by Norm Miller, LCNews PINEVILLE (LCNews)--Louisiana College’s inaugural C3 Conference April 8 will focus on the necessity for Christians to discern among the world’s competing philosophies, and to proclaim the superlative character of biblical truth. “In a culture where truth claims are as variant as they are plentiful, there has never been a more critical need for the singularly exclusive truths of Christianity to be taught and told,” said  Rick Brewer, president of Louisiana College. Featuring a professor and a pastor, LC draws keynote speakers from the academy and the church for the conference, which is part of the college’s Great Commission Seminar. Rhyne Putman, assistant professor of Theology & Culture at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, will present a biblical view of sexuality with his topic: “Identity & Faithfulness in a Gender-Confused Culture.” “Sexuality is one of those issues that Millennials naturally feel very different about than previous generations. We are the grandchildren of the sexual revolution,” Putman said. “Sex outside of marriage is so normalized in our cultural programming, as is every sexual preference under the sun. The problem, even for many Christians, is that it … [Read more...]

By Marvin Jones PINEVILLE - Death by crucifixion was a public spectacle and a huge crowd had gathered on a small hill just outside of Jerusalem that day. Roman soldiers, politicians, common people, a few followers of Jesus, even Mary, his mother, and John the Apostle were there to witness the death of Jesus the Christ on a cross. Normally, onlookers observed a public display meant to symbolize justice was being served yet again. But this time witnesses experienced an act of justification that would not need repeating. THE KING’S PUBLIC EXECUTION Matthew 27:36 states “sitting down, they watched him there.” A few saints and many sinners sat down as the Savior died. Some were mocking him, some were laughing, some were contemptuous, and some were indifferent. But a few were grieving Him as He took His last breath. Importantly, all of them saw a man suffer a torturous punishment, although He had committed no crime. Already, he had been beaten with whips designed to tear the skin from the body, and the trauma to the muscles was so intense that he could not walk steadily. His veins were bared; His scalp pierced with thorns; and, His back was nothing but quivering ribbons of flesh ripped by the beatings. They saw Him … [Read more...]

By David Lane WALKER —“20,000 eggs from a helicopter,” said the younger pastor from another church in our association. I questioned, “What?!” in my head. Someone had told me all the younger pastors were Calvinists. I don’t know if he was a Calvinist, but he was crazy! While we’ve been putting our eggs out with a wheel barrow, they’ve been using a helicopter. Maybe that’s why we had a hundred people at our egg hunt last year and they had a thousand! There were about ten churches at the meeting and I committed Judson. “We’re all in!” I said. “Just don’t put me in the helicopter dropping eggs.” I did something “non-mid-fifty years old” in a “warrior dash” last fall and broke my wrist. I have a big scar on my arm to prove it – which makes a great witnessing tool: “Look, I broke my arm, did you know the world is broken?” So I am semi-crazy already, just an older crazy. This would not be the first “crazy” event I had experienced with this younger pastor and some of the other church leaders gathered in the room. Last August, Livingston Parish flooded – all of it. News reports claimed a rainfall of about three times the volume of Lake Pontchartrain. It was a crazy time and these were the same churches who came … [Read more...]

By Gevan Spinney HAUGHTON - With Easter just a couple weeks away, every Christian church is gearing up to herald the greatest message concerning the greatest event in human history: God Himself stepped out of Heaven, came to this rotten world, died on a Roman cross, was buried in a borrowed tomb and was raised alive to offer all sinful humanity grace rather than judgement. The message of Easter is the message of God’s amazing grace offered to His creation. GOD’S AMAZING SAVING GRACE “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I am found, was blind, but now I see.” John Newton wrote these words in 1772 after receiving that grace. Newton was right – the grace of God is amazing! Do you remember when you received the grace of God for salvation? I do. I was a senior in high school and my life was as good as it could be from my perspective. I was seventeen years old and living for every minute. I was raised in a home where both of my parents were very involved in my life. We were a good, law-abiding, tax-paying family that was respected in our little town. However, it often seemed as though something was missing in my life. Like many of my friends, I filled my … [Read more...]

By David Hankins “Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read, JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek. The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, ‘Do not write “The King of the Jews,” but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.” Pilate answered, ‘What I have written, I have written.’” – John 19:19-22, NIV Anatole France’s tale “The Procurator of Judea” features an elderly Pontius Pilate reminiscing with an old friend about their time in Judea decades before. When the friend inquires about Jesus who was crucified by Pilate, he murmured, “Jesus – of Nazareth. I cannot call Him to mind.” The author is trying to suggest the unlikely possibility that Jesus’ crucifixion was so incidental that the governor probably wouldn’t remember Him. But, even if Pilate could not recall the tumultuous events accompanying Jesus’ death, the name Pontius Pilate is inextricably woven with the name of Jesus of Nazareth. In history, Pilate is always and only remembered for his connection to Jesus’ crucifixion as is so eloquently stated in the Apostles’ Creed, “and … [Read more...]

