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Christlife Posture: Submitting to God's Love and Leading

Topic: Identity and My Sexuality

 

Suggested Approach: Choose 1 thing from each of the three boxes

OR Choose 1 from media or Reflection + 1 from Scripture 

Media Excursions    (Watch/read/listen and be ready to discuss Q's)

Still Image/Mural Painting

  • Adam and Eve (Creation Museum) Though you can see the serpent in the tree, this image depicts the pair before the fall.  How do you picture their relationship before the fall?  Does it include a sense of them as sexual beings? Why or why not?

Video Clip

  • Sean Lowe (I am second) Listen to Sean’s story, especially as he begins talking about the decisions he made sexually (minute 8:18+).  What are his reasons for being sexually abstinent with his fiancee?  Do they seem behaviorally based or do they come from a clear sense of his sexual identity in Christ? How might a clearer sense of his core identity have affected the choices he made in his early 20's?

  • Interview: Tanika Chambers (700 Club) How does her message to singles help you think about yourself a person who has an identity bigger than your sexuality? How does trust figure into finding your identity? What kinds of pressure have you felt that impact how you view yourself sexually?

Podcast

  • A Christian Vision for Sexuality (Chris Fabry with Todd Wilson) What did you think of the concept of “moral intuition”? Are you able to own your own sexual brokenness? How does being broken affect our ability to have a clear sense of identity?  If society thinks of our bodies as “playthings”, how do you believe a Christian should think of their body? Where do you agree or disagree with Chris or Todd? (Questions are based on the interview which ends at 24:31--though call in conversation follows for another 24 minutes.)

Article ​

  • Human Sexuality as a Picture of the Inner Life of God (Glenn T. Stanton) What does this article want us to understand about our sexuality? What resonated with you? What questions did it bring up or leave unanswered for you?

  • Evangelical Pastor Theologians Outline Christian Vision of Sexuality (John Lomperis)  What insights on human sexuality did you find in this article? What resonated biblically? What didn’t? Why do you think most writing on Christian sexuality includes (or solely focuses on) sexual minorities (homosexual, transgender etc.)?

  • A Single Person’s Good Desire for Sex (Paul Maxwell) Though this article focuses mainly on desire, what does the author say about our desires that help you understand your identity sexually?

  • A Christian Perspective on Sexual Identity (Mark Yarhouse) See especially page 16-21. This academic article is largely about sexual minorities, but also has insights for overall sexual identity formation. How does your identity as a Christian relate to your identity sexually? Do you know anyone like Chloe? How does her experience help you understand the place of sexuality in your overall identity?   

  • A Glorious Story (Glenn T. Stanton) How does this article change or broaden your vision of what Christian sexuality is all about? 

  • Blog: Sex. (Jamie Wright) Warning: some of the language may be offensive to you.  Which perspective on your sexuality (of the 2 she mentions) were you more influenced by? What points does this article make that help you understand your identity sexually?

Online Teaching​

Reflection Options  

Journal  (Reflect on one or more of these questions)

  • What messages have you gotten from society and media about who you are as a person who has sexuality as a part of their identity? What messages have you gotten from the church about the same?

  • What questions do you have about sexual identity?  About a Christian sexual identity?

  • If you feel conflicted about issues of sexual identity/same sex attraction and what the bible says, write a letter to God expressing your questions, your frustration or your feelings.  Then take a few minutes to just sit quietly and listen.  What do you hear (this might come in the form of an impression, a bible verse, a reminder of a truth…).  Make a note of it and be ready to check out what you sensed with your mentor.

Quote Interaction (Interact by agreeing, disagreeing or otherwise engaging with the quote/quotes)

  • We think it is a matter of empirical fact that it is good for sexual intimacy to be protected within proper boundaries. . . . We think it is good for people to protect their physical, mental, and emotional health in intimate relationships. We think the good of sex is ruined by exploitation, coercion, or pure self-gratification. The majority of American emerging adults [however] seem to have little awareness of those understandings of sex and the good.  (Christian Smith, The Dark Side of Emerging Adulthood)

  • ...our images and ideas of sex focus too much on how it feels to our bodies and not enough on what it does to our souls...emerging adults can’t build an identity in God if they are dragging their sexual sins around. (Haydn Shaw, Generational IQ)

  • We cannot give our hearts to God and keep our bodies for ourselves  (Elisabeth Elliot)

  • According to the apostle Paul, one of the purposes of marriage is to show forth the mystery of Christ and the church (Eph. 5:32). If marriage can be construed as a man and a man or a woman and a woman, what is left of the glorious mystery of Christ and the church? We are left with only Christ and Christ or church and church. (Kevin DeYoung)

Reading and Reflection from the book, Shaping The Journey of Emerging Adults: 

  • Read the section that starts on p. 176 called “Humbly Submitting to the Satisfactions of Christ”.  Comment on the concept of “indulging” as it’s written about here as a way to practice submission to God.  

  • Read “the Story of all stories” (p. 166-167).  What are sexuality, sex and marital sexual union meant to articulate in a biblical worldview?  Do you agree with the author that “sexuality and spirituality are inseparable?

  • Read through “Biblical Vision, Guidance and Support” (p. 171-176). What aspects of this discussion on sexuality are compelling as a vision for sexual identity?

Explore Scripture

Meditate on one or more of the following passages. Always look them up in context.  Take some time to really explore the verse in relation to this topic.  Search through multiple passages to see if you can get a sense of God's design for our sexuality.  Make a note of what you discover to share later.  See "Learn More About Ways to Study Scripture" below for help in getting the most out of the verse.

  • Genesis 1:28

  • Leviticus 18:22

  • Psalm 84:11

  • Proverbs 5:3-6, 18; 6:20-29

  • Song of Songs (or Song of Solomon)

  • Matthew 19:5

  • Mark 8:36

  • I Corinthians 6:12-20

  • Galatians 6:8

  • I Thessalonians 4:3-8

  • Titus 1:15

  • Hebrews 13:4

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