What Should the Church Say About Abortion? Some Thoughts and Free Resources

It is not an understatement to say that abortion may be the most divisive issue of our generation. The deep emotion that clouds this issue tempts us to lose reason and truth in a forest of political ideology. Further, the church cannot avoid the question about its own role on this issue because of the politics, emotion, or past abuses. Even when churches and pastors decide not to engage, they have taken a side, often the side of cowards.  And while most political support for the prolife cause comes from Catholics and Evangelicals, it is sadly true that most churches do very little to engage on the abortion issue, especially at a spiritual level.

For some Christians, cultural issues like abortion are THE mission of the church. In my opinion, this is a mistake as well. The church has a mission to testify to the truth of Christ and through this, to make disciples. And while our good works also play an essential role, we cannot escape the New Testament emphasis on speaking the word of God to every creature. The church is the pillar and ground of the truth (I Tim 3:15). We are to make and teach disciples (Matt 28:18-20). We are to witness to the risen Christ (Acts 1:8)

But we have to see that the gospel is only good news if there is a problem to be remedied. Mercifully, the gospel always comes with a call to repentance. It is a call to trust in Christ, and to stop trusting and serving our idols (I Thess. 1:9-10).  If we are to be like the apostles, we must call all people to “repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:32). Because of this, any church that perpetually neglects the abortion issue is failing to call the culture (and the church) to repent. And it is failing to offer the healing medicine of the gospel to areas of guilt and shame that need it most. Men and women who are suffering from abortion as part of their past are betrayed when the church is silent.

At Free Grace Church we have been committed from the very beginning to engage on the abortion issue in ways that are wise, compassionate, prayerful, materially-supportive, bold, and grace-filled. In addition to supporting and partnering with prolife organizations, each year on Sanctity of Human Life Sunday we take time to address the abortion issue directly. We address it at other times, but we feel it is important to come back to speak truth against one of the darkest sins of our generation.

We welcome you to join us this Sunday as we address the issue again. We will be looking at why abortion is wrong, and why you don’t even need a Bible to see this. Our services start at 10am on Sunday morning, and we meet at 3385 E. Shields Ave near First St. (next to Target). You can find more info here.

We would also like to offer these free messages from previous years to help you think through the issue.

Is Abortion Selfish? This is a controversial question and even asking it is offensive to our generation. But what if we take seriously what prochoice authors themselves say about their motivations for abortion? Listen to the message here. http://bit.ly/1OqpMTt

Abortion and Lies? Our society is awash with misinformation and falsehoods when it comes to the abortion issue. What are the foundational lies that abortion culture is built on? Listen here. http://bit.ly/2jNubcG

Also, several years ago we preached on "Abortion and the Charge of Hypocrisy" and that resulted in a discussion on Life Report with Josh Bram. You can listen below.

Christmas Worship at 11am

Merry Christmas, just a reminder we pushed worship back 1 hour. See you at 11 am.

Generosity and the Bystander Effect

What happens when we witness generosity?

In Acts 20:35 Paul reminds his listeners that Jesus said, “it is more blessed to give than to receive.”  This is counterintuitive. It is like saying that you will become rich by giving your money away. It’s bad math.  Yet there is something powerful here that saints and pagans have recognized for centuries. The self-absorbed person is wasting away. 

How does this work? Why is it more blessed to give than receive? Here are a few quick thoughts to motivate you to joyful service:

First, giving glorifies God. He is pleased when we share. Generosity is considered a sacrifice of worship. “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” Hebrews 13:16

Second, It also brings joy to us as we find a sense of purpose and meaning in our lives that is bigger than ourselves. As we give to others (either with service or sacrifice) we are working out the great commandment to love our neighbors (Mark 12:31). And that is what we were made for. And when we fulfill our created purpose, we take another step toward enduring happiness.

Finally, in Philemon v. 7 Paul writes, “For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.”  This is fascinating because Paul is telling Philemon that he has seen how his acts of love have refreshed the hearts of God’s people. And as Paul has witnessed this, his own joy has increased. Paul didn’t receive the gift, he was a just witness. And yet, by witnessing these kind gestures, Paul received a gift of a different kind. When we see others act in love and kindness we are moved to thank God. We find joy. We are comforted even if we are in the middle of tough times. We are challenged to do the same. Generosity is infectious and contagious. 

This phenomenon is another reason why giving is more blessed than receiving. When we give, we refresh two hearts: the heart of the person we are serving AND those who hear about the gift. 

