Addressing the Transgender Movement, Pray for Conversations Happening Today & Theology Resources for Churchgoers

A group of state have passed legislation blocking gender transition and hormonal treatment for minors in 2023.

Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and West Virginia. They joined Arkansas (2021) and Alabama (2022) in such prohibitions. Arizona enacted a ban on just gender-transition surgery in 2022.

Six states aren’t abel to enforce the new laws because of lawsuits against them.

Advocates for such bans gained a victory in a federal appeals court July 8. A divided, three- judge panel of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati issued an opinion permitting Tennessee to enforce its law temporarily. A federal judge had blocked enforcement of the ban regarding hormonal treatments and puberty blockers but not surgeries.
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People all over the world have questions about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Some live down the street or are in the same apartment building you’re living on. Others are on a different continent and speak a language you don’t know.

The IMB is asking believers to pray for conversations that are happening today.

They recently asked for specific prayer for a shop owner in India. He’s Muslim but is asking questions about Jesus.

Every time a group of believers shop in his story they also have an opportunity for dialogue.

Would you pray for the gospel workers there sharing their hope? And…pray you’d have an opportunity to speak to someone about Jesus.
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Good News for Today is sponsored by The Voice of the Martyrs

Good News for Today is made possible through our friends at The Voice of the Martyrs, a nonprofit organization that serves persecuted Christians around the world. Founded in 1967 by Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, VOM is dedicated to inspiring believers to deepen their commitment to Christ and to fulfill His Great Commission — no matter the cost. Find out more and sign up for their free monthly magazine at vom.org/goodnews.
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Theology sounds like a big word but at its core it is thinking about God.

In a piece on Baptist Press, JT English and Jen Wilkin says there are five components for believe to think rightly about God.

Theology is done biblically, prayerfully, worshipfully, humbly, and together in community.

Biblically, the aim of Christian theology is to reflect on God’s revelation of Himself in Scripture. 

Not only must theology be biblical, but it also must be prayerful. Theology begins and ends with prayer. The task of theology is best done on our knees, asking God, by the power of the Spirit, to awaken our hearts and minds to the person and work of Christ in the Scriptures.

Theology is also meant to be worshipful. It is not meant to make us love theology more but to love God more. Theology is distinctly relational, not drearily informational.

Theology is also meant to be a work of humility. Fundamentally, a disciple is a learner.

Everything you have ever learned required humility in the process, because anything worth learning requires practice to become proficient.

Theology is meant to be done together, in community. And by community, we mean both our contemporary communities and the historic church. God has given you a context, a community, and relationships for a reason. God is calling you to engage theologically in your relationships.