The sour economy and war on terrorism have all but masked an even greater and continuing evil which stalks the land – abortion.

We’re still slaughtering children in the womb at the rate of thousands a day, following an ethic of convenience and profiteering to which most Americans seem to have accommodated their consciences.

Or have they? Aren’t most Americans members of that “silent majority” that merely listens but doesn’t opine? Can Christians afford such a luxury, when lives and the progress of the Kingdom of God are at stake?

No. We need to keep the pressure on, keep the conversation going, keep exposing the various ways that abortion is presented as a good thing: “twin reduction” – talk about double-speak! (See this week’s "Two-Minute Warning.")

So blind to the evils of abortion have our political leaders become that they can’t even see that the looming failures of social security and Medicare are bound up in this thoroughly wicked practice. If we had not murdered the 60 million children who would now be fueling a vigorous economy, we would not be having these fretful and bitter debates over what to do about social security.

But we are a nation which worships the god of convenience. It’s convenient to have sex outside the marital parameters spelled out in God’s Word, but it’s not convenient to have to bear and care for the children who often result from such frolics. It is convenient to get an abortion, however, especially given the number of people pushing it as a “good” thing. So convenience wins out over truth as people who are not accustomed to doing the right thing exercise their sinful judgment against the lives of America’s unborn children.

As Chuck points out in this week’s The Colson Files column, Wilberforce waged a life-long battle to end slavery – which was even more economically lucrative and convenient in its day than abortion is today. And Wilberforce prevailed. It remains to be seen whether our generation of believers is made of similar stuff.

So in case abortion has slipped off the radar screen of your evil-defense system, here are some reminders of how the Christian worldview regards this tragedy, and a couple of suggestions for things you might do to become a Wilberforce in our own day.

Resources for this topic

Abortion by Sue Bohlin

Selling Abortion: How Abortion Clinics Market Their Services by Charles Colson

The Apostles Creed and Abortion by Fred Sanders

The Top Ten Myths About Abortion by William L. Saunders, Jr.,

Three Well-Kept Secrets About Abortion by Sarah E. Hinlicky

Abortion Matters: Abortion as a Challenge to Christian Orthodoxy by Terry Schlossberg

Unsafe, Deadly & Legal by Janice Shaw Crouse

Be sure to order your copy of our new DVD series, Doing the Right Thing. Here’s a great resource for investigating the power of natural law for ethical behavior.

Activities

1.      When was the last time your church did any teaching or activity regarding abortion? Is anything planned? Meet with your pastor and some church leaders and share what you’ve been reviewing about abortion, and why you think your church should renew its efforts against this evil. Talk with some friends about how your church leaders respond, and make yourselves available to help any way you can.

2.      Ask around with some of your friends and co-workers: “Have you ever considered the terrible impact of abortion on social security and Medicare?” As part of that discussion, also ask them why they think people are so unaffected by the slaughter of children in the womb. They may not talk with you much, but they need to know you’re thinking about it.

3.      Email today’s Talking Points column to several Christian friends. Challenge them to read some of the resources, watch the Two-Minute Warning, and take on one of the activities.

A conversation starter

As the new ministry year kicks off at your church, use this challenge with at least 10 of your Christian friends: “Hey, how about you and I covenant together to each come up with five things we intend to do in order to save the lives of unborn children this year?” Follow-up on each one who agrees to join you in this covenant, and make sure you all carry out your commitments as unto the Lord.

Certain members of the national media are whipping up a scare about evangelical Christians and politics. As they see it, religion is a danger to the public square; therefore, we should oppose Christians – evangelical Christians, that is – who want to be both Christians and public servants. At the same time.

These arguments are based on out-of-context quotes, bogeyman stereotypes, and straw men, but they will probably influence at least some of the electorate one way or another. The greatest danger is that the present cries of alarm against mixing religion and politics will encourage the idea that “separation of church and state” means separation of God – and, by implication, any who take Him seriously – from government. The secularists in our society are within reach, as they see it, of achieving a country where religion is a merely private matter, with no influence or presence in the larger matters of culture and society. So it’s not surprising they’ve created the present dust-up over a few outspokenly Christian politicians.

