By Waylon Bailey We all know the need for patience. When I think of the fruit of the Spirit, I am drawn to the quality of patience. I am drawn there because I often feel so inadequate with patience. You may feel the same. Frustration and aggravation sometimes seem to take over. But, it may not be patience that I need. What I really need is perseverance. This is the meaning of the word we normally translate as patience. I need to persevere. I need to be long-suffering. I need to not quit and not give up. I need to stand strong under the pressure. Perseverance and long-suffering is exactly what I perceive that we all need right now. We need it in our lives, and we need it as the church. We have all worked hard to keep going since March 13, but we may be getting weary in well-doing. It’s natural for us to get weary. After all, if that were not the case, Paul would not have written to encourage us to keep working and serving. I want to encourage you to keep on. Don’t give up on yourself and don’t give up on Christ and His church. Be found faithful and obedient. These are tough days, but our God is faithful. He will see us through until we hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” Waylon Bailey is pastor of First Baptist … [Read more...]

By Steve Horn ALEXANDRIA, La. - At the risk of sounding like the cartoon character, The Born Loser, I confess to you that I’ve had my share of losing. In four seasons as a high school football player for example, we won 6 of 40 games and 2 of those 6 were taken away for using an ineligible player. I’m not sure how you’re feeling, but as we reach the midpoint of 2020, it sure seems like we could use a win right now. Recent statistical research among Southern Baptists and Louisiana Baptists reminds us we are losing ground on almost every number we count. The recent Supreme Court decisions regarding the redefinition of “sex” and the striking down of a Louisiana law mandating abortion providers have hospital admitting privileges feel like big losses. The escalation of racial tensions driven by injustices cause us to wonder if we have lost ground as it relates to race relations in America. And, if you believe many of the news reports, we seem to be falling behind in the fight against COVID-19. I don’t know about you, but I sure could use a “win.” So, this begs the question, what do we do when we need a win? I want to encourage us today to do at least three things. Watch your words. Blaming somebody else is not going … [Read more...]

By Will Hall, Baptist Message Executive Editor ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – In a stunning 6-3 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, which included “yes” votes by so-called conservatives Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch, homosexuality and transgenderism were each declared to be a “sex” and so included in that protected class under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In the ruling on Bostock v. Clayton County -- a combination of three cases involving the firing of a funeral home worker who chose a transgender identity and the firings of two homosexuals who came out as gay to their employers (a county government and a sky diving business) -- the Court conceded that the law protected “any individual … because of such individual’s race, color, religion, sex or national origin.” Furthermore, the same justices admitted that “the term ‘sex' in 1964 referred to biological distinctions between male and female.” Then the six supporters made the tortuous argument about what “because of” meant and gave undue emphasis on “disparate treatment” to disregard the original meaning of “sex” (biological differences between a man and woman) in order to declare that homosexuality and transgenderism are … [Read more...]

By Stewart Holloway PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) - King Joash of Judah was only seven years old when he became king. During those years, Joash was advised by Jehoiada the priest. As long as Joash was under the authority of God’s priest, he did only good things. Most notably, he rebuilt and repaired the temple. However, as soon as Jehoiada died, Joash failed. He began listening to the wrong advisors and worshiping idols. Joash became so hardened that, even though God sent many prophets to bring the nation ...back to Him, Joash would not listen. His heart-hardness reached its climax when Jehoiada’s son Zechariah spoke against him. In response, Joash completely forgot the kindness of Jehoiada and had Zechariah stoned. Joash’s story is tragic. A good king became an evil king - all because he started listening to the wrong people. It matters to whom you listen. The people you choose or allow to speak into your life can radically alter your course. These people include your friends and family but also the people you read, listen to on the radio or podcasts, or watch on television or online. Be discerning in whom you allow to speak into your life. The wrong voice can lead you down the wrong path. Proverbs tells us that plans succeed … [Read more...]

By Lane Corley It’s a new day. New normals will emerge. Our churches are picking up new technologies and new innovations to help us continue to deliver the gospel. In this season of new, of change, of adaptation, there may also be some OLD innovations that we need to circle back to. As we reset our churches over the coming days, consider resetting these five practices and attitudes: The prayer chain –principle: mobilize prayer for the church and the lost. Growing up Southern Baptist, every church my family was a part of had a prayer chain. The prayer chain was a phone network built to mobilize prayer quickly when need arose in the congregation or community. How can your congregation be more effective at mobilizing prayer for one another, for the lost, for the community? Today, we have technologies available to us that can greatly enhance the impact of prayer mobilization. We all encourage prayer. How can we move from encouraging prayer to mobilizing prayer? What innovative approaches to prayer can we develop in the new normal? Discipleship training – principle: train the faithful to train others. The creativity of churches has grown tremendously over the last 20 years. Graphic design, stage design, sermon series … [Read more...]

By Ron F. Hale It was on Ravi’s seeming death bed in Delhi, India, that a man walked into his hospital room with a little red Gideon New Testament. At the age of seventeen, young Ravi had downed a concoction of poison mixed with water and chemicals. Growing up in a culture of honor and shame, Ravi’s undisciplined life led him to a very dark place. His mother asked the man to leave the room. Holding up the New Testament, the man said, “Your son needs this more than anything else.” She allowed him to turn to the 14th chapter of John. Through the smog of his skepticism, shame, and pain, Ravi tried to listen as the Scriptures were read aloud. Then something happened. “It was like a bolt of lightning in a moment of pitch blackness,” Ravi Zacharias would later say of the moment the Holy Spirit pierced his heart and mind with the pregnant promise of the inspired Word of God. “‘Because I live, you also shall live,’ were the seven words that cracked open my encrusted heart.” He realized that what “live” refers to in John 14:19 was not what his life was about. In an instant, he wanted this new life more than anything in the world. Ravi humbly and honestly prayed, “Jesus, if you are who you claim to be here, I want that life … [Read more...]

By Stewart Holloway PINEVILLE, La. (LBM) - For over two months now, my oldest son, my mom, and I have spent most Friday mornings at my mom’s clearing overgrown brush. What was planted as a fruit orchard in an open pasture almost thirty years ago has grown into a wilderness of every kind of vine and tree imaginable. How did the orchard get that way? For one, my dad seldom pruned anything. He liked to plant things and watch them grow. Therefore, the fruit trees and grapevines grew too big. That l...ed to the second problem: procrastination. As other trees started to come up among the fruit trees, even though I mowed the area through high school and college, I was not allowed to cut those trees. “We’ll cut them later.” Well, we never did. Daddy said “later” until he died thirteen years ago. When I moved here, mom said, “Sometime we need to cut those trees.” I too said, “Later.” Now, here we are another twelve years later! Guess what? The little trees aren’t so little anymore and now there are a lot more! We have worked hard cutting down trees, pulling vines, and hauling brush to our now three massive piles. We are nowhere near through. However, when we stopped on Friday, we rejoiced because we could see all the way through … [Read more...]