March 17, 2022

Remembering The “Why” Helps With The “How”

Remembering The “Why” Helps With The “How”

In this episode, we talk more about sidewalk strategies but really focus on why we do what we do as sidewalk counselors. If we have the "Why" in our hearts then the "How" will take care of itself.
https://sidewalks4life.com/equipping-articles/

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In this episode, we talk more about sidewalk strategies but really focus on why we do what we do as sidewalk counselors. If we have the "Why" in our hearts then the "How" will take care of itself.

https://sidewalks4life.com/equipping-articles/ 

Transcript
WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:02.879 You start to lose the gravity of the fact that you're in battle, and 2 00:00:02.879 --> 00:00:07.799 that's how you drift away from being vigilant, having your eyes open, paying 3 00:00:07.799 --> 00:00:11.199 attention to what's going on, paying attention to the battle. Yeah, you 4 00:00:11.240 --> 00:00:17.760 lose strategy because you lose the gravity of the battle. I Am Yours, 5 00:00:18.199 --> 00:00:23.640 I am yours, I am yours. And Me, Lord, I am 6 00:00:23.719 --> 00:00:29.239 yours, I am yours. I'm welcome to the Gospel Center Pray Life Podcast, 7 00:00:29.280 --> 00:00:34.880 a podcast designed to equip, encourage and challenge you in pro life ministry, 8 00:00:34.920 --> 00:00:40.359 and always with a focus on the Gospel. Stay tuned. I felt 9 00:00:40.759 --> 00:00:53.280 show Passish, touch your use me, Lord. Hey, they're welcome to 10 00:00:53.359 --> 00:00:57.719 the Gospel centered pro life podcast. I'm here with Daniel Parks. It's a 11 00:00:57.960 --> 00:01:03.280 Keycausie Org and today we're going to talk about what are maybe the three, 12 00:01:03.359 --> 00:01:10.000 among the top three strategies a sidewalk team should employ to be effective. Yeah, 13 00:01:10.120 --> 00:01:14.359 talked a lot about this about, you know, teams that seem to 14 00:01:14.400 --> 00:01:18.640 be really effective. They tend to follow these strategies to that maybe don't see 15 00:01:18.680 --> 00:01:21.760 as many results. Maybe they're not, maybe they are right. Sometimes there 16 00:01:21.799 --> 00:01:23.879 are facilities that are just harder. Yeah, Oh, absolutely, reach the 17 00:01:23.879 --> 00:01:29.400 way. Yeah, there's only so much strategy you can employ to be effective 18 00:01:29.400 --> 00:01:34.640 in ministry and of course the danger of strategy is thinking it's all about strategy 19 00:01:34.719 --> 00:01:38.200 and all about like the things that. Yeah, all about us, way 20 00:01:38.200 --> 00:01:42.000 we position ourselves or whatever, saying just the right thing. And of course, 21 00:01:42.159 --> 00:01:45.840 if you guys have listened to this podcast any length of time, you 22 00:01:45.879 --> 00:01:49.879 know that there's there's never just the perfect thing to say in every scenario. 23 00:01:49.959 --> 00:01:53.760 There are some general principles and at the end of the day the results are 24 00:01:53.840 --> 00:01:57.040 up to the Lord, right, but if there are things that we can 25 00:01:57.120 --> 00:02:00.040 do, ways that we can position our teams and things like that, they 26 00:02:00.040 --> 00:02:05.400 can help us to be more effective than why wouldn't we do those things right 27 00:02:05.439 --> 00:02:09.919 exactly, you know, as we're thinking of methodology. Yeah, there's a 28 00:02:09.919 --> 00:02:13.360 few things, a few ways. We're going to get into some of that 29 00:02:13.479 --> 00:02:16.520 little bit. But there's a few ways that we can approach sidewalk ministry and 30 00:02:16.599 --> 00:02:22.800 those ways can can be if you have two ways, for example, and 31 00:02:23.120 --> 00:02:29.360 both are biblical but one is more effective, why wouldn't you use the one 32 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:31.879 that's more effective? Exactly? You know what I mean. So, yeah, 33 00:02:31.919 --> 00:02:36.240 and we'll get into that. I'll break that down a little bit later 34 00:02:36.400 --> 00:02:39.000 on. But we need to be looking at things, of course, not 35 00:02:39.039 --> 00:02:43.280 from just a perspective of whether or not it's effective, because there's there. 36 00:02:43.360 --> 00:02:49.319 That's the trap of pragmatism, that it's all about what works, when in 37 00:02:49.400 --> 00:02:52.639 reality we're not called just to do what works, we're called to do what 38 00:02:52.719 --> 00:02:54.479 honors the Lord. So you know, if we if we fall into the 39 00:02:54.520 --> 00:03:00.360 trap of pragmatism, that's a trap of let's compromise the Gospel. So you 40 00:03:00.400 --> 00:03:05.719 know, if we discovered somehow that it was more effective to leave the gospel 41 00:03:05.719 --> 00:03:10.599 out of the equation to save babies or whatever, and we decided, well, 42 00:03:10.680 --> 00:03:14.319 we'll go with that because it's more effective, that would be the trap 43 00:03:14.400 --> 00:03:19.439 of pragmatism, falling into that trap neglecting the Gospel, which the Bible says 44 00:03:19.560 --> 00:03:22.919 is the power of God to salvation. If we leave the Gospel out, 45 00:03:23.039 --> 00:03:27.400 we're no longer doing ministry. Correct, we're running a business or some other 46 00:03:27.439 --> 00:03:30.039 thing, but we're not doing Ministry of Leave The Gospel out. So we 47 00:03:30.120 --> 00:03:35.080 can't leave the Gospel out. But if the gospels included in what we're doing, 48 00:03:35.159 --> 00:03:38.360 if Jesus is at the center of what we're doing. And again we 49 00:03:38.400 --> 00:03:42.960 have choices to do things one of two ways or three ways or whatever, 50 00:03:43.000 --> 00:03:46.479 and all of those ways are Biblical and centered on the Gospel, but one 51 00:03:46.599 --> 00:03:50.120 is more effective. We would be fools not to employ the one that's more 52 00:03:50.159 --> 00:03:53.000 effective. Exactly, you would be, it would actually be pride. Yeah, 53 00:03:53.039 --> 00:03:55.960 as a matter of fact, stuck in your ways. It's the way 54 00:03:57.000 --> 00:04:00.080 you're used to doing things, you know. Yeah, and so we do 55 00:04:00.159 --> 00:04:04.039 need to allow the Lord to shake us out of our ways. And sometimes 56 00:04:04.360 --> 00:04:10.199 we will pretend that our ways are the way, God's way and not be 57 00:04:10.280 --> 00:04:15.240 able to be shaken from those ways. And and therefore we're robbing ourselves of 58 00:04:15.360 --> 00:04:19.199 fruit that would otherwise be bored. Will Robin God of fruit that would glorify 59 00:04:19.279 --> 00:04:28.720 his name and possibly compromising the effectiveness of the ministry. Like we are called 60 00:04:28.839 --> 00:04:31.360 not primarily to be afective. We're called primarily to be biblical, but we 61 00:04:31.399 --> 00:04:34.959 are called to be effective, to bear fruit right, right, and and 62 00:04:35.000 --> 00:04:41.279 we kind of developed these ideas out of years of watching SEAMACH teams, watching 63 00:04:41.279 --> 00:04:46.839 results and where a Gospel Focus Ministry always have been. So that has always 64 00:04:46.879 --> 00:04:50.560 been primary. There are some things