What is Sidewalk Counseling?

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.600 --> 00:00:06.440 I Am Yours, I am yours, I am yours. Send Me Lord, 2 00:00:06.919 --> 00:00:11.550 I am yours. Welcome to the Gospel Center prolife podcast and this episode 3 00:00:11.589 --> 00:00:15.390 we're going to ask the question what is sidewalk counseling? We're going to get 4 00:00:15.390 --> 00:00:19.309 into the some of the scriptural support for sidewalk counseling and some of the practical 5 00:00:19.390 --> 00:00:26.260 implications of being in front of an abortion center. I felt show passish, 6 00:00:27.339 --> 00:00:38.130 touch your heart. Use Welcome to the Gospel Center prolife podcast. We appreciate 7 00:00:38.170 --> 00:00:41.850 those who've joined us. We're going to deal with the subject today that's really 8 00:00:41.890 --> 00:00:46.810 near and dear to our hearts, and that sidewalk counseling folks that come into 9 00:00:48.329 --> 00:00:52.240 into prolife ministry and those sort of things. Maybe some of you folks are 10 00:00:52.320 --> 00:00:56.799 new to Pro Life Ministry and you've heard this term sidewalk counseling and maybe you 11 00:00:56.840 --> 00:00:59.159 know what that means, maybe you don't. And so we're going to talk 12 00:00:59.240 --> 00:01:03.679 through what sidewalk counseling is, to some of the real basics of it and 13 00:01:03.920 --> 00:01:08.750 and share some of our experiences and then share some of the scriptures of why 14 00:01:08.989 --> 00:01:15.069 we believe sidewalk counseling is Biblical and and Biblically what sidewalk counseling looks like. 15 00:01:15.989 --> 00:01:22.379 It's not that this podcast is designed to to just equip sidewalk counselors. It 16 00:01:22.459 --> 00:01:25.739 certainly is for that. We really wanted to be more broad than that, 17 00:01:25.900 --> 00:01:29.060 though, and just equip people in general to talk through questions that they have 18 00:01:29.180 --> 00:01:33.730 in general about prolife issues and light of the Gospel. But it's our heart, 19 00:01:33.769 --> 00:01:37.329 it's what we're doing day in and day out sidewalk counseling at the abortion 20 00:01:37.370 --> 00:01:40.890 centers here in Charlotte and it's a lot of you know, a lot of 21 00:01:40.930 --> 00:01:46.010 people look to us with questions about sidewalk counseling and we do trainings and things 22 00:01:46.049 --> 00:01:49.680 like that. And we have the sidewalks for life website, sidewalks the number 23 00:01:49.760 --> 00:01:53.879 four and lifecom and that website is a side won't counseling website. It's a 24 00:01:53.920 --> 00:02:00.200 Gospel centered prolife sidewalk counseling website. But let's talk real quick about sidewalk counseling. 25 00:02:00.239 --> 00:02:02.989 This, hopefully will be a pretty short podcast, but maybe not. 26 00:02:04.069 --> 00:02:07.230 Maybe we'll get in some more depth than we than we thought that we would, 27 00:02:07.030 --> 00:02:13.310 but let's let's talk a real quick just the basic definition of sidewalk counseling. 28 00:02:13.430 --> 00:02:15.020 Thank you. What is that basic definition? Yeah, well, I 29 00:02:15.379 --> 00:02:19.659 know when I when I first heard that word, I had no idea, 30 00:02:19.699 --> 00:02:23.099 I didn't know what it was, but but now I do it. So 31 00:02:23.740 --> 00:02:29.500 I think sidewalk counseling is being on the sidewalk in front of an abortion center 32 00:02:29.659 --> 00:02:36.169 where dozens or more babies are dying every day, and counseling or pleading with 33 00:02:36.569 --> 00:02:42.610 truth, God's truth, to the mom's that this is something they should not 34 00:02:42.810 --> 00:02:46.639 do and that there's hope and help available to yeah, I know some people, 35 00:02:46.639 --> 00:02:50.639 because we talked a little bit about this before we started the podcast, 36 00:02:51.280 --> 00:02:55.919 and even some of our pro bowl portion friends have have kind of wondered why 37 00:02:55.919 --> 00:03:00.629 do you, why do you call yourself counselors? You're not really a counselor. 38 00:03:00.789 --> 00:03:04.110 You know, you have to go through training and go through school in 39 00:03:04.189 --> 00:03:07.349 order to be a counselor. And what they're talking about of courses, they're 40 00:03:07.349 --> 00:03:10.550 talking about like clinical psychologist and these sort of things. So why would we 41 00:03:10.750 --> 00:03:15.780 use a term like counselor when we're talking about the issue of abortion and we're 42 00:03:15.780 --> 00:03:20.620 talking about engaging with women going into an abortion center? Sure, and and 43 00:03:20.740 --> 00:03:23.979 that was another thing when I first read and I saw it on facebook with 44 00:03:24.139 --> 00:03:28.770 one of my friends who called her self sidebought counselor, and I had actually 45 00:03:28.770 --> 00:03:31.129 the same response. I'm like, no, you're not, not a counselor. 