-
Affirming
- A Memoir of Faith, Sexuality, and Staying in the Church
- Narrated by: Sally Gary
- Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $19.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's summary
What is it like to discover that something you’ve believed all your life might be wrong?
Sally Gary knew since her early adulthood that she was attracted to women. But as a devoted Christian, she felt there was no way to fully embrace this aspect of her identity while remaining faithful. Now, as she prepares to marry the love of her life, she’s ready to speak out about why - and how - her perspective changed.
In this deeply personal memoir, Sally traces the experiences, conversations, and scriptural reading that culminated in her seeing her sexuality as something that made sense within the context of her faith - not outside of it or in opposition to it. Along the way, she addresses specific aspects of her journey that will resonate with many other gay Christians: the loneliness and isolation of her previously celibate life, the futile attempts she made to resist or even “change” her sexual orientation, and the fear of intimacy that followed a lifetime of believing same-sex relationships were sinful.
Sally’s story - one of heritage, learning, courage, and love - is written especially for the generations of LGBTQ Christians after her who are questioning whether they can stay part of the church they call home. It’s a resounding reminder that, just like Sally’s own heart, things can change, and sometimes, when we earnestly search for the truth, we find it in the most unexpected places.
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Torn
- Rescuing the Gospel from the Gays-vs.-Christians Debate
- By: Justin Lee
- Narrated by: Justin Lee
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a teenager and young man, Justin Lee felt deeply torn. Nicknamed "God Boy" by his peers, he knew that he was called to a life in the evangelical Christian ministry. But Lee harbored a secret: He also knew that he was gay. In this groundbreaking book, Lee recalls the events - his coming out to his parents, his experiences with the "ex-gay" movement, and his in-depth study of the Bible - that led him, eventually, to self-acceptance. But more than just a memoir, Torn provides insightful, practical guidance for all committed Christians who wonder how to relate to gay friends or family members - or who struggle with their own sexuality.
-
-
An Articulate Book that Misses the Biblical Point
- By LP on 09-13-16
By: Justin Lee
-
God and the Gay Christian
- The Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Relationships
- By: Matthew Vines
- Narrated by: Matthew Vines
- Length: 5 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a young Christian man, Matthew Vines harbored the same basic hopes of most young people: to someday share his life with someone, to build a family of his own, to give and receive love. But when he realized he was gay, those hopes were called into question. The Bible, he’d been taught, condemned gay relationships. Feeling the tension between his understanding of the Bible and the reality of his same-sex orientation, Vines devoted years of intensive research into what the Bible says about homosexuality.
-
-
The revisionist side of the discussion
- By David on 07-29-15
By: Matthew Vines
-
Scripture, Ethics, and the Possibility of Same-Sex Relationships
- By: Karen R. Keen
- Narrated by: Tanya Eby
- Length: 4 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When it comes to same-sex relationships, this book by Karen Keen contains the most thoughtful, balanced, biblically grounded discussion you’re likely to encounter anywhere. With pastoral sensitivity and respect for biblical authority, Keen breaks through current stalemates in the debate surrounding faith and sexual identity.
-
-
The church needs more books like this
- By Michael on 03-02-23
By: Karen R. Keen
-
Changing Our Mind
- Definitive Edition of the Landmark Call for Inclusion of LGBT Christians with Response to Critics
- By: David P. Gushee
- Narrated by: David P. Gushee
- Length: 5 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Changing Our Mind has helped thousands of families and congregations carefully and compassionately rethink traditional religious teachings about full LGBTQ inclusion. With growing scientific evidence, our wider society has taken big steps, but too many religious families and communities have not kept up. Dr. David Gushee offers a powerful, inspiring message of hope and healing by helping Christians to return to Bible study, prayer, and reflection in a way that creates a vision for a more inclusive church.
-
-
So grateful for this book
- By Sheryl Murphy on 12-08-22
By: David P. Gushee
-
Walking the Bridgeless Canyon
- Repairing the Breach Between the Church and the LGBT Community
- By: Kathy Baldock
- Narrated by: Kathy Baldock
- Length: 13 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2001, Kathy Baldock, a straight conservative evangelical Christian, met Netto Montoya, a lesbian Native American, on the local hiking trails near her home in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Their friendship challenged Baldocks cultural and religious beliefs about gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people.
