ADDIS, La. (LBM)--On Sept. 11, 2001, then Lt. Jerry Sillcocks, a member of the New York City Fire Department, lost a number of friends who died in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. But his grief is soothed in part from knowing he will one day see several co-workers who professed Christ as Lord after he shared the Gospel with them only months earlier. Sillcocks, who now is a captain with the fire department, shared his testimony during two worship services at the Church at Addis in the Baton Rouge area Sept. 9. He said life can end unexpectedly just like it did for his fellow firefighters who perished in just a few seconds that day 18 years ago. “The Bible says if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, you will be saved,” he said. “That’s how easy it is. God made it easy for people like me and God changed my heart because I needed it. It’s that easy. Who’s Jesus to you?” Watch a video of Sillcocks' testimony by clicking below: https://youtu.be/NnYiSmgvTTg … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer CATAHOULA (LBM)- -The simple obedience of one man, by sharing the Gospel in the heart of Catahoula, has reaped a spiritual harvest not experienced before at Lakefront Community Church: seven members of one family were baptized in a single day. As he lowered and raised each new convert in the baptistery, March 3, Pastor Randy Bowman smiled thinking about the faithful witness of Marshall Savoie, and, how this man’s faithfulness led to the most baptisms ever for the congregation, which averages 20 in attendance at Thursday evening worship services. “When you see a family respond, you just sit back and are in awe of what the Lord has done,” Bow-man told the Baptist Message. “This is a testimony to this entire town be-cause everyone knows everybody here and many are not church goers,” he explained. “When they see an entire family step forward and proclaim their faith in Christ, it leaves an impression with other people in this community. We are just excited about how the Lord is going to move next at our church.” The Gospel seeds were planted in early February when Bowman and Savoie ventured out into downtown Catahoula to distribute Bibles and share the Gospel. Savoie, who is a … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer PINEVILLE – Thirteen preteens responded to Keith Badgett’s invitation to become followers of Christ during Preteen Invasion, Saturday, Aug. 24. “We are sinners and we are broken,” Badgett said during the annual evangelism conference attended by more than 600 fourth, fifth and sixth graders at Louisiana College in Pineville. “And (God) brings us back together with the shed blood of Jesus. I’m going to give you the opportunity to follow Jesus. Do you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Have you cast your cares upon Him? Jesus is all that matters right now.” Badgett, children’s pastor at the First Baptist Church in Jenks, Oklahoma, was the main speaker for PreTeen Invasion. The event inside Guinn Auditorium at Louisiana College also featured music by the Crowe Brothers from Franklinton and jump roping demonstrations by Guinness World Record champion Peter Nestler from Juneau, Alaska. Badgett, who based his message on Matthew 28:19-20, told the preteens to see the power of the Lord and hear the calling of God. He also challenged the youngsters to share Christ at their school, and to be open to doing so one day in another country. “Are you a disciple of Jesus?” he asked the … [Read more...]

By Will Hall, Message Executive Editor LEAGUE CITY, Texas (LBM) – When Earl Heard dropped out of Louisiana College in 1962 he could not have imagined that he would be a featured speaker at a Texas A&M leadership symposium in 2014. But his dramatic change of fortune and the 52-year period in between reveal something about his struggles and successes as well as his unyielding drive to succeed. What is not evident from these bookends to this part of his life story is that he was successful in building his business and media empire only after finally surrendering his all to the Lord. Now, he spends a good deal of his resources creating faith-friendly books and films in his effort to promote greater faith and to support healthy, growing families. HARD LESSONS Heard’s departure from Louisiana College was set in motion while he was on semester break, when a roommate’s brother robbed the school bookstore and then hid the ill-gotten textbooks in Heard’s room. Neither Heard nor his roommate knew anything about the theft. But when the student body returned to campus, the discovery of the books put the thief, his brother and Heard under suspicion. “We got back up there and were guilty by association. I learned to … [Read more...]

EDITOR’S NOTE: Do you have a Revival, Homecoming, a new pastor, a community outreach or a concert? The Baptist Message would love to share your church news with the rest of the state. It is very easy to do, just send in your information (who, what, where and when) to philip@baptistmessage.com or call 318.449.4345. To get your event in the paper, please submit your information three weeks prior to the event. HOMECOMING Second Baptist Church, Jackson: 60th Homecoming, September 15, 10 a.m. Pastor: Clark Fooshee. New Zion Baptist Church, Kentwood: 150th Homecoming Celebration, September 15, 10:30 a.m. A covered dish meal will follow the worship service. Speaker: Gibbie McMillan. Special Music:  Jimmy Falker. Pastor: Larry Blades. Christian Harmony Baptist Church, Natchitoches: 103th annual Homecoming Celebration, September 22, 10:30 a.m. Guest Speaker: George Holland. Special Music: HIS. Pastor: David Matlock. First Baptist Church, Anacoco: Homecoming, September 22, 10:30 a.m. There will be covered-dish lunch on the grounds following the worship service. Guest Speaker: Jason Nolde, Leesville. The congregation invites everyone to attend. The church is located at 4813 Port Arthur Ave, Anacoco. Pastor: Will Hall … [Read more...]

By Mary Jane Welch James Madderson Young, an emeritus International Mission Board missionary who lived the gospel among Northern African and Middle Eastern people in the Gaza Strip and Yemen, died July 11, 2019. He was 94. Born November 13, 1924, in Choudrant, where he lived with his grandparents until age 6 when he moved to Ruston with his mother, Ila May Gibson. During World War II, he joined the Navy, where he completed training as a naval aviator. He was assigned to duty on an aircraft carrier just as the war ended. Young received a bachelor of arts degree with honors from Louisiana Tech University, Ruston. He married June Buckner of Ruston on August 24, 1946. The couple moved to New Orleans where he received a doctorate degree in medicine from Louisiana State University. They then moved to Panama, where Young completed his surgical internship in preparation for a medical career with the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board (now International Mission Board). Appointed as missionaries Oct. 10, 1954, the Youngs were assigned to the Gaza Strip in the Middle East, where Young headed up a local hospital for 10 years. In 1964, after learning that Yemen had very little medical care, the Youngs opened the first … [Read more...]