How Should Christian Parents Approach Sex Education?
by David K. Bernard
Podcast recording (no venue stated in the delivered transcript)
Kind: teaching

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/david-k-bernard--how-should-christian-parents-approach-sex-education
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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this is certainly a very important but yet sometimes challenging topic I do think we have to talk about it today and I think it's number one the parents responsibility and I would certainly say that parents should have the appropriate discussion usually the mother with the daughter and the father with the son before puberty but I think you have to consider the maturity of the child you have to consider the influences of the child uh the family the extended family the school the neighborhood and uh you it should be age appropriate but I think we have to start early with at least some Concepts because as much as we try to protect and insulate our kids they're going to hear lots of things from secular society from from friends from unsafe family members or even perhaps some who are in church who have different perspectives or different understandings no matter how much we try to guard the media internet television you know they're going to be exposed probably more than we think and behind our back and so I do believe that we probably have to start earlier than we might have considered years ago but it still needs to be age-appropriate and it needs to be not and generally speaking even when the church needs to to conduct it the more detailed discussion we should separate the boys and the girls or parents it should be individual and it should be age-appropriate and sex appropriate and it depends on the maturity of the child the background of the child there's so many factors I think you have to leave it to the parents to make the appropriate decision I do believe the church has a role but there should be a partnership between the pastor and the parents so they both know what's going on and there needs to be some conversations in children's ministry and youth ministry and pastoral team and parents I do believe the church has a role to teach on this subject to support the parents and to supplement because again not all kids come from strong Christian homes so somehow sometimes the church may be the primary uh voice and so certainly with the teens the youth group there should be some plan from the church standpoint one that I uh that we use it's upci is called worth the wait it's a classic program that's been updated the last few years it's sold by pentecostalpublishing.com authored by Tyler Whaley and Ken Gurley so worth the wait I think is certainly a curriculum that every youth group should consider and then from a more apologetic nature which would be more suitable for teens and young adults my book anchor points has a chapter on biblical sexuality and what I try to do there of course I do talk about the Biblical teaching but I try to explain how that is best suited for human nature and Human Society using a lot of secular and other Christian resources to show that things such as fornication adultery um divorce homosexual Behavior transgender transgenderism or contrary to God's design but also contrary to human nature humanit biology and are destructive to Human Society so it's God's plan is actually the best plan for us and that might be very helpful to young adults who are bombarded by secular teaching also for the biblical discussion in a Frank way of what's right right and what's wrong my book in search of Holiness goes through the scriptural teaching step by step and tries to explain in a candid but Christian way in contrast to secular sexual education I don't think we have to go into graphic detail some things can be handled individually by parents some things can be handled by medical doctor as needed some things can be handled in book form or Christian book that does talk about the marriage relationship um years ago there was a book by Tim and Beverly lahaye specifically for newlyweds called the act of marriage so some things don't have to be taught uh orally but can be handled in uh appropriate Christian but yet a Frank publication for engaged or mere young married people when it's appropriate for them to discuss so all those things have to be judgment calls I would be highly cautious especially today of sex education in a secular setting such as a public school I would carefully monitor investigate depending on the community depending on the school but even so we're getting to the point where you can't trust any secular source and so maybe you either have a relationship with a teacher that you know what the curriculum is you know how the teacher will approach the curriculum and you feel like it will at least be consistent with Christian values or not attacking Christian values if you don't have that confidence then you should consider opting out and providing Christian Alternatives I do believe that we do have to we have to teach our children because if we don't if the church doesn't speak and the family doesn't speak we're leaving secular voices and they will speak and they will be heard so somehow we have to make sure the biblical and moral message uh comes across clearly to our children and our youth and of course all this must be mixed with prayer and I think we also have to have an understanding in our secular society uh it maximizes uh physical pleasure and it often emphasizes technique you have to know this detail and that detail and this and that and all these choices and options but God has created the marriage relationship to be sacred and private there's some things that should only be discussed between husband and wife there are times when you need medical treatment medical advice or professional counseling advice but most the time you know if you're committed to a lifelong relationship you don't have to get everything perfect all the time or all at once but you have a lifetime to learn a lifetime to explore and the the marriage relationship is unique between two complex human beings no two human beings are alike and so just trying to learn techniques or learn information or much less having experiences that's actually detrimental because it's not like something just some technique that you learn and practice to Perfection but two human beings are learning how to become one and that is not only physical but that's emotional that's spiritual as I said no two people are alike and so you're exploring and learning about the other person and that takes a lifetime to learn so it's unlike anything you ever learn you have plenty of time it's Unique it's sacred it's personal to you and so the best education is to wait I mean I think you need some basic education to help you prepare for marriage and to help you understand biblical values as a contrast to worldly values but when you get into a lot of the specifics the details and the the intimate aspects you will learn as you grow together in your marriage so I think maybe you can give relief to um young people who are contemplating marriage you don't have to know everything you don't have to learn everything you don't have to keep up with your peers you don't have to go online and learn and watch all kind of explicit things that's what you do as a young married couple together just you sacred relationship in the sight of God