Everyone outside the church is talking about sexual issues—gender identity, same-sex attraction, same-sex marriage—the world's perspective on these issues has certainly changed over the last decade. So how do you answer questions about God's design for sexuality for church members and their families? Is your church equipping your people to understand a biblical perspective on sexuality and form a gospel-based response to questions from both inside and outside the church?
Harvest USA, an organization that has been thinking biblically and redemptively about these issues for decades, has now made available a video series that will help you wisely, kindly, and truthfully help your church to understand God's biblical design for sexuality and give direction on how to speak the truth in love to the world around us.
The seminar consists of fifteen thirty-minute videos (suitable for use during Sunday school or in small group), downloadable leader guide, and participant outlines that address questions and topics about God's design for sexuality including the following:
"Harvest USA understands the enormous significance of God making us sexual beings and the consequences that follow when sin disrupts our sexual desires. How much more amplified are the consequences to society when culture rejects God's authority over creation and sexuality. God's Design for Sexuality in a Changing Culture is a sturdy resource that will equip churches to be ambassadors of truth, grace, and freedom in a culture that's awash in sexual confusion."
Andrew T. Walker, Director of Policy Studies, The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, author of God and the Transgender Debate
"Messages regarding human sexuality abound in every area of today's culture. This video series provides an invaluable tool for discipleship in the local church. Each lesson examines a different aspect of this pervasive cultural issue in the light of biblical truth. Church leaders who desire to help God's people address the issue of sexuality with gospel integrity will find this video series a necessary part of their discipleship ministry."
Stephen T. Estock, Coordinator, PCA Committee on Discipleship Ministries
"Nobody does it better than Harvest USA, This long overdue resource is an illustration of that. It will become one of the major resources to guide the church now and into the future. Sometimes, in matters of sexuality, it feels like the church has 'pitched it's tent in the middle of a landslide.' Here's help—solid, realistic, authentic, and biblical."
Steve Brown, Founder of Key Life Network, Inc.; author
"As a counselor, I am grateful to send countless individuals to Harvest USA for help. Harvest's biblical approach is insightful and clarifying. It sustains the weight of a person's sorrow and has the power to break the enslavement of sexual sin. God's Design for Sexuality now comes to us. Although this resource targets Sunday schools and small groups, my hope is that it would reach into counseling offices and Christian homes alike. I guarantee that it will be on hand in both of mine."
Aaron Sironi, Biblical Counselor and Faculty, Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation
"God's Design for Sexuality in a Changing Culture is an accessible tool that builds up the Church to think biblically about sexuality. The video platform and discussion guide provide a natural pathway for engaging in meaningful discussion around this critical topic."
Karen Hodge, Coordinator for Women's Ministry, Presbyterian Church in America
"Being conversationally comfortable with the subjects of sex and sexual identity is difficult for many Christians. But in our modern culture, it is a vital part of discipleship and cultural engagement. As Martin Luther said, 'If you preach the gospel in all aspects with the exception of the issues that deal specifically with your time, you are not preaching the gospel at all.' Harvest USA has put together an excellent curriculum to equip you to understand these subjects well so we can engage your culture effectively."
Brad Hambrick, Pastor of Counseling at The Summit Church, Durham, NC; author of Do Ask, Do Tell, Let's Talk: Why and How Christians Should Have Gay Friends
"In this present moment when we are experiencing a cultural free-fall from God's Word, both in public life and in many sectors of the church, this resource provides a much-needed voice to declare God's unchanging purposes and design for the exercise of the sexual gifts he has given to us as those created in his image. The format lends itself to classes, small groups, and biblical counseling instruction; and the content is presented in such a way as to encourage thoughtful reflection, meditation, and profitable discussion. God's Design for Sexuality is an important resource as we seek to be faithful in our ministry and callings."
Tom Sullivan, Pastor of Seven Springs Presbyterian Church, Glade Spring, VA; ACBC Certified Biblical Counselor; adjunct faculty, Graham Bible College
"Today's culture is saturated with confusing messages about sexuality. The church cannot afford to be silent. God's Design for Sexuality is an excellent resource for parents, ministry leaders and those desiring to help our brothers and sisters in Christ struggling with sexual addictions or identity confusion. We're confident this resource will spur on the conversations that need to be had in the church today."
Ben Reaoch, Pastor of Three Rivers Grace Church and author of Women, Slaves and the Gender Debate; and Stacy Reaoch, mother of four and author of Wilderness Wanderings: Finding Contentment in the Desert Times of Life
"The work of Harvest has grown far beyond its roots in Philadelphia and has expanded both the scope and extent of its ministry over the years. As a working pastor in center city, I have welcomed and benefited from the sane and healthy counsel I've received from the Harvest USA workers. They exhibit Christlike compassion for strugglers and Christian conviction of the truth revealed in Scripture. In a world that has lost its moorings, Harvest USA is a voice of sanity and a voice of hope for those who despair for their future. May the Lord continue to support and expand their labors for him."