By Message Staff BELAH – Within 20 seconds, the landscape of Sarah Clancy’s childhood changed when an EF-2 tornado heavily damaged the home where she spent her early years. Clancy, whose father Clyde Crooks is a member of the Kingdom Builders and was in Colorado when the tornado touched down, said the storm on Sunday, April 2, knocked down trees onto a tractor shed and the roof of the home. Water then dripped through the ceiling, causing damage to carpet and ceiling tiles in four rooms. Upon first glance, Clancy was devastated. But, soon, she found all was not hopeless. For Clancy discovered Christian love in action. “I was walking around the house and through the house making mental lists when volunteers starting showing up,” said Clancy, a member of Pineville Park Baptist Church in Pineville. “They pulled up carpet, moved furniture and helped get the worse of the wet stuff out of the house. I could not have done it without them. They were definitely an answer to prayer.” Crooks, like many other members of Fellowship Baptist Church in Trout whose homes were damaged, have a long road to recovery. But they won’t go at it alone, with other members of the community and even some in other parts of the state lending a … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer BASTROP – Bonita Road Baptist Church has been in revival for three years and all signs point to this spiritual renewal continuing for the foreseeable future. Since Casey Johnson joined this Morehouse Baptist Association church as pastor in 2015, worship and Sunday school attendances have increased and more than 70 people have been baptized. Furthermore, the congregation is in the midst of constructing a new 11,000-sq.-ft. worship center that will seat 500 people to accommodate the growth – with even more new members added from revival services that took place in early March. “It has been an absolute joy watching God change so many lives in such a short time,” Johnson said. “I think the greatest thing, apart from the salvations, has been watching people truly understand the freedom they have to worship God because of their identity in Christ. From a pastor’s perspective that is a treasure and a victory worth celebrating.” In the time Johnson has been pastor of Bonita Road Baptist Church, worship attendance has grown from 200 in one worship event to a combined 375 in two morning services. Sunday school attendance now stands at 230, up from 130. He points to a … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer ALEXANDRIA – Louisiana Baptist church plants enjoyed great health and growth during 2016, and to date are on pace for another banner in 2017. A BANNER YEAR According to a recent report by Louisiana Baptists’ missions and ministry team, church plants recorded 26,933 evangelistic contacts and 1,329 decisions to follow Christ in 2016. In all, 33 new churches were started and 360 people baptized by new congregations last year. A STRONG START With only partial data for 2017, things are looking good for this year as well. In January, church plants reported 1,859 evangelistic contacts and 83 new commitments to Christ. Also during that month, five new churches were started and 12 were baptized. The number of new church plants for February and March will be reported together at one time in April. However, baptisms and evangelistic contact statistics were released for February, showing church plants had baptized 60 people and recorded 4,615 evangelistic contacts. A REASON FOR HOPE Lane Corley is optimistic that when the numbers for how many churches were planted in February and March are released, the trend will show Louisiana Baptists are on track to plant 35 new … [Read more...]

By Message Staff TROUT – As a powerful EF-2 tornado moved over their home at 4 p.m. Sunday, April 2, Mike Devillier and his family knew of just one course of action to take while huddled together in the church parsonage bathroom – pray. “We joined hands and prayed,” said Devillier, pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church in Trout. “Although there was the tension of the storm, we had peace in the middle of it knowing God was in control and no matter what happened here He was taking care of is.” Though Devillier’s home was left intact, many others in the church were not as fortunate. About half of the 200 who attend Sunday morning worship services at Fellowship Baptist Church received some damage to their homes, including a few which were totally destroyed as a result of the tornado, one of two in LaSalle Parish confirmed by the National Weather Service. However, no one was seriously injured or killed. Devillier said while the storm caused significant damage, it also has brought out the best in his members and others in the community. Not long after it passed and the rain stopped, a plethora of people got to work, using chainsaws to cut through trees that fell in yards, moving debris from rooftops, passing out bottled water … [Read more...]

By Jerry Love, LBF Communications ALEXANDRIA – The story has been told numerous times already, but it is worth telling again. The boat ride began on a beautiful summer day under the cool shade of live oak trees that spread across the bayou with the sunshine glistening on the water. Pushing the boat to its limits in the small confines of a curvy narrow waterway was both thrilling and fun. And then it happened… There was no warning … no “check engine” light or bells or chimes.  One minute the boat owner was cruising along and the next minute he was adrift, drifting in the bend of the bayou where his boat broke down. St. Clair Bower was the boat operator on that glorious day in the early 1930’s. It was supposed to be a day off from his pastoral duties in the communities of Maragouin and Krotz Springs and points all along the bayou in between. As he went ashore to find help, he encountered a mother and her son and began to share Jesus with them. Right there near the bend of the bayou, close to where the boat lost power, this mother and son, who had not heard the Gospel before, accepted Christ as their Savior. Two new souls won to the Lord turned into many days of Gospel meetings, and, not long after, a church was … [Read more...]