The transaction of giving is bigger than the two people directly involved- the giver and receiver. God is also involved. But God has also determined that the effects of generosity are like a shock wave. When we give, we have an opportunity to impact everyone around us. Generosity reflects the character of God, and when we are representing his image well, blessings overflow to everyone around.

Why is the "Church" A Mess? Are You A Part Of The Problem? Or Part Of The Solution?

It is easy to see problems and weakness in the church. And this is true for any local church. The flaws are so obvious. The body of Christ often seems sick, underfunded, under-appreciated, and ineffective. In fact, it is easier for us to complain than to do something to fix the problem.

I have heard pastors talk about the “90-10” phenomenon. This is the idea that 10% of the people do 90% of the work in the church. Overall, I don’t think this is accurate for a number of reasons. That is a topic for another time.  But this idea points to an unfortunate reality. Large numbers of church goers are simply consumers. And they are doing exactly what they have been trained to do. Too many of the voices advising pastors focus on how to increase attendance by creating consumers. And sadly this includes offering services (entertainment, children’s programs, inspiration, etc) in order to get people to show up.  We have done a good job at getting people to ask if their needs are being met.  Too often, this results in crowds of people that expect to be served rather than an army mobilized for service and sacrifice.

When we look at scripture we see something different (Read Ephesians Chapter 4). We see that Christ has risen from the dead and given each member of his church gifts for the good of the body. We see that the savior is at work through his people to build one another up and prepare them for usefulness, both inside and outside of the church.

Ephesians 4:15-16 says this, “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”

Each part of the body needs to be connected to Christ AND to one another. And when each part is working properly the body grows and builds itself up in love. That is easy enough to understand. When a person is healthy, all of their organs and body tissues are working together to maintain health and usefulness. When a doctor evaluates a sick person one of things they check is the health of the various body systems. Sick body parts make for a sick person.  

Maybe the body is sick because some of its members are not connected? Maybe the body is sick because some of the body parts aren’t working properly so that the body cannot “build itself up in love?” If the church is weak and ineffective, maybe the reason is that the members of the body aren’t working for the health of the church? 

The truth is, if you are a Christian, you have been entrusted with gifts and graces that the rest of the body desperately needs. Jesus has arranged the church so that we help to complete what is lacking in one another (Phil. 2:30).  And he wants to work through you to make his body healthy.  

If you see problems in your church (I see them in ours!) then the first step is to start with yourself. Are you functioning to promote the health of the body or are you acting like a consumer?  I want to invite you to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

Using Wine At Our Communion Service

At Free Grace Church after several years of offering only grape juice for communion we recently switched back to offering both wine and grape juice. From the very beginning of our church plant we have offered both out of conviction that having fermented wine is actually a Biblical practice. We switched a while ago because some women from the Hacienda ministry were visiting with us on Sundays. This move was made to accommodate these women who were in the middle of a court mandated program that forbade any and all alcohol in the strictest terms. But recently this door was permanently closed to us. So a decision was made to return to the practice of offering wine.

The response from our church has been overwhelmingly positive, and some were even urging a return to wine prior to the decision. Several of you reached out to thank me for this change, and I appreciate your encouragement. However there were a few people that were confused and surprised this last Sunday. While we did announce this for several weeks, several of you were not present or had missed the announcement, then on Sunday during the celebration of the Lord’s supper we made a mistake and forgot to announce this. It was an unintentional oversight. I want to ask for your forgiveness for not taking time to make this clear to everyone.

In the last 100 years or so in America, many in the evangelical church have arrived at the conviction that consuming any wine is sinful. I believe this is is an unfortunate position that doesn’t recognize the many places in scripture that alcohol (wine) is used and even praised as a blessing from God. I also believe it is a historically inaccurate. The wine that was used in the Old and New Testaments was definitely fermented. The temperance view of abstinence is also a historical anomaly. Through most of history, and in most places other than America, the church has thankfully celebrated the Lord’s supper with wine, and allowed the use of alcohol in moderation. And thankfully this is the practice of most in our church. And our intent is not to urge anyone to violate their conscience, but we do want to be faithful to scripture.

I do believe that some who have this conviction do so out of a sincere desire to avoid the problems of drunkenness, or based on past struggles with sin.  This desire is 100% commendable. However, I do not believe it reflects the way the Bible itself deals with sins of excess and praises moderation and the glad reception of God’s gifts (I Tim 4:1-5, Colossians 2:20-23).

