How I Became Pro-Life - Daniel's Testimony

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.600 --> 00:00:05.799 I Am Yours, I am yours, I am yours, s and me, 2 00:00:06.160 --> 00:00:10.310 Lord, I am you're welcome to the Gospel Center pro life podcast, 3 00:00:10.429 --> 00:00:13.390 the podcast where we talk about pro life issues in light of the Gospel. 4 00:00:13.789 --> 00:00:16.789 In this episode I'm going to share my testimony and how I got involved in 5 00:00:16.870 --> 00:00:20.309 the pro life movement. Hope you're blessed. Is You listen, stay tuned. 6 00:00:23.699 --> 00:00:33.899 I felt show passish touch your heart. Welcome to the Gospel Center pro 7 00:00:34.020 --> 00:00:37.890 life podcast and video. Appreciate all that you who are watching and who are 8 00:00:37.929 --> 00:00:44.929 listening. The purpose of this podcast is to encourage you and to just help 9 00:00:45.049 --> 00:00:49.250 those who are maybe getting new and newly involved in the pro life movement and 10 00:00:49.649 --> 00:00:53.439 those who are maybe long time in the pro life movement, to help you 11 00:00:54.840 --> 00:00:58.479 talk about pro life issues and think about pro life issues in light of the 12 00:00:58.560 --> 00:01:03.829 Gospel, to emphasize the point that pro life and the issue of abortion is 13 00:01:04.030 --> 00:01:08.230 not a political issue, is a gospel issue, and so that's that's our 14 00:01:08.310 --> 00:01:12.750 heart, that's our desire for you understand that and we've wanted to share in 15 00:01:12.829 --> 00:01:18.349 the past. The previous podcast we talked to Vicky and she just shared some 16 00:01:18.430 --> 00:01:22.420 of her testimony how she came from being pro choice to being pro life and 17 00:01:22.620 --> 00:01:26.060 becoming a Christian and just wanted you guys to see our hearts, where we 18 00:01:26.140 --> 00:01:30.260 come from. And No, you know, we're just just like many of 19 00:01:30.299 --> 00:01:33.209 you. The Lord has done a work in our hearts to bring us to 20 00:01:33.329 --> 00:01:37.769 some of the conclusions and the callings that he's put in our lives. And 21 00:01:38.489 --> 00:01:42.129 this podcast we're going to share, I'm going to share my testimony and Vicki's 22 00:01:42.170 --> 00:01:48.040 going to ask me some probing questions hopefully spur some thought and some conversation and 23 00:01:48.400 --> 00:01:51.680 spur you guys to seek the Lord and where he would have you to be 24 00:01:51.760 --> 00:01:53.840 involved in the pro life movement. So with that, Vicky, you just 25 00:01:55.280 --> 00:01:57.879 fire away. Well, first of all, who are you? Okay, 26 00:01:59.040 --> 00:02:01.030 what do you do right now in the pro life movement? So currently I 27 00:02:01.150 --> 00:02:05.909 am the executive director of cities for life here in Charlotte, North Carolina, 28 00:02:05.950 --> 00:02:10.349 and we know we're locally. We're sidewalk counselors here with a heart to reach 29 00:02:10.629 --> 00:02:15.349 the abortion minded women that are going into the abortion centers and offer them help 30 00:02:15.430 --> 00:02:19.099 and hope in the name of Jesus, and so that's my current role here. 31 00:02:19.379 --> 00:02:22.979 God has called me to ministry in this capacity full time and my family, 32 00:02:23.580 --> 00:02:25.819 my wife being a nurse, she does ultrasounds on board of Mobiultra Sugn 33 00:02:25.819 --> 00:02:30.409 Unit with a partner ministry help pregnancy center, and she works in a couple 34 00:02:30.409 --> 00:02:34.969 of pregnancy centers and as a family we serve together on the sidewalks on Saturdays 35 00:02:35.250 --> 00:02:39.169 and in our kids are out there, you know, holding signs and we're 36 00:02:39.210 --> 00:02:44.169 all trying to reach the moms together. So volunteering on the sidewalks, but 37 00:02:44.639 --> 00:02:46.879 executive director of cities for life also. Yeah, okay, so you looks 38 00:02:46.879 --> 00:02:51.639 like, you know, one of these pro life heroes and sun who's really 39 00:02:52.280 --> 00:02:55.120 kind of an important figure in in the pro life movement, and I'm wondering 40 00:02:57.360 --> 00:03:01.750 you must have been pro life your whole life, right and and and been 41 00:03:01.830 --> 00:03:07.229 a strong proponent of of life. Is that true? Is that where you 42 00:03:07.349 --> 00:03:14.180 started off? Well, not really, sort of, I guess. Early 43 00:03:14.379 --> 00:03:22.099 in my life my parents were were believers and I remember some of my member 44 00:03:22.219 --> 00:03:27.449 some conversations that my parents had about pro life things and it really had to 45 00:03:27.530 --> 00:03:32.009 do with politics. Really they were Republicans and they believed that you should vote 46 00:03:32.050 --> 00:03:36.449 for Republicans, and so there were some talk about that. was that because 47 00:03:36.449 --> 00:03:39.009 of the pro life stance of Republicans or no, no, it was you 48 00:03:39.210 --> 00:03:44.560 probably just in general, you know, far in that line of thought. 49 00:03:44.560 --> 00:03:47.599 It had a couple of factors. Had to do with being repubably. Wouldn't 50 00:03:47.599 --> 00:03:51.840 just pro life, but pro life, and being pro life was was part 51 00:03:51.840 --> 00:03:54.159 of that, but not really, you know, a major infasis, I 52 00:03:54.319 --> 00:03:58.909 guess. And you know, as your kid and your parents have certain convictions, 53 00:03:59.710 --> 00:04:01.310 you pretty much just by default, I guess, jump on board with 54 00:04:01.349 --> 00:04:05.469 those convictions. And so their convictions were were prolife, you know, generally 55 00:04:05.710 --> 00:04:11.259 and maybe nominally in some ways. Mainly politically, though, I think. 