we've done that with the Gospel as a 65 00:04:50.560 --> 00:04:55.959 part of it that are less effective than other things we've done with the Gospel 66 00:04:56.040 --> 00:04:57.959 as as, yeah, part of it. Well, I want to mention 67 00:04:58.079 --> 00:05:01.000 this, okay, because this is a recent conversation that I'm having with myself, 68 00:05:01.040 --> 00:05:04.560 okay, and with others, and we've had the conversation as well. 69 00:05:04.639 --> 00:05:10.319 Yeah, and we've did podcast. We've done podcast about the use of victim 70 00:05:10.360 --> 00:05:13.800 images. Right, and if you guys have any questions about where we stand 71 00:05:13.839 --> 00:05:15.600 on that, please go back and listen to our podcast. We did it 72 00:05:15.600 --> 00:05:19.800 with some folks from CBR, center for bioethical reform, who use victim images 73 00:05:19.839 --> 00:05:25.319 primarily on college campuses and stuff. And so I'm not going to go over 74 00:05:25.319 --> 00:05:30.439 and rehash kind of our philosophy on victim images, except to say that is 75 00:05:30.480 --> 00:05:34.560 it biblical to use victim images? Absolutely. Jesus was crucified on a hillside. 76 00:05:34.600 --> 00:05:39.040 The Bible says he was marred beyond beyond the form of a man in 77 00:05:39.079 --> 00:05:42.360 front of everyone. Would God show graphic images? Yes, he would. 78 00:05:42.600 --> 00:05:47.199 Right, but does that mean that if you don't use victim images you're not 79 00:05:47.240 --> 00:05:51.759 doing biblical ministry? No, the Bible does not say when you go out 80 00:05:51.759 --> 00:05:56.920 to an abortion clinic thou shalt use victim images. Right, it gives us 81 00:05:57.000 --> 00:06:01.959 the allowance to use the victim images. But if there are scenarios in which 82 00:06:02.519 --> 00:06:08.560 I can use victim images and babies can be saved because of that, then 83 00:06:08.639 --> 00:06:11.279 you know I want to have the option to use those. But if there's 84 00:06:11.279 --> 00:06:15.720 scenarios in which it would be more effective for me not to use victim images, 85 00:06:16.240 --> 00:06:19.519 and yet I'm still keeping the Gospel. Listen, when you're holding up 86 00:06:19.519 --> 00:06:24.800 a victim of abortion, you are not preaching the Gospel. That's not a 87 00:06:24.839 --> 00:06:30.199 gospel thing, right. It could be preparation work for the Gospel, just 88 00:06:30.279 --> 00:06:34.040 like the law. We Love Great Comfort, we love his method of evangelism, 89 00:06:34.920 --> 00:06:39.680 but when he shares the law, when he shares the fact that we're 90 00:06:39.720 --> 00:06:43.639 all under the judgment of God, that's not the Gospel. Actually, the 91 00:06:44.040 --> 00:06:47.519 Ten Commandments, they are not the Gospel. They are the preparation work, 92 00:06:47.519 --> 00:06:54.639 potentially for the Gospel. Right, the Gospel is Jesus Christ died for our 93 00:06:54.639 --> 00:06:57.319 sins. I mean First Corinthians, Chapter Fifteen. You look at Paul lays 94 00:06:57.319 --> 00:06:59.279 out. Here's The gospel of that. Preach you on. I what what 95 00:06:59.360 --> 00:07:02.079 Paul Preached as Gospel. He lays it out very clearly. He says that 96 00:07:02.199 --> 00:07:05.639 Jesus Christ died for our sins, according to the scripture, that he was 97 00:07:05.680 --> 00:07:10.360 buried and on the third day he rose again, according to the scripture. 98 00:07:10.879 --> 00:07:15.120 That's the Gospel. Jesus death, burial and resurrection. That's the Gospel. 99 00:07:15.199 --> 00:07:18.240 Now other things are preparation for the Gospel, and victim images just kind of 100 00:07:18.480 --> 00:07:23.920 go back to that. So I don't rabbit trail too much. Victim images 101 00:07:23.959 --> 00:07:28.519 can be effective, but also they can be a hindrance. Yeah, they 102 00:07:28.560 --> 00:07:33.800 can really cause people to be angry rather than receptive, because at the end 103 00:07:33.839 --> 00:07:36.639 of the day, like, why are we at the abortion center? And 104 00:07:36.680 --> 00:07:40.759 I guess you guys who are listening, you'd have to ask yourself why are 105 00:07:40.800 --> 00:07:45.959 you out there? Are you out there just to communicate information, or you 106 00:07:46.000 --> 00:07:48.759 out there to engage with people going into the abortion center? Right, because 107 00:07:48.800 --> 00:07:55.160 if there are things that you're doing that makes your engagements either less or more 108 00:07:55.199 --> 00:07:59.759 hostile, then you probably need to change what you're doing right, right, 109 00:07:59.800 --> 00:08:03.560 and I do not mean leaving the Gospel out, because that's a nonnegotiable, 110 00:08:03.600 --> 00:08:05.279 but there's other things that are sort of negotiable. Yeah, I think. 111 00:08:05.360 --> 00:08:11.480 Yeah, and so go back to just that victim image idea. Yeah, 112 00:08:11.639 --> 00:08:15.519 is, you know, and it may not be in either or it could 113 00:08:15.519 --> 00:08:20.360 be that maybe there are situations where you can use them, but you you 114 00:08:20.439 --> 00:08:26.519 modify, yeah, how they're used up the street in conjunction with a saved 115 00:08:26.600 --> 00:08:33.000 baby. So so being able to verbalize what your goal is out there is 116 00:08:33.000 --> 00:08:37.000 really critical because if your goal is engagement with the people, yeah, there's 117 00:08:37.000 --> 00:08:39.200 no doubt that sometimes that victim image is gonna, yeah, it's going to 118 00:08:39.360 --> 00:08:45.480 affect that. And that's just one example of you know, that I just 119 00:08:45.519 --> 00:08:46.960 kind of pulled out off the top of my head. There's other examples of 120 00:08:46.960 --> 00:08:50.600 the way that you could do things. Yeah, but as we're talking about 121 00:08:50.639 --> 00:08:54.639 this, because we've been talking, you and I've had some conversations about looking 122 00:08:54.679 --> 00:08:58.960 at our teams across the nation how they're doing, and there's are there some 123 00:08:58.000 --> 00:09:03.200 ways that we can help in encourage them? Are there's some ways, like 124 00:09:03.279 --> 00:09:05.759 some kind of general principles that we can help equip them so they're they're more 125 00:09:05.799 --> 00:09:11.720 effective on the sidewalk, so that's you're not discourage themselves, right. Yeah, 126 00:09:11.720 --> 00:09:13.879 and so, in a sense, like are there some how to things 127 00:09:13.919 --> 00:09:16.559 that we can help them with, which is what we're going to really talk 128 00:09:16.639 --> 00:09:20.879 about this and if you guys ever watched our training, or one hundred one 129 00:09:20.919 --> 00:09:24.440 sidewalk training, you'll know we talked about the how. Is the meat of 130 00:09:24.480 --> 00:09:26.639 the training. Like it's, it's really where you want to pay attention. 