SBC in Louisville KY

We are having a very nice time at the Southern Baptist Convention this week. It is always a fun time of fellowship, great preaching, and singing and I enjoy just spending some extended time with my wife Ashley. Tony Buchanan and I are seeing old friends and having a good time.

We elected Pastor Johnny Hunt as president on Tuesday and affirmed the president to create a task force that will study our SBC and discover ways we might be able to do a better job of completing the Great Commission. The motion was approved by around 95%. Our fellow Arkansan Pastor Ronnie Floyd will chair this very important committee.

The International Mission Board’s president, Jerry Rankin, reported how there are hundreds of men and women called by God to go overseas but we cannot send them because of lack of finances. That is so difficult. The SB of TX gave $100k to help with this deficit. And we took up an offering at the pastor’s conference and we were able to give over $40k!

We are not a perfect denomination but I am so proud to be a part of the SBC. We have some wonderful and committed folks who love Christ and want the whole world to know the Savior. There are over 3 billion people in the world who have yet to hear of the name of Jesus Christ. I don’t know what that does to you when you hear that, but for me it really startles my soul and makes me want to give more personally and to lead my church to give more as well. I would like to see Christians in America, to use a line from Keith Green, raise their standard of giving more than their standard of living. And if we would do this then we could easily send every missionary who desires to go and we could go more ourselves.

Ashley and I attended the SWBTS luncheon today and it was a great time to reconnect with some fine folks. We were able to sit with the Bailey Smith Family and what a blessing that was. This family is a great testimony of a family that loves Christ and loves each other.

We are taking a break this afternoon and we are about to head back for the final sessions. Then we will fly back to TX and pick up our teenagers and drive home. I am excited about preaching on Acts 16 on Sunday then the fellowship at the park Sunday night.

Radiate in Dictionary.com reads:

1.to extend, spread, or move like rays or radii from a center. 2.to emit rays, as of light or heat; irradiate. 3.to issue or proceed in rays. 4.(of persons) to project or glow with cheerfulness, joy.

When I think of all that God is doing in our church I think of this word radiate. We are radiating the love of Jesus both here in Lavaca and to the uttermost parts of the world.  This week we are emitting gospel rays to the children of our community.  Three precious kids accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord today during VBS!  I have never seen a VBS quite like the one we are having.  It is amazing.  Hundreds of hours of preparation, planning, painting, etc have gone into this VBS.  The skits, clowns, crafts, songs, and the great teaching by our teachers-- all I can say is wow, thank You God.  As  I wrote on my Facebook update, I am speechless and it takes a lot for me to be speechless!

Also, as I write this blog update we have just had one of our members return from Honduras on an excellent medical mission trip.  Dr. Bob Ward said it was fantastic.  Bro Tony Buchanan flew out this morning to Honduras and will be preaching 11 times in 4 days!  Tomorrow three of our people from FBC Lavaca are heading to Belarus for a ten day mission trip at a camp in Mogilev, Belarus.  And we also have one member heading to Latvia in July and another going to Thailand in July.  And in two weeks 60 of us are heading to Montana, Big Sky Country, to serve on an Indian Reservation.  My family is going with me and I am pumped about that.  One of our members, Carol Barber, a schoolteacher, has left for Montana, and she is spending her entire summer in ministry there!  And on the first of August we will have another team heading to Alaska on a mission trip.  I cannot wait till our December 6th Lottie Moon Christmas Service.  I think it will be outstanding to hear all the reports from those who have been radiating, going on mission with God, throughout 2009 from FBCL, The Radiant Church!

And the LORD continues to bless and open doors for me to preach the Gospel with the DFEA.  We are still praying and waiting about the possibility to broadcast our sermons on TBN's The Church Channel to a potential audience of 2.3 billion people worldwide.  Please pray with us on this.

On Sunday I will preach here at FBCL on The Magna Carta of Christianity from Acts 15, the historic Jerusalem Conference.  I am excited about preaching God's Word and teaching on the book of Acts.  What a remarkable group of people and an amazing Book indeed.

Blessings to all, and keep telling people about the Savior!

Danny Forshee

Romans 1:16