Strange visitors come from far off places to rural Judea asking to see the new born king. Directed by a “star” the foreigners find the child and discover than he is far more than just an earthly king. Pastor Tim LeCroy preaches on the visit of the wise men to the infant Jesus in Matthew 2:1-12. Links: Why Mathematicians Can’t Find the Hay in a Haystack: https://www.quantamagazine.org/why-mathematicians-cant-find-the-hay-in-a-haystack-20180917/ Quotes: A star burned in the sky more brightly than all the others; its light was indescribable, its newness marvelous, and all the other stars, along with the sun and moon, formed a chorus around this star, the light of which reached farther than that of any other. Then all magic was destroyed, and every bond wrought by wickedness was broken, and the ancient kingdom was razed. When God appeared in human form to bring the newness of eternal life, his counsel began to be fulfilled. -St. Ignatius of Antioch, c. 100 AD The gifts of God are multiplied, and we in our time experience all that the first believers did. For though the gospel account tells us only of the days when three men, untaught by prophetic preaching or the testimonies of the Law, came from the distant East in order to know God, yet we see the same thing happening now even more clearly and on a far larger scale in the enlightenment of all who are called. -Pope St. Leo the Great, 5th c. Today the magi gaze in deep wonder at what they see: heaven on earth, earth in heaven, humanity in God, God in humanity, one whom the whole universe cannot contain now enclosed in a tiny body. -Peter Chrysologus, 5th c. Scripture Texts: Isaiah 60:1-6 1 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. 2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. 3 And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. 4 Lift up your eyes all around, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried on the hip. 5 Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and exult, because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. 6 A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall bring good news, the praises of the Lord. Psalm 72:1–11, 18 1 Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son! 2 May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice! 3 Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness! 4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor! 5 May they fear you while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations! 6 May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth! 7 In his days may the righteous flourish, and peace abound, till the moon be no more! 8 May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth! 9 May desert tribes bow down before him, and his enemies lick the dust! 10 May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands render him tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts! 11 May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him! 18 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Matthew 2:1-12 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he i

After the joyous celebration fades, we return to a harsh reality: the enemy is not going down without a fight. Returning to his ancient strategy, Satan tries to kill the infant Messiah, while Joseph quickly reacts to protect his family. Pastor Tim LeCroy explains the meaning of the story of the slaughter of the innocents from Matthew 2:13-18. Links: Story about Clarksville, TN tornado miracle: https://www.actionnews5.com/2023/12/14/miracle-clarksville-school-play-rescheduling-likely-saved-hundreds-lives-tornado/ Katherine Burnham and the tragic loss of her son in the same tornado: https://weather.com/news/weather/news/2023-12-26-tennessee-tornadoes-clarksville-victims-arlan-coty Scripture text: Matthew 2:13-18 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: 18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.” “Christmas Is War” a sermon preached by Rev. Dr. Timothy R. LeCroy on Sunday, December 31, 2023 at New Life Presbyterian Church, 950 Danby Rd., Ithaca, NY. Join us for worship every Sunday at 10:00AM. Visit us at our website at www.newlifeithaca.org. The intro and outro music is from “We Will Feast in the House of Zion” provided by Sandra McCracken and with her permission. Please visit her website at www.sandramccracken.com.   The post Christmas Is War first appeared on New Life Ithaca.

This homily was originally preached in 386 AD in Antioch by a young preacher named John. He would later be dubbed Chrysostom, Greek for “Goldenmouth” for his sermonic eloquence. After becoming the Patriarch of Constantinople, Chrysostom was an early advocate in the East for adopting December 25th as the proper day to celebrate Christmas. Pastor Tim preaches this ancient homily for our Christmas Eve joint service with Bread of Life Anglican Church. The intro and outro music is from “We Will Feast in the House of Zion” provided by Sandra McCracken and with her permission. Please visit her website at www.sandramccracken.com.   The post St. Chrysostom’s Christmas Homily first appeared on New Life Ithaca.

