Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey - Ep 738 | My Response to 'Christian' Pro-Choice Congresswomen | Guest: Ericka Andersen

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey, this is Steve Day. If you're listening to Allie, you already understand that the biggest issues facing our country aren't just political. They're moral, spiritual, and rooted in what we believe is true about God, humanity, and reality itself. On the Steve Day show, we take the news of the day and tested against first principles, faith, truth, and objective reality. We don't just chase narratives and we don't offer false comfort. We ask the hard questions and follow the answers wherever they leave, even when it's unpopular. This is a show for people who want honesty over hype and clarity over chaos. If you're looking for commentary grounded in conviction and unwilling to lie to you about where we are or where we're headed, you can watch this D-Day show right here on Blaze TV

Starting point is 00:00:36 or listen wherever you get podcasts. I hope you'll join us. Democrats oppose yet again a bill that would protect babies who survive abortions as well as a resolution passed in the House condemning the violent attacks on pro-life pregnancy centers. It's not a surprise at this point. But I've got a response. to all of that. And then we've got a very encouraging conversation with author Erica Anderson about the church, why the local church is necessary and why the church in particular needs women and why women need the local church. You'll love that conversation. Thanks so much for joining and happy Thursday. Okay, y'all, you've almost made it through the week. This is like the first

Starting point is 00:01:30 week that the year really started, all your resolutions, all your goals, all that stuff. it really started this week. Or if it didn't start for you this week, it can always start next week. Or I can start tomorrow. God's mercies are new every morning like we talked about on Monday. All right. To close this week, we're going to have a very encouraging interview, as I said, in the intro at the end of this with Erica Anderson about the importance of going to church. Maybe that's a resolution that you have. Maybe you're like this year is the year that I go back to church, that I start tithing, that I become a member of a local gospel preaching church. We're going to talk about that, how to do that, what that looks like, and why it is so important,

Starting point is 00:02:13 especially for you moms out there, to make sure that you are plugged into a local church. But first, I want to talk about this abortion stuff that happened this week on the house floor. There was an abortion bill that was voted on and passed in the house yesterday on Wednesday. It's HR 26, the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. This is not the first time that this, that this bill has been voted on. We've talked about this several times in the past. There was a Senate bill that was put forth by Ben Sass. I believe it was maybe 2019 that said the same thing.

Starting point is 00:02:48 Basically that doctors have to exercise the same degree of care as would. This is what the bill says reasonably be provided to any other child born alive at the same gestational age and ensure the child is immediately admitted to a hospital. to a hospital. Additionally, a healthcare practitioner or other employee who has knowledge of a failure to comply with the degree of care requirements must immediately report such failure to law enforcement. A health care provider, a practitioner who fails to provide the required degree of care or a health care practitioner or other employee who fails to report such failure is subject to criminal penalties of flying up to five years in prison or both. An individual who intentionally kills or attempts to kill a child born alive is subject to prosecution for murder. The bill bars, the criminal prosecution of a mother of a child born alive under this bill and allows her to bring a civil action against a health care practitioner or other employee for violation. So here we are talking about a child who survives an abortion saying that, hey, this abortionist, these so-called health care providers that are involved in this abortion, if that child survives your attempt to murder him or her, you must provide that child health care. And you might say, well, isn't a bill like this unnecessary? Isn't that already required? No, it's not already required.

Starting point is 00:04:07 When I was giving my testimony for the pro-life side on the House floor in 2019, I read story after story of women who went to get an abortion, usually a pretty late-term abortion, where the child survived. The child was struggling for breath, was writhing in pain, was wiggling and taking its dying breaths and the mothers seeing their child alive, begged the doctors, please save my child, please do something and they did nothing. Those doctors, those providers did nothing. In some cases, the child was literally put in a waste bucket and thrown away like trash. There was a terrible story of a nurse who used to help abortion. She went into a closet like a janitor's closet

Starting point is 00:04:57 where there were babies, some as old as 24 weeks old, who had survived abortions and were literally put in there to die. There was a little child that she held in her hands who was aborted because he had Down syndrome and he took his dying, shaking breaths in her arms. These are not exaggerations. These are not fables. These are not tactics for emotional manipulation. This happens every year in this country where babies are born alive.

