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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Open handed

By Rebecca Holloway PINEVILLE, La. – For years, I have read and heard the statement, “We need to hold life/our family/our possessions with an open hand.” The idea is that we are not in control of our lives or anything else on this planet. God is in complete control of all things and has the power and right to change things on a moment’s notice. As believers, we are to keep our hands open in surrender, knowing that He knows what is best for us at any given time. Frankly, I have always hated that statement. Probably because I have control issues. But this whole principle has come back to bite me here lately. In recent days, I have realized how tightly I was holding on to all of these things – especially when it comes to my stuff. First, we moved into our dream house in August of last year. The night we moved in, I fell on my face in worship before God and praised Him for giving us our house. We had seen His hand in every single moment of the purchase of the new house and the sale of our old house. We knew this was His will for our family. We have tried to be very “open handed” with our home and have already used it several times for ministry. But in the space of the 10 months we’ve been in this house, I have heard of two … [Read more...]

DR Teams restore souls, homes in storm ravaged Lake Charles

By Baptist Message staff LAKE CHARLES, La. (LBM) – Among the many people in need of help to restore their homes damaged by recent flooding in southwest Louisiana, six also had their souls restored through a Gospel witness by Southern Baptist disaster relief teams. “While it’s wonderful to help people get their homes cleaned out so they can rebuild, we are reminded that those homes are temporary,” Louisiana Baptist disaster relief coordinator Stan Statham told the Baptist Message. “Now, those individuals who accepted Christ are prepared for an eternal home.” Since relief operations began out of Trinity Baptist Church in Lake Charles, teams from Louisiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas have worked in the area, which received up to 15 inches of water in some parts May 17. According to Clark Fooshe, white hat (coordinator) at the Incident Command Center at Trinity Baptist, teams have completed 166 jobs out of 200 requests, distributed 64 Bibles and presented the Gospel 40 times. Teams are expected to remain in Lake Charles until June 19. Another team from Ohio also is working out of Baton Rouge, which received more than 12 inches of rain. “We’ve had a good number of states respond,” … [Read more...]

Let’s obey the Great Commission challenge

By Lane Corley MADISONVILLE, La. (LBM) - In Matthew 28:20, Jesus finishes the Great Commission with this challenge –“teaching them everything I have commanded you.” Did you catch it? Do you see what’s missing? Left out of this quote is that we are to teach them “to obey” or “to observe” everything. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” If you did catch it, does your church and your ministry obey this command? Are we teaching them “to obey everything” or are we teaching them everything we know in 30-45 minutes blocks and hope they learn or eventually know enough to become disciples who make disciples? Didn’t work for the Pharisees of Jesus’ day. Doesn’t seem to be working today. Knowledge doesn’t always lead to maturity or multiplicative disciple making. How do you teach to obey? Jesus modeled this for us by teaching, plus answering questions and responding to concerns, plus modeling, plus sending, plus debriefing. There cannot be teaching to obey without – Q and A for understanding opportunities to practice what’s been taught ongoing coaching and … [Read more...]