56 00:04:12.900 --> 00:04:16.220 But as I grew and came into my own, I guess you could you 57 00:04:16.259 --> 00:04:24.060 could say and and really never rejected God as far as like. I never 58 00:04:24.259 --> 00:04:27.129 was an atheist. There's never a time where I didn't believe in God, 59 00:04:27.370 --> 00:04:31.250 but I really didn't walk with God on in my high school years and you 60 00:04:31.329 --> 00:04:33.930 know, I began to embrace just the idea that, you know, it's 61 00:04:33.970 --> 00:04:36.730 a woman's right to choose to do what she wants to do with your body 62 00:04:36.850 --> 00:04:41.240 and you people are basically good. So people are going to do the right 63 00:04:41.319 --> 00:04:45.920 thing, even if it maybe is something that others might not think is the 64 00:04:45.920 --> 00:04:47.439 right thing, and so I just kind of, I guess, kind of 65 00:04:47.920 --> 00:04:51.910 to that default position of well, you know, pro choice, I guess, 66 00:04:51.910 --> 00:04:56.310 because it's not my body. As I came into, you know, 67 00:04:56.709 --> 00:04:59.189 early adulthood, I guess you could say, yeah, yeah, and did 68 00:04:59.269 --> 00:05:02.589 your did your parents ever have discussions about, you know, but if you 69 00:05:02.629 --> 00:05:08.620 ever get a girl pregnant, don't ever consider abortion or HMM, did? 70 00:05:08.819 --> 00:05:11.779 Did you ever have any search of those discussions with friends or anyone? I 71 00:05:12.939 --> 00:05:15.019 don't know that I did. To be honest with you, I don't. 72 00:05:15.060 --> 00:05:17.620 I don't recall having those kind of discussions. I'd certainly don't recall having those 73 00:05:17.620 --> 00:05:24.970 discussions with my parents. I think I knew, just because of their convictions 74 00:05:25.370 --> 00:05:30.970 and maybe just by, you know, the the truth of God in me, 75 00:05:31.009 --> 00:05:33.610 even though I was not walking with the Lord. The Bible says the 76 00:05:33.649 --> 00:05:36.360 Law of God has written on our hearts. I think I knew that abortion 77 00:05:36.480 --> 00:05:43.920 was wrong and I think that I would know what their stance would be if 78 00:05:44.079 --> 00:05:46.560 that happened. As a matter of fact, we'll probably talk about that a 79 00:05:46.600 --> 00:05:49.000 little bit. That actually did happen as part of my testimony. Yeah, 80 00:05:49.350 --> 00:05:54.269 yeah, so, yeah, so now you were raised roview aid was already 81 00:05:54.829 --> 00:05:58.550 that had already been decided. Yeah, I'm very I'm very young. So 82 00:05:59.149 --> 00:06:04.259 tell so. So you were raised, I mean your entire life abortion was 83 00:06:04.339 --> 00:06:09.699 legal. And did did you ever was serve her part a point in your 84 00:06:09.740 --> 00:06:13.860 young life, before we get to, you know, maybe your later teenage 85 00:06:13.899 --> 00:06:18.529 years, where where you thought this isn't what should be as far as the 86 00:06:18.889 --> 00:06:24.930 abortion? Yeah, said here's the law of our you're raised in a Christian 87 00:06:24.970 --> 00:06:29.730 home and the law of the country is that it is legal to take the 88 00:06:29.810 --> 00:06:32.319 life of a little human being. Did that cause any angst or any you 89 00:06:32.439 --> 00:06:36.480 know, crisis of faith or anything that you know? You know, I 90 00:06:36.519 --> 00:06:43.439 don't know that I really thought about the issue of abortion a whole lot when 91 00:06:43.480 --> 00:06:46.589 I was younger, although now I do remember at one point, if I'm 92 00:06:46.629 --> 00:06:51.670 not mistaken, as I remember back, my mom was involved in some sort 93 00:06:51.709 --> 00:06:57.949 of political action thing to do with with pro life stuff. At one time 94 00:06:58.110 --> 00:07:01.300 she was involved with Pat Robertson, if you know who he is, but 95 00:07:01.459 --> 00:07:06.180 he he very I think early in the early S, early mid s own 96 00:07:06.220 --> 00:07:10.019 into the S, was a you know. I think he ran for president 97 00:07:10.060 --> 00:07:15.699 at some point and he had a strong pro life stance. And so I 98 00:07:15.769 --> 00:07:18.569 think she was in with some of that that maybe even then with his campaign, 99 00:07:18.569 --> 00:07:20.850 but I don't know that I thought it through. The short is like 100 00:07:20.930 --> 00:07:25.569 a in my mind, there's sort of a macro view of abortion, sort 101 00:07:25.610 --> 00:07:30.040 of a national view in this national conversation, I guess, and it's more 102 00:07:30.120 --> 00:07:32.399 political, and then the sort of the micro view of abortion, like how 103 00:07:32.439 --> 00:07:38.639 it happens individually and how it affects individual lives. And I think maybe my 104 00:07:38.800 --> 00:07:42.879 view, if any, was more of the macro rather than the micro view 105 00:07:43.240 --> 00:07:45.910 in my young years and on into, you know, early teens, I 106 00:07:45.949 --> 00:07:48.149 guess. Yeah, so you get into your change and you alluded to so 107 00:07:49.029 --> 00:07:54.949 you you had a girlfriend, hmm, Courtney, at the time and and 108 00:07:55.149 --> 00:07:58.699 things didn't go quite as you hoped, yeah, with that relationship. So 109 00:07:58.819 --> 00:08:01.420 can you talk about what would happened there? And Yeah, so, so 110 00:08:01.620 --> 00:08:09.579 we were high school sweethearts and were introduced to each other by a friend and 111 00:08:11.339 --> 00:08:15.129 we kind of right away just I don't know if we fell in love, 112 00:08:15.250 --> 00:08:18.290 whatever you want to call it, but I mean I'd say I did at 113 00:08:18.329 --> 00:08:22.930 least them. I hope she did. But anyway, and of course we 114 00:08:22.089 --> 00:08:24.769 know, you know what's right and what's wrong. Even though I wasn't a 115 00:08:24.850 --> 00:08:28.959 believer, I had been in church some and my parents kind of fell away 116 00:08:28.959 --> 00:08:33.840 from going to church in my you know, I guess tween years or whatever, 117 00:08:33.879 --> 00:08:37.399 maybe a little before that. And so as a as an early adolescent 118 00:08:37.600 --> 00:08:43.190 and on into teenage years, believed in God. Wasn't really exposed to a 119 00:08:43.230 --> 00:08:45.669 whole lot of church, so to speak, but I knew what was right 120 00:08:45.669 --> 00:08:48.669 and what was wrong, and so we began, you know, in the 121 00:08:48.710 --> 00:08:50.990 early part of our relationship, we began to do it we knew was the 122 00:08:50.990 --> 00:08:54.509 wrong. I have sex outside of marriage. That temptation was was there, 123 00:08:54.980 --> 00:08:58.419 like it is with with so many young people, for sure, and I 124 00:08:58.500 --> 00:09:01.700 don't think there was a whole lot to discourage us from falling into that temptation, 125 00:09:01.860 --> 00:09:05.220 though. Her parents, you wonderful people, Godly people, went to 126 00:09:05.340 --> 00:09:11.049 church, heard her convictions were in line with their convictions, and so I 127 00:09:11.129 --> 00:09:16.529 come along and pull her out of those convictions and we begin to do the 128 00:09:16.610 --> 00:09:24.169 things that we knew were wrong. And so in that season of our lives, 129 00:09:24.679 --> 00:09:30.320 really she walked away from the Lord and I had really never given my 130 00:09:30.360 --> 00:09:33.399 life to the Lord. And and then we find out, you know, 131 00:09:33.000 --> 00:09:39.710 seventeen years old. She's sixteen years old, she's pregnant and I remember, 132 00:09:39.149 --> 00:09:45.350 I'm remember the day that that was, that was revealed. She kept it 133 00:09:45.429 --> 00:09:48.909 hidden and, as a matter of fact, you know, share with you 134 00:09:48.309 --> 00:09:52.059 a little bit yesterday as we talked through kind of my story, that I 135 00:09:52.259 --> 00:09:56.899 think she kept it hid, hidden from me, for it was one of 136 00:09:56.940 --> 00:10:00.539 the reasons because at that time I was a selfish little punk, yeah, 137 00:10:00.700 --> 00:10:05.019 living for myself and didn't have a whole lot of concerning I loved her whatever, 138 00:10:05.139 --> 00:10:09.289 but had no real desire to be a dad or to start a family. 