The effect of homosexual marriage: "Adoption agencies with religious beliefs basically driven out of business."

Chuck Donovan, senior fellow with the Heritage Foundation, talks about how homosexual marriage is affecting religious liberties.


We've come to find out that there are religious liberty implications of legalizing homosexual marriage.

Here in the United States we've had adoption agencies with religious beliefs basically driven out of business.

You've got folks like Catholic Nancy Pelosi who are standing by the faith, right?

Nancy Pelosi has introduced a bill...that basically says if you receive federal funds for adoption as a state you have to mandate that you cannot have religious preferences for a mother-father family.

Is this just to them religious bigotry that has to be batted down?

I think it is.

It basically replaces the public definition of family as a mother father grouping with a definition that the mother and father, both, are irrelevant to the upbringing of a child.

It may not be the debate of the moment, but in several years as gay marriage continues to spread across the country, it will.

The way legislation goes, it's not a bad idea to get it in people's minds right now.

If you disagree with this. If you believe a mother-father family is best, they view it like racial bigotry.

Why would 56 Democrats in the House feel so good about the move towards homosexual marriage?

It's not just a Democratic issue.

What's the long-term haul? What do we have to start doing now and keep on doing?

Probably the principal thing that I see is we have to talk to young people.

They have increasing doubts about the institution.

We need to exemplify these things to young people.

And hope that we get a marriage revolution among the young.

1-3% of the American populace is homosexual. How can they be so successful?

They have a lot of money behind them.

And I think Americans sympathize with minorities.

I think Americans want to demonstrate time and again that they're tolerant.

"If people knew how the coffee was produced, they probably wouldn't drink it."

Nick Lamatrice of More Than Coffee talks about why it's important to living intentionally in the coffee you buy.

More than Coffee. What in the world?

Instead of asking people for donations, handouts, we ask people, if you're going to drink coffee anyway, why not our coffee.

I like the opportunity that the consumption coffee has for our ministry and for the people we serve.

I'm not a fan of coffee, so it's ironic that God called me to this ministry.

Apparently you sell coffee direct from the people who grow it.

Absolutely. We buy directly from the farmers.

We go to the source, which is not easy to do, but it's the only way to go.

We take the coffee, we roast it, we package it, and sell it over the internet.

I don't talk very much about the quality, not being a coffee drinker myself. But we get a lot of feedback from people who love the coffee.

If people knew how the coffee was produced, they probably wouldn't drink it.

We make great coffee that you don't have to feel guilty about drinking.

Unfortunately coffee is a slave trade, even in 2011.

You're going to buy coffee anyway. So why not buy coffee that will further God's kingdom?

Let me ask you this, Nick. What you want to do is put Christian farmers and Christian organizations, what does that do for the kingdom of God?

All the ministries we support - four of them - their main focus is spreading the gospel.

By buying coffee from More than Coffee, we are enabling these missionaries to do the work they're called to do.

Many, many times we've been asked (by the coffee farmers) why are you doing this? Why do you pay so well?

There are some that we advance money to...so they don't run out of money before they're ready to go.

For the farmer who puts food on his table, clothes in his back, is able to enroll his kid in education, coffee is his lifeline.

We're able to change lives through this process.

Because of the way we do business, we stand out from other coffee companies.

The coffee industry is not a fair industry. Fair trade has been established because of the coffee industry.

The reason I bring fair trade up is that most people have some sense that what goes on in 3rd world coffee farms probably isn't very fair.

You have to think about the things that you purchase. You have to think about the products you buy.

Nobody wants another human being to suffer, just so they can have their coffee.

You're talking about living intentionally here. What other implications are there to living intentionally outside of buying coffee?

I think as consumers and as people of faith, we have to be concerned with how things are produced. If you don't question where you purchase things, they can have consequences that are unintended.

Eventually we are going to be dependent on foreign products.

It has consequences that if you're a consumer, you have to realize that your support, when you buy products, you really are voting for the way companies do business.

I think now we're experiencing some of the hidden costs of buying things without caring where they came from.

What are some things besides coffee that we need to consider how it's produced?

