My eyes are fixed on Jesus.

We are on the cusp of another great outpouring of the Holy Spirit that will result in a massive harvest such as the world has never seen. My eyes are fixed on Jesus and His soon return. But, as long as I’m still on this earth, I must be found busy about the Lord’s work. What is that? Part of the Lord’s work has always been caring for orphans, those who cannot defend themselves. This leads me to the current situations we face in America regarding abortion and the family.

Protect Life.

Major victory was won for all who support life as the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade sends the issue back to the states. It’s important that we understand what abortion is, what God’s Word has to say, and our response as representatives of God’s family on the earth.

Abortion is being described as women’s healthcare, a woman’s reproductive right. Recently, I was approached by a man with a clipboard who asked me, “Do you believe in a woman’s reproductive rights?” I know where he was going with the question, and of course I believe in a woman’s right to reproduce, but that is vastly different than a right to kill a child. What is abortion? Abortion is the willful decision to terminate a pregnancy that results in a dead baby. 

According to Alan Guttmacher Institute which is the research arm for Planned Parenthood, most abortions performed have nothing to do with a woman’s healthcare. Seventy-four percent of women said the child would interfere with their lives. Seventy-three percent said they could not afford a child. One percent were victims of incest or rape.

As a nation, we rejected the value of life, murdering 55-60 million babies in the pursuit of a more convenient life. 

For years, those in favor of abortion have denied that life begins at conception and have attempted to dehumanize the baby. However, both the Bible and science say just the opposite. Dr. Jerome Lejeune, Professor of Fundamental Genetics, who is not a Christian, writes: 

At two months of age, the human being is less than one thumb-length from head to rump. He would fit at ease in a nutshell, but everything is there, hands, feet, head, organs, brain. In the fourth week there is consciousness. All are in place. His heart has been beating for a month by the second month. His fingerprints can be detected, his heart is beating at 150 to 170 beats a minute. To accept the fact that after fertilization has taken place, a new human being has come into being, is no longer a matter of opinion. 

The Bible tells us that God is the Creator of every human life. 

Adam slept with Eve his wife. She conceived and had Cain. She said, “I’ve gotten a man, with God’s help.” – Genesis 4:1 MSG

You formed me with your hands; you made me… You clothed me with skin and flesh, and you knit my bones and sinews together. – Job 10:8, 11

You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. – Psalm 139:15-16 

I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born, I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations. – Jeremiah 1:5 

This tells us that when a woman is pregnant, God is at work in her womb creating life! Inside that mama’s belly is not a mass, but a person created and known by God. 

What should Christians do?  

  1. Offer grace to those who have had an abortion. If you have had an abortion, you must know that God is gracious. He is quick to forgive sin and remove it from your life. There is no need for a person to walk around feeling shame for what they have done when Jesus took all our shame on the cross. His love is bigger than our sins. 
  2. Prayerfully determine how God wants you to be part of the solution. Ask the Lord if you should foster or adopt a child. Seek ways that you can be a mentor, a big brother or sister to children. Our responsibility is to stand with God in defense of those who can’t defend themselves. 
  3. Pray for a river of righteousness to fall on this land called America—specifically in Michigan. Pray for the 13,000 in the foster care system in Michigan right now, and the many more that will be coming.
  4. Partner with our ministry, LoveOne, and see how you can play a part. If every church in Michigan would provide just one family to take in a child, every child in the foster care system would have a loving and godly home. 

Protect Family.

Family as God designed it has been brutally attacked. But God’s purpose for the family has not changed. 

This September, we will start a new series on the family. We will look at the biblical roles of grandparents, fathers, mothers, and children, and discover the full potential of family as God designed it. This imperative study from the Word of God can unlock the full potential in every marriage; create healing for every wounded person; and equip every family to walk in a closer bond and love with each other. 

