Download or read book The Unauthorized Guide to Sex and Church written by Carmen Renee Berry and published by Thomas Nelson. This book was released on 2005-08-21 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Is it possible to be a Christian and a sexual being? At times it seems like the Church pits sexuality and spirituality against one another. Yet the cost in creating such a dichotomy has resulted in harmful implications on spiritual growth, sexual intimacy, and moral credibility. The Unauthorized Guide to Sex and the Church traces sexual attitudes and practices in Hebrew culture as presented in the Old Testament through the current issues that confront the church today. It addresses questions such as "How has the church become so notorious for sex scandals amongst its leadership?" "Why is the church unable to present a united front on sexual issues such as marriage/divorce, premarital sex, homosexuality, and abortion?" and "How can I make wise and informed choices about these important issues in light of my beliefs?" Blending historical facts with practical wisdom, this lively exploration looks at how Christian views of sex have developed and changed based on doctrinal, cultural, medical, scriptural, and psychological understandings.

Download or read book A New Reformation written by John W. Casperson and published by Vantage Press, Inc. This book was released on 2007 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book What If God Has a Vagina written by John Casperson and published by Page Publishing Inc. This book was released on 2020-04-01 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Stars and galaxies, atoms and molecules, all created so to render a divine arena for God to love man and for man to love God. Atoms and molecules of our bodies observe the same physical laws as those stars of the cosmos. Yet divinity rests not with the stars but within each of us whose spirit seeks to touch them. In the twenty-first century, it is now more appropriate to equate gender identity with a spiritual hemisphere (masculine or feminine) than merely biological plumbing (genitalia). I think, too, that the Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," falls short of the mark unless the statement applies to animals and plants. Misogyny—the hatred of women. Or more provocatively, is misogyny the hatred of being attracted to women? Evil resides within one's own mind and is pointed toward other people as hate, envy, bigotry, racism, etc. The mind is a wonderful window for the sun to shine in but only works if the shades are open. Men and women participate in the game of sex—the board is the same but men bring checkers and women bring chess pieces! The most marvelous sex organ isn't between the legs, it's between the ears! Let's be clear, worship is not love. Worship is idolatry; love is love. We seek expression, sexual or otherwise, without hindrance to seek and discover self, our unique identity, our inner yearning to reach for infinity left behind yet achingly just ahead. Our souls strive for freedom, and in so doing... "What we commonly call man—the eating, drinking, counting man—does not (as we know him) represent himself. Him we do not respect. But the soul, whose organ he is, would make our knees bend. When it breathes through his intellect it is genius. When it breathes through his will it is virtue. When it flows through his affection it is love" (Walt Whitman).

Download or read book A Chalice of Miracles written by John W. Casperson and published by AuthorHouse. This book was released on 2008-12 with total page 622 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When deciding on a title, I received information from the Brain and Tissue Bank of the University of Maryland saying their symbol was a butterfly. I have Dystonia, which is a neuro-muscular motor, movement disease (involving the brain, the muscles, and coordination). I am donating my brain to the Brain and Tissue Bank, so contemplated how my life could be compared to a butterfly's metamorphosis. A Butterfly's Metamorphosis: Life Story of Libby Karns is divided into three parts, or phases of a butterfly's life-cycle, as represented on the book's cover. There are 16 chapters, two hymns, and two of my poems. Some of the chapter titles are: A Life-changing Experience Odessa (You get to take a trip with me!); Precocious? Shy? Insecure?; Storybook Characters; Dystonia?/Dystonia; and Useless? Useful?.

Download or read book The Butterfly Effect Flutters of Wisdom and Kindness written by John Casperson and published by Page Publishing Inc. This book was released on 2016-11-21 with total page 633 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Butterfly Effect: Flutters of Wisdom and Kindness accentuates the compelling need for random acts of kindness. Each reader of this book can remember someone from his or her past who has made an indelible influence on his or her life. A random act of kindness can resonate with goodness for each person who participates in favor. Unfortunately, other types of acts can have an opposite effect. This work contains hundreds of “flutters” of wisdom and kindness from an eclectic composition of sources from Aristotle to Emile Zola, from Plato to Rudyard Kipling, from Booker T. Washington to Leo Tolstoy, Karl Marx to Janis Joplin. This work attempts to synthesize different thought and observations from people, past and present, from different cultures of east and west that will indicate that we all share an impetus to a common goal . . . if we help each other. Though this may be deemed a work of scholarship, it is presented in non-scholarship terms. Though the subject matters (philosophy, sex, religion, and politics) are matters of gravitas, the answers can be quite simple, if we permit them to be. This is not a “how to” book. Each person has the sovereign right to determine his or her destiny. Nevertheless, interesting and controversial points are covered so that each person may make a more informed choice about how to determine well-being. If the reader pledges to help another, thousands of others will be pledging to help the reader. A Zen Buddhist koan asks, “How does the drop of water know it is part of a wave?” A drop always has a ripple. A flutter of kindness or wisdom can shake the world.

