As the New Year rolls around, many folks will make New Year’s resolutions to change or improve something in their lives. One of the topics that make every Top Ten list is "get out of debt." But what about spiritual goals? With the Bible as our guide, here are 12 tips and corresponding scriptures to help you make the coming year your best ever: 1. Commit yourself fully to Jesus Christ. God wants more than a relationship; He wants a total commitment.Happy are those who keep His decrees and seek Him with all their heart. – Psalm 119:2. 2. Put your commitment to Christ above all else. Only when Christ has first place in your life can the rest of your life be in right order. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you, – Matthew 6:33. 3. Put the needs of others ahead of your wants. If we look at the life of Jesus, we realize that our time on earth is not about personal comfort, but about being a comfort to others. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve .... – Mark 10:45a. 4. Spend time daily in the Word and in prayer. The Living Word wants you to spend time with Him. Remember that prayer is a two-way conversation; don’t just talk to God – … [Read more...]

J. Landrum Holmes and his wife, Sallie, went to China before 1860 as pioneer Southern Baptist missionaries in Chefoo in the Shantung providence of northern China. Mr. and Mrs. Jesse B. Hartwell joined them in 1860, living in Tengchow. In a few short years the lives of Sallie Holmes and two missionary sisters, Edmonia and Charlotte (Lottie) Moon, would intersect. On the first day of October in 1861, J. Landrum Holmes and another missionary tried to stop invaders and robbers from an attack on the village of Chu Kia on the Shantung Peninsula during the Taiping Rebellion. He was brutally murdered. With his death, Landrum Holmes became the first Southern Baptist missionary to meet a violent death while taking the gospel to the nations. Sallie Holmes, now a widow, was expecting a child. She later reflected on her decision to stay in China saying: "I would not go back. I would stay and work." Contrary to advice and counsel, she remained, gave birth to a son named Landrum, and moved to Tengchow in 1862. Sallie supervised a boarding school for girls, but was especially known for traveling out to villages to share the gospel with women and teach them in homes. She is said to have traveled to as many as 400 villages in … [Read more...]

Question:   I hear the word "grace" used a lot by church people in singing and Bible readings. What is grace and how is it different from faith?   Bill Warren responds:   One of the best-known passages on "grace" and "faith" is Ephesians 2:8-9: For by means of grace you have been saved, through faith. And this is not from you – the gift is from God. Not from works, so that no one should boast. Grace is the reason salvation is even possible, for the possibility of salvation is a gift from God and not due to anything done by us that would obligate God to give it to us.   A primary context for understanding "grace" in the New Testament is the Greco-Roman society where "patrons," those higher up the social ladder, sought to have "clients" from those below them. The patrons bestowed increased social standing, social access, and even material bene-fits on their clients, thereby providing things that were beyond the reach of the clients otherwise. In return, the clients showed their gratitude by being faithful to their patrons. This included speaking well about them in all settings, acting in their daily life in ways that reflected well on their patrons by being upright in their character and … [Read more...]

PINEVILLE – Information released by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) indicates that the accrediting organization determined at its recent annual meeting to continue Louisiana College on "warning status," a status SACS placed LC on during its annual meeting in December 2011. LC remains fully accredited. The warning status means that accreditation, which is determined as part of a 10-year cycle of evaluation and review of all academic institutions, has not been reaffirmed by SACS. Information on the accrediting organization’s web site indicates that warning status is "less serious of the two sanctions" (the other being probation) and is usually "levied at the earlier stages of institutional review." When the warning status was issued a year ago, SACS deemed eleven specific deficiencies in eight categories that needed to be addressed by LC. In issuing the continuation of the current status, SACS found six specific areas in three categories that still needed attention. In the category of Institutional Effectiveness, LC needs to address some deficiencies related to: Institutional Effectiveness, Educational Programs, Administrative Support Services and Academic and Student Support Services. In the category … [Read more...]

Submitted by Brian Blackwell on Wed, 01/02/2013 - 14:09 Frank S. Page, president and "chief encouragement officer" of the SBC Executive Committee, is asking Southern Baptists to come together in 2013 for a year of emphasis on prayer "like none we’ve ever seen before." By Roger S. Oldham, SBC Communications NASHVILLE (BP) – Frank S. Page, president and "chief encouragement officer" of the SBC Executive Committee, is asking Southern Baptists to come together in 2013 for a year of emphasis on prayer "like none we’ve ever seen before." "For some time, God has been burdening my heart about prayer and spiritual awakening," Page wrote in a Dec. 11 First-Person article in Baptist Press. "I talked about this a great deal when I was president of the Southern Baptist Convention [2006-08]. I saw then what was happening in our nation, in our churches and in our convention. That deep sense of need for revival in our land has only gotten stronger over these past six years." This is not a new message for Page. On the SBC President’s page, posted after his election in 2006, Page wrote, "Across the nation I have spoken about the three ‘R’s.’ I have thanked God for the push for doctrinal rightness. I thank God for the conservative … [Read more...]

