By U.S. Sen. John Kennedy Sunday was supposed to be the day that Louisiana’s state sales tax finally regained some semblance of fiscal sanity. After a year of paying sky high taxes. Louisiana families were in line for much-needed relief when sales tax dropped from 5 percent to 4 percent. Instead, they’ll be paying a rate of 4.45 percent. The reason for the ludicrous tax burden isn’t difficult to decipher if you read recent news reports about an audit by the nonpartisan Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office. That report uncovered the truth behind Gov. Edwards’ threats to yank TOPS from your kids, evict your grandmother from the nursing home and close your community hospital. The state isn’t strapped for cash because you need to pay even more in taxes. The state is strapped for cash because it can’t competently manage a program that consumes nearly half the state budget. That’s what the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office discovered when it peeked behind the curtain at the state Department of Health and Hospitals’ Medicaid program books. Auditors looked for errors in DHH’s paperwork for management of the Medicaid program. The results were far from pretty. The scathing audit found that DHH has been downright sloppy … [Read more...]

By Rick Warren “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32 NIV). We will all be hurt in this life. Many times we’ll be hurt intentionally by what people say about us or what people do to us. In fact, any time we read the word “forgiveness” we instantly call to mind certain heartaches, hurts, and problems from our past. The memories are still fresh because we’ve been hurt very deeply. Because of how deeply we’ve been hurt, it’s hard to consider forgiving the perpetrators. But the Bible gives us one very important reason we need to forgive. We forgive others because God forgave us. The Bible says in Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (NIV). Ponder how much God has forgiven you, and it’ll cause you to be more forgiving of those who have hurt you. The opposite is also true. If you don’t feel forgiven, you’ll have a hard time forgiving others. If you typically have a tough time forgiving others, you may not truly feel forgiven yourself. Think of it like this: God has completely wiped your sin slate clean because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross. All of the … [Read more...]

By Michael Evans Most everyone has heard the story about the turtle found atop the fence post and how that we can be sure that the turtle did not get that high by himself and must have had help. Pastors and these turtles are somewhat alike in that they find themselves at heights they may never have expected to be and they are there because of the support of the Holy Spirit and their family and hopefully, their congregation. Most good pastors know that their position is a precarious and a fragile existence and they have heard the horror stories of pastors being let go faster than the forming of a Texas tornado. They have also heard the dreaded phone call after midnight when a member frantically begs for help after losing a loved one unexpectedly. Never mind that the same voice on the line may have once half jestingly told that pastor that he should be ashamed for taking a salary for only working 2 hours a week. The pastor will dutifully get going to help as fast as possible and though he may think as he drives about how that comment hurt him and his wife then, he will not protest openly that for that one salary the church is getting at minimum two for one and sometimes more from him and his family. I feel almost guilty … [Read more...]

By Rick Warren “I“[God] shows how to distinguish right from wrong, how to find the right decision every time” (Proverbs 2:9 TLB). Three philosophies — individualism, secularism, and relativism —  have devastated our society’s moral thermometer over the past few decades. The consequences have been dramatic on society in general and on each of us individually.So what do we do about it? You have to start with God. He embodies truth. What is right and wrong gets its meaning in the character of God himself. Dishonesty is wrong because God is honest. Unfaithfulness is wrong because God is faithful. You can know truth by looking at how God interacts with us. The Bible says, “[God] shows how to distinguish right from wrong, how to find the right decision every time” (Proverbs 2:9 TLB). We can know the character of God through his Word. The Bible tells us what’s true, whether or not we like what it says. Once we encounter truth, God’s truth, we’ll recognize two key features of it every time we see it. It’s universal. It applies to everyone. If it doesn’t apply to everyone, it’s not truth. It’s an opinion. It’s unchanging. It won’t be moved by fads or fashions. Adultery was wrong 2,000 years ago, it’s wrong today, and … [Read more...]

By Randy Adams The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) needs a recovery program.  Followers of Jesus, including those who lead, are not exempt from addiction to power, money, and sex, and we have been reminded of this with jarring frequency over the past few weeks and months.  Deep wounds caused by multiple failures are now festering from infection.  Added to the more public matters is a sick hubris that has caused some to weaponize money and leadership, intentionally hurting others, certain that they are smarter, wiser, or better than “them.”  Much of the focus has been on the resignation of leaders and the firing of a seminary president, and rightly so, but perhaps worse than the headlines is our deficit of trust and partnership that has grown as large as the national debt.  Although trust and partnership have been eroded in multiple ways, the serious erosion of cooperation and trust between the North American Mission Board (NAMB) and denominational partners has led to a collapse in the numbers of churches started and the number of new believers baptized. Many think that we are in the midst of a church planting boom in the SBC.  We are not.  In the past two years we have tallied the lowest number of new church starts in … [Read more...]

By Jerry Pipes The message of Solomon is clear and really very simple — get wisdom! We change our attitude, the way we think, feel and respond, by changing what goes into our minds and hearts. Please re-read Solomon’s words above and notice the intentionality and diligence required to implement them. The only way we can change a negative attitude into a positive one is by getting wisdom. Doing so will not only change what we think, but the way we think. Getting wisdom will change the lens through which we see what’s really important in life. A winning attitude will result in the increased ability to relate to the people we care about based on our life purpose and core values. Solomon has given us a path on how to get healthy — get wisdom. Remember, the daily decision of choosing and developing a winning attitude is the first and essential step in strengthening the filter that makes it possible to be a healthy responder rather than an unhealthy reactor. Here are a few practical pointers for a lifetime of getting wisdom: Read the book of Proverbs monthly. It is the greatest book in the world on communication. There are 31 days in most months and 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs. In five short minutes a … [Read more...]

By Steve Horn This week is the week of Vacation Bible School for our church. I know that we are not alone. Would you stop right now and pray not only for us but for others investing in children this summer? I read recently the results of a Lifeway Christian Resources poll which indicated that 2/3 of Americans plan to send their children to a VBS this summer. This is an astounding number. What an opportunity! Why then is VBS so important? Their Futures are at stake! The future of every child begins with a strong foundation. • Their salvation is dependent upon hearing and responding to the Word of God. Paul declared, “So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.” (Romans 10:17) • Their strength is developed by hearing and responding to the Word of God. The Psalmist summed up the power of the Word of God. How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping Your word. (Psalm 119:9) • Their success in the God endeavors of life is dependent upon obeying the Word of God. Read Joshua 1:8. “This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to meditate on it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will … [Read more...]

By Greg Laurie Have you ever been in a situation where the only way out was God? Maybe it was a report from a doctor who gave no real hope. Maybe it was a financial catastrophe where you were on the brink of collapse. Maybe your marriage was completely unraveling, or a loved one died. You didn’t think you possibly could survive such a thing. That is the very scenario the Israelites were facing as they stood, in a way, between the devil and the deep blue sea. They were caught between an unconquerable army and an impassable sea. They were between the impossible and the more impossible. But what they were about to discover was that with God, all things are possible. When their leader Moses was born, he was supposed to die. The pharaoh had given a decree that when Jewish baby boys were born, they were to be drowned in the Nile River. Why? Because they were Jewish. What a heartless and wicked thing to do. The pharaoh tried to eradicate the Hebrew race. But God had a different plan for baby Moses – and God always will have the last word. Moses’ parents put him into a little basket they had waterproofed with pitch, and they sent it cruising down the Nile River. On cue, baby Moses began to cry. The daughter … [Read more...]