131 00:09:26.679 --> 00:09:30.840 So we're going to talk about some of these how some of these effective strategies 132 00:09:30.840 --> 00:09:33.480 and the how of that. But as we were talking yesterday, one of 133 00:09:33.519 --> 00:09:37.759 the things I said to you was that the how a lot of times will 134 00:09:37.799 --> 00:09:43.080 work itself out if people have the why right, if they understand, because 135 00:09:43.399 --> 00:09:50.200 what happens is we begin to drift from the why right. So an example 136 00:09:50.279 --> 00:09:52.960 of that is if you're in a city where you have pro abortion people that 137 00:09:52.960 --> 00:09:56.879 are out there constantly and they're nagging you, and we have that here in 138 00:09:56.000 --> 00:10:01.080 Charlotte, it is so easy to drift as far as your why is concerned, 139 00:10:01.159 --> 00:10:05.639 why you're out there, and then start to think that you're out there 140 00:10:05.879 --> 00:10:11.840 because of the pro boarts, you're out there because of the political persuasion of 141 00:10:11.840 --> 00:10:15.159 those people. These socialists are trying to take over our country or whatever, 142 00:10:15.200 --> 00:10:20.519 and you can drift in your why ideologically they're trying to take our country captive 143 00:10:20.559 --> 00:10:24.440 and you can start to think your why and in the motivation for coming out 144 00:10:24.480 --> 00:10:28.320 there is to deal with these pro boards change their hearts. Change their hearts, 145 00:10:28.399 --> 00:10:31.720 change their minds or whatever, and certainly God can do that and we 146 00:10:31.320 --> 00:10:37.120 certainly want the Lord to do that. But that's not why the Lord called 147 00:10:37.200 --> 00:10:39.840 you out there initially. Hey, right, he didn't call you out there 148 00:10:39.840 --> 00:10:43.240 to deal with the pro boorts. And, as a matter of fact, 149 00:10:43.279 --> 00:10:46.600 if that's your motivation and that's your focus, then you have drifted away from 150 00:10:46.600 --> 00:10:52.039 the original why and you fallen into their trap. That's the trap and whether 151 00:10:52.120 --> 00:10:56.360 they know it or not, the devil certainly knows it. That's the trap 152 00:10:56.080 --> 00:11:00.000 that they want you to fall into, that he wants you to fall into. 153 00:11:00.080 --> 00:11:03.000 Yes, here's the trap of continually thinking about them, having your mind 154 00:11:03.120 --> 00:11:07.159 drive. I mean, if you're away from the side walking you're thinking about 155 00:11:07.200 --> 00:11:09.440 the pro boorts and how nasty and stuff they are. Yeah, probably need 156 00:11:09.480 --> 00:11:13.519 to bring it before the Lord. Yeah, probably need to let the Lord 157 00:11:13.559 --> 00:11:16.080 take that stuff out of your heart, in your mind, because the reality 158 00:11:16.279 --> 00:11:20.360 is, in the eternal scope of things, their activities and stuff. If 159 00:11:20.399 --> 00:11:28.320 we really believe that God is the most powerful being ever there, their activity 160 00:11:28.480 --> 00:11:31.879 is pretty irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. Right. Remember, you're 161 00:11:31.919 --> 00:11:35.919 a child of God, you have the Holy Spirit of the Living God inside 162 00:11:35.960 --> 00:11:39.080 of you, and the activities of evil people that are under control of the 163 00:11:39.120 --> 00:11:43.639 devil is, in a sense irrelevant. Now, I get it there annoying 164 00:11:43.720 --> 00:11:46.519 and I get it there a distraction and they cause problems and all that stuff. 165 00:11:46.559 --> 00:11:50.919 I'm not trying to minimize that, but I am saying is we do 166 00:11:50.000 --> 00:11:54.759 serve an eternal God and we do need to look to him. We need 167 00:11:54.799 --> 00:11:58.159 to be a we. We say often we need to be motivated not by 168 00:11:58.200 --> 00:12:03.480 the the the horror of abortion, but by the beauty of Jesus. Right. 169 00:12:03.519 --> 00:12:05.759 And so I would ask you if your mind is captivating to distracted? 170 00:12:05.840 --> 00:12:11.240 Have you lost the why? And what is the main why of why we're 171 00:12:11.279 --> 00:12:15.519 out there? Yeah, well, my main why is to glorify God, 172 00:12:15.559 --> 00:12:20.120 to magnify his holy name. That's step father, but that's true in in 173 00:12:20.320 --> 00:12:22.080 of my general life. Yeah, I would say, if I'm going to 174 00:12:22.120 --> 00:12:31.039 be totally honest about with the sidewalk, yes, glorify God through intervening and 175 00:12:31.279 --> 00:12:35.440 interceding for those unborn babies. Yeah, that's the specific focus. Yeah, 176 00:12:35.440 --> 00:12:41.159 I want to glorify him, but the focus is those are born babies. 177 00:12:41.240 --> 00:12:46.080 Yeah, so why is the motivation to glorify God and why does that motivation 178 00:12:46.120 --> 00:12:50.200 carry you to the sidewalk? It's because they're murdering babies inside, and I 179 00:12:50.240 --> 00:12:54.519 love God and God loves those babies. God has called us to be a 180 00:12:54.519 --> 00:12:58.759 good neighbor. God has called us to be a voice for the voiceless. 181 00:12:58.799 --> 00:13:05.039 So I am honoring God and magnifying him by how I'm going to deal when 182 00:13:05.080 --> 00:13:07.600 I'm out on that sidewalk. Yeah, those babies are going to die today. 183 00:13:07.639 --> 00:13:11.559 The pro boats probably are not. I mean they could, but I 184 00:13:11.679 --> 00:13:13.759 probably are not. So that's why my focus is on the immediate crisis and 185 00:13:13.840 --> 00:13:18.000 what I'm called to do is to deal with those unborn children. And I 186 00:13:18.039 --> 00:13:24.320 love what you told me. It was very powerful saying if you give the 187 00:13:24.399 --> 00:13:31.840 why remind people through, and you said, the image of a baby, 188 00:13:31.120 --> 00:13:37.279 a victim, yeah, of abortion. You can bring people back to Oh 189 00:13:37.399 --> 00:13:43.240 yeah, all that other stuff that pails in comparison to that horrific picture. 190 00:13:43.320 --> 00:13:48.720 Yeah, that's why we're there, and what I love about that is so 191 00:13:48.759 --> 00:13:52.799 many of these things were going to go over I'm like the anointed Nagger of 192 00:13:52.840 --> 00:13:56.799 our ministry, right, yeah, very skilled at nagging. You have an 193 00:13:56.799 --> 00:14:03.559 annointed is. I'm nagging all the time because we drift away from these basic 194 00:14:03.639 --> 00:14:11.000 how to and it struck me when you said return people to the philosophy of 195 00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:15.320 why they're doing what they're doing, and those things I have to Nag about 196 00:14:15.399 --> 00:14:20.919 might just fall away because people no longer want to be ineffective. Yeah, 197 00:14:20.919 --> 00:14:24.840 and that major focus. Yeah, yeah, get the why right and the 198 00:14:24.919 --> 00:14:30.639 how that that will fall into place. Often Times, the reason why we 199 00:14:30.799 --> 00:14:37.080 drift away from and you know, I don't want to jump into the how 200 00:14:37.240 --> 00:14:39.559 part just yet. Okay, but the reason why we drift away from some 201 00:14:39.600 --> 00:14:45.399 of these kind of common how to things is because we lose the why. 202 00:14:45.480 --> 00:14:48.039 Yeah, we lose while we're out there, we lose the gravity of what's 203 00:14:48.080 --> 00:14:52.759 happening at that place. And so, for example, one of the one 204 00:14:52.759 --> 00:14:56.440 of the most desperate detrimental things that can happen in the