sanctity of life

Grace Church Sermon – Sunday 2026-11-01

“A Voice for the Voiceless: Why Grace Church Is Pro-Life” — Sermon Recap

Speaker: Pastor Troy
Text focus: Selected Scriptures on the sanctity of life (Genesis, Judges, Ruth, Job, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Luke, Galatians), with Matthew 5 and John 17 as framing texts

Opening Context and Aim

  • Pastor Troy paused the regular Hebrews series to address the upcoming election, specifically the issue of abortion, before the congregation voted that Tuesday.
  • He spoke not only as a pastor but as a father, husband, and longtime Minnesota citizen and taxpayer, noting what he sees as a moral freefall in the state across many issues.
  • He grounded the message in the church’s call to be salt and light (Matthew 5) and to be in the world but not of it (John 17), seeking the good of the place God has placed us without adopting the values of the culture.

Why Abortion Rises Above Other Issues

  • Quoted R.C. Sproul: abortion is “the most serious ethical issue the United States has ever faced.”
  • Addressed the “I’m not a one-issue voter” objection: everyone is a one-issue voter if the issue is big enough (e.g., slavery).
  • Cited statistics: over 66 million abortions in the U.S. since 1973; roughly 1.5 million abortions last year alone; about 5,000 per day.
  • Noted Minnesota’s Democratic Party platform permits abortion up to birth with no gestational limits, no waiting periods, no mandatory counseling, and no parental notification/consent requirements for minors.
  • Acknowledged other serious issues (economic hardship, poverty, homelessness, racism) but argued abortion is unique in that it ends human life directly, including a pointed comparison that the abortion industry kills as many Black lives every four days as the Klan did in 150 years.
  • Addressed both men and women: this isn’t only a women’s issue. A true man protects and provides rather than taking the easy, convenient path.

The Christian Worldview of Life, Walked Through Scripture

God Effects Conception

  • Genesis 29:31 — The Lord opened Leah’s womb.
  • Judges 13:3-5 — Samson was set apart to God from the womb.
  • Ruth 4:13 — The Lord enabled Ruth to conceive.
  • Luke 1:15 — John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb.
  • Genesis 25:22-23 — Rebekah’s twins jostled in her womb; God speaks of them as two nations and two peoples before birth, showing unborn children have distinct identity and purposeful futures.

God Forms and Knows the Unborn

  • Job 10:8-12 — God knit together bones, sinews, and flesh, and granted life.
  • Psalm 127:3 — Children are a reward and gift from God.
  • Psalm 139:13 — God wove us together in our mother’s womb.
  • Ecclesiastes 11:5 — Bones are formed by God in the womb.
  • Isaiah 49:1, 5 — The Lord called and formed me from the womb.
  • Jeremiah 1:5 — “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you… I set you apart to be a prophet to the nations.”
  • Luke 1:39-44 — John the Baptist leaped in Elizabeth’s womb for joy at the presence of Jesus.
  • Galatians 1:15 — Paul was set apart from his mother’s womb and called by grace.
  • Conclusion: conception is an act of God, a soul is given by the Holy Spirit, and that soul’s destiny is known to God before the foundation of the world. Quoted John MacArthur: abortion is an affront to the Creator, a declaration that “God, you will not determine who lives or dies. I will.”

Three Cultural Arguments That Confuse the Issue

1) “It’s just a fetus”

  • Embryo and fetus are simply stages of human development, not categories of nonhuman life, just as “toddler” and “adolescent” describe stages, not separate species.
  • If humanity increased with size or age, adults would be “more human” than children, which is absurd.
  • Moral inconsistency: when a pregnancy is wanted, the unborn child is called a “baby,” celebrated with baby showers; the word “fetus” (Latin for “baby”) is used selectively to dehumanize when the pregnancy is unwanted.

2) “It’s healthcare”

  • Healthcare exists for health, care, and healing, not destruction.
  • Pregnancy is not a disease but a natural, healthy process involving two patients.
  • Redefining the baby as “tissue” or “clump of cells” depending on whether the pregnancy is wanted is a moral shift, not a medical one.

3) “It’s a woman’s reproductive right”

  • Quoted John Piper: when two legitimate rights conflict, the right protecting the higher value should prevail. Staying alive is more precious and basic than not being pregnant.

Illustration from Pastor Troy

  • Described how culture (and politicians) shift the conversation among these three arguments (“just a fetus,” “healthcare,” “reproductive rights”) to stir outrage while avoiding the core question of what abortion actually is and does. He urged the congregation to set these distractions aside and “look abortion in the eye” before forming a conviction.
  • Shared his own adoption story: he has never met his biological mother, but believes that one day, if given the chance, he will thank her for choosing life for him 58 years ago despite the difficulty. He credited God’s providence for his family, calling, marriage, and ministry, all made possible because life was chosen before he ever breathed.

Who God Is

  • Creator, giver, and sustainer of life who is personally and sovereignly involved at the moment of conception.
  • The One who knows and forms each person in the womb, assigning identity, calling, and purpose before birth.
  • A God of mercy, grace, forgiveness, and healing, whose cross reaches even those affected by abortion.

Who We Are to Be / How We Are to Live

  • God’s people are called to be salt and light, in the world but not of it, engaged in culture without embracing its values.
  • The church is called to be a voice for the voiceless and a refuge for the vulnerable, known for both grace and truth.
  • Believers, both men and women, are called to courageously choose and advocate for life, not only to oppose abortion but to actively support ministries that serve mothers, children, and families.

Practical Calls to Action

  • Spend time researching what actually happens procedurally during an abortion.
  • Let faith inform political decisions, including how to vote on Tuesday.
  • Get involved in or spread the word about Grace Church’s life-affirming ministries:
  • One Less: caring for the vulnerable, aiming for one less abortion and one less child in foster care.
  • Embrace Grace: support for young single moms who choose life.
  • Region ministry: healing and freedom in Christ (post-abortion recovery).
  • New Life Family Services: partner ministry supporting families.
  • Barnabas: special needs ministry for families who choose life.
  • Prayer Resource Center and grace.church/connect for getting plugged in.
  • Key dates: Sanctity of Life Sunday (January), Love Lived Out (February), Together for Good (March), World’s Largest Baby Shower/Diaper Drive (May).
  • If abortion is part of your story, know there is no sin beyond the mercy, grace, and forgiveness found in Jesus Christ.

Closing Thought

Pastor Troy closed by affirming that God is Creator, Giver, and Sustainer of life, and called the church to let its faith shape its politics, to fight for the lives of the most vulnerable, and to offer hope, healing, and forgiveness in Christ to anyone affected by abortion. He prayed for discernment, courage, and love as the congregation prepared to vote.

Scripture References Highlighted

  • Matthew 5 (Sermon on the Mount: salt and light)
  • John 17 (in the world, not of it)
  • Genesis 29:31
  • Judges 13:3-5
  • Ruth 4:13
  • Luke 1:15; 1:39-44
  • Genesis 25:22-23
  • Job 10:8-12
  • Psalm 127:3
  • Psalm 139:13
  • Ecclesiastes 11:5
  • Isaiah 49:1, 5
  • Jeremiah 1:5
  • Galatians 1:15

Sources & attribution

Sermon outline from Morning Selah.

Based on the sermon “A Voice for the Voiceless: Why Grace Church is Pro-Life”, Selected Scriptures, preached at Grace Church by Pastor Troy on November 1, 2026. Watch the sermon.