Q. You believe abortion should be illegal. Why?

I believe that abortion should be illegal because abortion always takes the life of an innocent human being. The scientific evidence for the humanity of the unborn is conclusive. A just society would give protection to these humans just like it does to any newborn, toddler, or young adult. For more on this, see my articles, “Biology 101 at the JFA Outreach” and “One Conversation Reaches an Entire Campus.”

Q. When did you first become aware of the abortion issue? When did you first become passionate about it?

In 8th grade a teacher of mine said that the abortion issue was too complicated and that it would never be resolved. I didn’t have an answer to his assertion so I became passionate about understanding the abortion issue and discussing it with my peers and teachers. My parents had instilled an understanding of the value of all human beings in me from an early age, so that helped fuel and sustain my passion for justice.

My brother Stephen, JFA’s current Director of Training, was a Bioethics Speaker for Stand To Reason during this time, and that organization helped my family and friends grow as ambassadors for Christ. Stephen mentored me as a pro-life advocate and helped me present the truth about abortion to my Christian club during my senior year. This all coincided with God giving me an urgency through several passages of Scripture. Proverbs 24:10-12, James 1:27, Psalm 82:3-4, and Psalm 139 convicted me deeply about the value of human life and the urgency we should have to stop injustice and serve the weak. Colossians 4:5-6, James 1:19, 1 Peter 3:15-16, and 2 Timothy 2:22-25 gripped me with an understanding of how to act and speak while seeking to defend the oppressed or share truth. God was clearly starting to open doors for me to defend the unborn and for me to use the issue of abortion, along with my interactions with hurting men and women, as springboards for the Gospel. I grew in my understanding of the best pro-choice and pro-life arguments and saw positive results as I tried to challenge the abortion injustice through personal conversations.

When I moved to Kansas to work with JFA, I continued to grow as a pro-life ambassador by training JFA volunteers to dialogue, building training relationships with schools and churches, planning outreach events, and helping JFA staff members with their fundraising. After about eighteen months I realized that I had found my passion: working to stop the abortion injustice until it ends. I am determined to help JFA accomplish its mission. I am willing to travel a lot, endure long trips, stay in host homes, and interact with all sorts of people. I also realized that we had an opportunity to succeed and change the face of the pro-life movement and of abortion. I have now been in Wichita for five years and am committed to work indefinitely for Justice For All. I know we can help make abortion unthinkable for millions of people across our country and around the world. For more on this, see my letter, “Why Is Jon Wagner Leaving California for Two Years?”

Q. Tell us about Justice For All. What is the organization’s primary function?

Justice For All trains thousands to make abortion unthinkable for millions, one person at a time. We believe that it is necessary to change hearts and minds about abortion through one-to-one conversations. Most people are not trained for these discussions, so we train thousands of people each year to listen, ask good questions, acknowledge sound points others make, and to give reasons for their pro-life views with boldness and grace. Our “Abortion: From Debate to Dialogue” training helps people refocus on the humanity of the unborn, share information about biology, and reason philosophically to defend the unborn. Our training includes outreach because we know that people need to practice in order to learn how to dialogue.

We know that if defending the unborn in healthy discussions is not a priority then no significant change can happen in the hearts of Americans or people worldwide. JFA equips people not to be silent or unloving in their response to abortion (typical Christian responses) but instead to be gracious and persuasive ambassadors for Christ on the issue. For more on this, see Justice For All’s website.

Q. Tell us more about how you first got involved in Justice For All?

God opened the doors, and I couldn’t ignore the opportunity to share His love and truth. In 2005 I went with four other DHV club members to my first Justice For All (JFA) mission trip in Texas. Our team joined JFA’s “Abortion: From Debate to Dialogue” seminar and JFA’s campus outreach at UT Austin and UT San Antonio (UTSA). I was amazed by the opportunity we had for dialogue with people from various backgrounds and by the opportunity to change hearts and minds about abortion. Our team members grew as individuals as well. Some of us who were more direct and loud (like me) learned to be more patient and gracious. A few members who were more quiet and reserved learned to step out in faith as bold ambassadors for the truth. Needless to say, I was hooked from day one. I had been studying the issue of abortion since my freshmen year of high school and had now learned how to put my faith, knowledge, and people skills into action. We were reaching others with meaningful conversation, one person at a time.

Our team took a second mission trip the next year just after I graduated from APU in 2006. By that time I was convinced that before I did any other job, I was going to challenge our culture on the issue of abortion. JFA’s Director, David Lee, told me that I could join the team for a two-year internship by raising my salary and coming to Wichita, Kansas. It took me roughly five months to raise the support, and in February of 2007 I started with JFA. For stories from these mission trips and my start with JFA, see “What I Learned During My Trip With Justice For All” (2005), “My Long-Term Commitment (Part I),” and “My Long-Term Commitment (Part II).”

You are a “mentor” with Justice For All. What does that role entail?
As a mentor I help our trained volunteers through the “Seat Work” (seminar) and “Feet Work” (outreach) parts of our training program. I usually work with a group of six to ten people. We dig into the material, sort through questions, and I equip that group for what they’ll face in a real conversation on abortion. As a mentor I often take the pro-choice position and challenge my group to respond graciously. Role-play activities are an important part of JFA training. They help us understand what different people believe, and they allow us to practice talking through specific challenges that may come up in conversation. During outreach, I model good conversations for my small group and encourage them to start their own conversations. After the outreach, I continue to encourage them, answer their questions, and motivate them to actively engage others in dialogue. For more on this, see my articles, “Raising the Bar in Oklahoma (Part II)” and “Developing Heroes Instead of Spectators (Part I).”