Gold, oil, chocolate.

Diamonds are another one where humans are exploited.

If you buy those products, you're enabling these practices.

If people want to do research on that sort of thing, how do they begin to do that research?

There is a lot of information available on the internet.

You can go to coffee farms, and we've found a lot of hidden abuses.

You can't believe everything you read online, but you can start your research there.

Seeking first the Kingdom of God

Joseph Parker, Pastor of Trinity AME Church, talks about Matthew 6:33 and seeking the Kingdom of God.

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Matthew 6:33 - Seek ye first... what do you get out of this particular passage?

It's a foundational truth that's mentioned specifically in Matthew 6. But the truth is there from Genesis on.

I think of the fact that God calls all of us to follow the wisdom of that scripture. As we learn to do that, we find that God's hand of grace will help us.

The word here for "first," in this passage means "only" - seek ye only - what makes that so hard to do?

I think it helps to look at the meaning of the word, the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of God is the...will of God, the method of God...it's closely connected to the anointing of God.

I think it's important to know that we live in a world where warfare is going on like it or not.

The Kingdom of God is God's side. The fact is, like it or not, everyday we're in battle.

Like it or not, war has come to us...one of the needs for us as believers to think properly as we're in war.

Lots of people in life, obviously those who don't know God and even sometimes those who are saved, try to go to war with sticks and stones.

Many times you have believers who are running on empty.

John Stott said that God isn't just interested in religion, but in the whole of life. The Kingdom of God is not just you getting saved, but it's the whole of life.

I'd like to share just a brief passage from Exodus chapter 1.

It's a story about two obscure people named Shiprah and Puah.

That's a wonderful example in the Old Testament of putting the Kingdom of God first.

God's will is more critical. It's important that we put God before government.

They're wonderful examples of how we're all called to live.

What kind of inspiration should we gain from that for our lives?

I think it's important to remember that if we obey God, we're having an eternal impact.

When we choose to read and study the Word of God and obey it, that's huge.

In a very real sense, everything is spiritual. Everything is to be done to the glory of God.

Everything becomes holy in that sense.

If you were to give advice on what it means to fear God, what would you say?

To fear God is to put God's Word first and to put God's direction first in our lives.

It's the Holy Spirit who teaches us how to do that.

"The Lord's really blessing us, and we're just holding on to his coattails."

Phil Newton, Executive Director of Southside Mission, entered into the Matt Friedeman Show ministry spotlight to talk about how Southside Mission is changing the community of Peoria Illinois.

Talk to us about Southside Mission.

We try to share Christ with the poor in tangible ways they can feel Christ's love.

How do you do that?

We're going to do fifty projects this year where we work on houses all to the glory of God.

Who does this?

We've got the Metro Peoria Baptist association.

We've got a whole bunch of contractors.

Then we work with home centers that are willing to donate roof shingles, siding, etc.

How do you know that what Southside Mission is doing is actually working?

We hear from a lot of the alumni from Southside Mission.

A lot of them will come back and help us out in terms of volunteering.

We also have a lot of graduates from our jobs school...who are out working in the field.

You probably need a lot of government money, right?

Zero!

Our board of directors made the decision years ago not to accept any money from the government or United Way.

We're having a fantastic year. The Lord has us $300,000 above budget this year on a $3.5 million budget.

Phil, when you look out there at the many things you do, what seems to be working the best?

The Lord's really blessing us, and we're just holding on to his coattails.

What warms my heart the most is just seeing these homeless ladies who come to us strung out on drugs...thinking the world has given up on them...just seeing them living the blessed life, the abundant life in Christ.

What in people's background has damaged them?

If they're living without Christ, they're living without hope.

If you can just introduce them to our Lord, so much can change.

Do y'all do twelve-step programs?

We sure do.

We partner with a lot of great Christian ministries in the area.

We work with a lot of Celebrate Recovery programs.

We have job-training programs that will help them.

If that person has a spark to succeed, we'll turn that spark into a bonfire.

What keeps people volunteering?

It's just a fun place to volunteer. We have a blast down here.

We give people the opportunity to live their mission right here on the Southside of Peoria.

