Sanctity of Life - Psalm 139:13-17

Psalm 139 verse 13 for you created my inmost being you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I'm fearfully and wonderfully made your works are wonderful. I know that full. Well my frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place when I was woven together in the depths of the earth your eyes saw my unformed body all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be how precious to me are your thoughts God how fast is the some of them the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be unto God you maybe season.

Abortion is one of the Sacred cows in our culture today. What is a sacred cow you might be wondering? Sacred cow is simply something that cannot be questioned critiqued or challenged. It is Untouchable in the culture that we live in. Some of you might be already thinking or Pastor. Hold on. Hold on no politics from the pulpit. That's why you talking about abortion. Well, the topic of abortion is a very very very biblical issue because it's about life and God's word is about Abundant Life Abundant Life In Christ. So this is an issue that must be addressed from the pulpit. Miss Christians, there are only three options for us when it comes to this topic is only three number one. We could either be silent and avoid the controversy a lot of churches do that. They just they talk about everything else but they do abortions when they were just going to put that one to the side not really address it in public. That's one option another option as we speak the truth. We can be bold in our declaration but do so in a very arrogant unloving way and in so doing insensitively hurt people in the process the Third Way in the only way forward as Christians to be faithful is to speak the truth in love as a fusion chapter 4 tells us to do Both to speak the truth in love to the culture as a whole but also to those who were contemplating abortion. So this is the only option that we have left speaking the truth in love. So I'm going to be covering a lot of ground today, but here's my main points quite simple. God loves The Unborn and so should we God loves The Unborn and so should we The flush that out. Four questions than a fifth one them is Gina's going to come alongside at the very end and help me out with four questions. I'm going to address him answer hopefully. Number one what is inside? / what is abortion can a two questions in one? What is inside a woman? / what is abortion number to what is God's view of The Unborn number 3. How do we respond to cultural Arguments for abortion? And then fourthly is there hope for those who have had abortions or who have encouraged abortions or SLI? What is inside? There are many arguments for abortion. If you turn on the news you have seen the arguments just plastered everywhere and they're always I mean always attached to a story a woman struggle or a family struggle. There's a lot of emotions charged into these things both for abortion and also against abortion a lot of arguments on both sides. There are many different tangents many different side roads that this conversation can carry you to But through it all there is one central question should control everything that you control everything that you think about this topic and that is the simple question. What is inside the woman? Guy always need to send her back to that simple basic question. What is inside a woman? So to ask that slightly differently when does human life begin? When does human life begin this really is the Crux of the matter when does human life begin go back to the beginning? Human life does not begin. This is where science can come into the picture scientist very helpful. And they're there is some debate and talk your what's the reconciliation between science and religion. I'm not going to go into death and that simply to say science is helpful guy. We don't serve Sciences are gone, but science is helpful. Go back to the beginning. Human life does not begin simply when there's a heartbeat simply when there's brain waves to be detected. simply when a baby can feel pain and human life is not begin when a baby is viable, which means when a baby can live outside of the womb when does human life begin? At fertilization. Okay. I'm very very specific with that word fertilization. It's usually in in history. It's been said it most Christian circles human life begins at conception. Yes, that is true as well. But doing research for this. There's a modern push among some people to redefined conception as the moment or fertilized egg is implanted in the uterus. Okay, so they they try to push conception a few days a few weeks from the moment that a fertilized egg happens. Okay. So I think it's more precise and accurate to say human life begins at fertilization. What is that? Just a reminder for you? This is when an egg and a sperm cell meet together, right? Here's a nice little picture. I remember what these things are full of these 3D graphs, but that little picture for you of what they say is, okay. It's happened this right here that the actual size is 0005 in this is microscopic. You cannot see with the naked human. I write this is Portal ization though. It's when the egg and the sperm meet together. It's two cells forming to become one new cell which in scientific terms is called a zygote and this is I go to this new cell this new thing has full DNA. The DNA does not come added later when the egg is fertilized the the complete total make up a few this person is is complete at the beginning. It's a new individual distinct. Be more precise distinct person. Okay. Notice the precise wording this zygote. This is a fully Alive human being. This is a fully Alive human being. Fully Alive human person with potential notice what I did not say it would be wrong to say this is what a lot of the secular world says this clump of cells has the potential for human life. It is wrong to say that this is human life fully but there's potential just simply meaning there's room to grow like literally room to grow. Now someone may respond. Okay. Sure. The fertilized egg is the start of life sure, but that clump of cells does not have the same value as a developed baby without of the more developed child or developed adult. You can fill in the blank there. But you simply have you ever heard that kind of thought before I visit this isn't as valuable as you sitting in the Pew today. Okay. How do you respond to that? Well simple question what determines someone's worth? What determine someone's personhood? Ask slightly differently. What's the difference between you as a fertilized egg right here as a zygote and you today sitting in the Pew breathing with your lungs? What's the difference? Scott klusendorf who is the president of Life Training Institute, which is a Ministry that is all about equipping people to stand for Life how to articulate the pro-life position. He uses the acronym sled as led sled to highlight for differences between us at fertilization and us today or this is not rocket science, but this is some good apologetic tools for you to consider us size. Are you 1 mm big are you 1 inch? Are you one foot are you 5 feet when does body size determine your value? If you're only one foot tall is that mean you're not as valuable as somebody who's 4 ft tall?