Q. Pro-life organizations and advocates are often negatively stereotyped. When many people think of the pro-life movement, they think of angry picketers. But Justice For All is a different kind of organization that speaks out of love. Describe Justice For All’s approach to the abortion issue.

We do seek to share the truth in a gracious way. We try to meet people where they are and we try to not be threatened by, annoyed at, or judgmental of them. Our goal is to make sure that the only negative thing about any conversation regarding abortion, any outreach, or any seminar is the truth about abortion itself. We can’t change the fact that abortion is a horrific injustice. When we show pictures, we are attempting to balance love for people (including the unborn) and truth about people (including the innocence of the unborn, the bad news of our sinful condition, and the good news of salvation in Christ). We train all our volunteers to have compassion toward everyone they meet and to become good listeners. We teach that it isn’t our job to tell others what to think or to tell them that their beliefs are stupid. We instead want to ask others what they think and why, to join them in their world, to seek genuine common ground, and to share the truth as often as possible in that context. For more, see my article, “Perhaps It Was the Picture.”

Q. Describe the variety of responses you receive at an average Justice For All exhibit on a college campus.

We get a lot of different responses including sadness, curiosity, silence, apathy, anger, and obnoxious behavior. Some people are also quite thankful for us. I would say that most people, even the ones who start out angry, are able to calm down once they realize that we are genuinely open to discussing the issues. Many people are simply frustrated that we are discussing the issue at all, so they try to thwart conversation by yelling or blowing kazoos at the crowd of people engaging in discussion. When this happens, even most pro-choice onlookers are ashamed and thank us for being willing to calmly discuss important topics, despite our differences. In the end, people that started out silent oftentimes end up sharing their opinions. Those who were angry, oftentimes leave quiet, subdued, and thoughtful. Those who are obnoxious oftentimes realize the value of the discussion, and those who were hurting often leave with hope of the healing that is found in Christ. Many others stay angry or apathetic, and we continue to pray for them.

For more on this, see the OU Daily’s article, “Our View: Photos Good For Debate Despite Discomfort,” the OU Daily’s article, “Point/Counterpoint: Did Opposing Groups Promote Civil Dialogue During Justice For All Exhibit?” and this video interview with a protester at OU.

Q. Justice For All has been condemned for displaying graphic images in its exhibits. How would you respond to this?

We hate the pictures too. Still, pictures show the truth about abortion in a way words never could. We feel that it is important for people to have all of the facts, and we believe that women and men are strong enough to view the results of a very common and legal medical procedure. I often ask people whether they are angrier by the fact that we are showing abortion or by the fact that abortions are happening thousands of times each day. Most people respond by admitting that it would not make sense for them to be against the pictures but for the practice of abortion. We know the pictures of abortion refocus the discussion, cutting through rhetoric that misleads people about the injustice. We also have good conversations with people who turn away from the pictures or when the pictures aren’t present. Our arguments stand on their own, but the pictures help many people gain perspective.

Q. Justice For All works to prevent abortion, but what would your message be to a woman who has already had an abortion?

I would say, “The abortion doesn’t need to define you.” We want to reach women (and men) who have experienced abortion with the forgiveness and grace that Christ has shown us. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 calls us to help people see that there is new life in Christ and that Christ is eager to reconcile the world to Himself through His selfless sacrifice. We seek to share these truths, listen earnestly to people, pray with them if they are open to it, and connect them with a local Pregnancy Resource Center (www.optionline.org) for more counseling and post-abortive support groups. We know that many women who have had abortions will be troubled by our display and won’t desire to engage us on the topic of abortion, but we know those who will can find healing.

We also know that many abortions are repeat abortions, so our goal is to help post-abortive men and women avoid making the same mistake in the future. Some need encouragement to sort through the challenges that caused them to seek abortion. Others need to understand the facts about the humanity of the unborn and develop true convictions about abortion. We know that post-abortive people are often the best at helping others choose against abortion so we are very thankful when we reach women who are willing to share their story and help others choose life. For more on this, see my articles, “Helping Kim Find Healing,” and “Abby Will Never Be the Same.”

Q. How would you like to see average Christians get involved in the pro-life movement?

I encourage average Christians to prayerfully study the abortion injustice and to take an honest look at the passages of the Bible I cited earlier about helping the defenseless, the value of human life, and reaching the unsaved. I’d urge them to stay constant in prayer. BUT I’d also urge them to get out there! We need to free these oppressed people and love the lost through Christ’s strength and grace… RIGHT NOW (see 2 Timothy 2:1-3).

There were two challenges I was given over the years that I simply couldn’t ignore. One was from bioethics speaker, Scott Klusendorf, and one was from my brother, Stephen. Scott said that anyone could “push play” on a DVD player. By this he meant that everyone, no matter how busy, can share the truth about abortion in a gracious way with their family, friends, neighbors, and local groups. I suggest using Abort73’s “This Is Abortion” video and website. My brother Stephen helped me see that anyone can have effective dialogue on abortion. His life and book, Common Ground Without Compromise, were both great examples for me in this area. Everyone, no matter how busy, can listen well, ask challenging questions, affirm good points made by the opposition, and share the truth as the opportunity arises.