46 00:03:31.210 --> 00:03:36.689 I know you don't have a degree in counseling, but but indeed, 47 00:03:36.930 --> 00:03:42.759 really, if you go to the scripture, we are we're counseling with the 48 00:03:42.840 --> 00:03:46.400 word of God, and some scripture really popped out at me as we were 49 00:03:46.479 --> 00:03:51.439 discussing this. One of those is some one hundred and nineteen twenty four, 50 00:03:52.240 --> 00:03:59.509 which says your testimonies are my delight, they are my counselors. So we 51 00:03:59.870 --> 00:04:02.789 have as believers, we have the word of God, the Holy Spirit, 52 00:04:02.949 --> 00:04:08.150 living within us, and it should be our delight, and that is what 53 00:04:08.349 --> 00:04:14.180 counsels us and what we now have that we know is of great value and 54 00:04:14.300 --> 00:04:19.259 probably truly, I believe the only answer to the abortion crisis is is to 55 00:04:19.379 --> 00:04:26.930 then counsel others as we have been counseled by the Holy Spirit. And there's 56 00:04:26.930 --> 00:04:30.850 another one. It's sort of like Jesus is saying to his disciples, freely, 57 00:04:30.930 --> 00:04:36.410 you have received so freely, give so the wonderful counselor Jesus. He's 58 00:04:36.410 --> 00:04:44.160 changed our lives and counseled us into eternal life by his holy spirit. We're 59 00:04:44.240 --> 00:04:46.879 just taken what he's spoken to us and we're trying to speak that to other 60 00:04:46.920 --> 00:04:50.759 people, really speak to that Gospel centered we're here not just as humanitarian effort, 61 00:04:50.879 --> 00:04:56.910 we're here as Gospel proclaimers at the abortion centers come it's that's right. 62 00:04:56.990 --> 00:05:00.750 Yeah, yeah, yeah, and we are not trying to pretend that we 63 00:05:00.870 --> 00:05:06.180 have a degree. Yeah, but we do have knowledge of the Lord and 64 00:05:06.379 --> 00:05:11.939 of and the Holy Spirits, guidance. And it was that. That next 65 00:05:11.939 --> 00:05:18.100 scripture, you can time this is proverbs twenty four six, and remember what's 66 00:05:18.139 --> 00:05:25.970 happening now there on the sidewalk of the abortion center is warfare. It is 67 00:05:26.129 --> 00:05:30.610 spiritual warfare. You, you, you are right there where the battle of 68 00:05:30.730 --> 00:05:35.519 good and evil is happening in the heavenly realms. And and so this verse 69 00:05:35.639 --> 00:05:42.639 says in Verse Six, Again Proverbs Twenty four, for by wise guidance you 70 00:05:42.800 --> 00:05:48.000 can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory. And 71 00:05:48.319 --> 00:05:56.110 so when we're waging a spiritual war, scripture says that that we are counseling 72 00:05:56.230 --> 00:06:00.709 each other. We are counseling each other towards how to engage in that battle 73 00:06:00.470 --> 00:06:06.060 and and it is in that abundance of counselors that there is victory. So 74 00:06:06.100 --> 00:06:12.500 I think that's the sense that counselor is used in sidewalk. Counselor we are 75 00:06:13.019 --> 00:06:18.930 we are counseling from the the counseling that the Holy Spirit has has given us. 76 00:06:19.129 --> 00:06:21.889 And Yeah, that is that's what we are off. Yeah, I 77 00:06:21.930 --> 00:06:26.810 mean if you think about counselor when we when we talk about, you know, 78 00:06:27.009 --> 00:06:33.040 a clinical psychologist or we talk about a counselor that you sit down with, 79 00:06:33.319 --> 00:06:36.600 you know, in a crisis or a difficult situation, that's really what 80 00:06:36.639 --> 00:06:40.639 we're talking about. Somebody who sits down with you in a crisis or some 81 00:06:40.759 --> 00:06:44.279 of it, that converses with you in a crisis and talks you through that 82 00:06:44.439 --> 00:06:48.670 crisis and helps you to get on your feet and gives you some some things, 83 00:06:48.870 --> 00:06:53.269 some tips, some some to do's and those sort of things to help 84 00:06:53.310 --> 00:06:57.230 you get over that slamp. I guess we get through that crisis and then 85 00:06:57.389 --> 00:07:02.339 thrive in spite of that crisis, and that's exactly what we're doing in that 86 00:07:02.620 --> 00:07:06.259 sense right. As far as counselors? Yeah, I want to read this 87 00:07:06.300 --> 00:07:11.500 scripture ahead. I mentioned again as we were talking through before, this podcast, 88 00:07:11.980 --> 00:07:19.689 which is in Second Timothy and its second Timothy Three starts at sixteen and 89 00:07:19.810 --> 00:07:24.290 goest verse seventeen. It says all scripture is given by inspiration of God. 90 00:07:24.529 --> 00:07:28.490 So it speaks to the scripture that the Bible is our is the key for 91 00:07:28.649 --> 00:07:32.600 our our ministry. Right, I'll scriptures given by inspiration of God and is 92 00:07:32.680 --> 00:07:39.279 profitable for doctrine, for reproof. Doctrine could mean could be teaching. It's 93 00:07:39.319 --> 00:07:44.829 not just it's primarily talking about teaching to do with theology and those sort of 94 00:07:44.870 --> 00:07:47.990 things, but it can mean other teaching as well. Profitable for doctrine, 95 00:07:47.990 --> 00:07:54.230 for reproof, for Correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of 96 00:07:54.310 --> 00:07:58.899 God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. So it's basically 97 00:07:58.980 --> 00:08:03.779 when we have the word of God we're thoroughly equipped for every good work. 98 00:08:03.899 --> 00:08:09.939 So we don't need no one's saying that going to school and getting degrees and 99 00:08:09.019 --> 00:08:13.329 stuff is bad, but if we're trying to reach people in crisis and we 100 00:08:13.410 --> 00:08:16.689 believe the Gospel is the answer, I don't need, you know, an 101 00:08:16.730 --> 00:08:20.449 eight year degree in order to talk to someone in crisis and share with them 102 00:08:20.490 --> 00:08:24.490 what the answer is, because I know the answer is Jesus Christ right. 