By Message Staff Prayer will be the emphasis early Wednesday morning, Sept. 27, when Louisiana students of all faiths, including Southern Baptists, join thousands of others across the country for this year’s annual See You At The Pole prayer time. Held the fourth Wednesday of every September around their school’s flagpoles, the students will assemble to pray for their friends, community and nation, as well as participate in a time of worship afterwards. According to the official See You At The Pole website, the effort is 100 percent student-initiated, student-organized and student-led. Started in 1990 with 10 students praying at their school in Texas, the grass roots movement has spread to thousands of campuses worldwide. This year’s theme is Fix Our Eyes, based on Hebrews 12:2 which states “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” The Baptist Message would like to post pictures of your See You At The Pole activities on our Facebook page and publish a photo gallery later at our website, baptistmessage.com. Anyone with photos who would like to share what your students are … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer DENHAM SPRINGS – Courtney Miley did not imagine she would ever enter the worship center of Genesis Church when she first met Pastor Jeff Smith while he was reaching out to families at the community soccer complex in 2014. She and her husband, Shaun, were believers, but had lapsed in their fellowship with the body of Christ. However, God providentially used the historic 1,000-year flood of August 2016 to draw her and him back to Him through her involvement with disaster relief efforts at the church plant. Moreover, their repentance and obedience resulted in a special gift neither expected. In August of this year, they witnessed the baptism of their four children, all who accepted Christ within a four-month period leading up to the special worship service. The Miley children were among 17 converts baptized that day from among 87 people who attended, both high marks during one service for the church plant. “It was very surreal to see each of them baptized in a place that we have worked so hard in the past year and seen so much change,” Courtney Miley told the Baptist Message. “For us, it was like God was confirming to us of His fullness and reaffirming that we had made the … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer MOSS BLUFF – A Louisiana Baptist pastor is thanking Southern Baptist Disaster Relief teams for helping to restore his house after two feet of water damaged his Moss Bluff home as a result of Hurricane Harvey. “I’ve never been the recipient of something like this in my life, ever,” Rick Edwards, pastor of Magnolia Baptist Church in Vinton, told the Baptist Message. “I don’t have words to describe the gratitude I feel right now. I am proud to be a Southern Baptist and humbled that these men from different churches gave up their time and resources to show love just like Jesus would have done if He had done it Himself. “They became His hands and feet to me and my wife, Mary,” he said. “They brightened our days while they were here.” RISING WATERS, CONCERNS The nearby Sabine River began rising Aug. 28, eventually overflowing its banks to surround and penetrate houses and businesses. Edwards watched helplessly from the second floor as water began to enter his home. He said just as the burdened grew heavy on his heart, God reminded him of the words in Psalm 46:10 to “Be still and know I am God.” These were his comfort during the eight days he was unable to leave his … [Read more...]

By Marilyn Stewart, NOBTS Communications NEW ORLEANS (LBM) –  With a commitment to helping a new generation of preachers and pastors in the pulpit, the Adrian Rogers Center for Expository Preaching at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary was dedicated in a Sept. 12 chapel service. In partnership with the late Adrian Rogers’ proclamation ministry Love Worth Finding, the NOBTS center will provide resources and present conferences and lectureships to encourage and equip students and pastors. The center’s inaugural “Empowering the Pulpit” preaching conference, Jan. 29-31, will feature leading expository preachers Jim Shaddix and Robert Smith Jr. The dedication took place on Rogers’ birthday; he died in 2005 at the age of 74. Chuck Kelley, NOBTS president in opening remarks, noted the significance of naming the center after Rogers, an NOBTS alumnus. “Adrian Rogers went on from [this] seminary to become one of the greatest pastors in the history of the Southern Baptist Convention, a defining pastor of his generation,” Kelley said. “We are very excited about starting something that will take new students to the heart of what made this man so impactful and so influential -- and this is his preaching ministry, a … [Read more...]

By Norm Miller, LC News PINEVILLE - Louisiana College’s second annual Values and Ethics Series addresses “Religious Liberty: A National Treasure” and features four significant keynoters. The event includes Warren Cole Smith, vice president, Colson Center for Christian Worldview; Gregory S. Baylor, Senior Counsel, Director of Center for Religious Schools at the Alliance Defending Freedom; Louisiana Senator Gerald R. Long, District 31; and Becket Gremmels, System Director of Ethics for St. Francis CHRISTUS Cabrini Health System. The Oct. 9 session begins at 6 p.m. in LC’s Martin Performing Arts Center, and is sponsored by St. Francis CHRISTUS Cabrini Health System. “Louisiana College joins the Church community in engaging the cultural issues of our day, and I am grateful for such evangelical leaders who will inform and inspire us just as we were last year at our conference that drew more than 300 people,” said LC President Rick Brewer. Brewer noted his “deep appreciation” for the sponsorship by the St. Francis CHRISTUS Cabrini Health System. “For two years running, Cabrini has been a strategic partner, tangibly supporting our mutual concerns and convictions about issues affecting our society.” Commenting on the … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer PINEVILLE – In a world that is increasingly evil with each passing day, Steven Smith believes Christians must be on their knees, praying with boldness and persistence. “Prayer is asking that God’s goodness would be directed toward us until His will is made clear to us,” said Smith, pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock, Ark., during the E4 Preaching Conference Sept. 19. Smith said Christ presented a template of how to pray in Luke 11:1-13, with an emphasis on the Holy Spirit. “Why does He say the ultimate thing He gives us is the Holy Spirit?” Smith said. “Because the Holy Spirit is the presence of God in our lives. He’s saying God can’t give us anything better than God. It’s the greatest thing He can give.” In another message, Smith encouraged pastors not to fixate on the style of preaching or the right topic, but, instead, to allow Scripture to guide them. “We don’t have to explain God to anyone,” Smith said. “Just get people to Jesus, who gets them to the Father. “The Father and Jesus are invisible,” he continued. “How do we get people to see the invisible Christ who leads them to the invisible Father? Through the Word! “Is the way I am doing what I am … [Read more...]

