Understanding, Appreciating, and Learning to be Purposeful with Our Sexuality. Trinity Fellowship Church – Spring 2015

 Who are you?  What shaped your understanding of sexuality?  Why are you passionate about healthy sexuality? - Jenna Mountain

 Students ask parents What experiences have been most helpful in shaping your understanding about your sexuality, and sexuality in general?  Parents answer first then ask student What kinds of things (3 wishes?) would make this class a good experience for you?

 1st – Introduction and Defining Sexuality  2nd – Theology of Sexuality  3rd – Maleness and Femaleness  4th – Celebrating Sexuality with Boundaries

 A personal relationship with God and understanding his design is a first priority.  An intimate relationship with God will transform our heart.  When our heart is motivated by God’s heart it will impact our behaviors. GOD Heart Attitude Behaviors Actions

Sexuality Is Designed by God as a Way to Know God More Fully God’s goal in creating human beings with personhood and passion was to make sure that there would be sexual language and sexual images that would point to the promises and the pleasures of God’s relationship to his people and our relationship to him. Piper, Sex and the Supremacy of Christ

Genesis 1  26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…  27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Genesis 2  18 Then the L ORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him”…  23 Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” 24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

 Adam is alone and this is not good  Adam’s loneliness is not satisfied by his relationship with animals or even his relationship with God in the garden  Adam’s “hunger for wholeness” is only satisfied by the sexual being God created to complement him, Eve

 Is it surprising that Adam needed Eve in the Garden of Eden? Why was Adam’s relationship with God not enough?  Why does it take both maleness and femaleness, masculinity and femininity to correctly bear God’s image? Why didn’t God just created another man?

Sexuality  Our gender makeup  The need for relational connection  Our sexual desires Rosenau - Soul Virgins

Our gender makeup God’s image is reflected in both maleness and femaleness and the way they interrelate. He wanted to reveal himself and the value he places on intimate loving relationships so he created sexuality. Rosenau, Celebration of Sex

The need for relational connection God is love and in himself he lives a mystery of personal loving communion. Creating humans in his image, God inscribed in the humanity of man and woman the capacity and responsibility of love and communion. Catechism of the Catholic Church #2331

Our sexual desire Our sexual ache was purposefully designed by God to motivate us (body, soul, and spirit) toward an intimate connection with God, members of the body of Christ, and possibly a future spouse. Rosenau, Soul Virgins

The nature of this ache stems from a desire to be vulnerable and intimately known by another, revealing who we are at our deepest level of existence. Like Adam experienced in the Garden of Eden.

 7 I wish that all were as I myself am…  8 To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single as I am. 9 But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion. I Corinthians 7

Sexuality Romantic Behaviors Sex Sexuality: Everyone lives in the sexuality box because God created us sexual. Romantic Behaviors: Are complicated because some of them can be enjoyed while single and some are reserved for marriage. Sex: Is reserved for marriage as it involves genital contact.

 Why didn’t God have our urges awakened once we got married? What would some benefits/detriments be?  What are some implications for God purposely creating us with a sexual ache? How might this ache affect us in our day-to-day life?  What would make completing homework this week easier? How can we improve over last week?