Latest / The Defender Podcast / Championing Life in 2025
Transcript
- 00:00:02 Herbie Newell Welcome to the Defender Podcast, a resource to help mobilize and equip the body of Christ to manifest the gospel to. 00:00:03 I. 00:00:09 Herbie Newell Children this podcast is a ministry of Lifeline Children Services and I'm your host, Herbie Newell. 00:00:17 Herbie Newell It's Wednesday, January 1st, 2025 and I'm coming to you from Birmingham, AL. 00:00:23 Herbie Newell Today I am so grateful to be joined by. 00:00:25 Herbie Newell By the one and only Pastor Chris Johnson, Pastor Chris is no stranger to the Defender podcast. As a matter of fact, just a couple of months ago he joined us to talk about Orphan Sunday and how your church could get engaged with Orphan Sunday. As a reminder, maybe. 00:00:40 Herbie Newell If this is your first ever Defender podcast to listen to, that was one of your New Year's resolutions. 00:00:46 Herbie Newell You decided to start listening to Defender podcast, or maybe if you've missed one of those episodes with Pastor Chris. I want to remind you that Pastor Chris is the senior director of Church Partnerships here at Lifeline Children Services. 00:00:57 Herbie Newell And he has over 20 years of pastoral experience. 00:01:00 Herbie Newell Based in Birmingham, AL, he and his wife Alicia have 10 children, seven of whom are adopted and are now proud grandparents to 9 grandchildren, even though some of them have not yet made their grand entry into the world. 00:01:16 Herbie Newell And I said 9 but actually met 7. 00:01:18 Herbie Newell And they've also they've fostered over 40. 00:01:21 Herbie Newell And maybe if you've even heard an episode that we have with Pastor Chris and Alicia, you know that two of the kids they fostered are now their grandkids. 00:01:31 Herbie Newell Who their oldest daughter adopted. Chris holds a bachelor's in church ministries with a Masters in educational leadership. 00:01:39 Herbie Newell And as we have mentioned so many times on the Defender podcast, not only is he an all around, great guy, loves the Lord, Expositionally preaches, does a fantastic job representing orphan care and foster care ministry through lifelong. 00:01:55 Herbie Newell Also, the Michael Jordan of all pastors, and so we're grateful to have again past. 00:02:00 Herbie Newell Johnson. But before we do, bring on Pastor. 00:02:02 Herbie Newell Chris, I do want to remind you about the highlight that we have going on throughout January and that is we want to shine a light on the sanctity of human life. 00:02:10 Herbie Newell It's a meaningful observance that takes place on the 3rd Sunday of January, and in 1984, President Ronald Reagan declared this day to remind us of the importance of valuing and protecting life. 00:02:22 Herbie Newell A time for church. 00:02:23 Herbie Newell Wide to come together to pray, discuss and take action for the voiceless. 00:02:29 Herbie Newell Lifeline has resources available to support your church's effort in standing for life with speakers and materials that can help make an impact in your community. To learn more about how you can engage with this vital cause, visit lifelinechild.org back slash sanctity. 00:02:47 Herbie Newell Again, that's lifeline, child.org back slash sanctity. Or, as always, you can check out our show notes for these additional links and how to get this information. We'll pastor Chris. 00:03:01 Herbie Newell You know, especially for the month of December and even as we start January, you know, Doctor Rick has been out because he had a hip surgery. 00:03:10 Herbie Newell And so maybe maybe this is becoming now more you're you're you and I are Co hosting this thing together. 00:03:15 Herbie Newell Been on so much. 00:03:16 Herbie Newell Talk to us a little bit about starting the year off with sanctity of Human Life Month and how apropos that is that even as a ministry we start our year out every year looking at the sanctity of human life. 00:03:29 Herbie Newell For most people, they may even wonder why does an adoption foster care and orphan Care ministry even care about celebrating the sanctity of human life? 00:03:38 Herbie Newell Give us a little bit of a of a reason why this is such an important month, not just for the whole pro-life ministry and movement, but for Lifeline in general. 00:03:48 Herbie Newell Well, it is. 00:03:49 Chris Johnson A joy to join you today. Herbie and I will do my best to fill in. 00:03:53 Chris Johnson Doctor. 00:03:54 Chris Johnson Those are big. 00:03:55 Chris Johnson To fill and I will do my best. 00:03:58 Herbie Newell To do it justice. 00:03:59 Chris Johnson But it. 00:04:01 Chris Johnson It's always a joy when I get to come and join together with you and to be able to. 00:04:06 Chris Johnson Hopefully encourage churches and Christ followers to engage in caring for the most vulnerable. And so yeah, it's it's it's really, you know, in some ways it's you think it's it's it's hard to kind of get into your mind wrapped around jumping right into the new year and celebr. 00:04:21 Chris Johnson Such a big thing as. 00:04:24 Chris Johnson Significant human life Sunday or safety, human Life Month, but at the same time, I think it's very appropriate that we are kicking the year off with it because really everything we do in kind of the orphan care space. 00:04:35 Chris Johnson Is tied to the sink of human. 00:04:37 Chris Johnson We do this because we believe that God is the Creator and sustainer of all life. 00:04:43 Chris Johnson That includes most vulnerable among us. 00:04:45 Chris Johnson Includes kids in foster. 00:04:46 Chris Johnson It includes kids who have been orphaned, no longer have parents. It includes. 