S1: Coming to you from the Morning Star Mission sponsored studio.
S1: This is Carl and crew on Moody Radio.
S2: Tell you one thing I've been drilling down on lately.
S2: This word manifestation is driving me cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. Wait.
S2: Even with the red dye in it and the blue dye.
S2: Those cocoa puffs, it's driving me crazy. Manifestation is everywhere.
S2: I think it's a fad. I think we're going to
S2: get through it. But you've heard it all these terms
S2: of I want to manifest this.
S3: So and how I've used it or how I've not
S3: used it, thankfully, how I've heard people use it is
S3: this idea that, like, there's this thing that I want,
S3: like this goal that I have. So I'm going to
S3: somehow think about it or do certain things to sort
S3: of manifest it into my life. Is that how you've
S3: heard it used?
S2: Yeah, it's over and over. It's all over the place.
S2: I mean, here's the deal. Here's the problem with that.
S2: That is there's, you know, the real problem. Here's the
S2: problem with that. You might think you're manifesting something into being,
S2: and that further confuses you into you thinking you're the
S2: Lord of your life. That's the problem with it. I'm
S2: not even saying that. Some kind of. I'm not even
S2: saying that the power of positive thinking is necessarily always bad,
S2: because there is some value to thinking positively. I mean,
S2: the Apostle Paul has a whole book about consider this.
S2: Think about these things. So there's there's positive thinking that's beneficial,
S2: but there's no thinking like thinking the truth. That's the power. See,
S2: when you get anchored, not manifestation, but in bringing to
S2: mind the truth of how God sees you and all
S2: these things, it's it's awesome. So I want to illustrate
S2: it this way. Sometimes you are believing a lie about
S2: anything out there, and then you hear the truth and
S2: you're like, whoa, now I got a goofy one for you.
S2: About a decade ago, I was absolutely certain that I
S2: heard my life hacking wife. She's an investigator and studies
S2: the body and nutrition and stuff like that. I mean,
S2: she goes after it. She is after it. I give
S2: her credit for keeping me out of the coffin, man.
S2: She's she's awesome on this stuff. But I was certain
S2: I heard her say one morning, pepper is bad for you. Now,
S2: forget how all of it went down.
S3: Like. Like the pepper that you sprinkle on pepper. Okay.
S2: Pepper. Like ground pepper. I was certain, okay. I was
S2: certain I heard that. So years are going by and
S2: I'm like, hey man, my wife said it, I believe it.
S2: And I just started using Himalayan pink salt on my
S2: eggs over medium. Just butter everywhere. By the way, if
S2: you got enough, you got enough butter on your three
S2: eggs over medium in a small pan. When the butter
S2: can no longer sit underneath the eggs, it comes in
S2: and pours over the top of the eggs.
S4: That's a lot of butter. That is a lot of butter.
S2: I'm telling you, it is a lot of butter, man.
S2: So I don't I don't know what happened, but one
S2: day I'm whipping up some eggs and I say, babe,
S2: you want a couple of eggs? She goes, yeah. And
S2: she whips out salt and she whips out pepper. This
S2: is a true story, guys, and you might call me
S2: a knucklehead. Whatever. And she starts peppering her eggs and
S2: I said, I thought you told me Pepper was not
S2: really that good for you? She goes, I never said that.
S2: I said, babe, are you know, now I'm like, I've
S2: been a decade going down this path, like not having pepper,
S2: and I love Pepper and I'm like, babe, I'm certain
S2: you told me. She said, bub, look at me. I
S2: would have never told you that.
S4: Oh, Carl, you missed out on so many years of Pepper, dude.
S2: No. Now, now, now I got animated. I'm like, you're
S2: joking me right now. You're you're. You're telling me Pepper
S2: is okay? She goes, bub, pepper is good for you.
S2: Let me list all the ways it's good for you.
S2: It was like, you know, I felt a little bit silly.
S2: It's like, yeah, pepper probably isn't that bad. I mean,
S2: God made this, and people harvest it. And now, you know,
S2: I caused our GDP nationally to go down as a
S2: result of me not consuming pepper for ten years.
S4: Wow.
S2: I'm telling you, it was a huge aha moment. So
S2: we're going to flip this around. But I just want
S2: to have some fun here for a moment. What did
S2: you think along the lines of just general stuff that's
S2: bad or you shouldn't do that or you shouldn't do
S2: that or this or that. And then you found out, whoa,
S2: I got some bad information. What was it? I'm dying
S2: to hear it. Text in right now. We're going to
S2: take your text. You got some bad information, and for years,
S2: you were living a lie. And the truth would have
S2: set you free. And for me, it's pepper on eggs.
