"Preparing Students for Graduation"

Kevin DeYoung is pastor of a church near Michigan State University. He wrote an article listing what he wants those graduating and moving away from his church to have gained from their time there.

He wants them to have a good grasp on: the storyline of the Bible, major areas of theology, and what a healthy church looks like.

He also pointed out the importance of seeing growth in attitude. Here were three attitudes he pointed out:

• Eager to serve – Does the student show up at church expecting the red carpet or looking to help others?
• Eager to commit – I love new people who visit our church, decide on our church, and then throw themselves in to being a part of our church.
• Eager to learn – This may be the most important point (after the gospel) in this entire post. No matter the other deficiencies, pastors can work with young Christians who are hungry for good preaching, open to correction, and above all, teachable.

I pray your time at Grace Church is instilling these attitudes in you for the good of this local body of believers and for the good of whatever church God may one day take you to. 

Responding to the "I'm Against Abortion, but I Am Pro-Choice" Argument

Last week at Bible study, RC Sproul made the point that those promoting abortion cleverly made the issue not primarily about approving abortion but about the notion of approving choice. Many will argue vehemently for 'choice' even if they do not personally think they would have an abortion.

Below is an excerpt from Scott Klusendorf's article "Why your friends are 'pro-choice' (and what to do about it)". The whole article is worth reading, but one of the most helpful portions are when he mentions a college student who said to him,

"I'm against abortion and will never have one. If one of my friends gets pregnant and wants an abortion, I will do everything I can to talk her out of it. But I don't want the government involved in taking away a woman's choice. I guess that's why I'm against abortion and am pro-choice."

Scott answered with the following:

Here's how I engaged the student at Colgate University. When she said she was personally against abortion but wanted to keep it legal, I asked a very simple question I learned from Greg Koukl: "Why are you against abortion?" When she replied, "Because it's killing, and I personally think it's wrong to do that," I asked: "What does abortion kill?" She was hesitant, but honest: "Um, I guess a human being?"

She's right. If abortion doesn't unjustly kill an innocent human being, why oppose it at all? Then, very gently, I pressed the point home. "Let me see if I understand you correctly---and if I don't, please feel free to clarify. You're personally against abortion because you think it wrongly kills a human being, but you want it to be legal to kill that human being?"

I appreciated her candid reply. "I don't know. I'm still trying to figure that out."

Notice two things I did. First, when she essentially said women have a right to choose, I asked her to complete her own sentence: Choose what? Never proceed without spelling out exactly what will be chosen! Second, once she clarified the choice in question, I asked why she thought that particular choice was wrong. That one question transformed the debate from a discussion about likes and dislikes to one about what's right and what's wrong.

Until that transformation takes place, don't be surprised if your friends are "pro-choice."

The Astonishing Cold Heartedness of "Abortion Rights"

In three separate posts, Denny Burk shows how astonishingly heartless and aggressive the "right" to an abortion has become in the public sphere of our culture.

The first is video of a planned parenthood representative answering questions from a committee of Florida legislators several weeks ago regarding what should happen if a baby is born alive in an attempted abortion. She simply says, "that is between a woman and her doctor."

The second, deals with the fact that the mainstream media had not provided any coverage of the abortion doctor charged with multiple counts of murdering born-alive-babies (in abortions) and even the death of one woman.

The third is video from today's routine press conference at the White House in which the President's press secretary refused to answer the question if the President supports legislation which would not inhibit abortions but which would give rights to a child born alive in an attempted abortion.

I realize not every "pro-choice" individual holds these positions. In fact, many probably do not.  Nonetheless, the logic of abortion is being carried out to places where it was argued it would never go. The slippery slope has proven to be all to true in this case. Seared consciences have removed restraint and the results are appalling. May God help us as a nation to end the injustice of the destruction of the weakest among us not only if they are born alive but from conception on.

Sanctification in the Season of Singleness

Here is a great article by Carolyn Mucculley on sanctification in the season of singleness. A good primer on ways to be maturing as a Christian who is single. Enjoy it; share it.

We Need Correction Most Where We Listen Least

Now, none of the fruit of repentance will ever appear if you are hardened against correction and conviction. And frankly, all of us need correction most in the areas of our lives where we will listen least. That is the nature of our sin, and that is why we must constantly be washing ourselves in the Word and in Christian fellowship. If you are truly a Christian, be encouraged by the good fruit that words of rebuke (from yourself or others) against you can bear! When these words are accurate and well-placed, God will use them to grow wonderful fruit. (Dever, The Message of the Old Testament, pg. 892).

Let's Pray for Saeed Abedini

Iran has recently been increasing its persecution of Christians. Among those imprisoned for his faith is Saeed Abedini, an Iranian-Christian pastor who has been living in the US. He was arrested on a recent trip to Iran. You can read more about it here at CNN's blog.