A Moment With Pastor Fred

11/15/19

Sue and I commented we thought the Magnify Conference a few weekends ago was one of the best in recent years. Denny Burk did a marvelous job – with a difficult topic. He was informative and yet
pastoral. “Speaking the Truth in Love in Sexualized Culture” was a tightrope he walked well. If you were not there, let me tell you about it.

Friday night Dr. Burk outlined the conference: Identity, Sex, Marriage, and Gender. He looked at each of these topics from a secular viewpoint and then from a biblical one. Our culture screams loud and clear that our goal in life is to be happy or fulfilled. Nothing rumps this. Tragically many Christians have adopted this mindset. I appreciated Denny’s honesty – and transparency. Jesus calls us to be holy yes, but to be loving. Far too often the church has spoken the truth on these matters, but it hasn’t been spoken in love. Others swing to the opposite extreme – in the name of love compromising the truth. We cannot be guilty of either one of these.

The main “take home truth” that registered with me was how we as a church must be ready for the fall-out coming. One cannot ignore God’s design, choose to rebel against his revelation without
consequences. And those consequences are coming – men, women, young people wounded and hurt by the culture’s mandate of self-expression. May we be sensitive and yet strong. Compassionate and still courageous. Loving the sinner and hating the sin. After all, we’ve all been messed up by sin – we’re all
broken sexually. I am so thankful Jesus is Redeemer – and he offers grace, forgiveness and hope.