What is Love Life America?

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:05.919 I believe that there are thousands of Christians in the United States and across the 2 00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:12.310 world that they are aware of the issue of abortion and it's impact and they 3 00:00:12.349 --> 00:00:17.989 don't know what to do. Our ministries are now providing a packaged but effective 4 00:00:18.149 --> 00:00:22.780 way to say this is what you can do. I Am Yours, I 5 00:00:23.100 --> 00:00:28.899 am yours, I am yours. Send Me Lord. Welcome to the Gospel 6 00:00:28.899 --> 00:00:32.979 Center pro life podcast. This episode I do an interview with Josh Kappas with 7 00:00:33.100 --> 00:00:36.729 Love Life, about the merger of love life and cities for life, what 8 00:00:36.929 --> 00:00:45.770 God is doing through Love Life America. Stay with us. I felt show 9 00:00:46.369 --> 00:00:58.799 passish, touch your heart, use me love. Welcome to the Gospel Center 10 00:00:58.840 --> 00:01:02.759 pro life podcast. Appreciate you guys listening. Appreciate you guys who comment and 11 00:01:02.799 --> 00:01:06.870 leave us good and positive comments, because that's always important, because we've had 12 00:01:06.909 --> 00:01:10.430 a lot of negative comments as of late. So if you would leave a 13 00:01:10.590 --> 00:01:14.590 good review, that would bless my heart and I'm sure it would bless Josh's 14 00:01:14.629 --> 00:01:18.549 heart. To Josh Kappas is here with us today. Vicki is actually on 15 00:01:18.659 --> 00:01:22.420 vacation, so I'm sure she's a joy. That yeah, but I want 16 00:01:22.459 --> 00:01:25.819 to bring Josh Kappas in he's would love life, and we'll get into a 17 00:01:25.859 --> 00:01:27.739 little bit of what love life and cities for life is doing together, but 18 00:01:27.780 --> 00:01:30.819 I want you to introduce yourself, Josh, and just tell the folks what 19 00:01:30.939 --> 00:01:36.450 you're involved with in love life. Yeahs Daniel said, my name is Josh 20 00:01:36.450 --> 00:01:41.329 Kappus, of the Director of city development for love life, which is basically 21 00:01:41.409 --> 00:01:45.329 just a fancy way of saying I oversee our local staff in the four major 22 00:01:45.489 --> 00:01:49.519 cities that were in, which is Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh and Manhattan, 23 00:01:49.560 --> 00:01:56.079 and then also have responsibilities of overseeing our expansion now through love life America and 24 00:01:57.040 --> 00:02:02.310 just helping to continue to cast vision and look for potential missionaries and Partnering Churches 25 00:02:02.349 --> 00:02:07.030 Across the United States and even beyond that, as we're seeing the reach of 26 00:02:07.110 --> 00:02:10.750 this go even outside of the United States, which is pretty exciting. So, 27 00:02:10.909 --> 00:02:14.069 yeah, we're going to get more into that here in a little bit. 28 00:02:14.189 --> 00:02:15.419 Yeah, we will. Will jump into that pretty quick and just to 29 00:02:15.500 --> 00:02:19.219 let you guys know who are listening, who've been listening for a long time, 30 00:02:19.460 --> 00:02:22.860 you may have heard because a lot of folks that follow cities for life 31 00:02:22.900 --> 00:02:25.259 follow us on social media, also follow you guys and some of you guys 32 00:02:25.300 --> 00:02:29.979 have heard about the merger between cities for life and love life, and it's 33 00:02:30.009 --> 00:02:31.969 one of the reasons why I want to have Josh Own, because he's been 34 00:02:32.009 --> 00:02:37.090 an integral part in that merger and just the conversations we've been having and just 35 00:02:37.169 --> 00:02:40.969 seeing what the Lord is doing is just just been awesome. And so let's 36 00:02:42.009 --> 00:02:46.919 talk real quick about that merger and just what that means. And I guess 37 00:02:46.039 --> 00:02:51.400 maybe from from my perspective it's just a natural outflow. It's like the Lord, 38 00:02:51.479 --> 00:02:53.759 yeah, has really wanted to take I feel like it's one of the 39 00:02:53.759 --> 00:02:57.479 reasons why we started this podcast, to to take what we've learned in Charlotte, 40 00:02:57.560 --> 00:03:00.710 in cities for life and the sidewalk out reach ministry and really broadcasted across 41 00:03:00.830 --> 00:03:04.710 the nation, and that's one of the reasons why we put a lot of 42 00:03:04.750 --> 00:03:07.229 energy behind the sidewalks for life website, just helping people get equipped and all 43 00:03:07.270 --> 00:03:10.590 of that, and then partner with you guys seemed to be a natural flow 44 00:03:10.669 --> 00:03:15.819 of that. But talk real quick from a love life perspective, the reason 45 00:03:15.979 --> 00:03:20.780 for just praying through and having these conversations about the merging and then ultimately, 46 00:03:20.819 --> 00:03:23.500 Hey, this is God, let's do it. What was the thinking behind 47 00:03:23.580 --> 00:03:29.449 that? Yeah, you know, I mean look back at our history and 48 00:03:29.729 --> 00:03:34.169 how, you know, cities for life was in existence in the the founders 49 00:03:34.250 --> 00:03:42.360 of cities for life were influential in exposing our founder Justin to what we call 50 00:03:42.439 --> 00:03:46.039 the tragic truth of abortion. Yeah, you know, I mean Justin for 51 00:03:46.840 --> 00:03:50.120 however many years, is doing business with, you know, one of his 52 00:03:50.240 --> 00:03:52.879 clients right across the street from the abortion. Clint didn't even know it was 53 00:03:52.919 --> 00:03:55.949 there, yeah, or what they were doing and all of a sudden, 54 00:03:55.949 --> 00:04:00.830 because of, you know, the Benham brothers, you know, he's exposed 55 00:04:00.870 --> 00:04:03.669 to that. So you guys are already already running with sidewalk out reach with 56 00:04:03.789 --> 00:04:10.620 cities for life, and Justin feels convicted to, you know, figure out 57 00:04:10.659 --> 00:04:14.979 a way to mobilize the church, to bring the church out in numbers, 58 00:04:15.379 --> 00:04:19.459 not in a protest, but in a prayerful presence, you know, ushering 59 00:04:19.579 --> 00:04:25.370 in kind of air support to what you as they're doing. Yeah, with 60 00:04:25.649 --> 00:04:29.050 being on the ground and actually being the ones who are engaging and calling out, 61 00:04:29.689 --> 00:04:32.490 making those connections, getting them on the mobile unit for a free ultrasound 62 00:04:32.649 --> 00:04:36.970 where you can kind of like take a deep breath. Yeah, process with 63 00:04:38.209 --> 00:04:41.600 with a mom and a dad, and be able to calmly talk through their 64 00:04:41.879 --> 00:04:46.560 options and get them connected to real help, to real peace and real solutions 65 00:04:46.639 --> 00:04:50.120 through Christ and his church. And so, you know, we've kind of 66 00:04:50.199 --> 00:04:59.149 like modeled what a real holistic outreach would look like between our two ministries here 67 00:04:59.230 --> 00:05:04.149 in Charlotte and beyond. You know, just a holistic outreach, you know, 68 00:05:04.470 --> 00:05:08.699 there really has been modeled to something that I think is unique to the 69 00:05:08.740 --> 00:05:15.420 pro life movement, of a willingness to humble ourselves to one another, to 70 00:05:16.779 --> 00:05:21.449 trust the Lord for provision and not make it about a name of a ministry 71 00:05:21.449 --> 00:05:29.129 or a person or a personality and and say we are far better together. 