00:04:51 Chris Johnson Mothers who are finding themselves pregnant in difficult situations and trying to to weigh out their their options and. 00:04:57 Chris Johnson So really it all comes back to holding life in a valuable place and holding life and viewing it as a gift from God. 00:05:06 Chris Johnson And all life. 00:05:07 Chris Johnson All life carries that intrinsic worth because human life is created in the image of. 00:05:12 Chris Johnson God. So really, it's a great thing to just set the tone from the beginning of the year to say, hey, as we launch into this new year, we're going to keep this ever in front of us. 00:05:21 Chris Johnson Going to keep this at the heart of who we are as Christ followers, as who we are, as as a church, as God's people, as who we are as a ministry here at Lifeline. 00:05:31 Chris Johnson Because really, everything we do flows out of. 00:05:34 Chris Johnson The the. 00:05:36 Chris Johnson Holding fast and holding true and strong to the reality that all human life is created. 00:05:41 Chris Johnson Of God and is worthy of honor, value and respect. 00:05:44 Chris Johnson So that. 00:05:45 Chris Johnson Really drives everything that we do and who we are as a ministry. 00:05:49 Chris Johnson I say even greater who we are as people of God. 00:05:51 Herbie Newell Yeah. Amen. You know, have as a follow up to that question, I'd love for you to just to even track some of the core principles of the. 00:06:00 Herbie Newell Life and just even how this conversation has changed over the. 00:06:04 Herbie Newell But you know, I think even before, you know, you respond, Pastor Chris, you know, I really believe that in June 2022, when the Dobbs decision, the Dobbs verdict came out by the Supreme Court. 00:06:16 Herbie Newell That those of us who've been on this side on the adoption foster care side of the pro-life Ministry, a lot more light was really shed on that ministry. I think before the greater pro-life Ministry always almost saw us as a saw us as a friend. 00:06:33 Herbie Newell Of the pro-life ministry because so much onus was on abortion protection, protection of the unborn life. 00:06:41 Herbie Newell Do we overturn Roe V? 00:06:43 Herbie Newell So it's almost like after the overturning of Roe V Wade, people were. 00:06:47 Herbie Newell Inviting us a lot more to the conversation. 00:06:50 Herbie Newell Talk again about some of those core principles of the sanctity of human. 00:06:54 Herbie Newell But then also just how you've seen that conversation evolve over the years as well, both in pastoral ministry, but now also in ministry here at Lifeline? 00:07:03 Chris Johnson Yeah, I think we have to recognize that really this whole idea of celebrating a sanctity of human life Sunday and even taking kind of the month of January, and it really all flowed. You mentioned earlier that there was first adopted by Ronald Reagan in 84 but it. 00:07:19 Chris Johnson Started as a response to the initial row decision. 00:07:23 Chris Johnson In 70. 00:07:24 Chris Johnson And so it's even, you know, recognized as the third Sunday in January, because that's the Sunday that followed that initial decision in January of 1973. 00:07:33 Chris Johnson It really kind of. 00:07:35 Chris Johnson Roots tied around that row decision and the need for Christ followers the need for. 00:07:40 Chris Johnson Churches to engage around that issue and to stand up and be a voice for life in the womb. 00:07:46 Chris Johnson You know, I think initially churches were were giving that focused and seeing the need to to protect life. 00:07:51 Chris Johnson The. 00:07:52 Chris Johnson But so many times, that was the only part of the conversation. 00:07:55 Chris Johnson Was just. Let's do what we can. 00:07:57 Chris Johnson To make sure that the children have the opportunity to live, and let's let's help kids be born and and that certainly is hugely important, you know, needs all the energy and effort and. 00:08:06 Chris Johnson Certainly a child of the womb is the most vulnerable human life because it doesn't have a voice. It it so easily discarded by the world. And of course the enemy wants to do everything he can to to stop life and keep life from flourishing. 00:08:17 Chris Johnson If he can stop it from ever coming, just remember being. 00:08:20 Chris Johnson That he can certainly do that. And so that was kind of the initial push, the initial thrust behind it. 00:08:26 Chris Johnson I think as the the kind of the, the overcure movement and. 00:08:30 Chris Johnson Has spread and has kind of become more understood. The realities around caring for older children. We begin to in recent years be able to tie that more closely to a again a pro-life ethic that would we really say if we're truly pro-life and we're truly value. 00:08:46 Chris Johnson As God does, and as his word values it, then we're going to be absolutely concerned with life being born. But we're. 00:08:52 Chris Johnson Concerned with that life after birth? And so I think kind of the as the Auckland care movement has elevated, it's also risen the the kind of the conversation around then we've got to, you know, understand the realities of all life. And we've got to protect. 00:09:05 Chris Johnson Whole life and so certainly there was still for a long time this push to overcome Roe. Again. I think the reality of you know sanctuary really kind of coming out of that mindset. 00:09:16 Chris Johnson So there's this huge push we've got to get Roe. 00:09:19 Chris Johnson We've got to get Roe overturned and then we saw that happen, and so then it was like, OK. 00:09:23 Chris Johnson Do we do? 00:09:23 Chris Johnson What now? You know what next? 00:09:25 Chris Johnson And so I think it was a. 00:09:27 Chris Johnson It's been a natural flow to that conversation to go, OK, if we're getting overturned. 