Government and media have become two of the greatest influencers over culture, and they seem to be pushing a strong message of moral relativism. As followers of Christ, will we let our lives be formed by Scripture and pass our values on to our children? Or will we throw up our hands and give in to ideologies that seek to blur all lines of gender design?

In this podcast episode we talk about:

⁃ How we must always remember that these struggles are not actually against fellow humans, but against spiritual enemies and strategies

⁃ How the church can become a place that celebrates the unique nature of being male and female, understanding not just biological differences, but also physiological differences

⁃ How parents can teach their children a biblical view on gender, while also encouraging compassionate interactions with kids who identify as non-binary

⁃ Practical ways that parents can support their children’s God-given gender design

Download The “Five Ways To Support Your Childs God-Given Gender Identity” Infographic

If you are a Christ-follower, wondering how to raise gender-confident kids - this conversation will be a good place to start. You can find and follow The Union Podcast over on Apple, Spotify, and Google Play.

While you’re at it, if you find this content helpful, would you:

⁃ Send the episode to a friend who you think would appreciate it?

⁃ Write us a quick review in your favourite podcast app? (It helps more people find our content)

⁃ Leave us a comment below and tell us what stood out to you? (It means a lot to us to get to connect with listeners!)

What defines being a man? Is it lifting heavy weights or driving a big truck? Is it the amount of money you make or how fast you can chug a beer? What if it’s none of those things?

We are living in a time of cultural confusion when it comes to genuine manhood. History would show that when men lack true identity and purpose, everyone suffers. That’s why Brant Hansen’s new book, “The Men We Need” is so important. In it, he outlines the everyday choices that men can make to cultivate healthy atmospheres around them and not toxic ones.

In this episode, Bryan and Brant discuss some of the cultural lies we are having to navigate as men and how we can find a perfect example of authentic manhood in the character of Jesus.

Brant Hansen is an author, radio host, and advocate for healing children with correctible disabilities through CURE International. He's won multiple awards for "Personality of the Year" for his radio show, which airs on more than 200 stations nationwide. His podcast with his friend and radio producer, The Brant and Sherri Oddcast, has been downloaded more than 10 million times. The author of The Truth About Us, Unoffendable, and Blessed Are the Misfits, Hansen has written for CNN.com, the Washington Post, U.S. News and World Report, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Relevant, and numerous other outlets on matters as varied as public policy, culture, sports, Asperger's syndrome, and faith. He and his wife, Carolyn, live in South Florida.

Get Your Copy Of “The Men We Need”.

Brants Website

Learn More About Cure International

Follow Brant on Social Media- @branthansen

In Episode 65, we sit down with Ruth Erickson as she unpacks some of the keys to finding healing after a marriage experiences adultery even when the marriage doesn’t survive. Ruth is a mama and step-mama in a beautiful blended family. Ruth has a heart for worship and for helping women, who are recovering from infidelity trauma, find hope & healing and to equip the church to love these women well. God has rewritten the most painful parts of her story to prove His promises.

Ruth’s new book, (Un)Faithful, is a guide through the firestorm of infidelity. Ruth Erickson’s story of heartbreak and healing is an invitation for all women who have suffered the betrayal of an affair to discover the depths of the faithfulness of God. Ruth offers wisdom, perspective and hope, standing years beyond her own fire, yet the book also journeys back in time to include riveting and honest poetry and journal entries from her real-time experience.

Wrapped in forgiveness and faith, (Un)Faithful is a raw and reverent journey to healing, whether the marriage survives or not. While every story is unique, this book offers timeless, biblical principles by which any woman can walk into safety and dignity under the covering of a gracious God.

Follow Ruth on IG- @ruthaerickson

VISIT RUTH’S WEBSITE

FIND YOUR COPY OF UNFAITHFUL HERE

AFFAIR RECOVERY COACHING

The numbers don’t lie, porn usage within marriage is a key factor in why many marriages end in divorce. For a long time, porn was viewed as only a man's problem, but the stats show a major increase in women accessing porn. No matter whether it’s the husband or wife, porn in a marriage is destructive. In this episode, Bryan speaks with Sam Thielemans about how change can be possible in a marriage where porn is present and the boundaries needed to be set to make that change.