139 00:10:09.490 --> 00:10:13.649 And at Seventeen, who does? But but really just party in and 140 00:10:13.769 --> 00:10:16.370 do all that stuff. And I would have certainly, in my sin and 141 00:10:16.409 --> 00:10:20.730 in my rebellion against God and the mentality that embrace that time, it was 142 00:10:20.730 --> 00:10:22.279 all about me, I would have taken her to have an abortion. Yeah, 143 00:10:24.399 --> 00:10:28.799 and you know, she possibly could have circumbed to the pressure. We 144 00:10:28.879 --> 00:10:33.039 see it on a daily basis almost at the abortion centers here in Charlotte, 145 00:10:33.360 --> 00:10:35.629 where we see these young men who were scared like I was. You know, 146 00:10:35.629 --> 00:10:39.830 I was scared, I was selfish to yeah, it was more about 147 00:10:39.309 --> 00:10:43.110 I was afraid of what was going to happen to me and it was what 148 00:10:43.230 --> 00:10:46.549 was going to happen to her or anything like that. And and fear, 149 00:10:46.669 --> 00:10:50.700 oftentimes we'll drive us to do things you would otherwise do. So I could, 150 00:10:50.820 --> 00:10:56.100 I could see me taking her here to latrobe maybe at that time, 151 00:10:56.580 --> 00:11:00.139 and driven her right into that place. Was it ever a discussion? Did 152 00:11:00.179 --> 00:11:05.730 you ever did when you actually which told you she was pregnant? Did did 153 00:11:05.769 --> 00:11:09.450 abortion ever enter the discussion? No, no, because at that point when 154 00:11:09.450 --> 00:11:11.129 it came out, and it came out and sort of a weird way where 155 00:11:11.129 --> 00:11:15.769 we're sitting on the couch in her parents living room and we're, you know, 156 00:11:15.929 --> 00:11:18.000 just kind of shooting the breeze, sitting around, and her mom just 157 00:11:18.080 --> 00:11:20.399 kind of comes out and says, so when we're going to stop the Non 158 00:11:20.480 --> 00:11:24.720 Reality? You're pregnant. Yeah, really, yeah, wow, so her 159 00:11:24.759 --> 00:11:28.600 mom knew her mom. Yeah, and it was sort of like, you 160 00:11:28.759 --> 00:11:35.190 know, I knew and was almost like one of those willful ignorant sort of 161 00:11:35.269 --> 00:11:37.549 thing. Yeah, if you don't say it, it's not really yeah, 162 00:11:37.549 --> 00:11:41.590 I mean really, when you're a young person in that again, and that's 163 00:11:41.669 --> 00:11:43.990 how, from my perspective, I can speak to the young man who are 164 00:11:45.029 --> 00:11:48.779 going into the abortion centers and I can speak to young men about that prolife 165 00:11:48.860 --> 00:11:52.820 issues, because I know the fear that comes from having an unwanted pregnancy and 166 00:11:54.139 --> 00:11:56.539 being a dad at a young age and and so you know, when that 167 00:11:56.659 --> 00:12:00.700 come, when that came out in the way that it came out, the 168 00:12:00.820 --> 00:12:05.009 first person I blame, which is really funny, and this is human propensity, 169 00:12:05.009 --> 00:12:09.649 I believe, is rather than blaming myself or even blaming her, I 170 00:12:09.769 --> 00:12:13.490 blame God. That's he's the first person I blame. He could have stopped 171 00:12:13.490 --> 00:12:16.879 it right. He's exactly life. Yeah, and it kind of takes me 172 00:12:16.960 --> 00:12:20.000 back. As I look back, it kind of takes me back to a 173 00:12:20.120 --> 00:12:24.399 story in the Bible of our first parents, Adam and Eve, and how 174 00:12:24.879 --> 00:12:28.399 the Lord comes after you know, the Lord had told Adam don't eat of 175 00:12:28.440 --> 00:12:31.070 the tree or the fruit of this tree, or you'll surely die. Well, 176 00:12:31.350 --> 00:12:35.470 Adam falls into the temptation because of his wife Eve, and I'm not 177 00:12:35.549 --> 00:12:41.710 blaming Courtney for this, but I am saying that WHO's the first person really 178 00:12:41.750 --> 00:12:45.019 the Adam blames, because he says, when the Lord comes and says, 179 00:12:45.019 --> 00:12:46.820 what are you? What have you done? You've basically you've eaten of this 180 00:12:46.899 --> 00:12:50.139 tree. And what does he say? He doesn't say, well, I'm 181 00:12:50.139 --> 00:12:52.860 sorry, I was responsible. He says, no, it was the woman 182 00:12:52.899 --> 00:12:56.340 that you gave me, you, he gave me to. The accusation was 183 00:12:56.419 --> 00:13:00.529 not even against Eve. Accusation was against the Lord. And that's how it 184 00:13:00.649 --> 00:13:03.450 was for me. I was I remember like praying and saying God, why 185 00:13:03.490 --> 00:13:07.090 did you allow this to happen? I remember saying God hates me because the 186 00:13:07.409 --> 00:13:13.360 way God orchestrated this thing, he hates me. And and it was a 187 00:13:13.159 --> 00:13:18.200 it was and and that was my fear. This is the end of end 188 00:13:18.240 --> 00:13:20.480 of my world, this is the end of life for me. So you're 189 00:13:20.519 --> 00:13:24.639 being all deflated as you're sitting here discovering she's pregnanted. Courtney fest up right 190 00:13:24.679 --> 00:13:26.509 away? Or Yeah, Oh, yeah, I mean it was obvious. 