Click to Login or Sign Up

Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Are you a builder or a breaker?

By Greg Laurie I heard about a monk who joined a monastery and took a vow of silence, with the exception of being allowed to speak two words every year. After the first year passed, he was called into the abbot’s office to speak his two words. The monk said, “Bed’s hard.” Another year passed, and again he went to speak his two words before the abbot. The monk said, “Food’s cold.” Another year went by, and he appeared once again before the abbot. “You’re allowed your two words,” the abbot told him. “What are they?” The monk said, “I quit.” “It’s no wonder!” the abbot exclaimed. “Since you’ve been here, all you’ve done is complain!” That is true of some people. All they want to do is complain. My friend James Merritt says there are two kinds of people in this world: those who are born again, and those who are born against. Some people are simply contrary. Nothing pleases them. Nothing meets their standards. They actually like to go and make trouble in the lives of others. As Proverbs 4:16 says, evil people are restless unless they’re making trouble. They can’t even get a good night’s sleep unless they have made life miserable for someone. Zig Ziglar said, “Don’t be distracted by criticism. Remember, the only … [Read more...]

J.D. Greear to be SBC president nominee

By Baptist Press Staff DALLAS (BP) - North Carolina pastor J.D. Greear will be nominated for SBC president, Florida pastor Ken Whitten announced Jan. 29. WHOLEHEARTED ENDORSEMENT Whitten, pastor of Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Fla., told Baptist Press that Greear, 44, "is all about what Southern Baptists have been all about." "We bleed missions. We bleed evangelism, and we bleed the Gospel of Jesus Christ ... J.D. Greear will give us the opportunity to impact another generation while continuing to honor the former generation of Southern Baptists,” he added. GREEAR’S REMARKS Greear, pastor of The Summit Church in Durham, N.C., released a statement to BP, announcing, "I am again allowing my name to be placed in nomination" after "a lot of prayer, encouragement and counsel, with the consent of our [Summit] leadership team and Veronica my wife." "The basic things that God laid on my heart haven't changed from 2016 and I feel more committed to them than ever," Greear added, according to BP. BP attributed Greear with stating he would emphasize "the Gospel above all"; "cultural and racial diversity"; "intentional, personal evangelism"; "church planting"; and, "engagement of the next generation in cooperative … [Read more...]

Louisiana College enrollment up again

By Norm Miller PINEVILLE (LCNews) - A two-year trend of enrollment growth continues at Louisiana College, which reports an 18 percent head count increase since the 2017 spring semester. Spring enrollment reflects a 53 percent increase in graduate students and an eight percent increase in traditional undergraduate students. High school dual enrollment also doubled. The continuing increases have reversed a 5-year downward spiral in enrollment that began in 2010. “There is no magical formula here,” said Rick Brewer, president of the college. “Success still requires a vision and the hard work to fulfill it.” Particularly gratifying for Brewer is the number of transfer students. “These students have essentially recruited us and have left other good schools for what we have to offer. Some of them considered enrolling at LC last fall but attended elsewhere, yet they have come back saying that they should have begun here initially.” Brewer noted the struggles LC endured prior to his unanimous election by trustees in 2015 are continually overshadowed by the innovative strategies developed in, and implemented by, the college’s President’s Leadership Team. “These enrollment successes require a team that’s ‘all in,’” said … [Read more...]