By Aaron Wilson, LifeWay Christian Resources NASHVILLE, Tenn.—This summer, thousands of Bibles will ring up for free at the registers of LifeWay Christian Stores. It’s an effort by LifeWay to help local churches take the Word of God into their communities through an initiative called “Share the Word. Together.” Churches of any denomination within 15 miles of a LifeWay store can sign up for a designated week in which each member of the church can visit the local LifeWay to pick up a free CSB personal gift Bible. Church members will then give the Bibles away in their communities. “The goal for this free Bible giveaway is to start gospel conversations and spark invitations to weekend worship services or Bible study,” said LifeWay President and CEO Thom S. Rainer. Rainer shared on his blog last week that he was inspired to create this initiative when his church gave away loaves of bread to members and asked them to share the bread with people in their communities. He says many who received the bread came to church the next Sunday. “I began to think, ‘Could I leverage my position at LifeWay to help thousands of churches do the same?’” Rainer said. “The answer came back as a resounding ‘yes’! We will be giving away the … [Read more...]
GuideStone announces launch of new lower-cost Secure Health plan
By Roy Hayhurst DALLAS -- Churches and pastors looking for budget-minded health care coverage as well as protection for themselves, their employees and their families have another option to consider coming this summer. GuideStone®, which is celebrating 100 years of serving Southern Baptist and evangelical churches, will roll out the new GuideStone Secure Health plan during the Southern Baptist Convention and enrollment will begin on July 1. “We hear daily from pastors and other church leaders who feel the tension between wanting to do right by their employees while also being responsible to their budget,” GuideStone President O.S. Hawkins said. “With Secure Health we wanted an option that provided lower-cost coverage and protection for church employees, as well as their families.” Under the new Secure Health plan, eligible participants still have access to the nationwide Blue Cross Blue Shield network. Primary care visits and Teladoc consultations are available at no out-of-pocket charge. Some care — such as out-of-network service — is not covered. Before enrolling in the plan, GuideStone encourages participants to review their health coverage needs to see if GuideStone’s Secure Health is the appropriate coverage … [Read more...]
Evangelicals and Israel’s birthday
By Richard Land As we prepare to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Israel's independence (May 14, 2018) we need to explain to others, and to remind ourselves, why many evangelicals fervently support Israel and the Jewish people. According to Lifeway Research in Nashville, at least half of self-identified evangelicals believe that at some point in the future most Jewish people will accept Jesus of Nazareth as the promised Messiah. Additionally, large segments of American evangelicalism believe that God has made certain promises to His chosen people, the Jews, that He did not make to Gentiles — including possession of the Promised Land of Israel forever, in belief, in unbelief, in obedience and in disobedience, unconditionally forever. These beliefs are based on the Abrahamic Covenant that God made with Abraham (Gen. 12:1–3). In this covenant with Abraham, God not only promised the land of Canaan to the Jews forever, He also promises to bless those who bless the Jews and curse those who curse the Jews. Consequently millions of evangelicals believe that if they want God to bless them individually, and America collectively as a nation, then they need to bless the Jews. This means among other things, that anti-Semitism … [Read more...]
Trust God to help overcome worrying
By Rick Warren “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7 NLT). It takes more than willpower to stop worrying. You already know that, because you’ve already tried it. You’ve thought, “I shouldn’t worry about this,” yet you just keep on worrying about it. It’s going to take more than your willpower to stop worrying. It takes four things: 1. You have to get to know God. Jesus says in Matthew 6:32, “People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things” (The Message). If you don’t have a relationship with God, you have every reason to worry. You’ve got to get to know God! As a believer, you have a heavenly Father who has promised to take care of you. You are God’s child, and children get special privileges. When you worry, God says, “You’re my child. Why are you acting like an orphan?” 2. You have to put God first in every area of your life. Matthew 6:31-33 says, “Don’t worry at all about having enough food and clothing. . . . Your heavenly Father already knows perfectly well that you need them, and he will give them to you if you give him first place in your life and live as he wants you to” (TLB). Anytime you take God out of the center of your life and put … [Read more...]
M-JAM prepares youth to live ‘Life on the Edge’
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer LAFAYETTE/WOODWORTH (LBM) – More than 700 children and adult leaders met separately at two locations for the recently completed M-JAM conference, but both groups experienced a transforming day of learning how to live “Life On The Edge” for Christ. The day-long event featured the Real Encounter Outreach team from Branson, Missouri, and Louisiana and international missionaries, with all the speakers centering their messages around the conference theme, based on Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Participants also enjoyed music by worship leaders from central Louisiana and breakout sessions about the plan of salvation, compassion ministry, BMX stunt tricks, church planting, and IMB missions. Attendance was 178 at First Baptist Church in Lafayette March 10 and 519 at Tall Timbers Baptist Conference Center May 5, with the dual locales allowing participating first-through-sixth graders and their leaders to attend M-JAM closest to where they live. “M-JAM at Tall Timbers went wonderfully well,” said Jess Archer, children/youth mission strategist for Louisiana Baptists. “We had an exciting day of meeting missionaries, hearing the Gospel message, … [Read more...]
