By J.D. Greear, Pastor, Summit Church, Durham, N.C. I’ve often heard that we should keep our views on various moral issues out of the public square. My first contention is that it is impossible to do. Judgments offered from either side of the discussion have a fiercely moral tone. While the moral indignation of gay marriage and abortion opponents is well-known, none can doubt a similar indignation in those who affirm gay marriage and abortion. Who has not seen the fires of perceived righteousness burning in the eyes of ideological opponents? Sometimes it is a righteous fire born of concern; other times it is the smug fire of self-righteousness. But we cannot deny that the indignation is moral in its nature. One can hear moral overtones when President Obama, who has done more to promote both gay marriage and abortion-on-demand than any president in history, follows up a proposal with his trademark, “It’s just the right thing to do.” The president’s statement, of course, is usually met with applause from those sharing his moral outlook. But right according to what? Furthermore, we typically laud those who operate according to their convictions -- unless, that is, those convictions are wrong. Very few of us admire those who … [Read more...]

By Todd Peebles, Pastor, Hillcrest Baptist Church, San Angelo, Texas In seminary, students knew we had to be very intentional to connect with and share the Gospel with people who have not been engaged with its message. That intentionality included classes in evangelism and campaigns around the campus to engage the community. Sadly, it was easy to live life in the seminary bubble of people just like me, who do many of the same things as I. In a nutshell, the bubble isolates people from the world, disengages them from ministry to the lost, and gives a false sense of security. The bubble is not limited to the campuses of seminaries or Bible colleges; it also unfortunately affects local churches. My pastorate, Hillcrest Baptist Church, now realizes we were living in the bubble. It sounded something like this: “I can’t participate in this upcoming outreach event because I do not know any lost people!” Hillcrest is one of the 70 percent of churches that have plateaued or are declining. We have a church full of people who socialize with people from church and hang out with people from church. Sadly, we do not engage those outside our circle. The looming question is how do we exit the bubble? We do not just wake up one day and the … [Read more...]

To the Editor   During the 166th Annual Meeting of the Louisiana Baptist Convention motions were made concerning our Executive Director, David Hankins. In brief, both motions sought to abolish the voting privileges of Dr. Hankins on the board of trustees for Louisiana College as an ex officio member. What this boils down to is an attempt to extinguish the voice and the vote of our Executive Director. I appreciate any Louisiana Baptists’ right to disagree with and even protest the decisions of any board. But, if Louisiana Baptists have an Executive Director that can’t be trusted to give influence, then the matter is much larger than motions about procedure. I believe David Hankins has proven himself trustworthy time and again. He is doing the job Louisiana Baptists have asked him to do with fairness and accountability. When I moved to Louisiana from Georgia, I was somewhat concerned because I knew little about the LBC. But, I knew Dr. Hankins. I had spent time with him and knew his track record. Since I have been here, I have found Dr. Hankins to be a good leader, just as he has always been. I believe the overwhelming majority of Louisiana Baptists feel the same way. We trust David Hankins and desire neither his … [Read more...]

By Argile Smith, Louisiana College Hope in the holiday season can be hard to come by these days if we try to find it in what’s going on around us. However, we can always find hope when we turn to the Lord. Of course, turning to Him comes by way of getting into His Word. For that reason, we do well to reflect on Psalm 102. In this psalm, we’re reminded of the certain hope we have in the Lord as we face an array of uncertainties that can rob us of the joy that the holiday season represents. The author of Psalm 102 endured extreme physical agony, and at the same time he grieved over the destruction of Jerusalem, the city he loved. In his pain, sorrow, and loneliness, he cried out to God for help. We don’t know the psalmist’s name, and we probably can’t identify with his situation. But we can certainly get our hands around his anxiety. He probably lived in Babylonian exile when he wrote the psalm. Along with others from Israel who had been deported there after the destruction of Jerusalem, he longed to be home. In his painful ordeal, he pleaded with God for a response to his impassioned call for help. His situation was desperate (1-6). His life seemed to be drifting away like smoke vanishing in the wind. His fever had become so … [Read more...]

By Bill Warren, NOBTS Question:  What do we know about John the Baptist?   Bill Warren Responds: Most of our information about John comes from Luke 1 and 3:1-20, with additional details coming from the other Gospels and the Jewish historian Josephus, who says John was a righteous person calling people back to God, with Herod putting him in prison due both to what John was saying and his popularity. As indicated by other NT references to John, his influence did not cease with his death, and even today there is a small group of followers of John the Baptist in Iraq. John’s father Zechariah was a priest and his mother Elizabeth was also from a priestly family (and related to Mary, the mother of Jesus), which would have been the norm—priestly families normally married within the priestly group. Although older when John was born, Zechariah’s age was still likely below 50, the normal age for priests to retire, for Zechariah is still an active priest.  Between John’s birth and later in life, apparently something happened related to the temple leadership in Jerusalem that drove him to shift from his priestly heritage to denouncing those in charge, as seen in Mt. 3:7-10 where he calls the Jerusalem leaders a brood of vipers, … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer Three Louisiana Baptist women are hoping their recently-published books about personal experiences with breast cancer, bullying and other difficult times will inspire others to persevere through crises. Though the subjects and length of time taken to write each book were different, the goals were the same – offer encouragement and hope to those suffering with life’s problems. “Women have a tendency to do-it-all and not ask for help,” said Angelia Carpenter, one of the three female authors. “Having a book, written by an everyday person, gives them the opportunity to find the answers or identify with someone who has already been through what they are experiencing. It helps them realize they aren’t alone; someone else had those feelings, thoughts, and experiences too.” She hopes her book, “From One Survivor … to Another … to Another … to Another,” that she co-authored with her mother, Jean Hulsey, can help encourage both cancer patients and caregivers during their journey. Hulsey was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005, nine months after her father and husband were killed in an automobile accident. Her mom’s positive example on how to cope helped Carpenter when she was diagnosed with the … [Read more...]

