The Word That Shapes Us

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). The Lord has not left us to guess His will for our bodies, our homes, or our witness. He has spoken clearly, beautifully, and for our good.

We stand under the Great Commission and gladly teach all that Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:19–20). We receive His Word as true, sufficient, and life-giving, trusting that obedience is the path of freedom and joy (John 8:31–32).

In the Beginning: Male and Female

“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27). Humanity is created, sexed, and dignified. Our maleness and femaleness are part of God’s very good design, not an accident of biology or a canvas for self-invention.

God blessed our first parents and called them to fruitful stewardship (Genesis 1:28). This gift of embodied difference is ordered toward worship, work, and the forming of families that display His wisdom in the world.

Marriage by Design: Covenant, Complementarity, Mission

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). Jesus reaffirms this pattern and its permanence: “So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no man separate” (Matthew 19:6).

Marriage is not a human invention but God’s covenant bond between one man and one woman. It is exclusive, lifelong, and fruitful, ordering desire toward holiness and hospitality. It is a theater for the gospel and a workshop for daily love.

- Covenant: a solemn vow before God, not a contract of convenience (Malachi 2:14–16; Matthew 5:32).

- Complementarity: equal dignity with real difference, fitted for union and mission (Genesis 2:18; 1 Corinthians 11:3).

- Fruitfulness: openness to life and the nurture of children when God grants them (Genesis 1:28; Psalm 127:3).

- Fidelity and permanence: purity before marriage, faithfulness in marriage, and perseverance through trials (Hebrews 13:4; Matthew 19:6).

Headship and Help: Christlike Pattern in the Home

God orders the household with wisdom and love. “The head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God” (1 Corinthians 11:3). This order honors the Son and blesses the family when embraced by faith.

“Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them” (Colossians 3:18–19). “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25). Headship means sacrificial responsibility, not privilege, and help means strong, wise partnership, not silence. Abuse has no home in the way of Christ.

- Husbands: lead by dying to self, protecting, providing, and serving; wash with the Word; cherish without bitterness (Ephesians 5:25–29; 1 Peter 3:7).

- Wives: respect and support godly leadership; adorn the gospel with courage, wisdom, and good works (Ephesians 5:22–24; Proverbs 31).

- Together: pray, plan, forgive, and labor side by side in the Lord (1 Peter 3:7; Galatians 5:22–23).

Singleness, Marriage, and the Gift of Self-Giving

Both singleness and marriage are holy callings. “Because of sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband” (1 Corinthians 7:2). Yet Paul also celebrates the undivided devotion possible in singleness and calls both states gifts from God (1 Corinthians 7:7–8, 32–35).

The body of Christ needs the witness of faithful singles and faithful marriages. Each displays the sufficiency of Christ and the power of the Spirit.

- Singles: pursue pure, joyful service; anchor in spiritual family; practice hospitality and discipleship (Isaiah 56:3–5; 1 Corinthians 7:32–35).

- Married: cultivate covenant intimacy; welcome the stranger; raise up sons and daughters in the faith (Hebrews 13:2; Deuteronomy 6:6–7).

Holiness and the Body: Sexual Purity and Faithfulness

“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). Jesus locates purity at the heart level, calling lust adultery of the heart (Matthew 5:27–28). The marriage bed is to be kept “undefiled” (Hebrews 13:4).

Scripture forbids every sexual practice outside the covenant of man-woman marriage, including fornication, adultery, pornography, and homosexual behavior. “Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts... will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed...” (1 Corinthians 6:9–11). In Christ, shame yields to cleansing, slavery to freedom, and despair to hope. “You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20).

- Practices that protect purity: confession and accountability (James 5:16), a covenant with our eyes (Job 31:1), wise media boundaries, fasting and prayer (Matthew 6), membership and discipline in a loving church (1 Corinthians 5).

- Practices that nourish faithfulness: date your spouse, guard the Sabbath, pray together, and honestly reconcile quickly (Ephesians 4:26–27).

