i have been waiting for a book like this

For as long as I can remember, I have been interested in understanding those who struggle with homosexuality. God has given me a real heart for those who feel trapped and even for those who enjoy the homosexual lifestyle and simply don't understand the good news of the gospel.

I remember back in the 90's, sharing the gospel door to door with my local church. Every Thursday a few of us college students along with a few older men, would gather at church, pray, pair up, and head out into the community, filled with nervous zeal for the adventure that awaited us. Of course there were those that refused to talk to us, but surprisingly, many listened and asked questions. We were typically paired up guy/girl for safety purposes but one particular night I was paired up with Becky Fox. Another team was close by in case we ran into any problems. I recall standing on the porch talking to a young man who was a homosexual and listened as he shared his views on how churches had treated him. I don't know what Becky or I said, but I remember feeling sad that his experience with Christians was not a good one.

Anyway - perhaps my interest/heart began then.

Over the years I've looked for books on the subject that sought to accomplish more than state the obvious: according to the Scriptures, homosexuality is a sinful practice and not God's original design for man and women. What about Christians who struggle with this sin? How do we help them? How does this struggle affect them? What can we say or do?

Well, after years of searching, I found an excellent book that handles this subject with integrity, compassion, and sound theology. I first learned of it from Tim Challies' blog.

Author Wesley Hill is a Christian who struggles with same sex attraction. He writes honestly, "from the furnace" of his deepest longings, and makes a connection between his struggles and the good news of the gospel. When this book arrived to my door from amazon, I opened it and read it in literally one sitting. Don't be impressed, it's a small book. But it was that good. It was compelling, well-written, and saturated with the truth of God's word. Hill really brought certain familiar Scripture passages to life as he humbly shares how he is applying God's truth to his own life amidst his own struggles. It's a very "real" book. And I like that.

Thanks to Wesley Hill, I feel better equipped to help those who struggle in this arena. My heart for Jesus and his power to save and heal and the demands of His gospel were made fresh again in my wandering heart.

Buy it. Read it. It's worth it.