Download or read book Toward Spiritual Sovereignty written by John W. Casperson and published by AuthorHouse. This book was released on 2007-06-11 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Toward Spiritual Sovereignty diagnoses societal samodaya (Buddhist terminology for emotional craving). The author uses extensive knowledge and wisdom from masters of ages past and present to refocus the spirit of man (spiritus mundi) on a wholesome re-creation of the world community. Every soul has the divine right to determine his or her sacred path to their unique destiny upon the horizons of learned choice. Political aggression, (governmental power), religious aggression (proselytizing), and financial aggression (voracious capitalism) provide conflict and work against the realization of happiness and wellbeing. These works are an attempt to advocate for the abolition of hindrance toward those ends, to advocate, without fetter, for spiritual sovereignty of every soul.Each person, Homo Divinitas (man of Divinity) should be able to experience life without threat. Threat can manifest in the form of hunger, poverty, illiteracy, illness, or physical/emotional/spiritual aggression. The 21st century provides an atmosphere of escalating violence, and terror, amidst the Middle East in particular, and the world in general. Such as the Roman Forum prior to the turn of the first millennia after Christ, mankind seems unable or unwilling to cease participation in the spiritual morphine of violence whether real, virtual, or vicarious. Mr. Casperson's authorship proposes effective measures for self-enlightenment and effective ways to cope with violence and political and religious terrorism. Comments and e-dialog are encouraged at the johncasperson.com website blog/site.

Download or read book A Christian s Guide to Overcoming Sexual Struggle written by Michael Clairborne and published by Tate Publishing. This book was released on 2010-10 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Every day single Christians are stuck in a spiritual and physical place they cannot control. Their sexual struggle seems too overwhelming to deal with alone. They ask questions like 'Why won't God send me my marriage partner? Should I ever give in sexually while dating? If I have gay feelings, does this mean that I was born to be a homosexual? What causes a sexual impulse?' These questions and many more are answered in Michael Clairborne's A Christian's Guide to Overcoming Sexual Struggle. Subjects addressed include: • your true sexual age • sexual impulses • dating a non-Christian • sex and your walk with Jesus • masturbation • homosexuality • tempting situations • forgiveness • sex in marriage And much more.

Download or read book Justice Mercy and Well Being written by Peter G. Bolt and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2020-03-10 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This collection of essays examines how God’s justice and mercy intersect in the lives of individuals and their communities, with a view to the establishment of personal and social well-being in the world. The authors, drawn from England and Australia, approach the theme from a variety of methodological and interdisciplinary perspectives. Theological, exegetical, historical, healthcare, moral, and visual arts approaches are brought to bear in an investigation relevant for the identity and mission of the church in a world characterized by cycles of revenge, the perpetration of injustice, and the marginalization and persecution of various ethnic groups. The practical outcome of these studies has wide-ranging relevance for our attitudes toward indigenous peoples, the well-being of single and married people, healthcare throughout the ages, the spiritual care of people (including those suffering dementia), the personal experience of trauma, issues of moral judgement, and the abiding value of the creative arts.

Download or read book That Famous Fig Leaf written by Chad W. Thompson and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2019-10-29 with total page 118 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nothing that God created is the source of our human temptation. To the contrary! The human body is the crown of God's creation--consummated by his declaration that it was good. That God's people are unable to view the body without sinning is not an indictment of the body itself, but of the immaturity of the post-modern evangelical mind. We live in a culture whose inhabitants spend billions of dollars a year to see each other naked on internet sites and in pornographic films, yet are often uncomfortable changing in front of each other in locker rooms or even being seen in a swimsuit on the beach. Could it be that we have so profoundly fused the image of the exposed body with sexual gratification that there is no context left for it to be laid bare without evoking either shame or arousal? In That Famous Fig Leaf, Chad Thompson explores the spiritual implications of the physical body and, surprisingly, uncovers a new kind of freedom from sexual addiction along the way. Chad critiques the Christian purity movement for conflating purity with prudery, and reveals that changing how we esteem our bodies has the power to heal the hypersexualized body consciousness of our culture.

