The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-02/18/2016 DISCLAIMER: Baptist Press should be credited for any reprinted stories that originate with BP. Suggested credit line: Reprinted from Baptist Press (www.baptistpress.com), news service of the Southern Baptist Convention. Please note that Baptist Press periodically carries stories from other sources by permission. Individuals interested in reprinting non-BP stories should contact the entity where the story originated to seek reprint permission. -------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST-PERSON: When tears arrive by Diana Davis Date: February 18, 2016 - Thursday PENSACOLA, Fla. (BP) -- You slowly hang up the phone and close your eyes. "Lord, use me!" you pray. "Help me know how to ease her pain." When death comes to a member of your church or to an unchurched acquaintance, your acts of ministry can remind the bereaved of God's love for them. The days between a death and the memorial service can be difficult. What role can you play? As soon as you learn of the death, ask God to give you wisdom in how to minister to the family. God gives us this assurance and encouragement: "He gives us comfort in all our troubles. Then we can comfort other people who have the same troubles. We give the same kind of comfort God gives us" (2 Corinthians 1:4). When a time for bereavement ministry, try some of these ideas: The Hand-Holder. Your presence means a lot. Never overstay, of course, but when you're there during crisis, it's a reminder of God's love. Share a prayer. A hug. A tear. A Scripture written on a note card. The Food Organizer. Five dishes of macaroni might be too much of a good thing. If you're organizing food for their guests or a funeral meal, consider using one of the many free online schedulers, such as TakeThemAMeal.com. The Book Sharer. Find an encouraging pamphlet or book to share. Be sure it's heavy on Scripture, the best words of comfort. I often give Joyce Rogers' book, "Grace for the Widow" to recent widows. On the inside cover, write a note to tell something you loved about the deceased. The Gesturer. Carefully observe needs, then help meet them. Do they need a pet-sitter? A phone answerer? Babysitter during funeral? Help with airport pickup? Mow the lawn. Offer to pick up kids at school. Deliver flowers from your garden to brighten their home. Write your phone number on a card and offer specific help. The Rolodex King. When requested, a member of our church would help a grieving family to finish making personal notifications. After they'd called their closest friends, the volunteer sits in the kitchen with their list to complete the calls. The Bag Lady. Early preparation enhances ministry. Stock up on sympathy cards. Keep a frozen casserole, soup or cookies for quick crisis ministry. Prepackage a grocery bag with paper towels, plates, cups, napkins, toilet paper and plastic utensils, and when you learn of a death, deliver it immediately to help with their guests. Plan ahead. The Elephant. (No, I'm referring to memory, not size.) The moment you learn of the death, mark that date on your calendar each month for at least a year. This will remind you to pray, call, send a note or take him or her to coffee. Listen with love. Pray with them. When death comes to those around you, act quickly. Move gently. Love largely. When someone in your church or community dies, your timely touch in Jesus' name shows that you and your God truly care. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Riding a Harley & the mission of God by Tim Yarbrough/Arkansas Baptist News Date: February 18, 2016 - Thursday LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (BP) -- I ran across a Twitter post by a motorcyclist the other day reminding fellow bikers to always stop when they see one of their own broken down on the side of the road. The comment got me to thinking about things I've learned riding my Harley-Davidson Road King along the highways and byways of our state, including the Pastor/Staff Motorcycle Ride sponsored by the Arkansas Baptist State Convention and the Arkansas Baptist News last summer. About 25 of us participated, including Sonny Tucker, the convention's executive director. As I consider the believer's calling and mission to the cause of Jesus Christ and to make Him known, there are some biker parallels: (1) Stay alert. It is imperative for Christians, much like bikers, to stay alert and focused. Failing to do so can result in severe injury or even death. (2) Refer to the map. The road map for Christians is clear and found in the Bible. It is important to refer to the road map often or, like the biker, risk getting off-course and becoming disoriented. (3) Read the signs. Signs along the roadway alert motorcyclists to things like uneven surfaces and dangerous intersections, but it also is important to keep watch for obstacles that have no warning, such as road debris and other dangerous hazards. (4) Share the road. Hogging the