Toward A More Generous Space

After the three last offerings that covered sexual addiction, the questions about hell, and sexual brokenness, Wayne and Brad comb through a backlog of listener emails, blog comments, and forum postings that open the conversation even wider on these topics. We're blessed with insightful listeners who want to interact on things of substance and bring their own stories to table as they are learning to live inside the love of God. Throughout the discussion Wayne and Brad are drawn back to how a loving relationship with the Father invites us into a very different space than choosing sides, haggling over theological views, or trying to push people to the conclusions we want for them. It allows us to love people still broken, care about people we are convinced are wrong in their perception of truth, and have patience with others as God's process for them unfolds.

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6 Comments

  1. Excellent thoughts that hopefully will cultivate “the ever expanding dialogue” further down the road!

  2. Hey Guys. “The fear of hell” is the beginning of “religion”(our effort to please and appease our CREATOR). Our CREATOR is not just the most powerful of a host of a sundry of “gods” created not only in our futile hearts and minds but by satan himself. Fear and hell have no power over those who have a revelation of who our CREATOR truly is! HE is LOVE! We are part of HIM! Without a relationship born of our own free-will and HIS, HE becomes just another “god” who settles for the “religion” of obedience, worship, traditions, yadayadayada. Gotta go, thanks. Gman.

  3. There’s so much about this podcast that I love—but particularly the emphasis on creating a gracious space in community with others—one that’s roomy & safe enough to allow people to express their doubts, ask questions, wrestle with God & with their sins, and even to slip & fall. The desire to change and the conviction to repent of sin comes through the Spirit, in God’s time, and we cannot accelerate it in the lives of others (but we can certainly hurt people and turn them off by trying to do so). As God pursues us and woos us through worship & word, and wins us over with His lovingkindness (Rom 2:4), He often simultaneously brings safe people alongside us for support. When I reached a point of readiness of heart to lay down my sexual sin, I was SO grateful to be in the midst of a community of grace. As the Spirit empowered & enabled me to “shut the door” on my former ways and walk out His will for me, one of the greatest blessings was having loving people beside me for these bold & frightening first steps. I pray now for the opportunity to be that person for many others on the journey: a sister who balances love, grace, & truth while patiently waiting for the Spirit to move in the hearts of those around me. Thank you, Wayne & Brad for starting these conversations. I’m so grateful that our paths crossed.

  4. and Brad… I loved the visual I got as you compared your growing love for people with the Grinch’s tripling heart size. I can SOOO relate to this feeling. As much as anything else over the past 2 years, the God-thing that has blown me away most is the drastic & supernatural changes He has produced in my heart that I could not have accomplished by my own effort. The greatest examples are a decreasing desire for relationship with women and an increasing love & compassion for others. I am surrounded today by a community of Christ-followers that I DEEPLY love, many of whom I would have dodged or dismissed in the past, preferring others less messy or more like myself. Now I gladly & willingly share my time & life with them, and lovingly call them my family. As we set OUR eyes on Him, He gives us HIS eyes for others. And people begin to look a whole lot more beautiful.

  5. Hi Guys,
    The past few podcasts about sexuality have reminded me of a podcast awhile back in which you expressed a sort of bafflement as to why so many believers come to you with concern and confusion as to how they should relate to their gay friends and family. I have a gay parent, and when I heard this, I knew exactly where they were they coming from. The problem is 1 Corinthians 5:11.

    11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister[a] but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.

    The problem is that we think this verse means, if our friend/family member claims to be a believer but is living the gay lifestyle, we have to “put them out of fellowship” and not even eat a meal with them.

    If you could bring some clarification on this verse it might lighten my heart considerably.
    Thanks,
    Courtney

  6. I really enjoyed this podcast and as I listened to this tonight and it reminded me of a youtube video I recently saw. I hope y’all enjoy it as much as I did.

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