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ABORTIONBIBLE 4 -1

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WORSHIP

L Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal, C have mercy and hear us.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen  

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Worship - 2

C . I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the

HOLY SPIRIT AND BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen

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Worship - 3

L Show us your mercy, O Lord, C and grant us your salvation. L Clothe your ministers with righteousness. C Let your people sing with joy. L Give peace, O Lord, in all the world; C for only in you can we live in safety. L Lord, keep this nation under your care, C and guide us in the way of justice and truth. L Let your way be known upon earth; C your saving health among all nations. L Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten, C nor the hope of the poor be taken away. L Create in us clean hearts, O God, C and sustain us with your Holy Spirit.   L The Lord be with you. C And also with you.

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Worship - 4

L We give thanks to you, heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ your dear Son, that you have this day so graciously

protected us. We beg you to forgive us all our sins and the wrong which

we have done. By your great mercy defend us from all the perils and dangers of this night. Into your hands we commend our bodies and souls, and all that is ours. Let your holy angels have charge of us, that the wicked one have no power over us.

C Amen L Let us bless the Lord. C Thanks be to God. L The + Lord bless us, defend us from all evil, and bring us to

everlasting life. C Amen

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Experience

Imagine this is you in your mother’s womb

Does this baby have a right to live?

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Experience

Would you say this isn’t a baby? A human child?

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Discussion & reflection:

Is abortion about a woman’s right to choose?

What does the Bible say about abortion???

Let’s begin by saying what we think is being aborted.

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Discussion & reflection:

Listen to what some people are saying…Abortion is not murder. A fetus is not

considered a human life.If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so

that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life. -- Exodus 21:22-23

Is this how you interpret this text?

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Discussion & reflection:

Here’s another one. The Bible places no value on fetuses or infants less

than one month old.

And if it be from a month old even unto five years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male five shekels of silver, and for the female thy estimation shall be three shekels of silver. -- Leviticus 27:6

Does this text mean small infants have no value?

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Discussion & reflection:

Here is what the Bible really says…

Genesis 25: 21 And Isaac prayed to the LORD for his wife, because she was barren. And the LORD granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 The children struggled together within her

Job 32: 16 15 Did not he who made me in the womb make him?   And did not one fashion us in the womb?

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Discussion & reflection:

Psalm 22:10 On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother's womb you have been my God.

Psalm 71:6 Upon you I have leaned from before my birth; you are he who took me from my mother's womb. My praise is continually of you.

Psalm 139:13 For you formed my inward parts;    you knitted me together in my mother's womb.

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Discussion & reflection:

Isaiah 44:2 Thus says the LORD who made you,  who formed you from the womb and will help you: Fear not, O Jacob my servant,  Jeshurun whom I have chosen.

Isaiah 49:5a And now the LORD says, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant…

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Discussion & reflection:

In the Gospel of Luke, Elizabeth greets Mary …

Luke 1: 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

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Discussion & reflection:

Now, hear the word of our Lord…

Jeremiah 1: 4 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,and before you were born I consecrated you;I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

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Discussion & reflection:

Are there any exceptions?

Lutherans have, in the past, allowed abortions for three crisis situations… 1. Rape 2. Incest 3. Health of the mother.

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Discussion & reflection:

Let’s listen to our Lord Jesus when He said…

Matthew 19:14but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

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Discussion & reflection:

This is the other side of the abortion issue… caring for the children we do have, not only economically, socially, culturally, but especially spiritually!!!!

When you have your own children, will you take care not only of their physical and emotional health, but also and especially care for their spiritual health…by being a role model of faithfulness to Christ and Church?