S2: And now I'm making up for lost time.
S4: Double pepper on everything.
S2: 805. Five five 7898 800 555. 78. 98. Give us
S2: a text. Ali's going to read them out. What is
S2: that crazy thing that for years you thought, I can't
S2: do that, I shouldn't do that. And then you find out, Shazam!
S2: I can give us a text.
S1: She was trying to earn her way to God, but
S1: God showed her she didn't have to. Ali is in
S1: the crew. It's Carl and crew on Moody Radio.
S2: Scotland crew mornings. All right, here's what we are asking you.
S2: What did you believe about general life stuff going on
S2: out there? And you're like, you found out, oh my goodness,
S2: that was a lie. And I was not believing the truth. Ali,
S2: have we got some respondents coming in here?
S3: We do. This one deals with something mom told them.
S3: Mom told me I had the most sensitive ears ever,
S3: and that getting my ears pierced would probably damage them.
S3: So for years they apparently avoided it and finally got
S3: my ears pierced in 2016. I don't know at what
S3: point at how old they were at that point. But
S3: avoidance for a while because that's what mom said, this
S3: one I love. It deals with a little bit of
S3: a language. Um, difference.
S4: Challenge.
S3: Yeah. They said my Spanish was not that good. I
S3: had always told my Spanish coworkers to put Jose Cristo
S3: Cristo into their heart, which is Joe Christ. That's the translation.
S2: Okay.
S4: That's good. Oh. Oh, that is good.
S2: That's so good.
S4: Oh, I love it.
S5: Oh my goodness.
S2: Oh my goodness. There's some funny ones coming in here.
S2: Some we shall not mention. Oh my word.
S3: Oh here's a common one. I was told that if
S3: I swallowed my gum, it would take seven years to
S3: get through my diet.
S4: Why is that a thing? I'm still.
S2: Believing.
S4: That seven years is the exact number that I believe.
S3: I think that's what people were told. I think the
S3: other one was like, if you swallow a watermelon seed,
S3: it can grow a watermelon in your stomach.
S4: Oh come on. I remember that one.
S3: Yes, I remember being told that.
S4: Me too.
S2: Really?
S4: Oh, yeah. Well, how about.
S2: The swimming one? Remember, you can't eat 30 minutes.
S4: You gotta wait.
S3: 30.
S4: Minutes, you know.
S2: Well, I think the parents wanted pool time.
S4: No.
S2: Really, I think they wanted kids out of the pool.
S4: You don't need to wait 30 minutes.
S3: I mean, that one seems like it's just common sense. Like,
S3: if you just eat three hamburgers and then go jump
S3: in the pool. It seems like a bad idea.
S4: That might not be.
S3: The best.
S4: But, I mean, if you're going lap swimming, you probably
S4: don't want to eat three hamburgers.
S2: All you do is belch in the pool. That's all
S2: that happens. That's it. Boop. Well, my.
S4: Burger.
S2: Burger appreciation boys in the water. All right, all right.
S2: So we're obviously flipping this thing around because in Romans
S2: 611 this is so important. So you must also consider
S2: yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
S2: This word consider in the Greek language means to count
S2: as true. To think deliberately and intentionally. And here's the
S2: question we've got for you today. And I'm asking you
S2: to call in right now. What's a lie you believed
S2: about yourself? And how did the truth set you free?
S2: You begin to ruminate, calculate. You were deliberate. You were
S2: intentional going, no, that is not true about me. What lie?
S2: What's a lie you believed about yourself? And how did
S2: the truth set you free? 855 five 7898. Give us
S2: a call 805 55, 78, 98.
S1: She's a choreographer extraordinaire, and everything is Greek to her.
S1: Super die is in the crew. It's Carl and crew
S1: on Moody Radio.
S2: Power of positive thinking. Yeah, yeah. You can go to
S2: Philippians chapter four. For sheer power of truthful thinking, that
S2: positive thinking that Paul has in mind is really embedded
S2: in truth. This is what we find in verse 11
S2: of Romans six. So you also must consider yourselves dead
S2: to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Its
S2: huge lynchpin verse that's followed by then let not sin,
S2: therefore reign in your mortal body. So what's Paul teaching here?
S2: He's saying that what we believe matters big time. The
S2: question of what's the lie you believed about yourself? And
S2: how did the truth set you free? Super die. What's
S2: on your heart?