Sam Tielemans is a licensed marriage and family therapist that specializes in helping couples overcome the effect of unhealthy porn use in their relationship. He has a private practice in Las Vegas, and after working with couples for over a decade, he has developed an approach to help couples restore their marriage, rebuild trust, and improve their sexual intimacy after betrayal.

https://healingcouples.org

Healing Couples Facebook

Couples Healing From Porn Addiction Podcast

What happens when words that have meant something for thousands of years, now mean something completely different? What happens when they are words like “man” and “woman”? Whats happens when there are criminal charges applied to those who dont think “correctly"? …In many ways, we are about to find out.

In this episode, Bryan sits down with Dr. Iain Provan to discuss the current challenges that face the church regarding gender identity and free speech. Dr. Provan even uses analogies connected to the book, you probably read in high school. 1984 written by George Orwell. The similiarites to our cultural moment are shocking.

Dr. Provan was born and educated in the UK, ultimately completing a PhD at the University of Cambridge. His academic teaching career began in the university world of the UK, prior to his family’s emigration to Canada in 1997. He is the author of many books, essays, and articles, with a particular focus in the last decade on the intersection of Christian Scripture and theology and contemporary culture. He is a Life Member of Clare Hall, Cambridge and the recipient of an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship in Germany. He is also a qualified Provincial B Licence soccer coach and a keen fly fisherman.

For more from Dr. Provan visit-https://iainprovan.ca

There is so much power available when we bring our pain and shame into the light of God’s love. Whether it be heterosexual, homosexual or transexual sin, God isn’t intimidated by our brokenness. When we are willing to let Him into the mix, healing begins. This is Stephen Thomas’s story and Bryan recently sat down with him as he shared so vulnerably about the reality of his emotional brokenness that was fueling a same-sex attracted lifestyle.

Stephen Thomas is a husband and father who has had sobriety from porn for over 13 years. In his personal battle, he has overcome same-sex attraction, low self-esteem, anxiety & a broken marriage. He's passionate about seeing men who feel hopelessly buried by their addictions come alive and realize the strength God has placed in them. Stephen is a Certified Husband Material Coach, Certified Inner Child Recovery Coach and recently launched his own business so he can focus his efforts on helping men overcome unwanted sexual behaviours & helping couples repair their marriages.

StephenThomasConsulting.com

Facebook.com/stephenthomasconsulting.com

IG-@wstephenthomas

Is quitting porn even possible?

We believe it is and we’ve seen it happen time and time again. It can be your reality!

Bryan sits down with Matt Cline from Restored Ministries and discuss the work he does in helping people escape sexual sin and overcome shame patterns. Matt also shares candidly his own story of porn addiction and how God lead him to freedom.

For more info on Restored Ministries visit- www.restoredministries.ca

In a culture of division, judgment, and disrespect, the church is called to be a place where EVERYONE is honoured.

Followers of Jesus should be representing HIS heart on earth, inviting men and women, (of all ages, all backgrounds, and all relational statuses) to stand side-by-side, inviting God’s kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven.

In this latest podcast episode, Bryan and Bonnie talk practically about the dangers of gender stereotypes, the reality of misandry and misogyny in the world, and a flawed view that would devalue singleness, whether subtly or overtly.

This podcast episode is the final of our 5 part mini-series entitled “The Keys for Sexual Health in a Faith Community”. Be sure to listen to them all, and get access to our free Sexual Health Evaluation tool that can help your church or area of ministry grow in sustainable sexual health.

In order for our churches and ministries to thrive, we must have a vision for legacy and generational transference. This requires an intentional investment into the young generation to help them be established in their identity. If we as leaders don’t work to pass the torch, the fallout will be devastating.

In this episode, Bryan and Bonnie discuss:

• Why this vision for legacy is so important

• The value of children and the maturity of the next generation

• How it plays out in the structures of the local church.

• How to pass on values that may be counter-cultural but are key to thriving.

Check out The Sexual Health Evaluation

Transparency requires intentionally making time and space for vulnerable conversations. Leaders must go first in setting this tone.

In this podcast episode, Bryan and Bonnie talk about:

• the connection between Gospel Centred perspective and transparency

• how wholehearted devotion to Christ’s purposes for our lives requires transparency

• the essential reality of vulnerability in order to have depth in relationships.

• how living a life with no secrets can defeat shame and destroy a performance-based relationship with God.