ministry on the sidewalk 205 00:14:56.559 --> 00:15:01.120 is that we clump together in Chit Chat while we're out there. Right, 206 00:15:01.159 --> 00:15:03.559 I mean it's it's a kind of mind yeah, in this kind of time. 207 00:15:03.600 --> 00:15:07.200 I see it ever, probably every day out there right at sometimes very 208 00:15:07.240 --> 00:15:11.200 limited. Sometimes we catch ourselves, but I'm telling you, teams, if 209 00:15:11.240 --> 00:15:15.120 you're listening, you're probably doing this. Yeah, and you need to pay 210 00:15:15.120 --> 00:15:18.200 attention because this is detrimental to our effectiveness. And I'll tell you a little 211 00:15:18.240 --> 00:15:22.159 story about that very briefly. I was out there, I won't say what 212 00:15:22.240 --> 00:15:26.440 day, and I saw a group of our counselors clump together and I was 213 00:15:26.519 --> 00:15:31.679 had another portion of the sidewalk and saw a woman, a clump of three 214 00:15:31.720 --> 00:15:37.120 of them, walk in the door and I'm waiting. I was far away 215 00:15:37.159 --> 00:15:41.159 and no one saw them because they were all talking with each other because they're 216 00:15:41.200 --> 00:15:45.120 also wonderful. They we do with wonderful people. I get it, but 217 00:15:45.320 --> 00:15:50.039 they were missed because of clumping and Chit Chat. Yeah, yeah, it 218 00:15:50.080 --> 00:15:52.879 happens a lot. And and how does it get there? And again, 219 00:15:54.200 --> 00:15:56.320 I don't like to come down heavy and I will say, and I know 220 00:15:56.399 --> 00:16:00.519 you'll say too, I'll falling victim of that. I'm out there, I'll 221 00:16:00.639 --> 00:16:07.120 chit chat sometimes. I get it, but how do we allow ourselves to 222 00:16:07.120 --> 00:16:12.039 to begin just to have Chit Chat, sort of shooting the breeze conversations out 223 00:16:12.080 --> 00:16:15.840 there is because we've forgotten that babies are dying inside of that place, right. 224 00:16:15.879 --> 00:16:19.639 So if we bring ourselves back and remind ourselves of the why, yeah, 225 00:16:19.720 --> 00:16:23.639 then we can keep ourselves from doing that. Another thing. That is 226 00:16:23.639 --> 00:16:27.799 a reality that we deal with. We want to glorify God, we want 227 00:16:27.799 --> 00:16:33.679 to see baby saved, but also we can't forget that there are people, 228 00:16:33.720 --> 00:16:37.120 there are women, walking into that place who are going to kill their child. 229 00:16:37.240 --> 00:16:41.240 They're going to become captivated by the sin of abortion and if they don't 230 00:16:41.279 --> 00:16:44.679 repent, they're going to end up in hell. Yeah, and the men 231 00:16:44.720 --> 00:16:47.039 going in that are bringing their girlfriends. I mean, think about that. 232 00:16:47.080 --> 00:16:51.240 These men are, some of them, pressuring the girlfriend to have an abortion. 233 00:16:51.360 --> 00:16:53.639 How's it going to be for them when they stand before God, right? 234 00:16:53.679 --> 00:16:59.000 And what if no one ever gives them an opportunity to hear the Gospel 235 00:16:59.000 --> 00:17:00.240 and to turn from their sin and put their trust in Jesus? They're going 236 00:17:00.279 --> 00:17:03.680 to end up in hell for eternity or ever. Help some deven recognize that 237 00:17:03.880 --> 00:17:07.960 uses and that there was at that there's anything to repent. Yeah. So 238 00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:14.799 we're dealing with eternal things and we've been given an eternal message that can change 239 00:17:14.920 --> 00:17:18.680 hearts and change lives. And so we can't lose the gravity that babies are 240 00:17:18.759 --> 00:17:21.319 dying, that people are going to end up in hell. And I think 241 00:17:21.319 --> 00:17:23.480 about the workers to you know. You know they're not our primary focus, 242 00:17:23.559 --> 00:17:26.359 but we do call out to the workers and we send many of them quit. 243 00:17:26.400 --> 00:17:30.640 We've even some seen some of them come to the Lord. If we 244 00:17:30.720 --> 00:17:33.799 lose our focus, if we lose our wife, we get distracted out there, 245 00:17:33.799 --> 00:17:37.039 if we're just out there to be out there because it's part of our 246 00:17:37.079 --> 00:17:41.480 weekly rhythm rather than we're out there because they're killing children and people are going 247 00:17:41.519 --> 00:17:44.920 to end up in hell, then we've lost our why and we need to 248 00:17:44.920 --> 00:17:47.799 get back to it and listen. I will say, and I know you 249 00:17:47.920 --> 00:17:51.960 agree, Vicki, that this this message. Preachers say this message. I'm 250 00:17:52.000 --> 00:17:53.319 preaching it to me as much as I am to you. There's a sense 251 00:17:53.359 --> 00:17:56.799 in which that's true. Yeah, I'm preaching that to myself as much as 252 00:17:56.880 --> 00:18:00.839 I am to you. So, yeah, there's we fall into this. 253 00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:03.400 We all fall into these traps. That's why we're talking about them. Yeah, 254 00:18:03.480 --> 00:18:07.359 exactly. And the motivation, the why for us is we want to 255 00:18:07.400 --> 00:18:11.680 see you guys see babies can be saved and people come to the Lord. 256 00:18:11.720 --> 00:18:15.240 We want you guys to be as effective as possible. You are listening to 257 00:18:15.279 --> 00:18:19.599 the podcast. So then let's jump into some of the how I think we've 258 00:18:19.680 --> 00:18:23.799 laid the foundation for the why here and reminded people of the why that we're 259 00:18:23.799 --> 00:18:27.000 out there. Yeah, can touch on that enough. But what are some 260 00:18:27.079 --> 00:18:33.079 of the just practical things that we can do and be aware of that would 261 00:18:33.119 --> 00:18:37.720 make us more effective on the side wall? Yeah, and one of the 262 00:18:37.720 --> 00:18:41.960 first things his strategic placement of of your team's. How many team members do 263 00:18:41.039 --> 00:18:45.039 you have and where are the best places to place them? Yeah, we've 264 00:18:45.079 --> 00:18:48.599 already kind of given away one of them. Don't clump. Yeah, so 265 00:18:48.960 --> 00:18:52.920 we're going to want to spread out the teams. Yeah, so you find 266 00:18:52.119 --> 00:18:56.640 okay, first of all, is it vehicle traffic or is it walk ups? 267 00:18:56.799 --> 00:18:59.799 Yeah, what is it? Mostly? You know, in New York 268 00:18:59.880 --> 00:19:02.440 City it's mostly, I guess, walk ups. People are walking down the 269 00:19:02.480 --> 00:19:04.559 street coming from a subway. Yeah, here in some of our other cities 270 00:19:04.720 --> 00:19:08.559 are like that as well. So, yeah, important to know. Yeah, 271 00:19:08.599 --> 00:19:12.119 and then analyze. I know you use Google maps and you do an 272 00:19:12.119 --> 00:19:17.160 overhead view and and you will you find the points at which people can come 273 00:19:17.200 --> 00:19:19.279 from. And if, depending on how many team members you have, you 274 00:19:19.279 --> 00:19:22.400 you really prioritize. You say, if I only have one team member, 275 00:19:22.440 --> 00:19:26.599 here's where he's going to go. The we never recommend you just one team 276 00:19:26.599 --> 00:19:30.240 member, but if I only have one in it, that's usually the place, 277 00:19:30.359 --> 00:19:33.240 right by the door, right, no matter where, what facility you're 278 00:19:33.240 --> 00:19:34.720 at. Yeah, that last moment. Get them. Yeah, it could 279 00:19:34.759 --> 00:19:37.440 be that or could be by the driveway, like in Charlotte. Right, 280 00:19:37.519 --> 00:19:42.119 yeah, latrobe, it's that driveway. Yeah, like that's priority position number 281 00:19:42.160 --> 00:19:47.119 one. So now everybody decide on that. Everybody team team leads or whatever. 