Turning boys, guys, buddies...into men of His word. 

This is a great event that promotes being responsible, doing the right thing with the right motivation, standing strong, leading courageously. There are many breakout sessions, teaching specific male-oriented roles of son, brother, husband, and father.

The more responsible men in our society, the less unwanted pregnancies.

The more responsible men in our society, the less pressuring of abortion.

The more responsible men in our society, the less women are abused. 

This is not promoted as a pro-life event, but it sure does create pro-life results.

Please join us on February 11th in Oshkosh, WI for the next Men of His Word conference.
More info at menofhisword.org

Author: Philip Meinel

Seeking to always be a man of His word.

This Sunday is Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. It is a great time to become emotionally connected to this cause. There are memorial services throughout the nation, where you will have the opportunity to pray for women facing unplanned pregnancies, women trying to cope with the guilt of abortion, men that never knew they were fathers, grandparents that never knew some of their grandchildren...as Charlie Sykes put it at the Evening for Life, "The Ghost Nation" of what our nation could have been.

But you don't have to be so bold as to attend a service. It might weird you out more than anything. But regardless of your personality type, this is an opportunity to meditate on all of our missed opportunities. These struggling families are not far removed from you. They are your neighbors, they are your family members, they are the people you meet. They have the same fears and weaknesses that you have. They are sinful people in need of grace, mercy, and peace.

Peace that only Jesus can give. He said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

Please use this opportunity to strengthen your faith, read God's word, meditate on His words and how they apply to you and this world. You were born to make a difference. You are salt and light in a tasteless dark world. 

God bless your Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. May He bless your worship this week, in and out of your church building.

​Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

Author: Philip Meinel

Jesus + Nothing = Everything

The National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children is coming up on September 10th. This is an excellent opportunity to talk with your children about abortion. We teach our children to behave, to repent of their sins, to repel the Devil, to trust in Jesus, to love others, to serve, to watch their step lest they fall...fall where?

The reality of death is everywhere, and yet some parents feel the need to shelter their children from this reality of sin. It's easier not to think about it, and pretend that life will always be as it is, and that we will have more good times than bad...but this is not the reality. And when you avoid the reality of sin, you avoid the reality of God's salvation. When Jesus is only used to make skinned knees feel better, instead of bring people back to life...His Name is cheapened. His Name is The Name - at which every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.

This is an opportunity to bow our knees, bow our heads, bow our hearts...and plead for God's mercy, to ask that His will be done, to ask for strength and endurance to defend the rights of all who are destitute, who cannot speak for themselves.

This is an opportunity to show the result of wickedness...the result is sad. The righteous are a strong tower, protected by God, but the wicked devour each other. God's law protects us. God's law protected them while they were in the womb. The fear of the Lord gave their parent's faith to trust God's promises. He will always provide. His timing is good. He gives strength to the weak and sight to the blind. He is the author and perfecter of life.

Show your children the true power of God. He redeems our lives from the pit.

Last year we took our children to Resurrection Cemetery in Madison, and had a private service of God's word, explanation, hymns, and prayer. It wasn't anything extravagant or intensively planned, but God's word worked. 

Sin hurts.

Sin kills. 

​​But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Author: Philip Meinel

A man trying to lead his family in the grace of God.

Like babies? Yes!

Like motorcycles? Yes!

Like babies on motorcycles? Uhh...

Don't worry, that's not what this event is about...but it does make a cute picture. The SOUL Ride is a motorcycle ride to raise financial support for the vital work of WELS Lutherans for Life and the local pregnancy care centers they operate. This motorcycle ride is for the Sanctity Of Unborn Life! ​Come put your pro-life belief into action...and have some fun!
​
Date: Saturday, August 13, 2016
Time: 9am Registration/Check-in 10am Ride begins
Location: Victory of the Lamb Church;
11120 W Loomis Rd, Franklin, WI 53132
Route: From the church we'll take 36 to the southern end of Burlington, then we'll take 83 down near to the Illinois border. We'll be stopping at Hawg Heaven (10306 Antioch Rd, Salem, WI 53168) where you can relax, purchase a beverage and a light snack! We highly recommend the nachos that will serve 2 people at least! We'll then take 45 North back to Victory of the Lamb for lunch. 
Cost: $40 per bike (driver), $25 per passenger (includes lunch and souvenir t-shirt) Register in advance to guarantee shirt in size.

Register at www.soulride.org
 
Help us spread the word! Share this Facebook event!