This podcast episode is part 3 of our 5 part mini-series entitled The Keys for Sexual Health in a Faith Community. Be sure to listen to them all, and get access to our free Sexual Health Evaluation tool that can help your church or area of ministry grow in sustainable sexual health.

Download Sexual Health Evaluation

If the church reduces healthy sexuality to a list of "do's" and "don’ts”, the people in that community are not set up to walk in sustainable freedom.

In this podcast episode, Bryan and Bonnie talk about:

• how we need an integrated view of the body, soul, and spirit

• how to recognize the part of our flesh that is to be nurtured and the part that is to be crucified

• How an understanding of Gnosticism can help us understand the issue of gender today

• How our sexual ethic can not just be about rules or behaviour modification, but about surrender and worship

• How leaders must remember the role of trauma, and bring messages of hope for increasing levels of freedom

  This podcast episode is part 2 of our 5 part mini-series entitled The Keys for Sexual Health in a Faith Community. Be sure to listen to them all, and get access to our free Sexual Health Evaluation tool that can help your church or area of ministry grow in sustainable sexual health.

Download Sexual Health Evaluation

The gospel of Jesus and sexuality are NOT mutually exclusive.

It’s easy to relegate gospel preaching to only be about the initial introduction to Jesus that leads someone to faith in Him. This, unfortunately, leaves a large space in between the moment of that decision and the moment of someone’s death. So, what happens in between?

This space is where the gospel continues to work as our lives are healed by the good news of Jesus. As Christian leaders, we cant talk about this work without talking about sexuality.

In Episode 56, Bryan and Bonnie share some key points on how we can develop a gospel-centred perspective towards sexuality in our churches and ministries.

They thought that it was all over. They had been high school sweethearts, married for multiple years, but Chris had begun to live a double-life.

Though he was leading worship on Sunday mornings at his church, doubts and questions about his faith were nagging at him. It was a battle in his mind, but also in his soul as he began to live without restraint.

The foundation of their marriage was eroding, and Steph was shocked the day that Chris told her it was over. Shortly after, the divorce papers were signed. But, it wasn’t as over as they thought.

We are grateful to be able to share our conversation with this remarried couple from Out of the Dust music over on The Union Podcast today.

This conversation will help you:

• See the value of transparency, starting right now, today

• Understand the processes of forgiveness and learning to trust again

• Realize the need to put your hope in a God who will not fail you

• Find hope that restoration for your soul is always possible through Jesus

You can find this episode over on our website, on Apple, Spotify, or Google Play. We welcome you to subscribe, rate, and share so that these messages of hope can be found by many more listeners who are at a vulnerable spot and need some love!

And be sure to follow along with Chris & Steph to listen to the beautiful music they have released and to see them live!

Out Of The Dust Music Website

IG: @outofthedustmusic

Pornography addiction rules your life—but porn isn’t the problem.

Internet filters, accountability partners, and even spiritual disciplines stop slipups, but they don’t resolve the root of your addiction. You need more than prayer and quick fixes to free yourself from pornography.

Sathiya Sam is the Founder of DeepClean, an organization that helps professional men find freedom from porn addiction, has written an incredible book titled, “The Last Relapse”. It may be hard to believe that you could walk away from porn and never look back but you’ll see that real freedom is possible.

Full of Bible-based principles and research-backed strategies, this easy-to-follow guide provides powerful tools of science and scripture to help you recover your integrity, purity, and freedom from the silent struggle of porn addiction.

You don’t have to face this struggle alone—because God is already on your side. Read The Last Relapse to break free from porn addiction and become the man He made you to be!

Get your copy today.

https://www.sathiyasam.com/books

Uncertain. Overwhelmed. Trying their best. This is how father’s today are feeling about raising their sons, according to research by the Barna Group.

In this episode, Bryan sits down with Jon Tyson to discuss:

- The impact that can be made in the life of the next generation by the presence of a father.

- What hangs in the balance when fatherhood continues to disintegrate.

- The need for a purposeful plan of discipleship in order to raise sons that impact their community.

And more!

In his book, The Intentional Father: A Practical Guide to Raise Sons of Courage and Character, author and pastor of Church of the City in New York City, Jon Tyson, has the antidote to that. He walks dads through practical steps to mentor young men who know what they believe, know who they are, and will stand up against the negative cultural trends of our day.

