Living Out Podcast

As a teenager, Nat was fascinated by God and got confirmed. But when she came out as a lesbian at 16, she was met with rejection from her peers and a Christian school teacher. At university, she joined the LGBT society and remained angry at God and at Christians for the way she’d been treated. But then she met Matt when she started working, and his reaction to her story was different. They tell the story of how they met, how Nat gave her life to Jesus, how they started dating, and share some of the benefits and challenges of their mixed-orientation marriage. Resources mentioned and related God Healed My Experience of Rejection Nat Sean and Gaby’s Story This episode contains a reference to self-harm.

This episode contains discussion of childhood sexual abuse, depression, and suicidal thoughts.Sometimes God breaks into our lives in the most unlikely circumstances. Robert was sexually abused by a teacher at school, forced into becoming a Christian, and went on to marry a woman and lead a church – all while being same-sex attracted and not truly knowing Jesus. From there things fell apart, and Robert began living as an out gay man. Only later would he come to know the love of God for the first time, and give his life to Christ.  Resources mentioned and related If you’re affected by any of the issues raised in this episode, please reach out to someone you trust. In the UK, you can also contact Samaritans for support – call 116 123 free, 24 hours a day. Samaritans also provide a full list of organisations you can contact for advice on a range of issues, including abuse and mental health. You can find that here. 

As a gay teenager, David felt rejected by the Church and couldn’t see a plausible way for him to be a Christian. He became an activist set on destroying Christianity and opposing it at every turn. But his time at university found him looking for something deeper, eventually leading to an unlikely encounter with Jesus and the love of God. Now a theologian, David shares how his research has helped him see that living a single and celibate life can not only be a way to flourish, but also to subvert and challenge the ideas of the society around us, pointing people to Jesus, our subversive saviour.  Resources mentioned and related: A War of Loves David Bennett A War of Loves: A Review Stuart Ferguson David’s Story Video Kaleidoscope

Looking for purpose and meaning at medical school, Laura spoke to a Christian friend who invited her to church. She decided to put her trust in Jesus, and it was only several years later she realised she was same-sex attracted. We chat with Laura about how she’s found trusting that God’s ways are good since then, and why good friendships are so important as she seeks to follow Jesus. She shares how her friendships have sometimes been complicated by attraction or emotional dependency, and some of the things God has taught her about friendship along the way.  Resources mentioned and related Simon: Intimacy and Emotional Dependency (Different Stories #4) Adopt An Aunt Ed Shaw Transforming Friendship: A Review Ed Shaw True Friendship Vaughan Roberts Made for Friendship Drew Hunter 

Paul tells us how he came to faith as a teenager, and how a combination of clear teaching and sharing with good friends has helped him navigate same-sex attraction and stay faithful to Jesus. Paul also shares how he unexpectedly fell in love with his now wife, and his advice for any same-sex attracted Christians considering an opposite-sex marriage.We also chat about how we respond to our desires. Is it harmful to deny ourselves things we desire? How do we know which desires are good to act on and which aren’t? What are the different lenses we might look at those questions through and how do they influence our approach? Resources mentioned and relatedStrong Desires and Deep Desires Andrew BuntWhat Are Your Desires Telling You? Amy RiordanYou Are Being Lied To Andrew BuntHandling Sexual Urges (Part 1) Jo Johnson

We chat to Simon about how understanding God’s bigger purposes for his people has helped fuel his excitement for living God’s way when it comes to sexuality. Simon tells us how getting involved in True Freedom Trust helped him find a supportive community where he could be more open about his sexuality, having not come out to anyone until his early 20s. Simon also shares his experience of emotional dependency and what God has taught him about healthy relationships and intimacy. We talk about loneliness, singleness and forming friendships with deeper commitment. Resources mentioned and relatedTrue Freedom Trust   Body Matters in Genesis Andrew Bunt Relationships: A Mess Worth Making Paul David Tripp 

Katherine shares her story of dating a girl as a teenager, and noticing how Jesus genuinely transformed the lives of Christians she knew. As she opened up the Bible for herself and got to know and love Jesus, Katherine tells us how she accepted the invitation to follow him in all areas of her life, including with her sexuality. We also chat to Katherine about how she ended up marrying a man, and why she thinks it's so important that we share our stories, particularly as we seek to connect with the younger generation and reach them with the good news. Resources mentioned and relatedEvangelical Alliance The Power of Stories for a Post-Truth Generation Katherine Three or More: Reflections on Polyamory and Consensual Non-Monogamy Andrew Bunt 

Ryan shares his story of coming out as a teenager, coming to faith at university, and the gradual, ongoing process of reconciling his faith and sexuality. He unpacks some of the key things God has taught him along the way, including why following Jesus means gaining so much more than you lose, and why living a single and celibate life isn't a waste of your sexuality.

Simon shares his story of coming to faith and coming to terms with his sexuality. We ask him about his experience of sharing with friends about his sexuality having kept it quiet for 10 years, and some of the benefits and challenges of being same-sex attracted in ministry. Simon also shares what he would tell his younger self now, and some reflections on how much our sexuality is part of our identity. Resources mentioned and related:Living Faith website  Simon’s Substack

For our next podcast series, we're going back to our roots - hearing stories from same-sex attracted Christians about the goodness and faithfulness of God in their lives. We hope you'll join us and be encouraged! First episode coming 4th July.