January 13, 2025
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Southern Baptists are serving to meet the needs of Los Angeles wildfire victims

The Fordinal family, right, and the remains of their California
LOS ANGELES — Baptists are significantly involved in ministering to the victims of the wildfires that have devastated so much of the Los Angeles area. The latest report indicates that there have been 105 wildfires, 40,300 acres burned, 12,3000 structures destroyed, more than 150,000 people displaced, and 24 lives lost.
Trending stories
Children's leaders who had been serving for less than a year are prayed over individually by seasoned ministry leaders at the 2024 Kids Ministry Summit in Jekyll Island, Ga. (Photo/GBMB)
Georgia Baptists to host 2025 Kids Ministry Summit on Jekyll Island
Georgia Baptist kids ministry leaders will get a chance to connect with hundreds of like-minded servants with a heart for shaping the next generation at the 2025 Kids Ministry Summit next month at Jekyll Island.
A car drives past homes and vehicles destroyed by the Palisades Fire at the Pacific Palisades Bowl Mobile Estates on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
24 dead as fire crews try to corral Los Angeles blazes before winds return this week
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Firefighters scrambled Sunday to make further progress against wildfires that have destroyed thousands of homes and killed 24 people in the Los Angeles area as forecasters again warned of dangerous weather with the return of strong winds this week. At least 16 people were missing, and authorities said that number was expected to rise.
(Index/Henry Durand, File)
Pastors overwhelmingly willing to provide free Bibles to encourage Scriptural engagement
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — Churchgoers may hear the Bible preached every Sunday, but their pastors also want them to engage with Scripture during the week. And, more than 9 in 10 pastors are happy to provide free Bibles to anyone who needs one.
Dustin Schadt, lead pastor of Northside Church, and his family. (Photo/courtesy Dustin Schadt)
Q&A with Dustin Schadt: Reaching people for Christ through 'outrageous kindness'
ROSWELL, Ga. — Dustin Schadt, lead pastor of Northside Church in Roswell, has a message for believers. To share the gospel, we need to truly see those we are sharing with. In his book, Who Did You See Today? The Power of Outrageous Kindness , he encourages Christians to engage with those around them by taking the time to get to know them and respond to their needs.
Buck Burch, top left, missions catalyst for the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, leads a MOLT cohort. (Photo/courtesy Buck Burch)
GBMB offers Missional Outreach Leader Training to promote missions engagement within churches
Missions begins with vision and strategy. Missions is also continually fueled through a carefully planned mechanism for outreach. But for many local churches, the idea of a systemic plan for yearlong missions efforts is nonexistent.
Baptist Life

Shellman Bluff Baptist Church sees great growth and blessing post-COVID

Pastor Brad Butler preaches at Shellman Bluff Baptist Church. (Photo/Shellman Bluff Baptist Church)
TOWNSEND, Ga. — Shellman Bluff Baptist Church is celebrating tremendous growth, which Pastor Brad Butler attributes to the grace of God, and the generosity and enthusiasm of its members. “We are growing through word of mouth,” he says. “Members are inviting friends, family, and people in the community. They are genuinely excited about the church family.”

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Tim Murphy, with the San Francisco Fire Dept., extends a hose while putting out hotspots in a fire-ravaged zone in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/John Locher)
LOS ANGELES (BP) – Even as Southern California wildfires continue to burn, Southern Baptists have begun early relief work. California Southern Baptist Disaster Relief chaplains are deployed and serving, and more will be deployed soon, according to information from Send Relief Crisis Response Director Coy Webb.
The North American Mission Board (NAMB) is working with Southern Baptist state conventions and associations to encourage pastors and churches to plan an evangelistic service for Sunday, March 16 with a campaign titled “3:16 on 3/16.” (Photo/NAMB)
ALPHARETTA, Ga. – This year, March 16 falls on a Sunday, and the North American Mission Board’s evangelism team is urging Southern Baptist churches to plan a special outreach on that day with a campaign: “3:16 on 3/16.”
Quintell Hill, IMB’s African American church mobilization strategist, stands outside First African Baptist Church in Savannah, Georgia. (Photo/IMB video)
Celebrate African American and Black pioneers whose lives inspire the next generation to continue the work of solving the world’s greatest problem—lostness. The International Mission Board invites all Southern Baptists to recognize Feb. 2 as George Liele Church Planting, Evangelism and Missions Sunday. 
The 2025 New Year's Eve numerals are displayed in Times Square, Dec. 18, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — Theological truths remain unchanged regardless of the date on the calendar, as do many ministry realities. The context surrounding Christians and churches, however, is constantly changing.
Georgia
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp delivers the State of the State speech, Jan. 11, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)

Hurricane aid and transgender students in sports top Georgia Legislature's agenda

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia's General Assembly was sworn in for a new two-year term on Monday, with 180 state representatives and 56 state senators taking office after winning election in November.

