What the Bible Says About Gender Identity

This Sunday, I will preach a really important message, and I hope you will be in worship to hear it. It matters deeply.
 
I am currently preaching a series called Let’s Talk About… where I asked you about the topics, questions, or issues that you wish a church would address. I received a lot of great answers but none were as frequent as questions about sex, sexual ethic, sexual orientation, and gender identity. While I have talked about a lot of these in the past, I have never specifically talked about gender identity. This Sunday, I will talk about what the Bible says about gender identity. I will specifically address scriptures used to exclude transgender and non-binary people and why I think those interpretations are wrong.
 
This is an incredibly important message, especially right now. We live in a cultural and political climate where transgender people are being targeted in all sorts of ways. There are bills restricting healthcare, threatening parents who are trying to love their kids, and making it harder for transgender people to simply exist. Many of these bills and the politicians who support them appeal to vague notions of Christian values, traditional beliefs, “what the Bible says,” and Judeo-Christian sexual ethics. Since faith is being used to justify discrimination, it is important that, as a church, we learn about what the Bible actually says about people who are trans or non-binary.
 
During worship, we will also get to hear the testimonies of trans and non-binary people who are part of The Gathering. Their stories are powerful, heartbreaking, and hopeful. You will want to hear them, and I believe their words will impact us all deeply.
 
I hope that all of you will be in worship. Whether you are a parent, ally, queer person, or someone just trying to figure out what all of this means, please come. This message is especially important for all of you that are just a bit confused and uncertain about what to make of all this talk about gender identity. Most of all, if you are trans or non-binary or know someone who is, I hope that you will be in church to hear this message. Every so often there is a message that makes an impact beyond a Sunday morning. I believe this is one of those messages.
 
So, I hope to see you, and please invite anyone that you think will want to hear this. Have a great day, and I will see you Sunday.
 
Peace,
 
Matt

P.S. Just a note, if you have someone who lives out of town and you want to invite them to worship online, you can find the message on our YouTube Channel or on our App. If you have problems, please reach out to our Online Pastor Madi Denton.