Would you like to have a full, rich, life-giving marriage? Would you like to know how to be the spiritual leader of your home? Would you like your children and grandchildren to walk in their full potential, walking intimately with God? Would you like to discover your God-given role in your family? Then this one you will want to be part of! Mark your calendars now. I know this series on family is close to the heart of God and is one of the main themes of the entire Bible! 

We love first.

What does God’s Word have to say about sexuality, about homosexuality, or what we hear about so much today – transgender? Well, what does that mean? And does God have anything to say about that? Well, of course He does. We’ll find from God’s Word that God is not ambiguous when it comes to the way that He created our bodies to function sexually. Perhaps an equally more pressing question could be this: What should be, what must be, the Christian response to somebody in sexual sin—sexual sin of any kind—whether that’s adultery, pornography, or homosexuality? What is the “Jesus-like” response? This is so important that we get this.

Why am I talking to you about this? Because I love you. I care about you. I want you to be equipped with knowing what God’s Word has to say about it, about some issues that are so prevalent in our culture today. Also, I want to equip you. I want us to be able to respond the way that Jesus does, to people that are in sin.

What does that look like? What is that Jesus response? I see it clearly from God’s Word and it’s simple and powerful. I would say three things:

1. Love first.

That’s what Jesus did. The Gospels are clear that Jesus did not come to condemn the world but to save the world. Why didn’t Jesus come to condemn? Because we were already condemned. Everybody has sinned and everybody needs a savior. And outside of faith in Christ, we’re all under the wrath of God, facing nothing but impending judgment—again, outside of putting our faith in Christ. So, Jesus didn’t come to condemn people that were already condemned. He came to save them.

Scriptures say God so loved the world that He gave His Son. We must follow the example of Jesus and love first. You know, you can love somebody without condoning their behavior. Jesus did, and we must. We must follow the example of Jesus.

Here’s the thing: You can’t love somebody deeply when you’re too busy judging them. So, let’s not be like some. It grieves my heart that some that have named the name of Christ would be so quick to condemn somebody. That’s not what Jesus did. And we must follow His example.

I think it would be dangerous to say to love people, but never speak the truth about what God’s Word has to say about something, and some people are doing this. There have been entire denominations that have apologized for speaking what God’s Word has to say about sexuality. Listen, friend, we will never do that. We have to speak what God’s Word says.

2. Be truth tellers.

We have to speak the truth of God’s Word. I think it’s imperative, especially in this day, when so much of the truth of God’s Word is being twisted, if not entirely thrown out. We have to be truth tellers. Where do we get truth from? From the Bible. Now, this is important to pause right here and recognize that the Bible is not a prophet’s idea. The Bible is not some apostle’s personal opinion about an issue. Rather, the Bible is the inspired, infallible, and authoritative Word of God. This is the foundation of Christianity, the Bible.

And I’ve heard some say, “We have to upgrade the Bible to fit the way current culture looks.” I say, we never do that. We never try and upgrade the Bible. Instead, the Holy Spirit upgrades and updates our lives so our lives can line up with what the Bible says.

What is the Christian response? We see it clearly in John chapter eight. There were some religious leaders who threw this woman that had been caught in the act of adultery, a sexual sin, right in front of Jesus and said, “Hey, the law says to condemn her. What do you say?” And Jesus said, “Whoever’s without sin, go ahead, stone her. You throw the first stone.” Then, one by one, they all walked away from the oldest to the youngest. And then Jesus said these words, “Where are all of your accusers?” He said, “They’re not here to condemn you.” And then He said this as our example, “And neither do I. I’m not here to condemn you. Go and sin no more.” He didn’t say, “Hey, I love you. I’m not going to condemn you, so keep on sinning.” No. The truth is there are some things that are sin and the call, the command, is to stop sinning.

The command is to stop sinning, so let’s love first. Then let us speak the truth of God’s Word that actually calls people out of sin for their benefit. Do you know what God’s Word has to say about sexuality? Together, let’s look at just a couple verses right now.