282 00:19:47.599 --> 00:19:49.720 Yeah, sure that you are clear. If there's only one member, 283 00:19:49.759 --> 00:19:53.160 this is where that member has to go. Yeah. Yeah, so strategic 284 00:19:53.200 --> 00:19:57.319 placement. Getting it'll keep you from clumping up and being in Chit Chat Mode 285 00:19:57.640 --> 00:20:02.599 and being lighthearted about the thing. If you spread out and you understand why 286 00:20:02.680 --> 00:20:06.839 you're out there. Right, this is this is a battle not between people 287 00:20:06.839 --> 00:20:10.599 but between light and darkness, and I was as we were talking yesterday, 288 00:20:10.720 --> 00:20:15.119 just kind of this picture came to mind. You asking the question how do 289 00:20:15.160 --> 00:20:18.200 we lose the why? So that we don't employ the how? How do 290 00:20:18.240 --> 00:20:22.839 we kind of lose our strategies, everything fall apart and just go out there 291 00:20:22.839 --> 00:20:26.200 and just be out there, to be out there again. We lose the 292 00:20:26.279 --> 00:20:30.519 why. But it's also it becomes it becomes like a common scenario. So 293 00:20:30.559 --> 00:20:33.839 the picture I had was if you're in battle, if you've got soldiers that 294 00:20:33.880 --> 00:20:37.319 have been in battle for a long time, you know when you're first out 295 00:20:37.359 --> 00:20:38.920 there in battle, and you guys know, if you know you've been on 296 00:20:38.960 --> 00:20:41.720 the sidewalk for a while, if you can remember back the first time you 297 00:20:41.799 --> 00:20:47.200 went out there, you were aware of the battle and it was an uncommon 298 00:20:47.200 --> 00:20:49.359 scenario for you. And so it's like a soldier being in battle. There's 299 00:20:49.400 --> 00:20:55.079 bullets whizzo by and it's a big deal. Right, there's a battle raging 300 00:20:55.119 --> 00:20:59.000 and they're alert, they're vigilant, they're aware of what's going on. You've 301 00:20:59.000 --> 00:21:02.960 been in battle for a long time, for five years, the bullets whizzom 302 00:21:03.000 --> 00:21:06.079 by your head. It's a common thing. You just used to it right 303 00:21:06.160 --> 00:21:07.359 and it's right, and so you kind of loosen up. You start, 304 00:21:07.480 --> 00:21:11.720 you know, just chatting with your battle buddies or whatever. You get on 305 00:21:11.759 --> 00:21:15.960 the walkie talkie. I'm giving analogy here, and you're talking to to the 306 00:21:15.000 --> 00:21:18.720 guy back at the mess hall or whatever. You start to lose the gravity 307 00:21:18.799 --> 00:21:22.359 of the fact that you're in battle, and that's how you drift away from 308 00:21:22.400 --> 00:21:26.359 being vigilant, having your eyes open, paying attention to what's going on, 309 00:21:26.440 --> 00:21:30.960 paying attention to the battle. Yeah, you lose strategy because you lose the 310 00:21:32.039 --> 00:21:36.920 gravity of the battle. Right. And so, as we're sharing these practical 311 00:21:36.960 --> 00:21:40.519 things, I think more than anything, this this whole theme of why we're 312 00:21:40.519 --> 00:21:44.039 out there, the theme that you we're in a battle, not between human 313 00:21:44.119 --> 00:21:48.559 beings in us, but between principalities and powers. We know the scripture, 314 00:21:48.599 --> 00:21:52.599 right, Effesians chapter six. Right. Sometimes I would visualize the the demons 315 00:21:52.680 --> 00:21:57.200 on the rooftop, yeah, or on the shoulders of the women as they're 316 00:21:57.240 --> 00:22:00.880 coming in, because it helps me to remember that. Yeah, or some 317 00:22:02.000 --> 00:22:04.720 consorts have told me they've visualize the baby in the womb and the fight that 318 00:22:04.720 --> 00:22:11.240 that baby's going to have. I think those are all good anything that keeps 319 00:22:11.240 --> 00:22:15.279 you focused on the fact that this is truly a war between good and evil. 320 00:22:15.400 --> 00:22:19.279 And then maybe he's going to die if someone doesn't rescue that baby. 321 00:22:19.359 --> 00:22:25.799 Yeah. So the first thing that we have in how is strategic placement. 322 00:22:26.160 --> 00:22:30.359 Placing your team in strategic spots, not just being out there right and all 323 00:22:30.359 --> 00:22:33.400 standing together. And that's the next thing, and I'm telling you, I 324 00:22:33.400 --> 00:22:37.440 can't stress this. We can't stress this enough. Being clumped up into a 325 00:22:37.440 --> 00:22:41.319 group, not only does it make it more intimidating because people aren't going to 326 00:22:41.319 --> 00:22:44.319 stop for a group of people like they would stop for an individual. If 327 00:22:44.319 --> 00:22:48.000 you're handing out literature and there are four people there in one group and they're 328 00:22:48.039 --> 00:22:49.720 all handing out literature, they're all trying to get you to stop, you're 329 00:22:49.720 --> 00:22:52.880 not going to stop. Quite likely, you're the anime to that. You're 330 00:22:52.920 --> 00:22:56.759 an enemy in force. Honestly, the smaller the teams are, quite often 331 00:22:56.880 --> 00:23:02.079 the more literature. Yeah, I personally hand out. Yeah, yeah, 332 00:23:02.160 --> 00:23:06.000 that can be the case. Yeah, we do of course encourage I mean 333 00:23:06.319 --> 00:23:10.039 we're a ministry that encourages people come out in big groups to pray. Right. 334 00:23:10.079 --> 00:23:12.039 So there is a balance and we know that the more people that come 335 00:23:12.039 --> 00:23:15.720 out there to pray the less people show up for abortions. But there is 336 00:23:15.759 --> 00:23:18.920 a balance and there's a way to strategically do that, like, for the 337 00:23:18.960 --> 00:23:22.559 prayer walks here in Charlotte, for example. The prayer walkers are across the 338 00:23:22.559 --> 00:23:26.119 street were our sidewalk teams are on the same side of the street as the 339 00:23:26.160 --> 00:23:29.480 abortion center. That's a that's strategic right. We don't want all the prayer 340 00:23:29.519 --> 00:23:32.519 walkers there on that side, but we do know that babies are saved because 341 00:23:32.559 --> 00:23:36.079 people keep driving they see the prayer walkers there and that's effective. Yeah, 342 00:23:37.079 --> 00:23:40.119 but you know, especially if you've got foot traffic, I would say, 343 00:23:40.119 --> 00:23:44.759 but vehicular traffic to if you've got foot track of traffic, people walking up 344 00:23:44.759 --> 00:23:48.039 and you got a group of people that are together, people are less likely. 