By Kelly Boggs and Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message Editor’s note: The nature of the messages preached at the 1845 conference made it difficult to report on them with any depth due to the space constraints of the print edition of the Baptist Message. The report is but a synopsis of the sermons preached during the conference. All messages can be accessed via the Heritage Baptist website at http://hbcshreveport.com/   SHREVEPORT – Heritage Baptist Church in Shreveport hosted The 1845 Conference Oct. 31-Nov. 2. The conference featured sermons that sought to convey  the speakers understanding of the spirit and theology of those who formed the Southern Baptist Convention. There was also an opportunity to share the Gospel in the neighborhood surrounding the church. Earl Blackburn, pastor of Heritage, preached a sermon to his congregation on Sept. 15 titled “Why the 1845 Conference and Why Now?” Blackburn not only cited the decline of Christianity in Western Civilization, but he also expressed concern about the Southern Baptist Convention. “If the overall direction of the SBC continues the way it is theologically today, there will be a need for another conservative resurgence in two or three decades,” Blackburn said. He offered … [Read more...]

By Tom Strode, Baptist Press WASHINGTON (BP) –The Southern Baptist Convention’s religious freedom and financial benefits entities both expressed their opposition to a federal court ruling invalidating the ministerial housing allowance. The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) and GuideStone Financial Resources protested a Nov. 22 decision by federal Judge Barbara Crabb that struck down the portion of a 1954 federal law that allows clergy to exclude for federal income tax purposes a portion or all of their gross income as a housing allowance. Crabb ruled that the provision violates the First Amendment’s prohibition on government establishment of religion. Crabb, a judge in the Western District of Wisconsin, blocked enforcement of her opinion until the appeals process in the lawsuit is complete. In a combined news release Nov. 23, ERLC and Guidestone officials expressed their solidarity in working to protect the housing allowance. “The clergy housing allowance isn’t a government establishment of religion, but just the reverse,” ERLC President Russell D. Moore said. “The allowance is neutral to all religions. Without it, clergy in small congregations of all sorts would be penalized and harmed. “We will continue to … [Read more...]

ON THE MOVE Reggie (wife Leslie) Bridges new as pastor Temple Baptist Church, Ruston. He comes from First Baptist Zachary. Matthew Smith resigns as Minister of Students and Education at New Zion Baptist Church in Covington to pastor Hebron Baptist Church, Bush. He starts at Hebron on Dec. 8.   LAGNIAPPE First Baptist Church, Minden: A Christmas Night of Praise featuring Celebration Choir and Orchestra, Dec. 8, 6 p.m.; Sounds of Christmas featuring Keyboards at Christmas and Celebration Orchestra, Dec. 15, 6 p.m. and Christmas Eve Candlelight Service Dec. 24, 5 p.m. Pastor: Leland Crawford. Hebron Baptist Church, Denham Springs: Journey to Bethlehem - A Christmas Experience, Dec. 7 beginning at 6 p.m. & Dec. 8 beginning at 4 p.m. For more information, call the church office at 225.665.6278. Pastor: Joe Alain. Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, DeRidder: ‘That Night in Bethlehem’ is a drive-through nativity experience, Dec. 6-7, Dec. 13-15 and Dec. 20-22. For more information, call 337.463.6611. First Baptist Church, Ponchatoula: Annual Christmas Tea “The Ultimate Gift, Dec. 7, 2- 4 p.m. Speaker: Judie Jackson, Women’s Ministry Professor at NOBTS, and May Jo Castell. Tickets are $10. For more information, call … [Read more...]

By Staff, World News Magazine Most churchgoers realize this truth after several years of church involvement: Our churches are imperfect. The church is a complex, living organism made up of flawed leaders and members of the congregation, struggling to survive through limited resources, complicated relationships, and controversial dramas. Gee, if only we had a hotline to dial and fix these issues. That’s the premise behind Church Rescue, a new National Geographic Channel reality show produced by T Group Productions premiered Nov. 11. If you’ve ever watched the popular show Extreme Makeover, you’ll know how the sequence goes: A team of experts swoop in to change somebody’s life with their advice and their network’s deep pockets—all under a time crunch. You see some tears, a little “tough love,” and a nail-biting obstacle or two. They all lead up to the climactic unveiling, in which participants reveal their “after” phase and bask in the shock and praise of family and friends. Church Rescue provides all those elements – except instead of a beauty makeover, it travels across the country trying to resuscitate failing churches. The team of experts is the Church Hoppers, a consulting company based in North Carolina. A trio of best … [Read more...]