John Kennedy, Louisiana State Treasurer BATON ROUGE - The new state budget that takes effect Friday is the second largest budget in Louisiana history and contains the largest amount of tax increases ever, according to State Treasurer John Kennedy. "Over the course of 365 days, the Louisiana Legislature raised $2.4 billion in taxes and fees," said Treasurer Kennedy. "I don't need to remind Louisianians that these tax increases arrive during an especially weak economy. The oil and gas industry is in a depression, and north Louisiana is still reeling from devastating floods. We also have the third highest unemployment rate in America." State spending in Louisiana's operating budget that takes effect on Friday has increased 31% since 2010. The most recent U.S. Census Bureau data ranks Louisiana as No. 1 in the South for state and local spending per capita. "Louisiana is in a league of its own now, and not in a good way," said Treasurer Kennedy. "We cannot tax ourselves into prosperity. History will prove this point as more businesses fold and more families suffer. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. We have a spending problem." … [Read more...]

By Waylon Bailey, Pastor of First Baptist Covington I’m smiling a lot this week. It’s because I’m seeing so many children who are professing their faith in Christ and following Him in Christian baptism. From Vacation Bible School to children’s Bible classes to parents who are  praying for their children to know Christ and live for him all of their lives, we are seeing many children saved. That makes me smile. It also makes me remember my initial experience with Christ–the time at age 9 when I talked with my mother in our automobile about faith. As you might expect, there are many aspects to that conversation that I don’t remember. There are three parts that I remember vividly. First, I remember taking my spiritual needs to my mother. I smile when children talk with their parents about spiritual things – – from asking questions about God or heaven and hell – – and seek their guidance. It was natural for me to talk to my mother about spiritual things because she had talked to me about spiritual things. Second, I remember her quoting Acts 16:31 to me, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” Third, I also vividly remember ending the conversation, sitting back in the seat (the backseat of the automobile … [Read more...]

By John Kennedy, Louisiana State Treasurer Malcolm Bird was a first-time father with a toddler whose pinky finger was bleeding. He rushed his young daughter to a Connecticut emergency room, where a doctor washed off the finger and put a Band-Aid on it. That Band-Aid, which fell off in the car on the way home, cost Bird $629. Bird learned the hard way what most of us already know. The emergency room is an expensive place to treat minor injuries. If your kid cuts her finger, just wash it off and slap a Band-Aid on it. If your kid breaks her leg on a trampoline, go to the emergency room. Unfortunately, too many people treat the emergency room like a primary care physician's office, and they don't just do it once like Bird. They run to the emergency room when their stomach's upset, they're depressed, their back hurts or they get a pimple. The emergency room is expensive because it's expensive to run. It exists to save lives, not to dispense really pricey Band-Aids or aspirin. Our health care budget in Louisiana is out of control, and we've got to cut costs. As state treasurer, I'm constantly juggling funds for agencies because revenue isn't supporting expenses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 136.3 … [Read more...]

By Waylon Bailey, Pastor First Baptist Church Covington Vacation Bible School begins Monday. It’s going to be a really big day – more than 1000 kids and hundreds of volunteers. It costs a lot of money and takes a tremendous amount of effort. I am thankful for the volunteers who have made this happen. Why am I sold on Vacation Bible School? First, I am sold on VBS because of my own experience. I still remember many things that happened in my own Vacation Bible School. I can’t remember anything negative, but I remember many things positive. When I attended the Brantley Baptist Church VBS, I was blessed by kind, loving, and gracious people who loved Scripture and loved Jesus. I believe much of my faith and trust came from my experiences in VBS. I’m thankful for those folks. Second, Vacation Bible School opens the door to many children who otherwise have no understanding of Scripture or of Jesus Christ. Many of these children will not re-enter a church until they can do so on their own as adults or older teenagers, but they will return. When they do they will have a warm feeling about Christ and His church. One of the values of a long pastorate is that you get to see some of the fruit of your labor in the past. Third, VBS helps … [Read more...]

By Steve Horn, Pastor First Baptist Church Lafayette One of the stated core values of our church is that we will share the Gospel with the next generation. We are passionate about this in our church’s ministry. We are unashamed in pursuit of this passion. We believe that this is a command of God from the beginning. Consider just one passage of Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:7 And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. If we believe in the reality of Heaven and Hell, how could we not be willing to do whatever it takes to make sure we communicate effectively the Gospel of Jesus Christ? How important is this? Some of you have heard these things before, but I think it is good that we hear them again. George Barna concluded that, “those between the ages of 5 and 13 have a 32 percent probability [of accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior]; individuals in the 14 to 18 age range have a 4 percent probability; and people between the ages of 19 and death have a 6 percent chance. In other words, we have the greatest window of opportunity for reaching … [Read more...]

By Will Hall, Message Editor RICHMOND (Baptist Message) – Fifteen questions about the management practices and philosophy of the International Mission Board remain unanswered despite multiple attempts through several channels to get specific details about how Southern Baptists’ $300 million cooperative overseas evangelistic effort is being led. These questions, the first of which were submitted March 16 by the Louisiana Baptist Message, seek to find out what operational analysis had been done in the decision to downsize the SBC’s largest cooperative outreach to the lost around the world. Some also address issues raised by comments made by IMB missionaries and staff, indicating suspicions that something is afoot, besides fixing a budget shortfall, by IMB leaders’ recent layoff of 1,132 personnel. Importantly, all of the questions already are being discussed to varying degrees on a number of levels among Southern Baptists who simply want to know the facts. LINGERING QUESTIONS Perhaps the most troubling issue about the termination of 1,132 missionaries and staff is not just the human tragedy of uprooting so many men and women who God called to the mission field – a calling Southern Baptists confirmed by commissioning … [Read more...]

By Ron F Hale Paul Harvey Aurandt was born on September 4, 1918 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Twenty-five years later, the surname was dropped for professional reasons as his star rose in the world of radio. Tragedy struck early as three-year-old Paul lost his father while he was in the line of duty as a Tulsa policeman. The burglar’s bullet put the family in desperate financial straits. To keep debt collectors at bay, Paul’s mother had small apartments built into their house to make money from renters. Paul built his own radio set as a kid and the magic and medium of radio remained a lifelong passion. In high school Paul worked at KVOO, a local station in Tulsa, and eventually worked in Salina (KS), Oklahoma City, Honolulu, and St. Louis. Paul Harvey’s voice was the “golden goose” that kept on giving. It became a highly tuned instrument -- powered by a crystal clear Midwestern accent. With the passion of an evangelist, Harvey’s enduring voice resonated the thrill of new products in his testimonial styled commercials. As he put the “art” in articulation Harvey’s listeners followed the rise and fall of every tonal inflection. Paul, with his wife Lynne, blew into the “Windy City” in the early 1950’s and eventually spoke daily to 24 … [Read more...]