Is there a place for Christians to serve in the public sector? I mean, and actually live out the values and convictions of their faith? If we believe this is so – and the resources that follow should help to convince you it is – then we need to know how to speak to this issue, calmly and intelligently. And we also need to be ready to support those who are seeking public office by encouraging them to take their faith and convictions with them all the way.

So this week’s readings and activities can help you begin to take an active role in this conversation. If we don’t talk about the right and duty of Christians in public service, our silence will merely confirm the rants and alarms of those who want to reserve the public square for the secular-minded only.

Resources for this topic

Ready to Serve by T. M. Moore

Personal Character: Does It Matter in Civil Society? by Charles Colson

Mudslinging and Dirty Politics: Should Christians Go into Politics? by Charles Colson

The State of the Nation/Why Christians Should Be in Politics by Charles Colson

Identity, Politics, and the Kingdom: What Is a Christian’s Role in Society? by Glenn Sunshine

Private Faith and Public Politics by Jordon Ballor

The Politics of Service by Colin Hansen

For more insight to this topic, order the DVD series, “Politics and the Christian Faith,” from our online store. Be sure to order your copy of our new DVD series, Doing the Right Thing. Here’s a great resource for investigating the power of natural law for ethical behavior.

Activities

1. Do you know any Christians who are serving in the public sector? Try to find out some who are locally involved – county commission, school board, and so forth. Ask them what the greatest challenges are serving as believers. Find out how you can pray for them, and make it a point to do so.
2. Does your church consider it important to help prepare young people for possible careers in the public sector? Ask some of your church leaders. Try to engage them in a conversation over what the local church might do to help ensure that future public servants fulfill their callings according to the teaching of God’s Word. Share your findings with some Christian friends, and see how they respond.
3. Email today’s Talking Points column to several Christian friends. Challenge them to read some of the resources, watch the Two-Minute Warning, and take on one of the activities.

A conversation starter
What do your neighbors and co-workers think about Christians in public service? Try this with them, “You know, I’m troubled by the way certain media types are making it look like Christians shouldn’t be allowed to run for office. Does that bother you at all?”

Human life is an “inside-out” proposition. We do not merely react to our environment; instead, we observe, think, feel, weigh, and then act. Arbitrating in our souls between what we think and what we might like is the conscience, the seat of the will, the locus of our values. What we value will determine our priorities and guide our choices. So, in a very real way, we are what we value.

If we value unfettered license to cavort, destroy others’ property, and take whatever we can, then, at least for the time being, we’re not likely to know a great deal of values-satisfaction. Unless, of course, whole bunches of like-minded people can conspire together in “flash mobs” to let their values run rampant for as long as they can. But why should such “flash mobs” even be possible? It’s not just that people can communicate with one another by texting and Twittering. The people have to be out there already, those kinds of values in place, just waiting for an opportunity to “self-actualize.”

As Western society and culture continue to distance themselves from the values of historic Christian teaching, we are encountering a context in which radical self-interest is able to take root and flourish. Biblical ethics puts a check on such unbridled license. Remove that check, and sin will out. Like projectile vomiting.

We’ve seen it in London, Philadelphia, and at convenience stores all over the country – flash mobs actualizing their values at the expense of – who cares? Reject the values of Christ, Paul Johnson explained, in Modern Times, and you open the door to radical nastiness. How much more of this can our society stand? And what can we do to make a difference?

We can begin by understanding. We can then, on the basis of our understanding, act on behalf of the values of Jesus Christ. Here are some resources and activities to help.

Resources for this topic

Voting on Values by Charles Colson

The Nation’s Moral Tutor? by Charles Colson

Journey to the Edge of Night by J. Budziszewski

Are Values the Same as Virtues? by Peter Toon

Britain on the Brink by Michael Nazir-Ali

Back the Future, Victoria? by T. M. Moore

The Courage to Object by T. M. Moore

For more insight to this topic, get the book, The Christian Mind, by Harry Blamires, from our online store. Be sure to order your copy of our new DVD series, Doing the Right Thing. Here’s a great resource for investigating the power of natural law for ethical behavior.

