By Living Out
Many Christians love their LGBT friends and want to engage well with issues of sexuality and identity, but aren’t sure how to do it. Join the Living Out team and guests as they tackle some of the m
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The podcast currently has 100 episodes available.
We speak to two parents, Jo and Claire, about the world their children are growing up in and their experience of talking to them about sexuality, gender and faith. They share how their churches have tackled these issues so far, and why they’re excited about Kaleidoscope.
We also hear from Sean – a parent, church leader, and someone who experiences same-sex attraction – about the difference Kaleidoscope would have made for him as a teenager and how he hopes it will help start good conversations on these big topics.
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What is Kaleidoscope? Why have we made it? Andrew and Ashleigh, our Emerging Generations team, share their hopes for the series, and catch up with two of the people who contributed to it.
Katherine tells us what conversations about sexuality were like for her growing up, and why she’s excited for Kaleidoscope giving space for more open conversations in churches. And Ben shares his thoughts on how we can have those conversations well, with some particular tips for youth leaders.
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As a teenager, Nat was fascinated by God and got confirmed. But when she came out as a lesbian at 16, she was met with rejection from her peers and a Christian school teacher. At university, she joined the LGBT society and remained angry at God and at Christians for the way she’d been treated.
But then she met Matt when she started working, and his reaction to her story was different. They tell the story of how they met, how Nat gave her life to Jesus, how they started dating, and share some of the benefits and challenges of their mixed-orientation marriage.
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This episode contains a reference to self-harm.
This episode contains discussion of childhood sexual abuse, depression, and suicidal thoughts.
Sometimes God breaks into our lives in the most unlikely circumstances. Robert was sexually abused by a teacher at school, forced into becoming a Christian, and went on to marry a woman and lead a church – all while being same-sex attracted and not truly knowing Jesus. From there things fell apart, and Robert began living as an out gay man. Only later would he come to know the love of God for the first time, and give his life to Christ.
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If you’re affected by any of the issues raised in this episode, please reach out to someone you trust. In the UK, you can also contact Samaritans for support – call 116 123 free, 24 hours a day.
Samaritans also provide a full list of organisations you can contact for advice on a range of issues, including abuse and mental health. You can find that here.
As a gay teenager, David felt rejected by the Church and couldn’t see a plausible way for him to be a Christian. He became an activist set on destroying Christianity and opposing it at every turn. But his time at university found him looking for something deeper, eventually leading to an unlikely encounter with Jesus and the love of God.
Now a theologian, David shares how his research has helped him see that living a single and celibate life can not only be a way to flourish, but also to subvert and challenge the ideas of the society around us, pointing people to Jesus, our subversive saviour.
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Looking for purpose and meaning at medical school, Laura spoke to a Christian friend who invited her to church. She decided to put her trust in Jesus, and it was only several years later she realised she was same-sex attracted. We chat with Laura about how she’s found trusting that God’s ways are good since then, and why good friendships are so important as she seeks to follow Jesus. She shares how her friendships have sometimes been complicated by attraction or emotional dependency, and some of the things God has taught her about friendship along the way.
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Paul tells us how he came to faith as a teenager, and how a combination of clear teaching and sharing with good friends has helped him navigate same-sex attraction and stay faithful to Jesus. Paul also shares how he unexpectedly fell in love with his now wife, and his advice for any same-sex attracted Christians considering an opposite-sex marriage.
We also chat about how we respond to our desires. Is it harmful to deny ourselves things we desire? How do we know which desires are good to act on and which aren’t? What are the different lenses we might look at those questions through and how do they influence our approach?
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We chat to Simon about how understanding God’s bigger purposes for his people has helped fuel his excitement for living God’s way when it comes to sexuality. Simon tells us how getting involved in True Freedom Trust helped him find a supportive community where he could be more open about his sexuality, having not come out to anyone until his early 20s.
Simon also shares his experience of emotional dependency and what God has taught him about healthy relationships and intimacy. We talk about loneliness, singleness and forming friendships with deeper commitment.
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Katherine shares her story of dating a girl as a teenager, and noticing how Jesus genuinely transformed the lives of Christians she knew. As she opened up the Bible for herself and got to know and love Jesus, Katherine tells us how she accepted the invitation to follow him in all areas of her life, including with her sexuality.
We also chat to Katherine about how she ended up marrying a man, and why she thinks it's so important that we share our stories, particularly as we seek to connect with the younger generation and reach them with the good news.
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Ryan shares his story of coming out as a teenager, coming to faith at university, and the gradual, ongoing process of reconciling his faith and sexuality. He unpacks some of the key things God has taught him along the way, including why following Jesus means gaining so much more than you lose, and why living a single and celibate life isn't a waste of your sexuality.
The podcast currently has 100 episodes available.
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