103 00:08:24.649 --> 00:08:28.160 So that's sort of that. You know. That that aspect of sidewalk counseling. 104 00:08:28.759 --> 00:08:35.000 We even have a few of our sidebot counselors who are counselors literally trained 105 00:08:35.039 --> 00:08:39.960 and degreed in counseling, and they still come to us for training and the 106 00:08:41.080 --> 00:08:48.350 experience Orians of how you approach mom who is there to aboard. So with 107 00:08:48.590 --> 00:08:52.029 all of their training, it's great. There are some things that they have 108 00:08:52.269 --> 00:08:56.340 learned as a counselor that are definitely good, like framework or techniques to use 109 00:08:56.419 --> 00:09:01.139 with those MOMS, asking questions, finding out the situation, being sure that 110 00:09:01.220 --> 00:09:07.340 you're a good listener, those sorts of things. But but, like you 111 00:09:07.500 --> 00:09:11.529 said, we don't need to have a degree and we're not claiming to be 112 00:09:13.090 --> 00:09:18.610 a degreed counselor. We are claiming that we have the power of the Holy 113 00:09:18.690 --> 00:09:22.330 Spirit to counsel others and everyone who has the Holy Spirit in dwelling them has 114 00:09:22.450 --> 00:09:28.480 that that power. Yeah, another aspect of counseling, you know, as 115 00:09:28.559 --> 00:09:33.840 talking earlier about. You know, so we look at counseling and what is 116 00:09:33.840 --> 00:09:39.870 a counselor counselor is someone who who is talking you through an issue and and 117 00:09:39.470 --> 00:09:43.549 helping you to come to certain conclusions. Right, right. But when we 118 00:09:43.629 --> 00:09:48.230 talk about legal counsel, we talk about lawyers. Lawyers are counselors, right, 119 00:09:48.350 --> 00:09:52.820 I mean the judge might address a lawyer as counsel. So, counsel, 120 00:09:52.899 --> 00:09:56.980 what is your what's your motion and that? So that's another aspect of 121 00:09:58.139 --> 00:10:03.340 counseling and it comes right out of proverbs thirty one versus eight nine, which 122 00:10:03.419 --> 00:10:07.330 and these when you read this passage of Scripture and also the proverbs twenty four 123 00:10:07.330 --> 00:10:11.730 passage, we're talking about, you know, rescue those who are being led 124 00:10:11.769 --> 00:10:15.370 away to slaughter. This sort of speaks in that same the same terms, 125 00:10:15.409 --> 00:10:20.129 but it uses really legal terms and it says open your mouth for the speechless 126 00:10:20.169 --> 00:10:22.840 and the cause, or it could be the case like a judicial case, 127 00:10:24.440 --> 00:10:26.519 and the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, 128 00:10:26.919 --> 00:10:31.440 judge righteously. That we're talking about making judgments. It's as judge righteously and 129 00:10:31.559 --> 00:10:35.870 plead the cause of the poor and needy. The pleading part is the counseling 130 00:10:35.909 --> 00:10:39.909 part. Like what does a law. You're doing. He is. He 131 00:10:39.110 --> 00:10:46.110 is counsel for those who are potentially going to be condemned to a particular sentence, 132 00:10:46.509 --> 00:10:48.309 and this case we're talking about a baby who's going to be condemned to 133 00:10:48.470 --> 00:10:52.299 death, and we are a counselor on behalf of that baby. That's like 134 00:10:52.379 --> 00:10:56.860 a legal counselor sort of. We're like laying out of thanks that child's like 135 00:10:56.940 --> 00:11:00.659 exact exactly. We are laying out a case and in this case the judge 136 00:11:00.700 --> 00:11:05.210 is actually the mom. The judge who gives the sentence is the MOM, 137 00:11:05.289 --> 00:11:09.850 and we're trying to appeal to the judge. People talk about don't judge. 138 00:11:09.370 --> 00:11:15.169 The reality is that the MOMS that are going into abortion clinics are actually judging 139 00:11:15.210 --> 00:11:20.000 their babies in certain ways, and I don't believe that it's always malicious and 140 00:11:20.080 --> 00:11:24.320 it's alway always thought out in those ways, but practically the way that it 141 00:11:24.440 --> 00:11:28.080 works itself out is she is a judge toward that baby and we're appealing to 142 00:11:28.200 --> 00:11:33.110 her and saying, hey, judge, hey mom, these are the reasons 143 00:11:33.149 --> 00:11:37.750 why your baby doesn't deserve to right. And then there's three sort of points 144 00:11:37.750 --> 00:11:41.669 that we talked about constantly, which are what God says about this, the 145 00:11:41.750 --> 00:11:45.470 humanity of the baby and the resources that are available to the mother, or 146 00:11:45.549 --> 00:11:48.539 sort of like how we lay out a legal case in that way. We 147 00:11:48.700 --> 00:11:50.860 talk about those, you know, in our trainings we talk about those on 148 00:11:50.980 --> 00:11:56.700 the sidewalks for lifesite and what are those, those three points, and how 149 00:11:56.740 --> 00:12:00.500 do you apply them? But that that comes right out of this sort of 150 00:12:00.539 --> 00:12:05.289 mentality of being a counselor legal counselor will be half of that baby. You 151 00:12:05.370 --> 00:12:09.730 know, and I was thinking as you were talking, that we are the 152 00:12:09.210 --> 00:12:13.370 council for the defense, yeah, of the baby. Well, there's another 153 00:12:13.529 --> 00:12:18.240 group that's, in a sense, the council for the other side. Yeah, 154 00:12:18.279 --> 00:12:20.720 but execution. That's right, that are