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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Spiritual preps for the new school year

By Mark Robinson ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) - The new semester is exciting for everyone — but especially for the campus minister, who is on the front lines of shaping disciples for Christ. In the coming weeks, campus ministers can better focus as they think and plan out the new school year: • Tackle administrative tasks early. Handle office work, phone calls and emails early in the day — before the “tyrant” called "Urgent" takes over the schedule; • Prioritize prayer; • Pray early and often; • Encourage a staff member or student to stop and pray with them throughout the day; • Keep prayers focused to help build a culture of prayer; • Foster a culture of evangelism; • Make transformation stories part of daily conversations; • Celebrate and share how God is working in students’ lives; • Keep the main thing the main thing. Preparing tacos for 300 is important — but spiritual growth is their true purpose; • Love family well. As they serve intensely, be intentional about loving their family even more intensely; • Record God’s faithfulness. Make notes of special acts of God to reflect on later when life slows down; • Stay rooted in the Word; • Don’t neglect your personal time in Scripture; and • Enjoy the energy of … [Read more...]

Finding hope amid the pain

After a painful experience, hope often feels fragile. I have learned to allow joy to begin in small moments. It might be a bird singing outside a window, a kind word from a stranger or a sunset painted across the sky. I’ve had to give myself permission to smile when laughter comes, even if it feels unfamiliar. Hope does not burst in all at once; it grows through noticing these gifts and letting your heart be touched again. … [Read more...]

EVANGELISM 101 (Part 7): Reach the world from Louisiana with technology

By Sammy Tippit, Special to the Baptist Message ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – Technology has erased borders, and the Great Commission has never been more within the world’s reach. You can sit in your living room on a Tuesday evening and reach 100 people for Christ. The next day, from your home office, you can preach to 30,000 people gathered in a town halfway around the world. It sounds impossible, but these are realities that I have experienced first-hand and taught others to embrace. Yet few are seizing this opportunity. Digital Evangelism is Powerful Fifty years ago, my friend Wade Akins and I came to know each other because of our connections to Louisiana College (Louisiana Christiam University) -- a friendship that would span decades of ministry around the world. More recently, when Wade heard about my "Skype Evangelism" efforts, he called asking, "Can you teach me?" So, during his visit to San Antonio, I showed him how to use his cell phone to connect with the world and share the Gospel. ­ The results were overwhelming. Wade began reaching thousands of people and training others to do the same, including Pastor Truman Herring, another Louisiana native and the first person to ever share the Gospel with me. … [Read more...]

It’s time to examine your faith – are you lukewarm?

“Don’t be a lukewarm Christian.” Ever heard that phrase? For some, it’s a familiar rallying cry; for others, it’s a grating cliché that sparks annoyance. Critics argue it’s nitpicky, overused, or even weaponized in judgmental ways. Sure, like any saying, it can be tossed around carelessly or misapplied. But how often do we pause to dig into what it truly means to be a “lukewarm” Christian? Not just the definition, but what it looks like in our lives — our choices, our passions, our daily walk. Why does it matter if someone labels us as lukewarm, and more importantly, why should we care? … [Read more...]

Texas tragedy coverage offers opportunities to minister, serve

Two things can be true at the same time. I never intended to become a fire chaplain. “It was never on my Bingo card,” as they say. For me, it came along with the job. I was going to be the pastor of the area church, so I became the chaplain for the volunteer fire department at the end of the street. Speaking of, “not on my bingo card,” how about being a pastor? That was never part of the plan either. I am a journalist. … [Read more...]

Am ambassador for Christ

A spiritual revival often begins with a sense of dissatisfaction, a realization that something is missing in your life. Have you experienced that? … [Read more...]

Dodgers’ Kershaw has pitch-perfect response to Pride Night

Clayton Kershaw may not have pitched Friday night, but he still made more headlines than most of his teammates. The Dodgers’ star, who happens to be an outspoken Christian, made a splash at the team’s Pride Night by putting a unique twist on Los Angeles’s gear. It was a simple but powerful statement that June will never be the same — not in Major League Baseball, and frankly, not anywhere. … [Read more...]

Running the race

If you want to run the race of life successfully, then don’t look back. If you’ve ever run a race and looked over your shoulder to see what your competitor was doing, then you know that looking back can break your stride and ultimately cause you to lose. … [Read more...]

FIRST PERSON: As goes the family, so goes the culture

By Gene Mills, Louisiana Family Forum president BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM) – Public policy matters, especially regarding the health and growth of families, the basic building block of any flourishing society. As we have seen throughout history, as goes the family, so goes the culture. Unfortunately, for too long this fundamental principle has been more of a talking point than a driving force when it came to tax policy in Washington. However, as recently as 2017 the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), was enacted, making sweeping changes to tax policy. But it was the re-prioritization of the family in it that was the most significant accomplishment. Two provisions made an immediate impact on working families—a doubling of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) from $1,000 per child to $2,000 and an Employer Tax Credit (ETC) for businesses which offer Employee Paid Family Leave (45S). Further, both provisions are prime examples that it is possible—even essential—to promote strong family policy through reasonable tax policy. Both the CTC and the ETC are overwhelmingly supported by voters on both sides of the aisle, and both have proven to be essential support for families during the unpredictable inflation during 2017-present. Now Congress … [Read more...]