By Arthur Mazhambe & Sheri Duffy, Louisiana College PINEVILLE (LBM) – Problem gambling and all the issues surrounding it have become more prevalent, whether through buying daily scratch tickets, frequenting casinos or sports betting. According to Janet Miller, executive director of the Louisiana Association on Compulsive Gambling, “This problem has risen from 3.1 percent to 8.3 percent in the past 8 years.” Meanwhile, mental health professionals recognize it as such a growing concern that the latest revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), categorizes Gambling Disorder on par with substance-related addictions and not just as a matter of “impulse control” – a change that indicates the severity of the problem. This social ill affects not only the individual gambler, but also touches the lives of all those close to him or her, as well as other aspects of life – sometimes resulting in violence/abuse, deception, loss of or decrease in income, loss of jobs and relationships, and decreased performance on the job or in school. Moreover, the average household budget in America does not have an expense item for “gambling.” Instead, funds budgeted for other purposes are risked and … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Message WINNFIELD – First Baptist Church is celebrating an evangelistic milestone in Winnfield during October – the 20th anniversary of its first Judgement House. A walk-through drama that presents visitors with a visualization of some of the life and death consequences of choices made on earth, Judgement House at FBC Winnfield has enjoyed an average of 103 people making a decision for Christ from among 1,324 visitors each performance year since its inception. Judgment Houses are held in 20 states, using any of 24 scripts developed by the Judgement House national organization based in Clearwater, Fla. All scripts follow a story line that involves a fatal accident to make the emphasis that the only way to get to Heaven is by believing in Jesus. John Holland, minister of music and senior adults for FBC Winnfield, explained to the Baptist Message that the congregation hosts Judgment House every two years, hosting a church-wide revival in the year between. “After the first year’s presentation, we were overwhelmed by the response from churches throughout central Louisiana,” Holland said. “It is a unique, cutting-edge evangelistic opportunity, but it is very demanding on the cast members. Due to its … [Read more...]

By Holly Jo Linzay, Regional Reporter DUPONT (LBM) – There is new life in First Baptist Church Dupont, which began about 50 years ago as a rural mission church in southern Avoyelles Parish. The congregation, which was gasping for breath to survive, had dwindled down to a handful of people when the door opened for Brian Johnston to become the pastor. Now, after many heavenly appeals, there has been such revitalization that Johnston anticipates members will vote on a new identity within the month. “We plan to change the name because we are a new work. Everything is going great now, and our church has their heart on the Lord. We present ourselves to the community as a new work,” Johnston said. Moreover, the congregation plans to reconstitute as a mission church as part of its “fresh start.” God has given church members, who now number about 28, a vision to be relevant to the Dupont community, Johnston said, and there is a newfound fervor for outreach. Moreover, the pastor believes the church’s “second wind” is the direct result of intentional prayer. When the church switched their mid-week service to Thursday nights, Johnston said the members began a new focus. “We had a big, heavy emphasis on prayer,” he … [Read more...]

IN REMEMBERANCE Mrs. Lonie Mardell Roach, age 94, recently of Alexandria, went home to be with her Lord on Friday, September 15, 2017.  She was a Godly woman who dedicated her life to being a Christian wife and mother.  She was also a faithful partner in ministry alongside her preacher-husband, H.M. Roach, for 67 years.  She leaves a rich legacy of love and Christian values, for which her family wishes to honor her. Condolences can be sent to Dr. & Mrs. Bruce Roach, 2508 10th Ave. NW, Minot, ND 58703. ON THE MOVE Leanne Treme is the new reservations supervisor at Tall Timbers Baptist Conference Center in Woodworth. Tyler Adams is the new Maintenance Technician at Tall Timbers Baptist Conference Center in Woodworth. HOMECOMING West Lake Baptist Church, Doyline: 39th Homecoming, October 1, 10:30 a.m. Dinner on the grounds will be held after services.  Everyone is asked to bring a covered dish. Pastor: Jerry Elgin. Cedar Baptist Church, Archibald: Homecoming 2017, October 1, 10:30 a.m. with dinner on the grounds to follow at noon. Speaker: Bryan Lipscomb , former Pastor of Cedar Baptist Church and present Pastor of Providence Baptist Church of Lufkin, Texas. All friends, families and former church members are … [Read more...]