Download or read book Our Godly Sexual Beings written by Donna Mack with Kristi Miller and published by Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.. This book was released on 2023-09-08 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Our Godly Sexual Beings explores scripture and other ancient texts to unveil one of humanity's great mysteries--God's purpose for designing our Godly sexual beings. After thirty years of committed research and study, Donna Mack perceived an essential missing link from the age-old battle of God vs. Satan. While other books have attempted to discuss human sexuality, none have done so with as many biblical and scholarly-backed references as Our Godly Sexual Beings. One fascinating revelation in scripture is just how sacred human sexuality exists for God. The Bible sings with this truth, and Donna dives into this mystery to reveal the greatest love story ever told! With the help of over 1,300 references, Donna uncovers God's design for sex and Satan's influence that morphed this gift into a lie of lust. This book is full of many revelations and truths that will allow the reader to experience freedom from sexual sin, shame, and bondage.

Download or read book Redeeming Sex written by Debra Hirsch and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2015-04-06 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nothing has exposed the gap between the church and the broader society quite like the volatile topics of sexuality, relationships, identities, orientations and even gender. With a pastor's heart and a missiologist's mind, Debra Hirsch helps us discover a holistic, biblical vision of sex and gender that honors God and offers good news to the world.

Download or read book How Sex Got Screwed Up The Ghosts that Haunt Our Sexual Pleasure Book One written by Jon Knowles and published by Vernon Press. This book was released on 2019-06-28 with total page 1078 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ghosts that haunt our sexual pleasure were born in the Stone Age. Sex and gender taboos were used by tribes to differentiate themselves from one another. These taboos filtered into the lives of Bronze and Iron Age men and women who lived in city-states and empires. For the early Christians, all sex play was turned into sin, instilled with guilt, and punished severely. With the invention of sin came the construction of women as subordinate beings to men. Despite the birth of romance in the late middle ages, Renaissance churches held inquisitions to seek out and destroy sex sinners, all of whom it saw as heretics. The Age of Reason saw the demise of these inquisitions. But, it was doctors who would take over the roles of priests and ministers as sex became defined by discourses of crime, degeneracy, and sickness. The middle of the 20th century saw these medical and religious teachings challenged for the first time as activists, such as Alfred Kinsey and Margaret Sanger, sought to carve out a place for sexual freedom in society. However, strong opposition to their beliefs and the growing exploitation of sex by the media at the close of the century would ultimately shape 21st century sexual ambivalence. Book One of this two-part publication traces the history of sex from the Stone Age to the Enlightenment. Interspersed with ‘personal hauntings’ from his own life and the lives of friends and relatives, Knowles reveals how historical discourses of sex continue to haunt us today. This book is a page-turner in simple and plain language about ‘how sex got screwed up’ for millennia. For Knowles, if we know the history of sex, we can get over it.

Download or read book The Unauthorized Guide to Choosing a Church written by Carmen Renee Berry and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 404 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Wise and humorous, This guide introduces readers to the beliefs and worship practices of major Christian denominations.

Download or read book What was the Sin of Sodom Homosexuality Inhospitality or Something Else written by Brian Neil Peterson and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2016-10-19 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Virtually every scholar on both sides of the same-sex discussion eventually addresses the account of Sodom found in Genesis 19. However, in recent years, scholars have tended to downplay the importance of this chapter in relation to this debate. This book challenges this trend and seeks to demonstrate how the account of Sodom plays a key role in our understanding of a God-ordained sexual ethic, especially in light of Genesis as Torah--instruction for both ancient Israel and for the Church.

Download or read book Sex God and the Conservative Church written by Tina Schermer Sellers and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cover -- Title -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- List of Figures -- Introduction -- 1 Christianity and Sex: What's Going On? -- 2 How Did Christian Sexuality Get Derailed? -- 3 American Consumerism -- 4 Hope for Clients: The Lost Message of a Sex-Positive God -- 5 In Pursuit of a Sex-Positive Gospel: Strategies for a New Sexual Ethic -- 6 Clinical Applications: Four Steps to Healing Religious Sexual Shame -- 7 Sex Therapy Interventions: The Anatomy of Intimacy -- 8 Sex Therapy Interventions: The Practices of Intimacy -- Epilogue: Are You a Renegade Therapist? -- Index

