By David E. Hankins, Executive Director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention
[img_assist|nid=7616|title=Editorial Cartoon|desc=|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=640]Sowing seeds is necessary if you are to reap a harvest. Our state’s farmers know that harvesting is in direct proportion to the amount of seed sown.
The 2011 Georgia Barnette State Missions Offering has the theme of sowing but not just any sowing. It is seeds sown in tears.
There is a great need for tears for lost people. At least one of every two persons in our state is lost or un-churched.
There are so many people experiencing the brokenness of life. Some of these people are hurting, helpless and have yet to discover that the journey of hope begins with personal faith in the Lord Jesus.
We are called by the Lord to share the gospel with the people who live in our Judea, the state of Louisiana. Do our hearts break for our family members, our neighbors and our friends?
Do we weep for those without Christ who live in the inner city of New Orleans, Shreveport, Monroe or Baton Rouge?
How about the lost people who live in the delta region of our state?
We must personally ask ourselves, “Are we engaged in praying, giving and going to the lost? Are we brokenhearted over the lostness in our state? Are we willing to give to ministries that reach the lost?”
This month we are asking Louisiana Baptists to do three things toward reaching the lost:
1. Pray – When you visit www.LBC.org/GBO, you are introduced to some famous people. They may not be famous to us but they are to the Lord. They are church planters and ministry leaders who are touching the lives of lost people every day. They are on mission because of the faithful praying of Louisiana Baptists.
2. Be Involved – There are people in your world who are without Christ. Collect their names and build positive relationships with them. As you are going, share your faith with them. There are many opportunities to join others in ministry to lost people in your local church, association and ministries supported by our state convention. Volunteer and make a difference.
3. Give – Church planters and ministry leaders in the cities, the rural areas and with language groups are counting on us to hold the support rope for them. We do that through our state missions offering. When the next disaster strikes, the state missions offering will be there to provide the financial support needed to move units in place and make a difference.
Our 2011 goal is $1,800,000. If every Louisiana Baptist prays for the lost, engages the lost and gives to reach the lost, we can top our goal and make history for the glory of our God.
If we sow the seeds of the gospel with tears, surely the Lord will give a song of joy when the lost are transformed by His grace.