No, okay, if your 1 mm big does that mean you're not as valuable as somebody who's 10ft tall know when does size determine human value? El level of development Now yes cognitive ability a heartbeat Consciousness. Sure. Those are things that define what a human being is, but when did any of those determine value? Just think about it instead while they don't have brain waves. There's no cognitive thought there. There's no heartbeat yet. So that's not a human being they don't have value. Well, what about those who are not cognitively aware? What about those who were in, totes? What about those who have an artificial heart? Are they not human are they not valuable? Are they not worth while environment this is what he says Scott where you are this not determine what you are. This is a big one in today's world where you are does not determine what you are. Okay, if you travel 5 miles to get here to Hillsborough Baptist Church this Sunday morning. That does not qualitatively make you any different of a person you just literally change locations. You're the same inherent person and how is it a traveling seven in the womb through the birth? Canal? How does that 7in change the value of a person it does not their valuable inside their valuable outside. the degree of dependency Well, some people not respond while you see the person or the thing right? Thanks call a person that thing inside a woman. That's that some are not viable are dependent upon them for their life. So therefore it's the mother's body to the mother's life. They don't have any really quick to that. When does dependency upon other people determine value? Okay, there are many people in the world maybe even sit here today present that rely upon care from spouses that rely upon care from doctors that rely upon care from your parents right children. They need parents to stay at literally stay alive. Are they less valuable because they're not independent. Absolutely not when does dependency determine your value? They're only these are the only four differences between you the embryo and you today are your size level of development your environment degree of dependency. I'm here to Simply remind you brothers and sisters. It is not your cognitive ability. It is not your skin color is not the fact that you were male or female. It's not your athletic physical ability. It's none of these things that give you value what gives you about you it's the fact that you are made in the image of God you had his image stamped upon you from the moment of fertilization when you became a human being when you were brought into the world when you are at the very beginning if you want the very first Stitch that God was weaving together knitting together right here. That's what gives you value not any of these things that you can do, but it's who God has declared you to be. Every human life is sacred. 2 secondly if that's what is inside a woman okay to human being. Second question is alongside that note. What is abortion? What is a portion it's necessary to ask an answer that? The culture you've heard this terminology before the culture says abortion is a procedure to terminate or end a pregnancy. Okay. Abortion is essential Women's Healthcare. That's a very big one today abortion is a reproductive, right? Let me clear the air very clearly. Abortion is a euphemism. Okay, we human beings do this all the time with everything you can think of I struggle with lust use that in place of saying I watch pornography every night is a euphemism for what intentionally killing innocent human life What is abortion is intentionally killing innocent human life? Okay. Do Christians I remind you we cannot see ground on this issue. We cannot play into the cultures this position in their language because abortion is not Healthcare. You have to see how absurd that is it's not health care any more than slave trading is a legitimate form of business. It is so absurd to say that to think that abortion is intentionally killing innocent human life. second question What is God's view of The Unborn? What is God's view of The Unborn? Science is helpful. A science can tell you in life. What is signs can make observations? What is but science cannot tell you what ought to be or how you should treat life science can't do that. That's where we have to find philosophy and religion and thinking about these deep things. Where how do we think through? How do we treat life science says life begins at fertilization. How do we treat this? Like, how do we view this life? That's where return to God's word to find some clarity and Psalm 139 is the Seminole text on this issue. I'm going to read it again for ask for you created me and my inmost being you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I'm fearfully and wonderfully made your works are wonderful. I know that full. Well my frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place when I was woven together in the depths of the earth your eyes saw my unformed body all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them. came to be

how does God have you being born?