72 00:05:29.290 --> 00:05:31.689 So we've been doing that, you know, without merging ministries. We've been 73 00:05:31.730 --> 00:05:34.649 doing that now since, you know, two thousand and sixteen, if it 74 00:05:34.800 --> 00:05:40.279 is. We've grown in relationship with one another and now, as we approach 75 00:05:40.480 --> 00:05:45.079 the idea of expansion and rolling this out across the United States, it only 76 00:05:45.120 --> 00:05:53.189 made sense that we would really just officially merge and partner together because the best 77 00:05:53.269 --> 00:05:58.389 of both worlds where we excel in the area of church engagement. You guys 78 00:05:58.430 --> 00:06:03.699 are second to none in sidewalk out reaching the effectiveness that you guys have developed 79 00:06:03.899 --> 00:06:08.899 of you know, I know your ministries ten years old, but even beyond 80 00:06:08.939 --> 00:06:13.740 that you've been doing sidewall ministry for fifteen plus years, taking all the expertise, 81 00:06:14.579 --> 00:06:16.819 all that you've learned, all the hard knocks and everything that you've done 82 00:06:17.379 --> 00:06:24.129 and now merging that all together and packaging it for pastors and leaders across the 83 00:06:24.209 --> 00:06:27.209 United States to be able to take this and run with it, yeah, 84 00:06:27.290 --> 00:06:30.569 in their cities. So I love, you know, the I saw the 85 00:06:30.610 --> 00:06:35.240 announcement video yesterday and I love the statement that Justin and David and Jason made 86 00:06:35.319 --> 00:06:40.199 that it's not about a name. Yeah, we're not concerned about a name 87 00:06:40.399 --> 00:06:44.000 and a branding and you know I mean we value those things are important our 88 00:06:44.040 --> 00:06:46.550 culture today, but at the end of the day, like we, both 89 00:06:46.790 --> 00:06:51.389 you and I and our ministries, desire just to see God's people present and 90 00:06:51.750 --> 00:06:56.310 and loving our neighbor and he's abortion mission fields. I know one of the 91 00:06:56.350 --> 00:06:59.750 things I've said, and up said this to pastors, even as I'm having 92 00:06:59.750 --> 00:07:03.819 a conversation about about cities for life and in time past, trying to get 93 00:07:03.819 --> 00:07:08.300 pastors out there, which you guys have been massively successful and the cities for 94 00:07:08.379 --> 00:07:11.899 life, for whatever reason we just cann't get the traction we wanted with pastors 95 00:07:11.939 --> 00:07:15.339 again out there. But as I'm sharing with pastors, one of the things 96 00:07:15.379 --> 00:07:16.730 I say that catches them off guard as I say, you know what, 97 00:07:17.050 --> 00:07:21.290 pair church ministries like cities life should not exist. Yeah, we're a necessary 98 00:07:21.329 --> 00:07:25.529 I want to say a necessary evil, but we're a necessary component to the 99 00:07:25.569 --> 00:07:29.610 way the American church is geared. It's like peer Church ministries are the specialist 100 00:07:29.889 --> 00:07:32.000 right, and I really don't think. I guess in a big picture way, 101 00:07:33.160 --> 00:07:36.759 my heart is that ministry should flood of the local church. Yes, 102 00:07:36.800 --> 00:07:40.439 that's where it should flow out of. So I don't really think that cities 103 00:07:40.480 --> 00:07:44.709 for life, love life, should exist, but I know that we should 104 00:07:44.949 --> 00:07:48.470 to. It's kind of a weird dynamic, right. It's a necessitated component 105 00:07:48.629 --> 00:07:53.949 of church life. And until the church is is mobilized in a way where 106 00:07:54.149 --> 00:07:57.629 the church is really take an ownership of these mission fields, we're going to 107 00:07:57.629 --> 00:08:00.740 talk about that language a little bit too these that these are mission fields, 108 00:08:01.420 --> 00:08:03.819 then love life, cities for life, whatever ministry God Raises Up is going 109 00:08:03.819 --> 00:08:07.899 to continue to do his work. And you know what, you said about 110 00:08:09.019 --> 00:08:11.379 unity. I think people need to understand this is this is really important, 111 00:08:11.420 --> 00:08:15.050 because there maybe some people wondering like, well, why would you guys merge 112 00:08:15.050 --> 00:08:16.529 together? Why don't you just do this thing together? Really, all it 113 00:08:16.649 --> 00:08:22.050 is, it's just to minimize confusion from because we're we've been together since the 114 00:08:22.129 --> 00:08:26.329 beginning of lives and Suders Life we've been walking step and step with one another, 115 00:08:26.370 --> 00:08:30.600 right, and so just to minimize confusion nationally it's like we've been together. 116 00:08:30.680 --> 00:08:33.480 So let's let's just bring these two things together. Let's do the sidewalk 117 00:08:33.519 --> 00:08:37.679 thing, let's do the church thing, and this is really the heart of 118 00:08:37.720 --> 00:08:39.320 God, I believe, across the nation and, like you said, I 119 00:08:39.440 --> 00:08:43.029 think we do pretty good with sidewalk out reach. You guys do excellent in 120 00:08:43.110 --> 00:08:48.950 church engagement, and those two things are just necessary components to work together, 121 00:08:48.990 --> 00:08:52.110 right. Yeah, and you know, I agree with you. I think 122 00:08:52.230 --> 00:08:58.779 one of the dangers of parachurch organizations is that they become a replacement for the 123 00:08:58.860 --> 00:09:01.299 church or kind of maybe take responsibility off of the church for things that the 124 00:09:01.299 --> 00:09:05.220 church should be doing. You and I are both former pastors and still pastors 125 00:09:05.259 --> 00:09:07.860 at heart. I mean, you know, the calling is on our lives 126 00:09:07.899 --> 00:09:13.570 to shepherd and care for people. But you know, we're busy, right. 127 00:09:13.730 --> 00:09:16.450 You know pastors are busy right, and there's a lot of need out 128 00:09:16.450 --> 00:09:20.769 there, and so I do think organizations like ours and many others that kind 129 00:09:20.809 --> 00:09:26.720 of develop solutions that maybe a pastor doesn't have the margin to do, can 130 00:09:26.879 --> 00:09:31.240 serve the church in that way, as long as we're continuing to say we're 131 00:09:31.279 --> 00:09:35.480 not a replacement for the church, we are a tool for the church. 132 00:09:35.600 --> 00:09:39.149 We're coming alongside of you and we want to be a blessing to you and 133 00:09:39.269 --> 00:09:41.830 encouragement to you. And that's what we've seen happened. And you know again 134 00:09:41.909 --> 00:09:46.470 where there is such synergy in our ministries. You know, taking a church 135 00:09:46.590 --> 00:09:50.070 that maybe is, you know, as zero, two, three on the 136 00:09:50.149 --> 00:09:54.019 scale of engagement around the issue of abortion and asking them to start doing sidewalk 137 00:09:54.100 --> 00:09:56.500 counseling right off the get go as a big ask, because there's a lot 138 00:09:56.539 --> 00:10:00.700 of fear and unknown about what you guys do. A lot of stigma, 139 00:10:00.779 --> 00:10:05.460 feels, yes, stigma as well, right. And so love life, 140 00:10:05.460 --> 00:10:09.250 I think, is let that intermediate step, yeah, of Hey, just 141 00:10:09.370 --> 00:10:13.649 come and pray, come and worship, and exposing God's people to the tragic 142 00:10:13.690 --> 00:10:18.409 truth of a board Porson and then watching with the Holy Spirit does, yeah, 143 00:10:18.610 --> 00:10:22.240 to move them along to the point where they're so convicted and so burdened 144 00:10:22.840 --> 00:10:26.240 that there, you know, it becomes a I think it's a good idea 145 00:10:26.279 --> 00:10:28.879 to stand outside in ninety eight degree heat and be berated by, yeah, 146 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:33.639 some twenty somethings for being out here to, yeah, offer life to a 147 00:10:33.759 --> 00:10:37.950 family that's considering killing their own child. Well, I know one of the 148 00:10:37.029 --> 00:10:39.190 keys. You know one of the keys for me and if you've, guys, 149 00:10:39.230 --> 00:10:43.309 have listened to this podcast for long enough, you've heard me share my 150 00:10:43.429 --> 00:10:46.669 testimony. You've likely even heard Vicki share her testimony, and it probably rings 151 00:10:46.750 --> 00:10:50.379 true for you to one of the keys. The key things the Lord use 152 00:10:50.500 --> 00:10:54.460 to get me involved at the level that I'm involved in is to get me 153 00:10:54.500 --> 00:10:58.779 out there on the front line and have me exposed to the issue of abortion 154 00:10:58.059 --> 00:11:01.620 where it takes place. Yes, and you guys have been getting them out 155 00:11:01.659 --> 00:11:07.049 there to pray in hopes that, hey, I will take it to the 156 00:11:07.129 --> 00:11:11.450 next level, I will get involved in a way that I would never imagine 157 00:11:11.889 --> 00:11:13.129 that I would be involved in. You know, we have a guy who's 158 00:11:13.129 --> 00:11:18.570 one of our regular volunteers now who the Lord kind of set him up. 159 00:11:18.960 --> 00:11:22.000 His wife was really burdened with the issue of abortion. She'd come out with 160 00:11:22.120 --> 00:11:24.320 her church, she'd prayed with you guys and then really wanted to do something 161 00:11:24.360 --> 00:11:30.039 at the next level and got involved with us as a sidewalk counselor. And 162 00:11:30.240 --> 00:11:33.830 her husband thought she was kind of offer rails. Right, I mean right, 163 00:11:33.909 --> 00:11:35.070 how you being involve? I mean he knew abortion was bad, but 164 00:11:35.309 --> 00:11:37.710 it's like you're going to be out there, going to be protesting. That's 165 00:11:37.750 --> 00:11:41.309 the way people view it. Yeah, and she started telling him, of 166 00:11:41.429 --> 00:11:43.830 course, about what I was doing, but also some of the opposition. 