prosecuting that baby, and those 155 00:12:20.759 --> 00:12:26.879 voices are loud and they are powerful because they have access to those moms that 156 00:12:28.039 --> 00:12:31.509 we don't have. They often have the law supporting them, at least in 157 00:12:31.710 --> 00:12:35.750 our city, and ways that so they have access, again, legally, 158 00:12:35.950 --> 00:12:41.230 that that we find we don't have. And and they're arguing the other side. 159 00:12:41.309 --> 00:12:43.899 They're saying that this is so, it's easy, it will solve all 160 00:12:43.980 --> 00:12:48.179 your problems. Those curs are the ones that are making money off of them. 161 00:12:48.259 --> 00:12:54.700 They were, sadly, exactly, and so they there's there's no other 162 00:12:54.820 --> 00:12:58.850 voice if that baby's to get a fair trial. If you're talking about it 163 00:12:58.929 --> 00:13:03.129 kind of in a legal sense and there are people pleading in the case where 164 00:13:03.169 --> 00:13:07.409 there's plenty of voices. But yeah, the case for death and the sidebalt 165 00:13:07.450 --> 00:13:11.690 counselor is pleading the case for life. Yeah, and in one sense, 166 00:13:11.769 --> 00:13:15.480 you know, with the like, in a legal sense, the burden of 167 00:13:15.639 --> 00:13:22.480 proof is on the prosecution and the default is innocent and depriven guilty. Unfortunately, 168 00:13:22.600 --> 00:13:26.190 in the situation that we're dealing with, which is really an uphill battle, 169 00:13:26.230 --> 00:13:31.149 yeah, that baby is assumed guilty and we have to lay out a 170 00:13:31.230 --> 00:13:33.389 case of their of their innocence. Now, again, I'm not saying this 171 00:13:35.230 --> 00:13:37.629 and I'm not saying that on the MOM's part. For the most part, 172 00:13:37.710 --> 00:13:41.539 these women are not thinking it through in this way. They're not maliciously like 173 00:13:41.740 --> 00:13:46.740 laying out this this thing where they want to judge their baby. It's really 174 00:13:46.179 --> 00:13:50.500 there are circumstances are dictating to them and they're there's fear that they're under. 175 00:13:52.500 --> 00:13:56.970 Is really dictating to them that this baby doesn't deserve now it is. It's 176 00:13:56.049 --> 00:14:00.210 sin and we need to come back that with the truth, with the Gospel. 177 00:14:01.049 --> 00:14:05.850 But since we're fighting uphill battle and since our appeal is to the mother, 178 00:14:05.850 --> 00:14:11.039 we, as sidewalk counselors, are have to be careful in our in 179 00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:15.159 our wording, and that's sort of where, you know, when we start 180 00:14:15.200 --> 00:14:18.639 our trainings and we talk about for people who are just brand new to volunteering 181 00:14:18.720 --> 00:14:22.480 with us, when we talk about what sidewalk counseling is, we actually typically 182 00:14:22.519 --> 00:14:26.950 start with what sidewall counseling is, not exactly, which is, you know, 183 00:14:26.029 --> 00:14:31.750 we get accused on a regular basis and if you searched sidewalk counseling, 184 00:14:31.110 --> 00:14:33.789 I don't know if you have on Google, but if you search sidewalk counseling, 185 00:14:35.190 --> 00:14:39.980 you'll find several articles. You'll find some about real sidewalk counseling and what 186 00:14:39.059 --> 00:14:43.860 sidewall counselors are, and some positive, but you also find sidewalk counseling is 187 00:14:43.860 --> 00:14:48.100 sidewalk harassment, you know, and so they paint this picture. I think 188 00:14:48.100 --> 00:14:52.409 there's an article, and I may even actually be in that article on Cosmopolitan 189 00:14:52.490 --> 00:14:56.889 magazine. They talked about thee these sidewalk harassers. They're not sidewall counselors. 190 00:14:56.929 --> 00:15:03.009 They're harassers, and so when we talk about what sidewalk counseling is, we 191 00:15:03.210 --> 00:15:07.919 oftentimes begin with what sidewalk counseling is not in our training and it's not harassment 192 00:15:07.000 --> 00:15:11.240 and it's not just yelling at women and it's not a protest. They are 193 00:15:11.320 --> 00:15:18.000 protests that take place at abortion clinics and those are fine in some context and 194 00:15:18.159 --> 00:15:22.269 as long as they don't overlap what sidewalk counselors you're trying to do. But 195 00:15:22.350 --> 00:15:24.669 that's not what side will counseling is. It's literally pleading with the women, 196 00:15:26.029 --> 00:15:30.029 appealing to them, because then we're sort of beholding to that mother. So 197 00:15:30.190 --> 00:15:33.350 we don't want to be overthetop, we don't want to be yelling just accusatory 198 00:15:33.389 --> 00:15:37.100 statements. Your Amer don't murder your baby. We want them to come to 199 00:15:37.139 --> 00:15:41.139 us. Yeah, right, if you hear that. Yeah, called that 200 00:15:41.179 --> 00:15:43.700 out, and so that's where you know, with it with a counselor. 