Starting point is 00:05:25 Kermit Gossnell. You don't know who he is. Look him up. Look up Leroy Carhart. Again, these are not just tales that we pro-lifers tell you to try to guilt you into being pro-life. I'm telling you the reality of abortion. And even when that is not the case, when the baby doesn't survive outside the womb, the only difference between the baby outside of the womb and the baby inside the womb is time and location. There's no difference. And so even if the baby is only alive inside the womb, that baby is still being poisoned or dismembered brutally violently murdered in some way. And so Republicans are not even in this bill restricted abortion in any way. They are simply saying, hey, if that baby survives and is outside the womb, you got to do something about it to help that child.

Starting point is 00:06:13 And Democrats said no. Every Democrat except for two said no. Doctors should not be required to provide a little. breathing child outside the womb with help. Remember the Democrat governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam, how he said on a radio show that it should be up to the doctor and the parents if a baby survives an abortion, what to do with that child, that you make that child comfortable as you decide what to do. That's murder. That's murder. All right? And so if you are supporting the side who is vehemently and totally unabashedly, unapologetically,

Starting point is 00:06:53 supporting the murder of unborn children. And the murder and the negligence toward born children, what are you doing? What are you doing? There's no excuse for that. I'm going to play you a couple clips in just a second of Democrats defending this, calling this an extremist bill, and then I've got some criticism for Republicans as well.

Starting point is 00:07:20 Hey, this is Steve Deast. If you're listening to Allie, you already understand that the biggest issues facing our country aren't just political. They're moral, spiritual, and rooted in what we believe is true about God, humanity, and reality itself. On the Steve Day show, we take the news of the day and tested against first principles, faith, truth, and objective reality. We don't just chase narratives and we don't offer false comfort. We ask the hard questions and follow the answers wherever they leave, even when it's unpopular. This is a show for people who want honesty over hype and clarity over chaos.

Starting point is 00:07:49 If you're looking for commentary grounded in conviction and unwilling to lie to you about where we are or where we're headed, you can watch this Steve Day show right here on Blaze, TV or listen wherever you get podcasts. I hope you'll join us. Here is Sheila Jackson Lee. Sheila Jackson Lee is a Democrat representative from Houston. She has represented Houston for a very long time, who I guess is very glad about the disproportionate rate of black babies who are aborted every year instead of doing anything

Starting point is 00:08:23 to make it easier for these women to keep their children. She is ensuring that these women have access to the murder. of their children. And here she is defending that when it comes to the debate on this bill. I know that this is a most personal decision and one that families do not want to make. But as a person of faith, I believe it should be that woman, that family, that God, and that doctor. As a person of faith, what faith is it? What faith is it? I'm guessing she believes that she is a Christian. And what faith is it in, if it is supposedly Christian faith that informs your view that killing the life of an innocent person, taking the life of an innocent person is a personal choice? Is taking the life of an innocent person outside the womb, just a personal choice between those two people and God?

Starting point is 00:09:22 No, we think that the law should be involved there. We tend to believe that human beings have human rights, right? I mean, and these rights exist to protect everyone, but in particular, the most vulnerable. And when those rights are infringed upon, most fundamentally the right to life, we believe that the law should step in and then punish the person who is taking the life of that person. So why does that not apply to human beings who just happen to be inside of the womb and certainly human beings who are outside of the womb by a few seconds? I promise you that the Christian faith does not defend that.

Starting point is 00:09:56 you were deluding yourself, just like Hakeem Jeffries yesterday was deluding himself, and God will not be mocked, as Galatian 6 says. I promise you that one day there will be vengeance for the blood of the infants that have been murdered by abortion. Do not be on the wrong side of that Christian. Here is another pro-choice Christian, she says, a Democrat, let's see, from the from the state of Michigan. Now, pro-choice Christian is an oxymoron.

Starting point is 00:10:31 You can be wrong about many things as a Christian. I've been wrong about many things as a Christian. That doesn't necessarily mean that you're not a Christian, but it does mean that you will eventually, if you are a true Christian, be sanctified out of your support for legal abortion. Hillary Shulton, if she is a true Christian from Michigan, she has not yet reached that point in her sanctification. I pray that she does.