Activities

1. Chat with some of your Christian friends. Ask them, “Where do values come from? How do we learn to prefer and desire one thing over another?” See what you find out. Then ask them to reflect on what role they think the Bible and the Christian tradition should have on their own personal values.
2. See if you can find out what your local public school district teaches in the area of values. Call the local district office, talk with some teachers and students, try to secure some curriculum outlines, lists of textbooks, etc. Pull your thoughts together into a 300-word op ed piece for your local paper, or post your findings on yours or your church’s website.
3. Email today’s Talking Points column to several Christian friends. Challenge them to read some of the resources, watch the Two-Minute Warning, and take on one of the activities.

A conversation starter
Try this with some friends or colleagues, and be prepared to contribute yourself: “You have values, right? What makes you think your values should be preferred rather than, say, the values of someone else?”

It is the great, universal arrester. None of us can escape death; every single human being must be prepared to deal with it. Dying “comes naturally” to all of us.

Scriptures teach that people live in the fear of death (Heb. 2:15). It’s not hard to understand why: death is associated with suffering, it marks the end of life, and whatever lies beyond death is, for most people, unknown.

But the Christian has good news to declare to those who are enslaved by the fear of death. Jesus Christ has overcome death and hell, and He offers liberty into eternal life to all who believe in Him. The challenge, of course, is getting that message across in a time when the Christian faith is widely scorned and increasingly ignored.

Knowing that our neighbors all are going to die, however, should motivate us to want to help them understand the free gift of eternal life which Jesus offers. Should, however is still a ways from will.

It might help to gain a little more insight to the Biblical view of death and dying. Here are some resources and activities to prepare you to minister to the people around you, and to encourage you to proclaim the Good News of eternal life in Christ.

Resources for this topic

Sanctity of Life/Dying with Dignity by Colly A. Tettlebach

Esther’s Guarded Condition by Anthony Esolen

Chasing Eternity by Sophie Lister

We Do Know Jack: Physician-Assisted Suicide by Charles Colson

A Good Death by John T. Dunlop

Christ and the Human Condition by Michael Cleghorn

Dying to Be Faithful by Jennifer Trafton

For more insight to this topic, get the book, As I Lay Dying, by Richard John Neuhaus, from our online store. Death and dying bring up many ethical issues, which you’ll want to be prepared to discuss. Be sure to order your copy of our new DVD series, Doing the Right Thing. Here’s a great resource for investigating the power of natural law for ethical behavior.

Activities

1. How does your pastor help people deal with the trials of death and dying? Make an appointment to talk with your pastor about this issue. Find out how you can support him in this aspect of his ministry. See what wisdom he can offer you for bearing witness to others around the theme of death and dying.
2. Have a frank conversation with friends or family about the subject of death. What happens when we die? How should a Christian approach his or her own death? How should knowing that we’re going to die affect the way we live? How can we as Christians be a source of comfort and hope to those who have lost loved ones?
3. Email today’s Talking Points column to several Christian friends. Challenge them to read some of the resources, watch the Two-Minute Warning, and take on one of the activities.

A conversation starter:
Christians have a message of hope for everyone who is going to die – and that’s everyone. Here’s a way to start a conversation on the subject: “We’re all going to die. Is anyone ever really ready to die? What do you think?”

The basic meaning of the word, “disciple,” is learner. A disciple is one who learns. A disciple of Jesus Christ is one who learns from Him. We can know God and Jesus Christ, which is eternal life (Jn. 17:3), even if we cannot know them exhaustively. Paul said it was his life’s ambition always to be growing in knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ (Phil. 3:10). Can our ambition be anything less?

Christian discipleship is a calling to life-long learning. It begins in seeking Jesus Christ in His Word, where every prophet, psalmist, and apostle writes abundantly of His person and work (Jn. 5:39). But following Jesus requires that we also hear His wisdom speaking to us from world, from the works of God in creation and culture (Col. 2:2, 3; Prov. 8; Ps. 19:1-4). There is much to learn about Jesus, His Kingdom, His providential rule and plan, and how we fit into the divine economy over which He presides by studying the Word and works of the Lord together.

Jesus commanded us, “Learn from Me” (Matt. 11:29). He is holding classes daily in His Word and works, and we who would be His disciples must sign up for a lifetime of growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior (2 Pet. 3:18).

