Guest: Hope Harris

Hope is a former “loud and proud” lesbian activist from Seattle who surrendered her life and sexuality to Christ about fifteen years ago. Her spiritual journey with Christ began when a friend asked Hope what she really wanted in life and when Hope responded with “peace,” her friend showed Hope the peace with God made possible by the work of Jesus Christ on the cross - see John 14:27.

The verse in Scripture that jumped off the page to Hope was found in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, which reads:

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

God’s intended design is what is best for each person. God does not withhold what is best. His design for gender and sexuality gives healthy boundaries and relationships that help us know what is best, healthy, and beneficial to human flourishing.

Because God is relational, we as human beings created in the image of God are designed to be relational as well. We are designed to be in community and to live lives with purpose and meaning beyond what feels best for our own self-interest.

“You are” messages translate into “I am” concepts in the minds of many young people. Be very careful what you say to others - words have power. Part of parenting is to model what healthy gender and sexuality really are for others to see.

Fighting back against the lies of this world is really a discipleship issue. Are you discipling your children, grounding them in the Word of God, and building them up to be the men and women that God has created and designed for them to be? Remember that people, even if we disagree with them, are not our enemies. Scripture reminds us that our “battle isn’t against flesh and blood, but against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

Hope’s Recommended Resources:

Homosexuality and the Christian: A Guide for Parents, Pastors, and Friends by Mark Yarhouse

Talking to Kids about Gender Identity: A Roadmap for Christian Compassion, Civility, and Conviction by Mark Yarhouse

Feelings are real, but they are not reliable. Also, parents, we need to discuss God’s design for gender and sexuality - if they aren’t hearing the truth from us, they are learning lies from the world.