201 00:15:43.139 --> 00:15:48.259 And I'm you know, I've been in several counseling situations as a pastor and 202 00:15:48.419 --> 00:15:52.769 with friends that have struggles and things like that and had to counsel. You 203 00:15:52.850 --> 00:15:56.450 know, I've had times where I'm counseling with somebody, body and they're shared 204 00:15:56.529 --> 00:16:00.850 with me a story and I want to stand up and say you need to 205 00:16:00.929 --> 00:16:03.960 repent, you're a wicked person. You you, you need to get it 206 00:16:04.039 --> 00:16:08.320 right. But if I'm counseling with someone and I want there to be a 207 00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:15.039 productive taking the information that I'm given in it being received in a productive way, 208 00:16:15.720 --> 00:16:19.029 I want to deliver it in a way that they're actually going to listen 209 00:16:19.029 --> 00:16:23.070 to what I'm saying. If I'm just accusatory, yeah, I'm not necessarily 210 00:16:23.230 --> 00:16:30.230 technically wrong if what I'm saying is biblical, but I might just be practically 211 00:16:30.309 --> 00:16:33.740 missing the mark because I'm not delivering it in a way that they're actually going 212 00:16:33.779 --> 00:16:37.259 to receive it. Yeah, and ultimately they have to come to that conclusion. 213 00:16:37.700 --> 00:16:41.259 If we just say what the conclusion is, which is what you do, 214 00:16:41.340 --> 00:16:44.340 if you say you're a murderer, that's evil, that's in that is 215 00:16:44.379 --> 00:16:48.169 all true. Yeah, but if we say that and they haven't come to 216 00:16:48.769 --> 00:16:52.490 realize that on their own and their own spirit be convicted in their own heart, 217 00:16:53.210 --> 00:16:56.929 they'll just be back. Yeah. So, so part of a good 218 00:16:57.090 --> 00:17:04.279 sidewalk counselor's job is to present the the arguments, the questions in such a 219 00:17:04.400 --> 00:17:08.920 way that that woman will think her heart will be convicted and she will come 220 00:17:10.079 --> 00:17:15.750 to change her mind based on the evidence that we are bringing. Yeah, 221 00:17:15.069 --> 00:17:19.150 to the case. Yeah, which kind of goes into maybe you can talk 222 00:17:19.190 --> 00:17:25.470 about this. The sidewalk counselors are trained, there is training, there are 223 00:17:25.630 --> 00:17:33.579 things that are preparation and necessity for a good sidewalk counselor, and so maybe 224 00:17:34.299 --> 00:17:37.259 you could talk about some of those things, like what are some of the 225 00:17:37.299 --> 00:17:41.980 things we need to know to be able to share with that woman so that 226 00:17:42.099 --> 00:17:45.769 we can effectively plead the case yeah, for that baby. Well, I 227 00:17:45.849 --> 00:17:49.970 mean those three talking points lemented earlier, like key, which is what God 228 00:17:51.130 --> 00:17:55.210 says about this and what God says about abortion. What God says about the 229 00:17:55.329 --> 00:17:57.599 mom that he loves her, the he has good plans for her, he 230 00:17:57.720 --> 00:18:00.720 wants her to trust in him. What God says about that baby, that 231 00:18:00.839 --> 00:18:04.559 that baby is a precious gift from him, that that baby is made in 232 00:18:04.680 --> 00:18:08.079 his image. Of that's kind of what God says about it. Then the 233 00:18:08.160 --> 00:18:12.430 humanity of the baby. It really helps for US sidewall counselors to be informed 234 00:18:12.470 --> 00:18:19.029 about fetal development absolutely and if you don't know about fetal development, listen, 235 00:18:19.230 --> 00:18:22.509 Google it. It's so easy to find in our literature that we hand out 236 00:18:22.549 --> 00:18:27.099 fetal development. It's there. It's from secular sources. You can find fetal 237 00:18:27.099 --> 00:18:30.500 debilt. What was the APP you mentioned the other day? Yes, see 238 00:18:30.619 --> 00:18:34.940 baby and see sees baby. See, see, see with yours. See 239 00:18:36.180 --> 00:18:40.380 baby baby is the name of the APP and it's free. It is not 240 00:18:40.619 --> 00:18:45.250 political, it doesn't take a pro life or a pro abortion stance. It's, 241 00:18:45.450 --> 00:18:49.009 you know, it's just at probably as unbiased. It just says the 242 00:18:49.289 --> 00:18:55.490 fact. Yeah, but it shows videos at every week of development and invariably 243 00:18:55.650 --> 00:18:59.680 and their actual videos there, you know, through ultrasounds. Yeah, babies 244 00:18:59.720 --> 00:19:03.200 at every week of development all the way through to birth. And and so 245 00:19:03.359 --> 00:19:07.680 many times when I show those moms that video, those videos, that APP, 246 00:19:08.680 --> 00:19:15.509 they're astounded because they don't know human development. Most of the pro abortion 247 00:19:15.589 --> 00:19:19.829 people do not know the facts of fetal development. And, yeah, and 248 00:19:21.029 --> 00:19:26.460 most people are shocked at how developed at such a young age that little baby 249 00:19:26.900 --> 00:19:29.660 is. Yeah, so that's you know, that's sort of the second point, 250 00:19:29.660 --> 00:19:33.180 the humanity the baby. And then the third point is the resources that 251 00:19:33.220 --> 00:19:37.700 are available. And you know, locally we have connections with ministries all over 252 00:19:37.740 --> 00:19:41.490 the city of Charlotte and beyond. But you know, in every city there 253 00:19:41.490 --> 00:19:47.250 are organizations, their maternity homes, there are pregnancy centers, there are I 254 00:19:47.369 --> 00:19:48.930 mean we even go for here in Charlotte and I know what it can be 255 00:19:49.049 --> 00:19:52.440 like this across the nation. And sure it is in some cities where we 256 00:19:52.480 --> 00:19:56.440 have photographers that will give free baby pictures and come and take baby picture. 