gender outline

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Finding your Identity

1. SUMMARY OF VIRTUAL LESSON A. We live in an amazing time. A great cultural opportunity to live the Gospel in fresh ways B. How do we disagree both personally and publicly without being the enemy? C. Small group question: How do non-believers perceive Christians surrounding the topic of homosexuality and gender confusion? Possible answers: Hurt, Loving, Apathetic, Angry, etc.. D. The story of marriage in the Bible is a complimentary story about unity coming from diversity E. Freedom isn’t the right to do whatever you want: it is the ability to be who you ought to be. F. Being authentic to a lie is hypocrisy. 2. IDENTITY—WHO WE THINK WE ARE DEFINES OUR ACTIONS. A. SMALL GROUP: IF YOUR BEST FRIEND WERE TO LABEL YOU, WHAT LABEL WOULD THEY GIVE YOU? B. Sexuality is not your identity. C. Two stories: Naturalism (all is physical), Theism (physical and spiritual exist). D. Naturalism: If all is defined by matter, we find our identity in nature. Nature becomes a role model. E. In Christianity, our identity is rooted in being image-bearers of God.

3. RELATIONSHIP— HOW DOES BASING YOUR IDENTITY IN THE PHYSICAL CHANGE YOUR RELATIONSHIPS? A. They are temporary ( Focus on “crashing down” lyrics of Taylor swift). 2. They define you (focus on “you’re my only reason” lyric in The One Direction song) 3. Physical problems only have physical solutions (focus on how Del Rey only has the ability to numb her problems “high by the beach” rather than deal with them). B. YOLO vs. YODO: How does “you only live once” change the way you live vs. “you only die once”? 4. NOW WHAT? A. How do we engage friends and family who live according to another story? A. Work things out in community and through relationship. Also, establish common ground: rather than getting bogged down in an argument, start by showing that everyone relies

B. C.

D. E.

F.

on some ethic or morality to guide their understanding of sexuality. Christians believe God has provided an ethical standard for sexuality as shown through the biblical narrative and the life of Jesus. We show Miley Cyrus as an extreme example, yet even Cyrus has a sexual ethic with limitations on what should and should not be included in human sexual relationships. What are areas in which you can find common ground with someone who disagrees with your sexual ethic? How do we love one another while disagreeing? Think of a common cultural vice like smoking. Our society condemns the behavior and yet isn’t perceived as being bigoted. How can we create such a posture with this topic as well? Why does society always see our condemnation of a lifestyle as a condemnation of a person? Are Christians the only ones who are truly tolerant? It’s only when you disagree that you create the space to experience tolerance. What about people who can’t or do not have children? A couple that can’t have a child may be experiencing the curse of a fallen world, but that doesn’t make their marriage inferior. If anything, brokenness highlights the fact that things aren’t as they should be, and we seek wholeness. Brokenness shows a need for completion and compassion. Francis Chan video: It may not be easy, but it will be good.