00:09:31 Chris Johnson Hope is that that will mean that more children are born. 00:09:34 Chris Johnson But the situations of the women who were making those decisions has not changed. 00:09:38 Chris Johnson Still, in a crisis situation. 00:09:41 Chris Johnson Still in a. 00:09:41 Chris Johnson They're still a lot of vulnerability around those women, and now the children that are now being born, and so we've got to say, hey, if we're, if we're really value life and really kind of put our, you know, put our actions where our mouth is then then. 00:09:55 Chris Johnson Say, hey, what does the church need to? 00:09:57 Chris Johnson What's the responsibility role of God's people to come alongside that woman who now has chosen life? 00:10:02 Chris Johnson That baby that is now being born. 00:10:04 Chris Johnson And so the natural flow that is to go, OK, these things that we've been seeking to put in place and recognizing the the need to step into vulnerable families, broken families, hurting families to wrap around, care to keep children from going into foster care to provide. 00:10:19 Chris Johnson Adopted parents when that's the best choice. They needed the reality of that now is is again just really been the emphasis there has been raised. 00:10:27 Chris Johnson To. 00:10:27 Chris Johnson Hey, we've got to make sure that if women are choosing life, that we, as God's people are stepping in to provide support and care and help for her and her child after birth. 00:10:38 Chris Johnson Just become even a greater part of the conversation. 00:10:41 Chris Johnson We've really seen a lot of, even just. 00:10:44 Chris Johnson Recognizing safety, human life Sunday has become more very similar to what an orphan Sunday would be, or a, you know, stand Sunday. 00:10:51 Chris Johnson Kind of. 00:10:52 Chris Johnson Some of the conversations we had couple months ago back in November were seeing a lot of churches that are recognizing, hey, we've got to shed more light on that and we've got to shine more. We got to. 00:11:01 Chris Johnson Engaged more in the bigger picture of. 00:11:04 Chris Johnson Things now, we certainly know that even with the overturning of Roe, that did not end abortion in America, as many people falsely believe and thought might would happen in some states, abortions become more prevalent, become there's there's even more abortions happening. 00:11:19 Chris Johnson So we can't back off and can't quit fighting for life in the womb. 00:11:23 Chris Johnson Got to continue to do what we can. 00:11:25 Chris Johnson But certainly in those places where abortion has been outlawed and is no longer an option, we got to make sure that we're supporting those women that are choosing life and that we're coming alongside them so that their their children can have the opportunity to live an abundant life. 00:11:39 Chris Johnson Not just just have life, but have an abundant life that that really is God's designing God's plan. 00:11:43 Chris Johnson So we've seen kind of a shift of focus. 00:11:46 Chris Johnson States where it's more on supporting and caring for life after it's born. In some states, it's like, hey, we've got to do more in our particular state to protect life and to protect life in the womb. 00:11:57 Chris Johnson We're seeing kind of a few different shifts and a few different angles that are that are happening based on where church might be located, where family may be living. 00:12:05 Herbie Newell Yeah, it's such a such a fantastic overview and I think so important. Of course, I think a lot of people that are listening, they wanna hear what we see because they're not on the ground, they, they're just in their sphere of influence. And you and I have it. 00:12:20 Herbie Newell Have the opportunity to travel the country. 00:12:23 Herbie Newell To even see how the fight for sanctity of human life is different in every state, and that's one of the things that Dobbs did is it pushed this idea back to the states. And so you have a lot of different battles in in different States and even in. 00:12:36 Herbie Newell Of the states that. 00:12:37 Herbie Newell We're licensed in. You see a very. 00:12:40 Herbie Newell Different platitude, a very different mindset towards to the abortion issue in the sanctity of human life. And so you have states like Alabama and Georgia and Florida. Even at your home state, Mississippi, who really are transitioning into the conversation with St. 00:12:56 Herbie Newell How do we care for these kids that are being born? 00:12:58 Herbie Newell We've clipped these restrictions. We put the abolition there. 00:13:01 Herbie Newell Are we going to? 00:13:02 Herbie Newell And then you have right in the center of the country states like Kansas that really the abortion issue of the Midwest, especially the states that surround Kansas. 00:13:12 Herbie Newell Has been brought to. 00:13:13 Herbie Newell This because of the the legislation that was upheld from the Supreme Court or the decision to upheld from the Supreme Court to allow abortion unfettered access to. 00:13:23 Herbie Newell And so you see the whole thing and the whole agenda go forward. But you know, Pastor Chris kind of, you know, going back and diving into that moniker, we call you a pastor. 00:13:34 Herbie Newell Pastor, you had the opportunity to preach God's word. 00:13:38 Herbie Newell Some would say even in Florida that you're the goat, the greatest of all times in that, that. 00:13:43 Herbie Newell But a lot of times, even Christians have a hard time defending from scriptural basis to sanctify human life. You know, we don't see in Scripture per SE where. 00:13:54 Herbie Newell It 100% unequivocally says, OK, life begins at conception and should be guarded at conception. Now we believe that and we see it in God's word. 00:14:02 Herbie Newell We don't see it explicitly. 