By Denise Shick “I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strengththrough His Spirit.” Ephesians 3:16 (NLT) “You know this has been weighing heavily on my heart for quite some time.” The urgent tone ofthe email pierced my heart. The 22-year veteran middle school teacher—I’ll call himTom—wanted prayer support. “I am being forced to teach a controversial curriculum … thatboth violates my conscience and is opposed to my religious beliefs. … I must teach about sexualorientation, gender identity and expression, and abortion (to name a few) and equip kids withresources and clinic information to enable…

Jesus said, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” John 10:10 (NLT) According to a recent Gallup poll, the percentage of US adults who self-identify as “something other than heterosexual has increased to a new high of 7.1%—double the percentage from 2012, when Gallup first measured it.” More alarming is that “roughly 21% of Generation Z Americans” (born between 1997 and 2003) identify as LGBT.¹ Why are so many young people rejecting heterosexuality? Could it be as simple as Bill Maher recently suggested, “The prime directive of every teen is,…

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” — Matthew 7:12 NIV THE GOLDEN RULE “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is a life principle taken from Jesus’ teachings. Most people modernize the statement by saying, “Treat others the way you want them to treat you.” Show respect if you want to be respected. Show kindness if you want to receive kindness. And so on. Few disagree with this reciprocal principle known as The Golden Rule.  Jesus spoke these words in the…

“You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. … My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. … Your eyes saw my unformed body.” — Psalm 139:13, 139:15-16 NIV Transgender athlete Lia Thomas gained global attention in December 2021 by shattering collegiate women’s swimming team records. Before coming out as transgender in 2019, Thomas had competed on the University of Pennsylvania’s men’s team. After a year’s hiatus and female hormone therapy, the biological male joined the women’s team and immediately outswam teammates and opponents.   Regarding recent accomplishments, Thomas says, “I’m very…

Dear Friend, It is to be expected that measurable relief and restoration can result from the hard work of personal restoration. Some individuals seeking to leave the transgender lifestyle experience a total cessation of any further tendencies to “boot up” the same icons that once were such an important part of their daily feel-good maintenance—or of what seemed to be their survival. But anyone involved in recovery work encounters periodic troublesome skirmishes. The crucial question then becomes “My way or God’s way?” Daily focus People who have battled transsexual desires tend to follow their damaged inner compass, which naturally points…

As you follow through on each decision, God provides the strength to make the next one. Success breeds success. And what success are you seeking? You’re trying, and learning, to be governed by your convictions instead of your feelings. That is the ultimate goal of maintaining sexual integrity. All of us are created to demonstrate and enjoy passionate moments of intimacy. But God never intended for those experiences to control our lives. Integrity is the conviction to remain consistent with our standards (and God’s) through the hundreds of daily decisions we make. Integrity is a determination to live as a…

Webster’s 1828 dictionary contained a simple definition of gender: “a sex, male or female.” In 2020, Dictionary.com provides this definition for gender: “either the male or female division of a species, especially as differentiated by social and cultural roles and behavior.” The modern definition starts out in a straightforward manner, much like Webster’s 1828 version. But then it equivocates: “especially as differentiated by social and cultural roles and behavior.” Such vacillation has become common in our politically correct culture. In a Psychology Today article titled “Sex, Gender, Roles, Identities, and Orientations,” author Amanda Rose states, “However, for transgender individuals, their…

The successful legalization of gay marriage has created a chasm between culture and people of faith who stood on God’s Word as the foundation and truth of the intended sexual relationship and marriage of man and woman. As the adage goes, if you tell a lie long enough, it becomes truth. That is where culture stands today on LGBT issues: homosexuality has become normalized and accepted as a natural design of our Creator, God. As a result, when a person announces he or she is gay, people, communities, and churches act as if this sexual desire is normal—approved by God.…

When a Husband Thinks He’s a She What do you say to a woman who shares the painful secret that her husband thinks he is a woman? In a world where right is wrong and wrong is right, families and the church are confronted with a variety of issues that often are not as black and white as they were one generation ago. The media, some counselors, and pseudo-science findings argue that a woman facing such a situation needs to accept that her husband really is a woman trapped inside a man’s body, and she should also accept and embrace…

If you feel heaviness, pressure, aching, and/or burning in your chest, you’d better get to the doctor, because you could have coronary artery disease, which can be deadly. If the disease is advanced, bypass surgery could be required. That surgery will unblock clogged arteries, allowing blood to flow freely again. Perhaps you don’t need a physical heart bypass, but a spiritual heart bypass instead. This procedure requires that you bring your aching, burning, heavy heart full of troubles to God, the Great Healer, who can easily perform your spiritual heart bypass. You might falsely assume you need not go to…