What are we to make of Mary? Is she central to the faith or someone to be basically ignored? We explore what the Bible says abut this from Luke chapter 1. “The Meaning of Mary,” a sermon preached by Pastor Tim LeCroy. Links: Pastor Tim: Just So We’re Clear, Mary did Know: https://www.semperref.org/articles/just-so-were-clear-mary-did-know Sermon text: Luke 1:26-38 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. “The Meaning and Message of Mary” a sermon preached by Rev. Dr. Timothy R. LeCroy on Sunday, December 24, 2023 at New Life Presbyterian Church, 950 Danby Rd., Ithaca, NY. Join us for worship every Sunday at 10:00AM. Visit us at our website at www.newlifeithaca.org. The intro and outro music is from “We Will Feast in the House of Zion” provided by Sandra McCracken and with her permission. Please visit her website at www.sandramccracken.com. The post The Meaning and Message of Mary first appeared on New Life Ithaca.

As the limelight fades and the crowds vanish, John finds himself rotting in jail. Will Jesus do for him what he has done for so many others? A sermon on Matthew 11:2-11, preached by Tim LeCroy on 12/17/23 at New Life Ithaca. Links Snippet of Stephen Colbert interview with Anderson Cooper: https://www.instagram.com/findingyourfaith/reel/CyyMB2NrYRZ/ Full interview with Colbert: https://youtu.be/YB46h1koicQ?si=VEiRB9KLzwNTDZVz Story about Clarksville, TN tornado miracle: https://www.actionnews5.com/2023/12/14/miracle-clarksville-school-play-rescheduling-likely-saved-hundreds-lives-tornado/ Sermon Texts: Matthew 11:2-11 Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 6 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” 7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is he of whom it is written, “‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’ 11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. “God Does It Too” a sermon preached by Rev. Dr. Timothy R. LeCroy on Sunday, December 17, 2023 at New Life Presbyterian Church, 950 Danby Rd., Ithaca, NY. Join us for worship every Sunday at 10:00AM. Visit us at our website at www.newlifeithaca.org. The intro and outro music is from “We Will Feast in the House of Zion” provided by Sandra McCracken and with her permission. Please visit her website at www.sandramccracken.com. The post God Does It Too first appeared on New Life Ithaca.

At the darkest possible moment a messenger comes with the news that a rescuer is on the way and that we are to be preparing for his arrival. But how are we to prepare? “The Forerunner,” a sermon by Pastor Tim LeCroy about how John the Baptist prepares the way for Jesus, our Rescuer. Links St. Lucy’s Day – Wikipedia Sermon Texts: Isaiah 40:1-11 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins. 3 A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” 6 A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. 9 Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” 10 Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. 11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. Mark 1:1-8 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, 3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,'” 4 John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Sermon Quotes: I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted (Yes), every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain (Yes), and the crooked places will be made straight (Yes), and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed [cheering], and all flesh shall see it together. (Yes Lord) This is our hope. (Yes, Yes) This is the faith that I go back to the South with. (Yes) With this faith (My Lord) we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. (Yes, All right) With this faith (Yes) we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation (Yes) into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. (Talk about it) With this faith (Yes, My Lord) we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together (Yes), to stand up for freedom together (Yeah), knowing that we will be free one day. [sustained applause] -Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “I Have A Dream,” speech given at the March for Jobs and Freedom,  August 28, 1963 “The Forerunner” a sermon preached by Rev. Dr. Timothy R. LeCroy on Sunday, December 10, 2023 at New Life Presbyterian Church, 950 Danby Rd., Ithaca, NY. Join us for worship every Sunday at 10:00AM. Visit us at our website at www.newlifeithaca.org. The intro and outro music is from “We Will Feast in the House of Zion” provided by Sandra McC