For more on this, see my articles, “Living Out My Responsibility,” and “Developing Heroes Instead of Spectators (Part III),” and “How Would the Good Samaritan Respond?”

Q. What would you say to encourage other Christians who want to engage their culture with the message of Christ?

First, we all must truly be devoted to Christ. Genuine outreach starts with being fully committed to Christ and His principles. Matthew 6:33a states, “But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.” We teach principles from Stand To Reason in our seminar. Stand To Reason calls ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20) to focus on knowledge (an accurately informed mind), wisdom (an artful method), and character (an attractive manner). We need to understand what the Bible teaches about things like sin, faith, the value of life, and our purpose as human beings so that we can represent Christ well. My view is that Christians should continue to learn the truth, but that part of that learning process should include sharing it graciously with others. Too many of us are waiting until we know everything before we share anything and because of that, we don’t learn all we can about God’s faithfulness, goodness, and compassion. Most people have a heartfelt opinion on abortion and most people have heartfelt opinions about God, the Bible, and religion. Many are open to dialogue when we graciously engage. Let’s get out there and meet these valuable yet lost and dying souls with truth. For more on this, see my articles, “Best Email in 5 Years!” and “Becoming Effective in Everyday Life.”

To give a gift to Justice For All in support of Jon Wagner’s work, use JFA’s Donate page and specify your gift designation as “Jon Wagner – 18.” Or, download this pledge form, fill it out, and send it to:

Justice For All
113 N. Martinson
Wichita, KS 67203

No, I’m not talking about the infamous PDA (Public Display of Affection). I’m talking about the nature of love itself. Contrary to popular belief, love is not just a feeling although it always will (and always should) carry deep emotions with it. But love is more than hormones, more than a song on the radio, more than a hot date on the latest Bachelor episode.

So when you say, “I love you,” what are you really saying?

Time for a quick grammar lesson. Sentences are made up of three parts: subject, predicate, and object. The subject is the element that the rest of the sentence is about. The predicate describes the action taken by the subject, and the object is the element being acted upon by the subject. So in the sentence, “I love you,” the subject is “I,” the action is “love,” and the object is “you.” So when you say, “I love you,” you are in essence saying, “I am acting on you with love.”

That may sound awkward, but Scripture seems to agree with this view of love. When the Bible mentions love, it often ties an action rather than an emotion to it. Colossians 3:16 says, “Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.” In other words, if husbands truly love their wives, they will treat them gently.

Take Ephesians 5:25 as another example. When Paul compares the relationship between a husband and wife to Christ and the church, he writes, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her…” There’s another action. Love calls the lover to sacrifice himself for the beloved.

Again, in John 14:15, Christ tells His disciples, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” We love Christ by obeying Him.

The Bible doesn’t say, “Husbands love your wives, and feel warm and fuzzy about them.” It says, “Show them tenderness and give yourselves up for them.” Christ didn’t say, “Love Me, and get goose bumps at the next worship service.” He instead said, “Obey me.” Biblical love requires action.

Jesus is the ultimate example of love in action. “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). God loved us enough to do something about it. Love prompts action. This is why true love cannot be hidden. If love is action, it will be visible.

I gained a better understanding of the potent visibility of love the other day when Warner took me to breakfast at a small restaurant in our hometown. As we walked in holding hands, I noticed an old man sitting alone at a table against the wall watching us. But I thought nothing of it as we crossed the wood floor and slid side by side into a booth. We ordered breakfast and talked quietly between ourselves. Once or twice I saw the old man turn his head to look at us, but I was too preoccupied to wonder.

I was half finished with my pancake when the old man rose. His hair was white, his shoulders stooped, and he wore a hearing aid. But with a deliberate step, he walked over to our table.

“Excuse me,” he said as we smiled up at him. “You don’t know me from Adam, but I was watching as you came in, and you were holding hands.” He went on to describe how he noticed Warner’s gentleness toward me. Then he placed a withered hand over his heart as if to cover a wound. “Last year I lost my wife after sixty-five wonderful years of marriage, and I miss her desperately. But it inspires me to see young couples like you. Are you married?” When we told him that we were engaged, he said, “Well, Godspeed to you. May you have a blessed marriage and a productive marriage. And may it reveal God’s plan for both your lives as you follow His will and design for marriage.”

We listened in astonishment. Before we could say anything, he shook Warner’s hand and said, “God bless you both.” With that, he turned and limped away. Later the waitress told us that he had paid for our breakfast.

We finished eating quietly. His words played over and over again in my head. Here was a man who had spent most of his life acting out his great love for his wife. Even though she was now gone, he still showed his love for her by encouraging young people like us who were just starting out on the journey of real, visible love.

Christians tend to be bashful about love. After all, the world would be a much more awkward place if we were too blatant in our affection. But could this attitude come from a weak view of love?

Christ certainly didn’t have a weak view of love. “Greater love hath no man than this,” He told His disciples, “that he lay down his life for his friends” (see John 14:13). The Lord wasn’t shy about displaying His love. He came to earth to act out a high-profile love affair with mankind. He ultimately gave up His life to show us His love, and He tells us to do the same for one another.