​Join us for our annual 5k walk/run for the whole family! It's a great way to show your love for others and help save lives! Support a ministry that's saving the life of a child, transforming the family from at-risk to thriving, and doing it all again tomorrow!

​Broken hearts, broken families, broken communities, a broken country. What do all these things have in common? They could all be radically improved simply by an increase in the positive influence of men of this nation, our communities, and our families. Legislation doesn’t change hearts on the tough issues. Academia doesn’t, either. It’s everyday people like you and me, right where we are, that spark change. Statistics show that a shocking percentage of women who opt for abortions make that decision due to coercion from someone else. Many times it’s men who are responsible for that coercion. Whether it’s the boyfriend, fiancé, husband, or a concerned or upset father, when this happens, it only amounts to tragedy upon tragedy. Men have a duty to be life-affirming! We’re meant to be protectors of women and children!

While many men, like me, feel a little hesitant about speaking strongly towards women in the Pro Life discussion, due to real and perceived reasons why we can’t relate, there is a legitimate platform for us men of the world to have man-to-man influence with each other about the sanctity of life. So, men, I have some serious encouragement to share today!

In many ways, we men of the last couple generations could have done immensely better at leading and modeling God’s ways. Most men struggle with staying strong in the roles God appoints us to. We get distracted by careers, by bowling leagues, fishing and hunting, and whatever other sirens of accomplishment and adventure may call to us. We apathetically fail to keep leadership as a priority worthy of our effort and time. In our weakness of faith and character, we are letting the women of our times be led down a destructive path. But the good news is, God has given a lot of specific and empowering instruction for men to be the principled warriors that are needed in society. Wherever men have failed we can repent of those failures, and, being forgiven in Christ, our status as saints in God’s eyes means we’re in a great position to do great things going forward. Each and every woman who might have an abortion, as well as her unborn child within, desperately needs the Godly guidance we men can provide.

How can men be strengthened to come through in this way? Check out what King Solomon, who was a leader who both failed and excelled in his lifetime, wrote for us over 3,000 years ago:

“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”  - Proverbs 27:17

Many of us have heard this before, but just think about what that means! One of the reputedly wisest men of all time wrote succinctly that we men make each other sharper, or better, by our contact with each other. As in many aspects of life, even though the Almighty God could certainly “sharpen” a man on his own, He makes it possible for other mortal men to be His sharpeners! What an honor, what a privilege! 

Men, how can we sharpen each other? The opportunities are endless, really, if only we keep our eyes out for them. There are the everyday interactions in our job places, in our teams or hobby related gatherings, and in functions related to our places of worship. There are the more incidental interactions, where we find ourselves bumping into someone else and having perhaps only minutes to influence each other through an interaction. On these occasions, every word and action and attitude is critical – an opportunity to lead that other man by your very example and Jesus-like behavior. Even if conversation about the Pro Life vs. Pro Choice topic doesn’t come up, anything you can do to demonstrate principled living and promote Godly ideals nudges that fellow male towards male leadership in his own life. 

As one example, what could you do if you’re talking to a coworker who has a child already with his girlfriend (or wife), and says they’ve found out they’re pregnant again, and they really weren’t planning for it and don’t like the idea of dealing with another child? These kinds of situations are to be handled with care, and the better a relationship you have (or can take a step toward having) with that person, the better the chances that he’ll be receptive if you talk positively and excitedly to him about the blessings of seeing children come into the world. Speak in terms of what’s good, what’s happy, and what’s encouraging about the situation. And by all means, offer to direct him/them to their nearest pregnancy help center that values lives of the unborn, like our main location in West Allis, Wisconsin, so they can get the right support and information to make a God-pleasing decision for their family in a confusing time.

There can be a plethora of other very real scenarios like this, but the key is to listen and be attentive to the situations of our neighbors, allowing the realities they’re living in to hit us in the heart. Then, we can use the pure concern of a Jesus-like love to guide our suggestions, warnings, or information-sharing. We want them to see solutions and hope where many others in this darkened world might point them toward selfishness, destruction, and unhelpful quick fixes!

We men who want to serve and sharpen others need sharpening ourselves. So it’s wonderful when we can find special opportunities to be encouraged, such as in male leadership conferences and conventions. The one pictured above, called “Men of His Word,” takes place in the Oshkosh, Wisconsin area annually. Or there’s the “Ironmen of God” conference trademarked below, that also takes place annually, in the southern Wisconsin town of Ixonia. No matter where you are, seeking out events or resources that go beyond the everyday are crucial for this battle of upholding life and Godly living. You’re always just a quick Google search away from something local to you that might be already available, just waiting to bless you! Seek other iron to get your personal sharpening!