Starting point is 00:10:54 but here is her convoluted justification of supporting legal abortion as a Christian. As a pro-choice Christian who chose life, this issue is so personal to me. My faith informs my actions, but it doesn't dictate the policy of an entire nation. And further, when I read the scripture, I turn to passages and I'm guided by passages like Jeremiah 1 versus 5, which states, I knew you before I formed you and I placed you in your mother's womb. Doesn't say the government's womb or the speaker's womb. It says the mothers. Am I allowed to say, am I allowed to say that she's an idiot? I mean, okay, let me say that that is idiotic. She's probably not an idiot. Like, she's probably actually very smart. But I mean,

Starting point is 00:11:44 I don't know. If I were a so-called pro-choice Christian, I think I would just be avoiding Jeremiah 1-5 and pretending like it doesn't exist. But she actually used. this verse, which categorically shows that God cares and purposely ordains life inside the womb to then justify the legalization of the dismemberment of that child? Girl, remember, do not be on the wrong side of God who will come in vengeance for the blood of the infants who have been slaughtered in this country and everywhere. It makes me shudder to think of that. I'm so glad that we have a God who is storing up wrath. I am so glad that we have a God who,

Starting point is 00:12:29 according to Psalm 37, will do something about the evil and the wickedness of this world. And only by grace through faith can any of us be on the right side? It's not our politics. It's not our ideological stances. It's not our opinions that puts us on the right side. Is it only Christ who puts us on the right side? But Christ sanctifies our heart and our mind so that we are in alignment with God's truth. You are either not a Christian or you are not in the point of your sanctification yet where you have been able to see the truth of the wickedness that you are supporting. That has an eternal impact. All right. We don't have very much time. I also wanted to point out this clip by Ianna Presley, who is also a Democratic representative because there was this

Starting point is 00:13:15 other bill or resolution that was passed in the House. And it was titled, Expressing the Sense of Congress can expressing the sense of Congress condemning the recent attacks on pro-life facilities, groups and churches? Is that really what it's called? That's interesting. So the resolution detailed 35 attacks on pro-life facilities groups and churches since May 2, 2022. The Dobbs leak, by the way, who leaked the Dobbs decision? Interesting that we still don't know that. It says whereas the Biden administration has failed to take action to respond to the radical attacks on pro-life facilities groups and churches or to protect the rights of these organizations. And whereas these attacks on pro-life facilities groups and churches have included

Starting point is 00:13:54 vandalism. And so it's asking the Biden administration to do something about that. Interesting that they've done nothing. That's because our DOJ is completely ideological, completely political. The same people who say that they care about fascism apparently have nothing to say about the fascistic methods of our so-called justice. A department, you guys know how much these pro-life facilities do to actually give women a choice and to provide them. the safety and security and the resources to choose life for their children, the most loving and supportive and incredible in God-glorifying places, I think, in this country. And here's what Democrat Ayanna Presley has to say about them. Let me make it plain. Crisis pregnancy centers are no place to go to

Starting point is 00:14:40 for reproductive health care. They are sham clinics that coerced folks seeking to terminate a pregnancy or to access the full range of reproductive health services. I'll yielding another minute. Ayanna, have you ever been in one? Serious question. Have you ever been in a pro-life pregnancy center? Have you ever talked to a woman in crisis who was served by a pro-life pregnancy center? Have you ever talked to someone whose life was saved because their mother walked into a pro-life pregnancy center? Have you ever talked to a woman who was given refuge, who was given a home, a safe place to stay as she was running from domestic violence because of a pro-life pregnancy center? Have you ever talked to a woman who got everything that she needed for her child, formula, parenting classes, clothes, diapers, cribs, strollers from a pro-life pregnancy center?

Starting point is 00:15:32 Have you ever talked to a woman who only found hope and good news and love and acceptance for the first time through a pro-life pregnancy center? Has any woman ever gotten hope and resources and protection and parenting classes from a Planned Parenthood? tell me. No, of course. Iona Presley is on the side of wickedness and evil. And so she has exchanged the truth of God for a lie and believes things that are the exact opposite of the truth. And if you out there, if you have not been convinced yet about the evil of abortion and that we all need to be doing something as Christians to fight against it and to serve and help the families who find

Starting point is 00:16:13 themselves with surprise pregnancies or find themselves in crisis situations, you go to your pro-life pregnancy center close by. I promise you, the work that you say needs to be done is probably already being done in your community by the faithfulness of Christians who are up against lies like the ones that Iona Presley is promulgating. The work is already being done by faithful Christians. and it's time for all of us to join in and do something about it. God is moving in spite of the stupidity and the corruption and the wickedness and the bloodlust of people in Congress. Now, the one criticism that I've got of Republicans, before we close this segment out in all of this, is that I wonder why.

