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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Value of being a Southern Baptist

By Jeff Iorg More than 25 years as a Southern Baptist denominational executive, preceded by more than a dozen years as a Southern Baptist pastor, has shaped my perspective on navigating the vagaries of working among and with the large network known as the Southern Baptist denomination.  It can be a daunting, and at times disappointing task.  Here are eight perspectives (and one concluding story) which have helped sustain my spiritual, emotional, and strategic equilibrium – and helped me maintain a positive perspective on denominational involvement and leadership. Recognize there will always be imperfection There never have been any “good old days” when the denomination functioned without difficulty, divisions, conflicts, and scandals.  We have lived through moral failures, criminal activities, strategic blunders, and financial disasters throughout our 175-year history.  We have struggled with sins like racism and failures like mishandling sexual abuse.  We have always been, and always will be, an imperfect denomination.  While we must strive to solve pressing problems and build a healthier organization, we must also admit perfection will never be achieved. It is astounding, however, what this imperfect denomination has … [Read more...]

In the midst of the storm, His grace is sufficient for you!

By Steve Horn ALEXANDRIA, La. - Here we are again. Covid still raging and here comes a hurricane. Is it 2020 or 2021? It’s like Yogi Berra said, “It’s deja-vu all over again.” Saying something like, “Just trust God,” seems so hollow and void of real compassion and solution. And yet, is there any better answer to all of our problems than the answer that Christ gives? Jesus said to Paul and He says to us, “My grace is sufficient for you.” Though theories abound as to what the “thorn in the flesh” was, we really do not know. However, we do know that Paul prayed for the thorn to be removed. Paul’s prayer was not answered with relief from the thorn, but with one of the greatest promises in all of God’s word, “My grace is sufficient for you.” Why could Jesus make such a statement as that? I want to share with you seven reasons why His grace is sufficient for you! Seven Reasons that His Grace is Sufficient for You! The Power of the Cross of Christ "For to those who are perishing the message of the cross is foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is God's power." (1 Corinthians 1:18) The greatest need that any of us have is the need for forgiveness. Every other need, though the need could be met, would not … [Read more...]

Back to school praying

By Steve Horn ALEXANDRIA, La. – Since 1975 when I started kindergarten, every August has meant “back to school.” Every August, I have either been a student, the husband of a school teacher, the pastor of a church with a school, or the parent of a student. That is a lot of back-to-school prayers (and a lot of tuition). For those of us with children, I’m convinced that the first day of school marks the beginning of a new year more so than January 1. As we begin another school year, let me give you a couple of reminders about praying for your child and your child’s teachers. When praying for your child’s teachers: Pray for the teacher’s salvation. This is the most important prayer we can offer for anybody. Pray that your relationship with your child’s teacher can lead to spiritual conversations. Pray for a good relationship with that teacher. Pray that you will model Christ in all of your dealings with your child’s teacher. Pray that the teacher will always be fair. This is not always easy, because they, like you, are human. When praying for your child: Pray that your children will learn this school year. After all, learning is the reason they are going to school. Don’t pray that they will make good grades; pray that they … [Read more...]

September 30 is coming!

By Clark Palmer TIOGA, La. (LBM) – For Louisiana Baptist churches, Sept. 30 is “Numbers Day” – that’s the end of the fiscal year and a calendar reminder for our congregations to submit their individual reports to the Annual Church Profile. And these numbers matter. When I became moderator of my local association, I considered setting some goals for increasing attendance and baptisms. My first step was to look at “the data” to create a baseline, and I discovered the numbers were “off.” What I mean is there were no discernible trends. One year we were up, the next down. Even the numbers from a decade ago seemed suspect because of this undulation. As I dug deeper, what I realized is that several churches were not reporting their numbers every year. And it only took a couple to throw off the numbers for the entire association. I’ve since discovered that 15-20 percent of our churches statewide don’t fill out and return the ACP. Importantly, this is a problem for making decisions about cooperative ministries such as where to plant a church and what congregations might need revitalization assistance. Then I began to wonder if this could also account for at least some of the reported overall declines for the SBC in … [Read more...]

It is time!

By Craig Beeman WINNSBORO, La. – I was thinking about writing a sermon on "Time" and may, still, get that done. In the meantime, I have been looking into some questions that are often asked about time and why we are here. Importantly, time was made for man. God lives outside of time. He is, has been and forever will be. According to Scientific American Magazine, “Aristotle, taking the no-beginning side, invoked the principle that out of nothing, nothing comes. Theologians took another point of view. Augustine contended that God exists outside of space and time, able to bring these constructs into existence as surely as he could forge other aspects of our world. When asked, ‘What was God doing before he created the world?’ Augustine answered, "Time itself being part of God's creation, there was simply no before!” I’ll never forget asking my grandmother, “When was God born?” She answered, “He has always been.” That is a hard perspective to get on God and time. We are used to humans, plants and animals having a beginning and end. God has neither. He has set us in a period of time in a timeline of time. Each of us has a certain number of years of life on this earth known only to Him. Why does God give us time? My … [Read more...]

