Who’s discipling your youth: the church or the culture?

Feb 23, 2019

Episode 2: Who’s discipling your youth: the church or the culture?

 

Teens, Tech & God is a podcast resource brought to you by Dr. John Thorington, director of Restoring Hearts Counseling in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and author of the book “Pure Teens.” The podcast is dedicated to equipping parents with the tools and knowledge to raise kids committed to God’s purpose for sexuality, the family, and the honorable use of all technology.

In this episode, Dr. John shares critical insights from the book "Rethinking Sexuality: God’s Design and Why It Matters," by Dr. Juli Slattery. We can become a redeeming force in a world of sexual brokenness by promoting the concept of sexual discipleship within the church instead of continuing to allow the culture to disciple our youth on sexuality.

Dr. Slattery’s book can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Rethinking-Sexuality-Gods-Design-Matters/dp/0735291470/

Dr. Slattery’s ministry, Authentic Intimacy, can be found here: https://www.authenticintimacy.com/

 

**Episode outline

Did you know: 68% of teens in America don’t believe that viewing porn is wrong, or as the Barna poll describes it: 32% say that viewing porn is wrong. Here are two links to the research:

https://www.barna.com/research/teens-young-adults-use-porn-more-than-anyone-else/#.VrNvv8dQlI5

https://www.barna.com/research/porn-in-the-digital-age-new-research-reveals-10-trends/#.VzawoVfHcsE

[2:08] The church must shift its approach on sex and sexuality. “The biggest problem that we in the church have is that we’ve been silent on this issue (of sex and sexuality). We have hurt a lot of people by not addressing this issue.”

[3:03] What is God’s design for sexuality, and why is it important for us to fully grasp His plan? “The very first miracle was the miracle of marriage.”

[4:23] Why has the church been silent on sexuality? “Our kids and our families are being discipled by the culture, and not by the church.”

[5:09] A closer look at Juli Slattery’s book "Rethinking Sexuality: God’s Design and Why It Matters."

[6:25] The dangers of allowing legalism to shape the church’s approach to discussing sex and sexuality. What is the church doing to help the hurt and the broken? “We’re all broken, sexually.”

[8:55] Dr. John relates a story of one young man’s struggle with sexuality and the sacred.

[10:48] Ultimately, every sexual question is a spiritual one. What does that mean? Dr. John explains.

[12:22] Don’t be afraid to talk with your kids about God’s design for sexuality. If you don’t, the culture certainly will.

Action item: Parents, start the conversation by spending a few moments talking to your children about the joys and struggles of your own marriage.

 

**Talking Points

Here are some other points Dr. John has on this topic:

• We must understand the main ideas that propel postmodernism and humanism. This is no time for continued silence or judgmental pronouncements.
• We must define sexual discipleship within the church and equip ourselves to follow the Lord in every aspect of our lives, including sexuality.
• We can only turn the tide by helping parents and teens base their sexuality in the biblical narrative, integrate it into their daily lives, and pass this message on to others.
• We must become a safe place for people who are struggling sexually. There is hardly a family not in the grips of some sexual woundedness or brokenness.
• This is not a problem to be solved but an important arena to be reclaimed.
• Jesus went out of His way to bring healing and restoration to the sexually broken. Hurting people want hope.
• The Bible provides concrete help for those who are hurting sexually.
• It is time for the church to grow up. This means, as Paul says, for us to be so rooted and mature in our faith so as not to be swayed by the culture.
• We shouldn’t be silent about something that God was delighted to create for His children. Sexuality is a precious and wonderful gift!

 

**Quotes related to the topic:

Juli Slattery, “We have a mission.  It’s not to convince people that sex outside of marriage is sinful…He told us to go and make disciples.  Our mission is to exalt Jesus as Lord, Creator, and Savior of every aspect of our lives, including sexuality.”  

Francis Shaeffer, “Where is the clear voice speaking to the crucial issues of the day with distinctively biblical, Christian answers?  With tears we must say that largely it is not there and that a large segment of the evangelical world has become seduced by the world spirit of this present age.  And more than this, we can expect the future to be a further disaster if the evangelical world does not take a stand for biblical truth and morality in the full spectrum of life.” 

Juli Slattery, “The body of Christ is in desperate need of mature Christians who are rooted in both God’s unchanging truth about sexuality and His life-changing love toward humanity?” 

Russell Moore, “The sexual revolution, if we’re right about the universe, cannot keep its promises.  Unhinged sexual utopianism can only go so far before it leaves the ground around it burned over, like every other utopianism.  We need to be ready, after all that, to point a toward older paths, toward water that can satisfy.”

 

If you need to schedule an intensive or get counseling for your teen or yourself, call us at 719-644-5557.