Submitted by philip on Fri, 05/02/2014 - 10:11 Participants in the State Bible Drill practice before competing. First Baptist Pineville hosted the event which drew students from throughout the state. By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff WriterPINEVILLE – Chaz Morgan believes in a day when scandals and cover-ups are too common for elected officials, that adopting biblical qualities such as honesty, humility and prayerfulness could lead to statesmen once again leading the nation.   “Time does not change the Bible and its principles are never out of date,” said Morgan during his speech at the recent state Bible Drill Speakers Tournament. “The need for political leaders to be honest, steadfast, sober, prayerful and humble does not diminish even though leaders increasingly disregard these attitudes. “Statesmen embrace these qualities; politicians ignore them,” he continued. “Who is leading our nation today?” For his speech entitled “Politicians or Statesmen,” Morgan won first place in the recent tournament at First Baptist Pineville. A member at Woodlawn Baptist in Baton Rouge, the 11th grader received a $4,500 annual scholarship to Louisiana College. The other two 11th grade competitors in the speakers tournament both earned … [Read more...]

By Barrett Duke, Vice President of Public Policy and Research at the ERLC “God couldn’t be everywhere, so He made mothers.” While not theologically accurate, this old Jewish saying describes beautifully the significant role mothers have in our lives. Motherhood is one of God’s greatest gifts to humanity. A loving, committed mother is an indispensable person in our development. Just imagine a world without mothers. It would be a sterile place indeed. Mothers instill powerful social and nurturing characteristics in each generation. It is principally from their mothers that children learn the virtues of sacrifice, sharing, valuing others, compassion, community and a host of other interpersonal values and skills that enable humans to live together in peace. Biologically, women are designed for self-sacrifice. When pregnant, a woman’s body focuses its primary attention to nurturing that new, growing life developing within her. Her body will automatically prioritize the needs of her unborn baby. This inherent gift for self-sacrifice isn’t only biological. After her children are born, a mother will continue to sacrifice herself for the needs of her children. She will do whatever she can to assure her children have what they … [Read more...]

By Thom Rainer, President of LifeWay Christian Resources There are few vocations that can engender burnout like the pastorate. The demands on a pastor’s time, emotions and energy can be overwhelming. When I was a pastor, I often felt at least the symptoms of burnout. I recently spoke with 17 pastors who had experienced burnout, or who felt they came precariously close to burnout. The good news about these pastors is that they moved out of burnout, and now they are re-engaging in exciting and visionary ministries. So I asked them the obvious question: What did you do to reverse the dark spiral of burnout? The question was open-ended, so they could respond with as many answers as they desired. When it was all said and done, I tabulated 12 different responses from the 17 pastors. Obviously, many of them gave similar answers. Here are the 12 responses ranked in order of frequency. Each answer has a representative quote from one of the pastors. 1. Spent more time in prayer and the Word. “Slowly over time, I spent less and less time in the Bible and in prayer. I succumbed to the tyranny of the urgent. When I committed to reversing that pattern, my life and leadership began to renew.” 2. Dreamed again. “When I first arrived at … [Read more...]

By William Perkins, Editor of Mississippi Baptist RecordThe time has long passed when a person could intelligently argue that alcohol advertising and marketing in the U.S. are not really aimed at young people.   With the exception of well-paid toadies beholden to the alcohol industry, virtually no one would today try to explain away television commercials featuring flatulent horses, cute dogs, and beach volleyball games played by nubile youngsters as anything but a naked attempt to draw the underage populace to their product. With the prom season in full swing around the country and many high-schoolers scheming to acquire alcohol, it would behoove us to take a look again at a study in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health. The study slams the door on the facile argument that alcohol conglomerates don’t aim their advertising at young people. “Alcohol specials, promotions, and advertisements were prevalent in the alcohol outlets around college campuses,” the study’s authors wrote. “Almost three-quarters of on-premise establishments offered specials on weekends, and almost one-half of the on-premise establishments and more than 60% of off-premise establishments … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Fri, 05/02/2014 - 10:23 By Richard Land, President of Southern Evangelical Seminary Holocaust Remembrance Day was observed on April 27. The internationally recognized date comes from the Hebrew calendar and corresponds to the 27th day of Nisan on that calendar. Each year it marks the anniversary of the Warsaw ghetto uprising, where an outnumbered and out-armed remnant of Jews resisted for a time the Germans’ attempts to transport them out of the Polish city to Nazi extermination camps. I have had the sobering privilege of touring the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. To visit the Holocaust Museum is to be changed in important and painful ways. To see, hear and feel the horror of man’s inhumanity to his fellow human beings is to experience in a new and deeper way in one’s soul and spirit the biblical truth that “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). It was this same response – magnified greatly by his personal witness of the carnage – that compelled Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, supreme commander of the Allied Forces in Europe, to urge members of Congress and others to travel to Germany to see for themselves … [Read more...]

