Help & Hope

Our western culture encourages us to embrace and encourage same sex attraction as normal, appropriate and just as “right” as any other sexual relationship. But is it? In this transparent and sometimes emotional interview, Dr. Chuck F. Betters talks with three men and their counselor about their struggles with same sex attraction. No question was off limits and listeners will hear these men address such issues as how people who loved them treated them even though they disagreed with their life choices; how their churches responded; and ways they were hurt by people who claimed to be Christians.They talk about their greatest misconception about God’s view of sex and homosexuality and how same sex attraction is similar to other sinful choices.Listeners will be encouraged to hear scriptural principles that will help guide relationships with loved ones who identify themselves as gay and how parents can create a safe place for their kids to talk to them about same sex attraction.Like all of our Help and Hope resources, this interview goes beyond a discussion of the life crises and digs deep into how each of us can grow in our own walk of faith as we process and face the challenges of living by grace in our messy world.

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Do you have questions about same sex attraction? Is it wrong? Is it ok? Are you struggling with same sex attraction personally? Is your child? What about your church? What is their response? In this interview with Dr. Rosaria Butterfield, Chuck and Sharon Betters ask these and many more questions about a topic that has numerous families struggling to understand. Dr. Butterfield is uniquely qualified to provide guidance and wisdom to those who are desperate for help and hope as they are challenged by life choices that are foreign and even scary.Listeners will be encouraged and better equipped to walk this pathway as well as come alongside of others who are struggling with same sex attraction.From Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert by Dr. Rosaria ButterfieldRosaria, by the standards of many, was living a very good life. She had a tenured position at a large university in a field for which she cared deeply. She owned two homes with her partner, in which they provided hospitality to students and activists that were looking to make a difference in the world. There, her partner rehabilitated abandoned and abused dogs. In the community, Rosaria was involved in volunteer work. At the university, she was a respected advisor of students and her department’s curriculum. And then, in her late 30s, Rosaria encountered something that turned her world upside down—the idea that Christianity, a religion that she had regarded as problematic and sometimes downright damaging, might be right about who God was, an idea that flew in the face of the people and causes that she most loved. What follows is a story of what she describes as a “train wreck” at the hand of the supernatural. These are her secret thoughts about those events, written as only a reflective English professor could. (Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert, by Dr. Rosaria Butterfield)For more about Dr. Butterfield visit http://rosariabutterfield.com/

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Suicide is the third leading cause of death in the United States among 10 - 24 year olds. It is the second leading cause among 25 - 34 year olds. Suicide is a broad and deep issue that has many different contexts. Sometimes mental illness plays a role in suicide, but not always. In this transparent conversation, Jonathan's parents share their son's story of mental illness that didn't show itself until he was in college. For many years, Jonathan worked hard to live in the context of mental illness, but one day he could not bear another minute of life on this earth. Jon and Marian, Jonathan's parents, share their son's story in a way that offers help and hope, not only to men and women who struggle as Jonathan did, but to their family and friends as they struggle to pick up the shattered pieces of their own lives.

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The phone rings. . .A stranger says, “Mrs. Betters, your son has been in an accident. You must come immediately.” And you know in your heart that you have received the phone call every parent dreads. Your life will never be the same. We received that phone call on July 6, 1993. We raced to the hospital to learn that our youngest child, Mark, and his friend, Kelly, had died in a car accident. Suddenly we belonged to a private club no one would ever willingly join. Since that horrific night, we have met many other parents who are struggling to find a new level of normal as they face each day without one of their children. Some were taken at birth or shortly after. Others were toddlers, pre-teens, teens. Some were established with children of their own. Each child’s death, whatever age, ripped their parents’ hearts to shreds. In this message we share our story. We are honest about our struggle to not only face each day without Mark but also to reconcile the love of God with His sovereign care. How could God really love us when He allowed this to happen? Where is God? He seems so far away. Is He really holding us tightly in His grip?Every time we share our story we have two people in mind. The first is the person who is holding onto life by fingernails and is desperate for a shred of hope. The second is the person who needs to walk in the darkness with a broken hearted friend. It’s our prayer that this interview will fall into the hands of that brokenhearted Mom or Dad who needs just an inch of hope to hang-on for the next few minutes, and that our message will help equip the one God is calling to walk alongside the shattered parents.

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"Your prognosis is poor. You have a few months, maybe a year."In this transparent interview, Mike and Sherry share their response to hearing these shocking words. Their story is one of help and hope, as they describe the impact of cancer on their children and marriage, the reaction of friends and the practical implications of such a diagnosis. They share how their journey has encouraged them to enjoy each day, knowing that life is fleeting. And they share practical suggestions for those just starting this cancer journey. Their story will not only encourage the cancer fighters, but will equip those who love them to help them find the right medical care and face the challenges of each day.

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