S6: I believed I was not lovable in any way, shape
S6: or form. Matter of fact, I was a mistake and
S6: really had no purpose other than causing others. Probably inconvenience.
S6: So the idea of just being unlovable really carried with
S6: me for a very, very long time. Truth being several verses,
S6: of course. The entire word of God.
S4: But for starters.
S6: For starters, let's go there. But to narrow it a bit,
S6: I mean, obviously John 316, God so loved the world.
S6: He gave his one and only son. Christ would die
S6: on a cross for me, that unlovable person. But my
S6: most favorite verse, and maybe you've heard me say it. This,
S6: of course, is out of Romans, and it's Romans 839. Nothing.
S6: Nothing can separate us from the love of God. He
S6: treasures me. I was made with a purpose. And that
S6: was not only mind blowing for me, but heart blowing
S6: for me as well.
S2: And see, when.
S4: You.
S6: Everything.
S2: Now, from time to time, you must have to recapture
S2: that right? Because the old snake comes in and tries
S2: to rip us off. You have to think deliberately and intentionally.
S6: Of.
S2: Course. And and look, look what that does. You walk
S2: a little more briskly following Jesus when you know that, right?
S2: Super die.
S6: You walk more briskly. You serve better. You serve others better,
S6: you love better. You become better hands in the feet
S6: of Christ to others, because you have that story and
S6: you know, and you really, at least for me, you
S6: really know the transforming power of being loved unconditionally. That's
S6: a big word to add to that love unconditionally.
S2: Romans eight is rocked us all.
S4: But it's my verse.
S2: I'm so pumped for you. Super day. I'm so pumped
S2: for you. That's so cool. Super day.
S4: Yeah.
S6: Yes. I get a little emotional just talking about it.
S5: Oh I know. Okay.
S6: I'm good. I'm good.
S4: Goodness of God, man.
S5: All right. Let her up for air.
S4: Super young thunder.
S2: Let's super up for air. What's on your heart, man?
S4: Yeah. The lie I believed was that Romans 715 which says.
S4: For I do not understand my own actions. For I
S4: do not do what I want, but I do the
S4: very thing I hate. I, I believed the lie that
S4: that was just how life went.
S2: And what a great insight.
S4: Yeah. And that. You know what? So you're just stuck
S4: with some things sometimes, and that's how it's always gonna be.
S4: And that's what you can expect out of life. And
S4: and I think part of me, I told myself that
S4: because it lowered the bar of expectation a little bit,
S4: but it's not. That was when I kind of had
S4: the I was supposed to do everything. I was supposed
S4: to muster up the strength to get it done, but
S4: I know now that that's not the truth at all.
S4: The truth is, is that a life fully surrendered and
S4: submitted to God? He's going to give you the power
S4: to overcome the things that you never thought you could.
S2: Yeah. What a great thing. A lot of people this
S2: is a grave error. They look at Romans seven, foolish man,
S2: that I am that which I want to do, I
S2: don't do, and that which I do, I don't want
S2: to do. But we've we've got to read on because
S2: I'd loved it was many years ago. I read I
S2: forget who the author was, but he said the great
S2: tragedy in the American church is that we've made this
S2: a proof text for our failings. Yeah. And we've looked
S2: at the Apostle Paul and said, yep, that's my life. Boy,
S2: I really resonate with Paul. Paul wasn't leaving us there.
S2: He went on to say, who will rescue me from
S2: this body of sin and death? Praise be to the
S2: Lord Jesus Christ. You know what's interesting about that passage
S2: that you referred to a lot? And I'm glad you
S2: mentioned this young thunder. The word me or I in
S2: about ten verses is used about 15 times, and God
S2: is absent from that whole stretch of text. Yeah. So
S2: what Paul's saying is, and there's a lot of debate
S2: around is this pre regenerate Paul pre born again Paul
S2: pre Damascus road Paul or is this post Damascus road.
S2: Kind of the common everyday struggle. Doesn't matter what it is.
S2: I lean toward the latter. Now I used to be
S2: the former, but I believe that what Paul's saying is
S2: let me tell you about life. But let me tell
S2: you who liberates you from what you think is status
S2: quo Christianity.
S4: Mhm. It's it's half of the truth. It is that
S4: when we are left to our own devices, this is
S4: the life that we will live when we live in
S4: our own strength. This is what you can expect. But
S4: when we, when we give it to God, when we
S4: surrender and when we lean into Him and His power,
S4: it changes the whole game. It changes the whole situation around.
S4: And so we can't we can't live life saying, well,
S4: this is the whole thing when it's really the first
S4: half before the change comes.