He does not intend our love to be whispered about and uncovered only in private. He intends our love to be deliberate and obvious. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34&35).

Our deep, sincere love on display is a testimony to God’s deeper love for us. So if you truly love someone, whether a spouse, fiancé, friend, or family member, do something about it. We’ve made too little of love for too long. Let us love for the world to see.

- Grace D. Williamson

Lately I’ve been wrestling with change.

The truth is, I HATE change. I much prefer to stay where I’m comfortable – spiritually, emotionally, physically. I like having a plan and sticking to it. I like being in control.

Re-read that last paragraph. I just did. I’m pretty ashamed that I honestly feel that way sometimes. It really shows the condition of my heart. I’m selfish and want to be like God (here we go again…). However, I can also honestly say that is NOT where I want to stay. There is a change I do want. I want my heart to change more into Jesus’ image.

The root issue in my dislike of change is lack of security. Change makes me feel insecure. It makes me worry.

Ever since I was little, my life has had some major changes. My parents’ divorce; my mom’s death when I was six; my dad’s death when I was eight; being adopted when I was nine; moving to a different city; people coming in and out of my life; moving again; transitioning into adulthood; moving another time; death of close friends and my grammie; my family growing and changing; and growing personally. Some of these changes are normal issues that everyone goes through. Other issues are specific to my life. Not all of them are bad. Yet all of them are different, and all of them make me feel unstable.

It also makes me question whether or not God is unchanging like He says He is.

The reality is that if there is one place I should feel secure, it’s in God and who He is. However, I tend to compare God to people. That means when I was deserted by my father, my mom’s boyfriend, and my uncle, all of whom tried to take on the role of fatherhood for a short time, it made me think, “I bet God’s like that too. He’ll stay around for a little while and then He’ll leave.” For that reason (and because of the fact that I’m a sinner), I’ve always been fearful of fully trusting God and fully resting in Him.

So, when change comes I feel all alone and I don’t know where to go.

Can you relate?

Sometimes I wonder how many other people feel a lack of security in the Lord because they’ve let situations dictate their feelings. Sometimes I wonder what situation will cause that lack of security to poke up its head. Like I said, my insecurity comes out when change happens. I’ve seen people who get insecure when they aren’t the best at something like sports, academics, or music; when they aren’t in complete control; or when they are put out of their comfort zone. Bottom line, we all have insecurities, and they all cause us to doubt God in some way.

The conclusion I have come to is that we feel insecure in God because we have a wrong view of Him. If we really knew who He was, then we would rest in Him.

I’ve been reading the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan (good book, by the way- I’d highly recommend it). Here’s what Chan says about difficulty and uncertainty:

“Jesus said, ‘In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!’ (John 16:33). Life isn’t perfect when you follow Christ wholeheartedly; you will have trouble, Jesus says – it is pretty much guaranteed. But He has overcome the world. So take heart, keep on, fight the good fight, pray continuously, and do not grow weary. There is nothing better than giving up everything and stepping into a passionate love relationship with God, the God of the universe who made galaxies, leaves, laughter, and me and you.”

Trouble and change have come in my life. I’ve been insecure. The reality is that life has been hard. But as Chan says, Jesus warned us it would be difficult. I could easily get stuck here. I could think, “If life is going to be hard, then forget about it!” However, then I look at the promise that Jesus has overcome the world. That fact coupled with James 1:17, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows,” causes me to think deeply about the character of God.

If He is capable of overcoming the world, of giving us every good gift, and if His Word says that He “does not change like shifting shadows,” and I say that I BELIEVE the Word of God, where is there room for doubt? Isn’t it a natural conclusion that I can completely trust in Him? Why do I feel insecure when God can accomplish all of this effortlessly?

When I have this correct view of God that recognizes His power, His love, and His complete control, it’s not that hard to feel secure in who He is. Changes can still be a struggle at times, but it’s not nearly so difficult when I have a Rock that is unchanging. Actually, change becomes kind of exciting, because I know that no matter what happens, my relationship with God will be stable and I will grow. In the midst of the change going on around me, God will be changing my heart into Jesus’ image. Not only is that the most important thing, it’s an amazing gift of grace!

So, some final thoughts:
1. What makes you feel insecure?
2. What incorrect view of God do you have that causes that insecurity?
3. Strive to see that despite your feelings, God is totally trustworthy.

- Cheryl Kaye

The siblings’ journey to country music began with their early love of playing and writing songs together. Their stage experience started when they all performed in different high school bands. Eventually, they realized they were strongest together and joined forces as The Band Perry. Soon longtime Garth Brooks manager Bob Doyle took them under his wing. In June of 2010 the rest of the world noticed The Band Perry when their hit single, “If I Die Young,” took country radio by storm.

Still, they were just another talented, up-and-coming country music band. But when such a fledgling band takes home three CMA wins (New Artist of the Year, Single of the Year, and Song of the Year) it says something. Their sudden overwhelming success makes The Band Perry worth talking about. What sets them apart and gives them such broad appeal?