By Robert Stewart, Director Institute for Christian Apologetics, NOBTS So how do we get our worldview?  Initially we inherit it, we are taught it by our parents, teachers, television, etc. We acquire our worldview without consciously thinking about it.  So long as it works well enough, we will see no reason to change it. This does not mean that worldviews can never change.  Although they are more like computer operating systems than software programs, they are not like Read Only Memory files that can never be changed. They are more like Random Access Memory.  They can be critiqued – and they can be changed.  People do it everyday.   Critiquing Worldviews   How does one critique a worldview?  According to its adequacy.  How does one test a worldview for adequacy?  Several questions must be considered: n Is the worldview coherent?  Does it fit with all or most of what we know, or think we know?  Does it contradict itself? n Does the worldview seem to correspond to our experience of reality?  Does it seem like the world really is the way the worldview says it is? n Is the worldview comprehensive?  Does it account for all the available facts?  Coherency is much more easily attained if one disregards some data, but … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer STERLINGTON – Early 2011 was a critical time for Fairbanks Baptist Church in Sterlington. Faced with the reality of not having enough young families to sustain, the congregation reached out to First West Monroe for help in surviving in one of the fastest growing areas of the state. The result was a merger in January 2012 to form a multi-site campus known as First West Fairbanks. “Those long-term members who took a leadership role at Fairbanks were so bold, so clear that their area did not need one less church,” said Chad Merrell, campus pastor of First West Fairbanks. “They have set aside preferences and even history to ensure that the next generations in the Sterlington/Fairbanks area can be reached with the Gospel of Christ.” The launch team of 70 made up of remaining members of Fairbanks Baptist and some from First West Monroe grew during its first meeting at Sterlington High School’s auxiliary gym to 150 by the end of its first year. Today, the church averages 250 for its Sunday morning services and draws 200 for its Wednesday evening activities. The church has since moved into the original Fairbanks Baptist campus, turning the former sanctuary in a children’s worship center and … [Read more...]

By Kelly Boggs, Message Editor A group concerned about the future of Louisiana College has sent a letter emphasizing key points it believes “decision makers” for the college must consider if LC is to have its reputation restored and its future enhanced. The letter, dated April 25 and signed by 90 individuals, was from a group identified as “Concerned Friends and Alumni, Louisiana College” and addressed “To the Decision Makers for Louisiana College.” The letter called attention to what the group said are “some obvious ‘big picture’ steps that need to be taken.” Five areas were highlighted by the group. The first item the group said needed to be a priority was: “Restore integrity to the office of president.” In order to achieve this objective the group wrote, “The search for a new President [sic] should be a nationwide search for a person with experience as a ‘turn-around specialist.’” Additionally the group indicated, “The new President [sic] must be a Baptist of impeccable character and reputation, have a proven record of success in collegiate or university administration, and be willing to work diligently to restore the reputation and integrity of both the office of President [sic] and the College [sic] as a whole.” A … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Fri, 05/02/2014 - 10:35 McNeese BCM director Keith Cating, Louisiana Baptist Convention State BCM director Mark Robinson and LBC Executive Director David Hankins were among those who broke ground on McNeese State’s new BCM building. McNeese is one of many BCMs around the state who have been involved in building expansions and renovations. By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer LAKE CHARLES – Keith Cating has fond memories of the Baptist Collegiate Ministry building at McNeese State University where he is director and was once president while a student there. But he and thousands of other alumni and students on the campus in Lake Charles are saying goodbye to the structure that was constructed in 1954, as a new BCM building will take its place this fall. The current facility can no longer hold the growing attendance – 50 for weekly group gatherings and 240 for weekly lunches – and maintenance costs are rising annually on the building. Though Cating is sad to see the building that holds so many memories gone, he also understands the need for and advantages of a new structure, which broke ground in December 2013. “Though it’s sad in one way, we are excited for what the future holds,” Cating … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message BLANCHARD – A chainsaw team from Blanchard recently responded to what Michael Burkhardt says is a more personal assignment than normal. “I’ve responded to hurricanes, a tornado, wind storm and ice storm but this one was different because it was an individual homeowner,” said Burkhardt, a member of First Baptist Blanchard and blue hat, of the team. “Most times on a disaster we may do seven or eight jobs on one day, but this particular one was a day and a half to resolve this one home that was damaged.” The team of 12 people was called to action around 10 a.m. March 29 and by 4:30 pm had reached their destination on the edge of Toledo Bend Resort. Strong winds uprooted a 40-foot oak tree that had fallen into an added room to the home, though no one living there was injured when the damage occurred. Before the team began their work on the site, they started off like normally do – praying with the family. Throughout the day various team members visited with the homeowners. Burkhardt said the prayer and free labor provides an avenue in which to share the gospel. In other disaster relief related news, a website is available to give to those affected by the recent tornadoes in the Plains and South. Anyone … [Read more...]