S2: Yeah. I mean, praise be to God. I was I
S2: was talking with someone yesterday about Romans 4567, which are
S2: these hinge passages about this victory over sin primarily? I mean,
S2: you got to remember, this resurrection power is first and
S2: foremost conquering, missing the mark in our life. We're all
S2: shooting arrows. We're all throwing spears, so to speak. With
S2: every decision, every action, everything that we do. And the
S2: beautiful thing about the power of not only the cross,
S2: but the empty tomb, is that we have victory over
S2: sin and darkness. And frankly, it's it's high time I'm
S2: using a dad term there. My dad used to always
S2: say that, son, it's high time you start. It's high
S2: time you start believing it. Boom, crew. It's high time
S2: you start believing it. Count. It is true. Think deliberately. Intentionally.
S2: Super precious story. Girl, you are loved. You are lovable.
S2: God loves you.
S6: Yes.
S2: Amen. Somebody doesn't want their name, social security number. Because
S2: we're going to get the Maranatha Booty Kickers.
S5: Wait wait wait. Now.
S4: Take them down.
S5: Thank you.
S2: Take those suckers out. They're going.
S5: Down. Wow.
S2: And young Thunder eye. These are.
S5: Two.
S2: Huge ones you guys just mentioned. Because young Thunder, I
S2: got to tell you, man, too many people have looked
S2: at Romans seven and they've gone. Yeah, boy, sure resonate
S2: with Paul.
S4: Yeah.
S2: Have. Which I want to do. I just don't do it.
S2: And that which I do, I don't want to do.
S2: Read on friend.
S4: Read on, read on.
S2: Read on, friend.
S4: And lean into God. Because if you're trying to do
S4: it by yourself, this will be your experience. But don't
S4: lean into yourself. Lean into the one who can change everything. Amen.
S2: Boom and believe it, man, what a powerful truth. Live
S2: in it.
S1: Today he was sharing the gospel on the radio and
S1: then he got saved. Young thunders in the crew. It's
S1: Carl and crew on Moody Radio.
S3: Well, it's a great, great question for you this morning.
S3: What is that lie that you believed about yourself, and
S3: how did the truth set you free? So many ways
S3: you could go with this. But there are things that
S3: we believe to be true about ourselves. Maybe because what
S3: we absorb from culture, maybe what our parents told us,
S3: maybe what we saw on the internet. Dawn from New Orleans.
S3: What did you believe about yourself and how did the
S3: truth set you free?
S7: I was told by a great uncle that I was ugly,
S7: and for many years I believed it. And then one
S7: day I was reading, you know, spending a lot of
S7: time in the word of God. And he said I
S7: was beautiful. And I said it out loud, and I said, yes.
S7: The more time I spend with the Lord, the more
S7: beautiful I am.
S3: Don, how did that change things for you? Because that's
S3: especially as a woman, those that subtle lie of you're
S3: not attractive, you're ugly, you don't look this way or
S3: that way. How did that change for you when it
S3: when when you really felt the word of God and
S3: took that in like, no, I'm beautiful because he made me.
S7: It just came on like, all of a sudden. Well,
S7: many years of spending time in the Lord. And what
S7: I started doing at that point is telling women that
S7: they're beautiful. Anytime somebody walks in. Good morning. Beautiful. Hello, beautiful.
S7: Because I wanted them to feel, you know, the way
S7: I never did. And one asked me, why do you.
S7: Why do you say I'm beautiful? I said, because the
S7: Lord created you. And you are his beauty. And never
S7: believe anything else. That you are beautiful in Jesus.
S3: Don, thank you so much. Sweet call from New Orleans.
S3: I know that that resonates with a lot of people,
S3: and it's so much more than a little CoverGirl or Maybelline.
S3: It's the beauty that radiates from the inside because you
S3: are his. Coming up, more of your stories first, Jonathan,
S3: let's check news.
S4: Let's get you updated with a couple of your top
S4: stories today. Russia has dropped dozens of missiles on the
S4: capital of Ukraine. Ukraine's air force says around 70 missiles
S4: fell on Kyiv earlier today, while over 100 Russian drones
S4: targeted the city. Ukrainian officials say at least nine people
S4: were killed in the assault, which hit over a dozen locations,
S4: including residential buildings. They say more people could be trapped
S4: under the rubble and that a search and rescue operation
S4: is underway. This marks the deadliest attack on Kyiv since
S4: last July, when nearly three dozen people were killed in
S4: a Russian airstrike that targeted a hospital and a residential neighborhood.