00:14:04 Herbie Newell Can you maybe take us through into God's word and just show us how the word does support? 00:14:11 Herbie Newell A Christian's view on the sanctity of human. 00:14:12 In life. 00:14:14 Chris Johnson Yeah. And I think this is so important because we, again, we're seeing even kind of going when you were talking about just some of the trends we're seeing even in in the week would consider conservative states, the most recent election, we had several conservative States, Missouri being one. 00:14:27 Chris Johnson Them where we have an office. 00:14:29 Chris Johnson We're seeing those. 00:14:30 Chris Johnson States still not be willing to. 00:14:32 Chris Johnson Regulations that would stop abortion in their constitution and then go in the other. 00:14:36 Chris Johnson They're voting to put a constitutional right to some type of abortion in their states, laws and constitution, which is just really heartbreaking. It reminds us that we've got to remain vigilant to this, even in states where we could sometimes would take it for granted. 00:14:49 Chris Johnson But the reality is we've got to do a better job as pastors, as church leaders, in teaching and training our people, that this is a biblical issue, that this does not come from Conservative government. This is not come from conservatism. 00:15:01 Chris Johnson Comes from a biblical. 00:15:04 Chris Johnson Of what it means to value life. 00:15:06 Chris Johnson We see it right from the very beginning in the creation account in Genesis Chapter 1, when God said let us make man in our image. That's what was unique about human life from all the rest of creation. Everything that God had created was good. 00:15:18 Chris Johnson Created. 00:15:19 Chris Johnson The. 00:15:19 Chris Johnson The vegetation he created animals. 00:15:21 Chris Johnson And then he said, let's nail this. This is all. 00:15:24 Chris Johnson This is beautiful thing, but but we need to create man in our image and so human life was created in the very image of God. And so as being created in his image. It means that every life that is created from from that time forward. 00:15:38 Chris Johnson Is an image bearer of the most holy God, and so if if we can't value that, then what can we value? We have no basis for. 00:15:45 Chris Johnson For valuing you anything, if we can't even value that which was created in God's image. 00:15:49 Chris Johnson So we see that from the very. 00:15:50 Chris Johnson So the emphasis is placed on that there is something unique and different about this creation from all of God's other creation. 00:15:58 Chris Johnson So I think Genesis 1 holding fast and understanding that is foundational to this. 00:16:03 Chris Johnson But then you move forward throughout Scripture and you see that from the beginning when God was calling his people to when he was giving them the law and giving them kind of how to manage themselves, he was always making space for the care of the most vulnerable. 00:16:17 Chris Johnson So there was this idea that those who are most vulnerable, they are worthy of you going beyond going above and beyond doing extraordinary. Those that didn't have a voice. You need to provide for them. You need to share the extra share, the abundance for them. So again. 00:16:33 Chris Johnson You're valuing the most vulnerable among. 00:16:34 Chris Johnson We move into, you know, passages like Psalm 139, where we're just we see that. 00:16:39 Chris Johnson That God shakes life within the. 00:16:42 Chris Johnson From the very beginning, it's why God he was the the. 00:16:45 Chris Johnson Of. 00:16:45 Chris Johnson No life comes into this into being without God ordaining it to be so. You can have a a man and woman who come together, but life only forms when God says I won't like to be formed, and so it's it's God that brings that life into being it. 00:16:59 Chris Johnson That shap. 00:17:00 Chris Johnson Warms that life within the womb. 00:17:03 Chris Johnson It's God that sets out. 00:17:04 Chris Johnson Plan for that life. 00:17:05 Chris Johnson No life is given without God's design and. 00:17:08 Chris Johnson No life is taken without God's design and plan, and so I know that's hard for us to wrap our minds around and wrestle with. 00:17:15 Chris Johnson But the reality is life will all be ended unless God allows that life to be ended, and so. 00:17:21 Chris Johnson Over and over and over again, we just see in Scripture that the God is the one who gives life. 00:17:25 Chris Johnson Is the one who sustains. 00:17:27 Chris Johnson God is the one who allows life to end and that God values life and causes. 00:17:32 Chris Johnson People to value life as well, and we take that all. 00:17:35 Chris Johnson Way. 00:17:35 Chris Johnson To you know the verse that we kind of hold up in orphan care. 00:17:38 Chris Johnson James, 127 offered in widow there are representative of the most vulnerable in a society, so even there God is saying that those whose faith is real and genuine, the natural outflow of that is that they're going to come alongside the most vulnerable. 00:17:53 Chris Johnson Most vulnerable, and they're going to do what they can to support and undergird the most vulnerable among us. 00:17:58 Chris Johnson All through scripture, we're seeing the just the sanctity of life, the importance of valuing human life. 00:18:04 Herbie Newell Yeah. You know, I think it's even important to look at the passage that we've looked at so many times in Luke Chapter 1 as well, even coming off of the Christmas season, the Advent season. And as we start a new year, we look back to Christmas. 