Does all life have dignity and worth?
If you stopped to survey our society, you might be tempted to answer, “no.” To have dignity means you are worthy of honor; to have worth means you are valuable. And yet, so many people feel they don’t have either. 2020 was a year filled with much talk of death—as we enter 2021, we want to talk about life. The sanctity of human life means that all human life has dignity and worth—this means unborn children has worth, people with special needs have worth, people of all races have worth… and even when you are depressed and feel like you are worthless… you have worth… and dignity. As Russell Moore says so aptly, “Our pro-life witness ought to be seen in Sunday schools filled with children with fetal alcohol syndrome and autism and cerebral palsy and AIDS who are hugged and loved and received because we see in the Jesus and because we embrace a gospel that told us a long time ago that life is better than death.”
Over the next four weeks we are going to talk about how all human life has… dignity and worth. All people are worthy of life and flourishing. How can we advocate for this? Join us to find out.
Resources:
Week 1 – Dignity and Mental Health
- Suicide National lifeline 1-800-273-TALK
- Book: Dr. Tim Clinton and Dr. Jared Pingleton, The Struggle is Real. (Westbow Press, 2017)
- Book and Audio Teaching: Martin Lloyd Jones, Spiritual Depression (Eerdmans, 1965)
- Training: Certified Mental Health Coach training from the AACC (American Association for Christian Counselors). https://lightuniversity.com/mentalhealthcoach/
Week 2 – Dignity and Special Needs
- Hubach, Stephanie. Same Lake, Different Boat: Coming Alongside Those Touched Disability (Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Press, 2006).
- Eldrige, Amy. The Heart of an Orphan.
- Organizations:
- Joni and Friends: https://www.joniandfriends.org/
- Love Without Boundaries: lovewithoutboundaries.com
Schedule:
11/29 – Week 1 – KING OF HOPE: – BOB
How has this year devastated your hopes? This sermon should focus on the Promised King of the OT, predictions, types and shadows in all the OT Kings
Text ideas: OT Prophecies; Isa 9, Micah 5, other types and shadows, David, Solomon, etc. (other texts as needed)
12/6 – Week 2 – KING OF PEACE – DAVE
How has this year destroyed your peace? This sermon focuses on Jesus as a different kind of King, compared to King Herod, a ruthless, arrogant tyrant, Jesus came to bring peace through humility and sacrifice, ”God and sinners reconciled.” Text ideas: Matthew 2; Romans 5:1 (other texts as needed)
12/13 – Week 3 – KING OF JOY – DAVE
How has this year stolen your joy? This sermon focuses on the unshakeable source of joy as we rejoice in God our savior. Text ideas: Luke 1 – The Magnificat; Luke 2 – “Good tidings of great joy” (other texts as needed)
12/20 – Week 4 – KING OF LOVE – BOB
How has this year threatened our love for others? How is Jesus the answer as the one who loved his enemies and His kingdom shows a better way.
Text idea: John 3:16; Romans 5:8 (Other texts as needed)
12/23 – Christmas Eve Eve – The King is Here
This has been a very difficult year. How can the message of Christmas be exactly what we need in 2020?
How can the presence of our savior make a difference in our shattered lives?
12/24 – Christmas Eve – same as above
Resources Cont.:
Week 3 – Dignity and Race
- Yancey, George. Beyond Racial Gridlock: Embracing Mutual Responsibility (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2006).
- Newbell, Trillia. United: Captured by God’s Vision for Diversity (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2014).
- Tisby, Jemar. The Color of Compromise (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2019).
- Williams, Thaddeus. Confronting Injustice Without Compromising Truth (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2020).
- Organizations:
- The Center for Biblical Unity: centerforbiblicalunity.org
- The John and Vera Mae Perkins Foundations: jvmpf.org
- YouTube Video with Dr. Pat Sawyer— “What is Systemic Injustice?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8m9gTQkCjA
- Movie: Just Mercy (Also book of same title by Bryan Stevenson)
Week 4 – Dignity for the Unborn
- First Choice Women’s Resource Centers https://1stchoice.org/
- Book – Life, Marriage and Religious Liberty Life, Marriage, and Religious Liberty: What Belongs to God, What Belongs to Caesar. by David S. Dockery (Author), John Stonestreet (Author) Publisher: Fidelis Books (2019)
- Film – Unplanned featuring the story of Abby Johnson
- Articles:
- “Why Abortion Makes Sense.” JUNE 1, 2016 | JONATHAN LEEMAN • MATTHEW ARBO https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/why-abortion-makes-sense/
- “Rebutting Objections to the Pro Life Position.” https://tabletalkmagazine.com/article/2019/08/rebutting-objections-to-the-pro-life-position/
Week 5 – Dignity and the End of Life
- Beckwith, Francis J., and Geisler, Norman L. Matters of Life and Death. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1991.
- Frame, John M. Medical Ethics: Principles, Persons, and Problems. Phillipsburg NJ: P & R Publishing, 1988.
- Koop, C. Everett. The Right to Live, The Right to Die. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1976.
- Schaeffer, Francis A and Koop, C Everett. Whatever Happened to the Human Race? Old Tappan NJ: Fleming H Revell Company, 1979.
- Tada, Joni Eareckson. The Life and Death Dilemma. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995.
- Thielicke, Helmut. Living with Death (trans. by Geoffrey W Bromiley). Grand Rapids: William B Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1983.
- Articles:
- Butler, Kathryn. “4 Biblical Principals for End of Life Dilemmas.” https://erlc.com/resource-library/articles/4-biblical-principles-for-end-of-life-dilemmas/
- Burke, Jessica. “We Need Our Elderly Neighbors.” https://erlc.com/resource-library/articles/we-need-our-elderly-neighbors/
Resources:
1. Tim Keller’s, “Hidden Christmas”
2. Tim Keller – Message on Psalm 2 “Jesus our King”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjMGMUuNpZ4
We have a king 2. We hate the king 3. We need the king)
3. John Piper – “Coronavirus and Christ.” E BOOK https://document.desiringgod.org/coronavirus-and-christ-en.pdf?ts=1586278809
Schedule:
11/29 – Week 1 – KING OF HOPE: – BOB
12/6 – Week 2 – KING OF PEACE – DAVE
12/13 – Week 3 – KING OF JOY – DAVE
12/20 – Week 4 – KING OF LOVE – BOB
12/23 – Christmas Eve Eve – The King is Here
12/24 – Christmas Eve – same as above
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