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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

What the 2026 “word of the year” says about us

If you’re looking for a clue to understanding our culture, the annual “word of the year” can help. Last year, it was 67, pronounced “six-seven,” which Dictionary.com says is “purposefully nonsensical and all about being in on the absurdity.” A chaotic word seems appropriate for chaotic times. … [Read more...]

APOLOGETICS 101 (Part 10): Evidence for Christ

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – In the last dozen years or so, there has been a slight uptick of attacks on the his­torical ex­istence of Jesus by a very small circle of “Jesus Myth” theorists. However, overwhelm­ingly, historians and New Testament researchers alike (the vast majority of whom are secularists or atheists) consider such “New Atheist” views as a fringe position -- specifi­cally because of the ex­trabiblical evidence docu­mented by non-Christians in ancient records. Yet this same majority of modern academicians also reject the assertion that Jesus is God, and they deny the biblical record about His miracles and His resurrection. ANCIENT EVIDENCE Flavius Josephus was a first century historian who was a Roman citizen of Jewish decent. In his “Antiquities of the Jews” (circa A.D. 93), he mentioned Jesus twice, describing Him first as “a wise man … who performed sur­prising deeds” and “won over many Jews and … Greeks.” Moreover, he called Jesus “the Christ” whom “Pilate con­demned … to a cross,” and he wrote that Jesus was “restored to life.” In Josephus’s second reference, he mentioned the trial of “James, the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ”. Tacitus was a … [Read more...]

Apologetics 101 (Part 9): Old Testament bits and pieces

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – The first eight in­stallments of APOL­OGET­ICS 101 presented archae­ological discover­ies that supported the trust­worthiness of the Bible. NOT JUST RELICS However, it is import­ant to remember that the physical proof for most of history has been lost sim­ply due to decay, human destruction or natural catastrophe. Therefore, artifacts and monuments cannot be the only evi­dence used to verify histor­ical accounts. Instead, there are other valid ways to substantiate ancient records of persons, nations and events that go beyond excavating relics and man-made struc­tures. These methods include studying linguis­tic links among people groups, comparing social systems between regions, identifying common or distinct human behav­iors across geographical boundaries and noting historical details con­firmed by multiple inde­pendent sources. For instance, the Old Testament correctly identifies the deities Baal, Asherah and Dagan with the right people groups, strengthening the cred­ibility to the writers of Judges, Samuel, Chroni­cles, Jeremiah and Hosea. NOT JUST A NAME Genesis uses accurate Egyptian titles to detail the circumstances of Joseph’s life … [Read more...]

FIRST PERSON: Noticeably Kind

By John Kyle, special to the Baptist Message NASHVILLE, Tenn. (LBM) — Rhinestones, big hair, a disarming smile, and an unmistakable voice helped make Dolly Parton - noticeable. Born in the hills of east Tennessee, Dolly Parton was one of 12 children. She grew up poor but refused to let her family’s lack of resources keep her from dreaming big. As accolades pour in from around the world, those whose paths crossed Dolly’s routinely remember her kindness. Her obituary put it this way, “ …her wit, warmth and kindness that made us all feel like family.” Kindness. Let that word sink in for just a minute. Simply defined it is warmheartedness, goodness, generosity, helpfulness. It is acting graciously and mercifully toward others, just as God does with us. My guess is even during your most hectic day, you notice, you remember someone who showed you kindness. Someone who allows you to merge in front of them in heavy traffic. Someone who holds open a door when your arms are full. Someone who compliments you when you’re struggling to hold it together, and you feel like a hot mess. Kindness. It was something that Paul regularly included in his letters to the churches of his time. He told the believers in Corinth that … [Read more...]

Four pieces of back-to-school advice for parents

The backpacks are full, the lunches are packed, and moms and dads everywhere are breathing a sigh of relief that life is returning to back-to-school normal. But the beginning of classes isn’t just about getting kids ready for a new year, it’s about making sure parents are equally prepared to take on the challenges that today’s education throws at them. … [Read more...]

APOLOGETICS 101 (Part 8): The epic of Jonah is not a ‘fish tale’

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM)—For critics of the Bible, the account of Jo­nah’s evangelistic mission to Nineveh is just a “whale of a story.” But they and many Christians miss the point of Jonah’s message. The issue is not “how” God de­livered Jonah to Nineveh. Instead, the takeaway for readers should be “the impact” of God’s message on this great city of the powerful Assyrian empire. Indeed, the “moral of the story” is at least four­fold: -- God can accomplish His good purposes even through reluctant obe­dience (1 Samuel 15:22; Hosea 6:6; Mark 12:33). -- God’s offer of salva­tion extends to the whole earth, Jews and Gentiles alike (Isaiah 49:6). -- God truly does not wish anyone to die, but for everyone to repent (Ezekiel 18:23, 32; 2 Peter 3:9; James 2:13). -- God desires us to love our enemies enough to share the Gospel with them (Mat­thew 5:43-48). But Jonah’s time “in the belly of the fish” (Jonah 1:17) was important. In addition to bringing Jonah to repent of his arrogant dis­obedience of God, Jesus used the example of those “three days and three nights” to rebuke the scribes and Pharisees with the prophesy about His coming crucifixion, burial and resurrection … [Read more...]

FIRST PERSON: Are you noticeable?

By John Kyle, Special to the Message NASHVILLE, Tenn. (LBM) -- You can’t help but see it. You try looking away, but you quickly look back. For whatever rhyme or reason, you can’t take your eyes off ______ (fill in the blank). What makes something or someone noticeable? Are you noticeable? If not, why not? I’m not talking about drawing attention to your­self. There is too much of that occurring in today’s grab-a-selfie culture. I’m referring to something about you that stands out. Something that identifies you -- as you! Something that those who know you would immediately recog­nize that it’s you. Some­thing that even those who do not know you would notice about you. Your mind might de­fault to things like your hair, smile, laugh, voice, or a talent that sets you apart from others. There’s cer­tainly nothing wrong with any of those things, but there’s a distinct difference between being noticed and being noticeable. JESUS SAID TO BE THIS. When Jesus delivered what many call the “Ser­mon on the Mount,” He told those seated on the hillside they were the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world” (Matthew 5:13, 14). What do those materi­ally different things have in common? They are noticeable. Indeed, … [Read more...]

A second chance

Without a doubt, one of the greatest blessings of the Christian life is that our God gives second chances. The apostle Paul wrote, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23 NLT). But even if we’ve failed miserably, God gives us the opportunity to put it behind us. He can dramatically turn things around on our behalf. He can forgive us. … [Read more...]

FIRST PERSON: Compassion Center ministry meets physical needs, yields spiritual results

By Matt Coker, Special to the Baptist Message MONROE, La. – A routine day distributing food became a powerful reminder of why the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home and Family Ministries Compassion Center ministry exists—to provide love, care, and hope in Christ to children and families in need. The encounter also illustrates the heart behind LBCHFM’s 2026 ministry theme, “One Home. Eight Ministries. One Mission.” DIVINE APPOINTMENT While serving families during a recent outreach, volunteer Danny Watt, member, First Baptist Church, Calhoun, shared Gospel tracts and a Bible with two young men who arrived seeking assistance. As the conversation developed, Watt connected the men with Pastor Marc Daniels, who was serving with a volunteer team from his First Baptist Church Avondale congregation. When Pastor Marc approached the vehicle, one of the men was holding the Bible and made a statement that opened the door to a deeper spiritual conversation. “I think about this all the time,” the young man said. When asked what he meant, the visitor explained that he frequently thought about death and eternity, and he even expressed confidence that he would be with God because he had “tried to live a good life.” But Pastor … [Read more...]