Starting point is 00:17:02 Maybe someone can tell me, like maybe I'm missing something. But Republicans had the White House, the House and the Senate, was the, why didn't the Born Alive Act passed then? And I genuinely wonder about that. Why, when we were in control of everything, could we not get the votes for that to pass? That seems like something that's important. But even if it is just to make a point about the wickedness and the depravity of where Democrats are and the extremism of where Democrats are when it comes to abortion, I think that is worth it. Remember, the two sides are not the same. One literally stands for murder.

Starting point is 00:17:45 Keep that in mind. All right. We're going to get into a little bit of a lighter conversation, an encouraging conversation with our friend Erica Anderson. Well, Erica, thank you so much for joining Relatable. This feels like it's been a long time coming. Can you tell everyone who may not know who you are and what you do? Sure.

Starting point is 00:18:12 My name is Erica Anderson, and I live in Indianapolis, Indiana, with my two kids that are four and seven. I'm a freelance writer. I write for World Magazine, just like you do, Allie. And also Christianity today. And I've written a couple books and one of which we're going to talk about today. Yes. So reason to return why women need the church and the church needs women. This comes at an interesting time when we seem to see a lot of people, the ex-phangelical kind of group, the deconstructing crowd.

Starting point is 00:18:48 and then you've also got the whole like leave loud movement over kind of social and racial justice issue. So there are a lot of movements right now kind of saying, you know what, I'm going to leave the church because of how they believe the church is treated women or kind of denigrated certain groups of people. But that's the opposite of what you're calling for. Yeah, absolutely. And you know, I think when you're talking about those groups, the deconstruction, the ex-fangelicals, like so many other things, a lot of that is. amplified and it's not necessarily the primary reason that we've seen people leaving. In my research, a lot of it has more to do with busyness, overwhelm, American culture, just not prioritizing church so much anymore. And so I think there's a little bit of a disconnect in the understanding of

Starting point is 00:19:34 why people are leaving and in turn how we can draw them back. So I definitely think that leaving church is not the way. And I dig into a lot of data about why that is, some of which you talked about on your show a couple of weeks ago in terms of like the generosity factor and the mental health factor. So yeah. Yeah. So tell us a little bit more about those reasons that you've found in your research. I know you just said kind of lack of time and people simply not prioritizing going to church on Sunday mornings. Why is that? It obviously used to be more of a priority in American life, but it's not now. So why the shift? Yeah. I mean, I think what's interesting is one of the most fascinating statistics I found was a Barnett statistic that said that.

Starting point is 00:20:17 that the number one way that women want to improve their life, that they want to see movement is in their faith lives and spiritual lives. And yet in the same survey, it said that it is actually the last thing that they're prioritizing. And so there's a disconnect between what women say they want and what they're doing to actually get that. And going to church would be a component of that. But also, I would say that, as you know, church has just become, we are becoming a post. post-Christian culture. And so it's no longer an expected thing. It's no longer something that as many people do. It seems irrelevant to some. And so we're seeing that the shifts there and some of the outcomes of that part of America affecting the Exodus. And for those who say, okay, well,

Starting point is 00:21:08 you know, it's not really my spiritual life that I think needs help. I actually think that I'm good with God because I have kind of a personal connection to him. Why do I need to go to church every Sunday when, you know, God is everywhere? How do you respond to something like that? Well, God is everywhere. And, you know, the classic question is, I don't need church to be a Christian or, you know, I have God. I don't need to go to church to have this relationship with God. And that's true.

Starting point is 00:21:37 You don't technically have to go to church to be a Christian. I mean, if you want to get technical about it. But if you're a Christian, hopefully you take the Bible seriously. And what the Bible says is that we shouldn't give up meeting together. We should spur one another on with good deeds. And Jesus says, I will build my church. He doesn't say I will build you individual person, which of course we do grow in our own individual lives.

Starting point is 00:22:02 But there is a strong emphasis on the church body coming directly from Jesus. And one of the verses that I was just reading the other day, it says, you know, be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. And so to sort of disassociate or reject this church that Jesus bought with his own blood, I mean, that doesn't seem like a great idea. But at the same time, I understand that sometimes people have been through things. Sometimes people have had bad experiences. And so I want to ask people, can you open your heart and mind to envision another experience of church? Maybe one that's different than the one you've had in the past.