-
-
One of the best books on this topic
- By BenCSeven on 02-13-16
By: Kathy Baldock
-
Heavy Burdens
- Seven Ways LGBTQ Christians Experience Harm in the Church
- By: Bridget Eileen Rivera
- Narrated by: Lisa Larsen
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Many LGBTQ people face overwhelming challenges in navigating faith, gender, and sexuality. Christian communities that uphold the traditional sexual ethic often unwittingly make the path more difficult through unexamined attitudes and practices. Drawing on her sociological training and her leadership in the Side B/Revoice conversation, Bridget Eileen Rivera, who founded the popular website Meditations of a Traveling Nun, speaks to the pain of LGBTQ Christians and helps churches develop a better pastoral approach.
-
-
Succinct and Essential Insight
- By Wesley Marshall on 11-09-21
-
Torn
- Rescuing the Gospel from the Gays-vs.-Christians Debate
- By: Justin Lee
- Narrated by: Justin Lee
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a teenager and young man, Justin Lee felt deeply torn. Nicknamed "God Boy" by his peers, he knew that he was called to a life in the evangelical Christian ministry. But Lee harbored a secret: He also knew that he was gay. In this groundbreaking book, Lee recalls the events - his coming out to his parents, his experiences with the "ex-gay" movement, and his in-depth study of the Bible - that led him, eventually, to self-acceptance. But more than just a memoir, Torn provides insightful, practical guidance for all committed Christians who wonder how to relate to gay friends or family members - or who struggle with their own sexuality.
-
-
An Articulate Book that Misses the Biblical Point
- By LP on 09-13-16
By: Justin Lee
-
God and the Gay Christian
- The Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Relationships
- By: Matthew Vines
- Narrated by: Matthew Vines
- Length: 5 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a young Christian man, Matthew Vines harbored the same basic hopes of most young people: to someday share his life with someone, to build a family of his own, to give and receive love. But when he realized he was gay, those hopes were called into question. The Bible, he’d been taught, condemned gay relationships. Feeling the tension between his understanding of the Bible and the reality of his same-sex orientation, Vines devoted years of intensive research into what the Bible says about homosexuality.
-
-
The revisionist side of the discussion
- By David on 07-29-15
By: Matthew Vines
-
Scripture, Ethics, and the Possibility of Same-Sex Relationships
- By: Karen R. Keen
- Narrated by: Tanya Eby
- Length: 4 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When it comes to same-sex relationships, this book by Karen Keen contains the most thoughtful, balanced, biblically grounded discussion you’re likely to encounter anywhere. With pastoral sensitivity and respect for biblical authority, Keen breaks through current stalemates in the debate surrounding faith and sexual identity.
-
-
The church needs more books like this
- By Michael on 03-02-23
By: Karen R. Keen
-
Changing Our Mind
- Definitive Edition of the Landmark Call for Inclusion of LGBT Christians with Response to Critics
- By: David P. Gushee
- Narrated by: David P. Gushee
- Length: 5 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Changing Our Mind has helped thousands of families and congregations carefully and compassionately rethink traditional religious teachings about full LGBTQ inclusion. With growing scientific evidence, our wider society has taken big steps, but too many religious families and communities have not kept up. Dr. David Gushee offers a powerful, inspiring message of hope and healing by helping Christians to return to Bible study, prayer, and reflection in a way that creates a vision for a more inclusive church.
-
-
So grateful for this book
- By Sheryl Murphy on 12-08-22
By: David P. Gushee
-
Walking the Bridgeless Canyon
- Repairing the Breach Between the Church and the LGBT Community
- By: Kathy Baldock
- Narrated by: Kathy Baldock
- Length: 13 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2001, Kathy Baldock, a straight conservative evangelical Christian, met Netto Montoya, a lesbian Native American, on the local hiking trails near her home in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Their friendship challenged Baldocks cultural and religious beliefs about gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people.
-
-
One of the best books on this topic
- By BenCSeven on 02-13-16
By: Kathy Baldock
-
Heavy Burdens
- Seven Ways LGBTQ Christians Experience Harm in the Church
- By: Bridget Eileen Rivera
- Narrated by: Lisa Larsen
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Many LGBTQ people face overwhelming challenges in navigating faith, gender, and sexuality. Christian communities that uphold the traditional sexual ethic often unwittingly make the path more difficult through unexamined attitudes and practices. Drawing on her sociological training and her leadership in the Side B/Revoice conversation, Bridget Eileen Rivera, who founded the popular website Meditations of a Traveling Nun, speaks to the pain of LGBTQ Christians and helps churches develop a better pastoral approach.