Today a lot of biblical Christians are taking the poor seriously.

If you're going to take the literal view of (the Bible), you have to take (the poor) seriously.

It's not an option to take the poor seriously. It's a necessity.

What's the best way to stay active in a ministry like this?

Well, you have  to take a very big picture.

There are going to be some battles you lose.

There are some women who leave the mission.

It's that daily, taking the 50,000 foot view of things, taking the big picture.

At the same time - it's kind of a paradox - you have to look at the here and now.

When you're looking out at your ministry, what are the biggest difficulties, outside of money?

Faith. Number one. If you take care of that part, everything else will come.

Faith and wisdom. I'm so thankful for the board of director for Southside Mission.

How long have y'all been in business, Phil?

Since 1925.

What would you say to someone who wants to start a ministry like yours?

Well, Matt, I have opportunities to meet with people who are trying to start up ministries all the time.

While you're still small, you can stay personally connected to all your donors.

There are some great things about being small and start-up.

Don't be afraid to start small.

Pastor: Our church building burning down "really helped us to refocus."

Pastor Chris Lohrstorfer shared today about how his church not only survived, but grew, in the aftermath of their church building burning down.


Recently you had an event to mark the ten-year anniversary of your church burning down. Talk to us about that.

It's really interesting. It was really a celebration.

A local fireman set fire to our church, at least our church building.

I found out that when a church burns, the pastor is usually a suspect.

He was burning a lot of things in town.

Really in the last ten years, the exciting thing is, in the first year of that....it really helped us to refocus.

We were pretty ingrown and focused on ourself.

After the fire, we had to rethink that: Why are we here? What is our purpose?

What were the thoughts of you and your congregation as you watched your church burn?

My initial thoughts were, we were starting to get some momentum, "Uh-oh."

I was so afraid as a pastor that this was going to ruin us.

It's hard to see beyond that moment.

We immediately began to try to refocus...and to try to let it strengthen.

Was there ever a thought, let's just shut down?

No, no. Although I did suggest that to the congregation to make them think.

This community needs a church.

What are the major dynamics of refocusing a church?

When you refocus something, you have to get into the head of something, and not just the heart. Why do we exist? What is the purpose of the church? What is the purpose of our church?

You can't make your church be something it's not. You really have to ask the question, "Who are we?"

I think you just have to really think through that and ask the hard questions.

You can be defined by a fire...and or you can be refined by the fire. You can let that fire purify your faith.

Don't you think that a church needs to take that opportunity to really refocus and figure out what your church has already figured out?

If you're not rethinking it by the time you hit a plateau, it's probably too late.

In the last ten years, we've rethought it several times.

I do think you have to do that, for your own personal spiritual life, for a church, for an organization.

The world's always changing around us. People are changing. If you're not rethinking who you are....you're going to be in some huge trouble, I think.

What are some things you quit doing after the fire?

Sometimes you get stuck in a process.

There are times you have to look at this and ask, "Is this successful?"

The fact is, if it doesn't accomplish it, you need to ditch it.

Review for us the biggest difference between your church today and pre-fire 10 years ago...

I would say the biggest difference is that we're outward-focused.

The real kicker for us is that if we don't rebuild the church, the community won't have us.

Our church burned down and within a few weeks of that we were talking about how we need to rebuild.

I thought, "Well, we're going to survive this thing."

"A lot of the problems faced by Christians in Britain are faced by Christians in the US."

Mike Judge, Head of Communications for the Christian Institute, a pro-family organization in the UK, came onto the Matt Friedeman Show today to talk about how the Christian Institute is standing up for truth in the UK.

Tell us about the Christian Institute. What are you trying to do?

We're keeping an eye on parliament for laws that threaten life and family.

We're also litigating.

And we're also keeping an eye on the Muslim problem.

That sounds like a lot of what the AFA is doing over here.

A lot of the problems faced by Christians in Britain are faced by Christians in the US.

There's still sort of a groundswell of the remnant over here. Do you still feel that way about Christianity in England?

Yeah, sure I do.

What it does take is for a nucleus of Bible-believing Christians to start stirring the pot.

