“Life Quotes” from Lutherans For Life
Congregational Bulletin Blurbs for January–December 2012
Share the For Life message all year long with Life Quotes!
- Life Quotes are quotations on life issues—many from LFL resources and publications—for use in weekly congregational bulletins. You are also free to use the quotations in your monthly newsletter.
- The quotes are dated but could generally be used anytime.
- We ask that Life Quotes be printed as written, in their entirety.
- Life Quotes are available—free of charge—in text form and in a PDF at
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from theHoly Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reservedworldwide.
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Lutherans For Life 888.364.LIFE Item LFL2012LQ
January 1“The Bible has much to say about God’s concern for the defenseless. And the most defenseless of all people are unborn children. They are speechless to plead their own cause and helpless to protect their own lives. So it is our responsibility to do for them what they cannot do for themselves.” John Stott, English Christian leader and Anglican cleric – A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life
January 8 “How many young people are hurt, angry, and resentful that their parents robbed them of their siblings—brothers and sisters they would have grown to love and who would have supported them throughout their lives? May God give them the grace to forgive one more painful fruit of the abortion culture and give us the courage to stand against this practice in whatever way possible.” Rev. Don Richman, LFL International Representative – A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life
January 15“Unless we recognize that each individual is irrepeatable and valuable by virtue of simply being conceived human, we cannot begin to talk about human rights. This includes the right to be born … True justice should be for each human being, visible and invisible, young and old, disabled and able, to enjoy fully their right to life … color, sex, intelligence, economic circumstances, physical or mental disability should not be used as an excuse to deprive a person of life.” Dr. Margaret Ogola, award winning author, medical doctor, human rights advocate, Kenyan pro-life humanitarian –A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life
January 22 “‘It is settled law,’ [columnist Paul] Greenberg said, quoting defenders of legal abortion. ‘Another generation,’ though, he reminded us, ‘was toldDred Scott v. Sandfordwas settled law.’ But, Greenberg protested, ‘no good cause is forever lost.’ Because, he added, ‘no cause is forever won in this world. It’s the nature of politics.’ It’s the nature of life.” From a column by Kathryn Jean Lopez, editor-at-large, National Review Online –A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life
January 29 “Men, women, and children all have the same stake in the sanctity of life, because all have the same life—knitted together by the Father and embraced by the outstretched arms of the Man, Jesus Christ.” Carl C. Fickenschner II, associate professor of pastoral ministry and missions and dean of certification and pastoral education, Concordia Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana –A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life
February 5 “We need to provide much more support for overburdened mothers—personal, financial, social, and medical support—both before and after their child is born. We need to ensure that children who may be unwanted and unloved by their parents will be welcomed and loved by others in society and especially by the Church.” John Stott, English Christian leader and Anglican cleric – A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life
February 12 “Humanity is very gifted at comparing the values of various objects, but we must not carry over that pride into the judgment of life. We don’t get to be life connoisseurs, claiming to know what life is worth trying—and what life is not. Children with disabilities will know life differently than you and I, but their lives are not worth less than our own.” Lucy Lefever, Capitol Resource Institute – A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life
February 19 “Every child is a wanted child, so no mother needs to feel like abortion is her only option. You might think that’s an obvious truth. It’s not. Less than two percent of single women facing unplanned pregnancies chose adoption. Far too many chose abortion … adoption is always a better choice than abortion. Please … share this important message, so more babies … can grow up knowing they, too, are wanted.” Bradley Mattes, executive director, Life Issues Institute – A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life
February 26 “I pray that as you move through Lent toward that empty tomb, that you will contemplate the awful price Jesus paid for you. I pray that you will rejoice and live in the victory Christ has purchased and freely gives. I pray that you will share the message of the value this gives to every human being.” Rev. Dr. James I. Lamb, executive director of Lutherans For Life – A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life
March 4 “From the time of conception to the hour we leave our mortal bodies, God is intimately involved in planning out who and what we are to be, assembling us together, growing us, guiding us, correcting us, forgiving and restoring us as needed, until we become all that He has in mind for us.” Gaylan Mathiesen, Ph.D., professor of mission and evangelism, Lutheran Brethren Seminary, Fergus Falls, Minnesota – A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life