167 00:11:43.950 --> 00:11:46.870 He's like, well, I need to go and just stand with my wife, 168 00:11:46.909 --> 00:11:50.139 make sure to my mess right wife. And so he goes in there 169 00:11:50.340 --> 00:11:52.299 to stand with his wife to make sure, you know, she's protected and 170 00:11:52.460 --> 00:11:56.620 whatever, just to observe, and the Lord gets a hold of his heart 171 00:11:56.620 --> 00:11:58.779 right then, right there. Yeah, and now he's out, you know, 172 00:11:58.860 --> 00:12:03.210 sometimes two and three days a week he's driving the mobileultra sound unit from 173 00:12:03.210 --> 00:12:07.090 Monroe or to the abortion center in Charlotte, and the Lord just set him 174 00:12:07.090 --> 00:12:09.610 up in that way. Yeah, and I'm sure the Lord did that for 175 00:12:09.730 --> 00:12:13.090 you as well. And Yeah, some measure. Oh, it is a 176 00:12:13.730 --> 00:12:16.679 you know, it's kind of a funny word to say that it's a setup, 177 00:12:16.679 --> 00:12:18.840 but that really is what takes place. I mean, you know what, 178 00:12:20.120 --> 00:12:24.840 what is the the fruit of the Gospel in people's lives? And you 179 00:12:24.960 --> 00:12:28.720 look at Paul's letters and there's two things that he marks in the Intros of 180 00:12:28.200 --> 00:12:33.870 many of his letters where he he knew the Gospel came to a people because 181 00:12:33.909 --> 00:12:37.470 of their love for one another and their faith in the Lord. Yeah, 182 00:12:37.750 --> 00:12:43.740 and when you go to a place like an abortion clinic and you see all 183 00:12:43.860 --> 00:12:48.740 that's happening, you know from the whatever you want to call them, Pro 184 00:12:48.860 --> 00:12:52.580 Choice folks, the escorts, the security guards, that you know we've seen 185 00:12:52.659 --> 00:12:56.419 some vile things, we've seen some hateful things, we've seen some really foolish 186 00:12:56.460 --> 00:13:01.129 things. You know, in Raleigh one time one of the escorts started playing 187 00:13:01.169 --> 00:13:05.129 another one bites the dust. Yeah, in the parking lot of an abortion 188 00:13:05.169 --> 00:13:09.889 clinic and dancing. Yeah, you know. So when you see that you're 189 00:13:11.090 --> 00:13:13.480 stirred. When you see the MOMS and dad's going in going out, knowing 190 00:13:13.519 --> 00:13:18.039 what's taking place, you see the hoodies, you see the head down you 191 00:13:18.159 --> 00:13:20.919 see the burden on them. If you have the spirit of God and you've 192 00:13:20.960 --> 00:13:24.360 been, you know, as Paul Talks about Philippines, to like if you 193 00:13:24.440 --> 00:13:28.110 have sharing in like fellowship in the spirit and the love of God and those 194 00:13:28.149 --> 00:13:31.389 sorts of things, like, it's just natural that your heart's going to be 195 00:13:31.549 --> 00:13:33.269 moved and you want to do something. Yeah, like you can't shut you 196 00:13:33.389 --> 00:13:37.789 can't go there and see those things and just being different. And if you 197 00:13:37.909 --> 00:13:41.860 are like that's kind of scary, that's not a great place to be in, 198 00:13:41.940 --> 00:13:46.940 and that's to where then you'll you know, for years the churches into 199 00:13:46.940 --> 00:13:50.899 a degree, has preached about life and talked about it from a political standpoint, 200 00:13:50.899 --> 00:13:54.460 but we haven't given our people things to do. You take forty five 201 00:13:54.460 --> 00:14:00.409 minutes to preach on abortion and then you close your Bible and pray and there's 202 00:14:00.529 --> 00:14:03.009 no call to action, there's nothing to do beyond that. Like you really 203 00:14:03.009 --> 00:14:07.690 kind of innoculate your people to yeah, the tragedy of abortion that really demends 204 00:14:07.730 --> 00:14:11.360 just becomes life change. It becomes just another issue, right, like this 205 00:14:11.480 --> 00:14:16.559 is another issue that pastor preaches own and for us to just make abortion and 206 00:14:16.639 --> 00:14:22.519 the issue of abortion just a common issue. It does do a disservice to 207 00:14:22.559 --> 00:14:26.870 the people, right. And so to see a pasture not just preaching about 208 00:14:26.870 --> 00:14:28.990 abortion, because he should be doing that, and the way you guys are 209 00:14:28.070 --> 00:14:31.750 doing it, and guys, if you haven't listened to the podcast I did 210 00:14:31.789 --> 00:14:35.190 with Justin some months back, please listen to it. And he's he talks 211 00:14:35.190 --> 00:14:37.110 about love life and what love life is doing. But to get a pastor 212 00:14:37.149 --> 00:14:41.500 to preach on the issue of abortion on a Sunday and to get him ultimately, 213 00:14:41.539 --> 00:14:43.179 by the end of that week, on that Saturday, to mobilize his 214 00:14:43.340 --> 00:14:48.740 people and really shepherd them out to the abortion center is is a I mean 215 00:14:48.820 --> 00:14:52.330 that's a move of God in itself. Yeah, and it's really, though, 216 00:14:52.570 --> 00:14:56.570 that exposure out there, they're out at the abortion center, to some 217 00:14:56.690 --> 00:15:00.250 of the things that you mentioned, that really pulls the the scales off the 218 00:15:00.289 --> 00:15:05.049 eyes and lets these pastors and their congregation see this is not just some other 219 00:15:05.250 --> 00:15:09.960 issue, but this is the number one moral issue of our day. Yeah, 220 00:15:09.279 --> 00:15:13.639 and the way you guys have led pastors along rather than just asking them 221 00:15:13.679 --> 00:15:18.159 to go from zero to a thousand and like five seconds of pastor that's never 222 00:15:18.240 --> 00:15:20.590 preached on the issue of abortion right, because he's afraid he's going to offend 223 00:15:20.590 --> 00:15:24.029 some people in his congregation. To take him from that to addressing the issue 224 00:15:24.029 --> 00:15:28.389 of abortion and then to a prayer walk. I mean you're taking them along 225 00:15:28.590 --> 00:15:31.549 little by little, and it's been it's been very effective. Yeah, you 226 00:15:31.669 --> 00:15:39.980 know, the issue of abortion is been politicized, obviously, but it is 227 00:15:41.139 --> 00:15:45.820 so foundational as an as an evil and a work of the enemy. Satan 228 00:15:46.059 --> 00:15:48.940 loves the destruction of the image of God in the Earth, because the image 229 00:15:48.940 --> 00:15:52.009 of God in the Earth is meant for the glory of God. When God 230 00:15:52.129 --> 00:15:54.490 said, you know, we're going to make them in my image, is 231 00:15:54.529 --> 00:15:56.090 going to be fruitful in multiply and fill the earth, we're talking about filling 232 00:15:56.129 --> 00:16:00.970 the earth with image bearers, reflections of God. So Satan loves attacking the 233 00:16:02.049 --> 00:16:04.440 image of God in humanity, and the pinnacle of that is murder. It's 234 00:16:04.480 --> 00:16:07.480 the destruction of whether here it's in the womber, outside of the womb, 235 00:16:07.519 --> 00:16:11.519 it is murder, is the ultimate destruction and it is a declaration that I'm 236 00:16:11.639 --> 00:16:15.200 God. Right, if I can take your life, I'm saying I'm God. 237 00:16:15.240 --> 00:16:18.990 When I take my own child's life, I'm saying God does not exist. 238 00:16:18.269 --> 00:16:21.669 And if he does exist, it's me. Yeah, I have the 239 00:16:21.710 --> 00:16:26.070 authority to give and to take away, and so you know it's important. 240 00:16:26.070 --> 00:16:30.549 I'll never forget in February of this year we were in New York City, 241 00:16:30.669 --> 00:16:34.779 before all this stuff broke out, and I was standing across the street from 242 00:16:34.779 --> 00:16:38.980 the largest plan parenthood New York City, the Marker Singer Center, and standing 243 00:16:40.059 --> 00:16:41.940 with a pastor there, and he said to me, he said, Josh, 244 00:16:42.019 --> 00:16:45.059 when I was getting ready to preach on abortion, it's the first time 245 00:16:45.059 --> 00:16:48.850 I've ever preached an abortion here in New York and I knew you know that 246 00:16:49.730 --> 00:16:53.690 I don't, but it may not be received well. Yeah, and he 247 00:16:53.809 --> 00:17:00.850 said the Lord brought me to a place where I believed my entire ministry hinges 248 00:17:00.129 --> 00:17:03.319 on whether or not I can preach on life. And if I can't preach 249 00:17:03.400 --> 00:17:08.000 on life, how in the world can I preach on anything else? And 250 00:17:08.480 --> 00:17:11.519 that's the kind of work that we've seen the Lord do in Pastor's heart. 