257 00:19:56.440 --> 00:20:00.519 I mean it's not a need, but it's like it just shows how people 258 00:20:00.519 --> 00:20:04.559 are willing to take their skills and help women in need and whatever skill they 259 00:20:04.559 --> 00:20:07.549 might have. We have financial counselors, yeah, that will sit down and 260 00:20:07.589 --> 00:20:11.990 lay out a financial plan. Yeah, and I'm sure again that that kind 261 00:20:11.029 --> 00:20:15.869 of stuff is available nationwide and you know, and digging for those things can 262 00:20:15.869 --> 00:20:18.789 be can be a little bit of a challenge, but anyway. So there's 263 00:20:18.789 --> 00:20:21.900 a sort of the three points that every sidewalk counselor should be informed. You 264 00:20:21.980 --> 00:20:26.460 know. Another thing too, is understanding abortion procedures. Oh Yeah, you 265 00:20:26.579 --> 00:20:30.539 know, one of the things I talk about a lot when I'm talking to 266 00:20:30.259 --> 00:20:34.220 the women that are going into the men and they're going in is in the 267 00:20:34.299 --> 00:20:40.009 reality is the abortion clinic knows itself. The abortion industry knows that the more 268 00:20:40.049 --> 00:20:45.690 information you have about fetal development and about abortion procedures, the less likely you 269 00:20:45.690 --> 00:20:48.529 are to go through with an abortion. Therefore, when we give them that 270 00:20:48.609 --> 00:20:55.359 information that talks about fetal development and talks about abortion procedures and it's not graphic, 271 00:20:55.440 --> 00:20:57.599 it didn't go into you don't have to get an unnecessary graphic details, 272 00:20:57.960 --> 00:21:02.839 but a mom does need to understand what her baby's about to go through and 273 00:21:03.000 --> 00:21:06.789 she does need to understand that because she's going to understand that after it takes 274 00:21:06.829 --> 00:21:10.630 place and she's going to be horrified at what she had done. So that's 275 00:21:10.630 --> 00:21:12.349 why they try to take that information from them, that we get to them 276 00:21:12.349 --> 00:21:18.349 and they try to squelch information. That's why plan parenthood vehemently opposed the videos 277 00:21:18.390 --> 00:21:19.779 that came out back in two thousand and fifteen, I think it was, 278 00:21:21.180 --> 00:21:25.259 when people went behind the scenes and there were videos and they were descriptions of 279 00:21:25.859 --> 00:21:30.059 these abortion doctors talking about, you know, selling the baby parts. They 280 00:21:30.099 --> 00:21:33.849 don't want that information to really get out in the public because they don't want 281 00:21:33.849 --> 00:21:37.490 people to know that would potentially be their customers, that they're actually killing babies. 282 00:21:37.490 --> 00:21:41.250 They want people to still believe that it's a Blob of tissue, clump 283 00:21:41.329 --> 00:21:45.769 of sales and all that. They still use that garbage age old terminology, 284 00:21:45.890 --> 00:21:49.240 Blob of tissue, clump of cells, which no embryologist was going to use 285 00:21:49.559 --> 00:21:52.400 exactly. They don't. And they don't use the word baby. It's product 286 00:21:52.480 --> 00:21:56.200 of conception right, a room where they collect baby parts or pregnancy. They 287 00:21:56.240 --> 00:22:00.119 do not use the word baby. Or in our facility they will be fine. 288 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:02.150 Yeah. Yeah, so, you know, when we train, our 289 00:22:02.150 --> 00:22:04.309 side will counsels, we training with that sort of stuff. We the information 290 00:22:04.390 --> 00:22:07.069 that we have. You know, I tell new volunteers, if you read 291 00:22:07.109 --> 00:22:11.549 the information that we hand out and you process that information and you memorize that 292 00:22:11.630 --> 00:22:18.420 information, you will probably be more informed a field development and abortion procedures than 293 00:22:18.460 --> 00:22:21.700 the people inside of the building, most of the workers, the worker bees 294 00:22:21.740 --> 00:22:26.019 inside of that building doing the abortions. And that says a lot. But 295 00:22:26.140 --> 00:22:30.250 we've had conversations with a lot of abortion workers right and we know the limited 296 00:22:30.289 --> 00:22:34.289 scope of information that they actually have. So yeah, so as far as 297 00:22:34.289 --> 00:22:40.529 that's concerned, you know we have that practical information, but we always encourage 298 00:22:40.529 --> 00:22:44.289 our volunteers and any anybody. You No matter what context you're going to be 299 00:22:44.359 --> 00:22:48.079 talking about the issue of abortion, you need to understand that this is a 300 00:22:48.119 --> 00:22:52.759 spiritual battle. I mean it really is a spiritual battle. So us being 301 00:22:52.839 --> 00:22:56.359 in the word, US knowing what God's word says, because, you know, 302 00:22:56.400 --> 00:23:00.710 scientific facts are great. I think science is on our side and this 303 00:23:00.910 --> 00:23:07.309 area is no doubt. But our foundation has to be in the word of 304 00:23:07.470 --> 00:23:11.230 God, because science can change its opinion, it can do this and it 305 00:23:11.309 --> 00:23:14.380 can do that. But if our foundation is in God's word and we see 306 00:23:14.380 --> 00:23:18.940 what God's word says about human life, we see what God's word says about 307 00:23:18.019 --> 00:23:22.900 even difficult situations. Right, he is our