road and having a sense of entitlement to the right of way is something bikers must not do and can be quite foolish. As Christians, we know the Truth and we should share it with love and respect -- allowing God to be the judge. (5) Anticipate the unexpected. The old adage is true: "If it can happen, it probably will." Bikers must ride defensively, always on their guard for motorists around them. Christians must do likewise, expecting and anticipating that the storms of life will come and that one's faith will be challenged. (6) Enjoy the journey. For bikers, it is "all about the ride" and the "fun of getting there." For Christians, we are only on Earth for a short time. Rather than live our lives disengaged and disconnected, avoiding sharing our faith and doing the work of our heavenly Father, we should work faithfully to embrace our calling and enjoy the journey of being a light amid darkness and aliens in a foreign land! -------------------------------------------------------------------- Most Americans unfazed by Planned Parenthood videos by Bob Smietana Date: February 18, 2016 - Thursday NASHVILLE (BP) -- "What videos?" seems to be the reaction of most Americans to the series of undercover videos targeting Planned Parenthood over the past six months, according to a new LifeWay Research survey. The videos made national headlines, provoked outrage in Congress and prompted investigations in about a dozen states. In showing undercover activists from the Center for Medical Progress discussing with Planned Parenthood officials possible payments for donated fetal remains, CMP contends the videos show Planned Parenthood illegally selling fetal remains. Planned Parenthood denies the claim. The LifeWay Research phone survey of 1,000 Americans found that 7 out of 10 are either unaware of the videos (43 percent) or have not spoken out after seeing them (27 percent). Among those who are aware of the videos, LifeWay Research found that, overall, about 1 in 5 Americans (18 percent) spoke out against Planned Parenthood after the videos became public. One in 8 (12 percent) spoke in support Planned Parenthood. "Given the serious accusations against Planned Parenthood -- that they sold baby parts -- it is surprising how few Americans responded," said Ed Stetzer, executive director of LifeWay Research. The survey was completed in September at a time the videos received renewed attention during a debate among Republican presidential candidates. "The videos caught many people's attention, even prompting Hilary Clinton to call them disturbing, yet Americans remain quite divided on abortion," Stetzer said. "That division appears to be reflected even in their views on such videos." Researchers found religion plays a role in how Americans responded. Self-identified evangelicals (29 percent) and Christians (23 percent) are more likely to have criticized Planned Parenthood. Nones -- those who claim no religious affiliation -- are more likely to have supported Planned Parenthood (17 percent). Americans with evangelical beliefs (27 percent) and weekly churchgoers (also 27 percent) are more likely to speak out against Planned Parenthood than other Americans. Researchers also found regional differences in responses. About a third of Midwesterners (34 percent) are unaware of the videos. That figure jumps to about half for Americans in the South (46 percent) and West (48 percent). Also, Midwesterners are most likely to have spoken out against Planned Parenthood (21 percent) as well as in support of Planned Parenthood (17 percent). Southerners (20 percent) were more likely to have spoken out against Planned Parenthood than those from the Northeast (13 percent). The largest differences in awareness of the videos occur across racial/ethnic groups. One out of 3 whites (32 percent) are unaware of the videos, but more than 6 in 10 African Americans (60 percent), Hispanics (66 percent), and people of other ethnicities (61 percent) do not know about them. Among other findings: -- Men and women had similar responses to the survey, as did Catholics and Protestants. -- Americans over 65 (25 percent) are more likely to have spoken out against Planned Parenthood than those 18 to 24 (7 percent). Americans who are 18 to 24 (18 percent) are more likely to have supported Planned Parenthood than those who are 25 to 34 (9 percent), 35 to 44 (5 percent) or 55 to 64 (9 percent). The reaction to the videos may provide a lesson to pro-life groups, Stetzer said. While the videos seemed to connect with churchgoers, older and white Americans and those in the Midwest and South, they missed younger Americans and those from diverse backgrounds. "Through social media it is easy to assume everyone in America is having the same conversation," Stetzer said. "But these results show that is not the case." Methodology: The phone survey of Americans was conducted Sept. 14-28, 2015. The calling utilized Random Digit Dialing. Fifty percent of completes were among landlines and 50 percent among cellphones. Maximum quotas and slight weights were used for gender, region, age, ethnicity and education to more accurately reflect the population. The completed sample is 1,000 surveys. The sample provides 95 percent confidence that the sampling error does not exceed plus or minus 3.6 percent. Margins of error are higher in subgroups. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Luter, on race relations, sees church as unifier by Marilyn Stewart Date: February 18, 2016 - Thursday NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- Race relations issues have not improved since the election of the first African American U.S. president, but the church can lead in modeling reconciliation, said Fred Luter Jr., immediate past president of the Southern Baptist Convention, the first African American to hold the position. Luter, speaking on a Black History Month video, "Answering the Call" produced by New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, said, "I really thought this nation was ready to move forward" with the historic election of Barack Obama that garnered votes from Anglos as well as diverse ethnic groups. "As much as we needed racial reconciliation in America, I really thought that was the opportunity for our nation to come together and make us one as a nation," Luter said. "But unfortunately ... that's not the case." Luter, pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, expressed optimism for the future as the body of Christ leads the way as an agent for social change. In analyzing today's situation, Luter quoted a pastor-friend who states it this way: "America doesn't have a skin problem, we have a sin problem." When the sin problem is resolved through faith in Christ, racial reconciliation follows, Luter said, noting that the church has both the responsibility and capability to model what it means to be brothers and sisters in Christ. "We can be one," Luter said. "Regardless of your race, regardless of what side of the track you were born on, regardless of all the things the media and society have tried to do to divide us, we can be one." As the SBC's first African American president, race isn't an issue he can avoid, Luter said, citing one question that consistently comes up when he is interviewed by journalists. "Every last one of them asked this question: Why would a black man want to be president of a convention that started because of slavery?" Luter said his answer was always the same. "Racism, segregation is a part of our past, but that's the thing: it's our past." The Southern Baptist Convention has addressed the past and has taken deliberative action to demonstrate its desire to be diverse, he said. "We regret the past of this convention," Luter said. "This convention has publicly apologized for our past.... We've made it known through resolutions that we want this convention to be diverse, and it is. I believe the Southern Baptist Convention is the most diverse convention of any in America.... There is no other convention that comes close to our diversity in the Southern Baptist Convention." Luter said he longs for the day when the topic of conversation will be inroads Southern Baptists have made in evangelism, discipleship and in changing the world -- "where I can go to a church ... and be introduced not as the first African American president, but as, 'This is our brother, Fred Luter.' That's my prayer for this convention and for America." 'A win-win situation' Luter pointed to the close relationship between the church he leads and New Orleans Seminary, a friendship benefitting both, modeling what Christians can learn from one another. As a young pastor with a background as a National Baptist, Luter said he was at first unaware of what NOBTS offered in terms of theological education, continuing education and resources. With his church located two miles from the campus, "a great partnership" developed. "I began to appreciate all that this seminary had to offer us, a small mission church in the inner city," Luter said. As regular chapel speaker at NOBTS and a national alumni officer, Luter invites students to visit and join with Franklin Avenue Baptist Church. For some, it is their first experience worshipping in a predominantly African American church, Luter said. "I think it's a win-win situation," Luter said. "What New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary has meant to Franklin Avenue, but also what Franklin Avenue Baptist Church has meant to New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary." 