191 00:13:26.590 --> 00:13:30.590 Yeah, okay, it was the elephant in the room. So okay, 192 00:13:30.590 --> 00:13:33.149 all right, okay, so your world falls apart. Coordiney is had a 193 00:13:33.190 --> 00:13:39.629 little bit more time to to deal with it. So did you talk about 194 00:13:39.629 --> 00:13:41.980 marriage right away or what was Oh, you know, I think right away 195 00:13:43.019 --> 00:13:48.980 the conversation was around the around the baby, and thankfully her parents were, 196 00:13:48.700 --> 00:13:54.299 you know, godly people who I don't know that abortion would every even enter 197 00:13:54.419 --> 00:13:56.370 into their minds. I mean, I don't I don't know that and I 198 00:13:56.809 --> 00:14:01.649 certainly wouldn't wouldn't be accusatory if it did, but I would doubt that it 199 00:14:01.769 --> 00:14:03.889 ever even did. It was the right away. What can we do to 200 00:14:05.049 --> 00:14:07.210 make sure that courtney is taken care of and make sure this baby is taken 201 00:14:07.250 --> 00:14:11.679 care of? And then, you know, later on there was some conversations 202 00:14:11.840 --> 00:14:15.799 and I did end up, you know, I knew what the right thing 203 00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:18.360 to do was, even not being a Christian at that point, sort of 204 00:14:18.399 --> 00:14:20.519 having a you know, as the Bible says, I had a form of 205 00:14:20.600 --> 00:14:24.279 godliness, but now, in the power thereof, it's like I had this 206 00:14:24.389 --> 00:14:26.950 form of godliness. I read my Bible even I read my Bible at that 207 00:14:28.110 --> 00:14:33.070 time almost on a daily basis. You know, for whatever reason I had 208 00:14:33.070 --> 00:14:37.149 actually a false conversion, spear experience. It's a little bit after, a 209 00:14:37.629 --> 00:14:39.580 couple of days after it, we found out she was pregnant. I remember 210 00:14:39.700 --> 00:14:45.059 just feeling the pressure of the circumstance and the guilt from it. But it 211 00:14:45.179 --> 00:14:48.659 was not guilt really that I felt that I had sinned against God. It 212 00:14:48.820 --> 00:14:50.940 was more that I had sent against her parents and so I went down front 213 00:14:50.980 --> 00:14:54.690 at a church service and gave my life to Jesus, and I put that 214 00:14:54.769 --> 00:14:58.210 in quotes, not because that can't happen. Certainly someone can go down front 215 00:14:58.250 --> 00:15:01.769 and give their life to Jesus, but I, you know, even though 216 00:15:01.769 --> 00:15:05.690 I wept and cried, it was it was that worldly sorrow. I'd been 217 00:15:05.690 --> 00:15:09.480 caught in my sin and I was not converted, my heart was not changed 218 00:15:09.080 --> 00:15:11.919 because I continue to do the same things, to think the same way, 219 00:15:13.039 --> 00:15:16.679 but I did make a profession of faith that was not real. At the 220 00:15:16.759 --> 00:15:20.600 time I thought it was because I checked the box. You know I'm saying 221 00:15:20.639 --> 00:15:22.669 I did the stuff that I was told to do, but it really again, 222 00:15:22.669 --> 00:15:26.629 it was it was a worldly sorrow, it was a brokenness over I 223 00:15:26.750 --> 00:15:28.870 was called on my sin rather than I had sinned against the Lord, and 224 00:15:30.710 --> 00:15:35.740 I share that just because it actually took so from that time. So our 225 00:15:35.779 --> 00:15:39.899 daughter was born in in ninety eight, one thousand nine hundred and ninety eight, 226 00:15:39.940 --> 00:15:43.179 and I was eighteen years old and it took from that time, from 227 00:15:43.220 --> 00:15:48.259 being eighteen years old till twenty one years old. In that three year or 228 00:15:48.299 --> 00:15:52.090 so period, the Lord working on my heart and just really showing me that 229 00:15:52.409 --> 00:15:58.250 to be the father that I'm supposed to be, because you know, as 230 00:15:58.409 --> 00:16:03.450 parents we have to make sacrifices sure to fruch child. Yeah, and the 231 00:16:03.529 --> 00:16:07.440 parental role is actually a good way. It's in your testimony. It's kind 232 00:16:07.440 --> 00:16:10.320 of what the Lord used to bring you to himself to your first son was 233 00:16:10.440 --> 00:16:17.039 born. We understand the heart of the father when we become parents and we 234 00:16:17.080 --> 00:16:19.669 understand, understand what it means to sacrifice and how he's sacrifice and how he 235 00:16:21.190 --> 00:16:23.470 was forbearing with us and patient with us, because we got to be patient 236 00:16:23.470 --> 00:16:26.389 with our kids. And so the Lord be in his patients, in His 237 00:16:26.470 --> 00:16:30.029 grace. For that that three year period was really working on my heart and 238 00:16:30.190 --> 00:16:34.460 just showing me, you know what, you're not right, but you can 239 00:16:34.539 --> 00:16:40.100 get right. You need the grace that is available. You don't have it, 240 00:16:40.259 --> 00:16:42.299 but you need it. And then two thousand and one, maybe getting 241 00:16:42.299 --> 00:16:47.250 a little ahead of myself in this, but in two thousand and one I 242 00:16:47.450 --> 00:16:51.289 realized that I needed I was not saved, that I needed to be saved. 243 00:16:52.129 --> 00:16:56.169 And and so at that point, so we had, you know, 244 00:16:56.210 --> 00:16:59.970 I'd proposed to her I think the Christmas of that year, when we found 245 00:16:59.970 --> 00:17:03.919 out she was pregnant. I had proposed to her and plans was, you 246 00:17:03.000 --> 00:17:06.200 know, it's a five year plan, right, and my mind at least, 247 00:17:06.200 --> 00:17:08.599 I'm going to work and save up money and have this and have that 248 00:17:08.759 --> 00:17:11.759 in place before we get married. And that's, you know, that shows 249 00:17:11.880 --> 00:17:15.710 just the worldliness of my mentality. When I got saved in two thousand and 250 00:17:15.789 --> 00:17:21.710 one, I knew right away that even though we stopped having sex outside of 251 00:17:21.750 --> 00:17:23.109 marriage, because I knew, after my heart was changed, that was not 252 00:17:23.230 --> 00:17:27.589 okay, it still didn't look good to have a baby's Mama. And you 253 00:17:27.710 --> 00:17:30.740 the Bible says we should stay away from even the parents of evil. So 254 00:17:30.819 --> 00:17:33.619 as I'm testifying what God has done in my life and I hear I have, 255 00:17:33.819 --> 00:17:37.980 you know, a child outside of wedlock, it just didn't look good. 256 00:17:37.059 --> 00:17:41.380 And and the Lord was just calling me and calling her to trust him 257 00:17:41.420 --> 00:17:45.529 and to scrap our five year plan or whatever plan we had, and to 258 00:17:45.609 --> 00:17:48.329 put our trust in him. And so six months later, after I was 259 00:17:48.410 --> 00:17:51.410 saved in two thousand, early part of three thousand and one, we were 260 00:17:51.490 --> 00:17:53.250 married. We were getting married and stepping out in faith in that way. 261 00:17:53.529 --> 00:17:57.839 Right, right, and and she also went back to school, right. 262 00:17:57.880 --> 00:18:02.000 I mean she graduated. Yeah, yes, she kept you. Yeah, 263 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:04.319 kept right on. So a great testimony to so many of the women that 264 00:18:04.400 --> 00:18:08.160 we encounter in the in the pro life movement who say that their life stops. 