251 00:17:11.559 --> 00:17:15.519 So just help in them. See, like, this is not about a 252 00:17:15.559 --> 00:17:18.950 d and an Ur, this is right activism. Yeah, this is about 253 00:17:18.950 --> 00:17:22.190 the glory of God and the souls of men and women and just the church 254 00:17:22.309 --> 00:17:26.910 being the church and so when you help a pastor kind of shift in their 255 00:17:26.950 --> 00:17:30.339 thinking and not get, you know, forced into a corner that you can't 256 00:17:30.380 --> 00:17:33.019 talk about this because it's too political, it's Bologney, and they really can 257 00:17:33.099 --> 00:17:36.660 talk on it and talk on it. Well, yeah, I was in 258 00:17:36.900 --> 00:17:41.900 a meeting with several pro life leaders and one of them made this passing comment 259 00:17:41.980 --> 00:17:45.490 of like, you know, it's important for pastors to talk about abortion but 260 00:17:45.849 --> 00:17:48.730 not preach a whole message on abortion. Nobody wants to go to a church 261 00:17:48.890 --> 00:17:52.569 like that. And that comment flew all over me. I had dress I 262 00:17:52.609 --> 00:17:55.289 was sitting next to Justin and he had to call like, calm me down, 263 00:17:55.329 --> 00:17:59.359 I'm still new to all this stuff and you know, but that that's 264 00:17:59.440 --> 00:18:03.960 such a poor way of viewing this. The issues that we have in the 265 00:18:03.960 --> 00:18:07.480 church, of they are because we haven't spoken about it enough. Of what 266 00:18:07.720 --> 00:18:11.839 God says Hundred Percent Truth, hundred percent grace. We want to be railing 267 00:18:11.079 --> 00:18:15.109 on people from the pulpit, but there is much life that we're able to 268 00:18:15.150 --> 00:18:18.150 give to our people when we do talk about this from a biblical perspective. 269 00:18:18.190 --> 00:18:21.269 Yeah, and I know you guys have seen even at the prayer walks, 270 00:18:21.309 --> 00:18:23.509 which is something I guess it should have been. What it wasn't really on 271 00:18:23.589 --> 00:18:29.420 my radar as far as people come into the prayer walks who have abortion in 272 00:18:29.460 --> 00:18:33.339 their past and being confronted with what they had done and, obviously in a 273 00:18:33.380 --> 00:18:37.740 very gracious way, repenting and get in healing. Yeah, before the Lord 274 00:18:37.539 --> 00:18:41.849 even being exposed to a prayer walk or being exposed to their pastor preaching on 275 00:18:41.890 --> 00:18:44.210 the issue of abortion. I know you've seen some of that stuff in the 276 00:18:44.250 --> 00:18:47.410 churches where you guys have been talk a little bit about that, just people 277 00:18:47.410 --> 00:18:51.690 getting set free from past abortions and things like that. Yeah, I remember 278 00:18:51.769 --> 00:18:55.210 early on, even before we partnered with love life, there was one young 279 00:18:55.250 --> 00:18:59.160 lady in particular that was supposed to abortive and was passionate about post abort of 280 00:18:59.240 --> 00:19:03.240 healing, and so you know that that brought it to the radar and we 281 00:19:03.279 --> 00:19:07.680 would do the typical annual message on life and there would always be like this 282 00:19:07.960 --> 00:19:11.349 like and intrepidation in me that I don't want to hurt people when I do 283 00:19:11.509 --> 00:19:15.750 this. You know, I know there's probably more in my congregation than I 284 00:19:15.789 --> 00:19:21.670 even know about, and actually quite the opposite is true. There's an article 285 00:19:21.710 --> 00:19:25.740 that karenet wrote and I remember a lady was quoted in there. She said 286 00:19:25.940 --> 00:19:30.140 I thought that I had committed the unforgivable sin because when my pastor preached on 287 00:19:30.299 --> 00:19:33.579 forgiveness, he never mentioned the sin of abortion. And I don't think pastors 288 00:19:33.619 --> 00:19:37.019 are doing that intentionally. I think it's like, you know, kind of 289 00:19:37.019 --> 00:19:37.930 how I felt, that I want to hurt people. I don't want to, 290 00:19:38.250 --> 00:19:41.329 you know, it's like bring up this wound. Yeah, but actually 291 00:19:41.369 --> 00:19:45.450 the opposite is true, that when we connect the gospel of Jesus Christ specifically 292 00:19:45.490 --> 00:19:48.170 to the sin of abortion, call it what it is. We don't have 293 00:19:48.210 --> 00:19:52.130 to soften it. We don't help people by softening sin. Right. Yeah, 294 00:19:52.210 --> 00:19:56.680 like sin is so egregious. The only solution to the sin problem was 295 00:19:56.839 --> 00:20:00.480 the brutal murder of the son of God and him drinking the full wrath from 296 00:20:00.519 --> 00:20:06.079 the father for our sin on himself on the Cross and being resurrected. So 297 00:20:06.640 --> 00:20:10.829 sin is egregious. We don't need to minimize that because we minimize the value 298 00:20:10.869 --> 00:20:12.670 of what Christ has done for us. Yeah, so when we do it 299 00:20:12.829 --> 00:20:18.990 well, we do it effectively. We're not angry and railing on people, 300 00:20:18.029 --> 00:20:22.099 but just saying what the Bible says and then preaching the hope of the Gospel 301 00:20:22.140 --> 00:20:25.460 of Jesus Christ that you're not a second rate Christian just because you had an 302 00:20:25.460 --> 00:20:29.819 abortion. You're not disqualified for the rest of your life from all ministry, 303 00:20:29.940 --> 00:20:33.420 like the Lord wants to use you. And so what we've seen is, 304 00:20:33.619 --> 00:20:36.849 you know, I believe six women. We have about a hundred and fifty 305 00:20:36.849 --> 00:20:40.930 people. There's been at least six women that I know of that have gone 306 00:20:40.970 --> 00:20:47.210 through post abortion classes in our congregation are now sharing their stories helping other women. 307 00:20:47.250 --> 00:20:48.490 So some of that is in a public format, some of that is 308 00:20:48.529 --> 00:20:53.000 more just like this one on one. But you know, our vocal about 309 00:20:53.039 --> 00:20:56.480 it. They're not hiding, they're not covered up in guild and shame. 310 00:20:56.480 --> 00:21:00.880 And you know, a lot of that started with love life, participating in 311 00:21:00.000 --> 00:21:03.670 love life prayer walks. So yes, if you're a pastor and you're listening 312 00:21:03.750 --> 00:21:07.309 and you're just you're dabbling with the idea, or maybe you're just, you 313 00:21:07.390 --> 00:21:11.430 know, a congregant, whatever you're listening, you want to influence your pastor 314 00:21:11.470 --> 00:21:15.349 and encourage him. Someone what Josh said is really important to share it. 315 00:21:15.549 --> 00:21:18.579 You know, it's just like a doctor that doesn't directly address the issue that 316 00:21:18.700 --> 00:21:22.099 his patient is suffering with. If you don't address the disease, there's not 317 00:21:22.220 --> 00:21:23.819 going to be healing, there's not going to be a remedy that comes right. 318 00:21:23.859 --> 00:21:27.619 So pastors need to be sharing about the issue of abortion and even again, 319 00:21:29.339 --> 00:21:33.210 shepherding their people to take ownership of this issue and to go out and 320 00:21:33.289 --> 00:21:37.369 do something about it where it takes place. And that has been a key, 321 00:21:37.970 --> 00:21:41.849 I know for me. Being exposed to the issue of abortion where it 322 00:21:41.849 --> 00:21:45.049 takes place has been a key for so many of our volunteers and so many 323 00:21:45.049 --> 00:21:47.480 of the pastors that you, you know, you guys, are bringing out 324 00:21:47.480 --> 00:21:52.200 there and we're we're seeing pastors who, again, who weren't even talking about 325 00:21:52.200 --> 00:21:56.559 the issue of abortion, now bringing their congregation out, now even themselves coming 326 00:21:56.559 --> 00:22:00.279 out with their families, even when their congregations aren't adopting weeks, go and 327 00:22:00.359 --> 00:22:03.549 cover some of the other abortion centers here in Charlotte. So some of the 328 00:22:03.630 --> 00:22:07.069 ones that are I mean they've got some really vile pro abortion people there yet 329 00:22:07.150 --> 00:22:11.309 and they're confronting this, obviously with the grace of God, and they went 330 00:22:11.430 --> 00:22:14.509 it was took him step by step by step, and the Lord is very 331 00:22:14.549 --> 00:22:18.900 gracious to do that with us, but it wasn't from zero to a thousand. 