March 11 “What does it say to our neighbor when in our own families we care for our elderly, become foster parents, adopt children, care for the handicapped, or carry through with an unplanned pregnancy? What does it say to our community when in our churches we care and pray for each other, offering families respite care, visit nursing homes, or provide for the needs of pregnant women? It says that we are truly For Life because we are living it.” Diane E. Schroeder, president of Lutherans For Life – A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life
March 18 “A woman who faces the reality of her abortion is in need of someone else whom God has named. That person is you. It is me. We are friends. Comforters. Encouragers. We are imitators of the Good Shepherd who walks beside the heavy-hearted through a dark valley toward ‘goodness and mercy.’ A mother who mourns the loss of her child needs a Good Shepherd (John 10:1-18).” Linda D. Bartlett, – A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life
March 25 “God entered the darkness of a sinful world in the darkness of a womb. Jesus’ body was knit together there—a body necessary to live a holy life on our behalf, a body necessary to bear the ‘yoke and burden’ of the punishment for sin upon a cross, a body necessary to be placed in a tomb and rise again in victory over sin and death. Baptized into this death and resurrection, God declares us holy and joyful victors!” Rev. Dr. James I. Lamb, executive director of Lutherans For Life – A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life
April 1“How very important for Christian mothers and fathers to raise their children in the Lord, not only that they might gain saving faith, but also that they might use their gifts and talents for service in God’s kingdom and for the glory of His holy name.” Rev. Mark Gullerud, Redeemer Lutheran Church, Bowdle, South Dakota – A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life
April 8 “‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.’ … What gives meaning to these words? It is the Easter story of Christ’s resurrection. He lives and walks with me. We know this is no sentimental thought, but an objective truth that God is God, and He uses this verse to comfort His children. Because He lives, we can face tomorrow with confidence.” Rev. Homer Larson, speaker on the Christian Crusaders radio program – A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life
April 15 “[U]ntil we pass onto the next life in which we will be perfectly united with Jesus, we will need to continue to rely on our Good Shepherd to help us when the going gets tough. The 23rdPsalm assures us that we can trust Him to provide us with the strength to endure the toughest of circumstances. He comforts us and gives us hope as we experience God’s generous provision.” Rev. Richard Mau, Face to Face radio program (Australia) – A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life
April 22 “This exemplary devotion to God’s kingdom [by Hannah in 1 Samuel 1] draws our attention to a very special purpose of Christian parents—raising children in the Lord. If each succeeding generation of lost and condemned sinners is to learn of their Savior, it is paramount that there be Christian witnesses who testify to others of the saving truths of God.” Rev. Mark Gullerud, Redeemer Lutheran Church, Bowdle, South Dakota – A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life
April 29 “A mother need never fear children that seem inconvenient or strip her of her ‘freedom.’ Like Jesus, she can welcome a little child (Mark 10:14). And, when a mother grieves because she aborted her child in a moment of fear, she can look to Jesus the Savior who hears her cry of repentance and welcomes her into His waiting and forgiving arms. In Jesus, she is free to love and defend the blessing of life.” Linda D. Bartlett, – A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life
May 6 “We often address the life issues based on the Fifth Commandment’s prohibition of murder or on the First Article and God’s creation of life. But the Second Article raises the value of my life and the reasons I should value other lives to an incomprehensible level. Mistreat human life and you mistreat something very special to Jesus Christ. He paid for it. Mistreat life and you mistreat Jesus. He owns it.” Rev. Dr. James I. Lamb, executive director of Lutherans For Life – A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life
May 13“Thank God for His gift of Christian motherhood, because those who have been blessed through it enjoy priceless spiritual treasures and are given the privilege of serving the Lord in His kingdom.” Rev. Mark Gullerud, Redeemer Lutheran Church, Bowdle, South Dakota – A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life
May 20 “It is lack of imagination, not pity, which causes doctors to dismiss the lives of disabled babies as ‘not worth living’ … disabled children, like every other child, has the right to life.” Alison Davis, No Less Human, Society for the Protection of Unborn Children – A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life
May 27 “Lord, guard and guide the men who fly, And those who on the ocean ply; Be with our troops upon the land, And all who for their country stand: Be with these guardians day and night, And may their trust be in Thy might.” Author Unknown, 1955 – A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life