Starting point is 00:22:41 I live in the Bible Belt, and a lot of my listeners do too, which means there are a lot of options for churches. They are not struggling with a lack of opportunity to go to church, but it can be really overwhelming. They know, especially if they listen to the show, they've heard me say a million times you need to find a church that is preaching God's word, the whole word, unapologetically. But that's not always easy to find. And sometimes you go to a church that makes you feel good or it has good classes or, or resources or mission trips, but you're not really sure about what's coming from the pulpit. And you don't know really how to weigh all the different aspects of the church to say, okay, this is what's most important or this is important too.

Starting point is 00:23:24 So like how do you recommend a woman look for the right local church in her area? What should she be thinking about? Yeah. I mean, I actually created this little like free course thing called How to Find a New Church 101. one. So I go into that. If you, if you buy the book, you can just get that course for free on my website. But some of the things I talk about is you just, first of all, you just start with the basics. You start on a website. Most churches have their doctrinal statements listed on their website. And you can find a whole lot about what they believe there. And you can immediately, you know,

Starting point is 00:23:58 cross out some of the options that you may be thinking of. And yes, there are so many churches and places where I live like Indiana and where you live. And so it can't, it's not necessarily easy. But I have seen, like for example, I found my church, my home church that I've been at for almost seven years. Honestly, through just a local mom's Facebook board, and people are always very helpful in providing links. And so I got tons and tons of suggestions. And I was able to look through those. And you can start to filter out the ones that you don't think are going to be aligned with you. And of course, I think that the number one thing is that you go to a church that preaches directly from the Bible, that your doctrinal statements on that website are lined up, that the church is

Starting point is 00:24:42 involved with the community, that they're disciplining members. There's a lot of different factors. Some of the things are you need to have this. Some of the things are you want to have this. And sometimes that's a personal give and take, especially if you have kids and you might be looking for, you know, a church that has opportunities for them as well. But it takes time. It takes intention. You're not going to just pick one on the map. and find it. It's an important decision. And so it's worth taking the time to find the right church family. Yes. And there's no perfect church. And so at some point, you do kind of have to say, you know what, maybe I don't like this. I don't know. This is not true for me, but just giving an example,

Starting point is 00:25:22 like a kind of not important example. Like, I don't like this soloist voice who sings every Sunday or I didn't necessarily agree with what my Sunday school teacher said or different aspects like that. Like there is going to be a level of compromise, but there are things on which you don't want to compromise, like the doctrinal statements, like the theology, like the exegesis. Yes, like involvement in community and what they offer for community as well. And so it can be, it can take some time, but I do think it's important to after a period of trying to figure out prayerfully, wisely, which local church to belong to. to pick one because I do think something that we see, especially among young people,

Starting point is 00:26:08 my husband and I did this for a period of time too when we moved, is we just kind of dated a bunch of churches. And for a year, we went to church after church after church after every church service, we would have some kind of complaint or some kind of way that the church wasn't perfect. And we finally just had to grow up and say, you know what? There's not going to be a perfect church that is meant for serving me in every way that I think I need to be served. I need to plug into a gospel preaching church and serve others and serve the church, as you said. And so I think that that's also something for people to consider, even if you're going to a church every Sunday, you need to be plugged into a church and tithing to a church. Yeah. And I would also say, you know, there's this sort of a stereotype or myth out in culture, you know, as we've seen, you know, stuff about church too and all of that out there.

Starting point is 00:26:55 Like there's this pervasive myth that, you know, every church has this unhealthy aspect. And the truth is that there are unhealthy churches. They're 100% are. And I don't want anyone to go to a church where there is some kind of abuse happening or there's no accountability. But there are far more healthy churches out there that aren't being talked about. Because the thing is that good stories don't get told because they're just good things happening. They're just people there being obedient to God and loving the people that walk through their

Starting point is 00:27:21 doors. And that's not a scandal. And so I would say just be wary of some of the things you hear like I'm not saying those things aren't true. They certainly have happened. but understand that the news picks up on the negative and not the positive. And there's so much more light than there is darkness when it comes to the church. Yeah. There are so many reasons to be plugged into a local church community, whether it's accountability or encouragement or

Starting point is 00:27:45 you never know. Also, this is an aspect of the church that I've certainly seen recently in moments of crisis or acute loneliness or some kind of chaos where you find yourself reaching. out for help and for support and for guidance and for wisdom. Like you have a whole pool of godly people to choose from whose job it is as members of your church to help you and to spur you on and to make sure that you're supported and taking care of. I don't know any other kind of community like that except for the local church. Yeah, I kind of look at it.

