Love God Most (God.LGBTQ.You. 1 - Pastor Mike)

This series aims to move beyond social media snippets and explore Christianity and sexuality with biblical depth, empathy, and "dripping compassion".The Question Before the Questions Before diving into the complex "what abouts" regarding pronouns, policies, or specific Bible passages, this sermon poses one fundamental question: "Do you love God the most?". Drawing from Matthew 22, Pastor Mike highlights Jesus’ teaching that the first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This means placing God’s Word above personal desires, cultural trends, and even church traditions.The sermon outlines two primary reasons why we must prioritize God’s perspective in the conversation on sexuality:1. God always speaks the truth: Unlike human experiences or cultural shifts that can be mistaken, God's Word is always right, true, and faithful.2. God always acts in love: God is the definition of love, demonstrated most clearly through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, who took on the "muck and mire" of our sin so we could be washed pure.Pastor Mike shares the stories of individuals like Beckett Cook, St. Augustine, and Rachel (a lesbian student at Yale), all of whom discovered that finding God was "bigger and better" than their sexual passions. Their lives testify that when we are persuaded by God's character of truth and moved by His gospel of love, we are finally ready to navigate the nitty-gritty questions of identity and orientation.What to Expect in This Series: This sermon is a commitment to a holistic, five-week journey. In the coming weeks, the church will tackle:* Imitating the God of love in our hospitality and mercy.* Imitating the God of truth regarding specific passages in Genesis, Leviticus, and the New Testament.* Practical questions regarding same-sex attraction, gender identity, and how the church should respond to the LGBTQ community today.Join us as we commit to being here for the "whole thing," starting not with ourselves, but with God.