-
-
Succinct and Essential Insight
- By Wesley Marshall on 11-09-21
-
Outlove
- A Queer Christian Survival Story
- By: Julie Rodgers
- Narrated by: Julie Rodgers
- Length: 5 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Rodgers came out to her family as a junior in high school, she still believed that God would sanctify her and eventually make her straight. Wanting so intensely to be good, she spent her adolescent and early adult years with an ex-gay ministry, praying for liberation from her homosexuality. In Outlove, Rodgers details her deeply personal journey from a life of self-denial in the name of faith to her role in leading the take-down of Exodus International, the largest ex-gay organization in the world, to her marriage to a woman at the Washington National Cathedral.
-
-
Outstanding and courageous
- By Evangelino Nascimento on 10-27-24
By: Julie Rodgers
-
Does Jesus Really Love Me?
- A Gay Christian's Pilgrimage in Search of God in America
- By: Jeff Chu
- Narrated by: Jeff Chu
- Length: 13 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Does Jesus Really Love Me?: A Gay Christian's Pilgrimage in Search of God in America is part memoir and part investigative analysis that explores the explosive and confusing intersection of faith, politics, and sexuality in Christian America. The quest to find an answer is at the heart of Does Jesus Really Love Me? - a personal journey of belief, an investigation, and a portrait of a faith and a nation at odds by award-winning reporter Jeff Chu.
-
-
This Is Where I Found Hope in '20/'21
- By Josh on 01-24-21
By: Jeff Chu
-
Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again
- By: Rachel Held Evans
- Narrated by: Rachel Held Evans
- Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
If the Bible isn’t a science book or an instruction manual, then what is it? What do people mean when they say the Bible is inspired? When Rachel Held Evans found herself asking these questions, she began a quest to better understand what the Bible is and how it is meant to be read. What she discovered changed her—and it will change you too.
Drawing on the best in recent scholarship and using her well-honed literary expertise, Evans examines some of our favorite Bible stories and possible interpretations, retelling them through memoir, original poetry, short stories, soliloquies, and even a short screenplay. Undaunted by the Bible’s most difficult passages, Evans wrestles through the process of doubting, imagining, and debating Scripture’s mysteries. The Bible, she discovers, is not a static work but is a living, breathing, captivating, and confounding book that is able to equip us to join God’s loving and redemptive work in the world.
-
-
Hermeneutics for people that don't use the word
- By Adam Shields on 06-14-18
-
What Is the Bible?
- How an Ancient Library of Poems, Letters, and Stories Can Transform the Way You Think and Feel About Everything
- By: Rob Bell
- Narrated by: Rob Bell
- Length: 6 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Love Wins, Rob Bell confronted the troubling questions that many people of faith are afraid to ask about heaven, hell, fate, and faith. Using the same inspired, inquisitive approach, he now turns to our most sacred book: the Bible. What Is the Bible? provides insights and answers that make clear why the Bible is so revered and what makes it truly inspiring and essential to our lives. Rob takes us deep into actual passages to reveal the humanity behind the Scriptures.
-
-
The rest of the story?
- By Denny Thompson on 05-20-17
By: Rob Bell
-
Embracing the Journey
- Learning to Love Life with an LGBTQ Child
- By: Greg McDonald, Lynn McDonald, Beth Jusino - contributor
- Narrated by: Danny Campbell, Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 6 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Greg and Lynn McDonald had never interacted with members of the LGBTQ community until they discovered their son was gay - and without resources or support, they had no idea how to handle this discovery. At first, they tried to “fix” him, to no avail. But even in the earliest days of their journey, the McDonalds clung to two absolutes: They would love God, and they would love their son. This audiobook follows the McDonald family’s journey over the next 20 years.
-
-
One extreme to the other!
- By Mz B. on 05-27-21
By: Greg McDonald, and others
-
Gay Girl, Good God
- The Story of Who I Was, and Who God Has Always Been
- By: Jackie Hill Perry
- Narrated by: Jackie Hill Perry
- Length: 4 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Gay Girl, Good God, author Jackie Hill Perry shares her own story, offering practical tools that helped her in the process of finding wholeness. Jackie grew up fatherless and experienced gender confusion. She embraced masculinity and homosexuality with every fiber of her being. She knew that Christians had a lot to say about all of the above. But was she supposed to change herself? How was she supposed to stop loving women, when homosexuality felt more natural to her than heterosexuality ever could?