00:18:21 Herbie Newell And in Luke Chapter 1 it says in verse 24 that that Zacharias wife Elizabeth conceived. 00:18:27 Herbie Newell And that she kept it for five months, and then we see in verse 26 that it was in the sixth month of the Angel Gabriel, the 6th month of Elizabeth Pregnancy. The Angel Gabriel comes to Mary and says you're with child and your cousin is also. 00:18:42 Herbie Newell Pregnant and with child. And you should go to her. And then we see recorded in Luke Chapter 1, verses 39 through 44. The word says in those days Mary arose and went with haste into the Hill Country to a town in Judah. 00:18:53 Herbie Newell She heard the House of Zechariah and was greeted by Elizabeth. 00:18:57 Herbie Newell Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary. It says the baby leaped in her womb. 00:19:02 Herbie Newell And then Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 00:19:05 Herbie Newell And she cried with a loud. 00:19:06 Herbie Newell Blessie among women and blessed it is the fruit of your. 00:19:11 Herbie Newell And why is it that it is granted to me that the mother of my Lord should? 00:19:15 Herbie Newell For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy, and we see even. 00:19:22 Herbie Newell There, first of all, Scripture says it's a baby, but it's also a a person, the spirit. 00:19:27 Herbie Newell It inhabited John the Baptist. The spirit inhabited the womb of Mary, and we know that the spirit doesn't inhabit cells. 00:19:37 Herbie Newell Spirit does it in inhabit, just matter. The spirit inhabits people. 00:19:43 Herbie Newell And so there were people in the womb of both Mary and Elizabeth, but also, you know, a lot of times the debate. 00:19:51 Herbie Newell Is that a person or there the personhood should not be given into a child? Can exist outside of the womb on their own? 00:20:00 Herbie Newell And yet I know you. 00:20:02 Herbie Newell You've got the Johnson Dozen 7 grandkids, 10 kids. 00:20:06 Herbie Newell You know. 00:20:07 Herbie Newell A fact that kids cannot exist without parents after a long, long time. 00:20:13 Herbie Newell They're dependent for a long time of parents to get food to provide nourishment. 00:20:18 Herbie Newell Can't get. 00:20:19 Herbie Newell They can't provide for themselves. 00:20:21 Herbie Newell So it's idiotic to even begin to say this dependency womb life is either life or it isn't. 00:20:29 Herbie Newell There's not even this whole idea of the potential for life. There is life in the womb, and we see it in Scripture. 00:20:37 Herbie Newell See it echoed in Scripture and certainly we know that that's important and that's why as believers we. 00:20:43 Herbie Newell Just appreciate the sanctity of life. 00:20:45 Chris Johnson And the reality of science continues to catch up with what God's word is always. 00:20:48 Chris Johnson But he said we can even share from personal testimony last last May, I had a grandson who was born at 22 weeks in a lot of states. He would have been discarded. His parents would have been told to abort him. 00:21:00 Chris Johnson Have been no opportunities. There have been no chance they would have sent a child. 00:21:04 Chris Johnson At 22 weeks, in vitro could not survive. 00:21:06 Chris Johnson Well, he was born. Not only was he born, he was breathing on his own, did not have to be put on a rest. 00:21:11 Chris Johnson Later was bleeding on his own, was able to sustain very frail absolutely, but his his life had value and meaning and he was he was a baby. 00:21:21 Chris Johnson Was a child, whether he was born at 22 weeks or 40 weeks or at 12 weeks, he still a child. 00:21:27 Chris Johnson And that life from the very beginning, when God creates that life, it has value and worth. 00:21:31 Chris Johnson And so there's there's the the other science tells. 00:21:34 Chris Johnson That. 00:21:34 Chris Johnson We're truly honest, and the more we again, the deeper we go into understanding through ultrasounds and through other means of learning about life in the womb, we're seeing that science. 00:21:43 Chris Johnson Is up with that. 00:21:44 Chris Johnson But as pastors and leaders. 00:21:47 Chris Johnson Even if that's still rejected, we got to go with God's. 00:21:50 Chris Johnson We got to go with the truth of God's word, and we can't make. 00:21:53 Chris Johnson A political issue. 00:21:54 Chris Johnson We can't even preach it from a scientific viewpoint. 00:21:56 Chris Johnson Got to preach it from a biblical. 00:21:58 Chris Johnson It's life has value meaning because God says life has value meaning. 00:22:02 Chris Johnson God created science and science catches up, and science is affirming that but. 00:22:08 Chris Johnson An. 00:22:08 Chris Johnson It's a spiritual, biblical issue that God has been very clear on from the beginning. 00:22:13 Herbie Newell You know, Amen. And I think I love what our friend Karen Purvis used to say, she says. 00:22:21 Herbie Newell What you said. I love it when science begins to catch up with God. 00:22:24 Herbie Newell And she was even talking about so much of. 00:22:29 Herbie Newell Of our engagement of our involvement, of of the way that we even see the. 00:22:34 Herbie Newell A child advance on the other side of the womb really does point back to a creator who made us in his image, who created us to that, to need certain things, to desire certain things. 00:22:45 Herbie Newell And it really is a a blessing of life. 00:22:48 Herbie Newell It is the the meaning of life. 00:22:50 Herbie Newell Pastor Chris. 00:22:52 Herbie Newell You mentioned even in your last answer about churches. So if there are pastors that are listening this podcast, or even members of churches that are listening this podcast. 