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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Pastors use social media to encourage others after Ida

By Baptist Message staff NEW ORLEANS, La. (LBM) - Louisiana Baptist pastors used social media a day after Hurricane Ida as a means to encourage members and others impacted by the powerful storm. Dennis Watson, lead pastor of Celebration Church in Metairie, encouraged his members and others to stay strong. All of the church’s eight campuses had some damage, including the Kenner campus building that lost a roof and the River Parishes campus facility in LaPlace that took in water. “We will get through this,” he wrote. “The Lord has brought us back from destruction in times past, and He will do so again. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 1:8-10: ‘We think you ought to know . . . about the trouble we went through . . . We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God . . . And He did rescue us from mortal danger, and He will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in Him, and He will continue to rescue us.’” Dean Ross, pastor of Family Church NOLA in Kenner, which was in the path of the eye of the hurricane, said his church and the area will be resilient … [Read more...]

Pre-season decisions include faith, football

By LC News PINEVILE, La. (LC News) - Louisiana College Wildcats had been hard at practice preparing for their first game in the NAIA, but an even more important decision was made by 21 football players recently, as they made professions of faith, accepting Jesus Christ as their savior. ”As a coach you want to have a lasting impact on your players, that's why you get into this job,” said Head Football Coach Andrew Maddox. “The best feeling in the world is when a player turns his life over to Christ. The best part about being at Louisiana College is that we don't have to hide who we are here, and our players get to hear everlasting truth.” Even though Louisiana College is a Baptist, Christian institution, students come to the college from all different faith and no-faith backgrounds. President Rick Brewer said he expects even greater things on the horizon on LC, as the Lord has his hand on the College. “We have the largest freshman class in history, and we have already had some spirit-filled speakers share the Word of God in relevant ways for today’s students,” Brewer said. “We also have a lot of new and outstanding athletes on our teams. We expect great changes in the hearts and minds across campus this … [Read more...]

Ida wreaks havoc in south Louisiana

By Baptist Message staff GRAND ISLE, La. (LBM) - Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana, Sunday, Aug. 29, as a powerful Category 4 storm. Ida came ashore around 11:55 a.m. with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph, just seven mph short of Category 5 status. The storm made landfall west of Grand Isle Louisiana along the southeastern Louisiana coast near Port Fourchon, according to the National Weather Service. At 7 p.m., Ida was a Category 3 storm, with winds at 120 mph. More than 990,000 Louisiana businesses and homes had no electricity at 10 p.m., according to poweroutage.us, but that number was expected to increase as the storm continues to move across the state. The entire city of New Orleans had no power Sunday evening due to “catastrophic damage,” EntergyNOLA wrote on Facebook. New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary President Jamie Dew posted on Facebook Sunday evening that the school was without power and had major tree damage. He added that no flooding was taking place on campus. “Pray that holds,” he wrote. “We will know much more at daylight. If evacuated, DO NOT attempt return until we communicate when that is possible. For now, pray for #NOLA.” “Thanks again for the prayers and support,” he wrote. “Praying … [Read more...]

In the midst of the storm, His grace is sufficient for you!

By Steve Horn ALEXANDRIA, La. - Here we are again. Covid still raging and here comes a hurricane. Is it 2020 or 2021? It’s like Yogi Berra said, “It’s deja-vu all over again.” Saying something like, “Just trust God,” seems so hollow and void of real compassion and solution. And yet, is there any better answer to all of our problems than the answer that Christ gives? Jesus said to Paul and He says to us, “My grace is sufficient for you.” Though theories abound as to what the “thorn in the flesh” was, we really do not know. However, we do know that Paul prayed for the thorn to be removed. Paul’s prayer was not answered with relief from the thorn, but with one of the greatest promises in all of God’s word, “My grace is sufficient for you.” Why could Jesus make such a statement as that? I want to share with you seven reasons why His grace is sufficient for you! Seven Reasons that His Grace is Sufficient for You! The Power of the Cross of Christ "For to those who are perishing the message of the cross is foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is God's power." (1 Corinthians 1:18) The greatest need that any of us have is the need for forgiveness. Every other need, though the need could be met, would not … [Read more...]

Associational missions strategist Jerry Johnson passes

By Baptist Message staff OAKDALE, La. (LBM) – Jerry Johnson, associational missions strategist for Mt. Olive Baptist Association, died Friday, Aug. 27. An e-mail from the Louisiana Baptist Convention confirmed that Johnson was surrounded by family and other loved ones at the time of his death. Johnson led the association since 2017, according to the Annual Church Profile. He also served as pastor of Dixie Baptist Church in Sieper (2013-2018), St. Matthew Baptist Church in Oakdale (2011-2012) and Beauregard Memorial Baptist Church in Longville (2001-2008), and as a Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive Board member (1998-2001). Funeral arrangements are pending. … [Read more...]

LC holds first on-campus job fair for student employment

By Elizabeth Clarke and Sierra Boudreaux, LC News PINEVILLE, La. (LC News) – The newly established Center for Calling & Career at Louisiana College sponsored a job fair Aug. 23 for students seeking on-campus employment. This is the first event of its kind at LC and allowed interested students to apply for any of the 162 part-time jobs on campus. Two-hundred forty-nine students attended the job fair inside Granberry Conference Center, submitting resumes and applications and visiting with representatives of the different college departments looking for assistance in a multitude of roles. Thirty-one departments from the school also accepted applications for different positions available. “Our goal is to teach our students the process of attending a job fair in an effort to learn how to properly speak to a future employer and to go through the process of submitting a resume and interviewing for a position,” said CCC Executive Director Meredith Rennier. “Another goal is to keep our students on campus demonstrating how Louisiana College helps make college affordable by giving opportunities for students to earn money while attending school.” Rennier added that more events like the job fair are planned for this semester, … [Read more...]