Don’t be unprepared for the Groom!
Adam and I had the joint pleasure of sharing Christ with a young man recently that left us a bit bewildered. The young man was like most in one regard—his goal was having a lot of money regardless of what it took to get it (common)— but he also genuinely believed that the earth was flat (hmmm… not as common). He reminded me how the god of this world blinds in all sorts of ways. God’s perfect creation is so much better than a flat world and Christ is so much better than money. All the lies skew the goodness of God to make us think there’s something better. Like C.S. Lewis said – mud pies in the back yard are only good to us because we’ve never had a day at the sea.
And of course, if you happen to struggle—or know someone who struggles—with the concept that maybe the earth is flat, just ask a pilot… they will love to talk about that too! You’ll have to ask Adam about that part! LOL Love you all,
Bro. Tony
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Statement of Faith
What We Teach
From the time of the Apostles to today, Christians have laid out doctrine (beliefs) in brief, definitive statements. As those who know God, we believe it necessary to set forth in a concise fashion the cornerstone truths that our church teaches as guided by Scripture. Our Doctrinal Statement summarizes essential Christian beliefs, shows unity in Christ, and affirms our belief in the Christian truths which have been held by the church throughout the ages and particularly since the Protestant reformation, including believer’s baptism, and congregational polity (government).
The Freeness of Salvation
We teach that the blessings of salvation are freely offered to all by the gospel, that it is the immediate duty of all to accept the gospel with a glad, obedient faith and Godly sorrow, and that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth other than his own inherent depravity (sinfulness) by which he refuses to listen and suppresses the truth in unrighteousness thereby rejecting the gospel which makes him wholly responsible for his just condemnation.
Grace in Regeneration
We teach that in order to be saved, sinners must be regenerated, or born again. This results in the mind being spiritually and savingly enlightened to understand the Word of God which is accomplished in a manner above our comprehension by the power of the Holy Spirit and the divine truth of the Word of God. This is done in a way that brings about voluntary obedience and faith which is evidenced by fruits worthy of repentance as demonstrated in righteous attitudes and conduct.
Faith and Repentance
We teach that faith and repentance are required by Scripture and inseparably linked graces that are granted to us as a gift by the regenerating Spirit of God that deeply convince us of our guilt, danger, and helplessness, and of the way of salvation by Christ. We then turn to God with true repentance, confession of sin, and pleas for mercy while whole heartedly receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as our Prophet, Priest and King, and relying on him alone as the only and all sufficient Savior.
Adam Fitzgerald
Primary Preaching and Teaching Elder
THE CHURCH
We are a church that believes in Jesus & loves God and His people
Adam joined the elders at Oak Grove Baptist Church in August of 2022. Prior to that, he served as the Associate Pastor at Sardis Baptist Church in Swansea, SC. Before entering full-time ministry, he taught social studies and coached football in both the Bismarck and Sheridan public school districts.
Adam grew up just outside of El Dorado, AR, graduated from Ouachita Baptist University with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education, and eventually went on to complete both a Master of Arts in Theological Studies and a Master of Arts in Religion/Biblical Studies from Liberty University Online.
He and his wife Kelly have three children (AJ, Eddie, and Halle), and they all enjoy spending time doing anything outdoors, whether it be hunting, fishing, gardening, hiking, or working with the dogs or horses. They are always up for an adventure and see the greatest adventure of all as having their lives spent in service to the savior.