00:23:04 Herbie Newell How can a church really get engaged on the sanctity of human life? 00:23:07 Herbie Newell Are ways they can engage with lifeline. 00:23:09 Herbie Newell What are things that they can begin to do, not just in January, but throughout the year to make sure that their people have a biblical ethic on the sanctity of human life, but also? 00:23:20 Herbie Newell The mandate of the gospel around this issue to spur that mandate, and that biblical thinking into action. 00:23:27 Chris Johnson It starts with with prayer first and foremost. Pray that God will work. 00:23:30 Chris Johnson That God will move in the hearts of his. 00:23:33 Chris Johnson Pray that God will move in the hearts of leaders and. 00:23:35 Chris Johnson Those the pastors have to be willing to preach on. 00:23:37 Chris Johnson They've got to be willing to again approach it from a biblical perspective, but then preach a holistic view and understanding of what a pro-life ethic looks like. 00:23:46 Chris Johnson Think you know we've got to do a better job of creating a culture within our church that recognizes the realities around these issues. 00:23:53 Chris Johnson I love one of the things that one of our partners. 00:23:56 Chris Johnson Love life is doing what they they're helping churches create what they're calling a House of refuge, and they're in challenging churches to to to say up front, hey, we value life, and if you're in a crisis or you're struggling or you are in a place of vulnerability, you. 00:24:10 Chris Johnson Welcome here and we're going to do everything we can. 00:24:12 Chris Johnson Come alongside you and support you. 00:24:14 Chris Johnson So I think there's things that we, as churches can do that create that, that mindset, create that culture, that that values all life. I think part of it. 00:24:23 Chris Johnson Some kind of practical things you can do certainly come alongside a pregnant Resource Center in your community and and support them and help them. 00:24:29 Chris Johnson One of the things that we've really been trying to do is help churches make the connection to recognize. 00:24:35 Chris Johnson Women and help them get connected to your. 00:24:38 Chris Johnson So we've created kind of a discipleship mentorship program called worthy that's designed to connect women who maybe are have experienced a crisis, your unexpected pregnancy. 00:24:47 Chris Johnson To help connect them to women within the local church so they can hear the truth of the gospel, recognize that their life has worked in by you as well as the life of their child. 00:24:56 Chris Johnson And so it's a it's a way for churches to connect directly with women in crisis or women who maybe are post abortive even or have experienced that crisis to help them know that God does a purpose and plan for their life. 00:25:08 Chris Johnson So I think having women in your church that are trained and ready to receive women in crisis is a huge thing. 00:25:13 Chris Johnson But then I think again looking at what are you doing? 00:25:17 Chris Johnson Are there things when when children are born and there are struggles and families that are broken and separated because of foster care or at risk of going to foster care? 00:25:26 Chris Johnson There ways that your church. 00:25:28 Chris Johnson Is speaking into places of vulnerability and coming alongside kids. Are you creating a culture that says, hey, if a mother can't parent that child? 00:25:37 Chris Johnson We have families from our church that are ready to step up and be that period. 00:25:41 Chris Johnson To come alongside that mother, love her and care for her, but be willing to be a forever family for a child who needs a parents who needs who. 00:25:50 Chris Johnson Who needs that forever? Family? Are we raising up and talking about the needs of orphan children around the world who have often times been discarded by maybe discarded or by their government, or by others who? 00:26:02 Chris Johnson Who pushed them to the? 00:26:03 Chris Johnson Are we willing to bring those children into our homes and ultimately into our churches to care for? 00:26:09 Chris Johnson So I think churches have to pastors, you need to make sure you're preaching this from biblical perspective. But then also look at your ministries. 00:26:17 Chris Johnson At what's happening in your church? 00:26:18 Chris Johnson Search and see are we really living what we say? We believe if we really value life, are we doing weekend to come alongside the most vulnerable among us and we love kind of helping churches create a strategy around them. 00:26:31 Chris Johnson One of our favorite things to do is to sit down with pastors, Church leaders, ministry teams. 00:26:36 Chris Johnson And and just kind of look at what's going on in your church and what is God doing and and is there, is there a move toward a more holistic pro-life ministry? 00:26:44 Chris Johnson So we love kind of helping churches create that strategy and say, hey, what do we see God doing? 00:26:48 Chris Johnson Do we see God using our? 00:26:49 Chris Johnson Church and what are the steps that we need to take to make sure that this culture prevails within our congregation? 00:26:56 Chris Johnson But then we're also providing on ramps for people to get engaged in actually living out. 00:27:01 Chris Johnson A pro-life. 00:27:02 Chris Johnson There are some people that God's calling to support financially pro-life ministry. 00:27:06 Chris Johnson And ministries like Lifeline or maybe come alongside financially, families that desire to adopt and Foster and kind of. 00:27:13 Chris Johnson But then there also needs to be ramps for people to get engaged and actually open up their homes to to women in crisis open up their homes to children who need. 00:27:21 Chris Johnson Open up their homes to to kids who need forever families and then give of themselves to support kids in foster care and broken families that are trying their best to get their family back home again. 