Living Out Loud

Let's get something straight: as Christians, we're not necessarily called to go to church. We're called to be the church. Church isn't somewhere you go. It's something you are, and it's something you experience. Embrace church wherever you find it. If you find church in a building, fine. If you don't, fine. Ultimately, you don't need other people to tell you who you are.  While church attendance can be beneficial, there are seasons in a person's life that warrant a break from organized religion. For many people who are recovering from illness or abuse, attending church is simply not feasible. Also, some people are "between churches" due to moving or some other circumstance, and we cannot reasonably expect them to commit to one church right away. Church should never be used as a weapon against people who are in sensitive situations.  Christianity is so much more than church membership. To be a Christian is to follow Jesus, even if you'v...

Don't give me your fake Jesus, Your popular Jesus, your counterfeit Jesus. Give me the weird Jesus, The outcast Jesus, the misfit Jesus. Give me the Jesus who turned the world on its head, Who challenged the righteous and ate with sinners instead. Don't give me your shallow platitudes,  Your virtue signaling, your ivory-tower attitudes.  I don't need your white-only Jesus, Your sexist Jesus, your prejudice-is-alright Jesus. Give me the in-your-face Jesus, The feminist Jesus, the don't-judge-by-race Jesus. I will not feast at the table of your lies,  Your sugar-coated words, your half-truths in disguise.  Give me the real Jesus, The fierce Jesus, the witty Jesus. Don't give me your polished Jesus, your pretty Jesus, Who keeps his head down and does as he's told. Give me the Jesus who's brave and bold. I don't want your Jesus who blends in with the crowd. I need the Jesus who loves me out loud. 

First of all, the transgender movement erases the reality of womanhood. In an effort to be more inclusive, they've decided that a woman is anyone who identifies as a woman. The problem with this definition is that it's circular and lacks objective meaning. In order for words to have a clear meaning, they need to be defined by facts, not by feelings or identity. Also, inclusivity is not always a good thing. Language is exclusive by its very nature.  The purpose of language is to convey a clear, specific message. If words have no objective meanings and boundaries, then they are meaningless.  "Woman" and "female" are not an exception to this rule; they, too, need to be objectively defined. Womanhood is a biological reality, not a feeling or a social construct.  A woman is an adult female human. Females are people who take the default, estrogen-dominated path of development from conception onwards. Women and girls belong to the sex that produces egg cells and ge...

Sexual union —Marriage, at its core, is the sexual union of a male and a female. Common sense tells us that male and female sexual organs were clearly designed for each other. Even an infertile male-female couple can engage in intercourse. Although infertile couples cannot "unite" their DNA by producing a child, they are still capable of sexual union. Two men (or two women) lack this complementary design and are unable to have proper intercourse. There are many risks associated with same-sex activity, especially for gay men, who are at an increased risk for STDs. Problems arise when we use things incorrectly, and sexuality is no different. Men and women were obviously designed for each other, and we will not gain true happiness from going against God's design.  Reproduction —Male-female sexual union is unique because it is the only relationship that can produce children. Reproduction is essential to society for obvious reasons. Yes, some male-female couples struggle with ...

#1: I’m pro-choice because I understand biological reality.  If a single-celled zygote has the same rights as a born person, then every woman with a functioning reproductive system is a murderer. 2/3 of fertilized eggs fail to implant, so if a zygote is a person, then that's a lot of wasted souls. A fertilized egg is not guaranteed to become a person; and sometimes it becomes two or more people (identical twins/triplets). Also, in the case of a molar pregnancy, the zygote has not developed into a conscious human being, but into a potentially life-threatening tumor.  Without consciousness, a body is not a person. That’s why it’s legal to withdraw life support from those who are brain-dead.  A fetus has no life of its own, physically or mentally, until it's separated from the mother.  Physical development starts when the egg and sperm cells are produced—but actual, conscious life isn't possible until many months afterward. Also, until viability, the embryo/fetus is ful...

#1: Modesty begins in the heart. Modesty doesn't always come with black-and-white rules. However, the Bible outlines the basic principles of modesty.  1 Timothy 2:9 says that a modest person is someone who has "decency and propriety."  #2: Modesty is about dignity and self-respect.  M odesty isn't just about sexuality.  Our words, actions, and clothing choices  should be decent and proper for the occasion.  If our outfit/behavior is so flashy (or so tacky) that we're immediately the center of attention when we walk into a room, then we're not being modest.  #3: Modesty matters. When it comes to sharing the Gospel, your actions speak louder than your words. You might be the only "Bible study" that someone reads today, or the only "church service" that someone gets this week. So when you dress and act modestly, you are honoring God and living out the Gospel for all to see.   When it comes to modesty, it's easy for us to go to extremes, ...

Growing up in the Bible Belt, I absolutely loved the TV show 19 K ids and Counting . It was nice to see Christians—people like me—on television, even if they were kind of old-fashioned. I didn't agree with the Duggars on everything, but I admired their willingness to stand out from the crowd. In an era of short shorts and crop tops, the Duggar girls were happy to wear maxi skirts and modest t-shirts. And rather than complaining about their family's strict modesty standards, they actually seemed quite happy about "covering up for Christ."  A few years after I started watching the Duggars' reality show, their son Josh's sex scandal came to light. As a teenager, Josh had molested four of his younger sisters, and his family had kept it a secret for all those years to protect Josh. Well, what about protecting the girls? We should never prioritize the interests of an abuser over the safety of his victims. And sexual assault should never be a private family affair! ...