The heart-cry of the embattled pastor

By Joe McKeever RIDGELAND, Miss. – “You shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these things, for this is not my doing” (Numbers 16:28). “Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and I have done all these things at Your word” (I Kings 18:36). What Moses and Elijah prayed, I pray. It is entirely in order for the Lord’s messenger to pray that the people to whom he was sent will recognize that God is God and fully in charge, and that he himself is the Lord’s servant, on mission from Him. During what was possibly the worst time of my life when a little group of self-righteous members clamored for my resignation and criticized every thing I did, that was my prayer. I was going through the fire, being tried as I rarely had. The prayer felt like the dying gasp of the weakest child in God’s family.  “Lord, let these people know there is a God in this place.  And that I’m your servant, just doing your will.” Did God hear the prayer?  Did He answer? I’m confident He did. He heard and answered in His own way, and to the extent that pleased Him.  And–don’t miss this–in His own time.  (Not always in my time!) That is not to say any … [Read more...]

Make it about the lost

By Lane Corley ALEXANDRIA, La. – Luke 15 is foundational for church planters who want to reach the lost: Am I approachable by lost people? "tax collectors and sinners were approaching to listen to him" (v. 1) Am I spending time with the lost? "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them" (v. 2) Do I place greater value on one lost person over a crowd who are right with God? (v. 7, 10) Is my search for the lost careful, deliberate, diligent, risky? (v. 4, 8) Do I have compassion or contempt for those far from God? (v. 20, 28) Reaching the lost may mean: You'll be misunderstood by religious people. You should focus on fewer people, rather than large crowds. You are engaging in careful, deliberate, diligent, time consuming work. You'll lay aside contempt for sin, to throw your arms around sinners. You'll start celebrations in heaven. Let's make it about the lost. Lane Corley is a Louisiana Baptist church planting strategist and pastor of the Bridge Church in Madisonville. … [Read more...]

Let’s celebrate America and God’s blessings

By Waymond Warren WEST MONROE, La. – Nations are acknowledged as valuable in Jesus’ Great Commission—“all the nations” He said. And Heaven is described in the Revelation as the place where the “glory and honor of nations” is brought. So, it would be wrong for us to not bless our nation—the nation God gave us—so that our nation can bless God. Our nation finds its rightful place and truest identity within the Kingdom of God. I am glad I grew up at Bel Air Elementary—standing, pledging every day to our Flag, “one nation under God, indivisible.” Take “under God” out and division is the only thing you can have left. I am glad we daily sang, hand on heart, “My Country Tis of Thee.” The last stanza says: Our fathers' God to Thee, Author of liberty, To Thee we sing. Long may our land be bright, With freedom's holy light, Protect us by Thy might, Great God our King! And I’m glad we said our prayer. And the boy, kind and my friend, whose family disagreed with these things, stood in the hall. What good is that you ask? Well, it made that line very clear— “Let freedom ring!” The majority had the freedom to teach…the minority had the freedom to differentiate. That’s very different from what we are now experiencing, where the … [Read more...]

How Do I Start a Multiplying Church?

By Lane Corley SHARE THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. The Gospel is a proven and tested VIRAL Idea. And Jesus promised to empower the spread of the Gospel through the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:8 FIGHT FOR SIMPLICITY AND REPRODUCIBILITY. Jesus’ started a movement which has exponentially multiplied, partly, because it was as simple as water, bread, and wine.Simple Church = Saying No to Almost Everything.Ask: Is my ministry 2 Timothy 2:2 Simple? CREATE MARGIN. We have so little multiplication because churches have so little margin. We have JUST ENOUGH, instead of MORE THAN ENOUGH.Margin is typically created through BIG CROWDS or RADICAL SIMPLICITY.More than enough can also be toxic. Like a sponge. Like buried talents. Jesus meant for us to use what we have. LOOK FOR LOW HANGING FRUIT. Persons of Peace. New Believers network of relationships. Apostolic Leaders. People Groups and Population Segments. Existing Social Movements. People Scattering and moving about the country. New Churches. New Ministries. MAKE ROOM FOR UNBRANDED MINISTRY. Is the invite to our brand of church louder than the invite to the head of the church? Build partnerships with like-minded ministries who are sharing the Gospel of Jesus … [Read more...]