Intricately knit together. As fearfully and wonderfully made as delicately woven together. That's the strict textual answer from Psalm 139. But even if you were to cut this song out of the Bible not saying you should okay with the Bible, but if somebody were to take this storm out of the Bible take those verses out of the Bible. Does that change God's perspective on The Unborn? No, it does not because if you read the book from cover to cover, how does God view people? Bosun born in Born. How does God have you people? With love with a Grace with compassion. Okay, that's the overwhelming message of the spot. That's the reason we have is I hope you know that the reason we have this book is so that we might know how God treats us so that we might know how does God interact with us with patients with Grace with love with compassion. That's a very reason we have Facebook in the first place. So how does God view The Unborn a sacred precious souls in need of his grace and his love this is it fundamental for us to grasp? third question How do we address the cultures reasons for abortion? Let me get a disclaimer here. This topic and I'm going to dress it towards the end of Miss. Jean is going to wrap us up at the end as well. the topic of abortion Is one that needs to be engaged on two levels? On one level. We need to Think Through It logically we need to think through at one of the reasons for its what are the reasons against it? We need to think through how do we engage? The cultures talking points? The cultures dispositions about it and it on kind of if you will this theoretical debate level we need to do that. Okay symbol and algae the problem of evil. How do we as Christians Russell through the problem of evil in general. There's two ways to do that to levels one level is through reason for philosophy food searching God's word coming up with those kind of logical arguments, you know evil exists because X20 it's good to do that, but it's very different how you approach that topic with someone who is suffering in the midst of evil. Okay, if somebody has just suffered the loss of a child it is not appropriate not the time at all to sit down with him and say Hey, you know the logical argument that evil exists. This happened is because x y and z very inappropriate similar with abortion. Okay what I'm going to share with you or some cultural reasons for abortion and how we can engage them on an intellectual level. Okay to disarm these things intellectually. How we approach women and families who have been personally touched by this issue is a little bit different than the truth doesn't change to be clear. But the manner in which we communicate through the manner in which we embody the truth in Grace changes slightly differently when we're literally talking to somebody who had an abortion yesterday. Okay, just to make that disclaimer clear, but nonetheless all of you here or seeing these Arguments for abortion on your news feeds on the TV on Facebook. How do we wrestle through them? Okay your 74u number one. I would never get an abortion. I would never encourage anybody to get an abortion. I'm on my family or my friends, but I don't want to impose my own beliefs on anyone else. That's not my place. I personally am against it, but I can't put my views on other people. How do you respond to that? Let me simply ask you. What do you think about rape? school shootings in sex trafficking

I trusted everybody in here today would say I'm again straight. I would never do it. I would never shoot school. I would never participate in or support sex trafficking because they are wrong. I would never do that. How absurd would it be for anyone here anyone in general to say I would never rape? But I don't want to impose my beliefs on someone else. I don't want to prevent others from making that personal choice. Are you kidding me? Okay, the logic speaks for itself on that one. Number to all right, the Bible never says anything about abortion. Some people I will say this the Bible never says anything about abortion. It doesn't even mention the word. How do you respond to that?

But the but the Bible doesn't say the word abortion.

That's that's a good way to lead. Another way to think of it is Bible also says never says the word Trinity, you know that the word Trinity is not in the Bible. But if you read the book cover to cover especially the New Testament when we see the full picture the Bible is extremely trinitarian through and through the Bible never mentions the word abortion by name, but the sacredness the value the preciousness of human life as seen from cover to cover and yes, we can also go into the realm of what is abortion while it's killing. My shot not killed. I shall not murder which is the sixth commandment. Another one in a couple of these arguments. I'm indebted to David Platt who the pastor up in Northern Virginia for laying out these articulating some good responses chicken third argument for The government cannot legislate morality that is not the place of government. Turn it back on the percent. Do you really believe that? Do you really believe the government should not legislate morality? What does the government do when it comes to stealing someone's property or even something as simple as lying lying in a court of law? What does the government do with those things it legislate morality? Okay. No bortion is not some neutral gray area that the government just can't touch it is wrong abortion is wrong because it intentionally kills innocent human life in the government should enact legislation to outlaw. Number for America is All About Liberty World about Freedom here in this country all about Freedom. You should not be limiting woman's right to choose. Okay, that's a very big one in today's world right the right to choose. Firstly how do you how do you dress that? How do you think through that? The the phrase right to choose is very vague very vague. Do we believe in choice? And I'm asking you that do you believe in choice?

