The Source of Truth

by Cynthia Workman, Abstinence Education Administrative Assistant

While processing surveys recently gathered during one of our Abstinence Education Classes presented to 6^th graders, I was looking over students responses to the question, “List a person you can ALWAYS trust to give you the truth about sexual activity.”  A typical response to this question is a parent, sibling, trusted best friend or extended family member.  I was surprised to see an 11 year old young lady had responded to this query with the answer, “the internet”.

The internet has become a source of fast answers with a quick hit of the enter tab.  We can get trivia answered, dates recalled and the latest news and happenings from around the entire planet in less than a second.  It is not surprising that a young person would view the internet as a quick and ready resource to her questions.  What is sad is that she may view a response from a quick topical search related to sexual activity as “truth”.  I shudder to think what may even pop onto her screen in response to any query related to topics on sexuality.  It would be like jumping into a shark tank and hoping to find a friendly dolphin to swim with.  Chances are slim she will discover truth and that her purity of mind will come out unscathed.

What is truth and where can we find it?  God is truth.  There is no duplicity, no changing with the seasons or the times, no falsehood…only truth, unchanging, foundational truth.  He cannot lie.  He is truth in His person.  Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” John 14:6.   Therefore, His Word is true. “Sanctify them by the truth, your word is truth.” John 17:17.  It can be relied upon for factual, consistent truth that is unswayed by the current cultures pleasure-oriented, consumer-oriented, self-centered society. As followers of Almighty God, we should be relied upon to speak truth for Him.  So those of you with a young person in your life, a child, grandchild, sibling, neighbor, etc. speak the timeless, unchanging truth to those you have the opportunity to have in your life.  “Speak the truth in love.” Ephesians 4:15.  God’s truth is not changed by current social norms.

My hope would be that any young person with questions related to sexual purity and sexual activity would be able to find an honest, truthful, factual response from a trusted adult rather than an impersonal search engine on the world-wide web.  Believing parent and grandparent wade in unafraid to these topics, seeking truth and answers from the source of truth and relevant guidelines-our Unchanging God and His timeless Word! If you’d like help in parenting and answers to difficult questions young people may have, please call our office (866-510-5067) to see about when and where one of our My Best For You or Transformed presentations for parents and students is taking place near you. There is also the option to schedule one in your local church. 

Speaking Truth to Thousands!

From 6th through 12th grade, the Choose to Wait program is speaking truth to thousands of students each semester. Not only are these presentations packed with important and factual information but they have proven to be very effective in challenging students to make healthier decisions when it comes to their sexuality. Below are just a few comments received from recent Choose to Wait presentations.

• Jennings Co. H.S. student: “She really helped me understand. Thank you for doing this…we need it.”
• Jennings Co. M.S. student: “(The most helpful was) learning that having sex is a beautiful thing as long as you wait, learning what real love is, and learning how far to go- setting boundaries.”
• Jennings Co. M.S. student: “This person drew us a picture in our mind about how to protect our health.”
• Jenn. Co. M.S. student: “If you don’t want your grandma to know; don’t say it or put it on the Internet.”
• Seymour H.S. student: “I am choosing to wait!!”
• Do you think this person presenting this program was relatable…”yes, because she changed my mind.” - Northside female
• “I learned what a “go to” person is.” 6th Grader at Southwestern
• “I learned to wait and make good choices.” – 6th Grader at Southwestern
• “I liked learning about keeping my body safe and waiting until marriage to have sex.” – 6th Grader at Southwestern
• “I learned abstinence is healthy.” – 6th Grader at North Vernon Elementary
• “I learned to save sex for marriage because I want to have healthy relationships.” – 6th Grader at North Vernon Elementary
• “So happy with the content and presentation.” – 6th Grade Teacher , North Vernon Elementary
• “Well-presented, made students feel comfortable in participating and asking questions. Good content, Good message.” – 6th Grade Teacher, North Vernon

What People are Saying

The Pregnancy Care Centers reaches thousands of people each year with the truth regarding sexual integrity and the value of human life. We do this through programs like Choose to Wait, My Best for You and Transformed. We also offer hope through our in–center services and healing through our post-abortion bible studies. We are constantly encouraged by the great feedback we get through participants and clients. Below is what people are saying:

“Thank you for everything. I am going to stay pure until marriage.” Transformed Teen Male Participant


“I’m 17 and a virgin. When I was in 7th or 8th grade I went through Transformed and since have always wanted to save myself for marriage.” Transformed Teen Female Participant

“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to become closer to my mom and God.” My Best for You Student Participant

“I might have had sex before, but me and my (boyfriend) talked and we want to wait. You will keep us going.” Choose to Wait Brown County Middle School Student


“As a single father our family needed these sessions.” Transformed Parent Participant


“What a blessing this Bible study has been for me. I have found the peace and forgiveness that I have been searching for for a very long time. It has taken me 32 years to be healed from my abortion and I praise God for this study!” Forgiven and Set Free Bible Study Participant

“Programs like this help me stay abstinent.” Choose to Wait Columbus North Student


“I have totally changed my mind about everything. I’ll never watch porn again because it was that informative to me.” Choose to Wait Seymour High School Student


“I believe if every parent took to heart the depth of this need to share these truths that will save them from deep scaring with their children—it will change our world!” Transformed
Grandmother Participant

“I am thankful for this retreat. You have made this subject so easy to talk about with my daughter.” My Best for You Parent Participant