-
-
How to know if this book is for you:
- By Neil on 04-18-19
-
People to Be Loved
- Why Homosexuality Is Not Just an Issue
- By: Preston Sprinkle, Wesley Hill - foreword
- Narrated by: Adam Verner
- Length: 6 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Christians who are confused by the homosexuality debate raging in the US are looking for resources that are based solidly on a deep study of what Scripture says about the issue. In People to Be Loved, Preston Sprinkle challenges those on all sides of the debate to consider what the Bible says and how we should approach the topic of homosexuality in light of it.
-
-
Shallow Empathy
- By Taylor on 02-18-21
By: Preston Sprinkle, and others
-
Does the Bible Support Same-Sex Marriage?
- 21 Conversations from a Historically Christian View
- By: Preston Sprinkle
- Narrated by: Preston Sprinkle
- Length: 4 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Many arguments are made for and against same-sex marriage that end with divisiveness and confusion instead of thoughtful conversation. New York Times-bestselling author Dr. Preston Sprinkle provides a resource that will encourage respectful and thoughtful conversations around the question “Does the Bible support same-sex marriage?” Equipped with thorough research, history, and biblical context, this book will enable you to wade into some of the main arguments against the historically Christian view of marriage.
-
-
The long answer
- By K-MOG on 07-07-24
By: Preston Sprinkle
-
Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus
- Third Edition with Bonus Content, New Reflections
- By: Nabeel Qureshi, Lee Strobel - foreword
- Narrated by: Nabeel Qureshi, Michelle Qureshi, Lee Strobel, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, now expanded with new bonus content, Nabeel Qureshi describes his dramatic journey from Islam to Christianity, complete with friendships, investigations, and supernatural dreams along the way. Providing an intimate window into a loving Muslim home, Qureshi shares how he developed a passion for Islam before discovering, almost against his will, evidence that Jesus rose from the dead and claimed to be God.
-
-
INCREDIBLE!!! This book affected me greatly!!!
- By Maria on 08-24-18
By: Nabeel Qureshi, and others
-
Jesus and John Wayne
- How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation
- By: Kristin Kobes du Mez
- Narrated by: Suzie Althens
- Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How did a libertine who lacks even the most basic knowledge of the Christian faith win 81 percent of the white evangelical vote in 2016? And why have white evangelicals become a presidential reprobate's staunchest supporters? Jesus and John Wayne is a sweeping account of the last 75 years of white evangelicalism, showing how American evangelicals have worked for decades to replace the Jesus of the Gospels with an idol of rugged masculinity and Christian nationalism.
-
-
Like reading a history of my evangelical life
- By Renee on 10-15-20
-
How Far to the Promised Land
- One Black Family's Story of Hope and Survival in the American South
- By: Esau McCaulley
- Narrated by: Esau McCaulley
- Length: 5 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For much of his life, Esau McCaulley was taught to see himself as an exception: someone who, through hard work, faith, and determination, overcame childhood poverty, anti-Black racism, and an absent father to earn a job as a university professor and a life in the middle class.
-
-
An excellent story of Redemption
- By James Carmichael on 09-23-23
By: Esau McCaulley
-
Forgotten God
- Remembering Our Crucial Need for the Holy Spirit
- By: Francis Chan
- Narrated by: Francis Chan
- Length: 4 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A follow up to the profound message of Crazy Love, Pastor Francis Chan offers a compelling invitation to understand, embrace, and follow the Holy Spirit's direction in our lives. "In the name of the Father, the Son, and ... the Holy Spirit." We pray in the name of all three, but how often do we live with an awareness of only the first two?
-
-
The Spirit: the Power of Christ in Us
- By Greg on 02-16-12
By: Francis Chan
Related to this topic
-
Does Jesus Really Love Me?
- A Gay Christian's Pilgrimage in Search of God in America
- By: Jeff Chu
- Narrated by: Jeff Chu
- Length: 13 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Does Jesus Really Love Me?: A Gay Christian's Pilgrimage in Search of God in America is part memoir and part investigative analysis that explores the explosive and confusing intersection of faith, politics, and sexuality in Christian America. The quest to find an answer is at the heart of Does Jesus Really Love Me? - a personal journey of belief, an investigation, and a portrait of a faith and a nation at odds by award-winning reporter Jeff Chu.