Everybody does okay question. I am pro-choice in that we should be able to choose surface-level stuff. But between Chinese and Mexican between owning a home or renting a home between an iPhone or an Android guy. Yes right to choose. Yeah sure choose. The question is choose. What? Choose what? Choose what to do with my own body. Okay fair. You can choose what to do with your own body. What's inside of you? Well, that's not a body. That's not a person. That's a different issue. Okay, establishing that this an actual body. That's a person inside of you, especially.

human life begins at fertilization to be clear It's absolutely absurd to think that this this right here. Is it nine weeks of life. This is not a body. Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me? It's indisputable it in terms of our visible eyes being able to see it at this point. That's just precious. Okay. Yes, you can choose but choose. What should you have the freedom to choose the murder or not? We are not pro-choice about rape about burglary or kidnapping children. Why should we be pro-choice about killing children?

number 6 this one's pretty some of these are just number text pro-choice being pro-choice is actually pro-life. Because it promotes the lives of the children families that women already have.

And that that's a Verbatim a quote that I heard from a debate and that the person arguing for abortion was a former president of the ACLU, which is a very secular very pushing abortion rights and all that kind of stuff. She said that pro-choice is actually for life because it promotes the lives of the children and families women already have how would you respond to that?

It's as simple as that it is it's not rocket science. You're saying yeah. We want to have women be committed to their children. We want them to be committed to their families absolutely. Does that not include the child in your belly the child in the womb the Temple's that number 7. This is another very popular one of these days if you outlaw abortion so many women will end up getting hurt through back-alley abortions. How do you respond to that? Let me simply ask you put it back on why do people get upset at the thought of back-alley abortions. Have you really thought about it? Why are people upset at the thought of back-alley abortion?

Because they're brutal and violent.

Randy Alcorn who wrote a book entitled pro-life arguments pro-choice how to respond to pro-choice arguments with pro-life truth. He said the central horror of illegal abortion Remains the central horror of legal abortion. Okay, did you catch that? The central horror of illegal abortion Remains the central horror of legal abortion. So true back-alley abortions are bad. Yes, because we don't want women to get her. We want don't want them to get damaged or their bodies to be destroyed. Yes before that. We we don't want that to happen. What is abortion it is hurting destroying literally taking the life of an innocent human being. Let's see further notes. We cannot legalize procedures that kill the innocent just to make the killing process less hazardous.

Those are those are just a few bullet points right there if there's other nuances other that not nuances, but other talking points that people will bring up a for abortion. Okay. I hope that gives you a little bit of an idea of how to think through it. Right when you see the news headlines abortion is limiting of a woman's choice to choose what you can do with her own body, right? How do you think through these things on an intellectual level? Hopefully that helped you a little bit. Then the last thing I want to end on for Miss Tina comes up. number four is there hope Is there hope? All of you have heard these Arguments for abortion. splashed across the news 6 out of 10 Americans Does a recent poll six out of 10 Americans believe abortion should be legal in most or in all cases? Lest you think that this issue that abortion is an issue out there in the world in the culture. It is not abortion is pervasive even amongst Christians. One in Four Women will have an abortion and over half of those who do identify as Christian. But for some of you here today, this is not culture War issue. This is not merely an exercise in biblical apologetics thinking through these difficult topics abortion is a very personal issue because you may have had an abortion at some point. Or you may have seriously entertained it or you may have encouraged it or you've been silent and passive about it. At least we all most likely this is what something we all most likely know somebody who's had one. Whether or not they would ever tell you that whether or not it was a year ago, 20 years ago 50 years ago what we almost like to know somebody who's had one. The question is what do I say the pastor? What do we say as a church to those who are hurting personally from abortion? two words but Christ but Christ abortion like many other sins so often brings shame guilt regret the spare and even fear. The core message of the Gospel though. The core reasons why Jesus came into the world is to Bear the punishment for our sins As we sing about it just moments ago bearing all our sin and shame in love. You came to give Amazing Grace by Jesus came to where the shame to where the guilt upon himself. He is the one when it comes to despair. He didn't just look at it. He plummeted the depths of Despair taking on our sin are suffering or regret or guilt all of it on the cross as the perfect innocent God man. Why did he do it? Why did you just do that? Because because John 3:16, you know that one because of his great love for us because he loves broken messed up. Hopeless people like you and me. And it's not just right that's part of the equation in that, you know, so abortion lust greed Pride every sin you can think of Jesus came to pay the punishment that you deserve. Slightly good news. Okay without the full good news because keep in mind if Jesus stayed in the Tomb of Jesus stayed dead. That means that Darkness would have had the last say that means that death would have won and think about the state of the disciples right after that with a disciple of Joyful. What is disciples happy birthday bowl with a Courageous where they filled with hope after Jesus died know they were terrifying they were guilty. They were filled with Shane they ran and hid That would have been the end of the story. But because Jesus rose from the dead his victory has the last say life now has the last say over Death Joy over sorrow and now because of the Resurrection instead of punishment God offers a pardon instead of guilt. He offers Grace instead of hopelessness. He offers hope and all of that for that gift of healing that gift of forgiveness that gift of Hope It's available to everyone as long as you trust in Christ. You put your faith in Christ. Does that mean practically? I mean, do you believe his word? Do you believe that his word is true you believe that his promises are true that if you call in his name, he will save you that if you follow him, he will bring you into eternal life. Do you believe all of that if you do forgiveness is yours? Let me be clear on nightly clear abortion is not the unforgivable sin. Okay. Cuz it's Romans 5 verse 20 tells us where sin increased Grace increased all the more. Where there is an abundance of sin where there is sin drains and darkness where there is an immense amount of it. There's an immense amount of guilt and shame and regret where sin is great. His grace is greater his grace covers over all of our sin.