S4: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced he would be cutting a short,
S4: cutting short a trip to South Africa following today's bloodshed.
S4: Birth rates in the U.S. are at a near record low.
S4: New data released by the CDC says about 3.6 million
S4: babies were born in the U.S. last year. That's a 1%
S4: increase from 2023, which saw an all time low birth
S4: rate in the U.S.. The Trump administration has been considering
S4: new policies to encourage women to have more babies, including
S4: giving $5,000 in cash to each woman who gives birth.
S4: I'm Jonathan, and that is your update.
S2: That's one way to get the birth rate up. Five
S2: grand bonus for having a kid.
S4: Yeah. No kidding. Yeah. I'll tell you what, though. I've
S4: got a kid. $5,000 doesn't cut the whole thing. No.
S4: Shouldn't be the reason you have a kid.
S2: Do it. Do a quick calc for me here. What's it?
S2: What's it cost? Well, I'll tell you what, though, Jonathan,
S2: in all seriousness, it's not a reason to have a kid.
S2: But it for some people it. But for some people
S2: it makes the potentiality of having that baby more and
S2: maybe even keeping that baby that you're wondering what to
S2: do a whole lot more plausible.
S4: I think that's fair. Yeah, I think that's fair.
S2: It's an amazing thing. What's it cost to raise a
S2: child from birth to 18 these days? There we go.
S2: Let me see here. He's working.
S5: It. Well, he's.
S2: Working.
S5: It.
S3: I'm trying to think.
S5: It's a big.
S3: Number one season of travel basketball. And you're almost halfway
S3: to that.
S4: So it's. uh, it's 310 to $414,000, with the average
S4: cost a year, around $23,000.
S5: Yep.
S4: Sounds about right.
S2: That's a chunk of change.
S4: Yeah, a little a little chunk.
S2: I got a buddy with 12 kids.
S4: Wow.
S2: Do the math on that one real quick.
S4: Uh, okay. Hold on. Let me get a calculator.
S3: I feel like there has to. It probably goes down.
S3: There's got to be some ratio.
S5: I don't know how it decreases. It might be hand-me-downs. Yeah.
S3: Hand-me-downs.
S6: Yeah.
S3: You know.
S6: Something in there is.
S3: Free child care. As kids, older kids get young or
S3: old enough to care for the little ones. I think
S3: it does get cheaper by the dozen.
S4: If it did at if it doesn't get cheaper, it
S4: would be about $5 million.
S3: Yeah, I think it has to get cheaper.
S4: I think.
S5: So. A little bit. I agree.
S6: With.
S5: Ellie.
S2: You can have 12 kids for a whopping low, low price,
S2: including depreciation and re-use jeans for $3.8 million.
S4: That's the thing, is the reuse clothes, man, that's a
S4: big one. Hand-me-downs. I mean, I was the fourth kid
S4: in my family. I don't know if I got.
S5: New clothes.
S3: By the time the jeans made it to.
S5: You.
S2: And the chance of them going out to chick fil
S2: A together is slim to none. I mean, you're at
S2: home having chick mahem.
S5: Yeah, exactly.
S4: We are eating out was a rarity when I was
S4: a kid. That was not a thing. So it's. It's
S4: different now, man. Going out to eat, I feel like,
S4: is like a common thing for everybody now. And it
S4: was not when I was a kid.
S5: No, but.
S2: That's wild that you say that. Because for for me,
S2: growing up, it was lucky. Wishbone once a.
S5: Month.
S4: Yes.
S2: And lucky wishbone was like, whoa. And then on occasion,
S2: dad would look at me and go, mom and I
S2: are popping for cheese on the burgers tonight.
S5: Whoa! We got cheese on the burgers. You gotta be
S5: kidding me. Dad is doing well, man. He is.
S2: Rolling.
S5: In.
S8: A good month.
S5: It's a good month in the closet home.
S2: Oh, isn't that funny how things change? Yeah, there is
S2: a lot of presumption. I mean, I'm not trying to
S2: sound old, but there's a lot of presumption, including first.
S2: First time home buyer. Man. Whoa, Nelly. I remember our
S2: first time home. We had radon in the basement in
S2: our 800 square foot home on New Mexico Avenue in Denver, Colorado.
S4: What's radon?
S2: Complete with gases that are not good.
S5: For you.
S2: Coming out downstairs. I mean, it was rough.
S5: Wow. Oh. It's horrible.
S9: Just a funny thing. Oh, for goodness sakes.
S2: Oh, for goodness sakes. Life is life funny. Come on, guys.
