#20 Pride Month: Time to Reflect and Understand

In this episode, I discuss the complexities of Christian podcasting, particularly in relation to contentious topics such as Pride Month and the LGBTQ community. I contrast the definitions of love from opposing perspectives, emphasizing the importance of truth and moral obedience in Christ Jesus. The conversation explores the role of tolerance, the impact of past trauma on LGBTQ identities, and the biblical stance on same-sex relations. I encourage listeners to engage with love and compassion while being bold in their faith and sharing the message of repentance and transformation.

Takeaways:

• There are pros and cons to Christian podcasting.
• Pride Month promotes visibility and acceptance for the LGBTQ community.
• The LGBTQ definition of love emphasizes personal authenticity and equality.
• Christian love is self-sacrificial and rooted in God's holiness.
• We are called to be the salt of the earth and speak the truth.
• Jesus loves you too much to leave you where you are.
• A sin is a sin, regardless of its nature.
• We need to operate with agape love towards others.
• The goal is to save souls and lead them to Christ.
• Engaging with the LGBTQ community requires compassion and truth.

Podcast Instagram and TikTok: @pespinoza.cyc

Podcast X: @pespinoza_cyc

Podcast YouTube: @CarryYourCrossStudios

Chapters

• 0:16 Pros and Cons of Christian Podcasting
• 1:18 Understanding Pride Month and Its Significance
• 2:52 Contrasting Definitions of Love
• 10:37 The Role of Healing and Support for the LGBTQ Community
• 13:09 Biblical Teachings on Same-Sex Relations
• 14:29 The Importance of Transformation in Christ
• 19:16 Engaging with the LGBTQ Community with Love
• 21:09 Final Thoughts on Truth and Salvation

Transcript

Pedro Espinoza (00:00)
Believe it or not guys, there are pros and cons to Christian podcasting. The pros are that I have a platform, so I'm able to share and promote my beliefs. Unfortunately and surprisingly to some, there is a downside to Christian

need to have hard conversations sometimes, which involve challenging topics. And the topic I'm going to talk to you about today is pride and really the fall in nature of it. So that's So I'll get into definitions, version of

love that the LGBTQ community promotes versus version of love taught. And we'll get into negatives of this type of lifestyle and ways that they can improve, and

I'll end it with...

fun point.

So what is Pride Month? Pride Month is an annual celebration held in June to honor the LGBTQ plus community. It promotes visibility, acceptance, and equal rights.

and

Ironically enough, we are in Pride Month, so this episode couldn't be more fitting.

Just want to give you a quick breakdown of the differences, like I said, between the LGBTQ plus version of love and Jesus's version of love.

So the LGBTQ plus definition of love emphasizes personal authenticity, equality, and emotional truth. Love is inclusive and self-affirming. Consent, mutual respect, and identity affirmation are foundational. are the core tenets version of love.

Also, it's often tied to a push for human rights, dignity, and social justice. Here are some examples. Same-sex couples seeking the right to marry or adopt, transgender individuals asking to be recognized for who they truly are,

But now get into Christ's model of love. So what is this model of love? it emphasizes divine truth, sacrifice and holiness interpreted through the moral framework of the Bible. The core idea of this model is that Jesus preached a love that is self-sacrificial, unconditional.

and rooted in God's holiness. It is often referred to as agape, which is a divine selfless love that seeks the good of others above all.

The biblical themes of love. Mark 12, 31, love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 5, 44, love your enemies. And John 15, 13, greater love has no one than this, lay down one's life for one's friends.

So keeping this in mind, a moral dimension. Christian love is intertwined with moral obedience, including living according to biblical teachings. Christian doctrine views sexual expression as reserved for heterosexual marriage.