332 00:22:18.099 --> 00:22:21.059 And that's right. Again. That's one of the things that the Lord's 333 00:22:21.099 --> 00:22:23.579 really used you guys to do is to bring people along. One story that 334 00:22:23.700 --> 00:22:29.180 was really powerful for US friend of mine, she was part of our church 335 00:22:29.220 --> 00:22:33.769 up to start, our church. Her first love life prayer walk was the 336 00:22:33.890 --> 00:22:37.410 first time that she went back to that abortion clinic where she had an abortion 337 00:22:37.529 --> 00:22:44.640 ten years ago. Yeah, and like everything in her that morning like she 338 00:22:45.119 --> 00:22:48.240 didn't want to go. Yeah, sure, you know, and which is, 339 00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:52.680 you know, completely understandable. And she blogged about it later that day. 340 00:22:52.839 --> 00:22:56.720 She did go and she took her kids and and was a powerful experience. 341 00:22:56.839 --> 00:23:00.190 You know, it was like a picture of redemption, of what God 342 00:23:00.269 --> 00:23:06.990 does and what's available to people, that he takes our brokenness and our mess 343 00:23:07.029 --> 00:23:10.710 and our things from our past and he redeems them. And now, you 344 00:23:10.829 --> 00:23:15.380 know, she leads ministry. She Leads Ministry to other post abortive moms and 345 00:23:15.980 --> 00:23:19.259 you know, it's just what God does. Yeah, so a man. 346 00:23:19.900 --> 00:23:25.259 Well, you guys are currently are we guys, I guess? Yeah, 347 00:23:25.380 --> 00:23:30.490 as are currently in Charlotte, of course, and then Raleigh, Greensboro. 348 00:23:30.609 --> 00:23:36.289 So the triangle the triad and then New York City. But listen, we 349 00:23:36.769 --> 00:23:38.849 know God's not just going to stop it for cities. Right, all right, 350 00:23:38.930 --> 00:23:42.400 the desire of God is at the church across the nation and across the 351 00:23:42.440 --> 00:23:48.200 nations. Yes, rises up and because Jesus Christ has given us this, 352 00:23:48.240 --> 00:23:55.000 this prevailing against the gates of Hale, we will not fail in this. 353 00:23:55.279 --> 00:23:57.430 We have the gates of hell won't prevail against the Church of Jesus Christ. 354 00:23:57.910 --> 00:24:02.950 We know that the church needs to rise up, and so I know it's 355 00:24:02.990 --> 00:24:06.509 on Justin's heart against simultaneously on my heart. Just like man, the Church 356 00:24:06.630 --> 00:24:08.630 needs arise up. We need to equip Christians to be out there, and 357 00:24:08.869 --> 00:24:12.940 God's doing it through what we're calling the love life America. Right, so 358 00:24:14.099 --> 00:24:18.460 talk a little bit about Love Life America, because it is going basically across 359 00:24:18.460 --> 00:24:22.220 America and beyond, and that's the desire. But talk about that, the 360 00:24:22.339 --> 00:24:26.609 motivation behind that, some of what that entails and whatever other details you want 361 00:24:26.609 --> 00:24:30.769 to share. Yeah, so you know, when I transition from pastoring a 362 00:24:30.809 --> 00:24:33.369 church to coming on with love life, it was to help launch Greensboro and 363 00:24:33.369 --> 00:24:37.369 Raleigh and from that point, I remember early on, we have been talking 364 00:24:37.569 --> 00:24:41.319 and praying about how do we move this across the nation in a way that 365 00:24:41.400 --> 00:24:45.839 it can spread quickly but it doesn't lose the integrity of what it is and 366 00:24:45.960 --> 00:24:48.640 at the same time, it doesn't kill our staff. Yeah, because when 367 00:24:48.680 --> 00:24:52.509 you look at what all was involved with launching each one of those four major 368 00:24:52.549 --> 00:24:56.549 cities, it's quite an endeavor. Yeah, you know. I mean we 369 00:24:56.630 --> 00:24:59.910 talked about you know, we have over three hundred partnering churches. Well, 370 00:24:59.950 --> 00:25:02.789 the reason we have over three hundred partnering churches because it took a lot of 371 00:25:02.910 --> 00:25:07.140 hard work, it took a lot of relational work. Andre who is our 372 00:25:07.180 --> 00:25:11.220 director here in Charlotte, who was, you know, started with Justin from 373 00:25:11.339 --> 00:25:17.059 the very beginning. You know that that's our he's our grinder. I mean 374 00:25:17.220 --> 00:25:22.650 we are at where we are at because of Andrei's just relentless work to pursue 375 00:25:22.690 --> 00:25:26.490 relationships with pastors and bring them to clinics and move them along. And so 376 00:25:27.609 --> 00:25:30.730 we haven't really had clarity about how do we do that, how do we 377 00:25:30.849 --> 00:25:34.410 move this across the United States? And ironically, you know, when the 378 00:25:34.490 --> 00:25:40.680 pandemic hit and the message of our you know, from federal government all the 379 00:25:40.720 --> 00:25:45.359 way on down to local governments was we're turning our lives upside down to protect 380 00:25:45.359 --> 00:25:48.519 the vulnerable among us from this disease, because life matters. I remember Andrew 381 00:25:48.599 --> 00:25:55.230 Cuomo said no one would ever choose a human life over a single dollar bill. 382 00:25:55.269 --> 00:25:57.390 Yeah, you know. So we had all of a sudden, you 383 00:25:57.470 --> 00:26:02.309 know, life is so precious valuable, and it is. I'm being a 384 00:26:02.390 --> 00:26:06.380 little tongue in cheek, but so. So we had this message, but 385 00:26:06.420 --> 00:26:11.500 at the same time local governments and and and others are saying abortion is essential, 386 00:26:11.539 --> 00:26:15.660 right. So what we're doing? All this stuff to protect the vulnerable. 387 00:26:15.700 --> 00:26:19.049 We're intentionally taking the lives of the most vulnerable among us and continuing. 388 00:26:19.170 --> 00:26:23.609 And not only was abortion continuing, but it was thriving. Yeah, because 389 00:26:23.769 --> 00:26:26.730 of the fear, right, of the pandemic and all of the unknown. 390 00:26:27.410 --> 00:26:32.210 And so, you know, early on, as as stay at home orders 391 00:26:32.250 --> 00:26:36.519 were coming and things like that, just I just remember just very clearly saying 392 00:26:36.559 --> 00:26:40.200 if abortion is essential during a podamic, during the pandemic, than a Christian 393 00:26:40.200 --> 00:26:45.039 witness is also essential at abortion clinics during a pandemic and beyond. And so 394 00:26:45.279 --> 00:26:48.309 early on that came at a cost, you know, as you were there 395 00:26:48.829 --> 00:26:53.190 and and and you were threatened with arrest and you were you know, they 396 00:26:53.309 --> 00:26:59.710 tried to local governments tried to use the stay at home orders to remove the 397 00:26:59.750 --> 00:27:03.660 Christian witness from abortion clinics and Greensboro and in Charlotte some of our leaders were 398 00:27:03.700 --> 00:27:07.259 arrested and all of those things started to happen. But in the middle of 399 00:27:07.339 --> 00:27:11.819 all that the clarity came. Let's start asking pastors and Christian leaders across the 400 00:27:11.859 --> 00:27:15.539 United States to lead a small group within the stay at home orders to go 401 00:27:15.539 --> 00:27:18.890 out and pray. It wasn't some like government rebellion right. It's just saying 402 00:27:18.009 --> 00:27:22.609 like no, if abortion is essential, Christian witnesses essential, let's go. 403 00:27:22.970 --> 00:27:26.089 Let's yea, let's show that life really does matter. If we're going to 404 00:27:26.250 --> 00:27:30.880 change our lives to protect the vulnerable among us from the disease, why are 405 00:27:30.880 --> 00:27:36.039 we not also changing our lives and putting our lives on the line and sacrificing 406 00:27:36.200 --> 00:27:38.400 to go out and to and to protect the most vulnerable? So that's kind 407 00:27:38.400 --> 00:27:41.119 of how it started with, you know, just go out and lead. 408 00:27:41.160 --> 00:27:45.390 And what we saw very quickly was we went from covering for clinics to covering 409 00:27:45.470 --> 00:27:49.829 around twenty clinics with small groups. We're going out on praying and then they're 410 00:27:49.869 --> 00:27:53.390 in a zoom feed and we're broadcasting that zoom feed on our facebook page every 411 00:27:53.430 --> 00:27:57.509 Saturday morning at nine am. And so it just kind of took off and 412 00:27:57.579 --> 00:28:03.059 within that we realize this is the front door to expansion. Yeah, this 413 00:28:03.299 --> 00:28:07.539 is exposing people not only to love life, but is exposing people to the 414 00:28:07.660 --> 00:28:12.009 tragic truth of six hundred plus abortion clinics across the United States. Here's twenty 415 00:28:12.049 --> 00:28:15.210 of them. You're getting a front row seat to this from your home, 416 00:28:15.369 --> 00:28:19.970 where you can watch it. And now using that and leveraging it to say, 417 00:28:19.970 --> 00:28:22.650 all right, here's some next steps that you can