Yeah, I do think that there could be a backlash against the liberal agenda we've seen in Britain.

Talk to me about the state of that Bible-believe Christians in the UK. Is that group growing, shrinking, or staying the same?

Most American Christians are already aware of the cultural battle....more so than Christians in Britain.

I'm excited to say that the churches that are preaching the Bible are the ones that are growing.

You've said over and over again this term Bible-believing. You believe in an inerrant scripture. How important is a high view of scripture?

If we don't believe in the Bible, we believe in ourselves.

We're seeing the social breakdown in Britain. We're seeing the heartbreak and the pain.

When God says those things in his word, he's saying them for a purpose.

We've got to rely on the Bible. It's gotta be our ultimate authority.

Talk to us about abortion in the UK. Settled issue or still a fight?

Abortion in the UK was enacted by an act of parliament.

With a disability or handicap, children can be aborted all the way to birth.

That's the area where abortion is being challenged at the moment.

Another difference in the UK is that we have taxpayer-funded abortion.

But also, there are those who are incrementally trying to get rid of the abortion law, possibly trying to reduce it to 20 weeks.

How are we doing on the family in the UK?

Much the same as in the US, I would think.

Divorce is far too common.

There are attempts to give the legal rights of marriage to cohabitating couples.

But most couples in the UK get married, and stay married. And most kids want to get married.

Is there a rise of homosexual-friendly laws in the UK?

The Prime Minister, David Cameron, said he wouldn't object to same-sex marriage.

There's no legislative proposal in front of the British parliament right now.

We're very concerned about that, about the implications for education. So we will be resisting those changes.

The rising tide of Islam in the UK. How did it get like that?

Because of the British Empire - sorry to raise that over a former colony...that's how we've got such a Muslim population.

Of course, there's homegrown terrorism that comes with that problem.

One of the things that we are doing is we're backing a bill in the House of Lords that cracks down on the Sharia courts.

Mike, I'd love to know just personally, do you look at the situation in the UK and feel hope or do you see it as a long battle, or do you think you'll just go down fighting?

I think it's a little bit of all of these things.

On religious issues, I think we're making progress.

So I'm very optimistic in the short-term about that.

For marriage, it will be a long-term struggle.

And there are some things that we have to speak out against regardless.

I think we can learn from history, and we should.

"Be in all things a God-seeker and at all times a God-finder."

Fr. Albert Haase came on the show today to talk about how to regain lost time spiritually and enjoy the fullness of God in the here and now.


A lot of people look back over their life, and realize that they just lost time spiritually. What now?

That is a great question, Matt, because I'm so often asked by people who have just been converted.

The inevitable question that comes up is how can I make up for lost time?

That question has been around for years. Think about what Nicodemus asked Jesus, "How can I be born again?"

(Eckhart said) Be in all things a God-seeker and at all times a God-finder.

In so many ways we are surrounded by God.

Is it all that important to just pray throughout the day in general?

It comes down to the whole idea of grace and nature. I have to have the awareness and the openness. Once we put out the antenna, we come to discover that our God is a God of disguise and surprise.

Remember the parable Jesus tells in Matthew 25? When Jesus comes he will separate the sheep and the goats. The people said, "When did we see you hungry?"

He comes to us as a God of surprise and as a God of disguise.

How important is it to have times that are set apart for prayer?

I think sometimes people try to take a little path, and they say, "I catch God while I run."

Those are fine...but I think the point you make is good, Matt.

I wrote a book....called Coming Home to Your True Self. In that book I mentioned that my periods of prayer should make me prayerful.

Those moments. Those deliberate, intentional moments should make me more prayerful throughout the day.

I think the same sort of reasoning, if we only pray generally throughout the day leads to the thought that we don't need to go to church.

By the very nature of Christianity it is a family affair.

I get a little annoyed with people who say, "I'm spiritual, but not religious."

Let's assume that someone has already had their quiet time today. Give us some tips about how people can put their antenna up.

Throughout the day I'm constantly on the look. I'm always being attentive to the people who come into my life. I'm being attentive to how I feel in my body.

