I hope your weeks are going well – I wanted to share a couple of resources that I found helpful while preparing to speak on the differences between men and women this last Sunday. If you would like to explore the subject in a little more depth then I can recommend the following. As with any biblical teaching, take the time to ask where what’s being said is rooted in the Bible. It’s ok if you don’t always end up coming to clear conclusions – what’s more important is that you dig into the word and be clear on why you believe what you believe.
First is an excellent book by Tim and Kathy Keller called The Meaning of Marriage – it’s a wonderful resource not just for those married or getting married, but for all of us to understand what marriage is about, and how our differences play into that. Given that the Bible speaks of the church as the bride of Christ, who will one day arrive at Jesus’ wedding feast, it’s worth all of us learning a bit more about it! (See Revelation 19:7-8)
You can purchase it here: The Meaning Of Marriage – Tim Keller
Second is a video I came across on Andrew Wilson’s website, Thinktheology – it’s from a conference from a group of churches called Acts 29, delivered by Jen Wilkin and has some real practical wisdom on living out of our differences in church life and mission. The talk is about 40 minutes, with a further 20 minutes or so Q and A at the end.
Third, Thinktheology hosted a conference last year on this subject with various sessions and speakers – you can see the introductory talk at the link below, and there are links from there through to subsequent talks if you’re interested. Again, it’s worth hearing from some different points of view to challenge us on how we view this whole area – do our views and practice line up with what the Bible says? Are we clear on what we believe and why? It takes time to wrestle with big issues and what the Bible says, but the fruit from doing so will be of lasting benefit for both you and the church.
Think Session 1 – The case for complimentary
God bless you,