And then the last level note. If you receive this forgiveness.

It does not mean that you're going to feel Holly Jolly 24/7. This is important to be frank about right right at the outside. It does not mean that you will not struggle with feelings of regret or sorrow of the past. But this is very important. I want you to hear me in Christianity according to the Bible. We operate by fax then Faith then feelings in that order. Fact what is true Faith or belief our trust in it and then feelings, how do I feel the world inverts that and lives the complete opposite? How do I feel? You see that especially with the transgender movement. How do I feel? Or you could be sexuality homosexuality could be adultery. Whatever it is. How do I feel and then what are you do you try to justify your feelings through your beliefs? B b trusting in that you trust in your feelings. And then what are you do you look around the world for facts that back up your feelings you try to sit through everything and say you know what? I don't like what that says. So I'm just going to go with what this says. No as Christians. What is the truth? What does God's word say secondly do I trust it? Do I follow what do I believe that and then thirdly feelings follow? And I found it fascinating. I'll cruising through some of the secular pro-abortion sites. I typed in and Google should I get an abortion? Undoubtedly a popular question that many people put in. Planned Parenthood there article where the question of Tapas should I get an abortion? Somebody can go check later on. I can go check to reading that whole article that one of the initial things in the very first paragraph is you know, what's best for you and basically, how do you feel about how do you feel about it? In the conclusion of the intuos. This is a complex issue you need to do basically what feels right is it is not just of the article. It's all about how do you feel? Okay? Let me be clear our feelings good.

Our feelings good. Yes feelings are good. Feelings are a gift from God. Okay, Christian are not supposed to be the stoic people who are straight face all the time. He never smiled Never Cry joy and sorrow he's our emotions from God emotions feelings help you to enjoy the beauty of the Grand Canyon. Okay. I hope you enjoy a good meal. This is emotion. It's good. It's okay, but Christians are dominated by our feelings to be clear. So time is altogether regarding forgiveness. And this is for all of you but not just regarding abortion when it comes to your own salvation and walk with God. I don't feel like I'm a Christian. I don't feel like I'm forgiven. I don't feel like I'm deserving. We can wrestle with that we can talk about it. But what does God's word say that's what you always need to go back on. What does the book say? Says that God is true. He's faithful. He's loving do you believe that? Okay always go back to what does God's word say what does his word say? to church

This is a big issue as you know. I'm not at all trying to act like this is the Silver Bullet solve the cultural problems in my Sherman today. My goal today is simply to equip you to think through this biblically to give you some good apologetic tools of how you can think through these issues when you see it plastered on the news headlines, even when it may come up in a conversation. Let's be clear when somebody when this is raw on somebody's mind and heart. We need to approach them with extreme compassion empathy and yes page with an open ear. Okay. It's a serious role of Christian approach them with open ears and Open Hearts. So I missed seeing if you want to come on up as you know, Miss. Tina works. Well, I don't want to steal her Thunder. She I've asked her to share on this notes. Mainly just talking about. How does What is this look like tangible and practically we're talking about right. Now. What I what I've been covering some of the more theoretical intellectual apologetic way to interact with this issue. How do we care? Practically? What does that look like? What does it look like to show compassion to somebody who just found out they're pregnant 56 weeks pregnant and they're thinking about an abortion. How do we deal with that? How do we wrestle through that practically since Gina, come on up and Share with us. How is a church can and how you do that?