Parenting and Fruitfulness: Welcoming Life and Discipleship at Home

Children are gift, not accessory. “Children are a heritage from the LORD, and the fruit of the womb is a reward” (Psalm 127:3). The Lord charges parents to disciple their children diligently at home and on the way (Deuteronomy 6:6–7).

Fathers bear a sober charge. “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). Mothers exercise deep wisdom and strength as they build the household in fear of the Lord (Proverbs 31).

- Daily habits: family Scripture and prayer, Lord’s Day priority, shared work and meals, joyful correction and encouragement.

- Longer arcs: catechize the heart, prepare for adulthood and calling, model repentance and reconciliation (Genesis 18:19; Psalm 78:1–8).

Truth and Tenderness: Walking With the Wounded and Confused

The church speaks truth in love and love in truth (Ephesians 4:15; 1 Corinthians 13:6). Many carry deep wounds and real confusion about identity, desire, and the body. We respond with Christlike grace and clarity.

We affirm that God created us male and female and calls us to receive our embodied sex as gift and assignment (Genesis 1:27; Psalm 139:13–14). We walk patiently with those wrestling with dysphoria or same-sex desire, calling all of us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus in obedience and hope (Matthew 16:24; 2 Corinthians 5:17).

- Posture: compassion without compromise, patience without passivity, conviction without harshness (John 1:14; 1 Peter 3:15).

- Pathways: Scripture-rich counsel, accountable friendships, wise medical and pastoral care, membership in a gospel-shaped community (Galatians 6:1–2).

The Church as Family: A Culture of Honor and Accountability

The household of God becomes a refuge for realignment and renewal. Older men and women disciple the next generation with holiness and practical wisdom (Titus 2:1–8). We bear one another’s burdens and confess sins for healing and growth (Galatians 6:2; James 5:16).

Honor for widows, protection of the vulnerable, and strong, gentle shepherding nurture a culture where masculinity and femininity mature in Christ (1 Timothy 5:1–16). Loving accountability guards the peace and purity of the church.

- Commitments: meaningful membership, clear discipline, warm hospitality, and prayer-saturated mentoring.

- Outcomes: resilient faith, durable marriages, prepared singles, and children anchored in Christ.

Public Faithfulness: Witness in a Confused Age

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). Words and lives both bear witness. We answer with gentleness and respect, anchored in hope (1 Peter 3:15), shining as lights in a crooked generation (Philippians 2:15).

We neither retreat in fear nor rage in the flesh. We plant gardens of faithfulness, bless our neighbors, speak clearly, and suffer well if called to it, knowing that Jesus is Lord and His Word endures.

The Great Mystery and Our Hope

Marriage points beyond itself to Christ and His church, the great mystery at the heart of reality (Ephesians 5:31–32). Our King will come, and the marriage of the Lamb will be celebrated in joy (Revelation 19:7). Until that day, we remain steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58), contending earnestly for the faith with courage and kindness (Jude 3).

A small number are born with disorders of sex development. These rare conditions do not erase the creational norm of male and female (Genesis 1:27) but call for careful, patient, and ethical care that honors the person and seeks to discern bodily reality rather than deny it.

- Commitments: truth-telling about the body, avoidance of hasty interventions, pastoral presence for families, and prayerful medical counsel grounded in creational design (Psalm 139:13–16; Proverbs 15:22).

Gender Dysphoria and Discipleship Over Time

Those who experience painful incongruence between felt identity and bodily sex need long-haul discipleship. Relief is sought, but conformity to Christ and reception of the body as gift remain the goal.

- Helps: trauma-aware counseling as needed, robust spiritual disciplines, same-sex and older mentorship, exercise and stewardship of the body, vocation and service that stabilize identity in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 8:23–25).

Same-Sex Attraction and Holy Obedience

Many find that temptation does not vanish immediately. Scripture calls all believers to chastity outside marriage and fidelity within it (Hebrews 13:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:3–5). Ongoing attractions do not define identity, and by the Spirit, believers can walk in self-control and joy.

