Why We Are Pro-Life by J.D. Greear

“How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”

(Psalm 82:2-4 ESV)

Today, in Washington, D.C., thousands upon thousands of people will participate in the March for Life, the largest pro-life rally in the world. The march is built on the conviction that unborn babies are made in the image of God, and, as such, deserving of the rights God has given to all people.

I want to outline here the two key reasons why we—pro-life advocates in general and The Summit Church specifically—believe this, and why we take it seriously. Then, I want to address some of the “red herrings” in the discussion. Finally, I want to offer a word of hope to you, wherever you stand on the issue and whatever your history. All of this is meant to serve and love both the unborn and those of you who have abortion as part of your story.

To state it as simply as I can, we believe that the unborn are humans worthy of protection. Here are two reasons:

1. Science and Logic

Scientifically, the human embryo, from the point of conception forward, is already a whole human entity. As Dr. Maureen Condic, a professor of neurobiology at the University of Utah, states,

Embryos are not merely collections of human cells, but living creatures distinct from a group of cells; embryos are capable of growing, maturing, maintaining a physiologic balance between various organ systems, adapting to changing circumstances, and repairing injury. Mere groups of human cells do nothing like this under any circumstances.

This isn’t a minority opinion, either. Every science textbook recognizes that human embryos are not merely an extension of the woman nor “collections of cells” but rather independent human beings. If they are not “human,” what else could they be?

Scott Klusendorf helpfully points out that many of the distinctions that are made to imply that the unborn are not “human” enough to be deserving of the protection of life fail to hold up with even the slightest application of logical consistency. He uses a SLED acronym to show the inconsistency of saying that unborn babies are not people yet, with each letter standing for something pro-choice advocates bring forward to deprive the unborn of their humanity:

• S: Size. Yes, you were much smaller as an embryo, but since when does body size determine value? A 5’2” woman may weigh half as much as a 6’5” man, but we don’t think of her as less human as a result.
• L: Level of development. You were less developed as an embryo, but infants are less developed than teenagers. Do we think infants have less value? Of course not. What level of development quantifies as human? Is it “consciousness?” Unborn babies possess some type of consciousness at 15 weeks. But does a temporary lack of consciousness deprive one of their humanity? If you lost consciousness in a coma, with the doctor saying with reliable certainty that you’d regain consciousness within three to four months, would you believe others had the right to kill you in your unconscious state?
• E: Environment. Where you are has no bearing on what you are. Does an eight-inch journey through the birth canal change the essential value of the unborn? What exactly is the difference between a baby 10 minutes before birth and one 10 minutes after birth, such that we are allowed to kill one but not the other?
• D: Degree of dependency. Sometimes it is stated: Unborn babies rely on their mothers for survival. But does dependence make a person un-human? Those with disabilities have a higher degree of dependency than you do. So do the elderly. Newborn infants, left alone, would die within days, if not hours. Humans are humans not by their function but by their nature.

When you push the reasoning of pro-choice advocates to its logical end, the results are horrifying. Peter Singer, the famous Princeton bioethics professor and staunch pro-choice advocate, for example, has said that parents should have the right to terminate their children until they are 2 years old. That’s gruesome, and most people reject his conclusion. But isn’t it just taking the logic to a necessary end? As Peter Kreeft, professor of philosophy at Boston College, says, “Name for me one argument for abortion that cannot be used to justify infanticide.”

Humans are humans not by their function but by their nature. @jdgreear

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2. Scripture

For those who are Christians, there can be no doubt that the unborn are full persons. Bible writers consistently talk about unborn babies in this way. King David says God knew him before he was born: “You [God] created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13 NIV). Or take John the Baptist, who was filled with the Spirit in his mother’s womb. Not only was he alive, but God was also dwelling within him. And consider this: The Hebrew word for “child” is the same, whether referring to children outside the womb or children inside the womb.[1] The Bible teaches that all human beings are image bearers of God (Genesis 1:27; James 3:9) and that the intentional killing of innocent human beings is forbidden (Exodus 23:7; Proverbs 6:16-19). Intentionally killing any innocent human made in the image of God is an assault on God himself (Genesis 9:1-5).