Starting point is 00:28:24 I have this vision in my mind of, you know, the more people that we have surrounding us in our lives. It's almost like this huge safety net that just gets bigger and bigger. And it becomes this buffer and this encouragement and this comfort within this world, which is hard. Life is hard. And so the more people that we have around us, caring about us, encouraging us, especially, you know, in the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit inside the church, like, that is only going to be good for us. And then the second part of that that I love about the church is, is for my kids. Because the more, you know, trustworthy, honorable Christian men and women that are surrounding them, the better for them.

Starting point is 00:28:59 They're going to grow up surrounded by that, having lots of people they can trust. Kids do better when they have more adults, loving adults around them that they can trust. And so my kids have been a huge motivator and how I think about this. And considering that studies show, a lot of people kind of rethink

Starting point is 00:29:17 what they're doing with their faith when they have kids because they are thinking, well, I want my kids to have faith. This is the time to be thinking about that because people do make those decisions. decisions really before the age of 14, what they're going to end up believing for the rest of their lives. One obstacle that I know some of my friends have in going to church is that they don't have a supportive husband. Their husband doesn't want to go to church. They do want to send their kids to

Starting point is 00:29:53 church. But I mean, try and to get all of their kids dressed by themselves, take them to church. And then you've got the whole issue of like, I'm going to this new church. Do I send them to Sunday school? Is my, is my two-year-old going to sit still with me? There's a lot of that. What encouragement or advice do you have for moms who are kind of doing this alone when it comes to trying to raise their kids in the church in a godly way? Yeah. So, I mean, whether you're talking about a mom whose husband won't go or you're talking about a single mom, which a single moms are like the highest demographic of women leaving or that don't go.

Starting point is 00:30:31 I think there's an encouragement kind of built into my book because I talk about how my entire life, my mom took us to church every week without my dad. You know, I always, you have a caveat today. I have a wonderful father, so it's nothing against him, but he just didn't go. And my mom just made it this priority to take us. And I really believe that so much of the foundation of my life was built on her commitment and decision to do that. I mean, it certainly led me to where I am today to write this book.

Starting point is 00:31:00 And looking back, I can just see how that habit, that practice of just going and faithfully being obedient to God by being at church made a huge impact in my life. But on the, on the other side of things, I mean, I think it's thinking of your kids. It's thinking about how important this is for them and what they're going to get out of it. I mean, I think that you should go for yourself as well. But I think thinking about them is an extra motivator. And then lastly, I would just say that God created all of us Christians. We each have a spiritual gift that is meant to serve the church. And as the Bible says, the body is not complete unless we are all there. And so when you aren't in church, your gift is not being used. The body is not complete without you. You are missing out on the beautiful things that God does in the midst of his body. And so there's so much to be missed when you don't go. And I really believe it's that whole priority thing. It's worth making this a priority, especially as women are saying they want to enhance their face. faith lives. Yeah, and I just want to encourage those women, too, that God is not impressed by, like,

Starting point is 00:32:11 how quiet or still your kids are in church, or whether you were early or late, or whether your kids, like, keep their shirt tucked in the whole time, he is pleased by your obedience and your faithfulness, like, even when it is difficult. And as you were saying, like, your kids also benefit from that. My, um, my husband got me like a really sweet gift for Christmas. He got me this hymn book. And it's really just a binder with all of these Southern Baptist hymns that I grew up singing and that I sing to my kids at night. And I posted on Instagram that I remember the tunes and all of the lyrics to all of these songs. And it's not because I've studied them as an adult, but it's because my mom every night would sing to me from this Baptist hymnal. And I did not

Starting point is 00:32:59 realize it at the time when I was growing up that those, words were sticking in my heart and mind that they would come to mind 30 years, you know, 20 years down the line and that I would then from memory be singing them to my kids. And my mom was doing that because she was raised singing those Southern Baptist hymns. And she was doing that really just kind of out of habit. So something that she probably thought or maybe she just didn't know would make an impact on me would really stick because I probably wasn't sitting still. wasn't paying attention. They were probably nice that I said, I don't want to sing those hymns.