265 00:18:08.240 --> 00:18:12.269 Like what you what you felt, your life stops when you have a 266 00:18:12.309 --> 00:18:17.430 baby. Well, that's not certainly not easy when we don't follow God's plan, 267 00:18:18.269 --> 00:18:21.349 but it is possible. Yeah, it's. Well, you know, 268 00:18:21.349 --> 00:18:26.309 I cheered when I first found out that she was pregnant, that it was 269 00:18:26.430 --> 00:18:30.420 end of the world for me, right, and it really was. Yeah, 270 00:18:30.180 --> 00:18:33.059 but that was a good thing actually, because what was my world at 271 00:18:33.099 --> 00:18:37.180 that time, right, was Daniel in the center and everything else revolved around 272 00:18:37.220 --> 00:18:41.299 it. And that three year time period is when the Lord really showed me 273 00:18:41.569 --> 00:18:45.289 this is not about you, life is not about you. My world came 274 00:18:45.369 --> 00:18:48.890 apart, came unraveled, you know, the partying and all that other stuff, 275 00:18:48.210 --> 00:18:51.650 you know, necessarily had to change, because I'm a dad now. 276 00:18:51.809 --> 00:18:56.599 Right, it did immediately change. It wasn't immediately that I repented of all 277 00:18:56.640 --> 00:19:00.200 that stuff and, you know, became him a the dad that he was 278 00:19:00.240 --> 00:19:02.759 calling me to be to again, about three years I'm still not, I 279 00:19:02.880 --> 00:19:04.200 think, the dad that he's called me to be, although now we have 280 00:19:04.279 --> 00:19:08.279 eight children. Our daughter from that unplanned pregnancy is twenty one. She's a 281 00:19:08.359 --> 00:19:11.750 blessing from the Lord and she comes out and comes on the sidewalk in front 282 00:19:11.750 --> 00:19:15.549 of the abortion center with us and I can testify. You know, I've 283 00:19:15.549 --> 00:19:18.829 been where you've been and the Lord is faithful and here our daughter is, 284 00:19:18.910 --> 00:19:23.109 is a testimony to that. But my world was over, yeah, when 285 00:19:23.150 --> 00:19:26.299 I found out my girlfriend was pregnant, and that was a good thing. 286 00:19:26.460 --> 00:19:30.619 Yeah, and so I want to piggy back off of that thought, because 287 00:19:30.740 --> 00:19:37.500 something that I hear often from moms who are are abortion minded is is, 288 00:19:37.779 --> 00:19:44.769 well, God will use the death of my child, the abortion, to 289 00:19:45.329 --> 00:19:48.410 bring about, you know, the changes that are necessary my life whatever. 290 00:19:48.450 --> 00:19:52.809 Yeah, and so you're not saying, and I I know you're not, 291 00:19:52.920 --> 00:19:55.519 I know you well enough. But but I want you maybe to expand on 292 00:19:55.680 --> 00:20:00.839 that, that that having sex outside of marriage led to a pregnancy, which 293 00:20:00.920 --> 00:20:06.599 led to your world changing, which led to you finding God. You're not 294 00:20:06.720 --> 00:20:11.309 suggesting that that people should go have sex outside of marriage or have an abortion 295 00:20:12.710 --> 00:20:17.549 in order to find God. So do you see what I'm saying? Yeah, 296 00:20:17.589 --> 00:20:21.859 could you talk about that a little bit, about you know, maybe 297 00:20:22.019 --> 00:20:26.779 there's something about that. God has used something, but that is that God's 298 00:20:26.859 --> 00:20:30.259 plan. Is that right desire for your life, the way, the plan 299 00:20:30.619 --> 00:20:33.980 that you took? Yeah, well, so I would say that in the 300 00:20:34.220 --> 00:20:40.849 midst of our sin and our sinful decisions, though we can't always know, 301 00:20:41.049 --> 00:20:42.730 God does. He knows the end from the beginning, and we can't always 302 00:20:42.769 --> 00:20:48.210 know what the results will be. God, in his wisdom and his goodness 303 00:20:48.369 --> 00:20:52.039 and His mercy, can navigate through even our sinful choices to bring about something 304 00:20:52.079 --> 00:20:55.759 good. You know. Yes, and so though you know, we can't 305 00:20:55.759 --> 00:20:59.079 always explain all of that stuff and all the INS and outs of how God 306 00:20:59.240 --> 00:21:00.960 works, and I'm not going to pretend to try to expound on that and 307 00:21:02.039 --> 00:21:04.670 get into the permissive will of God and the perfect will of God and all 308 00:21:04.710 --> 00:21:08.589 these other things. I'll just say this. We are called to trust the 309 00:21:08.750 --> 00:21:12.670 Lord and we're called to do things God's way. And when we mess up, 310 00:21:12.789 --> 00:21:17.269 like having sex outside of marriage, like they say, two wrongs don't 311 00:21:17.269 --> 00:21:19.819 make a right right. A Sin does not atone for a previous sin. 312 00:21:21.019 --> 00:21:23.299 Right exactly. So it's never that, you know, God isn't. It's 313 00:21:23.339 --> 00:21:26.940 not God's will for people have children outside of wedlock. I don't believe. 314 00:21:26.980 --> 00:21:30.700 You know, however you theologically phrase that. I don't believe it was God's 315 00:21:30.740 --> 00:21:34.690 perfect will for that to happen. I will say this that it was God's 316 00:21:34.730 --> 00:21:38.890 perfect will for us to have our daughter absent and she is a blessing from 317 00:21:38.890 --> 00:21:45.890 the Lord. Yeah, but certainly sin is destructive, but God is a 318 00:21:45.970 --> 00:21:52.160 redeemer and I oftentimes look back at my testimony and look back at what the 319 00:21:52.240 --> 00:21:57.440 Lord has done in his in his great mercy, and I'm marvel and I 320 00:21:57.519 --> 00:22:03.430 think some sometimes God's working in our lives and how God navigates, for lack 321 00:22:03.470 --> 00:22:07.190 of a better term, through the stuff and the junk of our lives to 322 00:22:07.269 --> 00:22:11.470 bring about redemption is astounding to me. It amazes me and I think it's 323 00:22:11.990 --> 00:22:18.779 in one sense it's designed to to to have us on our faces before God 324 00:22:18.299 --> 00:22:22.420 and say, in the midst of my sin, how you took the sinful 325 00:22:22.539 --> 00:22:26.859 choices and decisions. And though God, the Bible says God doesn't tempt anyone 326 00:22:26.940 --> 00:22:30.930 with sin. God's not the tempter, and yet he's able to use that 327 00:22:30.730 --> 00:22:37.569 for his glory and for our good. It's, I think, almost uncomprehendible. 