do so you can 418 00:28:22.730 --> 00:28:27.279 lead a group yourself. So it started helping to recruit other leaders and new 419 00:28:27.400 --> 00:28:33.039 cities. And then the kind of the final component, which you and Vicki 420 00:28:33.319 --> 00:28:40.680 spoke about, the aspect of sidewalk missionaries and viewing the the abortion clinics as 421 00:28:40.720 --> 00:28:45.910 legitimate mission fields. All of that really kind of took shape during this pandemic 422 00:28:45.069 --> 00:28:51.190 to say this is a legitimate mission field, it's worthy of full time missionaries 423 00:28:51.710 --> 00:28:55.190 and and kind of that model of like if I'm you know, Honduras is 424 00:28:55.269 --> 00:28:59.900 on my mind. We have a mission in Honduras. You know, there 425 00:28:59.980 --> 00:29:03.859 were missionaries that we work with in Honduras who were kind of the shepherds of 426 00:29:03.940 --> 00:29:07.859 that work, the experts on the ground, and we send people to them 427 00:29:08.500 --> 00:29:12.410 to work with them and to develop that's kind of the same aspect. Here. 428 00:29:12.410 --> 00:29:17.289 We're saying the abortion clinic is the mission field. There should be kind 429 00:29:17.289 --> 00:29:21.450 of at least one, preferably two, missionaries that are kind of the experts 430 00:29:21.490 --> 00:29:23.960 on the ground that are shepherding the work. They're not doing all the work, 431 00:29:25.240 --> 00:29:29.400 they're coordinating, they're equipping their training and then churches are sending their people, 432 00:29:29.480 --> 00:29:33.119 just like a short term mission trip. They're sending their people one day 433 00:29:33.119 --> 00:29:34.640 a month, one day a week, multiple days a week, whatever it 434 00:29:34.720 --> 00:29:41.829 is. But I'm working together so that there's a holistic ministry of the church, 435 00:29:41.190 --> 00:29:45.509 local churches in their area that are working with their local missionaries to do 436 00:29:45.750 --> 00:29:51.470 effective outreach at their local abortion clinic. So that is Love Life America and 437 00:29:52.029 --> 00:29:56.740 amazingly, when we announced this last week, unbelievable conversations as people have been 438 00:29:56.779 --> 00:30:02.460 reaching out to us and sharing their stories about how God is burdened them and 439 00:30:02.579 --> 00:30:11.329 convicted them to bring this to their city and one couple in particular there south 440 00:30:11.410 --> 00:30:15.529 of Savannah. They used to live here in Charlotte, so they knew about 441 00:30:15.529 --> 00:30:18.769 love life. Yeah, and they had always kind of said, you know, 442 00:30:18.890 --> 00:30:21.480 man, if we ever moved back to Charlotte, we're going to, 443 00:30:21.720 --> 00:30:25.359 you know, get involved with love life. And as I was talking to 444 00:30:25.799 --> 00:30:29.240 her and her husband last week, she has started weeping. She was like 445 00:30:29.440 --> 00:30:33.119 we wanted to do something with love life if we move back. But now 446 00:30:33.279 --> 00:30:37.910 love life is coming here and there's something that we can do here in our 447 00:30:38.029 --> 00:30:44.309 city at our abortion clinic. And that's happening from Reno, Nevada, just 448 00:30:44.470 --> 00:30:48.589 got off the phone with someone, and in Visalia, California, Atlanta, 449 00:30:49.059 --> 00:30:56.859 Miami, Indianapolis, I mean they're just springing up all over and really all 450 00:30:56.940 --> 00:31:00.299 it boils down to, Daniel, and you know this. I believe that 451 00:31:00.579 --> 00:31:07.730 there are thousands of Christians in the United States and across the world that they 452 00:31:07.769 --> 00:31:11.809 are aware of the issue of abortion and it's impact and they don't know what 453 00:31:11.930 --> 00:31:15.450 to do. They want to do something, but they don't know what to 454 00:31:15.490 --> 00:31:23.599 do, and our ministries are now providing a packaged but effective way to say 455 00:31:23.880 --> 00:31:26.880 this is what you can do. Yeah, and and so you know, 456 00:31:26.960 --> 00:31:30.480 we'll have our hands on it to a degree, but we really want to 457 00:31:30.599 --> 00:31:33.230 give this over to local churches for them to run with it. And and 458 00:31:33.950 --> 00:31:37.910 we're starting to see the the first fruits of that taking places. You trained, 459 00:31:38.269 --> 00:31:44.190 yeah, fourteen sidewalk missionaries to too is a man is almost three weeks 460 00:31:44.190 --> 00:31:47.859 ago now. Yeah, and you know, just hearing the stories from that 461 00:31:48.099 --> 00:31:53.059 group alone of what's already happening is you know, they didn't waste the training 462 00:31:53.099 --> 00:31:56.859 right, immediately putting it into a fat run and, yeah, developing their 463 00:31:56.980 --> 00:32:00.609 cities, developing a network of life, bringing people together, getting ready to 464 00:32:01.450 --> 00:32:06.809 go out or some of them are already going out to their sidewalks. You 465 00:32:06.890 --> 00:32:12.250 know, we it's our conviction, with with you and included, Daniel. 466 00:32:12.250 --> 00:32:15.960 I know you're convicted as any of us, that this is going to happen 467 00:32:15.000 --> 00:32:20.400 across the United States and even beyond me, Israel. You know, there's 468 00:32:20.480 --> 00:32:25.599 there's activity in Israel. There's a things stirring in Australia. Someone reached out 469 00:32:25.599 --> 00:32:31.390 to us today about Ghana, and so it's no coincidence we're seeing the uptick 470 00:32:31.589 --> 00:32:37.670 in Shenanigan's from yea, you know, counts people. Yeah, and those 471 00:32:37.710 --> 00:32:42.990 sorts of things, because they see now the churches is awakening. Yeah, 472 00:32:43.029 --> 00:32:46.500 the church is rising up and it really is just a matter of we're providing 473 00:32:46.539 --> 00:32:50.700 them some tracks and run on. Yeah, they're doing it. Yeah, 474 00:32:50.819 --> 00:32:53.339 so what are those tracks? So let's say somebody is listening to this and 475 00:32:53.380 --> 00:32:58.099 they've been praying about how to get involved and how to get their church involved 476 00:32:58.299 --> 00:33:00.930 and and all of that. What what are the steps? If someone says, 477 00:33:00.970 --> 00:33:07.009 yeah, I'm thinking maybe Love Life America might be that that thing that 478 00:33:07.049 --> 00:33:08.809 I needed to get on board with, what is the process? Yeah, 479 00:33:08.930 --> 00:33:13.319 so the first thing I would say is go to love life dot org slash 480 00:33:13.359 --> 00:33:17.599 America and just check out the landing page there and you can see some of 481 00:33:17.640 --> 00:33:22.720 our videos that lay some more groundwork. But the three steps, to make 482 00:33:22.759 --> 00:33:24.480 it simple for you, without even having to go to the page, is 483 00:33:24.680 --> 00:33:30.349 watch, go and launch. So we're basically saying every Saturday from nine am 484 00:33:30.430 --> 00:33:34.750 to about ten fifteen, ten twenty eastern time, we're hosting a live virtual 485 00:33:34.829 --> 00:33:38.710 prayer walk on our facebook page. It's the handle is at Love Life USA 486 00:33:38.910 --> 00:33:44.220 on facebook in and go on there and watch, watch the prayer walk, 487 00:33:44.339 --> 00:33:49.420 pray with us and, you know, engage in the experience of seeing Christian 488 00:33:49.420 --> 00:33:52.059 leaders across the United States giving live updates. This past Saturday we saw, 489 00:33:52.900 --> 00:34:00.289 literally saw a family get in their car, drive out of the abortion parking 490 00:34:00.410 --> 00:34:05.170 lot over to the adjacent parking lot where there's a mobile unit there for a 491 00:34:05.250 --> 00:34:07.489 free ultrasound, and they chose life on the live feet. And you do. 492 00:34:07.769 --> 00:34:10.440 We're not putting people on blast and showing their faces and stuff like that, 493 00:34:10.599 --> 00:34:15.559 but you can see their car and in real time, like people praying 494 00:34:15.679 --> 00:34:20.039 and seeing an immediate answer to prayer in the Valley of decision. And so 495 00:34:20.440 --> 00:34:24.309 you know, watch, watch with US and invite others, invite leaders in 496 00:34:24.389 --> 00:34:27.510 your church. Why, Hey, guys, I heard about this thing. 497 00:34:27.590 --> 00:34:30.110 Love Life. Watch the live prayer walk or right now you can go on 498 00:34:30.150 --> 00:34:34.590 our facebook page and they're all recorded on there, so you can watch some 499 00:34:34.710 --> 00:34:37.510 of the prerecorded ones as well. So that's the first step, is just 500 00:34:37.789 --> 00:34:43.219 watch and then, you know, connect with us and will equip you to 501 00:34:43.340 --> 00:34:49.460 go, okay and lead your own group out to pray at your abortion clinic. 