By John Kyle, special to the Baptist Message   NASHVILLE, Tenn. (LBM) -- Some say, “cross my heart and hope to die.” Others say, “let’s pinky swear.” Many of the seasoned saints reading this will say a person’s word is all you need.   For newlyweds, the exchanging and wearing of rings and the repeating of vows seals the deal, if you will.   The business world calls it a contract while in the financial world, a signed and notarized “promissory note” is required.   Promise.   It has been and continues to be a major part of our culture, of our lives. We promise to be on time when we accept a job. We promise to pay our bills on time. We promise to obey the law and not text while we drive.  There are not many aspects of life that promise does not touch.   If you think about it, the original Easter season ended with a promise. After 40 days of providing many convincing truths about His resurrection, Jesus uttered these familiar words:“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth,” (Acts 1:8, CSB). Immediately after saying those words, Jesus ascended to Heaven as the disciples watched.   While … [Read more...]

By John Kyle, Special to the Message NASHVILLE, Tenn. (LBM) -- How many times have you said to someone, “prove it!”? “Prove it” is a statement of unbelief. You’re not buying what the other person is selling so you stop the conversation by saying “prove it.” This may come across as a prideful statement because you are convinced that the other person doesn’t know what they’re talking about, so you confidently throw down the gauntlet and say, “prove it.” It’s now post-Easter. Jesus did what He said He would do. He said He was going to be handed over to sinful men who would crucify Him and three days later He would be raised from the dead. If we’re honest, no one believed Him. You might recall how Peter pulled Him aside and said “Oh no, Lord! This will never happen to you!” (Matthew 16:22). Everyone close to Jesus was surprised that He actually did what He said He would do. What did those early, discouraged and fear-filled followers need? Proof! And God specializes in proof. Proof appeared on the road to Emmaus on that first Easter Sunday. Two discouraged and disheartened men had left Jerusalem trying to figure out what just happened. Jesus came alongside of them, yet it wasn’t until He explained the teaching of … [Read more...]

By John Kyle, Special to the Message NASHVILLE, Tenn. (LBM) – “Empty” – it’s not one of our favorite terms. It’s not one of our preferred greetings. When someone asks you, “How are you doing?” you probably don’t respond by saying. “Empty, thanks for asking!” Yet emptiness is a common experience in our culture. Many popular songs through the years have focused on the empti­ness of life -- “Running on Empty,” “Look at All the Lonely (empty) Peo­ple,” “Empty Spaces,” and “Empty Garden,” to name a few. Largely, the focus on “empty” in such songs includes themes of loss, longing, and emotional voids. For that matter, most thoughts or images relat­ing to “empty” generally are negative: empty gas tank, empty bank account, and broken relationships that lead to empty homes and hearts, to name a few. Empty, exhausted, spent, broke, lonely - what­ever term you choose, “empty” carries pessimistic tones. “Empty” is incon­venient. “Empty” leads to hopelessness. “Empty” offers no alternatives. No one wants to experi­ence “empty.” Yet “empty” is where Easter was born. More than 2,000 years ago, two empty (discour­aged) women went early one morning to visit the tomb where they saw their teacher buried. Empty and … [Read more...]

By Christy Goodwin, Special for the Message as told by Brandon & Hannah MONROE, La. (LBM) -- Brannon and Hannah’s foster care journey began several years ago when Brannon felt a sudden, undeniable call to open his heart and home to children in need of care. OBEDIENCE After that it seemed that he could not view social media or television without being confronted with the reality of children without stable homes, and the calling he felt only intensified. Then, after watching a video depict­ing a young boy’s story of neglect, Brannon knew he could not ignore this call any longer. He told his wife, Han­nah, that he believed they needed to become certified foster parents, and to his delight, without hesitation, she agreed. However, even with willing hearts, they still had questions about the possible impact on their three young children, and they also worried about whether they had what it takes to help foster chil­dren work through trauma. After going back and forth about the pros and cons, they eventually decided to invite an experienced foster family into their home and peppered them with ques­tions. Waiting patiently for an opportunity to interject, the foster mom, holding a two-week-old foster place­ment in … [Read more...]