The first thing to notice is their genuine talent. These days, producers can turn just about anyone into a stage-prancing superstar. But Kimberly, Neil, and Reid seem to bring individual talent to their shows. All of them play instruments, indicating their musical knowledge. Some of them handle several different instruments, from guitar to banjo to mandolin to accordion.

But perhaps their greatest strength lies in their tight familial harmonies. Kimberly’s gutsy alto carries their songs between impressive ranges, but the siblings’ three-part harmony sets them apart. It gives their sound a haunting effect and shows that they know what they’re doing when it comes to music.

“The Band Perry is here,” Kimberly says on their website, “and we just have so darn much to say.”

So what are they saying? Their self-titled debut is a good showcase for the trio’s creative songwriting abilities. They cleverly weave the fiber of all-American, small town culture together with the restlessness of youth into their songs. Kimberly seems to especially enjoy belting out sassy break-up songs like “You Lie” and “Miss You Being Gone.” But her expressive voice shines in more thoughtful tracks like “If I Die Young,” “All Your Life,” and “Independence.” All these make for fun listening. But it’s a little early to tell what kind of statements The Band Perry will use their new platform to make.

They are still settling into their big name, but it’s clear they plan on sticking around. “You have changed the lives of my brothers and me,” Kimberly recently told an arena full of Wichita, KS fans. “We are so grateful.”

For a band with just a debut album to their name, The Band Perry has been blessed with a broad stage. As their career continues, the question remains, what will they do with it?

- Grace D. Williamson

Have you ever been in the position where you know “with God all things are possible” but you still feel completely unprepared for what you’re about to do; or you have a project that seems like it would take a miracle for you to finish by the deadline? To some extent that’s how I’ve felt about this article. It’s not that I haven’t been working on it, I just haven’t been able to find the right words to communicate my point exactly how I want. And the deadline continues to creep closer…

For those of us who have grown up in Christian homes, prayer is just a part of life – something that has been frequently discussed and/or practiced. Prayer is something I’m sure many of us think we know a great deal about because we’ve had it in our vocabulary from the time we were little. We are very aware of this thing called “prayer” and the general concept of what it is and how to do it, but where do our faith and hearts stand when we go to the Lord in prayer? Do we truly believe WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE?

While attending an intensive, three week music course this past summer, I realized that even though praying had been a part of my entire life, many times I would only do it half-heartedly. I was not believing with my “whole” heart that God could and was going to answer my prayers. I was doubting the supreme power and authority of the Creator of the universe…and didn’t even know it – not even in the most desperate of times!

That all changed at the NoteWorthy music course.

Again and again I found myself before the throne of God pleading with Him to inspire creativity or just simply allow me to complete or even “start” the task at hand. The “task at hand” being certain homework assignments that never seemed to have any light shining at the end of the tunnel.

One instance that remains very vivid in my memory is when we were given a lyric writing assignment. I have written a fair amount of compositions, a few of them having lyrics, so I figured it wouldn’t be too difficult to whip up a verse and chorus. I was wrong. The days leading up to when it was due were some of the most difficult and trying days of my life! I was emotionally and mentally exhausted. I was in prayer almost every minute of the day asking for words to write, but nothing would come. I wrote and re-wrote what seemed to be hundreds of possibilities…and still, nothing.

The night before it was due, I cried and shared my frustration with my roommates – my sister and a friend from back home. Not long after I had finished, the director’s assistant entered the room to check in on us for the night and almost immediately noticed my streaks of tears. After discovering the reason for them, she encouraged me to just put aside the lyrics for the night and try again in the morning. I took her advice and went to bed still drying fresh tears and frustrated with God for not giving me anything to write down and use. Then there in bed it finally started coming to me, “Be still before the King of Kings…” By the next morning before class, I had an entire verse and chorus! (Considering all the Lord had me go through to get to that point of completion, I find it pretty ironic that this ended up being the first line of my song.) I began to truly believe in God, and He was answering my prayers right in front of me! Granted, not always the way I desired Him to, but He was answering them!

In the midst of all this, I came to realize how often my half-heartedness would be present when it came to the power of prayer. After I became aware of this, through these three weeks I experienced the power of prayer by (real, genuine) faith in a way that I never had. The result of constantly being drawn back to the Throne, seeking guidance and asking for what seemed impossible to be made possible in my eyes, has caused me to develop a much deeper and greater understanding of the role that prayer by complete faith has in a person’s life…

Do you truly believe God has the power to answer your request when you pray? Do you have complete faith in Him? Even though we might not realize it or the answer might not be made known to us for a period of time, God has already answered our prayer before we ask him. So do you really believe and trust him when you pray? (Written in my journal July 18, 2011)

“It is my belief,” replied Dr. Cabot, “that every prayer offered in the name of Jesus is sure to have its answer…and if your cry for mercy on poor Susan’s soul did not prevail with Him as we hope it did, then He has answered it in some other way.” (Taken from Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss)

I have laid many requests before the King, and sadly it is only recently that I have come to stand in such awe of how He has faithfully answered them. Oh, how Jesus Christ has made the impossible become possible!

I ask you now, do you pray with complete faith, believing that The Only God who can see and hear and speak will answer your prayer?

“I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words.” Psalm 17:6

- Naomi A. Wickham

What are your convictions about kissing before marriage? Some couples choose to save their first kiss until after the vows simply because of personal preference. Others view a kiss before marriage as impure. And still others see it as a legitimate way of showing affection.