So give me sad today being tanks of Life Sunday is a time for us as Christians and as a church to really pray about to think about how we can support not just a value but the sanctity and which is the Holiness of all human life and that's from fertilization to a natural death and so in my Ministry that I'm going to talk about we focus on one part of that. I mean, there's so many parts of sanctity of human life and that's caring for the elderly disabled the end of life, but I'm going to focus on one part of that.

So I am a nurse manager at Life Spring pregnancy centers. We have three locations in Central, Virginia. I'm too in Charlottesville and one in Culpeper. We are 100% non profit. We don't charge for any of our services. Everything is free. We are stat. We have a staff a medical Ministry staff, which I'm here for and so we have a doctor we have nurses we have to now go first and were supported by a lot of volunteers and we simply could not do it without our volunteers which are both medical and non-medical we are resource center. And we Supply material needs to women and we collaborate with other Ministries in town like lovey Loaves and Fishes several women shelters to to carry through this ministry and most importantly we are a Christian and a gospel centered organization. And because our belief is an empowerment through truth. And we don't just want to focus on the The Little T. Truth seems like accurate information about a woman's options when she has an unplanned pregnancy about health care about parenting. We don't just want to give those kind of Truth. We want to give the capital T truth. So for every woman we work towards the goal of introducing the gospel to her.

So are we serve women Not only was unplanned pregnancies but a whole other population of women that may already have a small child. They may be a single parent struggling with surviving and living with her the choice they made for life for their baby. We help women who are in domestic situations in which effect would affect her decision whether or not to carry a pregnancy and we also just help families who are at risk of losing their children of not being able to get their families together of all kinds of social issues. So I'm we try to help these women and its families and it's not just the women. We also help the entire family the siblings the children, too.

To not just have life but you have Abundant Life and abundant as you mentioned earlier has to do with Abundant Life In Christ. There is no other way really for these women into two strings that without knowing gospel and with believing the gospel. So we course want life assured for every baby. Hope renewed for every family and lives transformed by Jesus Christ. Is our our vision what we hope to see through at work the services that we provide include pregnancy testing STI, testing and ultrasound. We have a parent University program, which is where the the families can watch videos that can come to in-person classes and those cover topics. I'm on everything from pregnancy and breastfeeding labor and delivery postpartum infant care life skills. We have a dad University. So the fathers who stay involved with their families are mentored by a male. I'm a member of our Amil on tear and they can learn things for their family actual tangible items for their family things that car seats diaper bags. Do you know. They can learn all sorts of things and that's everybody can run those we do. We have discipleship and bible study classes for the women who we serve we also offer private one-on-one counseling and discipleship for women who are opposed to board it. So because a woman is made a choice to have an abortion. We do not stop serving her and we just do not stop praying for her and loving on her we encourage her to come back. I'm in where she can be monitored and eventually come to receive the Gospel. So Hillsboro's one of our is a huge supporter of our ministry, and so we're very thankful for all the materials to support the tours that the things that the Hillsborough family has done if I want to share a little bit of the Opera certificates from 2023 with you in 2023 alone. We had over 1,700 visit. I'm 700 of them were new client. So women who never been to a live screen before I'm over a thousand of them are women who are in the program and they come regularly to be discipled and to be measured we had we did 360 for pregnancy test 152 STI testing series and we did 231 ultrasounds. And so although the 231 ultrasounds that we did at Life Spring edition ultrasounds 82% of the women who were considering abortion chose life. So I feel like that's a victory in process and we had over nine hundred separate visits for material support. I'm such a thing of diapers wipes clothes baby gear and referrals and like I said Hillsborough is giving a lot of these supplies and people from Hillsboro. So we very much appreciate that we had spiritual discussions and share the gospel with over five hundred women and in 2023 12 of these women gave their lives to Christ in our Center like