So I give you this breakdown to say that other day I ran into an ex post by a user by the name of John Root

And he made a really good point this recent baseball game And there was a LA Dodgers player by the name of Clayton Kershaw. He was seen on TV wearing regular, you know, his regular LA Dodgers cap.

but except the letters LA were colored in rainbow colors, obviously to represent Pride Month

However, Mr. Kershaw wrote the verse Genesis 9, 12 to right on the corner of the cap, sort of by the letters. So this was visible and this was caught on TV. You could clearly see Genesis 9, 12 to 16 on the cap

letters.

the reason I'm bringing this up is because John Root really stood up for this, for this instance. So I'm about to get into what another user said occurrence.

this, this ex user goes by the handle Cal West. this is what he said about Clayton Kershaw Clayton Kershaw will always be a Dodger great, but it's things like this that make him a lot less likable. Just wear the hat, be a tolerant Christian and accept that there are others who believe differently than you.

was the post that Cal West made on X. And it got me wondering.

Why is it that can say things like be tolerant of other people's beliefs, yet he has a problem with Kershaw expressing his beliefs on live television? Why is it that he has a problem with a verse of the Bible written on the cap?

Shouldn't everybody just be able to express their beliefs? I thought that's what we were trying to promote. Because again, their version of love is acceptance and tolerance, well, shouldn't this be accepted and tolerated by this ex user?

Just my thoughts, but here's Genesis 9, 12 to 16. And it goes like this. And God said, this is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you. A covenant for all generations to come. I have set my rainbow in the clouds and it will be the sign of the covenant between me

and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember

the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is Genesis 9, 12 to 16, which is what Clayton Kershaw had written on his cap.

in response to this ex post, John Root says,

Christians aren't called to be tolerant ungodly lifestyles that God calls an abomination. his word, of sin is sin. Christians are called to not conform to this world.

And that's exactly right. We are called to stand out. We are called to be the salt of the earth. We are called to be the light in the darkness. And we're called to represent what a lifestyle of following Jesus looks like. We are called to make disciples of all nations and to always speak the truth, even when it hurts.

And so if you follow this thread on X, this back and forth exchange, it goes on for a while. ⁓ What's his name again? Cal West goes on to defend and argue as points. There's other people getting involved in this big discussion that's going on. as followers of Christ, we need to be bold and

We need to always speak the truth. It's going to offend people sometimes. And just like I said in the beginning of this episode, there are cons to having a Christian podcast. Well, really there are cons to being a Christian in general. Speaking the truth will either people to Christ or it will repel people from Christ for a period of time, hopefully.

But that is what we are called to do, even when it comes this LGBTQ community.

And this is just me personally, but what I believe makes a person LGBTQ is that they've experienced some sort of

molestation growing up. They experienced some sort of abuse, whether that was, you know, physical, sexual, or even mental abuse as they were growing up as a kid. And unfortunately, this abuse stuck with them till where they're at today. They never fully healed from this abuse and demons really work.

on these individuals, unfortunately. And with that said, there was never proper healing. There was never proper deliverance for these people. And my heart hurts for these people that have not been properly healed or delivered from this hurt and pain.

And I'll get into this a little later, but we're called to speak the truth. Yes. But we're also called to pray for others. We're called help the disfavored and we're called to bring people to Christ. If you see any member from this LGBTQ community,

Engage them with love, with Christ's version of love. Engage them with patience. And need to influence them correct way. Most importantly, you need to pray for them and tell the direction they're going in

does not lead to eternal life. To tell them repentance is what will get you into the kingdom of heaven.

And so with that said, the Bible condemns same-sex relations. It's stated clearly in Leviticus 1822. God is speaking to Moses who was instructed to relay the message to the Israelites. Quote, you shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination. So boom, period. That's it. That's Leviticus 1822.

So it's clearly an abomination for same-sex people to lie with each other.

Then there's Leviticus 20 13. If a man lies with the male as lying with a woman, they both committed an abomination. They certainly will die. Their blood is upon them.

So on top of 1822, passage clearly outlines the consequence of such behavior.

But let me remind you that in Genesis 1, created man and woman, male and female. That's it. That's where it ends. That's where the buck stops.

This was God's natural creation. It was God's natural design. And it was designed this way to achieve God's greater purpose. have been called to multiply and to be an appropriate reflection of relationship between Jesus and the church.

So I want to read you this quote from Wes Huff. It says, loves you and calls you to come as you are, but loves you too much to leave you where you are. And I couldn't agree with that more.

