In a world where sexual boundaries keep being pushed what does a Christian sexual ethic look like? Purity culture has been ineffective and done great damage within the church, and yet swinging over to "anything goes" isn’t any better. Returning to the practices of chastity and fidelity can help us navigate sex both outside and inside marriage so that we pursue love, honor, and dignity for everyone.

Cursing, cussing, swearing - whatever you call it Christians are conflicted about it. What actually constitutes as a swear word? Does God really care if we curse when we stub our toe? Are substitute cuss words any better? The words we use and how we use them DO matter. We can use our words, whether colorful or not, to denigrate, devalue, and dismiss. Instead we are called to build up, bring honor, and be considerate with the way we speak to others.

The Bible is full of references to drinking alcohol. Some verses treat it in a positive light, some are neutral, and some warn against it. What’s a Christian to make of this? Is it ok to drink alcohol? It depends. Just because we can doesn’t mean we always should. Thankfully, scripture contains a lot of wisdom to help believers navigate this taboo topic.

The Bible is pretty clear that tattoos are wrong, right? Well, perhaps not. But we can navigate whether tattoos are permissible or not using biblical wisdom. When we apply Paul’s ethic of freedom WITH wisdom we can see that tattoos, like all other taboos, have more to do with your heart and your motive. So are tattoos allowed? The answer is…maybe.

Political tensions are higher than ever in our nation with the assumption that if “they” win then ultimate disaster will fall upon our democracy. The church has not been immune to this division resulting in many pastors and people leaving the church because of political stances. As followers of Jesus we have to ask: what is our responsibility when it comes to politics? How can we work for the flourishing of all people not matter who happens to win an election or hold worldly power?

War may be a necessary evil when it comes to the kingdom of the world, but how should followers of Jesus think about it? Should Christians support or participate in war, even when it is considered a just cause? When we look at the life and teaching of Jesus as well as the witness of the early church we see a radically different mindset when it comes to peace and violence. Following the Prince of Peace requires us to reimagine how we treat our enemies and where we give our allegiance.

Race has always been a big deal when it comes to the kingdom of heaven. Jesus pushed his disciples and followers beyond their racial comfort zone, he commissioned his apostles to bring the good news to the ends of the earth, and the Holy Spirit showed no boundaries as to who would be included in the people of God. God’s kingdom tears down walls of division and puts an end to enmity, and yet we still live in a world and a nation where racial hostility persists and systems of injustice continue to dehumanize people. God’s vision for his kingdom is one where we see unity amidst diversity and a new humanity where the dignity and worth of all people is upheld. Through repentance, repair, restoration we can live into this heavenly reality here on earth.

Paul praised and valued female leadership in the church. Yet Paul also put restrictions on women in some of his letters. What do we make of the disparity? Does God call women to lead and teach the people of God? When it comes to male and female, what would an outpost of the Kingdom of Heaven look like in our society? Bringing heaven to earth in regards to male and female implies that woman and men serve and lead together, celebrating, appreciating, and bridging their differences.

God’s first instructions to his people were to steward and care for his creation. One of the results of cosmic sin was that humanity forgot its assignment and lorded over creation instead- using and abusing it for its own gain. How can believers partner with God to help restore creation’s harmony so that it can reveal the glory of God? Bringing heaven to earth in regards to creation means taking our Genesis 1:26-28 assignment seriously and leading in harmony with creation.

As followers of Jesus it is easy to feel conflicted about wealth. How much is too much? Am I supposed to sell all my possessions? Is it is a sin to be rich? As a human creation, money easily takes the place of God in our lives as we look to it for our worth and security. But in the end, money is uncertain and unreliable and when we make it our life goal to pursue money we often end up miserable. Living into the kingdom of heaven here on earth moves us from loving money to loving with money, and in that we find treasure with eternal worth.