And most of all at the end of the day, I look over my day, and I ask myself, "Where was God today?"

It really requires this intention that God is a God of disguise and a God of surprise and even when we don't make an appointment, he shows up.

From God's perspective, "I wouldn't be envious of someone with a lot of talents"

Pastor Mark Durie talks about the Parable of the Talents and what that means for our lives.


How unfair is it that some of us get more talents than others?

God reaches out to some people in ways that are very hard to explain. You can't measure Christ that way.

He shows his favor to some in a really profound way and not to some.

Some people have particular gifts and talents and others don't.

I think there's something really true in that parable.

Your comeback to the guy with one talent?

I think God will not ask how many talents they've been given, but what they've done with what they have.

That's incredibly fair.

The question is what will you do.

As the New Testament says, if you've been given more, more will be asked of you.

If you have more talents, you should have the fear of the Lord.

I wouldn't be envious of someone with a lot of talents, if you're thinking from God's perspective.

I think Jesus is asking us to look at this issue through God's eyes, from a different perspective.

The Lord seems to say to teachers, "Watch out, if you don't use your gift well." How scared should we be of that accountability? Can we be too cautious?

I think St. Peter said, "If anyone's been given a gift, use it with the most confidence."

Remember the warning in the parable, the person who hides the talent in the ground...that's the worst solution, really.

You'll be asked what did you do with it.

That will be the key question.

What is a good God-risk and what is a stupid man-risk?

That's is such a hard question - a discernment issue.

You need to seek the council of other people.

Ultimately, I think the church will be asked why we didn't take more risks, instead of too many.

The thing about the parables is that they're meant to challenge you. They're meant to rock you to the very core.

I think of it like a pebble in your shoe. It's meant to annoy you.

I've got a lot of so-called talents. It seems like the people with the most talents want to take fewer God risks. Close to the truth?

I think there's a lot of wisdom in that.

If you have a lot, you tend to be more cautious.

If you have a little, it's not so hard to give it  away.

I think it is difficult. Beware of the trap of having a lot.

There's a big challenge to be disciplined, to be consecrating everything you have to the Lord.

If you've had everything taken away from you, it's easier to give to the Lord everything you have.

The next passage is the account of the sheep and the goats. Could it be that the parable of the talents and the account of the sheep and the goats go together?

That's an interesting thought, isn't it?

In the second one, he talks about caring for your brother and sister. That puts a new spin on talents.

Maybe (our persecuted brothers and sisters) are our gifts.

It's a very hard expansion of the question of our heritage that God has given us.

Maybe the suffering Christians around the world today are the talents - how have we responded to them.

Ministry Spotlight - Promise of Hope Recovery

For the Matt Friedeman Show Ministry Spotlight, Denise Dobbins & Sandy Tarpley - Promise of Hope Recovery - talked about their ministry to women.


Denise started first. 

Talk to us about what the mission is for Promise of Hope, kind of the overall structure of the program.

Our mission statement says that we present to women God's word n

We bring together a balance of the teaching of Jesus Christ and his life. We bring that together with the twelve step programs. Any kind of secular program they have available.

Most of these ladies come from rural areas that don't have access to recovery programs.

You talk about a 6-12 month program. Is that enough time?

We see the turnaround, the miracle as we call it, happen around the 9-month point.

Talk to us about this halfway house y'all have.

It allows the residents a little more freedom, so they can utilize the tools they've been taught.

We allow them to work with a sponsor.

They begin to see how a life with a personal relationship with life unfolds.

I've found that a lot of ministries find it helpful to introduce clients to work. Is that something that has worked well for you guys?

Oh yes, they begin that the day they get here.

They fall in line with structure through getting up on time everyday, being at breakfast on time everyday...beginning to retrain their brains to get them to think about what they need to do.

The women do begin to go to work between 30 and 90 days after they're here at fast food restaurants.

(At this point, Sandy began to answer the questions)

Talk to us about "the miracle." What gets these women turned in the other direction?

For me, it was pain. I hit an emotional rock bottom while I was here.

All I could do was fall on my knees and beg God to help me.