328 00:22:37.650 --> 00:22:41.809 Right in a side so that background and having now that this this story 329 00:22:41.329 --> 00:22:45.720 of you know what you went through as a young adult at the same age 330 00:22:45.720 --> 00:22:49.920 of many of the people that we will encounter who, yeah, who think 331 00:22:51.000 --> 00:22:56.400 that abortion is the answer, just it affect how you then operate, for 332 00:22:56.440 --> 00:23:00.069 lack of a better word, as a prolife advocate. Yeah, in your 333 00:23:00.109 --> 00:23:04.670 interactions with with others, specifically with the MOMS and the DADS who are coming 334 00:23:04.750 --> 00:23:08.789 to abortion centers. Yeah, I mean certainly, again, I can not 335 00:23:08.869 --> 00:23:14.140 for not every circumstance, but I can certainly speak from some of the circumstances 336 00:23:14.500 --> 00:23:18.779 are at least from that perspective at and know what it feels like to be 337 00:23:18.779 --> 00:23:23.339 afraid to be a young parent. Yeah, and it gives me a burden 338 00:23:23.819 --> 00:23:27.250 really to speak to those dads and to call them up. You know, 339 00:23:27.289 --> 00:23:33.130 I had people calling me up as as a young father, calling me up 340 00:23:33.289 --> 00:23:36.049 to do what God has called me to do, in the sense that deny 341 00:23:36.170 --> 00:23:38.809 yourself and put your trust in the Lord. And so I can speak from 342 00:23:38.809 --> 00:23:42.359 that perspective. I can, you know, also speak to the perspective of 343 00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:45.680 the women as well, because me and my wife are, you have a 344 00:23:45.720 --> 00:23:51.480 close relationship and and we've talked through these things and I kind of kind of 345 00:23:51.599 --> 00:23:55.039 can feel from that perspective of a young lady, not entirely, but at 346 00:23:55.079 --> 00:24:00.029 least can talk from that perspective a little bit and and speak really to that 347 00:24:00.190 --> 00:24:02.829 that fear. Yeah, it is fear. A lot of times it jobs 348 00:24:02.869 --> 00:24:06.710 people to an abortion center. I agree. So, so, now, 349 00:24:07.470 --> 00:24:11.259 so you're a young family starting out, you get married, you you've got, 350 00:24:11.779 --> 00:24:15.819 you know, a child, and what brought you from that moment in 351 00:24:15.940 --> 00:24:23.529 your life to being out as a very vocal prolife person on the sidewalk up 352 00:24:23.569 --> 00:24:26.490 an abortion yeah? Yeah, because, you know, we acknowledge that it 353 00:24:26.730 --> 00:24:30.490 is sort of a maybe a weird thing to be in front of an abortion 354 00:24:30.569 --> 00:24:33.089 center. People do it? How many people do it, although I think 355 00:24:33.369 --> 00:24:37.529 more people should. I agree. Yeah, that's that's another podcast. I 356 00:24:37.680 --> 00:24:41.720 yes. So, basically, I say the Lord set me up. You 357 00:24:41.799 --> 00:24:45.599 know, when I first was saved I was astounded by the mercy of God 358 00:24:45.799 --> 00:24:48.880 and by the goodness of God that he would save a rat like me and 359 00:24:49.000 --> 00:24:52.190 it was my heart to one of the things I prayed when I first got 360 00:24:52.269 --> 00:24:56.390 say was Lord, don't let me, don't let me live long enough to 361 00:24:56.430 --> 00:25:00.230 do nothing. Okay, if I, if I am not involved in kingdom 362 00:25:00.230 --> 00:25:03.869 work. If I am an apathetic Christian, just kill me. I would 363 00:25:03.869 --> 00:25:08.539 rather die than be an apathetic pew sitting Christian. And so I was always 364 00:25:08.539 --> 00:25:11.940 in my heart to be evangelistic, to share the Gospel, to seek after 365 00:25:11.980 --> 00:25:15.380 the Lord, to seek to know him more, to dig in his word. 366 00:25:15.420 --> 00:25:19.779 It was just in my heart because I'd been a false convert and apathetic 367 00:25:19.900 --> 00:25:25.250 Christian. I've seen a lot of apathy in the Christian in the Christian realm, 368 00:25:25.769 --> 00:25:27.170 and I didn't want to be like that. So I'd always been sort 369 00:25:27.170 --> 00:25:30.529 of evangelistic. Well, not sort of, but really evangelistic. You shared 370 00:25:30.609 --> 00:25:37.000 tracks and cheering the gospel, that kind of stuff. And and so anyway, 371 00:25:37.160 --> 00:25:41.279 you know, done some street preaching and that sort of thing and and 372 00:25:41.680 --> 00:25:48.480 some one on one evangelism. And actually early part of our Christian lives we 373 00:25:48.079 --> 00:25:52.430 me and my wife and our family, we just were seeking after the Lord 374 00:25:52.470 --> 00:25:56.589 and we ended up going to a church and concord because my brother went to 375 00:25:56.670 --> 00:26:00.269 the school of Ministry there. It was fire church, okay, and they 376 00:26:00.309 --> 00:26:04.140 have fire school of ministry there. And so we were going there and at 377 00:26:04.180 --> 00:26:10.619 that time there was a group that had come and shared about the issue of 378 00:26:10.619 --> 00:26:17.299 abortion and the national sin that abortion is and they had encouraged the church to 379 00:26:17.660 --> 00:26:21.490 bring children out to the abortion center. And actually there were some that were 380 00:26:21.529 --> 00:26:22.970 already out there, flip Bedham, who was already out there as the the 381 00:26:23.130 --> 00:26:27.450 abortion center in South Charlotte here on Hebron Street, and at that time there 382 00:26:27.529 --> 00:26:30.930 was not a big nout. Now there's a big fence and you can't see 383 00:26:30.009 --> 00:26:33.960 to the front door, but at that time you could see right to the 384 00:26:33.000 --> 00:26:36.519 front door. And so we went. I went as a chaperone to the 385 00:26:36.559 --> 00:26:38.160 children's groups. So the children were going to come out. My daughter was 386 00:26:38.240 --> 00:26:41.480 eight years old at that time and she was going to come out with you 387 00:26:41.599 --> 00:26:45.200 know, the children's groups going to come out and they bust them over and 388 00:26:45.240 --> 00:26:48.190 they were just going to sing Jesus loves me and sing on the microphone to 389 00:26:48.230 --> 00:26:52.349 try to touch the hearts of the MOMS and I was going as a chaperon. 