Georgia house fire kills 3 young kids and 2 adults

COHUTTA, Ga. (AP) — A fire killed three young children and two adults as it tore through a home before dawn Wednesday near the Georgia-Tennessee line, authorities said.
Cold temperatures and a lawn sprinkler create ice on grass Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, ahead of a winter storm expected to hit the North Texas region in Richardson, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Georgia Gov. Kemp declares state of emergency as another winter storm moves in

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced the closure of some state offices on Friday ahead of freezing rain and snow forecast for much of the Southern U.S. as another burst of plunging temperatures and winter storms threatened to snarl travel. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said city offices would be closed, with employees working remotely.
Flowers and balloons lie beside crosses at a memorial at Apalachee High School after a school shooting, Sept. 7, 2024, in Winder, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File)

Another 14-year-old arrested with a gun at Georgia's Apalachee High School after deadly shooting

WINDER, Ga. (AP) — A 14-year-old student has been arrested after bringing a gun on Wednesday to Apalachee High School, the same Georgia high school where a student killed two teachers and two students and wounded others in September.

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Nation
Vanessa Prata and her father, Aluizio Prata, pose for a self-portrait in Altadena, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, with damage from the Eaton fire behind them. (Vanessa Prata via AP)

A dad and daughter help evacuees learn whether their homes survived the California wildfires

As the fire roared down a hillside toward their Altadena home, Vanessa Prata and her parents hurried to pack their car. They focused on saving irreplaceable items, like family photographs and a baby doll from Vanessa's childhood. But they didn't leave.

Joe Huff, left, and Kenny Braden with "The Yard Barber" work to clear snow from the driveway of a home in The Summit neighborhood, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Owensboro, Ky. (Greg Eans/The Messenger-Inquirer via AP)

Southern areas hit by winter storm thaw and power slowly returns

After a freezing winter storm shut schools, cut power and cancelled or delayed flights, the South was slowly thawing Sunday. Crews worked furiously and by Sunday morning power had been restored to parts of North Carolina and South Carolina where tens of thousands of customers lost electricity over the last few days, according to Duke Energy.
A child washes her hands at a day care center in Connecticut on Aug. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)

How to protect yourself from norovirus, COVID-19, flu and RSV during sick season

In the winter months, it seems few are safe from some kind of illness — flu, COVID-19, norovirus, colds. While many of the germs that cause this misery can circulate throughout the year, scientists think that the winter surge of flu and cold activity may be because we spend more time indoors and the cold, dry air may weaken our defenses.
A truck is jackknifed as another spins its wheels on a slushy offramp off Interstate 285 northeast of downtown in Atlanta on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy)

Powerful winter storm that dumped snow in US South maintains its icy grip

ATLANTA (AP) — Snow and ice across the U.S. South are expected to relinquish their grip only slowly as the weekend continues. Major airports including Atlanta and Charlotte, North Carolina, continued to report disruptions Saturday, while temperatures are expected to plunge after sundown Saturday, raising the risk that melting snow will refreeze, turning roadways treacherous.

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World
Destroyed buildings inside the Gaza Strip as seen from southern Israel, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Significant progress made in talks over Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage release, officials say

CAIRO (AP) — U.S. and Arab mediators made significant progress overnight toward brokering a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and the release of scores of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, but a deal hasn't been reached yet, officials said Monday.