June 3 “The life issues present us with opportunities to point people in the right way, the way of Jesus and the truth of His Word. The life issues present us with opportunities to bring Jesus and His compassion to people who are hurting and struggling. The life issues present us with opportunities to bring people to Jesus and the healing and restoring message of His salvation.” Rev. Dr. James I. Lamb, executive director of Lutherans For Life – A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life
June 10 “[W]hen a man remembers God’s call to headship, he is able to make a positive difference. A man makes a difference when he guards the virtue of his girlfriend, remains true to his wife, or engages faithfully as a father.” Linda D. Bartlett, – A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life
June 17 “Just as our children are part of us, and we are part of them, so our heavenly Father is part of us, and we are part of Him. As we celebrate Father’s Day this year, we can spare a thought for our Heavenly Father. Better still, spare Him a prayer. Say thank you for all the blessings we have, and ask Him for whatever you need. He will only give you the very best.” Rev. John Henderson, Face to Face radio program (Australia) – A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life
June 24“No matter what we have done (or failed to do); no matter if we’ve chosen, performed, or defended an abortion, we need to acknowledge our sin. ‘The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise’ (Psalm 51:17). With His forgiveness, Christ sets us free to move outward into the lives of others—with hope.” Linda D. Bartlett, – A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life
July 1 “When we call things like abortion or embryonic stem cell research or assisted suicide political issues and avoid talking about them in church, our silence speaks loudly. Our silence allows the destruction of human beings who belong to God. He paid a price for them and won a victory for them. Thus, our silence insults Him. We need to speak for them. We need to speak for Him.” Rev. Dr. James I. Lamb, executive director of Lutherans For Life – A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life
July 8 “One of the major signs of decadence in the Roman Empire was that its unwanted babies were exposed, that is, abandoned to die. Can we claim that Western society is any less decadent because it consigns its unwanted babies to the hospital incinerator instead of the local rubbish dump? Reverence for human life is an indispensable characteristic of a humane and civilized society.” John Stott, English Christian leader and Anglican cleric – A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life
July 15 “Children need to see father and mother not competing with one another, but complimentary of each other. ‘Two are better than one … though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken’(Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). God, a man, and a woman. This ‘threefold cord’ is for the benefit of all—including children and grandchildren!” Linda D. Bartlett, – A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life
July 22 “God has blessed us with the gift of ministry and the gift of purpose. He has called us to defend His precious children, the unborn, disabled, and the elderly. Let us not shrink from that calling, but be more forward working now while we can, praying, planning and working to carry the torch of life into the future until the victory is finally won!” Diane E. Schroeder, president of Lutherans For Life – A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life
July 29 “There are many perspectives from which to view adoption. Perhaps we Christians will find needed strength and encouragement and hope when we view it through our adoption by God in Christ. Apart from Christ, all His children are adopted. He must know something about it!” Rev. Dr. James I. Lamb, executive director of Lutherans For Life – A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life
August 5 “What would happen if each of us prayerfully purposed to tell at least one soul each day that Jesus is the One who has made us, who cares for us, who died and rose again for us, who blesses us with both physical and spiritual blessings, and who longs to live in a personal relationship with us? The Word calls us so to go and tell.” Pastor Jerry Moan, New Testament professor, Association Free Lutheran Theological Seminary, Plymouth, Minnesota – A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life
August 12 “Rocks beg to be thrown. And the Gospel begs to be shared. And just as a rock thrown into a calm lake causes ripples that keep going and going, when the Gospel is shared, it causes ripples, which spread from person to person, generation to generation.” Rev. Peter Meier, assistant to the president: missions, Minnesota South District (LCMS) – A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life
August 19 “You can be a voice of prayer praying for our Church, our country, hurting people. You can be a voice of service reaching out to those who need an encouraging word, a helping hand, a comforting presence. You can be a voice of education helping others understand how God’s Word of truth and grace connects to the life issues. You can be a voice of witness pointing people to the true source of rescue. You can be an activist voice participating in Life Chains, Marches for Life, and prayer vigils. You can be a political voice practicing Christian citizenship and bringing your influence to bear through the political process.” Rev. Dr. James I. Lamb, executive director of Lutherans For Life – A “Life Quote” from Lutherans For Life