-
-
This Is Where I Found Hope in '20/'21
- By Josh on 01-24-21
By: Jeff Chu
-
Known
- Finding Deep Friendships in a Shallow World
- By: Dick Foth, Ruth Foth
- Narrated by: Dick Foth, Ruth Foth
- Length: 5 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a shallow light-speed world, how can we really know and be known by another person? How do we make true friends? The Digital Age is all about change, but the need for true friendship never changes. We are designed for real engagement with others - for affirmation that goes beyond a simple "like" on social media, for connection over meals, for hope and excitement about the future. Above all, we need to be known and accepted for who we are.
-
-
Love the Foths
- By Jenni B on 07-22-17
By: Dick Foth, and others
-
Love Kindness
- Discover the Power of a Forgotten Christian Virtue
- By: Barry H. Corey
- Narrated by: Wayne Shepherd
- Length: 6 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dr. Barry Corey, president of Biola University, believes we tend to devalue the importance of kindness, opting instead for caustic expressions of certainty that push people away. We forget that the essence of what God requires of us is to "love kindness". In this book, filled with stories from his travels around the globe, Barry shows us the forgotten way of kindness. It is a life that calls us to put ourselves at risk. A life that calls us to hope. A life of a firm center and soft edges. It is the life Christ invites us to follow, no matter what the cost.
-
-
The book for our times
- By ThomasInSarasota on 08-28-16
By: Barry H. Corey
-
Unfollow
- A Memoir of Loving and Leaving the Westboro Baptist Church
- By: Megan Phelps-Roper
- Narrated by: Megan Phelps-Roper
- Length: 10 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the age of five, Megan Phelps-Roper began protesting homosexuality and other alleged vices alongside fellow members of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas. Founded by her grandfather and consisting almost entirely of her extended family, the tiny group would gain worldwide notoriety for its pickets at military funerals and celebrations of death and tragedy.
-
-
Insightful, honest and engaging
- By C.B.E. on 11-28-19
-
Having Nothing, Possessing Everything
- Finding Abundant Communities in Unexpected Places
- By: Michael Mather
- Narrated by: Trevor Thompson
- Length: 4 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Pastor Mike Mather arrived in Indianapolis thinking that he was going to serve the poor. But after his church’s community lost nine young men to violence in a few short months, Mather came to see that the poor didn’t need his help - he needed theirs. This is the story of how one church found abundance in a community of material poverty. Viewing people - not programs, finances, or service models - as their most valuable resource moved church members beyond their own walls and out into the streets, where they discovered folks rich in strength, talents, determination, and love.
-
-
Story filled reimagining of ministry
- By Adam Shields on 04-27-20
By: Michael Mather
-
Messy Grace
- How a Pastor with Gay Parents Learned to Love Others Without Sacrificing Conviction
- By: Caleb Kaltenbach
- Narrated by: Caleb Kaltenbach
- Length: 6 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Caleb Kalenbach is the Lead Pastor at Discovery Church in Simi Valley, CA. Raised in the LGBT community, he was exposed to how some Christians treated the LGBT community, and grew to hate Christians. In high school, he joined a Bible study to disprove the Bible, but ended up following Jesus instead. Later, his parents followed Jesus, too. This is the subject of his first book, Messy Grace - holding on to the truth of God's Word while being filled with grace.
-
-
Nice try, but Inconsistent
- By LP on 09-17-16
By: Caleb Kaltenbach
-
Does Jesus Really Love Me?
- A Gay Christian's Pilgrimage in Search of God in America
- By: Jeff Chu
- Narrated by: Jeff Chu
- Length: 13 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Does Jesus Really Love Me?: A Gay Christian's Pilgrimage in Search of God in America is part memoir and part investigative analysis that explores the explosive and confusing intersection of faith, politics, and sexuality in Christian America. The quest to find an answer is at the heart of Does Jesus Really Love Me? - a personal journey of belief, an investigation, and a portrait of a faith and a nation at odds by award-winning reporter Jeff Chu.
