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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

300 freshmen, two years in a row? It would be a record for LC

By Message Staff PINEVILLE – The incoming class at Louisiana College got the red carpet treatment Aug. 11 as they moved into dormitories around campus a week before the fall semester began. A full entourage of campus administration and staff, members of the community, campus staff, football players and others greeted the incoming freshmen and transfer students while also assisting with taking personal belongings inside their new homes. While final enrollment numbers will not be available until later in the semester, LC President Rick Brewer is optimistic the school will enroll 300 new freshmen for the 2018-2019 academic year. If he is right, it would mark the first time Louisiana College has enrolled 300 or more new freshmen for two consecutive years. “Our admissions and recruiting teams have worked hard, and the fruit of their efforts is promising,” Brewer said. “Although we will not have a final enrollment number until after our drop/add date, we clearly are tracking toward our goal of enrolling 1,500 students by the year 2020.” Among the new students excited about the upcoming school year was Brian Edwards, a missions and ministries major from Lindale High School in Lindale, Texas. He is looking forward to how … [Read more...]

To hear God, get near God

By Rick Warren “It is the LORD who gives wisdom; from him come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6 GNT). You say, “I want to trust God, but I don’t hear him.” You don’t hear God when your mind is filled with a thousand other distractions. To hear God, you’ve got to get near God. You have to get alone with God and be quiet. The Bible says, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10 NIV). That means sit down and stay quiet. That’s how you hear God and get near God. You have to sit alone and just be quiet with your Bible and say, “God, is there anything you want to say to me?” You read God’s Word, and you talk to him about what’s on your heart. God says he will give you the wisdom you need to recognize his voice and follow through on what he says: “It is the LORD who gives wisdom; from him come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6 GNT). Pray this today: “God, I want to listen to you, not the voices of doubt. I want to get close to you and get to know you better. I want to hear you, and I promise to then obey you. I want to be one of the people that you can use and bless.” Rick Warren is founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California. The church recently celebrated the 50,000th … [Read more...]

Senior living community threatens resident with eviction for holding Bible study in his apartment

By First Liberty Institute FREDERICKSBURG, Virginia —Attorneys with First Liberty Institute today sent a demand letter to Community Realty Company, parent company of the Evergreens at Smith Run, alleging religious discrimination in housing by the management of the senior living community in Fredericksburg, Virginia, after it prohibited religious activities in the Evergreens’ Community Room and threatened a resident and his wife with eviction for hosting a small Bible study in their apartment. Read First Liberty’s demand letter here. “Evicting elderly residents from their home for holding a Bible Study is not only outrageous, it’s illegal,” said Lea Patterson, associate counsel for First Liberty.  “It’s frightening that a management company would use the threat of eviction to stop residents from meeting together to discuss any issue, let alone their faith.” Last year residents asked Ken Hauge, a new resident, to lead a Bible study in the complex’s community room.  Mr. Hauge reserved the room, but the apartment manager refused to allow him to call the event a “Bible study,” requiring instead that he call it a “Book Study.”  On July 23, 2018, the Evergreens adopted a new policy prohibiting residents from engaging in … [Read more...]