THE OPEN DOOR

April 2013 ENEWS

He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

Roman 6:5-11 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self as crucied with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

-Evangeline Baptist Association

March proved to be a busy month here at The Open Door. Thanks to everyone who helped make each event a wonderful opportunity. We appropriately began the activities with a Model Seder, a Passover Meal, led by Maxim Ammosov, a Jews for Jesus missionary. What an eye opening experience! Jesus can be seen all through out it! He has come! He has risen! He is coming back again! Also, an incredible worship experience was offered through the REND collective experiment concert . Then, the ladies were able to enter into a study of the Word and fellowship with other women at the 2013 Ladies Retreat. All of that led into a beautiful Easter service as we celebrated our Risen Savior! Thank you Father for so many opportunities to remember and celebrate who you are and what you have done for us!

RA CAMPOUT

Thanks to all that made the Royal Ambassador Campout another great success. Fishing, canoeing, and sleeping in tents in the great outdoors may be the things that draw the boys to these annual campouts, but theyre getting a whole lot more than that. Confidence, survival skills, friendships, role models, biblical truths, leadership skills, and a chance to just be boys are a few of the other wonderful things that being a part of RAs has to offer. Keep an ear out for the next campout and contact Jonathon Dupuis or Bart Hidalgo to find out how you can get involved. Rumor has it the food just gets better every year.
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Jesus is Alive!
What does that mean for us?
Pastor Sam Brooks
We know that Jesus rose from the dead. But, what does the resurrection mean for us? Jesus is alive, but what does that mean for me? What does it change in my daily life? What difference does it bring to people? When we stare into the empty tomb, what do we see? JESUS IS ALIVE! - the first fruits of those who belong to Him (1 Cor 15:23). His resurrection means we will be raised from the dead. It means we are new creations, the old man is dead and we are no longer enslaved to sin. The resurrection means that believers are identified with Him - alive to God, with sin no longer being our master. It means we have a new identity, holy ones of God - set apart unto His purposes, created to walk in good works. The resurrection gives us hope that though the outward man is perishing, the inward man is being renewed daily. Though we are buffeted during our pilgrimage here on earth, we are being prepared and destined for a new heaven and new earth, for a place called heaven where there will be no more tears, no death, no fear, no mourning, no crying, nor pain. One day we will be changed. This mortal body will be put off and our new eternal body without sin, imperfection, weakness, or death will be our clothing. We will reign with Him and walk streets paved with gold as clear as glass among walls arrayed with jewels of every type. The Lord God, the Almighty and the Lamb will dwell there with us. The river of life will flow from the throne of God and on either side of the river, the tree of Life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding it fruit each month. Nothing unclean will enter, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those written in the Lambs book of life (Rev 21:9-22:2). All because of the resurrection, God declares that the sacrifice of Jesus is sufficient. If you have been and are being buffeted by the trials of this life, then remember the resurrection! It is more than a holiday event. It changes everything! We have been delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sin (Col 1:13). We, who were once alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, He has now reconciled by His death in order to present us holy and blameless, above reproach before Him, if we continue in the faith, steadfast, and not shifting from the hope of the gospel which we heard (Col 1:21-23). Does the resurrection matter? Absolutely!! Our faith has purpose and meaning. Our forgiveness is absolute. Our hope goes beyond this life. And, death has no power over us!

Expectations: Life as a Journey

The Open Doors 2013 Ladies Retreat
March 15th and 16th provided an opportunity for ladies of The Open Door to get some r & r at the ladies retreat. Some even invited friends or family from outside the church. This was such a blessing to get to know new friends. Mary Beth Maifeld, director of YWAMJuarez/El Paso, courageously shared her testimony in a very transparent way as an illustration of missed expectations and then challenged others to look at missed expectations within their own lives and surrender them to Jesus. She, then, provided the women with an intimate opportunity to pray for one another in such a way that allowed the Lord to minister to the hearts of those there. Thank you Heavenly Father! On Saturday, the ladies were encouraged to take a deeper look into the life of Joseph to see how he made the best of the situations he found himself in. He was a man favored; broken, but not bitter. His response to life challenges us to forgive, to obey quickly, to trust God and His word. Mary Beth followed this study with giving us biblical tools for the journey, things to take with us and remember as we encounter our own mountains and valleys in life. As with most retreats, there were many nougats of wisdom to take away. It can definitely be said that it was a weekend of encouragement and rejuvenation. The fellowship was sweet and the word was fitly spoken. Thank you Mary Beth and all who helped for several weeks to make this years retreat so enjoyable.

You cant do it...