345 00:23:48.039 --> 00:23:52.240 Women are going to be less likely to engage with that group, right, 346 00:23:52.319 --> 00:23:55.519 right, then they would with with one person. Yeah, and to 347 00:23:55.519 --> 00:24:00.039 take that a step further, if a woman starts talking to one of the 348 00:24:00.039 --> 00:24:04.640 the counselor's a mom coming in, then everybody tends to want to be in 349 00:24:04.680 --> 00:24:08.240 on that action and clump together. We see that all the time and that 350 00:24:08.359 --> 00:24:14.920 is another thing don't do. Don't to leave that person in that developing that 351 00:24:15.000 --> 00:24:19.920 very tenuous relationship alone unless she specifically calls for help. Yeah, yeah, 352 00:24:21.119 --> 00:24:23.960 if you've got you a situation like ours. For example, if someone stops 353 00:24:25.000 --> 00:24:29.119 for me, I'm will equipped have done it long enough. I can handle 354 00:24:29.160 --> 00:24:32.480 a conversation with a man or woman or whoever, right, but there are 355 00:24:32.519 --> 00:24:34.680 some points where it gets into the conversation, where it gets deep with the 356 00:24:34.720 --> 00:24:37.759 woman, and I think it'd be more effective for another woman to be talking 357 00:24:37.759 --> 00:24:41.880 to her. And I'll waive you over, but I do not want, 358 00:24:41.920 --> 00:24:45.960 if I'm talking to somebody, for you just to come over and start button 359 00:24:45.960 --> 00:24:48.559 into the conversation. Yeah, if I'm doing sidewalk counseling, I'm doing it 360 00:24:48.599 --> 00:24:52.640 on the sidewalk and it's not a vehic, not a vehicle that stopped, 361 00:24:52.640 --> 00:24:56.079 but it's a person I'm talking to. If you come up and start talking 362 00:24:56.160 --> 00:25:00.039 into the situation when I didn't invite you, I'm not going to be very 363 00:25:00.039 --> 00:25:03.440 happy with you. Well, not only are you're not going to be happy, 364 00:25:03.519 --> 00:25:07.519 but if you're like me, you you are going to find your all 365 00:25:07.559 --> 00:25:12.359 that hard work derailed. Almost always it derails the conversation. Yeah, so 366 00:25:12.480 --> 00:25:15.759 we need to be all aware of that. We all do it. I 367 00:25:15.799 --> 00:25:18.480 do it, we all do it. We're all so excited, especially if 368 00:25:18.480 --> 00:25:22.799 there's been a long period of no action. Right, don't, don't enter 369 00:25:22.839 --> 00:25:26.960 a conversation uninvited. It is almost always better if it's just one on yeah, 370 00:25:26.960 --> 00:25:32.400 almost always. Yes, realizing that the situations that we're dealing with are 371 00:25:32.559 --> 00:25:37.039 volatile situations. The women that were talking to are vulnerable people. They've been 372 00:25:37.079 --> 00:25:41.920 lied to by the Devil and other people and they're they don't really want to 373 00:25:41.960 --> 00:25:47.039 share all that's going on anyway. And so again you got to imagine young 374 00:25:47.119 --> 00:25:49.640 lady who's scared, who's finally opening up to one person. Here comes another 375 00:25:49.680 --> 00:25:55.079 person along and then another person along and it just gets to be too much. 376 00:25:55.119 --> 00:25:57.759 And I've seen conversation shut down because of that stuff. Right. It's 377 00:25:57.839 --> 00:26:03.359 kind of like the picture of I used to go fishing a lot, okay, 378 00:26:03.960 --> 00:26:07.160 and you know, if you're at a pond and you're fishing, you 379 00:26:07.160 --> 00:26:11.519 got your pole in the water, nobody's getting a bye. There's several people 380 00:26:11.559 --> 00:26:15.440 around the pond and then you all a sudden you get a bite. Yeah, 381 00:26:15.480 --> 00:26:18.440 what happens? No one else is getting a bye. Everybody comes to 382 00:26:18.599 --> 00:26:22.359 your side of the pond and they want to put their poll in where you've 383 00:26:22.359 --> 00:26:25.279 got yours in and all the fish runaway. And the fish run away. 384 00:26:25.359 --> 00:26:27.279 Yeah, and he swim away. They SAT. Well, exactly, they 385 00:26:27.720 --> 00:26:33.359 swim away. So that's something to be aware of. Guess now, can 386 00:26:33.440 --> 00:26:37.240 God use situations where three or four people are ministring to one woman? Yeah, 387 00:26:37.279 --> 00:26:41.559 he can use all kinds of stuff. But just because it's a donkey, 388 00:26:41.559 --> 00:26:44.240 as you love to say, exactly. He can use a donkey, 389 00:26:44.279 --> 00:26:47.559 but we don't take donkeys with us on the sidewalk, do we? Maybe 390 00:26:47.559 --> 00:26:49.640 we should, maybe we should, I don't know, maybe that's another podcast 391 00:26:49.680 --> 00:26:52.920 for another day. My point is, just because God would use something and 392 00:26:52.960 --> 00:26:57.279 just because God has used something in the past, does it necessarily mean that's 393 00:26:57.359 --> 00:27:03.400 the best way to do things? Yeah, and so we're speaking, we're 394 00:27:03.440 --> 00:27:08.400 not speaking, understand, guess, from just a theoretical position. Okay, 395 00:27:08.400 --> 00:27:12.079 we're speaking from experience. We've experienced these things, we've seen these things over 396 00:27:12.119 --> 00:27:18.519 a course of years, but of course we don't have it all figured out 397 00:27:18.519 --> 00:27:22.079 either. So I would say I'm correctable in this matter. If you can 398 00:27:22.119 --> 00:27:26.480 convince me that it's more effective to have for people come together in a group 399 00:27:26.519 --> 00:27:29.960 to reach one woman going into the abortion center, then I'll hear you out, 400 00:27:30.000 --> 00:27:33.640 but I'm going to tell you from experience it's not more effects. It's 401 00:27:33.680 --> 00:27:37.160 more effective for you just to engage one on one with somebody and then if 402 00:27:37.200 --> 00:27:41.039 you need somebody additional, come in. Hey, would you come over here 403 00:27:41.119 --> 00:27:42.200 for a second? You know, you can call them over right and the 404 00:27:42.240 --> 00:27:45.119 other side of that is it for people are clumping to that one. Well, 405 00:27:45.160 --> 00:27:48.920 what about all the other women entering? And that's an important thing to 406 00:27:48.200 --> 00:27:52.400 lose. Yeah, they're not going to have someone interceding for them. I 407 00:27:52.440 --> 00:27:55.160 will tell you. Sharing the Gospel, which is what we do on our 408 00:27:55.319 --> 00:28:00.279 mobile ultrasound unit here, on the help Monroe mobile ultrasound unit, and when 409 00:28:00.319 --> 00:28:03.920 I used to have the nurses and maybe even someone else on board all trying 410 00:28:03.960 --> 00:28:07.119 to share the gospel, it was a mass. Yeah, but they have 411 00:28:07.160 --> 00:28:11.319 since we've kind of gravitated to at least when I'm on I share the gospel 412 00:28:11.359 --> 00:28:17.359 loan, they usually disappear and it takes that person that I'm sharing with out 413 00:28:17.400 --> 00:28:22.319 of feeling like she is being observed so that she's much less selfconscious. She's 414 00:28:22.319 --> 00:28:29.759 that. It just seems like there are more salvations when when I'm able to 415 00:28:30.039 --> 00:28:33.319 following train of thought one on one. Yeah, in that situation. Yeah, 416 00:28:33.759 --> 00:28:37.559 I want to reiterate that point too, because if you're out there on 417 00:28:37.599 --> 00:28:41.680 the sidewalk, I'll say, you know, you that Latrobe, for example. 