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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Blinded by bright spots: Kelley warns of trends we’re ignoring

By Chuck Kelley Southern Baptists tend to confuse Bright Spots with Trendlines. Statistical reports may yield some bright spots in any given year, even when the same reports indicate that the trends across the board are downward and a matter of concern. Rejoicing in bright spots so much that you fail to recognize and respond to the indications of downward trends makes emerging problems ever more difficult to resolve. … [Read more...]

Don’t be afraid to pray for yourself

By Steve Horn ALEXANDRIA, La. - In 1 Chronicles 4:9-10, in an otherwise mundane list of genealogy, we get these powerful two verses about an otherwise unknown man named Jabez. This mention is truly a great “pause” over a man named Jabez. The brief mention is about this one thing of prayer—specifically a prayer for himself. Are you afraid to pray for yourself? Are you afraid to ask God to bless your life? If your response is “yes,” maybe you have said more about your beliefs about God than you intended. Why wouldn’t God want to bless you? Don’t you want to bless your children? In the same way, God wants to bless you—His child! The prayer of Jabez gives us a Biblical prayer that we might pray for ourselves. In the prayer of Jabez we can identify four specific requests that can become our model for praying for ourselves. Before we consider these four requests let’s consider what we know about Jabez, the person. The Bible does not tell us much about Jabez, but we do learn a few things about his life. We know that Jabez was named for the pain that he brought in childbirth. We know that Jabez stood out among his brothers. We know that God granted his request. In addition to all of these things, the most … [Read more...]

Geaux25: Calling out ‘the called’ for Kingdom impact

By Mark Robinson, LBC BCM Director WOODWORTH, La. (LBC BCM) – On Oct. 3–4, college students from across Louisiana and beyond will converge at Tall Timbers Baptist Conference Center for Geaux25, an overnight missions conference designed to awaken hearts and mobilize lives for the Gospel. Hosted by Louisiana Baptist Collegiate Ministries, this event is more than a gathering – it is a moment of decision, a place of calling and a catalyst for movement. In a world that often encourages young adults to chase comfort, status, or self-fulfillment, Geaux25 offers a countercultural invitation: to surrender fully to Christ and follow Him wherever He leads – whether that’s across the street, across campus, or across the globe. MISSION FIELD IS EVERYWHERE Today’s college students are globally aware, socially engaged and spiritually curious. Many are asking deep questions about purpose and impact. Geaux25 meets them at that crossroads, offering biblical teaching, practical training and Spirit-led community to help them connect their faith to their future. But the heartbeat of this conference goes beyond inspiration. It’s about calling out “the called” – recognizing that God is still raising up men and women for Gospel ministry … [Read more...]

No turning back: A call to true discipleship

In a nation reeling from senseless violence, where fear casts a long shadow, the words of a pastor and the president of Family Research Council, resonate with piercing clarity: “It is the word of God with which we find direction and hope in times of uncertainty.” … [Read more...]

Remembering 9/11 and the power of prayer in times of crisis

After the twin towers fell 24 years ago, President George W. Bush stood on a pile of rubble at Ground Zero with a megaphone in hand and told a crowd of weary rescue workers “America today is on bended knee in prayer.” The country had suffered the worst terrorist attack on American soil, claiming nearly 3,000 lives, and was shaken to its core — but it also was shaken to prayer. … [Read more...]

My Katrina word

On Tuesday, August 29, 2005 in the wee hours of the morning a monster storm by the name of Hurricane Katrina moved ashore, devastating the Gulf Coast of the United States from New Orleans to Mobile, AL. The scale of the damage is impossible to describe. … [Read more...]

Where is God?

Have you ever gone through a hard time and wondered where God was? I can tell you where He was: He was right there with you. Not only that, but He will be with you tomorrow and the day after. And He will be with you on the day you leave this earth for Heaven. … [Read more...]

EDITORIAL — 20 years after Katrina: Stronger than the storm

By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Katrina is indelibly inked in the memory of Louisiana and the world. Revised nationwide numbers by the National Hurricane Center show that 1,392 people were killed and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates there was an economic loss of $201.3 billion dollars (adjusted for inflation), making Katrina the most expensive hurricane in U.S. history. Importantly, this enormous scope of tragedy combined with the thousands of triumphs that emerged demonstrate that God is stronger than the storm. This is particularly true in the disparate cases of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church (whose campus was inundated by nine feet of water) and First Baptist Church New Orleans (whose facilities escaped the floodwater). Due to the extent of facility damages and the dislocation across the country of so many church members who had no safe place to stay, Fred Luter was forced to be something of an itinerant pastor to his FABC congregation. He eventually set up a routine to preach first and third Sundays in New Orleans and the second and fourth Sundays in Houston, and he continued this schedule until the congregation was able to move back into renovated … [Read more...]