S4: Oh, yeah. There's so many different things that we can
S4: all relate to, no matter the generation or the time
S4: you grew up. Some fun things to talk back and
S4: forth about.
S5: All right.
S2: What happens when you believe and put shoe leather to it?
S2: That's what I'm kicking around in my brain. Think about it.
S2: because I think having a doctrinal statement or positions of belief,
S2: or knowing your identity in Christ and knowing that you've
S2: been called to be his workmanship, being called to be
S2: his workmanship and knowing God uniquely designed me. He gave
S2: me special gifts, talents, time, talent, treasure to use for
S2: his glory. But we never roll up our sleeves. We
S2: got a problem there. Houston, we got to turn that
S2: one around. And boy, have we got a vision for
S2: you coming up of turning it around. This is mercy me.
S2: Good morning. Boom. Crew helping you take your next step
S2: with Jesus. Believe it.
S1: He was running from God, but God's love brought him home.
S1: Carl is in the crew. It's Carl and crew on
S1: Moody Radio.
S2: If you are a Christ follower, you share with myself. Ali,
S2: super die young Thunder, this commitment. That man. Every baby
S2: AB deserves a fair shot at living in this world
S2: from the womb all the way to the grave. And it's.
S2: It's one thing to champion that. It's another thing to
S2: roll up your sleeves, though. And I think that's what
S2: we're constantly looking for, are what are the bigger yeses
S2: out there that will help us stand in a way
S2: that gives us some credibility?
S5: Ali.
S3: Absolutely. I think that that's what it's all about. I
S3: think the those who are critical of the pro-life position
S3: are looking for. Are you willing to put your money
S3: where your mouth.
S5: Is, so.
S3: To speak? Jenna Cross joining us right now, co executive
S3: director of Alliance Family Services, a Christian organization serving women
S3: and families in the communities of Kenosha and Racine and expanding,
S3: as I'll let her explain, she's also a registered nurse
S3: and a mom of six. Jenna, give us a little
S3: bit more about the work that you're doing.
S10: Yes. At Alliance Family Services, we want to rescue the
S10: pre-born and care for their mothers. And so what that
S10: looks like is we are opening pregnancy clinics in various places,
S10: especially where we can reach those who are considering abortion
S10: and empower them to choose life. So we currently have
S10: four clinic locations. We're looking to expand that to having
S10: 30 clinics across the country by 2030. We have a
S10: mobile clinic that we park right in front of a
S10: busy Planned Parenthood location, where we're working to reach women
S10: who are walking in to have abortions and offer them
S10: an alternative. Share the gospel with them. We also have
S10: a maternity home, where we're able to care for women
S10: who may be the reason they're considering abortion is because
S10: of lack of housing options. We are able to love
S10: and care for them with the love of Christ.
S2: These mobile clinics. Jenna. Um, it almost gives me a
S2: little bit nervous. And I'm bold. How in the world
S2: does this work? And just practically, you roll these things up.
S2: I mean, there's federal laws and state laws that prohibit
S2: certain proximities, aren't there? How in the world do you
S2: get the attention? And what's the fruit that's coming out
S2: of this. Once you get the attention of a woman
S2: and begin to talk with her. Give us some stories.
S10: Different states have different laws of proximity. Um, where we park,
S10: which is right now in Milwaukee, we're able to park
S10: in a public street right in front of the abortion clinic.
S10: So when women are even coming in, we can offer
S10: her literature. We can say, hey, we have free services today.
S10: We'd love to serve you and help you. There was
S10: a couple who came, who we reached. They had an ultrasound,
S10: but they were just with all of their different circumstances.
S10: We're staying yet we're still going to have an abortion.
S10: We just. This is not our time in our life
S10: when we can do this. They were quite far along
S10: in their pregnancy, and so we offered them all kinds
S10: of help. If you change your mind, if you reconsider,
S10: please come to us. We want to help you. And
S10: then a couple of weeks later, the same couple came
S10: back with their appointment to Planned Parenthood. They went inside
S10: Planned Parenthood in order to move forward with the abortion.
S10: But while in there, that woman texted our staff member
S10: out on the sidewalk and said, can I see my
S10: baby one last time before we do this? And we said, absolutely.
S10: They came into the mobile clinic and saw their baby,
S10: and they said, do you think it's a boy or
S10: a girl? Um, and when they got the answer, God
S10: just moved on their hearts. They said, we can't do this.
S10: We need to have this child. Um, and so we
S10: were able to give them that day. Tons of things
S10: that they needed for their little one will continue to
S10: walk alongside them. But that's just one example of many, many.
