By Message Staff TROUT – As a powerful EF-2 tornado moved over their home at 4 p.m. Sunday, April 2, Mike Devillier and his family knew of just one course of action to take while huddled together in the church parsonage bathroom – pray. “We joined hands and prayed,” said Devillier, pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church in Trout. “Although there was the tension of the storm, we had peace in the middle of it knowing God was in control and no matter what happened here He was taking care of is.” Though Devillier’s home was left intact, many others in the church were not as fortunate. About half of the 200 who attend Sunday morning worship services at Fellowship Baptist Church received some damage to their homes, including a few which were totally destroyed as a result of the tornado, one of two in LaSalle Parish confirmed by the National Weather Service. However, no one was seriously injured or killed. Devillier said while the storm caused significant damage, it also has brought out the best in his members and others in the community. Not long after it passed and the rain stopped, a plethora of people got to work, using chainsaws to cut through trees that fell in yards, moving debris from rooftops, passing out bottled water … [Read more...]

By Norm Miller, LC News PINEVILLE - Steve Horn - pastor of First Baptist Church in Lafayette and Louisiana College trustee - shared insights regarding the Fall of Man as he preached from Genesis chapter 3 during the college’s March 30th chapel service. “Satan’s strategy and tactics are the same in 2017 as they were in Genesis chapter three,” Horn said. Tracing the pattern of temptation in the Garden of Eden, Horn noted that doubt about God’s Word came first. “Satan puts question marks where God puts periods,” he said. That is followed by Satan’s deceit, human desire and a decision to disobey God. Then comes defeat and the denial of one’s spiritual condition. “The Fall establishes the fact that sin has a penalty,” the former Louisiana Baptist Convention president said. The good news, Horn said, is “God does not desire to punish, but to pardon. Where there is sin, there is always grace.” And where there is grace, there is a “point of choice. God’s extension of grace provides the choice.” Horn concluded with an invitation for those who did not know Christ to commit their lives to him, and for believers who felt estranged from God because of sin to repent and return. … [Read more...]

TROUT - A Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief team from Wilda Baptist Church in Boyce spent their Monday, April 3, cleaning homesdamaged by a storm that roared through LaSalle the day before. Mickey Smith, a member of the team, said they were showing what disaster relief is all about to the homeowners and residents who are struggling to clean up the damage caused after powerful winds uprooted large trees and snapped power lines on Sunday, April 2. "Some people aren’t able to help themselves, so we help them," Smith said. "The fact is we are here to help them. We show the love to them that we have in our heart." https://youtu.be/YIeZYFjBRHU https://youtu.be/eftZifd1fzA   … [Read more...]

By Message Staff ALEXANDRIA -- Hours after powerful storms tore through many parts of Louisiana Sunday, April 2, Louisiana Baptists were quickly on the ground, responding to neighbors whose homes were heavily damaged. Around 75 people from Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria divided into five teams Monday morning, April 3, and helped clean up yards in nearby neighborhoods. “We are here to help the neighbors walk through a difficult time,” said David Brooks, pastor of Calvary Baptist. “This is one way we can come alongside them and let them know we care and want to help.” James Thompson, whose niece’s home was damaged, said he was thankful the church members came out to help. “They are a God-send,” Thompson said. “These people are a blessing and are bringing all of us happiness.” For much of the day April 2 and into the morning hours April 3, portions of the state were deluged with torrential rains and high winds. The Louisiana Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness reported four confirmed tornadoes in the state, but that number could increase following assessment by National Weather Service personnel. A suspected tornado flipped a mobile home off its foundation Sunday at 9:30 … [Read more...]