The church as a whole has handled the topic of sex and sexuality poorly. Let me be clear. If you are gay and seeking a church home in Valrico, you are welcome at Centerpoint Church.

Sex is directly related to our view of God. Silence distorts the idea of sex, romance and relationship. This affects our views of God. We cannot be silent.

We are not any church; we are an alternative to church as usual. We don't operate on guilt or shame but dive into hard questions about our faith in a safe environment. We encourage the skeptic, the religious and anyone in-between to explore what it means to follow Jesus.

The problem isn’t sex

Sex is good. God created it. The problem isn't our sex drive; it's letting sex drive us. A great relationship is what fuels sexual intimacy. The function of sex is to nurture a healthy relationship.

Culture is not the enemy. We are to engage culture. Our culture says treat sex however you want but… Swipe Right (for a more detailed three-part sermon series on healthy sexual relationships).

We tend to elevate sexual sin above everything else. That is not the gospel. We are quick to overlook the husband treating his wife like $#*! but are more than willing to throw stones at those the church has traditionally labeled as outcasts. We are quick to call someone a sinner without first evaluating our own lives.

This has to change. The problem is not sex or sexual identity.

We lose kids to the culture, not because we don't entertain them, but because we don't dare them. If we can't talk about our beliefs and the hard questions openly, then we never grow. We hide because we think we can't be honest about who we are in the faith community.

This needs to change.

The sexuality of Christians

There are many gay, queer or same-sex attracted Christians. Some have chosen same-sex marriage while others have chosen chastity. It is the same choice heterosexuals have, though historically the cultural differences are extreme. We disagree amongst ourselves on the restrictions of historic Christian teachings. Every denomination seems to have co-opted Jesus into defending their stance.

If you are part of the LGBTQ community and looking for a church in Valrico, know that you are welcome at Centerpoint. We aren't out to change you. You are welcome exactly as you are.

Called to love

Every person has been made in the image of God and has extreme value. We are called to love. That means we live life side by side, even when we disagree. We ask hard questions about Scripture and Jesus. We value one another and honor how the Holy Spirit is working in each of our lives.

What if God has a destiny and a will for your life and mine? What does it look like to surrender our will, our life, our bodies to God? What does it look like to explore these questions together?

Today let’s commit to hear one another and to ask the hard questions doing our best to remove preconceived biases from the conversation.