Staff clean up shattered glass caused by the earthquake at JR Miyazaki Airport Station, in Miyazaki, in southwestern Japan, Monday Jan. 13, 2025. (Kyodo News via AP)

Tsunami alert lifted after magnitude 6.7 earthquake rattles southwestern Japan

TOKYO (AP) — Japan issued a tsunami advisory on Monday after a magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck the southwest of the country. The public warnings to stay away from coastal areas were later lifted.
Cars burn after a Russian air strike in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. (Zaporizhzhia regional military administration via AP)

A Russian missile attack in southern Ukraine has killed at least 13 civilians, officials say

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A daytime Russian missile attack on the southern Ukraine city of Zaporizhzhia killed at least 13 civilians and injured about 30 others Wednesday, officials said.
Destroyed buildings inside the Gaza Strip, seen from southern Israel, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Body of an Israeli hostage is found in Gaza, possibly alongside his son's remains, army says

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli soldiers recovered the body of a 53-year-old hostage in an underground tunnel in southern Gaza, the military said Wednesday, and the army was determining if another set of remains belongs to the man's son.

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Perspectives
Chris Turner
Vittorio Ristorante & Pizzeria was a quaint, family-owned neighborhood eatery tucked just off Sunset Boulevard in Pacific Palisades. When my wife and I visited Los Angeles to see our daughter, our trip wasn’t complete without a visit to Vittorio’s.
Ralph Fudge
Recently while listening to an old Gospel hymn, I realized how wonderful I felt in knowing Christ as my Savior. And it caused me to start thinking how much I pitied people today who are unbelievers. I pity them for the sheer joy they miss on earth by not believing in God.
Adam Dooley
Do you consider yourself a happy person? If you had to complete the following sentence, “I would be most happy if ________,” how would you fill in the blank?
Matthew Gibbs
Most of us have an annual check-up with our doctor.  This is important and part of staying healthy and catching potential health concerns early.  Every year, my doctor orders bloodwork and conducts a full physical. 
David Chancey
Edith Lovejoy Pierce said, “We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity, and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.”

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Business
Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket sits on Launch Complex 36 shortly before the launch attempt was scrubbed at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Jeff Bezos' space company calls off debut launch of massive new rocket in final minutes of countdown

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Blue Origin called off the debut launch of its massive new rocket early Monday because of technical trouble. The 320-foot New Glenn rocket was supposed to blast off before dawn with a prototype satellite from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

The company logo graces the side of a Delta Air Lines jetliner at Denver International Airport in Denver, on June 26, 2019. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

Busy holiday travel season fuels big fourth quarter for Delta

Delta Air Lines topped profit and revenue expectations in the fourth quarter on strong demand during the crucial holiday period.
Mark Zuckerberg speaks at a conference on Sept. 25, 2024, in Menlo Park, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez, File)

Meta replaces fact-checking with X-style community notes

Facebook and Instagram owner Meta said Tuesday it's scrapping its third-party fact-checking program and replacing it with Community Notes written by users similar to the model used by Elon Musk's social media platform X.
President Joe Biden speaks at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Biden rejects Nippon Steel's proposed deal to acquire US Steel

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has rejected the nearly $15 billion proposed deal for Nippon Steel of Japan to purchase Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel — affirming his vow in March to block the acquisition.
The logo of Tesla car is pictured at the Paris Auto Show, in Paris, Oct. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, File)

Tesla reports 1.1% sales drop for 2024, first annual decline in at least 9 years

DETROIT (AP) — Tesla's global sales rose 2.3% in the fourth quarter after a sluggish start to the year that contributed the electric car company’s first year-over-year sales decline since at least 2015.

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Sports
Georgia forward Asa Newell (14) reacts after he scores against Kentucky, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Georgia beats No. 6 Kentucky 82-69 for 1st win over a top-10 team in 5 years

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Freshman forward Asa Newell scored 12 of his 17 points after halftime and Georgia led the entire second half in beating No. 6 Kentucky 82-69 on Tuesday night for its first win over a top-10 team in five years.

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson celebrates after scoring against the Carolina Panthers during the first half Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Bryce Young accounts for 5 TDs as Panthers beat Falcons 44-38 in OT

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers have more in common than frustrating streaks of seven consecutive losing seasons.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, right, shoots as Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

LeBron James breaks Michael Jordan's record for 30-point games with his 563rd

LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James broke Michael Jordan's NBA record for 30-point games during the Los Angeles Lakers' victory over Atlanta on Friday night.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) passes during the first half against the Washington Commanders, Dec. 29, 2024, in Landover. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Penix, Falcons have to beat Panthers and hope for help in their last chance to end playoff drought

ATLANTA (AP) — Michael Penix Jr. knows the Atlanta Falcons can't control their playoff hopes when they close their regular season Sunday against Carolina. That control disappeared with last week's 30-24 overtime loss at Washington.

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