'Hope from Heartache' In a separate Black History Month video produced by NOBTS, "Hope from Heartache", several African American NOBTS students share what it means to follow in the steps of those who dared to step out onto a long road to equality. The students honor the freedom won by pioneers Frederick Douglas, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and others, yet they point to a greater freedom won by Christ, a freedom through which they find victory over sin and the grace to forgive. "I have experienced everything from total, complete acceptance to harsh and blatant racism," said Joy Pigg, a bachelor of arts in Christian ministry student in the seminary's Leavell College. "It has developed my faith because it has taught me really what grace is and what forgiveness means. It has helped me understand the gravity of how God has forgiven us for this problem of sin." In Christ, where loss is redeemed and heartache gains meaning, the students speak of a passion to take hope and healing to those in need. Answering God's call to serve, they say, brought them to NOBTS. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Bible Study: Feb. 21, 2016 by Staff/LifeWay Christian Resources Date: February 18, 2016 - Thursday NASHVILLE (BP) -- This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, LifeWay publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups. This week's Bible study is adapted from the Explore the Bible curriculum. Bible Passage: Matthew 12:38-42 Discussion Questions: What is required for you to believe someone is telling you the truth? What role does their past play in you trusting them today? Food for Thought: Living and working in a city that attracts tourists fills my lunch walks with interesting encounters. I always enjoy watching people taking selfies in front of local attractions, restaurants and landmarks. I often encounter tourists who are lost, trying to find a specific place, or want a restaurant recommendation. The conversation usually begins by them asking me if I am from this area. I tell them I am and we go from there. Rarely do they ask me to prove that I know what I am talking about or to show my driver's license as proof. They just trust me, following my recommendation or directions. Jesus was teaching about the kingdom of God and some local leaders wanted to see His credentials. They had already seen some of His miracles but that was not enough, nor were they willing to accept Jesus at His word. They wanted a sign. Jesus told them that the sign would be His death, burial and resurrection. He also told them that failing to trust Him would lead to judgment. The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus are the key to all He did and does in securing our salvation. We either believe in that resurrection or we don't. Everything else hinges on the truth of the resurrection. To me, it is a little strange that most of us will trust the directions given to us by a stranger who claims to be a "local," but will not believe in the truth of the Gospel. We always seem to want one more proof before we trust God. We have the resurrection and His Word. Could He do something greater? What more do we really need? Remember, Jesus was talking to good people, religious people. We can be just as unbelieving, always demanding a sign before we act. Faith is about taking God at His Word -- sign or no sign. Explore the Bible Explore the Bible is an ongoing Bible study curriculum that helps groups dig into the key truths of each Bible book, while keeping the group on pace to study through the Bible books in a systematic way. More information can be found at LifeWay.com/ExploreTheBible. Other ongoing Bible study options for all ages offered by LifeWay can be found at LifeWay.com/SundaySchool. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Trump receives 'tough questions' on social issues by David Roach Date: February 18, 2016 - Thursday NASHVILLE (BP) -- Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has received an open letter from Focus on the Family's CitizenLink network asking him to clarify what CitizenLink's president called a "contradictory record" on abortion and religious freedom among other social issues. The Trump campaign has not responded directly to the Feb. 17 letter but addressed some issues raised in the letter in a series of press releases Feb. 15-16. Baptist Press contacted the Trump campaign the afternoon of Feb. 17 but had not received a response by its publication deadline Feb. 18. CitizenLink's letter, signed by President Paul Weber and the leaders of 25 state-based partner organizations, also raised questions related to government funding of Planned Parenthood, nomination of Supreme Court justices, Trump's personal character and other issues. CitizenLink is affiliated with but legally separate from Focus on the Family and promotes public policy it believes is consistent with a Christian worldview. "Time is ticking," Weber said in a news release, "and we want Mr. Trump to clear up his contradictory record on issues Americans care about. We have invited Mr. Trump several times to join our Presidential Candidate Teleconference Series. He has yet to accept, and our constituents are left wondering." CitizenLink, which has not endorsed any candidate, has hosted teleconferences with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina participated in teleconferences prior to suspending their