S10: We've deterred nearly 100 women just in the last few
S10: months that we've been parked outside of parenthood, from going
S10: into Planned Parenthood, and offered them hope and solutions instead.
S3: Jenna Cross, our guest right now with Alliance Family Services,
S3: now 2022, the Dobbs decision ended the constitutional right to abortion.
S3: It was a decision that pro-life activists, Christ followers cheered.
S3: What has been the practical implications of what the abortion landscape,
S3: if I could use that term, has been since then.
S10: Been very interesting because of course, as we celebrated the
S10: end of that incredibly unjust decision, we continue to look
S10: at the facts that abortion is still legal across the country, uh,
S10: that we actually need to protect that preborn child's constitutional
S10: right to life. So all of the laws across the
S10: country are still very unjust. We need to work towards
S10: legislation that will actually bring equal protection for the Preborn.
S10: And it's exciting that those works are happening. So yeah,
S10: that is where we will actually see those numbers start
S10: to decline across the country as we're able to advance
S10: those just laws.
S2: Jenna, I've heard some crazy stats about when a when
S2: a woman sometimes with her man, but when a woman
S2: sees the image and what blows my mind with our
S2: little grandchild, little baby Kate. I'm a grandpa. Um, but
S2: little baby Kate's pictures are so clear. I mean, the
S2: every moving little part of this little child is your
S2: goal to give them a look at this child? Is
S2: that one of the biggest and most effective strategies in
S2: saving these lives?
S10: Absolutely. And you're exactly right. Every child is created in
S10: the image of God. And we can say when we
S10: see these children, we can think, how could someone possibly, uh,
S10: how could someone possibly, you know, end the life of
S10: their child, especially when they see their child? But the
S10: reality is, yes, for many people, when they see that
S10: life on the screen, you know, that is enough. But
S10: the other reality is that we live in a place
S10: where the law has informed the conscience. It actually doesn't
S10: matter if you look at that screen and say, oh yes,
S10: that is a child. What matters the most? This is
S10: what our laws have educated people to believe. What matters
S10: most is my own desires. That matters more than anything else.
S10: And so it's really the time that we live in,
S10: and that is where Christians need to come in and say, no,
S10: that is wrong. We protect children at all costs and
S10: we will help you with your circumstances.
S3: Jenna, I'm curious what caused you to become so passionate
S3: about this beyond your general conviction as a Christ follower,
S3: that this is just wrong? What is. What has God
S3: put on your heart that's caused you to devote so
S3: much of your life's work to this?
S10: My parents really instilled in me the value of human life,
S10: but it was around 2016 during the election when it
S10: was talk about the Supreme Court, what that would mean,
S10: really understanding the Holocaust has happened in our nation and
S10: recognizing this is an issue that every Christian needs to
S10: be involved in. And the Lord really broke the hearts
S10: of my husband and I during that time and just thought,
S10: we need to start getting involved. So we just started
S10: meeting with other other Christians and praying, and the Lord
S10: began to open up doors for us to be able
S10: to do more, until in 2021, we stepped fully into
S10: doing this work and at the rates that we are
S10: 3500 innocent lives today. This is the key issue. You know,
S10: there are many issues in our country, but it comes
S10: down to we are under judgment when we are a
S10: nation that performs child sacrifice. And so this is something
S10: I believe every Christian needs to care about. There are
S10: ways that you can be a part of fighting this atrocity.
S10: We can't become weary of it. We can't see it
S10: as just another political issue. It is not. It is
S10: a key, core issue that we all need to engage in.
S2: Yeah. This leads to a lot of discussion, Jenna, because
S2: the question is, what do you do in a culture
S2: much like in the days when King Josiah came to
S2: power in Judah and he saw baby sacrifice happening with
S2: Manasseh and Amon, his dad and granddad? I mean, it
S2: was going on then. And the question is, how do
S2: you get at these folks and reach them with this
S2: hope and this greater vision for their life. We can't
S2: not hear a story. You must have a victory story.
S2: That's like. Oh, Carl and Ali and boom crew. This
S2: is it right here. What's on your heart?
S10: Yeah. So many stories. I mean, we have a woman
S10: who recently shared her story with us who? She had
S10: actually taken abortion pills. Um, she took those pills, and
S10: she immediately regretted it, so she called. Um. She searched.