For the Christian, there can be no doubt that abortion is the destruction of a person made in God’s image. Yet, nearly two-thirds of the women getting abortions say they are Christians![2]

Red Herrings

The conversation about abortion really should hinge on one question: Are the unborn human or not? If they aren’t, then you don’t need much reasoning for abortion. But if they are, then the reasoning behind the pro-choice cause falls apart. The arguments become “red herrings,” distractions that aren’t relevant to the issue at hand. (A red herring is a fish that has been brined until it turns red, which makes it smell particularly odorous. The origin of the term is a helpful metaphor: The story goes that a person might be able to use the scent of the fish to distract hunting dogs, who would lose their trail.[3])

Here are some of the most common red herrings used in the discussion about abortion:

A. If you’re so pro-life, why do you only care about babies before they’re born?

This comes in a variety of forms, but the basic implication is that those who are pro-life are hypocritically so: They say that don’t want women aborting babies, but they also won’t do anything to help those women or babies after birth. For example, pro-choice advocates might say: “Are you willing to adopt all these unwanted kids you don’t want aborted?”

The charge is carefully engineered, but it is both a logical fallacy and utterly inconsistent with the facts about pro-life advocates.

Logically, this is an ad hominem argument. It’s an attack on pro-life advocates, not on the pro-life view. These objections are carefully engineered to silence pro-life advocates, because who ever feels that they have done enough for women and children? If you imply that people aren’t truly loving, the honest person will say, “You’re right. I could do more.” That’s the power of the “argument.” But remember, it’s not an argument. It’s an attack. The question of the humanity of the baby isn’t even addressed. It’s a red herring that diverts the discussion away from logical reasoning to moral judgmentalism.

But this attack also misrepresents the facts. Pro-life Christians do care, and not just in a don’t-get-abortions kind of way. Pro-life pregnancy centers, for instance, outnumber abortion clinics two to one. They provide parenting classes, clothing, and adoption service. Pro-lifers adopt more often than pro-choicers. And they give far more to charity than their pro-choice counterparts.[4]  Who can forget Mother Theresa turning to Bill Clinton at the 1994 prayer breakfast and saying, “I want the child. Please give me the child. I am willing to accept any child who would be aborted and to give that child to a married couple who will love the child and be loved by the child.”

We want to promote a culture of life, and that means caring about life from the womb to the tomb. So if we aren’t caring for the poor and needy and marginalized among us, we need to repent. But that should never lead us to stop caring and fighting for the protection of the vulnerable and voiceless unborn.

B. Only women can speak on this issue.

This is often hurled at male pro-life advocates because the discussion touches on issues affecting women’s bodies, not men’s. But again, this is a logical fallacy: Whether it is right or wrong to intentionally kill someone depends on the person being killed, not the gender of the person making the argument. Remember: The central question is, “Is the unborn one of us?”

To answer that question, we must examine the validity and soundness of the respective arguments. Arguments don’t have gender.

Maybe an even more appropriate response is to ask, “Which women?” What about the women who are aborted? Or the millions of pro-life women? “Women” don’t have one view on this. And, in fact, the statistics show that women are more pro-life than men. If we’re only listening to women, then we should accept the pro-life position.

Justice means speaking up for any who are voiceless, regardless of their gender or yours.

We want to promote a culture of life, and that means caring about life from the womb to the tomb. @jdgreear

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C. Shouldn’t we spend more time speaking out against the poverty system that creates the need for abortions?

As with most of the red herrings, there’s an element of truth here. Yes, we should work to fight the poverty that can create the despair that makes abortion feel necessary. But again, this is logical fallacy. Whether or not abortion is wrong is not contingent on the environment surrounding it. Imagine a Southern slave owner explaining why the economic system Northerners created demanded slavery. Even if that had been true, we’d maintain that the practice of slavery was wrong anyway.

If we truly love people, we should do everything in our power to help them. So we speak out against the poverty system and we speak out against abortion. It’s not an either/or.

D. If you don’t like abortion, don’t have one!

This argument stretches the limits of the word “like.” We’re not talking about a preference (“Don’t like Pepsi? Don’t drink it!”). We’re talking about people’s lives. I don’t oppose abortion because it violates some preference of mine; I’m opposed because I believe it ends human life.

To imagine how absurd this statement is, change the variables in it: What would you think if someone said, “Don’t like slavery? Well, don’t own a slave!” or “Don’t like sexual assault? Don’t do it!” Pretty insensitive, right?

E. I’m personally opposed to abortion, but I don’t think we should overturn Roe v. Wade.

This statement is similar to the above, and it’s often offered on college campuses with good intentions. But logically it falls apart with the slightest investigation. Abortion either deprives an innocent human being made in the image of God of life or it doesn’t.

The question to ask here is: Why are you personally against abortion? Is it because you know it is the wrongful taking of human life? If that’s what you think, are you really willing to sit back and do nothing while innocent people are murdered? That sounds a lot like Pilate, washing his hands and hoping that the evil of others won’t splash onto him.

