question 9

question 9 :: birth control

so i'm not married and i am blogging about birth control. great! sure it's a little weird but it's the first chapter of the book. a fairly long one too. but i feel it's my duty as a selected blogger to review the book.

what’s the misconception about birth control? what does God’s word have to say about it? uhhh... well for one, there is no point in the Bible where we find the words, contraception, birth control, or family planning. which means as sinful humans we’re confused and need to really search the the answers in the bible.

the book then gives a very brief but maybe to detailed history of birth control and then driscoll explains the five different levels to how to view birth control. i will briefly explain the five levels..... you’ll have to get the book to read it

level 1: no birth control

you ever see those families on a Sunday morning that need a 15 passenger van to get everyone to church? yeah.. they may or may not believe that they don’t need to use birth control and God will provide them with however many children He wants them to have. there is nothing wrong with this approach if a couple decides this. however, some Christians have gone over the top by saying that all forms or birth control are from the devil.

level 2 : natural birth control

it’s exactly what it sounds like. i could explain but i’d rather not. this is the Roman Catholic approach to birth control. Christians have the freedom to choose this method if they desire.

level 3 : non-abortive birth control

this is another bible approved form of birth control. these include the barrier methods as well as the permanent methods. if you’re unsure of what i’m talking about, you’re either not old enough or you didn’t take health class back in high school... wikipedia would be a good idea for you until you can buy the book.

level 4 : potentially abortive birth control

everyone knows what “the pill” is. it’s the most widely prescribed drug in the world..... whoa. it tricks the woman’s brain into believing she’s pregnant. i had no idea that there was such a debate about the pill. Christians are divided on whether it’s potentially abortive. this is all new information for me and maybe for you too. as Christians, we need to read up on this stuff and make sure we are honoring Jesus.

level 5 : abortive murder

what is abortive murder? abortion is taking a human life by killing a fertilized egg. we all start out the same, whether we’re in the womb or outside, we are human. sadly, some people (even Christians!) use abortion for birth control because of an unwanted pregnancy. they can’t bear the shame and guilt of it. but what about someone who is raped? hear what Pastor Mark has to say here.

“thankfully, Jesus can forgive any sin, even the sin of murder, as he did while hanging on the cross and asking God the Father to forgive those who murdered him.

again, i come back to the real point of this book. it’s not about religion. a set of rules or guidelines. it’s not about mark driscoll and his book. it all boils down to Jesus. whether you want to live a life pleasing to him.

vbs

this week is vacation bible school. it's a time where we pack the church full of kids from 3 years old to sixth grade and teach them all about Jesus. i am in charge of games. i start my day on the road of 7 am to pick up all of my great students who volunteered to work. it's honestly been great to get up that early. i love it.

i would love to hear your stories from vbs!

maundy thursday

isaiah 53 from the message

Who believes what we've heard and seen? Who would have thought God's saving power would look like this?
The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling,
a scrubby plant in a parched field.
There was nothing attractive about him,
nothing to cause us to take a second look.
He was looked down on and passed over,
a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand.
One look at him and people turned away.
We looked down on him, thought he was scum.
But the fact is, it was our pains he carried—
our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.
We thought he brought it on himself,
that God was punishing him for his own failures.
But it was our sins that did that to him,
that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins!
He took the punishment, and that made us whole.
Through his bruises we get healed.
We're all like sheep who've wandered off and gotten lost.
We've all done our own thing, gone our own way.
And God has piled all our sins, everything we've done wrong,
on him, on him.
He was beaten, he was tortured,
but he didn't say a word.
Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered
and like a sheep being sheared,
he took it all in silence.
Justice miscarried, and he was led off—
and did anyone really know what was happening?
He died without a thought for his own welfare,
beaten bloody for the sins of my people.
They buried him with the wicked,
threw him in a grave with a rich man,
Even though he'd never hurt a soul
or said one word that wasn't true.
Still, it's what God had in mind all along,
to crush him with pain.
The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin
so that he'd see life come from it—life, life, and more life.
And God's plan will deeply prosper through him.
Out of that terrible travail of soul,
he'll see that it's worth it and be glad he did it.
Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant,
will make many "righteous ones,"
as he himself carries the burden of their sins.
Therefore I'll reward him extravagantly—
the best of everything, the highest honors—
Because he looked death in the face and didn't flinch,
because he embraced the company of the lowest.
He took on his own shoulders the sin of the many,
he took up the cause of all the black sheep.