Genesis 1:27 says God made them male and female. Later, Jesus affirms this in Matthew Chapter 19:4, as He was speaking about marriage. He said, “Haven’t you read the Scriptures? Where it tells us that God made them male and female, He created them.” What does this tell us? This tells us that our sexuality is determined not by how we feel on the inside, but rather how God made us. God made a man a male and a woman a female, and that’s what determines our sexuality.

Scriptures go on to tell us in 1 Corinthians 6 that those who indulge in sin are not going to inherit God’s kingdom. Like, who are those people? Those involved in sexual sins, those involved in male prostitution, homosexuality, adultery, greedy people, those who are cheating others. They’re not going to inherit God’s kingdom. Then Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, said this, “such were some of you.” That’s what you used to be like. You used to be greedy. You used to cheat people, you used to be adulterous, you used to be homosexual. But no longer, because now you’ve been cleansed by the blood of Jesus and by the power of the Spirit of God.

What does that mean? That means that when you place your faith in Christ, that’s what you used to be like. But now, thanks to the blood of Jesus and the power of God’s Spirit, He’s changed you into an entirely different person. This is the Gospel, and it is God’s Word. We must speak the truth. So, will you join me in loving people first? Let’s not be like some that would be quick to condemn, but let’s follow the example of Jesus and love first. Then secondly, let’s always be truth tellers, especially in a day when God’s Word is being so distorted. Let’s stand and speak the truth of God’s Word.

3. Point others to know Jesus as Lord.

Will you join me in helping get people on a journey to knowing Jesus as Lord? Jesus as Savior? He saves us from our sin. He also is King, Lord. What does that mean? It means that as King, He reigns and rules over every area of our life—including our sex lives.

Here’s the thing: Jesus died for you. He was tortured, crucified, buried. Three days later, He rose from the dead. Why? So that He might reign as King over all of your life, every area of your life. He has the last say.

Friend, I hope you’ve been encouraged. Love first, just like Jesus, to know the truth and speak the truth of God’s Word, and to help get people on a journey to know Jesus as Lord—King—over every area of their lives.

I know these are difficult times and I’m praying for you. The Scriptures tell us that Lot’s soul was troubled—vexed deeply—by the sin he saw around him. For some of you, it’s not so much the sin you see off in the distance as much as in those you know well—your family, close friends—you see sin in their lives that you know will ultimately destroy them and it troubles your heart. I’m praying for you now:

I pray that God strengthen your heart, your inner man. I pray that the power of the Holy Spirit—the same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead—would surround you to strengthen and comfort you. I pray that God would pour out His love into your life so much so, that when people you love deeply look into your eyes, they see the love of God in your eyes. And when they hear your voice even as you’re speaking the truth, they hear the love of God in your voice. Know this, friend, God sees you, and the people you love so deeply, God loves them even more. He sees you and He’s with you.

God bless you. I love you.

Pastor Kevin

Scripture References

So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Haven’t you read the Scriptures? Jesus replied. They record that from the beginning God made them male and female.

You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.

A woman must not put on men’s clothing, and a man must not wear woman’s clothing. Anyone who does this is detestable in the sight of the Lord your God.

And don’t forget Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, which were filled with immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire to serve as a warning of the eternal fire of God’s judgment.

21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.  24 So, God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies.

26 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. 27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.

Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, 10 or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. 11 Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

We Want to Pray with You!

If you identify as a transgender/homosexual, or have family who are transgender/homosexual, we want you to know God loves you, and He loves your family! Just as Jesus didn’t come to condemn, but to save and call people out of sin for their benefit, we also love you and would love the opportunity to be on this journey with you, to pray with you, and express God’s kindness.

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Rhythm of Rest

Summer is here! It’s a great time to rest and enjoy time together as a family. I know summer can quickly become the time for getting projects done around the house, trying to create structure for your kids so they don’t die of boredom, and maybe squeezing in that one jam-packed, high energy family vacation!

In the middle of all the busyness and changes that a summer schedule brings, I would encourage you this year to operate out of rest, move slow, and enjoy your out-of-the-ordinary time together.