00:27:32 Chris Johnson So. 00:27:33 Chris Johnson There are a lot of different ways that you can get engaged and get involved, so the passion needed to preach it, provide those opportunities, figure out strategies and ways that fit your church's. 00:27:43 Chris Johnson To make sure that we are living out not only preaching the prophetic, but also living out that pro-life ethic. 00:27:49 Herbie Newell Yeah. And then you've touched on that a little bit obviously, but for that person that's sitting in the Pew, maybe let's listen to that podcast that says, what can I do? 00:27:59 Herbie Newell Maybe they aren't called to adopt or foster. What are ways that that we, as individuals can begin? 00:28:04 Herbie Newell And even the youngest among us to really have a pro-life ethic. And how can that inform the way that we go to school the way that we go to work, the way that we're in our community? 00:28:15 Herbie Newell Are practical things that we can do to really support the safety of human life. 00:28:20 Chris Johnson Yeah, I think again. 00:28:21 Chris Johnson I think it begins with prayer, praying and just asking God to open up your heart and to give you better understanding of what that looks like. 00:28:27 Chris Johnson I say often I I encourage people to. 00:28:30 Chris Johnson For. 00:28:30 Chris Johnson Populations to pray for women in crisis, to pray that abortion would end. 00:28:35 Chris Johnson Life would be protected. The more we pray for something, the greater the burden increases. 00:28:41 Chris Johnson But then not only pray for the normal pray. 00:28:44 Chris Johnson For this, I think wrestle with what is God's calling you to do. 00:28:47 Chris Johnson The. 00:28:48 Chris Johnson God wants you to play. I think sometimes we just are flippant about. Well, I'm not called to a. 00:28:52 Chris Johnson I'm not called to foster. We just kind of let that go. But I think we really there there ought to be a wrestling with what is the role God wants me to play. 00:29:00 Chris Johnson The reality is. 00:29:00 Chris Johnson 'S word tells us that. 00:29:01 Chris Johnson We again are fully following Christ, and there's going to. 00:29:04 Chris Johnson A natural. 00:29:06 Chris Johnson Outflow and we need an outlet to be able to. 00:29:08 Chris Johnson The most vulnerable. 00:29:09 Chris Johnson So it's wrestling. God, what does that look like for me? 00:29:11 Chris Johnson Is the. 00:29:12 Chris Johnson You want me to play? Because when we when we understand how great the needs are and we understand the truth around those needs, and then we begin to pray and say God, what role do you want me to play? 00:29:21 Chris Johnson God, God's not going to say never mind. 00:29:23 Chris Johnson Worry about it. 00:29:24 Chris Johnson All good. 00:29:24 Chris Johnson He's going to answer that. 00:29:26 Chris Johnson He's going to show us what the role is, and so then it's it's just being willing to say yes to whatever it is that God's calling you to do. 00:29:33 Chris Johnson The reality is there are needs that are great. There are opportunities that are great. 00:29:36 Chris Johnson It's just a matter of God's. 00:29:38 Chris Johnson For people who will say yes. 00:29:39 Chris Johnson Willing to take those next? 00:29:40 Chris Johnson Steps and once he starts revealing those next steps, it could be. 00:29:45 Chris Johnson It could be adopting it could be fostering it could be supporting a foster adoptive family in your community. 00:29:49 Chris Johnson Could be disciplining a woman who is in a crisis situation. 00:29:53 Chris Johnson It could be leading a parenting class for a. 00:29:55 Chris Johnson That's that's broken. Trying to to get their family back together. 00:29:59 Chris Johnson Could be coming alongside a teenager in foster care. 00:30:02 Chris Johnson Mentorship or? 00:30:04 Chris Johnson Or maybe you're a kid in high school and you know people, there are kids that you meet in your school. 00:30:09 Chris Johnson That have experienced foster care in difficult. 00:30:11 Chris Johnson Maybe it's just coming alongside and being a friend to them and and helping them find some normalcy in their life and helping them know that they've got a friend in their corner, but whatever it is that God when God. 00:30:22 Chris Johnson You that clarity. 00:30:24 Chris Johnson The challenge then becomes take your next step as soon as possible. 00:30:26 Chris Johnson Find a way to get involved. 00:30:28 Chris Johnson Sit back on the sidelines. 00:30:30 Chris Johnson Don't wait for someone else to do it, but find your role in get. 00:30:33 Chris Johnson You know, I have a challenge to dads. Lead your family. You know, in your family devotional time. 00:30:39 Chris Johnson About these things. 00:30:40 Chris Johnson It's never too early to start having these conversations with your kids. 00:30:44 Chris Johnson We have. 00:30:44 Chris Johnson That and their kids are engaged in stand for. 00:30:47 Chris Johnson Where there you know, learning about the needs of kids around the world and they're willing to do what they can to sell lemonade or make brownies or sell cookies or do something to to help raise funds. 00:30:57 Chris Johnson So the earlier we can get our families engaged and involved. 00:31:00 Chris Johnson The more likely we are to to see God work in this space and and so many times we've seen families. 00:31:05 Chris Johnson That maybe never thought they would do this, but they started off by doing one thing and that led to another thing. And then God continue to open up their eyes and call them to even deeper levels of engagement. 