Building Families on God’s Word

First Baptist Dallas is a church built on the Bible. We are committed to building the body of Christ on the unshakable foundation of God’s Word. Every ministry, from the nursery to senior adults, is dedicated to teaching biblical truth at every level, equipping individuals and families to grow in their faith and make Jesus Christ their one desire. That’s why Will and Sarah Stoy are raising their family here.

The Stoys were initially hesitant to put down roots at First Dallas because they thought the church was too big. “Instead of getting plugged into the community, we just went to the service.” But Sarah says they soon realized, “It was to our own detriment. We didn’t see true spiritual growth until we got plugged in. Being in community with other Christians in a Sunday School setting… changed everything.” Will and Sarah quickly realized that First Dallas was where the Lord wanted their family to be. 

Now, almost a decade later, the Stoys give all the credit to God for their two children, six-year-old Lilah and four-year-old Henry. “Right when our kids were born, we went to a dedication class. They were doing Sunday School lessons for newborns. Everything is woven through the Children’s Ministry, and year after year, it builds,” Will explains. This gave the Stoys confidence that their children would not just be loved and cared for, but would also be intentionally discipled and instructed with God’s Word. 

Sarah talks about how love and truth are both present in how we do ministry: “Shelly knows our kids, and the teachers know our kids. I serve in Awana and have watched them teach Bible lessons. They are getting a gospel presentation every week.” The depth of Bible teaching in the church then transforms the spiritual life and habits families can have at home. Will explains, “We pray with the kids and do Bible reading with them. Lately, our kids bring it up. Everything that goes on at church helps our conversations. The church makes it easy.”

Will talks about how focused First Dallas is on the spiritual growth of its members: “It’s genuine, and so grounded in truth that it’s been hard to justify a lack of engagement or spiritual growth. They take all the distractions away and have gospel-centered messages.”

At First Baptist Dallas, we believe God’s Word can transform lives, as the Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts and enables us to obey what Christ has commanded. That is what our upcoming spiritual disciplines emphasis, Spring Training: Abide, is all about. Sarah has seen the power of spiritual habits in her own life through her time at First Dallas, “Spiritual disciplines make your life better. I know if I commit to reading God’s Word every day, it will make my life better. I’ll have the endurance I need and a stronger connection with Him. I have everything I need when life throws things at me.”

Learning God’s Word and forming spiritual habits shouldn’t be pursued alone. They flow from the life and relationships we find in the body of Christ. Will reminds us, “Big churches get reputations for being stuffy or impersonal, but that’s the opposite of First Dallas. Relationships are here to be had. There’s love in the church, and there’s support in the church.” 

In this next season, we would encourage you to find biblical community here at our church, as the Stoys have. As you build your life on God’s Word, watch as He begins to work in you and through you in powerful ways!