Again, try applying the logic with different variables. Would people ever say something like this about child abuse? “I’m personally opposed, but let’s not get the law involved.” No! Why not? Because no one’s “rights” includes the right to harm someone else. If the baby is a child, our right to make choices does not extend to taking its life.

F. Abortion needs to be legal so that it’s safe for mothers.

The narrative surrounding abortion rights goes something like this: Back in the 1970s, women were dying by the thousands in back-alley abortions. Then Roe v. Wade happened, and now women are much safer. They’re going to do it either way, so we might as well make it safe.

The truth of the matter is that maternal death had been in steady decline—from 7,267 to 780—in the years between 1942 and 1972. And of those 780 deaths, 140 were related to abortion (though that also included spontaneous abortions caused by miscarriage).[5] So the idea that abortion was overwhelmingly common—but dangerous—simply isn’t true. What we can be sure of is that the death rate for babies in abortion procedures is 100 percent.

G. What about situations of rape or incest?

The number of pregnancies that arise from the tragic instances of rape or incest may be small, but they are nonetheless painful. Our hearts go out to anyone in this situation. For you, we recognize that this question is less of a red herring and more of a reflection of a heart-rending situation. We grieve with you.

The heart of this question is about the way we respond to pain and tragedy. A woman in this situation may be saying, “This baby came to be through the most horrific event of my life. Why should I be forced to bear the burden of something that only reminds me of that pain?”

The answer, in brief, is twofold: First, it’s actually not healing for the mother to pursue abortion. When faced with tragedy, the most healing path forward is not to push away any evidence of the pain. It is to bring that pain to God, allowing him to heal us. We’ll get more to that in a moment.

Second, this objection, like the others, shifts the terms of the debate. We aren’t debating whether rape is heinous. We agree that it is and that it leaves deeply wounded victims. But is the child at fault for how he got there? How do we, as a civil society, treat innocent human beings that remind us of painful events? We don’t help anyone by harming one human simply because he reminds us of another human’s sin. The question, once again, hinges on whether the unborn are human or not.

H. I have a right to my body.

No one is arguing against that. But does your right to your body include taking the life of another for the sake of convenience? Aren’t there competing rights at stake? What about the rights of the unborn child?

Advocates of slavery doubled down on slavery based on similar reasoning in The Dred Scott Decision of 1857. They admitted that the slaves had a right to freedom. But they also argued that the slave owners had a right to their property. The justices in the Dred Scott case reasoned, tragically, that the right to property superseded the rights of the slaves to freedom.

In the question of abortion, we also have competing rights—that of the right to privacy and that of a right to life. Are we going to follow Dred Scott and reduce people to property that can be disposed of?

The rights and safety of women are precious and important. But pregnant women aren’t the only people involved. It reminds me of a Planned Parenthood boast I saw recently: “Abortion is safe, with only one death per 100,000 procedures.” Shouldn’t that say 100,001 deaths per 100,000 procedures?[6]

Where do we go from here?

Our efforts to defend the life of the unborn need to move beyond mere statistics; we have to recognize how deep a scar abortion leaves for all involved. I read a piece recently by a woman who marched in support of abortion rights in 1973 and had an abortion a few years later. She admits that her decision has haunted her for 30 years. She writes:

It certainly does make more sense not to be having a baby right now—we say that to each other all the time.

But I have this ghost now.

A very little ghost that only appears when I’m seeing something beautiful, like the full moon on the ocean last weekend.

And the baby waves at me.

And I wave back at the baby.

“Of course, we have room,” I cry to the ghost. “Of course we do.”

Abortion leaves victims. Not only the child, deprived of life, but often the woman, who can’t escape the regret of the decision.

To those of you who have abortion in your past, we know that you are hurting. We don’t want to make this any harder than it is; we simply want to prevent others from enduring the same pain that you have had to endure. If abortion is part of your story, you need to know that we serve a Savior who died so he could make us whiter than snow and whose resurrection has the power to restore beauty from ashes.

Each one of us, on some level, has dismissed the value of human life. We may have had different ways of doing it, but we’ve elevated our desires over the life of another. Furthermore, the entire human race that rejected and murdered Jesus. Yet through that murder, God brought salvation and restoration. Because of that, there is no tragedy, no mistake, that he cannot redeem, no sin that he will not forgive. Through the victory of his resurrection, he can make all things new.

None of us need live a second longer trapped in the past.

If you’ve had an abortion, your baby is with Jesus today. Both Jesus and that baby forgive you, if you will receive it.