418 00:28:41.880 --> 00:28:45.319 Yeah, and someone pulls into the parking lot and they stopped to take 419 00:28:45.359 --> 00:28:49.000 information and one of our counselors is is engaging with them, and then you 420 00:28:49.039 --> 00:28:53.079 got to other counselors that want to come and engage also. Yeah, and 421 00:28:53.119 --> 00:28:56.640 they pull away from calling out. Then you've got a woman that maybe is 422 00:28:56.680 --> 00:29:00.240 already in the parking lot in her car walking to the door and she's not 423 00:29:00.240 --> 00:29:04.839 getting addressed because the other two counselors besides the one that's already engaging are distracted 424 00:29:04.960 --> 00:29:10.799 with that conversation. Let that person have the conversation. What you have to 425 00:29:10.799 --> 00:29:14.400 say is important, I'm sure, but trust that the Lord can use that 426 00:29:14.440 --> 00:29:18.480 person as well, unless, I would say, if it's a brand new 427 00:29:18.519 --> 00:29:22.359 person, then maybe stand by and listen in or whatever and interject. We 428 00:29:22.640 --> 00:29:26.599 know that just practically they're brand new, they need some help. Obvious and 429 00:29:26.720 --> 00:29:29.799 experienced person should be near them in that case. Yeah, exactly, but 430 00:29:29.839 --> 00:29:33.720 we don't want everyone dropping their pole in the water when there's other fish that 431 00:29:33.799 --> 00:29:37.160 could be caught in other places in the pond. You know. And just 432 00:29:37.240 --> 00:29:41.079 a side point, if you are someone who is engaging with a pro abortion 433 00:29:41.119 --> 00:29:47.640 person, and someone then near you, one of your fellow counselors, begins 434 00:29:47.640 --> 00:29:51.759 to engage with a woman. Really take that conversation somewhere else with that pro 435 00:29:51.799 --> 00:29:56.079 abortion person. I have been so distracted by the how loud it can get 436 00:29:56.119 --> 00:30:02.160 sometimes when when someone else is addressing other people. So be really careful about 437 00:30:02.200 --> 00:30:06.480 that. You need to be quiet in that discussion if there's a nearby discussion 438 00:30:06.519 --> 00:30:08.160 with the mom, because again, the Moma, the MOMS, are focus. 439 00:30:08.359 --> 00:30:12.680 Yeah, all right. Well, let's let's wrap up with this final 440 00:30:12.720 --> 00:30:17.599 effective strategy. We had three here. The first his strategic placement of your 441 00:30:17.640 --> 00:30:22.119 team, the second is don't clump up together, right, and the third 442 00:30:22.279 --> 00:30:26.920 is your first impressions. Yeah, by this what we mean is, and 443 00:30:26.960 --> 00:30:30.480 what do they say? What's the thing? The first impression? One chance 444 00:30:30.599 --> 00:30:33.720 to make your first impression. I think it's something something like that. But 445 00:30:33.880 --> 00:30:38.359 what we mean by that is when someone's pulling into the parking lot, what's 446 00:30:38.440 --> 00:30:41.920 the first impression they have of use it? One of like angry wagon, 447 00:30:42.000 --> 00:30:45.960 the finger, don't go in there, murder your baby. Or when someone's 448 00:30:47.000 --> 00:30:51.680 walking up the sidewalk and they're coming to the abortion center, is the first 449 00:30:51.680 --> 00:30:56.160 impression they're getting is they murder babies in there? Don't go murder your baby, 450 00:30:56.359 --> 00:31:03.119 or is the first impression inviting them to have a conversation with you and 451 00:31:03.240 --> 00:31:07.599 you have to ask yourself, why am I out there? We talked about 452 00:31:07.640 --> 00:31:12.480 that earlier, right, but are you out there just to deliver information? 453 00:31:14.039 --> 00:31:18.960 Did God call you out there just to deliver information? We talked before about 454 00:31:18.000 --> 00:31:21.559 the differences. If you guys again, listen to the training, the one 455 00:31:21.720 --> 00:31:23.119 one training, watch the training, you'll know that I kind of give this 456 00:31:23.160 --> 00:31:29.000 contrast between two types of ministry that can happen at an abortion center. One 457 00:31:29.079 --> 00:31:33.519 is the Prophetic men street the profit he's just there to deliver the mail. 458 00:31:33.599 --> 00:31:37.519 Think of it like street preachers and that's my tendency. Anyway. That's that's 459 00:31:37.559 --> 00:31:41.920 my background. Street preacher on the corner delivering the mail. Yeah, you 460 00:31:41.039 --> 00:31:44.319 engage with people if they come and talk you, but if they don't come 461 00:31:44.359 --> 00:31:47.559 and talk, you just there to deliver the mail anyway. Right. Yeah, 462 00:31:47.599 --> 00:31:49.519 so that ministry can happen at the abortion center and I've seen God use 463 00:31:49.599 --> 00:31:56.319 that and I'm not trying to marginalize and minimize that ministry, but the Ministry 464 00:31:56.519 --> 00:32:00.279 of the evangelist, and I don't mean to say the prophetic voice is an 465 00:32:00.279 --> 00:32:02.519 evangelistic it is. They're sharing the Gospel. To praise God for that. 466 00:32:02.960 --> 00:32:07.559 But the Ministry of the evangelist and the story that I kind of base this 467 00:32:07.640 --> 00:32:10.799 on is the story of Philip the evangelist. In Acts, Chapter Eight, 468 00:32:10.839 --> 00:32:15.079 I think it is, where Philip the evangelist encounters the Ethiopian unuch. You 469 00:32:15.079 --> 00:32:20.640 guys know the story right. Not only is he there delivering information, but 470 00:32:20.680 --> 00:32:25.079 he's actually helping the Ethiopian UNICH process the information. He's right, okay, 471 00:32:25.240 --> 00:32:29.839 gets up in the chariot right, explains to him what he's reading in the 472 00:32:29.839 --> 00:32:36.480 scroll of Isaiah a lot more relational. It's more relational. So is our 473 00:32:36.480 --> 00:32:43.160 calling as sidewalk counselors, sidewalk out reach volunteers, whatever, just to deliver 474 00:32:43.200 --> 00:32:46.519 information? We have there just to deliver information? I would say, no, 475 00:32:46.920 --> 00:32:53.160 we're not out there just to convey information, but to give an invitation, 476 00:32:53.400 --> 00:32:57.680 right, yeah, or to start a conversation. Right, that kind 477 00:32:57.680 --> 00:33:00.640 of rhymes right. Well, not out there just to deliver in formation, 478 00:33:00.720 --> 00:33:04.279 yeah, but to start a conversation. Yeah. So rather than the first 479 00:33:04.279 --> 00:33:07.240 impression being don't go in there and murder your child, what if it was 480 00:33:07.720 --> 00:33:12.119 the three talking points? Mommy, your baby is precious. We have help 481 00:33:12.200 --> 00:33:15.240 for you. Please come over and talk with me. Yeah, probably every 482 00:33:15.559 --> 00:33:22.720 sentence that I give, as far as like my initial first impression sentence to 483 00:33:22.759 --> 00:33:25.319 a woman walking into the abortion center, is going to end with an invitation. 