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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

WAYLON BAILEY: Why do people reject Jesus?

By Waylon Bailey I often hear people say they can’t understand why people reject Jesus. It often comes in the context of their having gone through great personal trials. It sounds something like this: “How do people deal with their hurts and troubles without Christ?” While we can’t give every reason, there certainly are some biblical reasons to help us understand why people don’t follow Christ. First, people do not accept Christ because they are caught up in the cares of the world. In the Parable of the Soils, Jesus told about the word of God being scattered over various soils. Some of the soils were receptive to the word and others were not. Jesus said that these people had the word taken from them by “the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of money, and the desires of there things enter in and choke the word” (Mark 4:19). We all understand this picture. We have all been overwhelmed by “the cares of the world.” Life in itself creates many obstacles to knowing Christ and receiving Him as Lord and master. It is simply the truth that many things get in the way and keep us from making an honest assessment of the truth. Second, some people actually love life as they have it and don’t want to change. The Bible … [Read more...]

LC commencement to feature Louisiana Baptist Convention President Gevan Spinney

PINEVILLE - Louisiana College’s 161st commencement will confer about 140 diplomas, and will feature keynote speaker Gevan Spinney, president of the Louisiana Baptist Convention and pastor of First Baptist Church in Haughton. The December 10 event will occur at 10 a.m. at Pineville High School as the interior of LC’s Guinn Auditorium undergoes renovation. “Louisiana College is both humbled and honored for Dr. Spinney to address our graduates,” said LC President Dr. Rick Brewer. “Gevan epitomizes what it means to be a superb servant leader. I am confident that his remarks to our graduates will challenge them to walk not in his footsteps, but in those of Jesus Christ.” Two graduates also will address the audience: Business major Christopher Daigrepont and Chase Brossette, who will receive a BA in Criminal Justice and another in Exercise Science. While pursuing his degree, Daigrepont worked part time in financial planning, and he already has landed a full time job with a local financial planning firm. Brossette, who has undergone more than 60 surgeries related to Spina Bifida, plans to open a fitness center for adaptive athletes. Brossette was featured in The Town Talk newspaper this year for his power lifting and … [Read more...]

JACK GRAHAM: God’s grace and love at Christmas

By Jack Graham And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”  Luke 1:41-43 Mary, the mother of Jesus, is one of the most misunderstood persons in all of the Word of God. She is adored by some, even worshiped by many, and often ignored by others. There is a great deal of confusion about this amazing woman. But as we look into the story of Jesus’ birth, we find a woman who loved God and faced an uncertain future with full faith. She worshiped and sang to God for many of the reasons you and I do, even calling Jesus her “Savior” (Luke 1:47). Yes, Mary was a faithful servant of God. But she was born in the same sin and is saved by the same grace that saves you and me. She is not a mediator to Jesus, and she has no special power in heaven. She is what she is by the grace of God – no more and no less. As we look to Mary and her crucial role in the life of Jesus, let’s be quick to thank God for the love that was shown through her. Pray that God would make you a conduit … [Read more...]