It's interesting how much I hear this word surrender. Why is that word used by a lot of people who are now whole who once were broken?

That's when I was able to move out of God's way, and surrender the fight.

Are there problems unique to women that men don't know that much about? What is unique to the women?

Women are emotional and men are angry usually when they show up for help.

Women hold on to pain a lot longer than men do.

Women have the shame issue and the guilt whereas men don't seem to have as much shame.

Women are to be the caretakers of their families and when they're addicted they can't do that. That brings a lot of shame.

Talk to me about shame. But that word keeps coming up. Shame. What is that?

That is a remorseful feeling for the things that I did wrong, or perceived that I did wrong, or couldn't do perfectly.

They continue to grow inside of me, until I would give up, quit, run, try to numb hit, try to hide from it, deny it.

Until the rest of the women learn that there is no condemnation in Jesus Christ, that shame stays.

For most of these women it's not an overnight thing. It's not a flash thing that happens. It's a process.

God has to move in their heart, as you know. These women don't trust anything.

That trust has to develop horizontally before it can vertically. And that takes time.

Outside of money, what are the biggest challenges ahead?

We are embarking upon a new area. We are almost finished with the building for a men's program.

That volunteers will come, that the director for this men's program will come.

Miracles

Darryl Starnes is a Bishop for the AME Zion Church. Today on the Matt Friedeman Show he addressed the topic of miracles.

Do we and should we still believe in thing like miracles?

Definitely.

I believe that God has always worked supernaturally according to his guidance and his will.

Do you think Jesus still does the same things today as he did when He was in the flesh?

Yes.

I think there, however, have been season where, because of unbelief in people, there seems to be a scarcity of these manifestations.

A lot of it has to do with our lack of faith or our slackness in sharing the gospel.

I think there's a correlation between sharing out faith and these spiritual manifestation of God's power.

Should we find a balance? Can we focus too much on holiness or too much on miracles?

One of the ways that we have looked at it is that the gospel should be shared in word, in deed, and in fact.

This is the language that the Apostle Paul used in Romans Chapter 15, verses 18 and 19.

Sometimes I believe that the enemy, if he cannot keep us from sharing the gospel, will give us a narrow view of evangelism.

And then others, he gives the view that evangelism is sharing the gospel by sign...by supernatural power.

The word is important, our deeds are important, but trusting God for his power supernaturally to work is important.

Should I get discouraged when miracles don't seem to work out like they did in the life of Jesus?

Sometimes God tests us by following Him even when the things we want to happen don't happen.

God promised Abraham that He would make him the father of a great nation. But there were as many as 25 years between the promise and the fulfillment of that promise.

Sometimes the miracle is delayed, and sometimes God says "Trust me."

It seemed to be that Jesus went to go find the sick. How important is it that we go out and find the sick to perform miracles and healings?

I think it's very important.

That's why I think these manifestations of God's power are tied to the gospel and to outreach.

People are suffering in many ways, and as we meet the needs of people, God will determine how he meets these needs.

I really believe the healings and the miracles are always tied to God trying to reach people.

It seems like more healings are happening in places like China, Africa, or South America than here. Why is that?

In Europe and America, we sometimes take the gospel for granted. We often believe we are true believers because we've heard a lot about Christ or we've heard a lot about God.

In many countries that gospel is fresh. And the good news of Jesus is something people are hearing for the first time.

Sometimes we take for granted the message of Christ in many countries in the West.

Have you ever had to give advice to a church that has taken this emphasis too far or not far enough?

For those that are taking it too far, it's really about being careful about trying to control the move of God as opposed to welcoming the move of God.

And then on those who have closed the door to what God wants to do, it's about letting them know that we cannot minister, lead, or serve on our own power.

As you are pointing out so well, there are dangers on both sides.

I think a lot of it is about control, isn't it Bishop?

That's exactly right.

That's a problem that's still emanating from our sinful nature.

"We have a hard time taking our eyes off the daily troubles that confront us."

Chuck Huckaby, pastor of St. Andrew's Church in Lawrenceburg, TN, joined the Pastor's Circle to talk about prayer. Specifically, how Paul prayed in Philippians 1.
 
