Grounded in Scripture

“First Baptist is solidly grounded in Scripture.” These were some of the first words that came to mind when Keith Spurlock reflected on his church home. After moving to Dallas for a teaching position at First Baptist Academy, it was only natural for him and his late wife, Kim, to spend the next four decades at a church built on the Bible. 

Keith and Kim had a strong passion for sharing God’s Word with believers which led to decades-long service within First Dallas. “[We] led a class for children making a profession of faith. We met with this class for five weeks straight, and the purpose was to understand the gospel and truly make sure they were converted to Christ. We did this for 20 years.” Today, Keith continues to serve in Pastor’s Prayer Partners, First Impressions, and other ministries. He dedicates his time to praying for others, welcoming new members, and being in fellowship with other believers. 

Those who know Keith know that his passion for memorizing Scripture has become a big part of his testimony. “I was a Christian in high school, but I was not seeking God.” That changed when a college mentor introduced him to the Navigators’ Topical Memory System, a method of memorizing key Bible verses on a range of subjects. This tool helped Keith develop a love for God’s Word. Scripture memory made such a difference in his heart and life that he even memorized entire books of the Bible.

Through the years, Keith has relied on this grounding in Scripture not just for knowledge but for spiritual strength. After his wife Kim passed away three years ago, the verses he had memorized many years before came back to him in his darkest moments. Because Keith built his life on the truth of God, he has been able to persevere through trials. “If you are not spending time on a daily basis in the Word of God and in prayer, you are in a dangerous situation where Satan could come in and cause you to fall away from the Christian life… It is my prayer that people would grow in Scripture memory and prayer. That is what keeps you grounded in the faith.” 

At First Dallas, we should seek the Lord daily and be driven by the Holy Spirit in everything we do. A great resource to begin this daily quiet time in God’s Word is resources like Spring Training: Abide, where you read through Scripture every day and think about how the passages apply to your life. Keith says, “The resources from First Dallas are biblically based, and what we try to do is for believers to grow closer to Christ and be disciples.” For Keith, “The focus of Spring Training is to move people in their obedience to Christ. Since the whole church is doing it, it’s something we should all do.”

As a part of Mission 1:8 One Desire, we have encouraged everyone to identify and take a significant next step in their walk with the Lord. Keith shared his own: “Psalm 73:25.” From memory, he quotes, “Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.” Keith continues, “What I try to do is make this Psalm a reality in my life. Fellowship with God on a daily basis. To lay aside things that I would want for myself and say, ‘God, you are in control of this and not my will, but your will be done.’” 

It is our desire as a church to equip every believer with a solid foundation in God’s Word, so that we can transform the world together and be transformed ourselves in the process.