390 00:26:52.470 --> 00:26:53.990 I was just going to make sure the kids were where they needed to 391 00:26:55.029 --> 00:26:57.430 be and weren't any kind of danger anything like that. And I say, 392 00:26:57.470 --> 00:27:00.029 the Lord set me up. Yeah, I had no intention. You know, 393 00:27:00.069 --> 00:27:03.339 I knew about abortion, I knew it was wrong, I knew it 394 00:27:03.380 --> 00:27:06.980 was was bad and then it was sinful. But as far as like seeing 395 00:27:07.019 --> 00:27:10.180 the issue of abortion where it took place, I didn't. I knew it 396 00:27:10.220 --> 00:27:12.180 took place, but I didn't know where to knew the magnitude of the problem 397 00:27:12.220 --> 00:27:15.809 until I went and I was standing there in front of that abortion center and 398 00:27:15.849 --> 00:27:18.609 I'm seeing a mom go in and I know she's going in with a baby. 399 00:27:19.049 --> 00:27:22.450 See Him come out and I know they came out. They lefted a 400 00:27:22.569 --> 00:27:26.529 dead child in there. At that point it's like the Holy Spirit spoke to 401 00:27:26.609 --> 00:27:30.519 me. A hundred feet from where you're standing, babies are dying. Yeah, 402 00:27:30.720 --> 00:27:33.519 right here right now, not some other time, not some other place, 403 00:27:33.119 --> 00:27:37.519 right here right now. What are you going to do about it? 404 00:27:37.839 --> 00:27:41.799 And I just broke I just started bawling. And then I found out some 405 00:27:41.920 --> 00:27:45.390 of the students from the Fire School of Ministry were one out to the abortion 406 00:27:45.470 --> 00:27:48.549 center here on the trope drive and I went out with them and there was 407 00:27:48.589 --> 00:27:52.670 another brother who was involved with them who lived where I lived at the time, 408 00:27:52.150 --> 00:27:56.269 and we rode together and I just kind of got hooked. I guess 409 00:27:56.269 --> 00:27:59.420 you can say, not that it's fun to be out there, but it 410 00:27:59.539 --> 00:28:02.380 is. You know, it's in our hearts to serve the Lord. It's 411 00:28:02.380 --> 00:28:06.900 it. It blesses us to bless our father. And so I just got 412 00:28:06.980 --> 00:28:11.059 involved in that, that ministry, going out on Saturdays. I worked full 413 00:28:11.099 --> 00:28:15.450 time job doing hardwood floors at the time and so I'd come out on the 414 00:28:15.490 --> 00:28:18.490 weekends and bring my family. My kids are pretty much raised in this, 415 00:28:18.809 --> 00:28:22.130 in this thing. They're all willing. Your wife and your family's yeah, 416 00:28:22.369 --> 00:28:25.490 yeah, yeah, and the Lord graciously brought my wife along. At that 417 00:28:25.609 --> 00:28:29.640 time she was working as a nurse in the hospital and the Lord graciously kind 418 00:28:29.640 --> 00:28:33.640 of, you know, trimmed off her hours and she started coming out in 419 00:28:33.480 --> 00:28:37.000 in the capacity as a nurse, actually on board the the mobile unit and 420 00:28:37.799 --> 00:28:42.109 in. So here we are today serving the Lord together. And then about 421 00:28:42.470 --> 00:28:45.670 four years ago, you know, cities for life got started in two thousand 422 00:28:45.710 --> 00:28:48.910 and ten. We are already involved as a family. Our family was already 423 00:28:48.910 --> 00:28:53.230 out there on Saturdays and when cities for life got started, we jumped on 424 00:28:53.309 --> 00:28:59.059 board with that right away just as a concerted effort to get the church involved. 425 00:28:59.900 --> 00:29:04.539 And then about four years ago I got a college two thousand and fifteen. 426 00:29:04.660 --> 00:29:07.099 So but yeah, but four years ago I got a call out of 427 00:29:07.140 --> 00:29:11.329 the blue from some of the folks who had originally started cities life and from 428 00:29:11.369 --> 00:29:15.529 David Benham, who was the he's the founder of cities for life, saying 429 00:29:15.569 --> 00:29:18.569 basically, Hey, we need somebody to lead this thing and we feel like 430 00:29:18.690 --> 00:29:22.089 it might be you. Would you pray about it? And at that time 431 00:29:22.089 --> 00:29:27.799 I was already pastoring a home congregation and work into and it was just like 432 00:29:29.079 --> 00:29:33.839 well, somebody calls me out of the blue and asked me if I wanted 433 00:29:33.880 --> 00:29:37.359 to be paid to do the thing that God has put in my heart. 434 00:29:37.359 --> 00:29:38.589 Right, like, well, let me pray about this, but I'm pretty 435 00:29:38.589 --> 00:29:41.910 sure this is gone right. And so me and my wife talked about it 436 00:29:42.069 --> 00:29:45.470 and we prayed about it and felt like it was. It was the Lord's 437 00:29:45.549 --> 00:29:52.349 will. So here we are now serving in this capacity and blessed to be 438 00:29:52.859 --> 00:29:56.420 a part of what God's doing and cheering the testimony what God has done in 439 00:29:56.500 --> 00:30:00.019 our lives with those who are coming to the a abortion center right and it 440 00:30:00.220 --> 00:30:02.740 and it's been a blessing to all of us, because I was already on 441 00:30:02.900 --> 00:30:07.099 board as as a volunteer and I know when when you came, things really 442 00:30:07.140 --> 00:30:11.369 did change. There was now, you know, an organization and ministry that 443 00:30:11.529 --> 00:30:17.769 we belonged to and and that was had our back. Yeah, and so 444 00:30:18.089 --> 00:30:21.369 that, you know, some great things began to happen as a result of 445 00:30:21.440 --> 00:30:26.319 you becoming the director of cities for life. So so thank you for that. 446 00:30:26.440 --> 00:30:30.200 Is there anything else you want to share about your heart with? You 447 00:30:30.319 --> 00:30:34.200 know what? Maybe you said that there's a lot of Christians that you think 448 00:30:34.200 --> 00:30:37.990 are just sitting in a pew and maybe not doing what God has called them 449 00:30:38.150 --> 00:30:42.589 to do in terms of the pro life movement. Do you can you talk 450 00:30:42.630 --> 00:30:47.950 a little bit more about that? Yeah, I mean there is a need, 451 00:30:48.150 --> 00:30:55.220 of course, because there's abortion centers and these places that killed children day 452 00:30:55.220 --> 00:30:57.900 in and day out right all across this this country, right, and I 453 00:30:57.940 --> 00:31:03.500 of course acknowledge, like any any Christian would, that not everyone can do 454 00:31:03.740 --> 00:31:07.130 sidewalk counseling. Some folks are called to be missionaries and other countries not everyone 455 00:31:07.410 --> 00:31:11.210 is called. You know, people use that as an out. Sometimes I'm 456 00:31:11.210 --> 00:31:14.329 not called to do that. Oftentimes it's just they're not comfortable to that. 457 00:31:14.609 --> 00:31:17.769 Yeah, but some people aren't called to do it. Right. Maybe there 458 00:31:17.890 --> 00:31:19.000 certainly are, though, a lot more people that are called to do it 459 00:31:19.119 --> 00:31:22.359 than I are. Actually doing it. And so you know, again it's 460 00:31:22.680 --> 