After visiting the beautiful and magnificent Temple, Jesus jolts his disciples back to reality.  Advent is the ultimate reality check. Pastor Tim LeCroy preaches on the meaning of Advent, how Advent is not Christmas, and why we should be into Christmas in spite of our culture’s misappropriation of the season. Contained therein: A tribute to the late Saint Louis University Professor, Jack Marler. Links: Pastor Tim: A Reformed Defense of the Church Year https://www.semperref.org/articles/a-reformed-defense-of-the-church-year Sermon texts: Isaiah 64:1–9 Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence— 2 as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil— to make your name known to your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at your presence! 3 When you did awesome things that we did not look for, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. 4 From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him. 5 You meet him who joyfully works righteousness, those who remember you in your ways. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned; in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved? 6 We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. 7 There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities. 8 But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. 9 Be not so terribly angry, O Lord, and remember not iniquity forever. Behold, please look, we are all your people. Mark 13:24-37 24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. 28 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 32 “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. 34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. 35 Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— 36 lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.” “Stay Awake” a sermon preached by Rev. Dr. Timothy R. LeCroy on Sunday, December 3, 2023 at New Life Presbyterian Church, 950 Danby Rd., Ithaca, NY. Join us for worship every Sunday at 10:00AM. Visit us at our website at www.newlifeithaca.org. The intro and outro music is from “We Will Feast in the House of Zion” provided by Sandra McCracken and with her permission. Please visit her website at www.sandramccracken.com. The post Stay Awake first appeared on New Life Ithaca.

Our culture longs for leaders with moral authority who advocate for justice and usher in utopia. Yet all leaders fall short in some way or fail to deliver. Where can we find a leader to meet our deepest longings? Jesus Christ is the only ruler that fits this bill. He is the King that we need. This is a bonus episode to the Hard Questions, Real Answers series. Sermon quotes: Well, it seems a good book – strange that the white people are no better, after having had it so long. -Cherokee Chief Yonaguska, upon hearing the Gospel of Matthew read in his own language There is no such thing as not worshiping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship. -David Foster Wallace (Ithaca native) He has great power: He is a great King above all gods, above all deputed deities, all magistrates, to whom he said, You are gods (he manages them all, and serves his own purposes by them, and to him they are all accountable), above all counterfeit deities, all pretenders, all usurpers; he can do that which none of them can do; he can, and will, famish and vanquish them all. -Matthew Henry, 17th c. Thus it is that we may patiently pass through this life with its misery, hunger, cold, contempt, reproaches, and other troubles –content with this one thing: that our King will never leave us destitute, but will provide for our needs until, our warfare ended, we are called to triumph. -John Calvin, 16th c. How doth Christ execute the office of a king? Christ executes the office of a king, in calling out of the world a people to himself, and giving them officers, laws, and censures, by which he visibly governs them; in bestowing saving grace upon his elect, rewarding their obedience, and correcting them for their sins, preserving and supporting them under all their temptations and sufferings, restraining and overcoming all their enemies, and powerfully ordering all things for his own glory, and their good; and also in taking vengeance on the rest, who know not God, and obey not the gospel. -Westminster Larger Catechism 45 There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine! -Abraham Kuyper, 20th c. Links: Larry King on his most desired interview: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-10-15-ca-2099-story.html Scripture Texts: 1 Corinthians 15:20–28 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all. Matthew 25:31–4 [Jesus said:] “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick a

How can we adhere to a religion with so many problems? How much is too much? Isn’t Christianity just too problematic? Pastor Tim LeCroy attempts an answer to this important question about the viability of the Christian Faith. Sermon quotes: I have also turned to Christianity because I ultimately found life without any spiritual solace unendurable — indeed very nearly self-destructive. Atheism failed to answer a simple question: what is the meaning and purpose of life? – Ayaan Hirsi Ali There is no such thing as not worshiping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship. -David Foster Wallace (Ithaca native) But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed You’re gonna have to serve somebody Well, it may be the Devil or it may be the Lord But you’re gonna have to serve somebody -Bob Dylan Man, this part of Your creation, desires to praise You. You move us to delight in praising You; for You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You. -Augustine of Hippo, 4th c. Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. -Simon Peter of Galilee, 1st c. Links: Why I am now a Christian, by Ayaan Hirsi Ali: https://unherd.com/2023/11/why-i-am-now-a-christian/ New York Times: Robert Sapolsky Doesn’t Believe in Free Will. (But Feel Free to Disagree.) Previous Sermon: How can we say that Christianity is the only true religion? https://newlifeithaca.org/sermons/how-can-we-say-that-christianity-is-the-only-true-religion/ Previous Sermon: How can we say that the Bible is God’s only true word? https://newlifeithaca.org/sermons/how-can-we-say-that-the-bible-is-gods-only-true-word/ Scripture Texts: Acts 17:16-34 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. 18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”– because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new. 22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ 29 Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from