I love that when God was establishing His people, after He rescued them from Egypt, He established regular rhythms of intentional rest. God literally made it one of the Ten Commandments to incorporate rest into our weekly habits. This summer, set time aside time as a rhythm of rest for your family. Here are three ways to making the most of your summer with your family:

1. Define the win.

When it comes to the summer, it can be really easy to fall into a default setting as a family. Clearly state what you want out of this summer. Whether a weekend goal, a vacation goal, or spiritual goal—whatever it is—just clearly define what you want to happen as a result of the plans you make this summer with your family.

2. Press the reset button.

The summer is a great time to start some new family habits and norms! As your kids are changing their schedules for the summer months, it’s a great time for you to create a new normal. This could look like less screen time, dinner as a family, having regular conversations with your kids about their faith, things they’re thinking about, and sharing pieces of who you are as well.

3. Plan for it.

Don’t just lounge around; plan activities to do as a family. Take some time off if you can. Be intentional with your kids. Take advantage of what’s happening in your community—things like toddler times at trampoline parks, a day at the zoo, or a trip to a splash pad. You can plan special moments for your family to experience quality time together!

Summer is an amazing time of rest for your family. It is out of the ordinary. You have the opportunity to establish rhythms of rest and intentionality, so take advantage of it. Define the win, press the reset button, and set aside intentional time for your family to spend together this summer.

Spiritual Leadership At Home

Throughout our NextGen Ministries, we believe that Spiritual Leadership is made up of these three things:

  • Hosting the Presence of God,
  • Taking Spiritual Risks, and
  • Participating in Corporate Worship!

The leaders of Kidz Connect, and all the way up to Mount Hope Young Adults, are taught how to help others become aware of the Holy Spirit’s presence, take spiritual risks, and make worship a priority. I want to give you some easy ways that as parents you can also help lead your children to do these things!

Hosting the Presence of God

Hosting the presence of God, simply put, is teaching your child to constantly be aware of the presence of God! In Kidz Connect almost weekly, we carve out time for your children to listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit and tell others what He is saying! Don’t be afraid to create these moments at home, too! In the mornings, put on worship music for even just 5-10 minutes. This could be during breakfast or the car ride to daycare/school. Tell your child that together you will listen to the Holy Spirit. Then ask your child what He spoke, and be amazed at how easily your child can sense the presence of God and hear His voice! 

Taking Spiritual Risks

Children are filled with boldness! Help them take risks for Jesus! If they felt Holy Spirit one morning tell them to share Jesus with their friends, encourage them to do so, and then follow up later that day asking how it went! If your child wants to invite a friend to church, take the lead, and invite their whole family! They are watching you. If you take risks for Jesus, so will they! When you feel prompted to give a prophetic word or pray for someone, bring them with you! Tell them at the dinner table when you shared your faith at work. Bring them with you to a community outreach. Let their childlike faith inspire you to keeping taking risks for Jesus—it’s one of the surest ways their faith will grow!

Participating in Corporate Worship

Lastly, to spiritually lead your child means to constantly put them in an environment where they are being led in worship! Make sure that bringing them to Kidz Connect is a priority so they can worship Jesus with their peers in an environment appropriate for their age. But don’t stop there; take some Wednesday nights and have them join you in the Prayer Gathering! Let them see you kneel, cry, dance, and lift your hands to Jesus! Some things are taught, but others are caught. Show them the importance of lifting up Jesus’ name and their spiritual lives will be rich even as a child!

Practical Leadership At Home

Something I tell the leaders of our NextGen Ministries often is that practical leadership consists of three things: 

  • Being Present,
  • Showing Care, and
  • Creating Memories!

Parents, as I was praying for you this month, I want to encourage you that if you too will focus on doing these three things with your students, your relationship with them will grow! 

