It’s good to see you this morning as we gather to worship! If you are visiting, thank you so much for coming! I hope to meet you after this service!

There are several new items in your bulletin today. Please take time to read it. This bulletin is the best way we can communicate with you. It’s available on our website. Thanks so much!

A hot topic that I’ve been asked about is “trans” rights and we should respond to the subject. It has been brought to the forefront when “Lia” Thomas dominated college swimming this year. How should a Christian respond?

All men and women are born in the image of God. All are created by God. (Gen 1:27, Matt 9:4, John 1:3,1 Cor 8:6, Col 1:16) They are created as either male and female. Both are equipped to reproduce and fulfill God’s creation mandate in Genesis 1:28. This easily observable pattern has been recognized by every culture in the history of the world.

The Bible also teaches us the first man and woman sinned. Sin entered the world and therefore, we all have misordered desires. Examples of misordered desires are anger, greed, fear, lying, and stealing.

We also have misordered sexual desires. Examples are lust, adultery, sex outside of marriage, pornography, homosexuality, pansexuality, and transsexuality. Expressing misordered desires is always harmful to us and the people around us. Unfortunately, our culture has made sexuality an idol and a false god. Therefore, the prevailing belief is that misordered sexual desires should not only be expressed but affirmed. And this affirmation harms our culture and country and dishonors God.

One of the main calls on the life of a Christian is to love your neighbor as yourself. That requires us to refuse to affirm others in their sin, sin which harms them and ultimately endangers their soul. The best remedy to any misordered desire is repentance, prayer, and an immersion in God’s Word. We pray for grace and mercy to be upon all of us for all of us have deeply misordered desires. We ask for God’s power to redeem us from misordered desires. And He will faithfully do that for a believer by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

I hope that brief answer is helpful to you. If there are other contemporary issues you would like to see addressed, email me at mike@westhaven.church. God bless you!