Follow Jon on IG: @jontyson

Get Your Copy Of “The Intentional Father”

Leaders face a cost when they raise their voices on the topics of sexuality and morality. But never forget that the cost of silence is far higher.

And the young generation desperately needs us to pay that price and give them some kind of bearing. Give them some guidance through the minefields of moral relativism, identity crisis, and walking your way back from heartache and shame.

God never shied away from the topics around sexuality that can make us blush and squirm in church auditoriums or Bible study classrooms.

In this episode, Bryan and Bonnie talk about:

- the pressures that church leaders are facing

- the topics that the next generation desperately need some wisdom on

- the link between spiritual awakening and sexual wholeness

- how you can take one step forward this year for the sake of your church community

No matter what you might have heard, there isn't a cookie-cutter way for a romantic relationship to develop. God has, however, laid out clear principles and practices that will lead to healthy relational living.

In this episode, Bryan sits down with Eric Demeter and discusses his recent book, "How Should A Christian Date".

They discuss:

- Why it is important that Christians get dating right?

- Things that Christian daters get wrong.

-How to take dating one stage at a time.

- How dating done well is tied to having a good marriage.

ERIC DEMETER (B.S., Purdue University; M.A., Bethel University) is a relationship and conflict resolution specialist with advanced studies in mediation, peacemaking and negotiation from the Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver and Peacemaker Ministries. He is currently a missionary with Youth With a Mission (YWAM) based in Athens, Greece where he disciples young people from the Middle East, and teaches conflict resolution and healthy relationships to YWAM staff and missionary students. His experiences growing up listening to heavy metal, working alongside ex-convicts, and being raised in the Roman Catholic tradition give him the ability to connect well with people of diverse belief systems. He considers every reader a friend and challenges everyone to become more like Christ in everything they do.

Stay in Touch with Eric!

IG-@ericjdemeter

Get Your Copy Of “How Should A Christian Date”

Is every marriage doomed to experience one conflict after another? Certainly not, says Dr. Ron Welch. In this practical and encouraging book, he outlines the ten specific choices you can make to minimize conflict and increase joy in your marriage.

Recently, Bryan sat down with Dr. Ron to discuss the principles of his new book “10 Choices Successful Couples Make”.

We covered questions like:
Where does a couple start the restoration process if they both feel hurt, tired, and have little hope?

How do you help a couple recognize that winning the argument isn’t the goal; loving and respecting their spouse is?

What are important strategies to practice in order to have healthy conflict in a marriage? Is there a right way to treat your spouse in an argument and a wrong way?

Whether you are engaged, newly married, or have been married for decades, you'll find that this conversation and his book will transform your relationship.

Get Your Copy Here

Dr. Ron Welch (PsyD, Central Michigan University) is the author of The Controlling Husband and serves on the faculty of Denver Seminary. With 25 years of experience in clinical psychology, Welch has developed the Transformational Marriage™ approach, which helps couples through counselling, seminars, and publications. He and his wife, Jan, live in Colorado.

In this episode, Bryan & Bonnie continue on in the theme of identity and the complexities of the current discussion around gender.

In this episode we cover:

• Seeing the topic of gender confusion, with a Biblical and historical lens. Seeing that this topic is not really new.

• Recognizing that rigid, cultural stereotypes aren’t placed there by God. There are differences between men and women, and there are unique assignments entrusted to men and women, but there is so much space for individual expression within those assignments.

• Knowing the love of God for the “eunuch” , the one who has had surgical alteration to their body in order to resist their biological gender, and that God has a place of belonging prepared for those who would surrender these decisions to Him.

• For those who are wrestling - God is coming to you. Just like the account of Jacob in the Book of Genesis, God came looking for a lost confused young man who longed to be blessed in who he was.

Many people today feel a huge disconnect from who they are as people and their body. It can feel overwhelming and hopeless. Today we want you to know that there is hope and His name is Jesus.

In this episode, Bryan sits down with Carissa, as she shares her story of how God met her on the road of gender dysphoria and LGBTQ lifestyle , and led her to a place of healing and identity in Him.

Carissa is a songwriter, worship leader, communicator and passionate follower of Jesus, who has a powerful message of hope for all who are caught in the confusion of identity and past shame.