In this midweek podcast, Pastor Tim addresses some questions he received on the previous sermon, Isn’t Christianity Homophobic? Timeline: 00:00 Update on two previous missing sermons 01:40 Missed application from the sermon regarding singleness on 1 Corinthians 7 11:06 Expansion on the fifth point on the sermon about the eternal state and the sacrifice that SSA persons make 17:00 Teaching from Matthew 19 regarding the phrase “eunuchs for the kingdom” 23:44 Addressing follow-up questions: Yeah, but isn’t Christianity sill homophobic? 25:00 Defining homophobic 27:56 Distinguishing the Civitas and the Ecclessia, the State and the Church 30:20 Theocracy vs. Religious Pluralism 34:30 Biblical teaching on homosexuality from Leviticus 18 and 20, Romans 1, 1 Corinthians 6, and 1 Timothy 1 35:01 Recommending the PCA Study Paper on Homosexuality 36:00 The Bible prohibits immoral sexual activity, not people with certain temptations or orientations 36:15 Leviticus 18 and 20 38:20 What about menstruation and uncleanness? 39:47 Uncleanness and the Torah: a metaphor for internal corruption 41:10 Why is menstruation mentioned in Lev 18 and 20? 43:45 Prohibition against same-sex sexual activity in Lev 18 and 20 44:30 How can we take Leviticus seriously when it forbids eating pork and shrimp (among other things)? 45:00 Christian theology parsing the Old Testament Law into moral, ceremonial, and civil 47:00 The purpose of the NT is to tell us the story of Jesus and tell us what has changed from the Old Testament 48:00 Some passages and even verses have to be parsed out as to what no longer applies, including Lev 18 and 20 49:00 the Moral Law still applies 50:30 Laws concerning sexual immorality still apply in the NT (Acts 15) 53:30 Prohibitions against same-sex sexual activity also still apply (Romans 1, 1 Corinthians 6, 1 Timothy 1) 55:30 Some early Christians were same-sex attracted (1 Corinthians 6:11: Such were some of you) 56:00 Paul forbids sexual activity, not persons who are SSA 57:55 Same-sex sexual activity is not included in the uncleanness laws, it is a part of the Moral Law 58:45 OT death penalty analogous to excommunication 1:00:05 Excommunication is for refusal to repent, not for struggling with sin 1:01:45 Teaching on 1 Corinthians 5 and shunning LGBT people 1:03:15 Does Christianity discriminate against LGBT people? Homophobia vs. discrimination 1:05:00 The Bible offends every culture, including ours Quotes: At the resurrection, no one who has chosen Jesus over sexual fulfillment will have missed out. Compared with that relationship, human marriage will seem like a toy car next to a Tesla, or a kiss on an envelope versus a lover’s embrace. -Rebecca McLaughlin, Confronting Christianity The Christian needs another Christian who speaks God’s Word to him. He needs him again and again when he becomes uncertain and discouraged, for by himself he cannot help himself without belying the truth. He needs his brother man as a bearer and proclaimer of the divine word of salvation. He needs his brother solely because of Jesus Christ. The Christ in his own heart is weaker than the Christ in the word of his brother; his own heart is uncertain, his brother’s is sure. -Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together When Christ calls a man, he bids him to come and die. -Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. -Jesus Christ Links: PCA Study Paper on Homosexuality: https://pcahistory.org/pca/digest/studies/2021_human_sexuality_report.pdf Pastor Steve’s sermon on Church Hurt: https://newlifeithaca.org/sermons/how-can-i-be-in-the-church-when-it-has-hurt-me-and-so-many-others-hard-questions-real-answers-part-8/ The intro and outro music is from “We Will Feast in the House of Zion” provided by Sandra McCracken and with her permission. Please visit her website at www.sandramccracken.com.   The post Isn’t Christianity Homophobic? Hard Questions, Real Answers, Part