If you grew up in church or have spent much time attending one, then you know the Church has a lot to say about marriage, singleness and sexual purity.  Most of us, even if we don't recognize it, have been impacted in some way or another by the well-intentioned "purity culture" that the Church often promotes. In this episode, we ask tough questions about how this culture has shaped our decisions,  and how it looks to live out a desire for spiritual purity and personal holiness.

Speaker, writer and passionate Christ-lover Kendra LeeAnne joins us to discuss how the church's expectations helped her create a picture of happiness through marriage that was unrealistic and destructive. Now a young, divorced mother of three, Kendra offers her wisdom on how this desire for marriage clouded her judgement and what she's learned about herself, her faith and God in the process. 


Special Guest: Kendra LeeAnne, speaker and writer

SHOW NOTES
10:30 Have you ever felt the pressure to get married? Where does that narrative come from?

17:45 Do you believe if you do good then you'll get good? How does this belief impact our perspectives on marriage?

21:00 Listen as Kendra discusses how the purity culture impacted her and how she found her self worth and the impacts it made in her life and marriage.

25:00 Ever feel unlovable and ashamed of your past choices? You're not alone.

27:30 Think scandals are unique to our generation? Guess again. Sex, marriage and religion have always been messy.

30:00 Why do we have a desire for sex? And do we know what a Godly marriage is supposed to look like?

35:15 What Titles define you? How do you find your identity? And how is that working out for you? 

38:30 What has marriage and divorce taught Kendra about her value and role in life?

41:30 Are we making room for singleness and our single friends? How do we help women create a vision for wholeness that doesn't include marriage?

48:00 What would we say to the woman who married young and is questioning her decision?

51:30 Can you identify what defines abuse and the different types? 

55:00 What lies do you believe that are causing incorrect assumptions in your life?


Resources:
To learn more about Kendra, her story and her resources: http://www.kendraleeanne.com/
On Instagram: @Kendraleeannespeaks

I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris

I Survived Kissing Dating Goodbye Documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybYTkkQJw_M