Answer our poll and then share your thoughts on the issue in a comment below.

Oh, and HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

Generation Impact’s goal has always been to encourage young people to spend their lives for Christ. One of the ways we do this is by sharing the stories of others who are using their God-given talents to impact the culture and generation He has placed them in. In 2011 we were blessed to interview a wide variety of people: filmmakers, actors, musicians, writers, teachers, and missionaries to name a few. Take a look back with us at a few people who impacted the world in 2011. Here’s the editors pick:

JOSHUA & KELSIE STEELE

“There is no more effective weapon against a faithless heart than the Bible itself,” Joshua Steele says. He and his wife, Kelsie, have devoted themselves to full-time mission work in western Ukraine. Originally from Texas, the couple now lives in L’viv with their three young daughters. There they developed a Bible study series to help communicate the gospel to the people of Ukraine. They serve with Euro Team Outreach (ETO) to teach God’s Word to Ukrainians. Read the interview.

CALEB BREAKEY

As he worked to sharpen his own writing craft, Caleb discovered that solid encouragement and loving instruction make great writers. Besides working on his own writing ventures, he founded an online community for teen writers. Using the power of encouragement, Caleb is striving to refine teens into the next generation of great writers. “I hope this generation searches for truth until truth itself becomes their heartbeat,” he says. Read the interview.

NATHAN WEBSTER

Director Nathan Webster is on a mission to create morally sound, professionally produced films featuring well-told stories from a Biblical worldview. He and his fellow team members at Filmweavers recently produced their first feature film, the award-winning drama/thriller, The Penny. To make God-glorifying films, he says “You need to present a grounded worldview where moral things are right and immoral things are wrong.” Read the interview.

BEN JEFFREY

Ben’s acting career began in a kids’ theater troupe. Little did he know he would one day perform on Broadway. When he decided he wanted to act for the rest of his life, Ben devoted himself to studying the art and eagerly walked through doors as they opened in front of him. This eventually landed him the role of “Pumbaa” in Broadway’s famous musical, The Lion King. But Ben doesn’t take himself too seriously because of his success. He remembers the up’s and down’s that led to the fulfillment of his dream and acknowledges God’s hand in every step of the journey. Read the interview.

HANNAH FARVER

Hannah is a girl with a cause – one Cause worth living for. Her enthusiasm for Christ and for discipling young women culminated in her debut book, Uncompromising: A Heart Claimed by a Radical Love. In this remarkably encouraging book, she shares her journey through the roller coaster called the teen years and motivates her peers to seek God’s call for their lives. Hannah’s passion for ministering to young women has led her on a nationwide tour. “I want other girls with their own secret sins to be found by the same hope that found me,” she says. Read the interview.

We are thankful to everyone who shared their stories with us over the past year. Their testimonies to God’s faithfulness as they served Him are an inspiration. In 2012, we hope to bring you even more interviews from this generation’s impactors.

The volunteer staff behind Generation Impact are dedicated to encouraging you, and any input we receive from you helps us do that. We need your help. You may know someone who has inspired you to live more fully for the Lord. You may have been blessed by someone’s story and believe your peers would also benefit from it. You may be the only way we at Generation Impact will ever hear about it and be able to share it with others. Speak up and nominate someone you believe would encourage this generation in the Lord. Simply send an email about him or her to contact@generation-impact.com.

Grace D Williamson, Editor
for generation-impact.com

I constantly analyze other people- their characters, their strengths, their hearts, their quirks. But when it comes to myself, I don’t see so well. In fact, most of the time I just plain don’t know what is going on in my heart, which leads to much frustration.

Not only am I blinded, but I also question things to no end. My mind is constantly plagued with questions: Am I right? Am I wrong? What does this look like? Should I change? Is my heart in the right place? Why do I feel this way?

Questions. Ones that I in and of myself cannot answer.

This shows me that I am not superman.

Well, duh. The first problem with that statement is that I am not a man. Secondly, I cannot be superman because superman does not exist – unless you count Jesus. Here lies the problem. I do not want Jesus to be superman. I want to be the hero. I want to take over God’s job.

More frustration.

Here’s the dealio: I get frustrated because I can’t understand myself or answer my questions. I feel like I should know everything. I feel like I should know how to fix myself. I feel like I should know how to be good. I feel like I should know how to put on my own superman costume and magically gain new abilities. And soon enough those feelings turn into what I actually believe, not just thoughts in the back of my mind.

Does anyone else see a problem here?

I am not superman. I do not know everything.

This issue goes back to the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. They too wanted to be superman. They wanted the knowledge of good and evil. They wanted to be like God. They ate the forbidden fruit.

What forbidden fruit do I eat?

My forbidden fruit is the fear of man. You can tell when you look at the questions I ask myself. (Am I right? Am I wrong? What does this look like? Should I change? Is my heart in the right place? Why do I feel this way?) On the outside, those questions appear semi-decent. However, where is my desire to please God in those questions? Don’t they instead come from a desire to look good?

Friends, this self-analyzation is not going so well.

I can’t see my heart, I ask too many questions, I want to be superman, and I eat the fear of man
(figuratively speaking of course).

