Blog

In the last couple of posts I have taken opportunity to address my FBCG family with some reflections on our recent Life Action Summit. This event in the life of our church will no doubt be an important marker in our journey as a Body. My focus in these short deposits has been to identify the battle we face with our flesh and with the strateg... Keep Reading

As time takes us further from our Life Action Summit, I am using my blog to offer pastoral encouragement to my FBCG family. Since the beginning of the year, I have had a simple thought that I have expressed to our church family in our gatherings, “The Lord first…”  May Christ be first in our thoughts, first in ou... Keep Reading

Times of Refreshing Twenty years ago this month we hosted our first Life Action Summit under the leadership of Steve Canfield. As I reflect back on my tenure at First Baptist Church Gonzales, LA (FBCG), the Summit of 2000 was one of the most significant moments in the life of our church. That encounter with the Lord was a vital time for us ... Keep Reading

The Association of Certified Biblical Counselors is offering their Counseling Discipleship Training Conference at Woodlawn Baptist Church in Baton Rouge. For more info or to register, click here.... Keep Reading

In the previous posts on perseverance, we learned that God guarantees our completion in Christ (Philippians 1:6), and that He, Himself, is the source of our eternal life (John 10:27-30). Now, we turn to Paul, in Romans, to see that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribula... Keep Reading

Summer is often a time for rest and disengagement from the demands of school and work. It is also a good time to be reminded not to fall asleep in our walk with Christ.  The words of A.W. Tozer of a previous generation come to mind as he warned that “the world is not a playground, but a battleground.”Tozer was spea... Keep Reading

One of the recurring battles for those who follow Jesus Christ is dealing with the ever-present danger of self-sufficiency.  We like to think that we are up to the challenge, that we’ve got what it takes. Boldness, confidence, and initiative are highly prized and viewed as essential if one is to be successful. When we examin... Keep Reading

In our first installment on perseverance, we learned that our confidence is based not on our own faithfulness, but God's. Paul assures his readers, in Philippians 1:6, that God is the one who guarantees the completion of the work begun in us: “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at... Keep Reading

We are nearly a week removed from Resurrection Sunday, and my thoughts have gravitated to the first disciples who needed time to reflect and process. Much had happened in the final week of Jesus’ life as they considered what was accomplished on the cross and the subsequent resurrection of their Savior. When the women heard the angelic ... Keep Reading

This is the second post considering the impact of the cell phone on the Christian life.  Tony Reinke’s insightful book, 12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You, has stirred my thoughts on how the advent of the cell phone has changed life as we know it, and much of the change is not good to nurturing a heart of worship. ... Keep Reading