Learning Scripture is not a ‘drill’ but a key life skill for youth
By Holly Jo Linzay PINEVILLE (LBM) - It is all about the Word for the youth who took part in the State Bible Drill competition, April 28, at the First Baptist Church in Pineville. “I didn’t take reading the Bible very seriously until I started competing in Bible Drill. But being in the Bible Drill has helped me to hide the Word of God in my heart,” Hannah James said. She is a ninth-grade homeschool student from Fellowship Baptist Church who attended the State Tournament for Youth and High School Bible Drill & Speakers’ Tournament for the sixth time. “But learning the Scripture has made a huge impact in my life. Bible Drill is not just about memorizing Scripture or the competition. It’s about life. Learning Scripture has helped me to witness and to live for God,” James, the first-place winner in the 9th grade Drill-off, added. Participants in the Bible Drills and Speakers’ Tournaments have gone through two other levels of competition, church and district, before reaching the state events. Bible Drill is part of a discipleship program designed to assist youth in developing useful skills and knowledge of the Bible. They must know the books of the Bible; find common Scripture references; know different approaches to … [Read more...]
Plain old-fashioned door-to-door soul winning works
By Eddie Wren, LBC President RAYVILLE (LBM) – I was recently in Alexandria for a meeting and began to think about evangelistic outreach. At First Baptist Rayville we use various approaches to sharing the Gospel. But I began to take a hard look at my personal evangelism strategy and what more I could do to spread the Gospel and teach others to do the same. I felt the Lord impressing upon me a specific plan that seemed easy enough: plain old-fashioned door-to-door “soul winning.” My plan was to enlist one of the guys at my church who was my age and younger – perhaps who had never experienced door-to-door witnessing, or witnessing at all – to join me in this effort. I was thinking that if I could get someone to go with me and he witnessed someone trust in the Lord that not only would the person be saved but the guy with me would get fired up about sharing the Gospel. I prayed about the plan; the Lord confirmed it in my heart; and, I was moved to begin the next Wednesday night right after Bible study. I figured I would call one of the regular attenders to go with me, but the first person I called said he wouldn’t be there; and, the second man said he had something going on. In the end, I said to myself, “No … [Read more...]
Sixty Louisiana lawyers organize as Christian group
By Holly Jo Linzay, Regional Reporter LAFAYETTE (LBM) – A group of Louisiana attorneys believe the time has come to band together in order to actively preserve, protect and promote Christian values as the fundamental basis for the laws in the country. “It is time to take a stand and be a voice,” said Kent Aguillard, a lawyer from Eunice. Aguillard, along with 60 other lawyers, have formed the Louisiana Association of Christian Lawyers, Inc., the first of its kind in the state, according to a statement provided to the Baptist Message. These lawyers are organizing to answer to a higher power and a greater authority than the political whims of a society brimming with moral decay, he said. The Louisiana Association of Christian Lawyers, Inc. was created, according to Aguillard, for the purpose of providing a forum and opportunity for group participation by individual attorneys who are dedicated and biblically inspired to uphold and promote those laws which are based on Christian values and principals, and which confirm the country’s “trust in God.” “There’s an erosion of the strong, moral code we had in this country. There used to be standards that just weren’t crossed. Now the lines are getting blurred,” Aguillard … [Read more...]
Wave of baptisms bathe new facility at FBC Covington
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer COVINGTON – Typically, six-year-old Cayden Windom is a shy little boy who goes out of his way to avoid drawing attention to himself. But on an early March Sunday morning the youngster came out of his shell to proclaim his faith in Jesus through baptism. DEDICATED TO CHRIST As Windom stood before family and friends, the youngster made history as he became one of the first people to stir the baptistery waters in the new worship center at First Baptist Church in Covington. Brimming with excitement, Windom was elated to show nearly 2,300 people gathered March 18 the reason for his hope in Christ. “It was exciting because of a couple of reasons,” he said. “I got to do the same thing Jesus did first and I felt like the president standing in front of all those people.” Windom’s baptism is only the beginning of his family’s special connection with First Baptist Covington: Windom was the final person to walk down the aisle in the church’s former worship center; and, his mom and dad, Julie and Jeremy, were the first couple to be married after Hurricane Katrina in the old facility, where his sister, Kensly, also was baptized. Julie Windom said her son has illustrated a true example … [Read more...]
‘Harvest’ spotlighted at Executive Board meeting
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer WOODWORTH (LBM) – Despite baptisms dropping below 10,000 in the state for the first time in several decades, Keith Manuel told Executive Board members he is optimistic the trend can turn around because of the cooperation by Louisiana Baptist churches through the Harvest evangelism initiative. “There’s good news in the bad news,” said Manuel, Louisiana Baptists Evangelism and Church Growth director. “We have a great opportunity. We’ve been there before; we can do it again. We know what we need to do. We just need to get our eyes back on the fields that are white unto harvest. “We’ve got to make what’s important ‘important,’ and those souls are important,” he said. In his report to the Executive Board May 1 at Tall Timbers Conference Center in Woodworth, Manuel updated board members on the Harvest, the largest joint effort for evangelism ever undertaken in the state. The end goal of this initiative was to involve at least 700 churches to pray for every home and share Christ with every person in Louisiana. By early May, 876 churches had signed up to participate. Manuel said his office has partnered with 16 different Harvest events involving many associations and … [Read more...]