You've been preaching about Paul and Prayer. Tell us about that.

I've been preaching through Philippians 1:9-11.

I thought...how do I pray for people, how do I pray for myself? I compared that to Philippians 1:9-11 and found that I didn't do too well.

Paul prays for them for something much more profound. That their love may abound...and be pure and blameless in the day of Christ.

Why is it we get so caught up with prayer requests for people's physical ailments?

I think it says that we can't break through the surface.

We have a hard time taking our eyes off the daily troubles that confront us.

Our eyes are focused on the plane of this world. And we need to  be focused  on a plane where we realize Jesus is the risen Lord.

These prayers, however right they are in their own place, are not sufficient.

I'd love to know, from your perspective, what this tells us about Paul.

I think what it tells us about Paul is even as he's writing from some level of confinement. Even as he has many worries about many churches and individual problems, that he is able to focus on the main thing, which is that Christ is raised and the result is that His people will fulfill the law of God.

Describe the meaning of hesed and what this can mean in this particular  passage.

We look at the word hesed - God's covenant faithfulness - in the Old Testament....that's what hangs on despite his people in the Old Testament.

This covenant faithfulness, Paul and the New Testament writers have found a word to describe this world. It's agape love.

The love that motivates the Son of God to come to our squalor, filth, and sin.

The covenant faithfulness of God in the Old Testament finds its fulfillment...in the coming of Christ.

You've just said that this is a love that's sacrificial. Do you think most people read through this prayer, and that's what they're thinking about love?

I think it's something we need to constantly reflect on.

Do most people understand it? Well, you and I don't understand it completely.

Hesed love has been defined as an obstinate love. I'm quite sure it's a love that most of us don't know...

And I think that's why it's important to link our idea of love to Christ.

Pure and blameless - is that even possible today?

It's possible on two levels.

There's a purity and blamelessness that we received on behalf of Christ's atonement for us. His atoning sacrifice covers all our sins.

We are enabled to begin a life of purity and blamelessness.

Both flow from entrusting ourselves to the one who is pure and blameless.

"I'm not going to say everything always turns out rosy...but it's worth the risk."

Today in our InTheFight Ministry Spotlight: Restoration Ministries. Executive Director of the ministry, Ray Banks, joined us to talk about the impact Restoration Ministries is having on their community.

What are you trying to get done at Restoration Ministries?

We're trying to share the love of God in very practical ways.

We have an after school program where kids can come, get a hot meal, get their homework done, and get some exercise.

Instead of them being at home, getting in trouble, they can be here at Restoration Ministries...by caring adults and college students.

We also have a men's home.

Ray, what helps with addictions. Is there some kind of program you're taking them through?

The program we're taking them through is primarily discipleship.

Just help them walk through the whole process of recovery.

How do you help them overcome their particular problem?

We definitely understand where they are, and know that no one woke up in the morning and said, "Hey, I'm going to be a drug addict."

It's a gradual process and it's a gradual process out of it.

A lot of our habits we have to unlearn, then we have to learn new habits.

Do you have total free reign as to how you can lead these people to total redemption?

We have  total free reign as to what we want to do.

We're not bound by government dollars.

We believe that, through the power of Jesus Christ, you can be set free from drug addiction.

We do it practically, really, by working with the men and women and discipling them.

When they come here, they have a certain amount of maintenance.

We get these folks involved in the mission right away.

We also begin to look at their potential. What is that undiscovered gift that hasn't been revealed to them?

We want to build on their strengths and manage their weaknesses.

It sounds like once they start serving, they begin to get healing.

Often the healing or maintenance is found when you join the mission.

Once you become a drug addict, you become a liability to the community.

But we believe that if a person comes to Christ, he's forgiven. And that person deserves a second chance at life. We don't want to give a man a handout, but a hand up.

So we want to begin to show these folks that they have value by giving them responsibility in the mission.

We have some who organize our food pantry.

Myself who came through the program is now Executive Director.

We have a young man and young ladies who are managers at our retail stores.

So we really put a lot of stock in folks.

I'm not going to say everything always turns out rosy...but it's worth the risk.