campaigns. Neurosurgeon Ben Carson is scheduled for a teleconference later this month. Among the questions posed by CitizenLink which Trump has addressed in news releases: -- "After years of describing yourself as 'pro-choice in every respect' -- even supporting partial-birth abortion -- you now say that you are pro-life. Your explanation for this change of position -- that a baby who was nearly aborted ended up being a 'superstar' -- is confusing, particularly since you acknowledged that if the child had been 'a loser,' your pro-abortion position probably wouldn't have changed. Please explain this utilitarian view of the sanctity of human life. Do you consider life only worth protecting if it meets certain criteria, and, if so, what are those criteria?" Trump addressed his change of view regarding abortion in an op-ed on his campaign website, one of three releases Trump issued in mid-February declaring himself pro-life. "Let me be clear -- I am pro-life," Trump wrote. "I support that position with exceptions allowed for rape, incest or the life of the mother being at risk. I did not always hold this position, but I had a significant personal experience that brought the precious gift of life into perspective for me. My story is well documented, so I will not retell it here." -- "How do you square your new position on life with your statements in 2015 supporting continued taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion seller?" Trump, while not mentioning Planned Parenthood by name, denounced "the half billion dollars given to abortion providers every year by Congress" -- the amount of federal funding Planned Parenthood receives annually. "The Supreme Court in 1973," Trump wrote, "based their [Roe v. Wade] decision on imagining rights and liberties in the Constitution that are nowhere to be found. Even if we take the court at its word, that abortion is a matter of privacy, we should then extend the argument to the logical conclusion that private funds, then, should subsidize this choice rather than the half billion dollars given to abortion providers every year by Congress. Public funding of abortion providers is an insult to people of conscience at the least and an affront to good governance at best." -- "You've recommended your sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, for the [Supreme Court]. Yet, as a federal judge, she overturned the New Jersey Partial-Birth Abortion Ban, writing that it 'burdened a woman's constitutional right to obtain an abortion.' How can we trust you to nominate judges who will respect the constitutional limits on judicial power and uphold the sanctity of human life?" Trump has said he was joking when he mentioned his sister as a potential Supreme Court justice, The New York Times reported Feb. 17. In a news release, Trump called himself "the only candidate who has gone so far, at the [Feb. 13 GOP] debate, as to suggest two individuals I feel would best represent the conservative values we need to protect: William 'Bill' Pryor Jr. and Diane Sykes." He added, "I will appoint a great conservative." Sykes, a former justice on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, was nominated by George W. Bush to the Seventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Pryor was appointed by George W. Bush to the Eleventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a 2004 congressional recess appointment after Senate Democrats initially blocked his confirmation. Pryor previously had called Roe v. Wade "the worst abomination in constitutional law history," according to a transcript of his 2003 confirmation hearing. Cruz has said he would have nominated former federal appellate Judge Michael Luttig to fill a 2005 Supreme Court vacancy. Among CitizenLink's questions on topics not addressed by Trump in this week's news releases: -- "You claim to support religious freedom, yet a leading gay-activist organization calls you 'one of the best, if not the best, pro-gay Republican candidates to ever run for the presidency' -- particularly because of your 'standout position' when it comes to legislation that forces Christian business owners -- and others of faith -- to either betray their conscience or lose their business. How do you reconcile these contradictory positions?" -- "You have built your campaign on lifting the economic outlook of lower-income Americans, yet you built your fortune in part on gambling, which preys on those very people. How will you make America great when you've run businesses associated with increased crime, bankruptcies, broken marriages and suicides?" -- "The first casino in the nation to add a strip club was Trump Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City, which boasts of '36,000 square feet of adult entertainment.' What would you say to young girls and women who are concerned about a president who is directly connected with the exploitation of women?" BP contacted two Southern Baptists who have made remarks supportive of Trump: Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas, and Jerry Falwell Jr., president of Liberty University, who has endorsed Trump. Neither was available to provide comments Feb. 18. The full text of CitizenLink's letter is available at www.citizenlink.com/trump/. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Church's 500 volunteers make community-wide impact by Barbara Denman/Florida Baptist Convention Date: February 18, 2016 - Thursday SARASOTA, Fla. (BP) -- Wearing bright blue T-shirts proclaiming "I love Sarasota," nearly 500 members of Sarasota Baptist Church -- from children to octogenarians -- fanned out across the area to show the love of Christ during the first week of February. "We challenged our people to take a one-week mission trip to Sarasota," pastor Mike Landry said. "We are on mission to our community, and to just love on our city." In all, volunteers participated in 30 projects across the city -- visiting nursing homes, where they sang and read to residents; delivering homemade treats to police stations and sheriffs' offices; and handing out gift bags for mothers at a pregnancy center. At local schools, church members rocked babies of teen moms attending classes, stocked books in a media center and installed a garden wall. They built homes with Habitat for Humanity; provided food at The Salvation Army homeless shelter; and donated clothes and hygiene products and distributed them to the homeless in downtown Sarasota. At the Sarasota National Cemetery, families with children of all ages took out their scrub brushes to clean the white, marbled markers and gravesites of veterans. The church sponsored a luncheon for veterans and a second one for widows in the community to shower them with love, compassion and dignity. And free babysitting was provided at the church's preschool on Friday night for parents, many who are unchurched. "Behind what we are doing is to lead people to Christ," Landry said. But first: "We have to love them and meet practical needs, loving them unconditionally and not expecting anything in return. When they ask why we are doing this, we will tell them it's because of Jesus." Additionally, church members made commitments for personal ministries such as distributing tracts at their places of business and schools, performing random acts of kindness and donating to Sarasota-area ministries. "We want to mobilize our people to use their gifts to help others," Landry said. "As a result, we hope people will find their own ministry and it will spur them on to do more." Carol Wheeler said she had often considered taking a mission trip but could never manage to find the funds for travel. But being on mission in her own hometown gave her a special opportunity. Handing out hot meals, clothes and Bibles to the homeless in downtown Sarasota allowed her to pray with and talk to the men and women there. "This was my first mission trip and I didn't know I could do it. It softened my heart," Wheeler said. "I had tears streaming down my face the whole time." She prayed with a middle-aged man who said he had AIDS. "He asked why I was there," she recounted. "I told him, 'Because Jesus loves you and we do too. It is my honor to help you.'" She assured the man that he can experience God's presence, even in his darkest moments. Minister of youth Jared Windham shared Christ with a group of men who play basketball at the church each Monday night. That week, the church grilled hot dogs for the "mostly unchurched" men, he said. After presenting the Gospel and walking them through the plan of salvation, eight of the 40 men in attendance made professions of faith. One of the players, who is a church member, will begin a ministry to follow up with the new believers. On Tuesday morning Windham shared the Gospel with students in a club meeting at a local middle school. "Two gave their lives to Christ," he reported. Another meeting at a local arts school resulted in 12 students praying to receive Christ. Volunteer Rose Pelot coordinated the activities of the week-long outreach. She began contacting schools and groups where church members previously have had ministries. "I had no idea where this was all going. God just kept putting people and needs in front of us. "We have had such positive feedback from our volunteers, many who want to keep doing the ministries. And others who said it has given them a new sense of belonging." "This week has been tremendous," said Rod Boatwright, the church's mission pastor. "Our own people are getting excited about ministering to others. It's amazing." Landry said he had hoped and prayed that the community mission trip "would mobilize a very large portion of our church body to participate. My prayers were answered and over 50 percent of our average weekly attendance participated. "I believe the effectiveness of a church ministry is based more on how many people are on mission in a given week," he said, "than are in attendance at a worship service on a given Sunday."