To all of us: Jesus’ redemption of us should forever change our attitude toward those around us who are hurting. It shows us our dignity. The value you place on something is shown by what you’ll give up for it. We were so valuable to Jesus he gave up his life to redeem us. Furthermore, it shows us our responsibility to those who are hurting. If anyone ever had the right to terminate another human being, it was Jesus. Instead, he willingly let himself be terminated in order to restore God’s image in us. Jesus looked at the ruins of our lives, and he saw the potential for glory.[7] He beheld despair, and brought hope. He saw our tragedy, and he came to our rescue.

If we’re following Jesus, reaching out in mercy will characterize our lives, too.

If you’ve had an abortion, your baby is with Jesus today. Both Jesus and that baby forgive you, if you will receive it.

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Here are a few practical ways we can get involved:

• Pray. Our work should not end with prayer; it should start there. It is our greatest ally in the battle for life (Ephesians 6:19-20).
• Some of us need to consider this a calling. God doesn’t call every Christian to be involved in every cause equally, but for some of you, God will make this “your” cause. He’ll put ministry to women considering abortion on your heart, and you’ll get involved in their lives while you advocate protection for the unborn.
• Join with one of the many organizations doing great work for pregnant mothers and their children, like Pregnancy Support Services and Human Coalition. Studies show that 85 percent of women considering abortion would change their minds if they were allowed to see an ultrasound of their baby.[8] These organizations make that possible.
• Consider the work of fostering and adoption. My friend Russ Moore says, “Think of how revolutionary it is for a Christian to adopt a young boy with a cleft palate from a region of India where most people see him as ‘defective.’ Think of how odd it must seem to American secularists to see Christians adopting a baby whose body trembles with an addiction to the cocaine her mother sent through her bloodstream before birth. Think of the kind of credibility such action lends to the proclamation of our gospel … What if we as Christians were known, once again, as the people who take in orphans and make of them beloved sons and daughters?”[9] I’ve heard it said that the cry of the pro-life movement is, “Don’t kill them.” But the cry of the Christian goes further: “We want them.”
• Work to promote the family. About 85 percent of women who have abortions in the U.S. are unmarried. The stronger the family gets, the less the perceived need for abortion becomes. Maybe the best way to fight against abortion is to fight for the family.

History will judge us—indeed, eternity will judge us—by how we respond to this moment. And we can move forward with confidence that, regardless of the situation around us, God defends the cause of justice. In the words of Abraham Lincoln,

“I am convinced that the Lord is on our side in this great struggle, for the Lord is always on the side of the right; but it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this nation may be on the Lord’s side .… Lord, give us faith that right makes might, and in that faith let us to the end dare to do our duty as we understand it.”

__________________

[1] Scott Sauls, “In the Image of God,” sermon on Genesis 1-2
[2] Much of the material in this section comes from Scott Klusendorf and John Stonestreet, 21 Days of Prayer for Life.
[3] The literal use of “red herrings” to distract dogs from a trail is almost certainly apocryphal. (Mythbusters, in all of their scientific prowess, declared this one “busted.”) Still, the image is a helpful metaphor for any claim that distracts from the argument at hand.
[4] Adapted from Klusendorf and Stonestreet, 21 Days of Prayer for Life
[5] Clarke D. Forsythe, Abuse of Discretion: The Inside Story of Roe v. Wade, 102.
[6] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWKqeJxzeBc&app=desktop. I owe Tim Challies for the insight, in a tweet!
[7] Adapted from Scott Sauls, “In the Image of God,” sermon on Genesis 1-2
[8] Klusendorf and Stonestreet, 21 Days of Prayer for Life
[9] Russ Moore, Adopted for Life, 79, 20