What are the biggest problems Restoration Ministries face this year?

I would say the biggest problem we face this year is, like all non-profits, finances.

We're trusting God that he will continue to send donors.

We don't rely totally on government funding for our programs; we rely on individual donors.

Brain Trust - Janice Crouse

Dr. Janice Crouse, Senior Fellow of  the Beverly LaHaye Institute, joined the Matt Friedeman Show as part of our Brain Trust.

You attend a camp meeting.

Yes we do.

Several years ago we bought a cottage at Indian Springs Camp meeting.

It's just a time of spiritual refreshing.

Amazingly, this camp meeting is vibrant with young people.

We have seven grandchildren, and they all can't wait for camp meeting.

It's gotta be hot at these camp meeting. Why do it?

Because, as I said, it's so spiritually refreshing.

You're out of touch with all the hectic business of the world.

It's just so spiritually refreshing.

It's so biblically-based.

You just got back from the World Congress on Families. What happened there?

Number one, the fight against all the external forces on the family in Russia is so unique.

They had sponsors for this event - this pro-life, pro-family event.

This event was just very effective in terms of building links between Christians here in this country and Christians in Moscow.

Plus, it gave us a glimpse of how Christians in the corporate world are working together with the church.

It's a beautiful model about how you can combat the disintegration of the family.

Europe certainly needs to hear the message of larger families.

I spoke about how the pro-choice movement, feminism and abortion, have really been devastating to Russia and the United States.

(They have) something like 1.54 children per family, so they are way below replacement level.

I found it very inspiring to see how the government and the church are very, very interested in fixing this crisis.

You just wrote a paper on the fiscal state of America. How bad is it?

This paper is available on our website.

It talks about how our nation is in a crisis.

It's more than just a daunting challenge facing the nation. At $10 trillion, our debt has doubled over the past decade and it will double again before the end of this decade.

We oppose tax increases as a solution to the problem. This is something Barack Obama has been trying to push.

This administration wants to weaken the military, undermine our national sovereignty.

We support what is commonly called "cut, cap, and balance."

"If you want to exalt this nation, be righteous."

Rurel Ausley, Lead Pastor of Niceville United Methodist Church, joined the Pastor's Circle this morning to talk about our nation, its founding principles, and our duty as Christians.

How do we talk about July 4th to our churches?

It is a difficult thing, because you don't want to glorify our nation as such. Because we want to talk about Jesus.

I talked about the scripture that says righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.

The most patriotic thing you can do is give your heart to Jesus Christ.

If you want to exalt this nation, be righteous.

We may be coasting on our laurels now, but we're still reaping the results of many of those goods things that our forefathers did.

What are some of the principles you talked to you congregation about?

What I really tried to show my congregation....just the educational institutions that came from spiritual renewal...schools like Harvard and Yale and Princeton and Dartmouth.

Every time there was a movement of the spirit, intellectual institutions were born.

Harvard was a preachers' school.

What happened to these institutions and what could happen to America?

It happened with Israel too. God said if you obey, I'll bless you.

I think we're beginning to reap the consequences and have for some time when we reject God.

We seem to be moving more and more to a secular state.

If you were to offer up a blueprint of how we can get back in touch with holiness, what would you suggest?

I think I've been working on that blueprint for 31 years of ministry.

The first thing we need to do is know Jesus.

We need to be active ambassadors for righteousness.

How can we invite someone to righteousness, then two years later they're living like hell?

I think it may be worse than that. I think sometimes they next experience a change.

We just say words and you're in.

They never connect life change with the decision.

When I grew up, every where you went affirmed the same values.

Today, the only place you're hearing any kind of Christian teaching is within the hour or half-hour message on Sunday.

The sheer volume of the secular teaching versus how long we get people.

Are you hopeful that this nation can enjoy that righteousness again?

I really wrestled with that before the message Sunday.

So I came to the conclusion. I said, "Yes, I'm hopeful."

Because God responded to the remnant.

I told the congregation, "I'm hopeful, because we can be the remnant."

These movements of the Spirit, I pray, God, do it again for us.