When it comes to sexuality and gender, advice for parents is plentiful. There is no shortage of voices telling parents how they should raise their kids or support their adult children regarding these topics. How can Christian parents discern whether such advice is good or bad. Today’s episode from Joan McConnell explores the following five diagnostic questions parents can apply to the advice they receive… Does the advice prioritize the child’s happiness as a goal? Does the advice regard the child’s feelings or choices as primary or directive? Does the advice minimize human fallenness? Doe the advice dilute the authority of Scripture? Does the advice minimize God? If you’re trying to raise kids who honor God with their sexuality or need help interacting with an adult child who embraces worldly categories for sex and gender, this episode will give you the tools you need to discern through the mountains of advice the culture and Christians are offering. Read along here: https://harvestusa.org/parents-watch-out-for-bad-advice/
If your husband has sinned sexually, you might be surprised at how deeply you feel ashamed. Why does this happen? Ellen Mary Dykas shares why the intimacy of the marriage covenant, and the oneness of life between spouses, contributes to the powerful shame wives can feel in the aftermath of foundation shattering sin entering their marriage. She seeks to help wives understand shame, why they’re experiencing it, and why Jesus brings freedom from both shame and betrayal truama as a our compassionate Savior. Jesus knows what it’s like to experience the “dirtiness” of someone else’s sin. He can set you free from the shame your feeling. Read along with today’s episode here: https://harvestusa.org/my-husband-sinned-against-me-why-do-i-carry-the-shame/
Church discipline is a painful subject. Yet it’s vital to the health of the church and the practice of discipleship. For the men and women who come to Harvest USA with sexual sin struggles, their experience with church discipline, or the lack of it, can be painful and complicated. In today’s episode, Yohan Huh Prudente appeals to church leaders to embrace the value and necessity of church discipline as part of their discipleship. He presents the historical reasons why church discipline should be regarded as an essential mark of the church and appeals to pastors and elders to know their sheep and practice church discipline in a spirit of love that reflects God the Father and Christ, the great Shepherd of His sheep. Read along: https://harvestusa.org/church-discipline-the-heart-of-discipleship-for-lost-sheep/
What is the most important thing for me to do to overcome sexual sin? While techniques that reduce sexually sinful behaviors such internet filters, getting rid of your smartphone, or meticulously planning your day to avoid temptation are essential, if you’re a Christian, the answer is clear: abide in Jesus Christ. Today’s episode from Mark Sanders shows Christians struggling with sexual sin why the life Christ offers through the means of grace are essential to our growth in sexual integrity. Read along here: https://harvestusa.org/techniques-dont-offer-life-christ-does/
Are women happier without men? For the modern woman, there are increasingly novel ways to describe attractions, but a relatively new one is the term “heteropessimism.” As the name suggests, heteropessimists have a pessimistic outlook on what they would call the unfortunate state of their heterosexual attractions. Attractions which condemn these women, in their view, to a destiny of disappointment and harm at the hands of the men with whom they must have romantic and sexual relationships. In today’s episode, Caitlin McCaffrey takes a look at the ways heteropessimism might be making it’s way into the church. She explores the roots of these ideas in the gender wars while pointing to the Bible’s solution to pessimism about members of the opposite gender. You can read along here: https://harvestusa.org/are-women-happier-without-men-the-bibles-solution-to-heteropessimism/
Asexuality, sometimes referred to as “ace”, is an increasingly popular identity marker that describes people who experience little or no sexual attraction to others. Within the context of a Christian worldview, where self-control over one’s sexual desire is a right aim, could it be a good thing for single men and women to identify as asexual? In today’s episode Caitlin McCaffrey helps pastors and church leaders think biblically about this question. She examines what the Bible has to say about identity and then offers a practical approach for church leaders to help men and women wrestling with whether or not to identify as asexual. You can read along here: https://harvestusa.org/understanding-asexuality-biblically-how-to-help/ If you’re grappling with asexuality yourself, you can read Caitlin’s article on this topic titled “Am I Asexual?”: https://harvestusa.org/am-i-asexual-harvest-usa/
Have you ever fought to resist lust at the beach? The beach sounds like the perfect place to let our shoulders down and enjoy needed rest, but for Christians battling lust, the beach looks more like a war zone than a vacation. It requires discernment, alertness, self-control, and ruthless intentionality with our eyes and hearts to honor Christ at the beach. Today’s episode from Keith Seary helps you plan for a Christ-honoring beach trip. He offers heart searching reflections and practical exercises you can implement to prepare well. If you follow these instructions, your next trip could be marked by gratitude, holiness, and joy rather than sin, lust, and envy. You can read along with today’s episode here: https://harvestusa.org/how-to-resist-lust-at-the-beach-pursue-a-greater-pleasure/
Men are racing to objectify themselves. Whether they’re looking for affirmation, clout, sexual gratification, or an extra buck, young men see the opportunity to objectify themselves on social media or platforms like OnlyFans as too good to pass up. Today’s episode from Stephen Moss calls young men to understand the purpose and dignity of their bodies. After exploring the temptations of our cultural moment and the spiritual roots that drive it, Stephen calls young men to consider Christ’s purpose for their bodies and the wonder that Christ’s shed his precious blood to redeem their whole person, soul and body. You can read along as you listen here: https://harvestusa.org/your-body-is-not-for-sale-helping-young-men-resist-self-objectification/
Harvest USA is a unique place. The topics of discussion, the raw honesty of sharing, and the incredible sense of safety are not always what people experience walking into their local churches. If you’re struggling with sexual sin and looking to join a local church, what should you look for? Today’s episode from Mark Sanders offers five points to consider as you evaluate churches for their approach to caring for, discipling, and helping people struggling with sexual sin. No church is perfect, and any helpful discipleship in these areas will require initiative on our part, but churches that are faithfully displaying the qualities shared in today's episode can be great options to join as you pursue sexual integrity. You can read along as you listen to today’s episode here: https://harvestusa.org/what-should-you-look-for-in-a-local-church/
How do I talk to my kids about gender issues? On today’s episode of the podcast, we’re sharing session six of our video course titled “Parenting Boys and Girls in a Gender Confused World”. This course was designed to help parents like you disciple your children to think biblically about gender and grow in their ability to understand and courageously defend the goodness of our Creator’s intent. In today’s session, Ellen Mary Dykas continues her discussion about how to talk to your kids about gender issues. She shares how to speak about gender in light of the Bible's story of fall, redemption, and future glory, then concludes the session with a few ideas for preparing your kids to stand firm on God’s truth when they are opposed, made fun of, or forced to make costly choices because of the biblical foundation your family is standing on. You can watch the entire course for free by registering at https://harvestusa.org/courses/parenting-boys-and-girls-in-a-gender-confused-world/