Download or read book Redeemed Sexuality written by Tim Konzen and published by Elm Hill. This book was released on 2019-03-12 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: You are a sexual person. Whether you are single or married, a teenager or an older single adult, God created you as a sexual person. So how do we inhabit our sexuality in a way that brings honor to God? And what exactly is sexuality? Is it just sexual intercourse? Or is it perhaps something much greater? God created them male and female. From the moment of our conception, we are born in this act of creation as a sexual being. God's creation was the work of a master artist. It is vital that we discover both the artwork and the artist. God intended for sex to be a wonderful good. When someone allows God to guide them in how they engage in sex, it can be. However, sometimes sexuality has become a source of shame, guilt, pain, confusion, frustration, and sorrow. Sexual challenges can come from the choices we make, from the things that others do against us, and from the ways in which Satan has inundated the world with a tsunami of destructive words and images about sex. Those challenges can also come from the lack of being able to talk openly about sex. Perhaps you want to lead a life of sexual purity but you are finding it hard to find solid, biblical answers to some of the very real questions you have. You may feel like you've tried to bring up these things with those involved in your life but that you often receive the same-old trite and empty arguments about purity: "Just wait" or "Just repent" or "God has a plan. Be patient." So how do we reconcile God’s intricate and amazing plan for sex with the devastation, destruction, and frustration that sex outside of His plan can cause? How can we pursue purity and honor sexuality at the same time? What exactly is God's plan for sexuality for those who are not married? Redeeming Sexuality answers many of these and other questions that singles, teens, and parents ask the authors in their conferences and sessions, including: What is God’s plan for sex? How should single, working professionals, college students, teens, and all other unmarried individuals understand their sexuality in light of God’s plan? What is allowed and how far is too far? How can we have healthy, intimate connections with others? What is purity and how do we deal with temptation when it is so hard to escape? How do we work through the damage and pain that is already done? How can parents effectively communicate with their kids about sex? This comprehensive guide strives to bring clarity and understanding to topics that many Christians have trouble discussing. Journey with us as we discover a vibrant understanding of God's plan for redeemed sexuality.

Download or read book Sex Matters written by Jonathan McKee and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2015-03-10 with total page 121 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Unedited Truth About Sex · Is hooking up really wrong? · What about living together if you fall in love? · If the Bible bans sex before marriage . . . is everything else fair game? · What about same-sex relationships? Since when does God deny any kind of true love? Great questions . . . but who has the answers? Our culture creates a lot of confusion about sex. Honestly, sometimes it's difficult to know who's telling the truth. On one hand, when we read our Bibles or go to church, we hear how God's design is to wait for sex and save that kind of intimacy for marriage. But on the other hand, when we go to school, turn on the TV, or listen to many of the songs on our favorite playlists . . . they say quite the opposite. Naturally, this makes many of us wonder. Who's right? Sex seems fun. How can something so natural be off-limits? In Sex Matters, Jonathan McKee tackles all of these questions, giving you the frank, unvarnished truth about sex--regardless how awkward or embarrassing. "Sex Matters provides super-helpful, truthful answers to the big questions you've wondered about, but never asked. Way better than anything you'll find through a web search."--Scott Rubin, junior high pastor, Willow Creek Community Church "'Just don't do it' isn't enough. Let's face it. Today's young people chronically encounter sexually charged images and messages, but rarely hear the whole story. They are looking for real answers to tough questions, and Sex Matters isn't afraid to tell them the unedited truth. Every teenager with an Internet connection or a phone in their pocket needs to read this book!"--Doug Fields, youth pastor for thirty years at Saddleback & Mariners Church "This isn't a sanitized, Christianized, moralized 'just say no' tactic, but a practical approach to what's really pressuring kids today, with biblical wisdom for how to succeed."--Pete Sutton, director of student ministry and middle school pastor, Christ Community Church, St. Charles, Illinois "This could be the most honest and relevant book available for teenagers in your ministry. I wish I had something this honest and helpful in my hands when I was a teenager."--Brooklyn Lindsey, youth minister, Nazarene Youth International and ReThink Group "There are a lot of potentially embarrassing questions that rattle around the minds of many Christian teenagers when it comes to sex (How far is too far? Is masturbation a sin? stuff like that). Using powerful stories, eye-opening facts, and surprisingly blunt biblical truth, Jonathan McKee answers these kinds of tough questions with the right mix of truth and grace. He gives teenagers a clear path to living a pure life in a sex-saturated world. Get it, read it, and learn how to let your life and light shine in the darkness."--Greg Stier, president, Dare 2 Share (www.dare2share.org) "Every great adventure starts with preparation. Sex is a great adventure! But it requires thoughtful preparation. Jonathan McKee's Sex Matters is the perfect tool to prepare you for that journey. Do yourself a favor and spend some time thinking, processing, and preparing for the great adventure of sex."--Josh Griffin, Founder of DownloadYouthMinistry.com and high school pastor at Saddleback Church