Here is a helpful article that summarizes some of the big ideas connected to the acceptability of wine in the context of the current debate.   Here is another article posted at Kirk Cameron’s (a noted evangelical figure) website.

Again, I offer my apologies to anyone that is confused. Honestly, please forgive me as your pastor for not providing better leadership.

We want to hold our liberty in a way that is gracious, informed, and honors the weaker brother. This means that if you have a problem with drinking alcohol, you can use grape juice during the Supper. We don’t look down on you! We even have one member that is seriously allergic to corn syrup (which is found in grape juice and most commercial wines) so we have several cups of water available.  If you have any concerns, especially if they are big enough to cause division or abiding questions, I urge you to contact me soon that we can talk. Our motive is the desire to honor the Lord and serve his people according to scripture.

My Prayer For Our Next Worship Leader, and The Rest Of The Team

As you may know, Josh Brahm- the man who has been leading worship for us at Free Grace Church for about 6 years- is moving across the country next month. We have been praying and seeking  for more helpers on our worship team as well as our next worship leader for the last 8 months. As of today, we are still looking! Please pray with us and if you know someone who is looking for a chance to serve in church that is aiming for God-centered worship, contact us!

The Prayer

"God of grace and glory, help us to keep our eyes on you. Please work in us so that our desire for worship music is driven by a sense of your excellence and glory. Continue to open our eyes to your creation and your word so that we will be driven to worship with all our hearts, regardless of whether we have excellent musicians or not. Fill us with the Holy Spirit so we will sing to you and to one another with joy and reverence. Keep us from getting caught up in all the frivolous elements of the worship wars that are driven by personal preference.

God please send us more musicians. Please lead us to people that are available in their schedules, teachable and humble in their character, and skilled in their gifts. Especially send us another worship leader with a pastor’s heart and good theology. Send us someone who can help us learn how to sing to your glory. Help us to train and equip the ones who will equip us through song.

Lord, please blessour current music volunteers so that they will serve with joy. Thank you for all the wonderful things you have already done in us through them.  Give them the growing reward of fellowship and greater delight in you. Help our people to grow in grace and skill. Please make it so that each member of the body is functioning for your glory. 

God lead us in the future when it comes to questions of style and context. Help us wisely navigate the tension between being rooted in history and relevant in culture. Help us to balance truth without neglecting emotions. Help us to embrace both sobriety and joy as we respond to you.

We pray only through Christ, Amen"

Spiritual Body Language

“What Every BODY Is Saying” is a book about body language written by Joe Navarro, a former FBI agent and psychologist.  He also wrote the FBI policy on how to use body language tips when determining deception, so he knows a lot about the topic. The book is fascinating on a number of levels and the lessons are told through interesting stories and tips that are useful for every day life. At one point the author asks the reader to consider what the most “honest” part of the body is for interpreting nonverbal cues. When I read this, my first thought was that it had to be the face. But he said the face is definitely NOT the most reliable because we have been raised from childhood to lie with our facial expressions. We are taught to smile and act happy even when we have other feelings. To display a look of disgust when eating aunt Matilda’s Brussels sprouts would be rude.

But even though we are good at trying to deceive others with our body language, there will always be other “tells” that reveal what we are actually feeling. It might be our feet or hands.  (By the way, according to Navarro the feet are the most truthful body part). In the book, the author shows how he used body language as an FBI agent in questioning criminal suspects, solving crimes, and working to capture terrorists. Repeatedly he mentioned the importance of “congruency.” The various aspects of the human body are like an orchestra. When they are all playing the same music we can rely on the message.  But if we are attempting to hide something, the different sections of the orchestra end up on different sheets of music.   And when this happens, frequently the body will tell the truth when the lips are lying. He suggests that if the mouth is saying one thing and the body language is saying something else, then trust the body language. In order to do his job he had to look past what the people were telling him to see the truth written in gestures and actions.

This illustrates something that the apostle Paul tells us about a kind of "spiritual body language." There are times when people make professions- especially about their faith in Jesus- but they are not telling the truth.  How can we know the difference? In Titus 1:16 Paul writes about people making these kinds of false claims. He says, “they profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.”  Isn’t it interesting that the life can deny what is pouring out of the mouth. If someone’s lips say that they follow Jesus, but their life denies it, then trust what their life is saying.  Our lives have a voice and speak a message. And that message is more reliable than the words that come from our lips.