Being Present

“Being present” seems so simple—yet it is something that in this day and age we have to work hard to do! Students today spend hours on social media, posting content, making videos, keeping up with trends—all so they can be noticed. When you are with your kids, make it a habit to truly be present. I know it’s hard to put the phones down, but even if it is just for one hour every day, make a rule that all phones get put away and on silent. They may hate it at first, but over time your family may learn to love that hour or two of the day when, in between bites at dinner, homework assignments, or even commercials of a show you enjoy watching as a family, you have conversation instead of checking your phones! Being present… it’s simple, yet so powerful! 

Showing Care

Showing care to your children seems like a given, but if we aren’t careful, we can care for our children’s physical needs and unintentionally neglect to care for their emotional needs! One of the biggest ways I see students today struggling is emotionally. Anxiety and depression are at all-time highs and affecting students at younger and younger ages. As parents it is easy to think this would never affect our kids, but as your student’s pastor, I’m begging you not to make that assumption! Don’t be overwhelmed by the thought of having such a heavy conversation with your student. Many students have it in their heads that their parents/caregivers will be upset with them if they say they are struggling with anxiety, depression, or thoughts of harming themselves. Something simple you can start doing right now is telling your student on a consistent basis, “You can always tell me if you are struggling with anxiety or depression. I will never get mad at you for that!” 

Creating Memories

Lastly, I encourage you to work to create memories with your students! It doesn’t have to be big vacations or costly trips. It can be something as simple as “Pizza Night” every Sunday when your children can each invite a friend over! I’d encourage you to create spiritual memories as well. Taking communion in your home once a month, picking a night of the week to all share something exciting that happened and something tough they want prayer for, or serving regularly at community outreaches as a family are just a few ideas! 

God hand-picked YOU to be there for them in every season, and with the help of your church family and Jesus, this can be the greatest season yet!

Teaching Your Kids To Hear the Holy Spirit

Learning to hear God’s voice can be our greatest asset. It’s an important tool to have in life and it’s something in which we get to teach, guide, and help our kids grow. 

How we communicate this to our kids changes when we recognize that God is eagerly sitting on the edge of His seat waiting for our kids to call on His name so He can show up in incredible and powerful ways.

Prayer isn’t a one-way call; it’s two-way communication between willing listeners and speakers. How are we teaching our kids to be still and listen for the voice of God? It can seem like a challenge in itself, as kids are constantly having things pull on their attention, but it’s a worthwhile endeavor when we see that their future life with God starts now.

God wants to speak to us. He wants to speak to our kids just as much.

Here are 5 practical tips that can help you lead your kids in hearing God’s voice more regularly.

1. Model it. 

Kids need to see you praying and telling them what God is speaking to you. Whether that’s in your personal devotional time, or simply praying out loud when you’d normally keep it inside, talk to them about how you have been listening to the voice of God. 

2. Give Opportunities. 

Kids need to be given permission and real practical opportunities to hear God’s voice. How did this look for you when you were first listening for the voice of God? Was it someone praying with you and giving you permission to sit and be still, or was it someone who encouraged you in how God wants to be in every situation we face? 

3. Celebrate. 

Celebrate what you want repeated. When your child says something that they believe has come from God, celebrate it—even if they’re talking about how God told them they’d win their soccer game on Monday—celebrate it! Always celebrate the attempt and guide where you can. 

4. Make it normal. 

In everyday life, we have the opportunity to invite our kids to listen to God’s voice, to hear from Heaven. When kids are in the car, put some worship music on and tell them to ask God something. Your kids are arguing? Tell them to ask God what He thinks about their siblings. 

5. Be specific. 

The more specific the prayers, the more specific the answers. This gives our kids the opportunity to recognize the faithfulness of God as they continue to grow their relationship with Him. 

God is speaking to us all the time. Ultimately, we just need to take the time to listen to His voice.

As leaders, parents, grandparents, and guardians, our job is to help them and lead them in the way they should grow. Tuning into the Father’s heart is a muscle that grows with exercise and practice. God has equipped you to do this, to join with your kids on the exciting adventure of faith! Keep going… you were made for this!

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