At times like these, it is so easy for me to get down on myself. I mean, seriously, I’m a pastor’s kid. Shouldn’t I know better? What I shouldn’t do is take off my mask of superiority. People may see that I don’t actually have it all together.

Does anyone else see a problem here?

I am not superman. I do not know everything.

Even in that last bit of seeming logical thought (“Condemn yourself. It’s what you deserve.”) I’m still trying to be God. I’m still saying I know better than Him. Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” When I condemn myself, I’m going against what the Scripture says. Just like when I go against Scripture and follow the pattern of eating forbidden fruit like Adam and Eve.

Not good.

By now you’re probably wondering where all of these ramblings are leading. You know what? Me too. Where should all of this confusion and questioning and chaos lead me? Not to myself, that’s for sure. That only accentuates the problem.

How about the only superman? How about Jesus?

What if I were to follow the Biblical model? What if I were to lay down my desire to “truly know myself” and instead replace it with knowing who I am in Christ? What if I were humble enough to search the Scriptures for answers to my questions instead of trying to figure them out on my own? What if I feared God instead of caring about what other people think of me? WHAT IF I LET GOD BE GOD?

Novel idea.

I’m convicted (in case you couldn’t already tell…). More and more I come to SEE how messed up we have it when it comes to our role and God’s role. For you, I’m sure it’s very different. Maybe you try to play God by putting other things first. Athletics? Academics? Money? Lust? Pride? Selfishness? Fill in your own blank.

We’ve got it wrong people. God is God…and we are obviously not.

Isaiah 45:4-7 says, “I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from Me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged Me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting people may know there is none besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things.”

We should submit ourselves to God and let Him do His job. After all, if we were superman, or more seriously, God, we would all be dead by now. We don’t have the capability of running everything on our own. We are totally dependent on Him and we always will be. There is no need for another superman.

Wake up and see! Our downplaying God is a serious issue. Don’t ignore it.

Some final thoughts:
1. You are still not superman.
2. What is your forbidden fruit?
3. Strive to see that God is God and you are not.

- Cheryl Kaye

Are you a risk-taker?

If you were thinking about answering, “No,” let me ask you another question.

Are you a Christian?

If you answered, “Yes,” to the second question, you probably should have answered, “Yes,” to the first as well.

Risk may not be a popular thing. When we think of risk-takers, words like “irresponsible,” “reckless,” and “foolhardy,” usually come to mind. In our generation of air bags and 401K’s, smart people avoid risk at all costs. No one wants to put his comfort and earthly security on the line. No one wants to step a little closer to the edge, a little farther outside the box, a little deeper into the waters. We like to map out our tidy lives from kindergarten to retirement. We certainly don’t want to do anything drastic or radical. We don’t want to be labeled as one of those wacky risk-takers.

But think about the great heroes of faith. Noah spent a hundred years building a massive boat when he had never seen rain. When God said, “Go,” Abram left all he knew and went to a foreign land. Esther entered a forbidden throne room. David faced a giant that a King and his entire army refused to stand against. Paul spread the gospel in the face of persecution and death. All these people could be called risk-takers. When they laid their lives on the line, God worked through them.

Another great risk-taker was Jonathan, who with his young armor-bearer routed half an acre of Philistines (1 Samuel 14:1-14). Many would have called his actions foolhardy when he scaled a cliff and attacked the enemy outpost without the support of his father King Saul and the Israelite army. Why did Jonathan do it? His reasoning: “Perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.” He took the action he saw necessary and trusted God to accomplish His will.

Eventually God did intervene. When Jonathan and his armor-bearer vanquished a single outpost, a panic came over the entire Philistine army. According to 1 Samuel 14:15, “It was a panic sent by God.” Ultimately God won the victory for Israel. But he used one man who had the guts to do something risky.

We may not be facing enemy outposts, but we all have our own cliffs to scale. After all, if we’re going to take up our crosses next to Christ, risk kind of comes with the territory. Look at the missionary who deserts his comfortable life to live out the gospel in the African bush. Or the woman who leaves her career in order to be the mother her children need. Or the businessman who invests his life savings in a Godly cause.

Risk may not be fashionable. Certainly no one uses it as a perk on TV ads. But it’s not something to be ashamed of or to avoid. It is actually a glorious part of trusting our Father. Christians must be men and women who are willing to wager their lives on the fact that God is good.

After all, we serve the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God. If we lived as if we really believed this, we would live fearlessly. We wouldn’t hesitate on the edge of the battle. We wouldn’t linger on the launching pad. We wouldn’t worry when we embark on the journey. Like Jonathan, we would say, “Nothing can hinder the Lord,” and would run in the path He set for us. We would trust Him.

All too often we hang back in fear. Maybe God has called us to be Christians on foreign shores. Maybe He has called us to give more than ten per cent, to stand for Truth, or to befriend the unpopular. Yet we look for excuses. “I’ll do that after I get a raise. Or when the economy looks more promising. Or when I’m sure no one is looking. Or when God gives me another sign.” We’d rather wait for events to line up perfectly before taking the next step. We want to be sure of ourselves. We want to know the destination before we move forward. We think God should give us the whole road map before we embark on the journey.

But we don’t need the road map. Not when the road Builder is walking beside us. He wants us to trust Him. If we were perfectly sure of the outcome before we set out, we wouldn’t need Him. We would trust circumstances rather than the Lord who guides us one step at a time.