present help in time of need. 308 00:23:22.500 --> 00:23:26.500 Psalm forty six, verse one. So on our shirts, right, 309 00:23:26.619 --> 00:23:29.849 God, God is a refuge in strength, our present help in time of 310 00:23:29.970 --> 00:23:34.170 need. Then we can speak faith in the situations and we can counsel from 311 00:23:34.170 --> 00:23:41.480 a perspective of truth and a solid foundation, which is God in his word, 312 00:23:41.359 --> 00:23:45.680 to these women that are going into abortion center. So we always will 313 00:23:45.720 --> 00:23:48.880 encourage our volunteers to be in the word, to speak God's truth, speak 314 00:23:48.920 --> 00:23:53.799 God's word graciously, in a way that makes you approachable, but in a 315 00:23:53.880 --> 00:23:59.309 truthful way, and that that man does so much work in a heart of 316 00:23:59.430 --> 00:24:02.509 a mom who's in doubt when them or not she should go through with an 317 00:24:02.549 --> 00:24:06.630 abortion. Yeah, just just the other day there was some mom who made 318 00:24:06.670 --> 00:24:11.180 a hundred eighty degree turn around in her feeling about her child's based on the 319 00:24:11.259 --> 00:24:17.420 council that she received car side. And when she pulled up she was crying. 320 00:24:17.859 --> 00:24:21.140 She said she was frightened. She had a Bible in her car. 321 00:24:21.339 --> 00:24:23.329 She claimed to know you, the counsel she received Carside from, from you, 322 00:24:23.369 --> 00:24:26.529 guess? Yeah, yeah, that exactly from our from our team. 323 00:24:26.609 --> 00:24:33.289 And and and so she was. She she felt trapped and in in the 324 00:24:33.410 --> 00:24:37.529 decision to a board and she was about to pull in, but she was 325 00:24:37.609 --> 00:24:42.599 count soled car side for fifteen minutes. Made a hundred eighty degree turn turn 326 00:24:42.720 --> 00:24:48.640 around to where she actually said she was not going to move from in front 327 00:24:48.680 --> 00:24:52.519 of the driveway because no one should be pulling into that place to abort their 328 00:24:52.599 --> 00:24:56.390 child. So and she said before she pulled away, she said, I 329 00:24:56.710 --> 00:25:00.549 feel so much better now. What is the role of a counselor to lead 330 00:25:00.589 --> 00:25:08.660 you to a mature, right decision and plan for your life and so you'll 331 00:25:08.700 --> 00:25:15.819 feel better about the choices that you make and and o our measure of feeling 332 00:25:15.859 --> 00:25:21.529 better, as if it is peace, contentment, joy what you have when 333 00:25:21.569 --> 00:25:26.970 you are following the plans that God has set set for you. So, 334 00:25:26.049 --> 00:25:30.970 so that was a successful sidewalk counseling session. Yeah, you were able to 335 00:25:32.009 --> 00:25:37.640 counselor from counsel her from death to life and she left feeling a thousand percent 336 00:25:37.720 --> 00:25:41.960 better because she knew she had made the right choice. Yeah, yeah, 337 00:25:41.240 --> 00:25:48.079 so it is, you know, counseling and trying to persuade people to make 338 00:25:48.119 --> 00:25:52.190 a god honoring choice, a choice that would honor there, their baby and 339 00:25:52.269 --> 00:25:56.910 even honor there, there, there, themselves as a child of God, 340 00:25:57.069 --> 00:26:00.309 as a person who's made in the image of God. They may not be 341 00:26:00.390 --> 00:26:03.990 a child of God at that time, right, but we certainly want to 342 00:26:03.190 --> 00:26:07.579 a part of our counseling. That's why, you know, with Gospel Center 343 00:26:07.660 --> 00:26:10.579 pro life, that's over, always point to the Gospel and we're going to 344 00:26:10.619 --> 00:26:15.299 talk in in some future podcasts, maybe just do one in particular about how 345 00:26:15.339 --> 00:26:19.890 to share the gospel with an abortion minded mom. But that's part of our 346 00:26:19.970 --> 00:26:23.730 counseling, as well as bringing the Gospel into the conversation. Yeah, and 347 00:26:23.890 --> 00:26:27.849 showing how God can use the situation. It's not like every you know, 348 00:26:27.890 --> 00:26:30.650 when a mom chooses life, everything in her life is going to be Hunky 349 00:26:30.690 --> 00:26:36.000 Dory. They're struggles, there's battles, but she has that solid foundation if 350 00:26:36.039 --> 00:26:40.519 she surrenders her life to Jesus of God's truth and that relationship with him, 351 00:26:41.240 --> 00:26:44.880 that we can, you know, in counseling, bring those truths to her 352 00:26:44.920 --> 00:26:48.190 and she can, you know, put her give her heart to the Lord 353 00:26:48.349 --> 00:26:52.029 and have that solid founder. Yeah, and I know when when I was 354 00:26:52.230 --> 00:26:56.390 first reading about sidebot counseling them, like I said, I thought I didn't 355 00:26:56.390 --> 00:27:00.390 know what it was and I thought it was presumptuous of them to call themselves 356 00:27:00.549 --> 00:27:04.460 counselors. But the third thought was, do they have a right to be 357 00:27:04.779 --> 00:27:11.740 there? I mean, these are women in crisis and my misconception was that 358 00:27:11.900 --> 00:27:15.769 these women's mind their minds were made up. They had already made a decision, 359 00:27:17.049 --> 00:27:23.329 they had horrific circumstances, they were victims and and who, why would 360 00:27:23.329 --> 00:27:30.480 anyone feel they had a right as a Christian to be on the sidewalk at 361 00:27:30.599 --> 00:27:36.039 this very terrible place in the in these women's lives? But one of the 362 00:27:36.079 --> 00:27:41.319 favorite verses that I think for me, addresses. That is proverbs eleven. 