Liam Goligher, Senior Minister of Tenth Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia
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Culture shock. These two words describe how the church has by-and-large responded to the changing culture when it comes to sexuality. Yet, the biblical response to a changing culture is not to remain in culture shock but to be countercultural. In the words of 1 Corinthians 6:19–20, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” The question naturally follows, “How do Christians glorify God by living countercultural lives as they steward their sexuality faithfully?” God’s Design for Sexuality in a Changing Culture, a new 15-Session Video Curriculum by Harvest USA, provides the answer. Conviction and Compassion in a Changing Culture In 15 video sessions averaging around 30 minutes each in length, various biblical counselors and Christian leaders teach on the need to talk about sexuality in the church and confront the culture’s lies on sexuality, addressing topics like gender, transgenderism, homosexuality, premarital sex, and pornography with biblical conviction and Christlike compassion. The sessions emphasize the goodness of God’s design, the brokenness of sin on our sexuality, and how to get to the heart of these matters through the Tree Metaphor (which is explained in this curriculum). These teaching sessions do not merely present the biblical position but also equip believers with pastoral hearts, caring for those who are hurting and struggling with their sexuality. A Series for Sunday School Classes Due to the nature of the subject of sexuality, the video curriculum is designed for groups to go through together. Most sessions end with questions to consider and for groups to discuss. Because of the style of these teaching sessions, which are lecture-driven, the ideal fit for viewing this curriculum is for Sunday Schools. While this resource would benefit small groups, the formal method of teaching lends better to the Sunday School context. Minor Critiques In Order With the strength of the video series laying in the curriculum’s content, the order of the series' lessons could be improved. Sessions 7 and 8 take a look at Scripture to see what the Bible says about sexuality in both the Old and New Testaments and, for that reason, would possibly be better placed earlier in the series. Session 15's talk on a biblical view of gender and transgender faces the same critique. Sessions 12 and 13 hone in on helping parents protect and raise their children in a faithful way and would have been better placed as possibly the last two sessions in the series. At the same time, having video clips that show a portion of what session 11 did with the couple interviewed could have better cemented the content taught in these sessions. These minor critiques, though, do not hinder the value this video curriculum offers to adult Sunday School classes. Check Out This Series If you are a church leader who wants to see the people in your congregation stand firm in biblical conviction and Christlike compassion on the issue of sexuality or are a parent who wants to be equipped to navigate these cultural tides from a Christian worldview with their teens, then I would encourage you to consider checking out and inquiring about this series as your next adult Sunday School curriculum. I received this DVD curriculum from New Growth Press in exchange for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own and are my honest review of the curriculum.
My first reaction to this series is "WOW!" I wish I had had this available to me years ago. This series has addressed so many questions and concerns I've had throughout my lifetime. How much simpler things would have been to have understood God's Design for us - for me. I was raised with no instruction from the Church except when it came to pre-marital classes given by the Catholic church. It didn't cover much except for natural birth control and that was about all there was to the sexuality part. When Mr. D and I were engaged, we had our counseling session with a Baptist minister and there was no mention of sex at all, just our salvation. So - my education was a book-set from my mother that explained sex and the views of my peers, romance novels, movies and music - all world views and not Biblical. I could never really put God together with sex, although he was the one that designed it! It took this course to really open my eyes and see things in a totally different light. It made things so clear - that we are designed to be made for our spouse and our spouse only. It would have been wonderful being taught this from a young age - how sex/sexuality is a gift from God and not something dirty, secretive or never to be spoke about with your Christian peers. This series covers areas that Christians struggle with: pornography, same-sex attraction, gender identity, keeping our children safe in a world of technology, how to talk to your children about God's Design of Sex, etc. All of these aspects are important to go over for those that struggle as well as those that do not. No one is condemned for having these struggles, but instead are given guidance and support. For those that do not struggle, this series helps to understand and shows how to possibly give help or just a listening ear for those that may have a need. This amazing series should be offered by every Church. There are so many struggling with the idea of a healthy sexuality in the Christian Church and this would definitely solve quite a few issues. How wonderful it would be to bring up the next generation of our children with the idea that sex is a God given gift to be treasured and excited about and not something that is associated with shame because God certainly can't fit in with "something like that"! Don't think you have to be head of a Church or group to get this series. It would be a good addition to any Christian home - especially if you have questions, are struggling with things or have children that you'd like to teach how beautiful sex and sexuality is because it is God's Design for us.