Sometimes we may wish God would simply hit us over the head next time He wanted us to do something. But we don’t usually see Him working that way in history. We see Him calling and then guiding step by step. And we see men leaning not on their own understanding but daring to trust Him.

You may face the New Year wondering what it holds for you. You may wonder where to begin. Try beginning at the foundations of the earth, where the almighty Spirit of God hovered over the deep. If He says, “Go,” then trust Him enough to get up and go. If He says, “Stay,” then trust that He has a better plan and wait on Him. If He says, “Risk your reputation, your wealth, and your comfort to follow me,” then trust that He is worth giving it all. And if you can’t make out His voice at the moment, then remember He doesn’t use those who have figured life out but those who trust Him.

And take the next step.

- Grace D Williamson

“I am set apart, set aside.” The words flooded my mind like the sudden glow of sunset as it breaks through clouds. I suddenly realized I didn’t need to try and set myself apart for Christ. I didn’t need to be a hermit or an anchorite, walled up for life praying twenty-four-seven.

In fact, I didn’t have to struggle and strive to be different. I didn’t have to set myself apart and be a saint. It was already a fact. I was set apart, called to be a saint when I accepted Christ as my Savior and Redeemer.

As a Christian, there’s nothing extraordinary about being called a saint. It is exactly what the apostle Paul calls all the recipients of his letters. It’s a fact for every Christian. We are set apart to live not unto ourselves but unto God as His disciples. If the apostle Paul wrote me a letter calling me a ‘set apart one’ I’d need to start living like it.

Living like a saint. In one way it sounds too…perfect. Ethereal. An unrealistic, gold haloed, silver slippers and ruby- heeled way of walking down the road of life. On the other hand…it sounds grueling. Painful, self-sacrificing, self-denying, and unattainable. Too much work. Impossible. Something that was only achievable for first- century Christians.

If neither of these examples are accurate, what does a saint and disciple look like? How did Paul instruct the readers of his letters? For example, do I love others “In the Spirit?” (Colossians 1:8) Do I, like Paul and Timothy, pray for my fellow Christians? “Since the day we heard it, we do no cease to pray for you…” (Colossians 1:9a).

Do I strive to “walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him in every good work, increasing in the knowledge of God?” (Colossians 1:10) Am I willing to obey Christ’s commands? Do I love Him? (John 14:15) Do I forgive others (Ephesians 4:32), accept others (Romans 15:7), serve and encourage others? (Gal 5:13, Heb 3:13).

And how would this change my relationships with people (even those who drive me crazy) if I viewed them as individuals set apart to serve Christ? How can I live as a disciple and become all Christ has called me to be?

“Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power…” (Colossians 1:11a). It is by Christ’s power I can change and follow Him. Do I believe he has the power to change me, body and soul?

“The soul is our inner person – thoughts, emotions, and will. It is the part of us that reasons, feels, and makes choices, allowing us to know and love God in a practical way.” [1]

To follow Christ as master and Lord of my life is a matter of my will. Am I going to take control, or let Christ become my master? “God does not coerce us to follow Him. He invites us. He wills that we should will – that is, He wills our freedom to decline or to accept. “ [2] Will I accept or decline His offer to become a disciple?

“If we want to be disciples,” Elisabeth Elliot writes, “we place ourselves…under someone’s direction.” [3] Submitting to Christ’s authority can be daunting and petrifying, yet “It is on the basis of a solid conviction that He is both sovereign and loving that we commit ourselves to Him unconditionally…” [4]

Christ has promised to love, care for, protect, guide, lead, admonish, counsel, strengthen and deliver me. How could I ask for a more wonderful commander to follow?

Yet, “We cannot do this by ourselves. It is the Holy Spirit who must do the work. But we must open our minds to that work, submit to His control…Here again we see both the necessity of a sovereign God working in and through us and the responsibility of the disciple himself to adapt to what God wants to do.” [5]

Wholeheartedly committed. Those are weighty words. How much do I care to follow Christ and to be changed into His image, changed by His power, shaped by His love?

While He works in me, I also have a responsibility to change. “God does not make all the moves for us.” [6] “We are required to take the risk, move, trust God, make a beginning.” [7]

And while asking Christ to change me, I can follow or walk away. “The disciple is one who has made a very simple decision. Jesus invites us to follow Him, and the disciple accepts the invitation. I do not say it is an easy decision, and I have found that it needs to be renewed daily.” [8]

So in an act of faith and trust I must step out and live for Him who stepped down from Heaven to save me. He who has “delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14).

He has promised me salvation and inheritance in Heaven and eternal life. How much more can I believe His promises He can change me? Am I willing to change?

Will I live set apart for Christ?

- Heidi Williamson

________________________________________
[1] Weaver, Joanna, Having a Mary Spirit, (Waterbrook Press 2006) 33
[2] Elliot, Elisabeth, Discipline, The Glad Surrender ( Grand Rapids Mi publications, 1982 ) 35
[3] Elliot, Discipline,35
[4] Elliot, Discipline, 37
[5] Elliot, Discipline, 55
[6] Elliot, Discipline, 26
[7] Elliot, Discipline, 19
[8] Elliot, Discipline, 23