Starting point is 00:33:36 That made an impact on me for the rest of my life. It is now being passed down to my kids. And I just want to encourage you moms, especially those who are trying to do this by yourself, you taking your kids to church, you sharing the gospel with your kids, you reading the Bible to your kids, you're singing those hymns to your kids or letting them listen to hymns on Spotify, whatever it is, even if that doesn't seem like it's making a difference right now because your kids aren't paying attention. And right after you told them about the fruit of the spirit, they slapped their sister or something like that. It is. It is. You never know how God is going to water and grow those seeds that you are faithfully planting now. And the local church can play a huge

Starting point is 00:34:18 part in that, right? Yeah. My kids are definitely the most rowdy at our church. It's they're just like known for, oh, it's the Sylvester kids. Well, my last name is Sylvester with my husband, but my author David Anderson. But anyway, they are just, just known as like, those are the kids. And I've even, I even had my pastor call me one time and he said, hey, I just want to let you know that we love your kids and they are not a disruption and they make other people feel welcome to bring their kids. And so I am, you know, definitely the kind of person that knows what it feels like when your kids are like making noises and all of that. And then also what you were saying, Allie, it's, you know, I've learned this so much. I have a seven year old and a four year old.

Starting point is 00:34:57 And I take time to teach them theology. I take time to talk with. them at home. And there is so much fighting that goes on. Sometimes it feels like it's in vain. But the next week, maybe one of them will say something that we talked about. And I'm like, oh my gosh, you were actually listening. And those things do matter. I interviewed recently the Christian singer, her name's Anne Wilson, and she has this song called Sunday sermons. And it's all about how she went to church as a kid and she felt like it didn't matter. And she walked away from God. But when she really became a Christian later in life, she looked back at all those Sundays that she went to church and she saw all those seeds that were planted begin to bloom and to grow. And so doing this for

Starting point is 00:35:36 your kids is literally the most invaluable thing that you can do. It could have an eternal impact on their lives. And so I just don't think there's anything more important. What can we do as women who are in church to make it easier for the women, especially the single moms, but all kinds of women who have left the church to return, how can we get those obstacles out of the way and just make it more accessible? Yeah, well, you know, the number one way people go to a new church is through a friend inviting them, which sounds so simple. But I think we neglect to do that sometimes because we feel like people will be annoyed, especially in this day and age, we feel like people might be even offended. But I think that's a good thing to keep in mind if that opportunity or the right time arises.

Starting point is 00:36:23 I think also when someone does take a step into church or even a church event, another way that a lot of people get to church is through community events that the church sponsors. And so being involved in community events is a really big, big thing to do. But I think just ensuring that when someone walks through that door, that they are seen, that they are heard, that they are followed up with. One of the reasons that we stuck with the church that we did, we had been church dating, like you said. And after we left church the first time we went there, I was like, that was the most friendly church I've ever been to. It takes intention, but I think we have to really see people and be real and be vulnerable.

Starting point is 00:37:03 I mean, one of the things that I did last year was I spoke in front of my church about, you know, my decision to quit drinking alcohol and how I had a drinking problem. I shared that with the whole church. And because of that, I had people come to me later and say, like, wow, I had no idea. And I think that vulnerability is something that we can have more of. so people can realize you can walk in the door with all of your crap and we want you to be here. And we accept you as you are, where you are, and we just want to love you and bring you closer to God. Yeah. And, you know, I'm guilty of just kind of letting people go by the wayside that maybe God

Starting point is 00:37:40 intentionally put in my path. Like I'm thinking of women who have come through our Sunday school class. And of course, everyone's nice to them in the moment. But I never, you know, never really followed up. You kind of get busy. You kind of focus on your own thing. and, you know, I look back sometimes with regret. And I'm like, oh, that person, you know, doesn't come to our church anymore. And I wonder if we had just tried a little bit harder. And so it's not that we are responsible for every single person who comes to our church. But maybe there's one person.

Starting point is 00:38:08 Maybe there's one person that you should text. Maybe there's one person that you should ask to go on a play date or one person that you should follow up with because we can all do that. We don't have the capacity to reach out to every single person and to follow up with everyone, but we all have the capacity to help one person. So maybe that's, maybe that's a goal that we can all have in the local church. Is there one person that we saw that was alone or new or stressed that we can follow up with? Yeah, I mean, I think one one thing that has really stood out to me and I need to do a better job of myself is like being a Christian means being inconvenienced.