502 00:34:49.619 --> 00:34:52.139 So a couple of things we just want to make sure of is that 503 00:34:52.659 --> 00:34:54.210 you know you're a part of a local church. Again, we're not a 504 00:34:54.329 --> 00:34:58.250 replacement for the local church. So you know, we want to know that 505 00:34:58.289 --> 00:35:01.449 you're a part of a local evangelical church and you're in good standing there and 506 00:35:01.530 --> 00:35:07.039 you have at the very least the blessing of your pastor to go and so 507 00:35:07.159 --> 00:35:10.079 we have, you know, some steps that we can walk through with you 508 00:35:10.199 --> 00:35:14.360 on that and we have a training website that we can share with you to 509 00:35:14.480 --> 00:35:16.599 get you prepared and equip to lead a group. We have tools for you 510 00:35:16.719 --> 00:35:22.829 to use that make it very turnkey and very simple but effective out there as 511 00:35:22.869 --> 00:35:28.510 you go. And then the last step is, as these new go groups 512 00:35:28.510 --> 00:35:32.070 or prayer groups are starting, the last step is all right, let's start 513 00:35:32.110 --> 00:35:37.699 gathering now other churches in the area share the vision of love life with them. 514 00:35:37.059 --> 00:35:42.139 We're looking for partnering churches, what we call houses of refuge, and 515 00:35:42.219 --> 00:35:45.579 the idea there is many women stop running the local abortion clinics and instead of 516 00:35:45.619 --> 00:35:51.530 running to churches for real help and real solutions. And then, along with 517 00:35:51.849 --> 00:35:58.289 partnering House of Refuge Churches, we're looking to identify one to two sidewalk missionaries 518 00:35:58.809 --> 00:36:01.250 that can come to our five day boot camp here in Charlotte and be trained 519 00:36:01.329 --> 00:36:06.079 and equip not only during that five day camp. But you know, one 520 00:36:06.119 --> 00:36:08.559 of the major reasons we merge with you guys is because of your ability to 521 00:36:08.599 --> 00:36:15.679 train and equip and encourage ongoing the sidewalk missionaries across the United States to have 522 00:36:15.800 --> 00:36:22.030 an effective witness out there. A lot of times what we see in sidewalk 523 00:36:22.110 --> 00:36:24.429 outreaches kind of like the wild wild west. Anybody can show up and there's 524 00:36:24.429 --> 00:36:29.269 all sorts of approaches and it's very it's not very well organized and it's not 525 00:36:29.389 --> 00:36:32.099 very unified. Yeah, and I think that's one of the great fruits of 526 00:36:32.460 --> 00:36:40.420 our merger. And what we're doing is is bringing a level of I don't 527 00:36:40.420 --> 00:36:44.739 know, professionalism does not the right word, but like warmity. Yeah, 528 00:36:44.860 --> 00:36:51.250 you know, like a standard of care and a standard of time tested approaches 529 00:36:51.409 --> 00:36:57.250 to effective outreach that's been in place for the last ten plus years that you 530 00:36:57.329 --> 00:37:00.840 guys have been using, and I've seen over five thousand babies saved and their 531 00:37:00.880 --> 00:37:06.679 families saved from that decision as well. Is Putting that in place to where 532 00:37:07.039 --> 00:37:13.960 there is a unified affective tested a biblical biblically that's that's that, honestly. 533 00:37:14.079 --> 00:37:15.789 I mean I'm appreciate you saying that, but that is one of the things 534 00:37:15.829 --> 00:37:22.230 that I admire greatly as the time that I've known you is what I've seen 535 00:37:22.269 --> 00:37:24.510 in your ministry and your approach out there. Sometimes we get a little too 536 00:37:24.550 --> 00:37:30.739 pragmatic with these sorts of things and data and all of that, and really 537 00:37:30.820 --> 00:37:34.659 the foundation is what does the Bible instruct us to do? Yeah, in 538 00:37:34.820 --> 00:37:40.500 these situations and bring not being afraid to bring that to the abortion clinic. 539 00:37:40.659 --> 00:37:45.530 Yes, speak, what does God say about the situation? When is God 540 00:37:45.570 --> 00:37:47.849 say about your baby? Was God say about you? And not saving that 541 00:37:49.090 --> 00:37:52.730 for last right, but leading with that. Yeah, because we believe in 542 00:37:52.809 --> 00:37:57.969 the sufficiency of the Scriptures and the power of the Holy Spirit to intervene in 543 00:37:58.010 --> 00:38:00.000 people's lives. And so, yeah, it's very exciting to me, Daniel, 544 00:38:01.000 --> 00:38:05.000 the potential of what can take place. As you know, in two 545 00:38:05.039 --> 00:38:08.199 of our cities this week we saw saves for the first time in Madison, 546 00:38:08.239 --> 00:38:15.110 Wisconsin and Fayetteville. Folks who have been going out and they're all different too. 547 00:38:15.230 --> 00:38:19.909 That's the other thing too, is you know, I think the one 548 00:38:19.949 --> 00:38:23.309 guy is is like Filipino, and you have young, you know, one 549 00:38:23.429 --> 00:38:29.699 gals nineteen. Yeah, you have retired people. You know, it's such 550 00:38:29.699 --> 00:38:34.539 a diverse group, but the one thing they all share in common is this 551 00:38:34.739 --> 00:38:38.179 isn't a fad, this isn't a neat idea like. This is a deeply 552 00:38:39.059 --> 00:38:43.769 burdened group of people. Yeah, that are just saying yes, yeah, 553 00:38:44.130 --> 00:38:46.090 and I think in one sense, you know, when I share with people, 554 00:38:46.449 --> 00:38:51.170 and hopefully you guys who listen to this podcast list and our previous podcast, 555 00:38:51.530 --> 00:38:55.079 about this being a missionary endeavor, when I share with folks about the 556 00:38:55.159 --> 00:38:59.559 fact that this is a mission field, it helps to tear off some of 557 00:38:59.639 --> 00:39:02.800 that stigma which is associated with protesting and making this thing of political issue and 558 00:39:04.559 --> 00:39:08.159 really just helping churches, helping individuals to understand this is a mission field and 559 00:39:08.320 --> 00:39:12.469 those we are going out our missionaries. It helps to cut through that stigma 560 00:39:12.510 --> 00:39:15.909 in the light comes on for people. Sometimes they just can connect with Alice, 561 00:39:15.949 --> 00:39:19.150 sharing with actually my pastor a couple of weeks ago, just what God 562 00:39:19.309 --> 00:39:22.750 is doing and I was sharing with him. Know we're really contending for the 563 00:39:22.789 --> 00:39:27.739 language at this is a missionary endeavor that those out there are sidewalk missionaries and 564 00:39:27.820 --> 00:39:30.099 my pastors like it's exactly what they are. You're right there there, right 565 00:39:30.179 --> 00:39:34.579 this mission field. Their missionaries yeah, yeah, and so really just I 566 00:39:34.699 --> 00:39:37.380 think people understanding, people are listening, understanding that language, understanding what we're 567 00:39:37.380 --> 00:39:42.369 talking about. What we're trying to do is basically have these mission fields that 568 00:39:42.530 --> 00:39:46.889 currently in our country do not have a missionary, raising up missionaries to be 569 00:39:47.010 --> 00:39:51.530 out there on those front lines, right, and just to see within that 570 00:39:51.690 --> 00:39:55.920 training those people that were there were you know, they've been involved, most 571 00:39:55.960 --> 00:40:00.239 of them in some measure, but to really see them embrace this idea that 572 00:40:00.320 --> 00:40:01.920 you're going to be sent out as a missionary. You're not just out there 573 00:40:02.000 --> 00:40:07.510 is just an individual doing your thing and you're not a prolifed activist, but 574 00:40:07.590 --> 00:40:09.909 you're a missionary. I really think I saw some lights come on with them 575 00:40:09.949 --> 00:40:15.550 when they really understood in that boot camp what we're after, what we're trying 576 00:40:15.550 --> 00:40:17.469 to do nationally. Right. So hopefully you guys that are listening, you 577 00:40:17.550 --> 00:40:22.780 understand what we're what we're seeking is to have these mission fields covered with a 578 00:40:22.900 --> 00:40:24.500 missionary. Yeah, and, you know, just to bring clarity, because 579 00:40:24.500 --> 00:40:29.739 I know there may be some like diehard and missiologists, who maybe, as 580 00:40:29.780 --> 00:40:34.739 parsing words, that maybe we're just being cute with this language. You know, 581 00:40:36.010 --> 00:40:39.769 the differentiator again is what you just mentioned about it being Biblical and understanding 582 00:40:39.849 --> 00:40:44.090 that. We don't just train subwalt missionaries to go out and save babies. 