S10: Is there anything I can do? And she got connected
S10: to our clinic. She came in, and we were able
S10: to give her abortion pill reversal. She has twins today
S10: because of this change of heart. So, yes, there is
S10: so much hope. You know, in Ecclesiastes 811 it says,
S10: because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily,
S10: the heart of the children of man is fully set
S10: to do evil. As you referenced, this has been happening
S10: all through history where child sacrifice was prominent. And so
S10: we know if we can actually move towards Christians being
S10: engaged in getting godly, just laws set into place we
S10: can actually protect. That's the compassionate thing to do. But
S10: this is on us as Christians to say we are
S10: the ones that actually know what godly laws are, and
S10: we are the ones that need to be advocating for them.
S2: Jenna, I love your passion. I mean, it is on fire.
S2: You're using no nonsense words. It's accurate. I mean, some
S2: might be inclined to try to soft sell it a
S2: little bit. I happen to really appreciate it. On the
S2: flip side of this, you're talking to thousands of women
S2: and some men that have been a part of this
S2: kind of sacrifice in the past. And I know that
S2: you've experienced God's grace. What's your message to those listening
S2: right now that, frankly, have been taken back in time,
S2: a week, a month, a year, three decades? What do
S2: you say to them, Jenna?
S10: Yeah, well, my message to you is that I've been
S10: forgiven of so much. And that's why Jesus Christ came.
S10: That's why he died. And you can, just like me,
S10: receive the forgiveness of Christ. When you repent, you put
S10: your faith in Christ and you turn to him. His
S10: forgiveness covers all sin. That includes the sin of abortion,
S10: the sin of murder. This is something that Christ came
S10: for and he wants to set you free. So if
S10: you're living in bondage in in just shame and regret,
S10: Christ actually wants to set you free.
S2: Jenna Cross, your message is compelling. It kind of stops
S2: people in their tracks, and it's courageous and hopeful all
S2: at the same time. How do Christians handle this? Are
S2: you finding most people want to partner with you, or
S2: do you find some resistance?
S10: There are times when there's some resistance. I think as
S10: a church and in the within the pro-life movement, we've
S10: often just watered down and softened things to try to
S10: make them more palatable. But then what can happen is
S10: actually we're getting away from the truth and we're not
S10: bringing in biblical truth to situations, and then we're not
S10: going to have impact. The salt has lost its saltiness.
S10: So what we're finding is people are hearing our message
S10: and our are excited that there are people that are
S10: just willing to say things straight and people that are
S10: willing to really go at this issue aggressively and not
S10: try to soften it.
S2: Boom, crew. This is a ministry, Alliance, Family Services, that
S2: is not only really catching fire here in the Chicagoland area.
S2: And I mean, God is on the move through it.
S2: Their hope is to go much more broadly. Some of
S2: you might benefit from just taking a look at what
S2: they're doing, spurred something on in you to even work
S2: locally where you are. But we'd love to give you
S2: a link so that you can see what God is
S2: doing in Kenosha and Racine and beyond. And this is courage.
S2: This is compelling, and it's offering hope and healing. So
S2: let's give away that link.
S3: Just text Alliance to 800 555 7898 98. Text align
S3: to 800 555. 78. 98.
S1: This is curling crew on Moody Radio.
S2: Belief is a powerful thing. And belief is, um. Um.
S2: It's more than just knowledge and assent. It's. It's putting
S2: a stake in the ground going, I believe, and it
S2: causes our feet to move across. What an amazing woman
S2: of God and her husband, co-directors of Alliance. And wow,
S2: it's a beautiful thing. Sometimes you look at the courage
S2: of people and you think, oh boy, that's a certain
S2: set of people over there. They must have a lot
S2: of theological training. A lot of they must have been
S2: born with a passion for no God bursts that in us, right, Ali?
S3: Absolutely. I mean, because it's that's not a popular position
S3: to have right now.
S5: No.
S3: And she's unafraid. Raid.
S2: Yeah. And here's the here's the beautiful thing. I think
S2: it's taste and see that the Lord is good. I
S2: don't know what God has placed in your heart, that
S2: it's like a stake in the ground, I believe. Fill
S2: in the blank. I believe that lost people matter to God.
S2: Let's go. Let's put shoe leather to it. I believe
S2: that the body of Christ needs to be encouraged because
S2: I benefit from it. Let's go put shoe leather to it.
S2: I believe that children need to have words of affirmation
S2: spoken over them. Speak it. I mean, fill in the blank.
S2: Here's the beautiful thing when we believe the truth about
S2: who God is, how he operates, and how he wants
S2: to use us, the next step is ours. So then.
S2: So then that's what. That's what we find over and
S2: over in the book of Romans. If this is true,
S2: then this can happen. What a blessing.