Starting point is 00:38:44 It means you have to have space in your life for the moments that God creates those divine moments. And if we're so busy that we don't even have time to notice them or don't have time to participate in those divine moments, we're missing out on the whole big story. We're missing out on the whole reason we're here. And so I would say make that space in your life to be inconvenience. And it doesn't have to feel like an inconvenience, but just like if you're so busy that you can't reach out to someone, maybe something needs to be eliminated. We have to be thinking intentionally about how we're shaping and forming our lives. My last question is you talk about, you talk about, that the church needs women.

Starting point is 00:39:33 And I know you mentioned a few minutes ago that when any individual is not going to a church, any Christian is not going to a church, the church is missing out on the spiritual gifts that God has purposely given that person. What do women specifically contribute to the church that is so necessary and could be missing if women are not attending? Yeah, well, I think women, like many times, not in all circumstances, but I do think God has given women certain spiritual gifts oftentimes that he doesn't give men. And, you know, men, God sees men and women as equal, of course. And so when women are not represented there in his

Starting point is 00:40:12 church, it is not complete. And so those unique things that he is putting in them. And it could, you know, it's a, it's a whole variety of things, whether that, you know, be teaching or whether it be hospitality or whatever that gift is, we need each and every person, including women. And I also think that, I'd like to see the perspective of women just, you know, more input in what the church is doing, not because not, not a, you know, conversation about women pastors. I'm not going there in this book by any means. But just to say getting, getting more women's perspective on what the church is doing on various programs and all of that, because actually more women than men go to church right now.

Starting point is 00:40:51 And so it's just kind of interesting to see those numbers. But I just think there's so much more missing when people are leaving, when women are leaving specifically, we're missing that component of the church. And I just lost my train of thought, but that's, yeah, that's it. Well, it'd be interesting. It'd be interesting also. And maybe someone has written a book specifically on why men don't attend church because, you know, my wheels are turning. There's, I think, a whole host of reasons for that. But I appreciate you addressing women. Women and men are equal in dignity, but different when it comes to the things that we bring to the table. And so the nurturing and the nourishing and the beautifying that women are so innately good at,

Starting point is 00:41:33 of course, that contributes to the health and the well-being of the church in a way that it wouldn't if it were only men. And of course, the opposite is true to the building and the initiating and the conquering and the fighting and all the things that come so innately to men are also necessary for the health of the church. So thank you so much for writing this book. It's called Reason to Return. You can get it.

Starting point is 00:41:55 I'm guessing wherever. Books are sold, correct? Yep. Okay, awesome. And then where can they find you if they want to follow you? Yeah, my name is spelled E-R-I-C-K-A-A-N-D-E-R-S-E-N, as you can see on the screen. So you can find me on Instagram, Twitter, Ericaanderson.com, all the things. My name, you should find me if you Google it.

Starting point is 00:42:17 And I would love to hear from you and also get you that how to find a New Church 101 course on my website if you purchase the book. Yeah. And I will include in the description this episode. I share this link. Now, it's only for Baptist churches, and I know there are a lot of awesome, like, you know, Presbyterians, et cetera, out there listening to. But founders.org slash church dash search. I will put that in the description of this episode. I actually just had a friend text me yesterday and said that she found her Bible-believing gospel preaching church through that link and that it's been so formative and game-changing for her family. and that, of course, is the power of the local church. It can be game-changing for your family.

Starting point is 00:42:58 So thank you so much, Erica. I really appreciate you taking the time to join us. Thank you, Allie. Hey, this is Steve Day. If you're listening to Allie, you already understand that the biggest issues facing our country aren't just political. They're moral, spiritual, and rooted in what we believe is true about God, humanity, and reality itself.

Starting point is 00:43:19 On the Steve Day show, we take the news of the day and tested against first principles, faith, truth, and objective reality. We don't just chase narratives and we don't offer false comfort. comfort, we ask the hard questions and follow the answers wherever they leave, even when it's unpopular. This is a show for people who want honesty over hype and clarity over chaos. If you're looking for commentary grounded in conviction and unwilling to lie to you about where we are or where we're headed, you can watch this D-Day show right here on Blaze TV or listen

Starting point is 00:43:45 wherever you get podcasts. I hope you'll join us.

Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey - Ep 738 | My Response to 'Christian' Pro-Choice Congresswomen | Guest: Ericka Andersen

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