STATEWIDE – New Hope Baptist Church in Delhi is still talking about the difference it made in the lives of church members to participate in last year’s 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting. "It’s faded some, and it’s continuing some," said Pastor Kelly Clark. "We’re still excited about it. ... "It was a great help to our church and we’re planning on doing it again this year," Clark continued. "We’ve already ordered our books." The "books" he was referring to are the newly-written 2013 Prayer Journals produced by the Louisiana Baptist Convention’s Evangelism/Church Growth team, and written by 21 Louisiana pastors. Each focused on one of three areas: reflecting, repenting and realigning. Another version of the 2013 Prayer Journal was written in Spanish by three Louisiana Hispanic pastors, who addressed the same three areas of spiritual focus. Jan. 6-27 are the suggested dates for use of the 2013 Prayer Journal (though they can be used throughout the year) to prepare participants for the 2013 LBC Evangelism Conference, set for Jan. 28-29 at First Baptist Church of Lafayette. See LBC.org/21Days to order the 2013 Prayer Journals for $1/each, plus shipping, which can include customization for churches with orders of at least 100 … [Read more...]

Submitted by Brian Blackwell on Wed, 01/02/2013 - 14:13 Emma LeCompte  HOUMA – Fifth-grader Emma LeCompte recently was asked to sell World’s Finest Chocolate as a fundraiser for her elementary school band. But she had learned last summer in Vacation Bible School at Mulberry Baptist Church about child slavery. "Yes, slavery still exists," wrote Church Secretary Haley Kraemer in an email to the Baptist Message. "In fact, it is so pervasive that it touches much of what we purchase. One example is on cocoa plantations in Africa. "Many large chocolate-producing corporations knowingly use chocolate that comes from suppliers who participate in slavery," Kraemer continued. "Why? Because it’s cheap. Why is it cheap? Because they use slave labor to keep production costs down. Why do they use slave labor? Because customers are paying so little for their product that [manufacturers] can’t afford to pay workers. And so goes the cycle." Emma was concerned that WFC may not use Fair Trade chocolate (not produced by slavery or unsafe standards) so she researched it, and when she checked out www.globalexchange.org/fairtrade/cocoa/worldsfinest, she found the company was part of that cycle. "Emma knew … [Read more...]

Arrivals/Departures * Donnie Lee, new as bivocational minister of music at Southside Baptist Denham Springs. Pastor: Don Hoy. * Brett (wife Cathy) Fuller, new as worship pastor at Summer Grove Baptist Shreveport. Pastor: Aaron Burgner. * Abbey Allison, new as childrens ministry director at First Baptist Shreveport. Pastor: Jeff Raines. * Jeffrey West, new as youth ministry director at First Baptist Shreveport. Pastor: Jeff Raines. * Roger Merritt, new as music minister at First Baptist Benton. * Eddy Taylor, resigning as pastor of Salem Baptist in Plain Dealing. * Curt and DeeDee Iles’ commissioning for their service as IMB missionaries has been changed from Dec. 19 to 6:30 p.m. Jan. 6 at Dry Creek Baptist Camp. * Charles Hammons, new as interim pastor at Beech Springs Baptist in Quitman. * Doyle McGrew, new as pastor of New Jerusalem Baptist in Winnfield. * Wes (wife Myra) McCay, ordained to the gospel ministry Dec. 9 at Kingsville Baptist Pineville. * Jason Cole, new as pastor of First Baptist Simsboro. * George Meredith, resigned from Sandel Drive Baptist Church in Monroe and is available for supply: 318.376.1865. * Byron Humphrey, associate pastor at First Baptist Roseland, was ordained … [Read more...]

Submitted by Brian Blackwell on Wed, 01/02/2013 - 14:18 Louisiana Baptist Christian Education Association officers for the current year include from left to right) Rick Ellis, Vice-President, Trinity Baptist Church Lake Charles; Henry Richerson, President-Elect, Emmanuel Baptist Church Shreveport; Jeff Ingram, LBC Representative, Alexandria; and Clif Smith, President, First Baptist Church Covington. The LBCEA is seeking input for its open table discussion at the Evangelism Conference and is preparing for its annual retreat, which is to take place in two different locations in March. By Jeff Ingram, LBC Adult Ministry Strategist "Journey On is not a one-time campaign or program. And it’s not a Bible study or small group. Rather, it’s a church-wide strategy designed to meet you right where you are on your spiritual journey, help make you a disciple of Jesus, and move you forward to a Christ-centered life." This quote is from Steve Layton, Minister of Education at Brentwood Baptist Church in Nashville, who recently spoke at the Louisiana Baptist Christian Education Association’s (LBCEA) annual meeting during the annual Louisiana Baptist Convention State Meeting on Nov. 12, at First Baptist Church West … [Read more...]

Submitted by Brian Blackwell on Wed, 01/02/2013 - 14:21 This trivia question, which was asked on the popular TV show Jeopardy! recently, refers to New Orleans Baptist Seminary’s undergraduate program at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. By Frank McCormack, NOBTS Communications NEW ORLEANS – For casual and competitive Jeopardy! fans alike, it’s not unusual to know at least a hand full of correct questions to the show’s answers. (Note: Jeopardy! poses statements or answers, and contestants respond with questions like "What is …?" or "Who is …?") Some are easier than others. And for the really difficult questions, usually featured in "Final Jeopardy," the show gives contestants a few extra seconds to respond, accompanied by the famous Jeopardy! theme song. Rarely, though, can Jeopardy! viewers claim to be, at least in part, the subject of a question. But that’s what Jeopardy! fans with ties to New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary experienced during a recent episode. Over that weekend, images of the question spread through New Orleans Seminary’s social media network. The answer read, "Prisoners at Angola in this Southern state can study for degrees at a Baptist seminary." The … [Read more...]