This past Sunday, I preached a message on 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, which covered the topic of headship. In the message, we talked about how to honor your spiritual head (whether that’s Christ or your husband) at church and in other settings. We also discussed how nature (see 11:14) teaches us about masculinity and femininity.
After speaking with a few of our pastors, we’d like to share some resources that can help you further explore these topics. We want to help you embrace and celebrate God’s good design! If you’d like to talk more, please reach out to me or any of our elders.
Resources:
- Men & Women in the Church by Kevin DeYoung. “There is much at stake in God making humanity male and female. Created for one another yet distinct from each other, a man and a woman are not interchangeable―they are designed to function according to a divine fittedness. But when this design is misunderstood, ignored, or abused, there are dire consequences. Men and women―in marriage especially, but in the rest of life as well―complement one another. And this biblical truth has enduring, cosmic significance. From start to finish, the biblical storyline―and the design of creation itself―depends upon the distinction between male and female. Men and Women in the Church is about the divinely designed complementarity of men and women as it applies to life in general and especially ministry in the church.”
- (A)Typical Woman by Abigail Dodds. “In a culture that can belittle womanhood on the one hand―making it irrelevant―and glorify it on the other―making it everything―it’s hard to know what it really means to be a woman. But when we understand womanhood through the lens of Scripture, we see that we need a bigger category for what God has called “woman.”
- The Redeemed Man by Richard Phillips, Paul Smalley, and Joel Beeke.”Featuring the contributions of trusted pastors, fathers, and husbands, this book answers the questions men ask as they strive to glorify God in their relationships, work, and spiritual life. Each author gives a unique perspective on the urgent need for men to lead in their homes, churches, and society—all while addressing the confusion surrounding manhood in a godless culture.”
- God’s Good Design by Claire Smith. “Although Claire Smith was a young adult when she came to know Jesus, it wasn’t until she went to theological college that she noticed parts of the Bible that challenged her feminist views. Studying these passages led to radical changes in her life. Too often, we put these same passages in the ‘too hard basket’, or we make up our minds without taking a close look at them for ourselves. But we must let God’s word determine these issues, and not the culture in which we live. Claire takes us through the same process she went through herself, looking closely at seven key Bible passages about men and women and how they should relate together in God’s purposes. Along the way she deals with many common objections and applies the teaching of the Bible simply and practically to our relationships at home and in church.”
Each of these resources can be found in our bookstore! You can stop by this Sunday to purchase a copy.
– Godwin Sathianathan
P.S. Got comments or questions about this post or ideas for another one? Email me at .