583 00:40:44.570 --> 00:40:47.010 They're trained to share the gospel. Yeah, they're equipped to share the hope 584 00:40:47.010 --> 00:40:54.440 of Jesus Christ with people were we're intersecting because of the reason why they're there. 585 00:40:54.480 --> 00:40:58.960 Were intersecting with them because they have been brought to a place in life 586 00:40:58.960 --> 00:41:01.480 where they believe that a reasonable solution their problem is killing their child. But 587 00:41:01.639 --> 00:41:06.670 the end goal is not just that the child is saved, it's that people 588 00:41:06.710 --> 00:41:08.829 come to know Christ. Yeah, which is the mission of the church. 589 00:41:08.869 --> 00:41:13.070 Absolutely, we're commission to, you know, go into all the world, 590 00:41:13.150 --> 00:41:16.389 preach the good news, baptized, teach all of those things, and that 591 00:41:16.710 --> 00:41:22.739 is, in fact what our sidewalk missionaries are being equipped to do and to 592 00:41:22.980 --> 00:41:29.619 equip churches in their area to do as well, and that's why we're using 593 00:41:29.659 --> 00:41:32.530 the language of sidewalk missionary, because it is in line with the Great Commission. 594 00:41:32.570 --> 00:41:38.050 Yeah, absolutely, in the discipleship component fits perfectly in with the necessity 595 00:41:38.130 --> 00:41:43.050 for these local churches to be involved and when a mom chooses live so not 596 00:41:43.170 --> 00:41:45.409 just be involved and come out there and pray that's great, but even within 597 00:41:45.449 --> 00:41:51.199 these churches, to identify mentors or disciples that right disciple these MOMS, because 598 00:41:51.199 --> 00:41:52.880 that's the goal. Again, it's not to want to minimize it, but 599 00:41:52.960 --> 00:41:57.519 not to just save a baby, but to disciple that mother right so that 600 00:41:57.599 --> 00:42:00.239 ultimately that child and that child is raised, that child is raised being discipled 601 00:42:00.280 --> 00:42:04.429 as well. And then, you know, God, by His grace and 602 00:42:04.590 --> 00:42:07.750 mercy, is saving mom's babies, being saved, these children to be in 603 00:42:07.829 --> 00:42:13.510 disciple. And this, this message of life, is covering the entire United 604 00:42:13.550 --> 00:42:16.539 States, from America exactly, and God is glorified through it. That's right, 605 00:42:16.579 --> 00:42:21.340 because that's the ultimate goal. That's right. Yeah, well, man, 606 00:42:21.539 --> 00:42:23.500 that's that's pretty much where I wanted to go with this. That's pretty 607 00:42:23.500 --> 00:42:25.780 much all I wanted to cover. Anything else you want to mention before we 608 00:42:25.860 --> 00:42:30.170 wrap this thing up? No, I just you know, I just would 609 00:42:30.170 --> 00:42:34.889 encourage folks check out love life dot org slash America, you know, and 610 00:42:36.090 --> 00:42:37.489 share it too. Yeah, you know, share it with people in your 611 00:42:37.489 --> 00:42:42.369 network that you know have a burden for this. You've had conversations with them. 612 00:42:43.570 --> 00:42:47.039 I can assure you there are thousands of people in the United States that 613 00:42:47.119 --> 00:42:52.679 are praying and looking for something to do around the issue of life and and 614 00:42:53.519 --> 00:42:58.949 something that's far deeper than just political activism. That has a place. I 615 00:42:59.030 --> 00:43:02.349 don't want to minimize that, but for far too long the church has been 616 00:43:02.389 --> 00:43:07.469 waiting for politicians to change culture, which they don't do. They follow culture. 617 00:43:07.469 --> 00:43:10.710 Yeah, the Church has. It's not that just we are to be 618 00:43:10.909 --> 00:43:15.139 salt and light, it's actually who we are. That's what Jesus said we 619 00:43:15.179 --> 00:43:16.860 are. So you are the salt of the earth, you are the light 620 00:43:16.940 --> 00:43:21.340 of the world, and that is the role that we played, the pillar 621 00:43:21.460 --> 00:43:25.780 and buttress of truth in society. We've advocated that and that's why we're in 622 00:43:27.329 --> 00:43:30.210 a lot of the trouble we're in is because we've gotten soft on truth and 623 00:43:30.289 --> 00:43:32.170 we're afraid to be controversial and we want to be liked by everybody, and 624 00:43:32.210 --> 00:43:37.289 I struggle with that just as much as the next guy. But we do 625 00:43:37.489 --> 00:43:44.159 have the unique opportunity to fulfill the God given role that he's already said that 626 00:43:44.320 --> 00:43:47.840 we have a commissioned us to be salt and light and shift the culture. 627 00:43:49.000 --> 00:43:52.519 And you know, we have numerous stories that we can share if how that's 628 00:43:52.559 --> 00:43:58.469 taking place. But we're not satisfied with. You know just what's taken place 629 00:43:58.550 --> 00:44:00.750 in the last four or five years. And for you guys, ten years 630 00:44:00.469 --> 00:44:05.150 there's still a ton more people, yeah, that need Jesus. And I 631 00:44:05.230 --> 00:44:09.820 mean the reality is we've gotten this country three hundred and eighty thousand churches, 632 00:44:10.380 --> 00:44:14.260 and maybe half of those are Bible preaching churches. You know, some of 633 00:44:14.300 --> 00:44:17.139 these we wouldn't even identify as churches. We at least a hundred and fifty 634 00:44:17.300 --> 00:44:22.460 thousand, I would say, Solid Bible preaching churches in the United States of 635 00:44:22.539 --> 00:44:25.170 America. Yeah, and seven hundred abortions, the seven hundred abortion clinics is 636 00:44:25.250 --> 00:44:28.889 seven hundred too many, right, but when you compare it to how many 637 00:44:28.929 --> 00:44:31.329 believers there are, how many pastors there are, yeah, we should have 638 00:44:31.409 --> 00:44:36.050 these things covered in no time. There should be a there should already be 639 00:44:36.130 --> 00:44:39.880 a quick Christian witness there. Yeah, but I'm believing God and we're looking 640 00:44:39.920 --> 00:44:45.960 for by November of two thousand and twenty one, to have a Christian witness 641 00:44:45.960 --> 00:44:50.800 at every abortion center in the United States of America and we're going to celebrate 642 00:44:50.840 --> 00:44:53.110 what God has done, what God is doing. I'm believing God for it. 643 00:44:53.630 --> 00:44:58.230 I'm I know it can happen and so, guys, if you're burdened, 644 00:44:58.389 --> 00:45:00.110 you heard Josh talking, you've heard I mean that. Listen, we're 645 00:45:00.110 --> 00:45:06.510 making it simple. Yeah, it's just three simple steps to get involved and 646 00:45:07.260 --> 00:45:09.780 we'll walk you through it the boot camp man. We're making ourselves available to 647 00:45:09.900 --> 00:45:14.260 train you, guys, to give you just the wisdom. You can learn 648 00:45:14.300 --> 00:45:15.739 from a lot of my mistakes. Yeah, Vicky, you'll be there in 649 00:45:15.820 --> 00:45:19.139 the training. Will have others in there in the training. Justin will be 650 00:45:19.139 --> 00:45:22.530 there. Josh's there. Just speaking about Church engagement, Andre that you mentioned 651 00:45:22.570 --> 00:45:25.690 earlier, who actually had on a podcast several months ago, will help you, 652 00:45:25.849 --> 00:45:30.730 equip you to engage with the churches, give the churches involved. We 653 00:45:30.809 --> 00:45:34.250 want to quip, we want empower these salwalt missionaries to be effective in these 654 00:45:34.289 --> 00:45:36.840 mission fields. So, if you're burden with that, I'm actually going to 655 00:45:36.880 --> 00:45:39.599 put a link in the description of the podcast so you guys can go to 656 00:45:39.719 --> 00:45:45.599 love life America and get connected and see the steps there and you can certainly 657 00:45:45.639 --> 00:45:47.920 reach out to me. For now my email address. You can reach out 658 00:45:47.920 --> 00:45:52.829 a deep parks of cities for lifecom it'll be. I'll be sharing my new 659 00:45:52.070 --> 00:45:55.550 love life email address. You guys. Coming up in the next couple of 660 00:45:55.710 --> 00:46:00.989 PODCASTS. You can certainly reach out to me. Please share this podcast. 661 00:46:00.150 --> 00:46:04.269 Share. Like Josh said, there are a live feed there on facebook, 662 00:46:04.739 --> 00:46:12.340 but until next time, got blessed. Give me our love for love, 663 00:46:15.059 --> 00:46:24.170 give me our lift for gratitude. I know it will cost me my life. 664 00:46:28.849 --> 00:46:31.250 Nothing's too precious and some met you