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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Louisiana Notables

ON THE MOVE Matt Duff resigns as Worship leader at Vidalia First Baptist Church. Taylor Freeland is new as pastor at Tillou Baptist Church, Bastrop. Bill Haley is new as music minister at Clark Springs Baptist Church, Eros. Charles Dupree resigned as pastor at New Chapel Hill Baptist Church, West Monroe. HOMECOMING Cotile Baptist Church, Boyce: 34th Annual Homecoming, March 13, 11 a.m. Speaker: Braden Martin. Paul’s Journey will be in concert at 1:30 p.m. A love offering will be taken. The church is located at 8735 Hwy 1200, Boyce, LA. Pastor: Johnny Miller. Calvary Baptist Church, Slidell: 55th anniversary, March 13, 11 a.m. There will be a luncheon after the services. Pastor: Arron McGuffee. Trinity Baptist Church, Oak Grove: 54th anniversary, March 13. This will also begin our Spring Revival, March 13-16, Sunday, 10:15 a.m.; Sunday evening, 6 p.m., and Monday-Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. Evangelist: Bill Robertson. Music: Ben Waites will provide music Sunday morning while Richard Ainsworth will direct music Sunday evening through Wednesday. Pastor: Rayburn McLarrin. REVIVAL Cotile Baptist Church, Boyce: Revival, March 10-12, 7 p.m. Speaker: Braden Martin. Pastor: Johnny Miller. First Baptist Church, … [Read more...]

NOBTS preaching prof leading Evangelical Homiletics society

By Marilyn Stewart, NOBTS Communications NEW ORLEANS – New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary preaching professor Dennis Phelps is serving as the 2015-2016 president of the Evangelical Homiletics Society. EHS promotes the exchange of ideas related to instruction in biblical preaching, academic publication in homiletics and the effective communication of the Gospel from a biblical-theological standpoint. Phelps joined the NOBTS faculty in 2006 and occupies the J.D. Grey Chair of Preaching. He has 19 years in theological education, including 10 at Bethel Seminary in St. Paul, Minn., and more than 21 years in pastoral ministry. In addition to his teaching duties, Phelps also leads the alumni relations office at NOBTS. Phelps is a frequent guest presenter at preaching conferences, including a pastors’ preaching and evangelism conference in Belarus, and has appeared regularly at the E-4 Preaching Conference, a collaborative expository preaching conference hosted by the Louisiana Baptist Convention, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, New Orleans Seminary and Louisiana College. EHS will mark its 20-year anniversary when it convenes in October at Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Phelps assumed EHS’ … [Read more...]

Washington Supreme Court will hear case over floral artist’s freedom

By Alliance Defending Freedom staff OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Washington Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to hear the case of floral artist Barronelle Stutzman, whom the state attorney general and the American Civil Liberties Union sued for acting consistently with her faith. Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys representing Stutzman filed a brief with the high court last month to challenge the state’s and the ACLU’s arguments in favor of government discrimination against her. A lower court ruled that Stutzman, owner of Arlene’s Flowers in Richland, must pay penalties and attorneys’ fees for declining to use her artistic abilities to design custom floral arrangements for a long-time customer’s same-sex ceremony. Rather than participate in the ceremony, Stutzman referred Rob Ingersoll, whom she considers a friend and had served for nearly 10 years, to several other florists in the area who would provide high-quality arrangements and wedding support. “Barronelle and many others like her around the country have been willing to serve any and all customers, but they are understandably not willing to promote any and all messages,” said ADF Senior Counsel Kristen Waggoner. “We hope the Washington Supreme Court will affirm the broad … [Read more...]

Joseph Willis Symposium featuring Kevin Adams wraps up tonight at Louisiana College

By Message Staff PINEVILLE – God speaks to Christians in many ways and places. What comes next is a simple but challenging requirement … saying yes to God, no matter what the cost. “God speaks to us in all sorts of places, in all sorts of ways,” Kevin Adams told Louisiana College students and others on Wednesday evening. “And the challenge for us tonight is, are we going to say yes Lord.” Adams’ message was part of a three-day Joseph Willis Symposium and Revival that ends tonight at LC. Adams is pastor of East Baptist Church in Lynn, Mass., and a Welsh revival historian. During his three days at LC, Adams has spoken each night during the revival, as well as in chapel and classes on campus. He also was part of a panel discussion Wednesday evening, March 2, about the subject of revival. Among his topics during the symposium was how God used 26-year-old Evan Roberts to spread revival in 1904 in Wales. The revival resulted in 100,000 people coming to accept Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. He emphasized to the crowd, which consisted mostly of LC students, that not all of them will have a testimony like Roberts. But having a testimony, he told the audience, is important because it can make a difference … [Read more...]

This election is about restoring American exceptionalism

By Todd Starnes, Fox News The mainstream media and the conservative media are in a state of shock on the day after Super Tuesday. They are still unable to come to terms with Donald Trump's massive appeal. Still unwilling to acknowledge that Ted Cruz is actually a viable candidate for the White House. They still just can't seem to understand why American voters will not do their bidding and support Marco Rubio. There’s plenty of book smarts among that crowd -- but no street smarts. So let me explain what this election is all about. Read more. … [Read more...]