- Church care: transparent friendship, accountability, meaningful roles of service, and a community where loneliness is met with family love (Psalm 68:6; Galatians 6:2).

Divorce, Desertion, and the Path of Repentance

God hates divorce because it harms image bearers and defaces covenant (Malachi 2:16). Jesus and Paul acknowledge narrow grounds for separation in sexual immorality and willful desertion by an unbeliever (Matthew 19:9; 1 Corinthians 7:12–16). Pastoral care aims at repentance and reconciliation wherever possible, while protecting the oppressed.

- Counsel: slow processes, safety assessments, involvement of elders, and clear steps of restoration when repentance is genuine (Matthew 18:15–17; Galatians 6:1).

Abuse, Protection, and Justice

Headship cannot be twisted into harm. Abuse violates God’s law and must be confronted with urgency and honesty. Civil authorities are God’s servants for justice and must be engaged when crimes occur (Romans 13:1–4).

- Church response: believe and protect the vulnerable, report as required, separate the abuser, provide trauma-informed care, and pursue biblical discipline.

Contraception, IVF, and Reproductive Technologies

Marriage is ordered toward fruitfulness, yet couples navigate prudence and conscience before God. Methods that respect life and do not destroy embryos stand on firmer ground than those that do. Technologies that sever procreation from the marital act or commodify children call for great caution.

- Guiding lights: the unity of procreation and union (Genesis 2:24), the dignity of the embryo as a tiny neighbor (Psalm 139:13–16), and the call to walk by faith, not fear.

Infertility, Adoption, and the Spirit of Sonship

Infertility brings deep grief, and the church surrounds such couples with love, prayer, and practical support. Adoption and foster care display the gospel and reflect the Father’s heart.

- Practices: lament with those who mourn (Romans 12:15), offer tangible help, pursue ethical adoption, and celebrate the Spirit of adoption by which we cry, Abba, Father (Romans 8:15).

Pornography and the Digital Battleground

Pornography enslaves imaginations and hollows marriages. Freedom comes through the light of Christ, durable habits, and relational accountability.

- Tools: filtered devices, shared passwords, confession rhythms, counseling when needed, and a proactive pursuit of delight in covenant intimacy (Proverbs 5:18–19; James 5:16).

Pronouns, Names, and Hospitality with Integrity

Speech matters. Christians refuse falsehood and also refuse cruelty. We aim for clear truth about sexed reality while practicing neighbor love and careful conscience.

- Framework: avoid participating in untruth, avoid unnecessary offense, explain convictions gently, and offer real friendship and help (Ephesians 4:25; 1 Peter 3:15; Colossians 4:5–6).

Male and Female in the Church: Eldership and Gifts

Scripture assigns the governing and teaching office of elder to qualified men and showers gifts on men and women for the good of the body (1 Timothy 2:12–14; 3:1–7; Romans 12:3–8). We honor God’s order and eagerly mobilize every member for the work of ministry.

- Practices: train godly men for eldership, equip women as teachers of women and children, encourage prophetic and diaconal gifts, and cultivate a united pursuit of the Great Commission (Titus 2:3–5; Acts 18:24–26).

Raising Sons and Daughters in a Confusing Age

Catechesis belongs at the kitchen table and in the gathered church. Boys and girls need embodied models of courageous, gentle manhood and wise, strong womanhood.

- Habits: Scripture memory, creeds and catechisms, chores and craft, rites of passage, and service projects that turn energies outward toward love (Deuteronomy 6:6–9; Psalm 144:12).

Contending Without Quarreling

We contend earnestly for the faith and refuse quarrelsomeness. Truth and love travel together, and our tone must match our message.

- Commitments: prayerful dependence, patient teaching, good works that silence slander, and readiness to suffer for doing good (2 Timothy 2:24–26; 1 Peter 2:12; 3:17).

The Lord’s design is wise, His grace sufficient, and His Spirit powerful. Holding fast to His Word, we build homes and churches that display the beauty of Jesus until He comes.