I'm sure we've all heard the phrase, come as you are, right? But I feel like sometimes that is stated a little too loosely. It's stated vaguely to the point where it's open to interpretation, right? So one could interpret that as, well, I'm living in sin. ⁓ You know, I stole, I cheated on my partner, you know.

I'm gay, I'm transgender, whatever it is, I'm living in sin. I can come to church because, hey, come as you are, right? Well, yes, we invite those who are living in sin to come as you are. However, Jesus loves you too much to leave you where you are, right? So if you have a heart that's open to receive Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior,

then you will start to notice change. it's only if you're willing to accept him, right? And I feel like a lot of us don't focus on that second part. So if you see anybody struggling in sin, doesn't matter what sin it is, then we also need to tell them that Jesus loves you too much to leave you where you are.

because ultimately we go through a process of justification, sanctification, and then glorification. Right? So those who are struggling with their faith, living in sin, they need to come to a point where they are justified. I should say they need to come to a point where they understand that they are justified because of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

They also need to come to understand that there is a sanctification process, right? So it doesn't matter what kind of sin it is Jesus looks at the repentant heart He looks at the heart posture so if you are willing to to change if you're willing to repent to change your mind then He will see you through he will deliver you from your sin

and he will make you a new creature. And that's what we're trying to get at, right? That's what us Christians believe in wholeheartedly. And that is where we want to see you end up eventually. And that's a true disciple of Jesus.

There's data that supports instances where transgender individuals convert to Christianity.

Clark, Stephanie Motts, Laura Petty Smaltz, to name a few. You might even recognize these names, these people.

What I said about repentance is in fact effective. data just like I said, it supports instances, the phenomenons of transgender individuals converting to Christianity. And that is if they follow the steps appropriately, right? It's just being open to receive God's love. Understanding that you were created

for a greater purpose, understanding your identity in Christ Jesus. Also, I feel like these individuals in this community, they struggle with identity, right? They go through a identity crisis. And if they come to understand and learn that our identity is found in Jesus Christ,

then their futures will be changed forever. Their trajectory be changed. Their eternal salvation be guaranteed, right? they have to understand that. And it's up to us as believers to lead them to that point. It's not okay to just

sit back and judge. Yes, they are going through a confusing time. They are going through a difficult season of their lives, but that doesn't mean that we don't step in and guide them to becoming saved. have to step in from the sidelines and we have to guide them to that end goal. And that's what we've been called to do as true followers of Christ.

I don't like sidelined Christians. That's not what we're supposed to be. We're supposed to get into the trenches and go to war with and for these people to save them.

So I believe in this way we can preach the gospel to LGBTQ community, Jesus loves you and calls you to come as you are, but loves you too much to leave you where you are.

And we need to remind them that sin is a sin, no matter how big or small. So just being gay, being transgender, lesbian, it's a sin. It's not greater than, stealing or fornicating or committing adultery. It's not. A sin is a sin.

They need to understand that.

And of course, like I said, we need to teach them to repent, surrender the controls of their life to God and accept Christ into their hearts.

I actually want to read you quick success statement about Laura Perry Smaltz. It says here that she transitioned and lived as a man for nine years, ultimately embraced Christianity and de-transitioned sharing her story in a testimony. So there you have it. If

One can de-transition, I know that the rest of them can. again, we need operate with agape love. We need to be understanding of their situation this clearly happened to them in some form, some fashion, but we need get them out of that lifestyle.

correct, by speaking truth to them, by speaking life, by leading them to Christ.

So this was on my heart for episode. Obviously we're in Pride Month, so if you come across an individual that associates with that community, consider the words in this episode and...

Make sure you speak truth and you're bold. If you have a family member that is associated with this community, if they identify with this community, same thing, right? Say a prayer before speaking to them, pray with them and be bold and truthful in your approach because ultimately the goal

is to save souls, to win souls to Christ. And that's what we're called to do. I hope this episode helps somebody. sin. We are living in unprecedented times and some scary times. So don't let the culture win. Let the Church of Jesus Christ

win, prevail, and come out on top.

That's all I have for you guys today. Take care of each other. Take care of yourself. I'll see you in the next one. Bye.