Conviction of truth. Compassion for people. Context for our society. And comfort in Christ. These are our goals. Join Ted Witzig Jr. as he speaks to the important topic of gender and sexual identity with grace and truth.

Conviction of Truth

• Mark 10:6-9
  • Gender is a divine creation.
  • Marriage between a man and a woman is a divine institution.
  • Fidelity is the divine intention.

Compassion for People

• See people as Christ sees them. Love them.
  • We are created in God’s image.
  • We are loved by God.
  • We have undying souls.
  • We are in need of salvation.

Context for our Society

• Common Cultural Script
  • I feel attracted to my same sex.
  • Attraction is a central identifier to who I am as a person.
  • Happiness is found in fulfillment of my identity.
  • I must live out my same sex attraction to flourish as a person.
• People do not choose their sexual attraction. Attraction is complex.
• Changing sexual attraction is not simple. Sometimes it happens. Sometimes it does not.

Comfort in Christ

• Jesus attracted people who had brokenness.
• The repair that Jesus offers is much deeper than sexual orientation.
• Jesus offers us an alternative script and it is good news for all of us.
  • I feel attracted to my same sex. This is just one example of brokenness in my life.
  • Sexual attraction is not the central identifier of my life. Rather, my identity in Christ is who I am at the core.
  • Happiness is found in fulfillment of my identity in Christ.
  • Human flourishing happens when I am conformed to Christ’s likeness. Thus, I do not need to act on sinful sexual urges.
• Jesus offers the good news of conversion to anyone who wants it. A transformation occurs when we were once slaves to our brokenness and become new creatures with new minds set free to live according to Christ’s example.

Empathy is a gift we give to others. It is a gift for many reasons, not the least of which, is the selflessness required. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Amber Miller flushes out empathy. She helps us walk the fine line of looking within ourselves and accessing the God given skill set to turn outward and connect with another person.

• Empathy is feeling with people.
• Empathy is not fixing people’s hurt.
• Empathy is recognizing, acknowledging, and connecting with another person’s emotion.
• Empathy is not talking.
• Empathy requires selflessness by not making the interaction about us.
• Empathy does not require a shared experience.
• Empathy requires vulnerability on the part of the giver and the receiver.
• Empathy does not require complete understanding of another person’s experience.
• Empathy is built by listening to another’s perspective.
• Empathy is eroded by minimizing another’s experience.
• Empathy is built by prayer.
• Empathy is eroded by ignorance.
• Empathy flourishes when the hurting person gives the helping person grace to try.
• Empathy withers when the hurting person lords their hurt over another.
• Empathy flourishes when the helping person gives the hurting person grace to share.
• Empathy withers when the helping person lords their perspective over the hurting person.
• Empathy is perfectly exampled in Christ, who experienced humanity fully and is now our advocate before the father.