By staff, First Baptist Chalmette “I am typing this email with my eyes.” The writer of the email was Wesley Harville, a disabled pastor in Arkansas afflicted with ALS.  The email was sent to John Dee Jeffries, long-term pastor of First Baptist Church in Chalmette, who recently launched a Christian book publishing house. Jeffries shared that what began as a hobby quickly became a business then a ministry – Published By Parables, a full-service Christian publishing house that is printing Christian books for distribution around the world – for free. “I have no use of my legs, my lung muscles are weak which greatly limits my speaking abilities and my arms and hands are almost useless. I cannot use a standard keyboard or phone. I am typing this with eye recognition technology. Yes sir, I am typing with my eyes.” “Physically, Wesley may be knocked down,” related Jeffries, “but he’s standing up on the inside.” Published By Parables is about to publish the first of a series of three books for Harville. All three were written with eye recognition technology. “I asked God to extend and expand my ministry,” related Jeffries, “and He did.” Published By Parables has published Christian books and books about Jesus for a … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer WOODWORTH – More than anything, God wants a personal relationship with every person through His Son. However, many times satan brings about distractions that can hinder that connection from happening. By focusing on Jesus Christ and resisting evil, man can grow in a relationship with God, a heavenly Father. It begins, Andrew Orr said, when a person accepts the free gift of salvation by grace through faith. “We run so hard that we sometimes lose focus,” Orr said during his message at Kids Camp on Aug. 2. “Some of you have been saved or baptized. When you get up every morning, you forget other people are watching you and you forget to focus on God. “Some of you are resisting or holding back or don’t know if God can save you,” he continued. “The Bible says He’s the only one who can save you.” Orr shared such messages of hope found in Christ during the third and final Kids Camp of 2016 at Tall Timbers Baptist Conference Center, which began Aug. 1 and ends today, Aug. 3. Nearly 400 children and adult leaders from 22 churches took part in worship sessions, Bible studies, recreational activities including a ropes course, bazooka ball, archery and basketball, and tracks such as … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer WOODWORTH – Curt Iles had a clear message for a room of 20 boys attending Royal Ambassador Camp this week – become a missionary, even if it means going to places that may be difficult and where they don’t know about Jesus. “As missionaries, we go to where people haven’t heard about Jesus and are hurting. We go to the difficult places,” said Iles, who served alongside his wife DeDe as missionaries with the International Mission Board in Uganda from 2013-2015. “We must as followers of Jesus go help them. Our job is to bring them the Gospel.” Iles, who previously was director of Dry Creek Baptist Camp, led individual breakout sessions on missions during RA Camp, which started July 27 and continues through Saturday. The camp drew 147 participants from a total of 14 churches. As of July 28, four young men had made professions of faith. The boys and their leaders took part in worship led by Kellie and Kristen Fuselier of Pineville and heard challenging messages from Brandon Digalormo of Haughton. The theme of the camp was ‘Running the Race,’ based on Hebrews 12:1. When they were not in worship sessions, the campers took part in recreational activities, including crafts, BB gun … [Read more...]

By Philip Timothy, Managing Editor JACKSON, Miss. – ‘What an awesome God we serve’ is such a simple yet profound statement. Shane and Kelly Kiper Longoria can attest to it. Eleven days ago, 22-year-old Kelly was abducted at a convenience store on her way to work, shot in the head by her assailant and left for dead in a Winnsboro graveyard. When she was airlifted to the Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit at Jackson Memorial in Jackson, Miss., the doctors told the family the chances were very high Kelly would not make it as they could not remove the bullet. They were concerned what the adverse effects would be by leaving the bullet. Word quickly spread about the tragedy and people immediately began to pray. The prayer chain began slowly, just in the community, but it quickly expanded through family and friends to small groups, Sunday school classes and entire congregations. In less than two days, hundreds and then thousands were lifting the couple up in prayer. “So many people know Shane and Kelly. They are both great kids … well liked and well loved. And, so many people know Miss Lisa (Lisa Kiper is Kelly’s mother) and the Kiper family,” said Craig Beeman, pastor of First Baptist Church in Winnsboro. “They, … [Read more...]

By Norm Miller, Louisiana College communications PINEVILLE (LC News) - If you ask Mark Rodie why he and four other men from First Baptist Church Bossier City would give up a Saturday to labor in landscaping at Louisiana College under the sultry July sun, within about a minute he will tell you about Men of Courage. Inspired by the movie “Courageous,” Rodie helped form Men of Courage as part of the men’s ministry at FBC Bossier, where he heads up the church’s ministries to men. “Where are you men of courage?” is a line from the movie that shot through Rodie’s heart a few years ago, but not without leaving the conviction to not only be a man of courage but to lead others to join him. What started as Rodie and his mentor meeting every Friday morning has grown into hundreds of men gathering for breakfast and “a time of rejoicing in the joy of our salvation -- you know, men sharing testimonies of what the Lord is doing in their lives,” Rodie told LCNews. “We will sometimes reference 20 to 30 passages of Scripture. The Bible is our workbook. It really encourages us when we leave to be the Church.” Inspiration from the Bible study moves men like Rodie and those who tore out overgrown shrubbery at LC and who will come back … [Read more...]