Have you ever faced an impossible task? A daunting assignment that you know will never be completed by the expected deadline? This is what was facing Phillip in John 6. Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat? He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.(John 6:5-7 ESV) Phillip couldnt do it, theres no way he could and he knew it. His response is incredibly helpless. Twohundred denari couldnt buy enough to give them a bite. Were talking eight months wages here. Phillip, in his wildest dreams, couldnt even guarantee that each person would get a little taste, much less be filled. We need to understand what hes dealing with here. This isnt just 5,000 people as the heading in your Bible suggests (headings arent inerrant by the way), look down at verse ten. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. So when we say 5,000 people, what we really mean is just the men. That means that there could have been as many as 20,000 people there! Thats a third of the Superdome! Now we can understand the helplessness that Phillip must have experienced when Jesus essentially said, Hey, figure out how to feed these people... right now. So why would Jesus ask him where to buy bread? Why would Jesus ask him a question that had no answer? Especially when we know already from earlier in John that Jesus knew what was in the hearts of men (John 2:24). He knew what Phillips response would be. He knew that he would be helpless in his answer. So why did he ask? Its so Phillip could learn to trust Jesus. Its so we could learn to trust Jesus. Jesus gave him an impossible task, one that both Phillip and Jesus knew he could not complete, and then Jesus finished the task for him. Jesus provided for the need when Phillip could not, and when Phillip knew he could not, even in his wildest dreams. Its just like the law. God gave us this law to keep on the Mount. A law that he knew that man could not keep. A law that would represent his character and justify his wrath against us. A law so we could understand who he was. And a law so we could understand the magnificence of his grace. God gave us the law, an impossible task, and said do it. Honor your parents, do not lie, do not trust in anything but me. And we have failed. We are helpless. And only in our utter helplessness do we reach out for the righteousness of Jesus. Only then do we understand the magnificence of his provision of grace for us. Only then do we realize our need for the gospel. Jesus demonstrates that he is the real bread (John 5:35-40). Only he satisfies. The same way he provided the bread in the light of an impossible need, he provides our righteousness through his death and grace in the light of our utter depravity. Romans 1:16 Stuart Amidon Student Minister @ The Open Door twitter or facebook @stuartamidon stuartamidon.blogspot.com samidon@opendoorla.org
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Casseroles for Wells

Birthdays & Anniversaries April Becquet David Dugas John Vice Alatia Hegwood Linda Place Katherine Buckley Debbie Davis Holly Mayers Matthew Doherty Merlin Gegenheimer Jonah Watson Cindy Arias Travis Moore Gregory Thomas Rebecca Beasley Zachary Thomas Emily Watson John Fransisco Pierce Hernandez Kaylin Kirby April 1 April 1 April 1 April 2 April 3 April 4 April 9 April 10 April 12 April 12 April 14 April 16 April 16 April 16 April 17 April 18 April 18 April 19 April 27 April 27

! The Titus Women Connect Class will be selling casseroles in an effort to raise money to purchase a water well through Gospel for Asia (GFA). If you are interested in contributing a casserole for them to sale, please turn in the recipe and size of the casserole to Renee Moore by Sunday, April 14th. Her email address is kreneemoore@yahoo.com. The ladies will be taking orders after church on April 21st and will hand out the casseroles on Sunday, April 28th. What a yummy way to contribute to the efforts of GFA and make your mealplanning at home that much easier!

Mr. & Mrs. Oliver Carmichael April 1

For God has not given us aspiritoffear, butofpowerandof loveandofa soundmind. 2 Timothy 1:7
Vacation Bible School is coming our way this June 10th-14th! Please make plans to attend and to bring a friend to discover how to overcome fear in Jesus name! We look forward to seeing you there!

Sign up in the back of church if you are planning to attend or can volunteer to help in any way. You can also sign up by emailing lauradaigle3@gmail.com. There will be a meeting on Wednesday, May 22nd at 6:15 p.m. to organize the VBS team and activities.