What I like best about the Pregnancy Care center is “that people care enough to keep the center running and so many people volunteer to help. Thank you for helping.” Bartholomew County Male Client

“Tonight has been fabulous for me as a mother and follower of Christ. I’m so very glad I brought my daughter. I’m glad she has the truth!” My Best for You Parent Participant


“I’m not completely sure but it was possible that I may have lost my virginity tonight. It won’t happen now. Thanks.” Choose to Wait Shelby Central High School Student


“This is a great program. It gives you all you need to be healed, or if the wounds are very deep, how to continue the healing process with God by your side. It is wonderful to see everyone change and grow closer to God.” Forgiven and Set Free Bible Study Participant

The Pregnancy Care Center is “open and honest with questions, never judgmental. I love the one on one counseling. Thank you for all the information.” Bartholomew County Female Client
“As someone who is sexually active I can honestly say that I no longer will be.” Choose to Wait Jennings County High School Student

“This is a great program, solved many confusions and struggles which I had not realized as well as giving me support, hope and peace of mind.” Forgiven and Set Free Bible Study Participant

Cosmo's Twisted Take on Virginity

There is a shocking headline on the front of Cosmopolitan Magazine this month; so shocking that whoever makes up the headlines actually wrote it like this: “VIRGINS IN COSMO! (We Thought This Day Would Never Come)” (July 2009 issue.)

Considering that I find this magazine offensive on several levels it pained me considerably to plop down $4.29 to purchase the magazine. But, I wanted to read what millions of women around the world (they tout that they are the best selling magazine with 58 international editions published in 34 languages and distributed in over 100 countries according to their web-site) would be reading about virginity.

As I suspected I would be, I was outraged. The summary is this: “seven virgins were interviewed and NOT ONE indicated she planned to actually wait for marriage.” I’ve scanned the entire article twice to see if the word marriage even existed in any of their interviews. Not once. One girl says that she “is in no way waiting for The One” and another says she “wants to hold out a little longer” but perhaps one of the saddest statements of all comes from a young woman who says that she was holding out for Mr. Right….but sometimes she thinks “Mr. Okay will have to do.”

I can not express emphatically enough how incredibly VITAL our ministry is to the young men and women in our society today! Teens are asked to believe nothing but pure LIES from our culture on a daily basis. It is compromises they are being asked and told to make! The Pregnancy Care Centers of South Central Indiana lovingly confront this generation with truth in the classrooms, in the centers, and in every encounter we are given.

Let me share just a few of the many instances where we are making the difference in South Central Indiana. I have included seven comments from seven Indiana teens to rebut the seven testimonies of girls in the Cosmopolitan Magazine article who have bought the lies of our culture or grown too weak to care. Let the comments collected from teens at the Columbus East/North Summer School program who embraced our Choose to Wait program last week speak to you:

- “I am now more confident on keeping my virginity.”
- “(This) really got through to me.”
- “I’ll definitely save my virginity for my spouse.”
- “Gave me a better perspective.”
- “Having this presentation convinced me.” “Awesome”
- “All of it made me realize it’s not worth giving up when there is so much ahead of me.”
- “It was SO informational.” “Think about your future spouse.”

Please join me in praying for the strength of our ministry and the audacity of Generation Y to embrace the truth!

Tracey Pike, Director of Community Education

The “safe sex” message prepares teens for certain failure!

I looked up the word “safe” on my computer’s thesaurus. I’d like to share with you just a few of the synonyms it gave: secure, protected, out of harms way, harmless, innocent and reliable. Now, consider those same terms in connection to giving teens a condom and encouraging them to cheat on their future spouse. It’s a laughable concept if you give it any real thought, yet many try to advocate the idea as valid.

When teens learn to drive we don’t teach them how to minimize the damage of a future crash because it is inevitable. We give our teens the skills to be successful drivers. Likewise, we must give our teens successful life skills to make wise choices, not assume they will fail to do so. Our Choose to Wait abstinence education program believes in the educational process as well as this generation. We have a deliberate focus and approach of educating teens of not only physical consequences of sex outside the boundary of marriage, but mental, emotional, social and ethical consequences as well. The “safe-sex” message focuses only on attempting to minimize physical risks. There is no “protection” for our mental, emotional, social and ethical bonding that this type of intimacy brings. Abstinence is not a moral issue; it is a medically accurate and scientifically sound fact that participating in sex outside the boundary of marriage is not in our best interest and cannot be made “safe” by any means of protection.

Many believe that “not only are teens having more sex, they are having more unsafe sex.” The first phrase of that sentence is the crux of the problem and the second is the misnomer. If teens are having more sex how does it stand to reason that teaching them to have sex in any way is a solution? Abstinence outside of marriage and fidelity within marriage is not only an attainable and realistic goal, but it is in our best interest. Teaching teens how to choose a second or third best choice is exactly what puts them in an “unsafe” situation. To focus only on the risk of unwanted pregnancy is short-sited. What about the Sexually Transmitted Infection/Disease (STI/STD) rates which are at “epidemic” proportions? The National Institute of Health analysis of the protective factor of condoms found there is no sound evidence to support condoms reduce the risk of acquiring many of the most common STD’s.

Risk avoidance, not risk management is in the best interest of everyone, especially our youth! Education complete with truth, facts and data empower and equip teens to make wise choices, not compromising ones. I am certain that the majority of Americans believe in teaching our teens they are worth more than the compromises the media and our culture would have them make. Please join me in believing in this generation!

Tracey Pike, Director of Community Education