484 00:33:25.400 --> 00:33:30.799 So I might touch the three talking points all in kind of one couple 485 00:33:30.839 --> 00:33:34.599 of second speel, so to speak, but I'm almost always going to end 486 00:33:34.599 --> 00:33:36.680 it with please, come over and talk with us. I want to give 487 00:33:36.680 --> 00:33:39.279 an invitation, not just deliver information. Yeah, yeah, please, let 488 00:33:39.319 --> 00:33:43.039 us help you. Is Yeah, and what I will say yeah, and 489 00:33:43.119 --> 00:33:47.000 that's that. Does tie into the signage that we use now again, our 490 00:33:47.000 --> 00:33:52.240 philosophy on victim images is that God uses them. I think it's biblical to 491 00:33:52.359 --> 00:33:55.640 use them. I think you can use them. I do think if you're 492 00:33:55.680 --> 00:34:00.079 going to use them, at least in my experience, it's good to use 493 00:34:00.119 --> 00:34:01.960 them in a balance. If you're going to show a victim of abortion, 494 00:34:02.079 --> 00:34:06.279 right beside that needs to be a baby that will save from abortion. I 495 00:34:06.359 --> 00:34:09.280 set before you this day life and death, blessing and cursing. Also think 496 00:34:09.280 --> 00:34:14.280 it's good to get those away from the areas of engagement because the interactions you 497 00:34:14.320 --> 00:34:17.159 have when they're close to the areas of engagement are far more hostile. Yeah, 498 00:34:17.159 --> 00:34:22.239 and you'll have far less interactions. And so because because of that first 499 00:34:22.239 --> 00:34:25.679 impression thing, like what's the first thing they're seeing? People that are inviting 500 00:34:25.719 --> 00:34:29.920 them to come and talk, to receive information, to engage in the conversation, 501 00:34:30.599 --> 00:34:31.960 or people who are just there to tell them that what they're doing is 502 00:34:32.000 --> 00:34:36.599 wrong? Yeah, for example, there's a bus that drives around that is 503 00:34:36.639 --> 00:34:39.599 covered with scripture. In one of those scripture there's all kinds of pictures of 504 00:34:39.639 --> 00:34:44.199 hell and you're going to hell if you murder your baby. I think is 505 00:34:44.239 --> 00:34:46.719 on there. And when and whenever I see that, I you know, 506 00:34:46.760 --> 00:34:51.840 I get why they do what they do, but I always shudder because it 507 00:34:52.039 --> 00:34:59.360 always causes in greater anger out there, less interaction, less opportunity to hopefully 508 00:35:00.039 --> 00:35:02.440 have some mom decide to come talk with me, let me help her, 509 00:35:02.519 --> 00:35:07.880 yeah, and save her baby. So, yeah, that first impression, 510 00:35:07.920 --> 00:35:12.920 I think my bias for sure is it needs to be inviting, it needs 511 00:35:12.960 --> 00:35:16.880 to be loving, it needs to be helping, desiring to help, compassionate 512 00:35:17.079 --> 00:35:22.800 and leave the harder truths for down the road. Yeah, if they'll come 513 00:35:22.840 --> 00:35:24.039 and talk with you. You'll get you'll be able to get to those. 514 00:35:24.079 --> 00:35:28.639 Yeah, but you may never get a second chance to get to those if 515 00:35:28.679 --> 00:35:32.280 you've scared away because your first, her first impression is your judgmental. You're 516 00:35:32.320 --> 00:35:37.280 condemning, you hate me, you're angry and I don't want anything to do 517 00:35:37.320 --> 00:35:43.000 with you. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, and those first impressions do well. 518 00:35:43.079 --> 00:35:45.679 Like we say, your tone sets the tone. So the first impression 519 00:35:45.800 --> 00:35:51.840 does set the tone for the conversation. It does help you to build a 520 00:35:51.880 --> 00:35:55.000 relationship, because that's what you're doing in a sense, or it's relationship building. 521 00:35:55.039 --> 00:35:58.960 You're trying to build trust with them and that little bit of time that 522 00:35:59.000 --> 00:36:00.760 you have. Yeah, and so, yeah, the things that you say, 523 00:36:00.800 --> 00:36:05.639 even the tone that you come across in can mean a lot. The 524 00:36:05.760 --> 00:36:08.079 tone and the words you use, and I do want to make this point. 525 00:36:08.119 --> 00:36:10.599 I know we're short on time, so we're not we don't have many 526 00:36:10.599 --> 00:36:15.440 more points left. But the words, be careful. If you can use 527 00:36:15.480 --> 00:36:20.000 a word that is less inflammatory and still truthful, I would always air on 528 00:36:20.039 --> 00:36:23.840 that side. Yeah, at least at the beginning. Murders and inflammatory term. 529 00:36:23.880 --> 00:36:28.159 Taking the life of your baby means the same thing, but it just 530 00:36:28.360 --> 00:36:32.239 is less inflammatory and angry sounding. Yeah, and so I would really encourage 531 00:36:32.239 --> 00:36:37.239 people to really think about, think carefully about those inflammatory words. Eat. 532 00:36:37.440 --> 00:36:40.599 Yes, yeah, no doubt about it. Is Abortion, murder? Yeses, 533 00:36:40.800 --> 00:36:45.039 is it? Is it okay the biblical to say don't murder your baby? 534 00:36:45.480 --> 00:36:49.440 Yeah, I'll say that. I have said that. Is it going 535 00:36:49.440 --> 00:36:52.800 to be the first thing that comes out of my mouth? Probably not, 536 00:36:52.920 --> 00:36:54.639 definitely not. Yeah. And is it going to be the second thing? 537 00:36:54.639 --> 00:36:59.920 Probably not. Be along there. Yeah, if you have fifteen seconds you 538 00:37:00.360 --> 00:37:04.400 might. My recommendation from what I have seen, where we get the most 539 00:37:04.400 --> 00:37:07.400 engagement, the most baby saved, the most women coming to the Lord, 540 00:37:07.480 --> 00:37:12.920 is those first fifteen seconds are spent pleading and helpful. Yeah, yeah, 541 00:37:13.119 --> 00:37:19.400 absolutely. So we hope this podcast was equipping. Maybe it challenged you guys. 542 00:37:19.440 --> 00:37:22.199 Maybe it offended you. Maybe we said some things that offend you. 543 00:37:22.320 --> 00:37:27.840 We we glory in offending people. We wouldn't be doing our job if we 544 00:37:27.880 --> 00:37:31.360 didn't use someone. So if you were offended, we'd love to hear from 545 00:37:31.400 --> 00:37:34.880 you. You can reach out to me, Daniel, Love Life Dot Org. 546 00:37:34.880 --> 00:37:37.480 You reach her, Vicki. I love life. Don't organ matter of 547 00:37:37.519 --> 00:37:39.159 fact, good to her first. If you're offended, you have to set 548 00:37:39.199 --> 00:37:44.599 us straight. Let they deal with it. Not a trust that we encourage 549 00:37:44.639 --> 00:37:47.159 you guys, that we challenge you guys. But Hey, maybe there's some 550 00:37:47.239 --> 00:37:51.599 point of clarification that you could bring. Please reach out to us. Maybe 551 00:37:51.599 --> 00:37:54.000 there's other subjects that you would like for us to cover. Please let us 552 00:37:54.039 --> 00:37:58.360 know. We'd love to hear from you, but until next time, God 553 00:37:58.360 --> 00:38:08.679 bless God, bless you all. Give me our love for love, give 554 00:38:08.800 --> 00:38:19.239 me our love for gratitude. I know it will cost me my life. 555 00:38:22.199 --> 00:38:35.159 Nothing's too precious, and some that you