Bengals Kicker’s Faith, Pregnancy Support Centers, & Social Media

Transcript

When Cincinnati Bengal kick Evan McPherson takes the field this weekend for the NFL AFC Championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs…his calm demeanor will be influenced by the years of being active in a local church…at least that’s what his mom, Amber, believes.

McPherson received attention for not only his game-winning kick in the Bengals divisional playoff win, but for his “God is good” t-shirt worn during the postgame press conference and his comments that pointed to his faith in Jesus Christ.

McPherson grew up in a family who loved God and was active in a local church in Fort Payne, Alabama. The love for Jesus he witnessed in his parents had a great influence on his life and now he’s bringing to the locker room, the field and wherever he goes.

McPherson’s rise to becoming the nation’s No. 1-rated high school kicker in 2018 included a then-state record 60-yard field goal. He went on to a stellar career with the Florida Gators and was the only kicker taken in last year’s draft.

Pregnancy support centers play an important role in the lives of thousands of women each year, according to the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. Laura Messick, the executive director of Portico, a pregnancy support center in Murfreesboro, Tenn. say they work hard to help mothers as they work through their pregnancies and prepare for parenting or adoption.

Messick says they provide prenatal vitamins, check ups with nurses and help mothers understand the real-life implications if they decide to abort their baby.

She says they work to educate women on the development of their baby and help them understand the resources that are available to them during the pregnancy and after the delivery.

Hundreds of pregnancy support centers are at open every day across the U.S. to help couples as they walk through pregnancy, the arrival of their baby and the first years of parenting.

Good News for Today is made possible through our friends at The Voice of the Martyrs, a nonprofit organization that serves persecuted Christians around the world. Founded in 1967 by Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, VOM is dedicated to inspiring believers to deepen their commitment to Christ and to fulfill His Great Commission — no matter the cost. Find out more and sign up for their free monthly magazine at vom.org/goodnews.

If you’re on social media, you know it can get messy in a hurry. Josh Schmidt, pastor at First Baptist Church in Grayson, Kentucky, is encouraging people to use biblical relationship principles even when they’re online. In a First-Person piece on Baptist Press, Schmidt calls on people to keep from attacking someone else on social media, and, instead, reach out to them in person if they have a grievance with them using the principles found in Matthew 18.

You can read the full piece at Baptist Press.com.