Pro-Woman, not Pro-Abortion by John Stonestreet - January 26, 2017

Women who don’t support abortion aren’t real women, according to many modern feminists. Here's why they should read more history. In a recent Saturday Night Live sketch, a group of millennial women visit the historic home of suffragette Susan B. Anthony in Rochester, New York. Devout feminists one and all, they decide before leaving to invoke the ghost of Anthony by saying her name three times. Lo and behold, she appears, played by Kate McKinnon—bun, lace collar, and all. Hilariously, the modern feminists find Anthony quite boring. She drones on about women’s rights and dignity, while they check their smart phones and argue about dinner. Until finally she says something that wakes them all up: “Abortion is murder!” Doubtless many modern feminists were taken aback by this Saturday Night slip-up, given the show’s liberal leanings. But as Serrin Foster of Feminists for Life told National Review, all of the “feminist foremothers…without known exception, spoke out against abortion.” That’s right. The suffragettes—Susan B. Anthony in particular—were fiercely pro-life, calling abortion a “crime against humanity,” “feticide,” and “child murder.” In fact, one of the primary organizations backing pro-life candidates today—the Susan B. Anthony list—does so in her name. Given how close the unborn were to the hearts of the earliest women’s rights crusaders, it’s troubling to see how unwelcome pro-life women are on the modern feminist stage. We saw this discrimination vividly last week during the nationwide Women’s March. Muffled but not quite absent were the voices of pro-life women. Several prominent pro-life organizations that applied as partners of the women’s march were either dis-invited or ignored, though several showed up anyway. Even the New York Times, in a surprising and praiseworthy piece, documented the virtual blackout of pro-life messages at the demonstration. After booting a Texas anti-abortion group, Women’s March co-chairwoman, Linda Sarsour, told the Times, “If you want to come to the march you are coming with the understanding that you respect a woman’s right to choose.” In other words, pro-lifers not welcome! “This is what we conservative women live with all the time,” said Charmaine Yoest, senior fellow at American Values: “This idea that somehow we aren’t really women and we just reflect internalized misogyny.” The Women’s March was, Yoest concluded, a “wholly owned subsidiary of the abortion movement.” And were it not for the unexpected coverage by the Grey Lady, these organizers may have succeeded in drowning out the pro-life message. But as Bob Dylan sang, the times, they’re a changin’. Just this month, the pro-choice Guttmacher Institute reported that abortions in the United States have fallen to their lowest rate since Roe v. Wade. A lot has contributed to this decline, from pro-life legislation and ultrasound availability, to widespread contraception use and the acceptance of unwed motherhood. So the news isn’t all good. But when you consider the growing movement of young people who see the rights of the unborn as a social justice issue, the tired assumption that feminism equals abortion support really begins to falter. Even pop culture and late night TV are straying from the pro-abortion script. And as Kathryn Jean Lopez wrote in National Review, this may be our chance to reintroduce an older, better women’s movement—one that didn’t pit the rights of mothers against the lives of their unborn children. And speaking of life, I hope you’ll join me, Eric Metaxas, and tens of thousands of others at March for Life activities this weekend in Washington, D.C. If you can’t make the trip, we still need to make our voices heard. Even more, we need to join in prayer! Our 21 Days of Prayer for Life guide is available for free as an app or a digital download.  Find it at BreakPoint.org/21days.

"The Dignity of Human Life" Video

This is the video we played today in our worship in observance of "The Sanctity of Life."  This video was published by Focus on the Family.

From the Shepherd's Heart....Wednesday, January 18, 2017

We are in week two of our Prayer and Fasting emphasis.  In fact, today (Wednesday) is our second day of fasting.

Fasting is a spiritual discipline of replacing food (social media, TV, computer, some form of food) with reading God's Word and prayer.

Remember, discipline leads to desire which leads to delight.  Discipline - Desire - Delight.

The delight is the last thing that comes with disciplines.

Tonight, we continue "The Truth Project" with "Philosophy and Ethics: Says Who?"

We are grateful the youth had a great Winter Retreat and had safety in travel.  79 were present.  Grateful for Bro. Craig and Melinda's leadership of our students.

Upward Basketball begins this Saturday at 9.  131 children are involved.  Thanks to Whitney Wigley for her excellent leadership and to all our leaders and coaches.  What a great ministry.

This Sunday morning at 9:15 in the Large Fellowship Hall we will have our semi-annual meeting of the Care Group Leaders.  This Sunday we will have a light breakfast, so as soon as your duties are over in your class, come on and get you something to eat plus we will have our new booklets for you.

I ask for your prayers for me next week.  This is my schedule:

Monday - I am preaching at Mt. Vernon Baptist Church in Albertville at 6:30 for their annual Jubilee services.  I have known their pastor, David Martin, for many years and consider him a good friend. He has done a great job there and I am honored to be preaching Monday night.  Visit their web site for more information.  Other speakers are Kevin Hamm and Phil Waldrep plus musical guests Gordon Mote and Kevin Derryberry.

Wednesday - I leave for Mobile to do some scouting for our annual mission trip in July; then will drive to Jacksonville, FL for the Pastor's School at First Baptist Church returning home Monday.

During my absence, Max Roden will be preaching on Sunday morning, January 29 and Hank, Lamar, Fred Bobo will be preaching on Sunday night.

6 Practical Ways to Honor Your Parents by Tim Challies

God’s commandments are perfectly clear in what they say and, broadly, in what they require. Yet implementing those commandments in practical ways and in the nitty-gritty of life can pose a challenge. It can take thought, prayer, creativity. This is exactly the case with the fifth commandment—“honor your father and your mother”—and especially so for adult children. Young children honor their parents through their obedience, but what about adults? How do we honor our parents in ways that are fitting?

