I feel like these titles are too uniform.... 3/12/17

Welcome to another week! 

Yesterday in Sunday School we continued our now four week long discussion on what the Bible has to say about women. We focused specifically on the idea of submission in marriage and what the different views are within the church. We even had a minor Greek lesson on the nuances of the word "submit" that is used in Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3 in reference to wives submitting to their husbands. This led into the topic of homosexual marriage and how we are to treat them in relationship to what scripture has to say about submission. Obviously, if two men are married these verses don't speak directly into that situation. This was a good enough conversation starter that we decided to cover that a little more in depth during IMPACT. 

So we did. IMPACT followed its usual course of fun and a few games of dodgeball before we tucked into some tough issues. I brought up "The Shack" and talked about the danger of being wooed into universalist thinking. If you want to know a little more about what I'm talking/worried about with that book and movie, check out this  article by Al Mohler.

We used that as a transition into talking about things or issues that might cause us to look at scripture through a wrong lens. I shared what I believe to be a biblically accurate view of homosexuality and the challenges that believers face in approaching the subject. For transparencies sake, I believe (as does the RCA) that homosexuality is a sin against God and is not how He intended marriage to be. I base this belief on God's design of man and woman in Genesis 2 and His command for them to be fruitful and multiply, which is not possible in a homosexual relationship. There is also a passage in Romans 1 that speaks directly to the unnatural and sinful nature of this kind of relationship. 

But while that kind of lifestyle is sinful, we are still called to love them as children of God who bear his image. We spoke about depravity and how sin doesn't have levels, but rather ALL have fallen short of the mark that is Christ. This is something that I find easy to talk about, but not easy to live out. We were blessed to have other leaders speak in to this situation as well, sharing personal testimonies and different practical ways to love people who struggle with homosexual attraction. I apologize for not warning you that this was coming, but I didn't know myself until yesterday morning! 

In light of that conversation, I feel like next week should be dedicated to talking about God's design for marriage and relationships. It was a natural segue that we couldn't chase with the time that was left last night. So next week in Sunday school, we will finally (hopefully) wrap up our discussion on what the Bible says about women. It has been a great conversation from beginning to end every single week and I'm very proud of your students for their maturity in dealing with a "hot button" issue. Then at IMPACT we are going to look rather intimately at what it means to be created male and female with the image of God. This conversation is going to be directed at healthy relationships with one another and the ways that culture has distorted our Father's intention for one another. I will be sending out an email with more information about the specifics of what we want to talk about. I truly feel like this is God's leading for the group, even though I'm still pretty new here.

If any of this is exciting or uncomfortable, I'd love to hear what you as parents have been/ are currently thinking! Feedback is always appreciated!! Have a lovely week!