*At the time of this writing, the Ironmen of God conference in Ixonia, WI is right around the corner, set for Saturday, March 19th! If you’re in the area, it’s a fantastic way to spend part of a Saturday with brothers in the faith!*

The point in all of this, gentlemen, is: EQUIP YOURSELF! SHARPEN YOURSELF! 

Deep down, underneath layers of stoicism and gender-role expectations of perfection and performance, we aren’t all we want to be as men. No one can be, if left to themselves. “No man is an island,” as the saying goes. And yet, many of us go through life as if we prefer to be one. There is just too much at stake for us to remain islands, when we could instead be the sharp and powerful iron tools we were created to be! 

There are truths in God’s Word that can literally save lives, of which we can be the messengers if we first fill ourselves up with that truth. There are women in our lives whom God wants us to lead lovingly, with gentle words and actions that bring those vital truths into their journeys. There are also millions of other men out there, whose struggles don’t have to be endured alone. Any man you know or come across is someone who might be going through a situation (or has, or will someday) where they need the voice of truth – the voice of LIFE – breathed into their heart. They may need your guidance, they may need to learn how to guide others, or they may need a lot of guilt forgiven. These are our friends, our coworkers, our teammates, the men and adolescents in our churches, our nephews, our brothers, our sons!

Let’s be ironclad, men! Let’s resolve to be warriors for changing the course of the abortion story by humbly, yet boldly, seeking every chance we can get to sharpen one another. Let’s lead everyone – male or female – into the life-preserving decisions and lifestyles that honor God, cherish lives of the unborn, and build vibrant families. Surround yourself with as many ways to be sharpened as you can, and let’s go lead this generation into a bright new chapter on life!

Author: Jeff Ulrich

Jeff is a husband, father, and graduate school student. He attends Hope Lutheran in Oconomowoc. Jeff’s background in ministry education and future in the counseling field reflect a heart that loves to serve others and make a difference. He shares his personal or spiritual reflections in his own time at www.missionpossiblejeffulrich.blogspot.com

Sanctity of Human Life Sunday is this Sunday! What will you do to celebrate life this year? Invite a pro-life speaker to your congregation? Send a special gift to your local pregnancy help center? Volunteer? Set aside time this day to teach your children the truth of life from God's word?

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart. - Jeremiah 1:5
We all have a God-given purpose.

For you [God] created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. - Psalm 139:13
God took great care in creating each one of us unique to fulfill our unique purpose. Praise God for how you are made, and help others see their God-given gifts.

Surely I was sinful at birth,
    sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
    you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. - Psalm 51:5-7
We are conceived in sin, and we all badly need a Saviour who will take away our sins. We look to God for deliverance.

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:6
Jesus came to pay the penalty of all sin for all time, so that we may have life and not death. Live life to the fullest in Christ! There is no sin too big for God's grace. There is no problem too big for God's power. 

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. - Proverbs 31:8
God uses his people to spread His word of truth, His water of life.

God bless your Sanctity of Human Life Sunday!

For all you people who enjoy the details, below is a nice synopsis of National Sanctity of Human Life Day from www.cute-calendar.com 

National Sanctity of Human Life Day is celebrated on January 17, 2016. National Sanctity of Human Life Day is an observance declared by several U.S. Presidents who opposed abortion. President Ronald Reagan designated January 22, 1984 as the first National Sanctity of Human Life Day. The date was chosen to coincide with the 11th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case that first recognized the constitutionally-protected status of abortion in the United States. 

Reagan issued the proclamation annually thereafter, designating Sanctity of Human Life Day to be the third Sunday in January, which represents the closest Sunday to the original January 22 date. His successor, George H. W. Bush, continued the annual proclamation throughout his presidency. Bush's successor, Bill Clinton, discontinued the practice throughout his eight years in office, but Bush's son and Clinton's successor, George W. Bush, resumed the proclamation, and did so every year of his presidency. (With material from: Wikipedia)

Author: Philip Meinel

Philip is the current Chairman of the WELS Lutherans for Life (WLFL) Board of Directors, and also Chair of the Advancement Committee. If you would like to help advance the mission of WLFL, please contact Philip at Philip.Meinel@ALife2.com