I’ve taken a long time to get to this point in my series The Commandment We Forgot, and this has been deliberate. Our tendency is to skip over foundational matters to get straight to the practical stuff. Just give me the list of things to do and I’ll do them! But the deepest change to ourselves as well as the most appropriate honor to our parents will come when we first ensure we understand God’s commandment—what it means, why he gives it, why it matters so much. I trust you’ve tracked with me through the previous articles and if you’ve done that, you’re now ready to consider practical ways in which you can honor your parents.

Honor to Whom Honor Is Due

In a previous article I pointed out that honoring parents is a form of honoring all authority, including God himself. As Tim Keller says, “it’s respect for parents that is the basis for every other kind of respect and every other kind of authority.” I have pointed out as well that there is no ending point to this commandment—we are to honor our parents in childhood and adulthood, for we owe them a debt of honor that never ends.

What is the honor God means for us to give our parents? I am going to offer 6 broad suggestions, though certainly we could come up with many more. I will warn in advance: In every case there will be temptations to say, “Yes, but you don’t know my parents. You don’t know who they are or what they did to me.” I understand that in some cases showing honor may be difficult or very nearly impossible, and in our next article we will discuss some hard cases. But for now, let’s simply consider some practical ways in which we can display honor to our parents.

Forgive Them

Perhaps the most important way we can honor our parents is to forgive them. The fact is, there are no perfect parents. All parents have fallen far short of their children’s expectations and, in all likelihood, even their own expectations. Our parents have sinned against us. They have made unwise decisions, they have had unrealistic expectations, they have said and done things that have left us deeply wounded. For that reason, many children enter adulthood controlled by anger and bitterness. They find themselves unable to move past their parents’ mistakes or their parents’ sin.

We can best honor our parents by forgiving our parents. And this is actually possible, for we serve and imitate a forgiving Savior. In the Bible we see Jesus’s willingness to forgive the ones who had wounded him. In the very moment the nails were driven into his flesh, he cried out “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Standing at the foot of the cross and considering such a Savior, who are we to withhold forgiveness from our parents? We honor our parents by extending grace and forgiveness to them.

Speak Well of Them

Another way we can honor our parents is to speak well of them, to refuse to speak evil of them. We live at a time when it is considered noble to air our grievances, when it is considered therapeutic to air our dirty laundry. We think little of telling the world exactly what we think of our governors, our bosses, our parents. Yet the Bible warns us that we owe honor and respect to all of the authorities God has placed over us (Romans 13:7). It warns us that our words have the power to extend honor or dishonor. We cannot miss that in the Old Testament the penalty for cursing parents is the same as the penalty for assaulting them (Exodus 21:15-17, Leviticus 20:9), for the root sin is the same. To curse parents or to strike parents is to violate the fifth commandment as well as the sixth.

We need to speak well of our parents. We need to speak well of them while they are alive and speak well of them after they have died, to speak well of them to our siblings, to our spouses, to our children. We need to speak well of them to our churches and communities, modeling a counter-cultural kind of honor and respect that has long since gone missing in too many contexts. Christian, speak well of your parents and refuse to speak evil of them.

Esteem them Publicly and Privately

A third way to show honor to parents is to give them esteem both privately and publicly. In a powerful sermon on the fifth commandment Tim Keller encourages children to “Respect their [parents’] need to see themselves in you.” Parents long to see how they have impacted their children, how their children are a reflection of their strengths, their values. “You don’t realize how important it is to give them credit where you can. You don’t realize how critical it is just to say, ‘You know, everything I really ever learned about saving money I learned from you.’ To say, ‘You know, Dad, that was one thing you always taught me that I really, really appreciated’.” These are simple measures but ones that bring great joy and honor to our parents.

We can give such esteem privately in one-on-one conversation or we can do this publicly, perhaps through speeches or sermons or even conversations around holiday feasts. Dennis Rainey goes so far as to call children to write a formal tribute to their parents, to present it to them and to read it aloud in their presence. We can honor our parents by esteeming our parents.

Seek Their Wisdom

We honor our parents when we seek their wisdom through life’s twists and turns. The Bible constantly associates youth with folly and age with wisdom (Proverbs 20:29, Job 12:12) and tells us that those who have lived longer lives have generally accumulated greater wisdom. We do well, then, to lean on them for understanding, to seek their input when faced with major decisions. In some cultures this is expected and in some it is eschewed. But either way, it honors our parents when we seek their help, even if in the end we cannot or must not heed it.