Sales at Life Spring 49.5% of our clients are identified as Christian. And so that means that 50.5% are not Christian. And so we see that as a huge Ministry field and a huge opportunity to to riches women's for Pride many of our clients heard the gospel for the first time at Life Spring. And many of them have told us that they've met a lot of questions in their life and that they've never nobody's ever talked about the gospel to them. And so we feel that is very convicting to us that we need to as Christians all of us can Can do better at that more than half the women we see who are Christians don't hadn't have never heard the gospel. I mean is I'm sorry, we're not going to have never heard the gospel. And so we believe it if we believe the gospel then we naturally would want them to have that. To have that opportunity salvation too. And so are a lot of our clients do not want to hear the gospel. They don't want to hear anything about church about God about religion about Jesus. And so we feel like that again is another opportunity. We think a lot of the parable of the sower and you know, many of these women are what, you know, the clade hard soil that would not receive the seed but we feel like we have the opportunity to till the soil to have them remove the weeds to help them nurse or soil and just to love them to show them the love of Jesus Christ to keep pouring into them and that we pray that if it's not us that's somebody else that will prepare the soil is that somebody else can plant seed and that it will take infertile soil. And so how does all of this affect us. We were Christians were already in the pews for we leave different life. How does how does it affect us? And you mentioned that one for Christian women have had an abortion, but also one in five women who had an abortion in United States. We're sitting in a few in a Christian Church the month of her divorce and so many of these women ultimately turned away from church. They reject salvation. They reject God, they were jacked the church many of these going to tell us that I can't go to church anymore. People will know people will know they'll they'll reject me. They will think differently of me. You know. God doesn't want me anymore is another one we here and so this is another opportunity for us as Christians. To help a women believe what Jimmy talked about it is not the unforgivable sin. The unforgivable sin is rejecting salvation, right, you know is that they're not they're not come down if they with Jesus. So the women we see in our Center more than 88% who have had an abortion or the 88% of them say they did not want to abort their baby. They know it's a baby. They say they were desperate. They were alone. There were scared. They were hopeless and a lot of them say they were forced. They feel like they were forced by people in their life by their situation by not having help and they felt that there was no other option and so truly are our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers against the authorities against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the Heavenly Realms and that's really what it is. It's really about about evil.

Most of these women who have abortions Jose do know in some sense it small sense that it's not what they want to do and it's not right. They know it's a sin and they feel they're in the position where they don't have support in the that they need to make decision. They know it's it's right and so is Christian's what can we do and number one? Everybody can do is pray. It's pray for these women pray for them to see truth pray for people to rise up including ourselves. We can you can tell people about Life Spring Pregnancy Center that were there to help them that it's in their situation is not hopeless and you can remember John 4:14, which says but whoever drinks the water I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. And so you can share that life spring Pregnancy Center is not the old the True Life Spring. The True Life Spring is Jesus himself. You can love those who seem unlovable that are leading lives that are so far from the word and so far from a Christian ideal. In True Love The Gospel, you can show them that there's a better way. I'm if you've been affected by abortion, you can forgive you can accept forgiveness and salvation because with Jesus you are not condemned you can volunteer you can volunteer at that you can volunteer at home just things that can be done. You can look around you and your community and see the women the families that need. I need you that need your help and your love. You can give materials and we always are always welcome baby ear used or new diapers wipes formula anything to help these families.

You can join in advance like our life spring banquet. We have walked. We have a golf tournament every October where you were we raise funds to help keep the doors open and despite being up against the media being up against popular culture and the evil one himself. You can remember that. We do know the end of the story. We know what we can do and we know who's our side we know who the real picture is. So I'm thankful to all of you. Listen. I know I'm difficult discussions today or difficult talk we had to say but we thank you for being here. We thank you for listening at Hillsboro Life Spring. We're so thankful and I can't I can't say how thankful. We are really for all the support. We've gotten from people in this church. He will come a lot of churches. I think there's 72 churches in the area that are supporting us right now.

And so if you would like to know more about how you can help if you need to talk to somebody yourself or you know, somebody in your life who could use individual support or need would like discipleship after abortion. You can speak to you after church. But also I give you my private information later and you can contact me privately at work if you would like if you have questions or any kind of need for support. And so I think you all again and and just may God bless you also.

Really nothing to add to that. other than to say Two things, that's one. truth in love Grace and Truth Some of us are more hardwired for truth. Some of us are more hardwired for Grace. You can do one or the other in a sense on your own. But you need Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit to do both at the same time. That's also the Practical purpose of the church, right? So we need one another in this. and secondly