00:31:16 Chris Johnson So I think, you know, Dad certainly lead your families in praying for that wrestling with that. 00:31:22 Chris Johnson And when God gives clarity, take your next step as. 00:31:24 Chris Johnson As you can. 00:31:25 Herbie Newell Well, that's such a good. 00:31:27 Herbie Newell Just a great exposition, pastor Chris, of how. 00:31:30 Herbie Newell Can get engaged. 00:31:31 Herbie Newell You know, lastly, we have a lot of resources that we're offering churches for the sanctity of human life. We promoted at the beginning. 00:31:39 Herbie Newell Can you just go into detail a little bit? 00:31:41 Herbie Newell As we. 00:31:42 Herbie Newell On the opportunities we have to help. 00:31:44 Herbie Newell Get. 00:31:45 Herbie Newell What some of those resources your team has curated are and how can people get those resources? 00:31:50 Chris Johnson Yeah, if you. 00:31:51 Chris Johnson You visit the website that you mentioned earlier, lifelong child.org/sanctity. 00:31:55 Chris Johnson There you'll be able to download a kit that helps with raising. 00:32:00 Chris Johnson There are curriculum guides for your small group ministry to be able to to talk about this in a in a Sunday school or life group time, whatever fits your church culture. There are prayer guides that you can use as bullets and inserts that come again. 00:32:14 Chris Johnson Help your church family understand the the realities and the needs of your of your community. 00:32:19 Chris Johnson There are various awareness tools. Again, just keeping this in front of your people and then certainly there are next steps. 00:32:26 Chris Johnson It's there where you can even see what are some things. 00:32:28 Chris Johnson That that our life groups can. 00:32:30 Chris Johnson What are some things that our families can? 00:32:32 Chris Johnson What are some things that our college ministry can do? 00:32:34 Chris Johnson Our student ministry can do that. Help promote this understanding of the value of life and that find next ways, certainly a great follow up to Saint of human life. Sunday is may be hosting an adoption information meeting. 00:32:46 Chris Johnson And so there's even in those resources on our website. 00:32:49 Chris Johnson There there is a guide there. 00:32:50 Chris Johnson Help helping you know how to do that. 00:32:52 Chris Johnson So you can reach out to our. 00:32:53 Chris Johnson We'd love to come in and host adoption information meeting where we can share about the opportunities for adoption both domestically as well as internationally. In your you know, to you for your people. 00:33:04 Chris Johnson There just are a lot of tools there. You certainly can always reach out directly to our church partnerships team at Church. 00:33:10 Chris Johnson At lifelinechild.org, we'd be glad to answer any questions you have. 00:33:14 Chris Johnson Love to come and speak on this. 00:33:16 Chris Johnson It doesn't have to be on the 3rd Sunday in January, pick a Sunday that fits your church's context. 00:33:22 Chris Johnson We'd love to have a speaker come and preach on this issue, or even come and. 00:33:25 Chris Johnson Host a meeting with your life groups and Speaking of Sunday school class or during information meeting after a church service. 00:33:32 Chris Johnson We would love to come alongside and help you. 00:33:36 Chris Johnson Just, just just raise that awareness within your church and then help provide those on lamps for people to get engaged and get involved. 00:33:42 Herbie Newell Amen. Pastor Chris love. Your heart and love what your team is doing, and certainly we would want anyone to get engaged with life lines ministry to be able to help you, your church and your family truly begin to appreciate the sanctity of human life. 00:33:57 Herbie Newell Go to the next. 00:33:58 Herbie Newell Step to really not just appreciate, but to get engaged with your life, with your family, with your prayer life, and with your church. 00:34:06 Herbie Newell So remember, January is safety of human life. 00:34:10 Herbie Newell Let's commit to pray daily on behalf of those women that are making. 00:34:15 Herbie Newell Decisions about life that are plagued, potentially with crisis or unplanned pregnancy. 00:34:21 Herbie Newell But let's also pray for the half a million kids in US foster care and the 147 million orphans around the world. 00:34:29 Herbie Newell Whose moms chose life? 00:34:31 Herbie Newell But who desperately need someone to act out for? 00:34:35 Herbie Newell Who needs someone to care for them and love on them and ultimately show the love of Christ for them? 00:34:41 Herbie Newell Thank you, pastor. 00:34:42 Herbie Newell Thank you for all those that listening and we hope to see you again next week on the Defender podcast. 00:34:48 Thanks. 00:34:48 Herbie Newell Thanks for listening to the Defender podcast. If you enjoy making this podcast a part of your weekly routine, we'd love for you to take a moment to subscribe, rate and review The Defender podcast to make it easier for more people to find. For more information on how you. 00:35:02 Herbie Newell Your church can partner with Lifeline. 00:35:04 Herbie Newell Visit us@lifelinechild.org if you want to connect with me, please visit herbbynewell.com. 00:35:10 Herbie Newell Follow us at Lifeline on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter by searching for Lifeline child. You can e-mail us directly at info@lifelinechild.org. 00:35:19 Herbie Newell Beloved, will you, our guide, to use the gospel to you, to impact the life of a child? Please contact. 00:35:25 Herbie Newell Because we are here to defend the fatherless. 00:35:28 Herbie Newell See you again. 00:35:29 Herbie Newell Week for the Defender party. 00:35:30 I.