Support Them

We can also honor our parents by supporting them. I am not yet speaking of financial support, but other forms of love and care. I think of David at a particularly low point in his life, weighed down by cares and attacked by enemies. In this context he cried out to God and said, “Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent” (Psalm 71:9). David feared the combination of age and isolation, of being old and alone. So too do our elderly parents.

When we are young we gain strength and long for independence. Our parents raise us to be strong and free! But there is a trade-off here, a passing of the baton, for as our parents age they become feeble, they begin to lose their independence (Ecclesiastes 12:1-8). We honor our parents by giving them the assurance that we will not forsake them in their old age. Just as they cared for us, we will care for them. This is our responsibility and it ought to be our joy.

At a time when millions of elderly adults are living alone, consigned to nursing homes and hospitals, cared for by professionals rather than family members, Christians have the opportunity to display special honor. Kent Hughes says that even if parents have no financial needs, “there is still a Christian obligation for hands-on, loving care. Nurses may be employed, but there must be more—the care cannot be done by proxy. Emotional neglect and abandonment is not an option, for such conduct ‘is worse than an unbeliever.’”

Provide for Them

Finally, we can honor our parents by providing for them financially. In 1 Timothy 5 we find Paul telling Timothy how to honor widows within the church. As he provides instruction, he gives two important principles: Children are to make some return to their parents (4) and Christians who will not provide for family members are behaving worse than unbelievers (8). Commentators are nearly unanimous in extending these principles to children and their elderly parents. What is unremarkable in some cultures is controversial in others, including my own. Stott points out that “African and Asian cultures, which have developed the extended in place of the nuclear family, are a standing rebuke to the West in this matter.”

When children are young, God expects parents to provide for them (2 Corinthians 12:14). But, according to Stott, “when parents grow old and feeble, it is then that roles and responsibilities are reversed.” Hughes says, “Christian sons and daughters are responsible for the [financial] care of widows and, as the text expands it, of their helpless parents and grandparents.” William Barcley says much the same: “The raising of children requires tremendous sacrifice and it is only right that children make sacrifices for parents in return.” We might also consider Mark 7:9-13 and Jesus’s harsh rebuke of the Pharisees for their refusal to care for their parents.

Perhaps no form of honor more deeply cuts against the Western grain than this one. But it’s clear: The Bible calls Christians to take special responsibility for providing for their family members. This command applies equally to the parents of young children and the children of elderly parents.

Conclusion

God calls every child of every age to show honor to our parents, to refuse to dishonor our parents. He calls us to honor them as the outflow of honoring him. He calls us to be people who respect his sovereignty by respecting the parents he saw fit to give us. In what ways is God calling you to show honor to your parents?

From the Shepherd's Heart....Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Can I just say again, "I love Sunday nights at Rainsville First!"  What a special night of worship and sensing the presence of the Holy Spirit this past Sunday night.

I have pastors to ask me several times "Do y'all do Sunday night services?"  And when I tell them how strong our attendance is, they are amazed.

YOU (Rainsville First Family) respond so well and what a joy it is to be a part of Sunday night worship here at RFBC.  I sure love preaching on Sunday nights!

We are in the midst of our Prayer and Fasting emphasis.  In fact, today (Wednesday) is our first day of fasting.

Fasting is a spiritual discipline of replacing food (social media, TV, computer, some form of food) with reading God's Word and prayer.

Remember, discipline leads to desire which leads to delight.  Discipline - Desire - Delight.

The delight is the last thing that comes with disciplines.

Tonight, we begin the first "official" session of "The Truth Project" with "Veritology: What Is Truth?"

Again, Bro. Craig and I are joining together using this material for all the family (grandparents, parents and youth).

We are wanting to pray for our Students as they leave Friday afternoon for Pigeon Forge and a conference through Monday.  Pray God will protect them as they travel and God will move mightily among them.

5 Ways to Minister to Restaurant Servers by Chuck Lawless

Our guest blogger today is Trevor Forbis, a student at the College at Southeasternwhere he is pursuing a B.A in philosophy. Trevor is my research assistant, and I want you to hear his thoughts from the perspective of a server. He is a member ofRestoration Church in Wake Forest, NC while he is also completing the Pastoral Apprenticeship at The Summit Church.