Supreme Court abortion rights case could impact Louisiana

By Staff, Baptist Message WASHINGTON, D.C. – A sharply divided U.S. Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments in an abortion rights case that could have far-reaching implications not only in Texas but also a number of other states including Louisiana. The high court is hearing a challenge to a Texas abortion law, enacted in 2013, that requires doctors who perform abortions to having admitting privileges at nearby hospitals and prohibits clinics from providing abortions unless they meet the standards of outpatient or ambulatory surgical centers. The high court heard the arguments with only eight justices, because of the recent death of Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, a leader of the conservative wing for nearly three decades. Scalia, 79, was found dead Feb. 13. The court's new alignment makes a 4-4 split in this case a possibility. If the court were to divide evenly, it would result in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals' decision upholding the state law remaining in effect in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. A tie, however, would not establish a precedent and not be controlling in the rest of the country. Benjamin Clapper, executive director of Louisiana Right to Life, issued the following statement March 2 after … [Read more...]

WorldCrafts adds new artisan group and products

By WMU Communications BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — WorldCrafts has partnered with impoverished artisans all over the world, from Myanmar to Kenya to New York, to offer 25 new products this spring. These new products are among more than 200 items featured in the spring/summer catalog that was released Mar. 1. “We are thrilled to introduce 25 new products, a new artisan partner, and a beautiful new catalog,” said Emily Swader, WorldCrafts representative. “Adding new WorldCrafts products and artisans is not only exciting but life-changing when you know each one represents individuals who have, maybe for the first time, the opportunity to earn an income with dignity and hear the offer of everlasting life. It is exciting to see WorldCrafts’ impact grow and expand around the world.” WorldCrafts is honored to welcome Sak Saum in Cambodia as a new artisan group this spring. Sak Saum helps equip former victims of sex trafficking and exploitation in their care with skills, employment and a fair wage in a safe, loving environment. They also seek to pre-empt exploitation by equipping and hiring the most vulnerable in the local community before they fall prey to traffickers. Every Sak Saum product is made by someone who now has skills and works … [Read more...]

Why you pray for revival and it does not come

By Joe McKeever “…you were unwilling.” (Matthew 23:37) 1) We do not want revival. Not really. 2) God does not trust us with a revival, and for good reason.  He refuses to arm an enemy, to endow a rebel. There! Those are the answers to the question. Now, pull up a chair and let’s talk about it. It’s that plain and simple: we really do not want a Heaven-sent, life-rearranging revival. We want the results, the good part, but not the upheaval in our personal lives, priorities, and schedules which a Heaven-sent revival would cause. We want our churches filled, the community changed, and the believers encouraged. What we do not want is to be caught up in a spiritual fervor that drives us to resign certain affiliations, stop certain activities, and devote ourselves to lengthy prayer meetings and Bible studies and ministry. We want the harvest without the cost. We want certain aspects of the harvest, but not all. So, God will not force revival on us. We could wish He would.  “This is for your own good,” He might say, as He force-fed His good things down our church steeples and into our hearts and homes and fellowships. But no. The Lord has chosen to set His blessings before us and to let us decide … [Read more...]

Prayer vigil planned for March 12 outside Shreveport abortion clinic

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer SHREVEPORT/BOSSIER CITY – Two multi-denominational, pro-life prayer vigils are scheduled for March 12 -- one at a former abortion clinic in Bossier City and another in Shreveport, which is one of only two remaining clinics still perform abortions in the state. The goal of the vigils, according to co-organizer Brian Gunter, pastor of First Baptist Church Pollock, is to bring together different denominations and groups from around the state to pray peacefully for all abortions to end in Louisiana. “My goal is when we get to the Shreveport clinic we would have the sidewalk surrounding the building with a line of people hand-in-hand, shoulder-to-shoulder praying,” said Gunter. “We need to pray the Supreme Court will uphold the Fifth Circuit’s ruling. We need to pray God would change the heart of the doctor performing abortions inside the Shreveport clinic. And we need to pray God would cleanse our state of the blight of abortion.” Chris Davis, director of 40 Days for Life in Shreveport-Bossier, is also an organizer. The first vigil begins at 10 a.m. at 1505 Doctors Drive in Bossier City, the site of Bossier City Medical Suite. At the completion of the first vigil, the group will … [Read more...]

How to raise a missionary

By Paul Watts, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Franklinton This year will mark 13 years since I became a parent. I have grown in my appreciation of the calling to raise Godly children and I’ve been humbled by my own ignorance in all areas related to the accomplishment of this task. I believe with all my heart just as the Lord has given Christina and I three children, He has plans to receive glory through each of their lives.  This is not something I gleaned from Scripture alone, but something I have seen modeled in the lives of my own parents throughout my lifetime. When others find out I am a pastor and both of my sisters are missionaries, the questions that inevitably follow are, “Were your parents missionaries?” or, “Was your dad a pastor?”  The answer to both is “no.”  They are still serving the Lord faithfully through their church, but so are many others.  God is the one who calls, but I certainly believe He used them to prepare us to answer that call.  I want to share a few of their character traits I believe the Lord would have us pursue as parents seeking to raise children that will impact this world for Christ. Love Jesus: This is where it begins. This is foundational.  Your children cannot emulate … [Read more...]