00:31:26.759 it's really we're not saved to just to go up to heaven, you know, 461 00:31:27.000 --> 00:31:30.880 we're saved to serve the Lord and we serve the Lord out of what 462 00:31:32.000 --> 00:31:33.950 he's done for us. We're not out there to earn merit with God. 463 00:31:34.109 --> 00:31:37.630 I'm not out there on the sidewalk trying to convince people not to have abortions 464 00:31:37.710 --> 00:31:41.670 because I think somehow it will give me more favor with God and get me 465 00:31:41.710 --> 00:31:45.349 a bigger mansion in heaven or make me more saved. You know, you 466 00:31:45.390 --> 00:31:51.180 can't be more saved than being actually saved from your sin. We are to 467 00:31:51.339 --> 00:31:53.740 function, we are to minister out of our gratitude toward God for what he's 468 00:31:53.740 --> 00:31:57.500 done for us. We love him because he first loved us. And so 469 00:31:57.859 --> 00:32:05.329 my heart to and encouragement to anyone who's a believer is your called to serve 470 00:32:05.450 --> 00:32:08.490 the Lord and whatever capacity that is. And you know what, if you 471 00:32:08.609 --> 00:32:14.609 think maybe, yeah, you might be called to the sidewalks, just go 472 00:32:14.769 --> 00:32:16.960 out one time. That's I think. Maybe not everyone is called to be 473 00:32:17.039 --> 00:32:21.279 on the sidewalks in front of an abortion center, but I say this every 474 00:32:21.319 --> 00:32:24.759 Christian should at least go to an abortion clinic one time and see what goes 475 00:32:24.799 --> 00:32:30.430 on there, to see the issue of abortion where it takes place and to 476 00:32:30.509 --> 00:32:32.869 see it before your face and let the Lord deal with your heart in that, 477 00:32:32.990 --> 00:32:37.670 because it is a national sin, it's a sin issue, it's a 478 00:32:37.710 --> 00:32:42.549 spiritual issue and it's a national thing that we as Christians are to deal with. 479 00:32:42.630 --> 00:32:45.140 This is not politicians job to deal with the issue of abortion. That's 480 00:32:45.299 --> 00:32:49.299 it's the church's job, it's our job to deal with issue of abortion. 481 00:32:49.380 --> 00:32:52.339 So, of not everyone may be called to be on the sidewalk, but 482 00:32:52.460 --> 00:33:00.289 it's everyone called to proclaim the prolife aspect of of God, yeah, and 483 00:33:00.450 --> 00:33:07.410 of his biblical mandate, yeah, to protect and proclaim the sanctity of innocent 484 00:33:07.490 --> 00:33:13.400 human life. And can you be a Christian and not be prolife? Yeah, 485 00:33:14.119 --> 00:33:16.200 I mean so. Kind of back to, I guess I shared maybe 486 00:33:16.240 --> 00:33:22.519 in our first podcast, that sort of very basic pro life argument that does 487 00:33:22.599 --> 00:33:28.710 God love every person? Does God love you? When did he begin to 488 00:33:28.750 --> 00:33:31.470 love you? If the fact of what by what the Bible teaches, is 489 00:33:32.309 --> 00:33:37.869 in is in fact true that God loves every person and that he began to 490 00:33:37.910 --> 00:33:42.619 love us before we're even born, really don't have an option. We really 491 00:33:42.619 --> 00:33:44.779 don't have an option to say that. You know what, this is not 492 00:33:44.940 --> 00:33:46.579 my issue, this is not my deal. Those are you know, there's 493 00:33:46.619 --> 00:33:51.259 a pro life Christians. I'm I'm prolive, but I can't really be involved 494 00:33:51.259 --> 00:33:53.460 in that or whatever. A lot of times, again, like with abortion, 495 00:33:53.539 --> 00:33:57.569 minded MOMS and dad's going into an abortion center, even Christians could be 496 00:33:57.569 --> 00:34:01.769 under a spirit of fear and and afraid of what, you know, what 497 00:34:01.930 --> 00:34:06.609 the Lord might do if they if they go out to an abortion center. 498 00:34:06.769 --> 00:34:08.929 He might actually call them. That was kind of that's what yeah, he 499 00:34:08.969 --> 00:34:12.920 might actually call you to be there, and so, you know, might 500 00:34:12.920 --> 00:34:15.039 encourage me is just obey the Lord. Just trust in the Lord. Were 501 00:34:15.079 --> 00:34:22.639 called to trust God and in every and every aspect of our Christian life we've 502 00:34:22.679 --> 00:34:25.269 got a trust in what God's word says and what it says it's true, 503 00:34:25.269 --> 00:34:29.710 it's right. No matter what society says, no matter what our comforts say, 504 00:34:30.150 --> 00:34:34.309 we are called to do what God's word says. God's Word says on 505 00:34:34.469 --> 00:34:37.429 that that sign right there, proverbs thirty one versus eight nine. Open your 506 00:34:37.469 --> 00:34:38.940 mouth for the speechless and the cause of all who are appointed to die. 507 00:34:38.980 --> 00:34:43.739 Open your mouth, judge righteously and plead the cause of the poor and needy, 508 00:34:44.260 --> 00:34:49.780 and so that's our heart as a ministry. We hope that this podcast 509 00:34:49.820 --> 00:34:52.820 is a blessing to you toward that end. This is not just about US 510 00:34:52.820 --> 00:34:55.769 promoting sidewalk councling ministry. This is about US understanding and trying to convey to 511 00:34:55.889 --> 00:35:00.329 you guys that our pro life convictions should be carried through in light of the 512 00:35:00.409 --> 00:35:06.530 Gospel that we are pro life not because of politics. We are pro life 513 00:35:06.769 --> 00:35:08.679 because of the change that God has wroughten our heart through the power of his 514 00:35:08.800 --> 00:35:13.960 Gospel. So we are prayers that you guys be blessed and continue to listen 515 00:35:14.000 --> 00:35:17.840 these podcasts. Our website locally, here's Charlotte dot cities for Life Dot Org, 516 00:35:19.360 --> 00:35:22.469 a national website that we used to equip and encourage people to get involved 517 00:35:22.469 --> 00:35:28.070 with sidewalk counts and sidewalks for life at sidewalks and number four and lifecom and 518 00:35:28.670 --> 00:35:31.349 we just pray that this podcasting has been a blessing. You. Please interact 519 00:35:31.429 --> 00:35:34.389 with us. You can go on our website. You can get my contact 520 00:35:34.429 --> 00:35:37.699 info, my email addresses there, Vicki's email addresses there. The Lord bless 521 00:35:37.699 --> 00:35:40.420 you guys. As you seek to stand for life, wherever the Lord has 522 00:35:40.460 --> 00:35:53.730 put you. God bless me. Ove for love, give me our lift. 523 00:35:53.889 --> 00:36:06.480 For gratitude, I know it will cost me my life. Nothing's too 524 00:36:06.760 --> 00:36:07.960 precious. And some met you