Some of the more formative times in my life were when I worked as a server in the restaurant industry, and I believe God wants us to think about how we can better minister to servers. As guests, and more importantly as Christians, we have amazing opportunities to be salt and light to our world, including in our favorite restaurants. Here are 5 ways to minister to your servers:

1. Ask and remember their name. Learning your servers’ name shows that you value them. Most diners won't take the time to do that, which makes it that much more meaningful when it does happen. I always felt loved when someone remembered my name, and it also challenged me to remember theirs!
2. Request them specifically. You can often request to sit in a specific server’s section by asking the host or hostess. I loved when people asked for me to serve them. Because people took the time to get to know me on a regular basis, I felt like I was a part of their family. That meant a lot to a college student who lived eight hours from home.
3. Tip well. “Well” – this is the key word. Non-believers are showing up believers in the area of generosity. Servers see Sunday as one of the worst shifts to work because of poor tips, and that bothers me. We Christians have an opportunity to show that God has given us amazing grace undeserved. What better way to demonstrate this than tipping your server well, even if he or she doesn’t always deserve it?
4. Ask how you might pray for them. It's a basic step, but a profound one. You may be the only person praying for them that day … or even at all, for that matter. Also, if you regularly request their section and then ask their prayer concerns, you begin to learn how to better pray for them throughout the week. I recall only a handful of people who asked how they could pray for me, but it meant more than they knew.
5. Be patient with them. There are times when servers will mess things up. Sometimes it may just be an off day, but often they may be struggling with something in their personal life. Your patience and kindness will demonstrate grace to them. I still remember those who were patient with me, and it actually pushed me to serve them better!

Fasting Emphasis - January 8, 2017

As we begin our Prayer and Fasting emphasis today, let me link you to some great resources for learning more about the Biblical teachings on fasting and practical guidelines on the Daniel Fast.

Jentezen Franklin has done more in our present time in the area of fasting that most anyone. Visit his web site to find more about prayer and fasting.

If you are interested in the Daniel Fast, I am placing a pdf file on our Facebook page at Rainsville First about how to do the Daniel fast and some recipes.

Primary Purpose of Fasting?

To more fully know God by removing the flesh so the Spirit can be alive.  Fasting is not some kind of hunger strike that is forcing the hand of God to move.  Prayer is warfare. 

You use the time you would normally eat to pursue God.  Fasting is a biblical practice and a spiritual process that God anoints powerfully.  Fasting is not a diet;  it's a spiritual discipline.  As you neglect yourself to purse God, you are winning the war against the flesh.  The walls come down when you approach God with this kind of focus, intentionality, and passion.

There is no mandate in the Bible to fast except on the Day of Atonement.  But fasting is assumed just as is praying and giving (Matthew 6).  Biblical fasting takes a lot of discipline and strength.

Types of Fasts:

*  Absolute Fast (no food/drink)  Ezra 10: 6; Esther 4:16; Acts 9:9*  Normal Fast (no food, drink only liquids such as water and juices).  This appears to be what the Lord did for 40 days.  This is the most common type of fast.*  Partial Fast (certain foods are given up).  This is what Daniel did in Daniel 10:3.  One could give up a meal or a particular kind of food.  Daniel fasted for 21 days.

Online resources helpful for fasting:

Daniel Fast

Ronnie Floyd  

From the Shepherd's Heart....Friday, January 5, 2017

I begin two new series of sermons this Sunday as we gather for worship.

On Sunday morning, I return to the Gospel of Luke where I will share a series "The Greatest Man to be Born."  No, this is not a series of messages about Jesus but instead Jesus said in Luke 7:28 "For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist..."

WOW - what a statement by Jesus.  So, we will focus on the life of John the Baptist.  Interestingly about John, he performed no miracles and his public ministry only lasted about six months.  But what an impact.

This Sunday we begin "A Great Man is Born with Purpose" as examine his birth as recorded in Luke 1.

Then Sunday night, we begin our annual Prayer and Fasting emphasis. Last year we introduced this emphasis and heard so many positive comments about it.  This year, we are going a little deeper.

 We will fast for 24 hours this week beginning at sundown Tuesday until sundown Wednesday. This is the Jewish calendar for fasting (sundown to sundown).

The "pure" way of fasting is do without food. But I realize some may not be able to do that, so fast to whatever degree God leads and is appropriate for you.  Those who cannot fast from food may choose to fast from certain types of food or from social media, television, or something similar.  Even if you cannot fast, pray with us.  We want everyone to participate at some level.

You may want to participate in the Prayer Time each weekday morning (through January 28) at Broadway Baptist Church from 6-7 AM and on Saturday from 9-10 AM in community praying initiated from The Church of the Highlands in Birmingham.  I attended a few times last year and it was a blessing.

We will also be fasting on Wednesday, January 1 and three days from Monday, January 23 through Wednesday, January 25.  

Our focus for these days will be the life of Daniel.  This Sunday night we will look at Daniel 1 and Daniel's practice of fasting.

Looking forward to getting back to our worship times on Sunday nights.