The Creation Story & Ashrayafrom Jessica, Oliver Carmichaels sister who is serving in India
March 20, 2013 Howdy Folks, Im sincerely hoping all is well with you all as this note is coming your way. Im writing this on Wednesday evening at 7:45, but for most of you, its Wednesday morning. I guess some of you are on your way to work, others are at home, enjoying your second cup of coffee and putting on a load of laundry, trying to decide if youll make your bed or not today. I know each of you is in the midst of some struggle or disappointment as well as some joy and accomplishment. Thank you for letting us be part of your lives. Friday, I went back to the slum with several journey men (girls) for ministry. These journey girls had started going with my partner, Meredith during my absence. The slum group was small, but they were glad to see us and eager for us to enter the meeting tent where we do our talking. I met Sunita, our faithful interpreter on the way to the slum and she and I were talking about the ministry and how we should proceed. I explained to her that I had been praying for Gods leadership, wisdom, and guidance in meeting some of the malnutrition needs so that we can help the people physically as well as spiritually. I also explained that I would need to have a like-minded national (like herself) for this project to be successful. She said, Ive been praying the same thing! I have goose-bumps! Im asking God to direct me in ministry, to show me how to reach the hungry people. We were both amazed at how God seems to be directing the two of us in the same direction. When we arrived at the slum, I had the privilege of praying for the needs of those with requests. As they voiced them, Sunita interpreted, then I prayed (in English) immediately so I wouldnt forget the details. I took a few minutes to ask the ladies what god(s) they worshipped or had been taught to worship by their parents. They told me about this goddess named Kali who is worshipped in the village they are from. The name, Kali means black, time, death, lord of death and she is viewed as the goddess of time, change, and destruction. The pictures and idols Ive seen of her are quite hideous. She has four arms, holds a large knife in one hand and a severed head in another. Her skin is blue and her face is evil. The lady telling this quickly added that she doesnt pray to this goddess anymore but she is praying to Jesus now. I asked why she had changed her ways and she said, When I pray to Jesus, He answers my prayers, but Kali never answers. She added that Jesus had given His life for her but this goddess had given nothing. Next, Sadie (journey girl) shared the story of Creation. She began by asking the group, Have you ever heard about how the earth came into being? They all said no, they had never heard. I was thrilled to have a front-row seat for Sadies telling the story of Creation. Of course, Sunita poured expression into her interpretation in Telagu (their language) in such a way that I sometimes could understand it even better than Sadies English version! I loved watching the faces of the ladies and their children as they heard it for the rst time. I thought of Rose Knight, who has invested in the lives of thousands of children growing up in my home church, by telling them this story as well as many other Bible stories. I wish I had some of those beautiful pictures she used in telling the stories. I cant wait for the next story, even though Ive heard it many times, its so exciting to hear with these who have never heard it before! On Sunday, we went back to our church, called Ashraya, which means shelter. Some of Birdies friends invited us to visit this church where weve been attending since our rst visit. Its quite different from our home church in many ways. About 90% of those attending are Indian, the other 10%, international. We always start with praise and worship, which goes for about 45 minutes, then we have a chai (black tea with spice) and coffee break, followed by the sermon. Everything is in English and we love the music and fellowship. There are lots of children, youth, and young adults in the church, but there are also some white-haired members, my personal favorites. The fellowship is sweet and warm.

Jessicas letter continued...

Please pray:

Ashraya church is sending members to Kolkata (Calcutta) to prayer walk, with plans of planting a church there this year Continued wisdom in the slum ministry (these people are illiterate, therefore the only Bible they will ever receive will be in verbal form) My neighbor, Elsie and I are meeting starting Monday at 5 p.m. each week to discuss The Purpose Driven Life. (she told me she cant wait to tell me what happened after she read the rst day). Shahin, my Muslim friend, for salvation (she will be teaching Birdie how to sew this summer, so we will see her on a regular basis)

As I have been seeking the Lord regarding the hungry slum people, my attention has been focused on this passage, which our pastor preached from Sunday: Is not this the fast that I choose: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the straps of the yoke, To let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, And not to hide yourself from your own esh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, And your healing shall spring up speedily; Your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Isaiah 58:6-8

Join us in celebrating with those being baptized! There will be fun jumps, hamburgers, and hot dogs. What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon!
Sunday, May 5th 3:00 p.m. - 7 p.m. The Daigle Home 408 W. Butcher Switch Road Lafayette, La

If you are interested in being baptized, please contact the church office at 337-981-6438 or by emailing info@opendoorla.org.

Making a Joyful Noise The children of The Open Door shared the message of the cross through music and scripture on March 17th to the residents of Magnolia Estates Nursing Home. The residents were moved by the childrens performance. Some of them even chimed in the chorus of an old favorite hymn, The Old Rugged Cross. After their singing, the children showered them with handmade cards and crosses. Many residents have expressed a deep desire for the children to return soon. Please stay tuned for a later notice on our next visit there! Many thanks to Debbie Davis, Jennie Peterson, Victoria Hammons, and Linda Bordelon for preparing and leading the children in singing! You are appreciated!

Looking for a good read? Bible study? Children books? Did you know that The Open Door has a wonderful collection of books, both fiction and nonfiction, for all ages?

They are located upstairs in the hallway to the balcony. Feel free to check them out. Please just be faithful to return them for others to enjoy as well. Happy Reading!

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The Open Door

April 2013

My Hope America with Billy Graham is a nationwide effort to reach people across the United States with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Following a simple biblical model, My Hope America with Billy Graham combines the impact of video programs with the power of personal relationships. Under the guidance of their local pastors, Christians across America will open their homes to share the Gospel message with friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors using videos featuring Billy Graham, dynamic music, and testimonies.

Training Events Alexandria April 24 9:00 am-12:15 pm First Baptist Church Pineville Lake Charles April 25 9:00 am-12:15 pm Trinity Baptist Church Lafayette April 30 9:00 am-12:15 pm Our Savior's Church Houma/Thibodaux May 1 9:00 am-12:15 pm University Baptist Church

For more information, go to http://myhopewithbillygraham.org.

Thank you for subscribing to The Open Doors E news! Have a wonderful week!
Pastor Sam Brooks Elders: Paul Doherty John Vice Tom Buckley Youth Minister: Stuart Amidon