363 00:27:41.440 --> 00:27:47.950 I'm going to going to read that for you. Where is it? Rescue 364 00:27:48.029 --> 00:27:52.150 those? It's eleven and twelve. Actually rescue those who are being taken away 365 00:27:52.190 --> 00:27:56.549 to death, hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. If you 366 00:27:56.710 --> 00:28:00.099 say, behold, we did not know this. Does not he who weighs 367 00:28:00.180 --> 00:28:03.779 the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know 368 00:28:03.980 --> 00:28:10.019 it? And will he not repay man according to his work? So we 369 00:28:10.140 --> 00:28:14.970 are called, we are biblically called, to hold back those that that are 370 00:28:15.170 --> 00:28:18.009 stumbling to the slaughter and we are to rescue those on their way to death. 371 00:28:18.049 --> 00:28:23.930 How perfectly that describes these abortion minded women and their little babies. And 372 00:28:25.609 --> 00:28:30.240 we cannot claim we didn't know. Yeah, and this Bible says that. 373 00:28:30.519 --> 00:28:33.000 Basically, you can't turn a blind of you cannot. Now, does that 374 00:28:33.160 --> 00:28:37.720 mean everyone should be called to be a sidewalk counselor or is called to be 375 00:28:37.759 --> 00:28:41.109 a sidewalk counselor no to I mean there's a whole network of people that that 376 00:28:41.309 --> 00:28:48.190 come together in in helping these these MOMS, maybe once they choose life, 377 00:28:48.230 --> 00:28:52.349 or in helping to prevent them from ever reaching the abortion center in the first 378 00:28:52.430 --> 00:28:57.140 place, but to say we did not know and just to pretend that abortion 379 00:28:57.299 --> 00:29:03.980 is not the crisis that it is. God will judge us because we do 380 00:29:03.180 --> 00:29:07.140 know. We all now. Yeah, yeah, that's a convicting scripture, 381 00:29:07.220 --> 00:29:11.569 but it is you know, it's better for us to know these truths and 382 00:29:11.690 --> 00:29:14.930 to walk in these truths and to be ignorant. You know, there's a 383 00:29:14.930 --> 00:29:18.089 willful ignorance that I think, in this day and age especially that Christians are 384 00:29:18.210 --> 00:29:23.319 in if they're going to deny the slaughter that's taken place in our nation of 385 00:29:23.480 --> 00:29:27.119 you know, sixty million plus babies that have died. And it is our 386 00:29:27.200 --> 00:29:30.720 place, for those who have the word of God, like that Second Timothy 387 00:29:30.839 --> 00:29:37.240 Passage says, it is our place to bring correction and reproof, as it 388 00:29:37.359 --> 00:29:41.109 says, those who have the scriptures. The scriptures are for doctrine, correction, 389 00:29:41.430 --> 00:29:48.869 reproof instruction. So yeah, so it's good that we think we had 390 00:29:48.950 --> 00:29:52.099 this conversation. Hopefully we cleared up some of the misconceptions that people have and 391 00:29:52.859 --> 00:29:56.220 you know, the goal is to have people that are watching and people that 392 00:29:56.259 --> 00:30:03.220 are listening equipped and in power to go and do whatever ministry God has called 393 00:30:03.259 --> 00:30:07.410 you to do, bringing the Gospel, bringing the truth of the Gospel, 394 00:30:07.410 --> 00:30:11.369 and wherever God has called you to in protecting the lives of the unborn. 395 00:30:11.930 --> 00:30:15.930 So we appreciate all those who do listen and those who watch and just pray 396 00:30:15.970 --> 00:30:18.450 that you guys are blessed by these episodes. You can connect with us. 397 00:30:18.569 --> 00:30:22.160 You can connect with me, D parks at cities for Lifecom, as my 398 00:30:22.240 --> 00:30:26.920 email address, Vicky is vicaci Org at cities for lifecom. Go on our 399 00:30:27.000 --> 00:30:30.759 website, CHARLOTTE DOT cities for Life Dot Org, actually, so it's a 400 00:30:30.880 --> 00:30:36.710 dot org. Even there emails addresses orcom and you can connected with us there. 401 00:30:37.269 --> 00:30:41.950 Also our sidewalks for life site, which, again was designed for equipping 402 00:30:41.150 --> 00:30:45.789 and encouraging sidewalk counselors nationwide to just go to your local Abortion Center and be 403 00:30:45.829 --> 00:30:49.140 a Gospel Center presence there. And there's a lot of articles that were written 404 00:30:49.500 --> 00:30:55.259 recently. A routin an article about understanding the mentality of an abortion minded mom. 405 00:30:55.420 --> 00:30:56.539 We're talked about how they're under a spirit of fear. So go and 406 00:30:56.579 --> 00:31:03.819 check that out. And that's sidewalks for subwalks and number four LIFECOM and I 407 00:31:03.980 --> 00:31:07.009 hope you're blessed by the information that we're putting out there. Hope you're blessed 408 00:31:07.009 --> 00:31:10.970 by these episodes. Please you drop us an email, give us some suggestions 409 00:31:11.410 --> 00:31:15.970 of future episodes that we could do, subjects that we could tackle, and 410 00:31:15.170 --> 00:31:19.079 we again, we appreciate you, guys, watching and listening. God bless 411 00:31:22.319 --> 00:31:47.500 use, mel use. Give me. Will cost me my life, but 412 00:31:47.700 --> 00:31:49.299 now things too precious inside