By Jerry Love, LBF Communications ALEXANDRIA – The story has been told numerous times already, but it is worth telling again. The boat ride began on a beautiful summer day under the cool shade of live oak trees that spread across the bayou with the sunshine glistening on the water. Pushing the boat to its limits in the small confines of a curvy narrow waterway was both thrilling and fun. And then it happened… There was no warning … no “check engine” light or bells or chimes.  One minute the boat owner was cruising along and the next minute he was adrift, drifting in the bend of the bayou where his boat broke down. St. Clair Bower was the boat operator on that glorious day in the early 1930’s. It was supposed to be a day off from his pastoral duties in the communities of Maragouin and Krotz Springs and points all along the bayou in between. As he went ashore to find help, he encountered a mother and her son and began to share Jesus with them. Right there near the bend of the bayou, close to where the boat lost power, this mother and son, who had not heard the Gospel before, accepted Christ as their Savior. Two new souls won to the Lord turned into many days of Gospel meetings, and, not long after, a church was … [Read more...]

By Jerry Love & Wayne Taylor, LBF Communications ALEXANDRIA – Investment consultant and financial author Charles Ellis is attributed with saying, “Las Vegas is busy every day, so we know that not everyone is rational.” Oftentimes in the course of our lives we receive “good news” or we are presented with an opportunity that elicits the response “That’s just too good to be true!” All of these “too good to be true” moments can be initially exciting. However there are times when these moments occur around the presentation of investment opportunities. At these times our antennae should be up, radar tuned in and a healthy dose of “rational” close at hand. There is a fundamental principle in the world of finance regarding risk and return: The greater the potential return, the greater the risk. If a salesperson offers a product that purportedly is going to bear a higher than normal return, you have to find out what the risks are. If the salesperson claims this high yielding investment has “no risk” or that the investment is “guaranteed,” slowly back away from that “opportunity.” Either the salesperson does not understand the risk themselves or they are being dishonest. This type of situation merits a special word of … [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...]