The other day I was listening to a radio teacher who was splitting some theological hairs on a question I can’t even remember anymore. But he was trying to make some very nuanced argument about some verse in scripture and I began rolling my eyes in an “oh, brother!” kind of way.

Then this morning, I read this from Matthew 19.

“Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’” Matthew 19:13-14

I don’t think the Holy Spirit had Matthew just plunk down this random passage any old place. It immediately follows Jesus teaching on divorce in Matthew 19:1-12. How in the world are they connected? (And by the way, this blog isn’t about divorce. It’s actually about faith.)
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Christians talk about “walking in the Spirit” all the time, but what does that really mean in everyday life? I posted this blog three years ago, when my readership was much smaller. I’m posting it again because so many people I meet with one-on-one, have found it helpful for living out the Spirit-filled life. I hope you will also.

“Alright Clare, I have a very important and potentially tough meeting today. Exactly what does it mean to be led by the Holy Spirit in that meeting?”

That’s the question a CEO of a major company posed to me a few years ago over breakfast. He didn’t want the theologically correct answer; he wanted advice in a way he could understand and use. Today! So, here’s what I told him.
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Every Christian has been told to beware of the slippery slope.

If we start having women in leadership, before too long we’ll be ordaining them! It’s a slippery slope.

If your church tries to love LGBT people, sure as shootin, you’ll be going liberal. It’s a slippery slope.

If you welcome Christians co-habitating – living together, pretty soon everyone will be fine with that. That’s a slippery slope.

And so it goes. “Yes,” there are slippery slopes and “yes” we need to be aware of them. But how should Christians who want to be faithful to scripture engage these topics without heading down the slippery slope?
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If you have high school or college age children or grandchildren, and don’t feel comfortable yet discussing LGBT questions, this might help you. This blog is actually an audio transcript with Sam Allberry, author, speaker and minister at Maidenhead Anglican Church in the U.K. Sam also experiences same-sex attraction, but believes same-sex, sexual relations are sin. Sam is being interviewed by Pastor John Piper. www.desiringgod.org

Sam, I want to talk with you about the sexual-identity conversations you’ve had on secular college campuses. This is a huge question facing pastors and leaders. These conversations are as potentially volatile as they are potent for good.

Obviously, speaking of sex practices and self-identity, with biblical conviction and with humility, opens outreach opportunities like few other things. From your experience, what have you learned from publicly engaging LGBT societies on campus? And how can we steward these types of conversations well?
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