The school year is just beginning for children all over the land. Perhaps you should enroll in a new course of studies yourself – one that will take you deeper into the Word of Christ and more meaningfully into His works in creation and culture. Perhaps the resources and activities provided below will help to launch your discipleship into a higher orbit around our glorious Savior and King.

Resources for this topic

How to Have a God Encounter by Regis Nicoll

Getting the Most out of Scripture by T. M. Moore

Grounded in the Word by T. M. Moore

On Reading Fiction by James V. Schall

The Christian and his Books by Rob Ventura and Jack Buckley

More Christians Reading Fiction by Charles Colson

Made for Wonder: Reaching for Understanding by T. M. Moore

The Need to Read: Francis Schaeffer by Todd Kappelman

For more insight to this topic, get the book, The Christian Mind, by Harry Blamires, from our online store. Be sure to order your copy of our new DVD series, Doing the Right Thing. Here’s a great resource for investigating the power of natural law for ethical behavior.

Activities

1. Find a friend or two and make a plan to study something together over the next year. Choose a book of the Bible, and complement that with articles from colsoncenter.org or other resources to help you grow in your relationship with Christ. Set a schedule to meet together regularly and discuss your studies.
2. How can you help your church in the work of making disciples during the coming year? Meet with your pastor or an appropriate lay leader and find out what the needs are or what opportunities may be available in the work of Christian education. Seek the Lord for how you can be of more service in the year to come in helping others to know Jesus.
3. Email today’s Talking Points column to several Christian friends. Challenge them to read some of the resources, watch the Two-Minute Warning, and take on one of the activities.

A conversation starter
Christians tend to take the word, “disciple,” for granted. But do we really know what it means? Try this conversation starter with some Christian friends: “So, if the meaning of ‘disciple’ is really, ‘one who is learning from Jesus,’ how can we improve in this area of our walk with the Lord?”

I’m persuaded that one of the least understood doctrines of the Christian faith is the doctrine of the Kingdom of God. While practically every Christian affirms the reality of the Kingdom, how many actually know anything about it, or are really seeking it as the highest priority in their lives?

The Kingdom of God is a spiritual, and therefore, and invisible realm. But it is Jesus’ intention, as He taught His disciples to pray, for that invisible realm to become as visible on earth as it is in heaven.

What does that mean? How should we expect to see the coming of the Kingdom, both in our own lives and in our times? And what does it mean for us to “seek” the Kingdom, so that it becomes visible in and through us?

These are questions of the highest significance for the life of faith. We’ve put together some readings and activities to help you become better grounded in your own understanding of the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God, Paul wrote, is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. We can’t go wrong, he continued, if we make this our daily pursuit (Rom. 14:17, 18).

Resources for this topic

An Unshakeable Kingdom by T.M. Moore

Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God by David Naugle

Seeking the Kingdom by T. M. Moore

The Kingdom of God: Present Reality or Future Hope? by Christopher Cowan

The Church, the Kingdom, and Contemporary Evangelism by Robert E. Sagers

Ambassadors from Another Realm by T. M. Moore

The Gospel of the Kingdom of God by David Naugle

God Rules by Matt Guerino

For more insight to this topic, get the book, The Kingdom of God, by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, from our online store. Be sure to order your copy of our new DVD series, Doing the Right Thing. Here’s a great resource for investigating the power of natural law for ethical behavior.

Activities

1. How much do your Christian friends understand about the Kingdom of God? Choose one article from the list above. Make copies for several friends, then come together to discuss it. Try to identify some ways that you can more consistently encourage one another to seek the Kingdom of God.
2. What does your church teach about the Kingdom of God? Ask some of your leaders. Try to get their views on Matthew 6:33, and ask them what the church is doing – and how you can help – to make this priority have a higher place in your congregation.
3. Email today’s Talking Points column to several Christian friends. Challenge them to read some of the resources, watch the Two-Minute Warning, and take on one of the activities.

A conversation starter

This topic should be easy to engage with some of your fellow Christians. Why not show this week’s Two-minute Warning to a couple of friends, then ask, “Are we doing all we should to help make the invisible Kingdom visible?”