-
-
This Is Where I Found Hope in '20/'21
- By Josh on 01-24-21
By: Jeff Chu
-
Known
- Finding Deep Friendships in a Shallow World
- By: Dick Foth, Ruth Foth
- Narrated by: Dick Foth, Ruth Foth
- Length: 5 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a shallow light-speed world, how can we really know and be known by another person? How do we make true friends? The Digital Age is all about change, but the need for true friendship never changes. We are designed for real engagement with others - for affirmation that goes beyond a simple "like" on social media, for connection over meals, for hope and excitement about the future. Above all, we need to be known and accepted for who we are.
-
-
Love the Foths
- By Jenni B on 07-22-17
By: Dick Foth, and others
-
Love Kindness
- Discover the Power of a Forgotten Christian Virtue
- By: Barry H. Corey
- Narrated by: Wayne Shepherd
- Length: 6 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dr. Barry Corey, president of Biola University, believes we tend to devalue the importance of kindness, opting instead for caustic expressions of certainty that push people away. We forget that the essence of what God requires of us is to "love kindness". In this book, filled with stories from his travels around the globe, Barry shows us the forgotten way of kindness. It is a life that calls us to put ourselves at risk. A life that calls us to hope. A life of a firm center and soft edges. It is the life Christ invites us to follow, no matter what the cost.
-
-
The book for our times
- By ThomasInSarasota on 08-28-16
By: Barry H. Corey
-
Unfollow
- A Memoir of Loving and Leaving the Westboro Baptist Church
- By: Megan Phelps-Roper
- Narrated by: Megan Phelps-Roper
- Length: 10 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the age of five, Megan Phelps-Roper began protesting homosexuality and other alleged vices alongside fellow members of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas. Founded by her grandfather and consisting almost entirely of her extended family, the tiny group would gain worldwide notoriety for its pickets at military funerals and celebrations of death and tragedy.
-
-
Insightful, honest and engaging
- By C.B.E. on 11-28-19
-
Having Nothing, Possessing Everything
- Finding Abundant Communities in Unexpected Places
- By: Michael Mather
- Narrated by: Trevor Thompson
- Length: 4 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Pastor Mike Mather arrived in Indianapolis thinking that he was going to serve the poor. But after his church’s community lost nine young men to violence in a few short months, Mather came to see that the poor didn’t need his help - he needed theirs. This is the story of how one church found abundance in a community of material poverty. Viewing people - not programs, finances, or service models - as their most valuable resource moved church members beyond their own walls and out into the streets, where they discovered folks rich in strength, talents, determination, and love.
-
-
Story filled reimagining of ministry
- By Adam Shields on 04-27-20
By: Michael Mather
-
Messy Grace
- How a Pastor with Gay Parents Learned to Love Others Without Sacrificing Conviction
- By: Caleb Kaltenbach
- Narrated by: Caleb Kaltenbach
- Length: 6 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Caleb Kalenbach is the Lead Pastor at Discovery Church in Simi Valley, CA. Raised in the LGBT community, he was exposed to how some Christians treated the LGBT community, and grew to hate Christians. In high school, he joined a Bible study to disprove the Bible, but ended up following Jesus instead. Later, his parents followed Jesus, too. This is the subject of his first book, Messy Grace - holding on to the truth of God's Word while being filled with grace.
-
-
Nice try, but Inconsistent
- By LP on 09-17-16
By: Caleb Kaltenbach
-
The Jesus I Know
- Honest Conversations and Diverse Opinions About Who He Is
- By: Kathie Lee Gifford
- Narrated by: Kathie Gifford
- Length: 5 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For decades, Kathie Lee has had deep conversations about her faith with anyone who is interested in talking about it. What she discovered early on is most people are very willing to talk about Jesus: atheists, agnostics, Scientologists, Jews, broken-hearted Catholics, confused Baptists, Pentecostals, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Hindus alike. While some of the people Kathie Lee has spoken with do not share her belief that Jesus is the Messiah - as prophesied for centuries by prophets in the Hebrew scriptures - they nonetheless have a universal fascination with him.
-
-
Not Jesus
- By James on 12-03-21
-
Unveiling Grace
- The Story of How We Found Our Way Out of the Mormon Church
- By: Lynn K. Wilder
- Narrated by: Julie Lyles Carr
- Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For 30 years, Lynn Wilder, once a tenured faculty member at Brigham Young University, and her family lived in, loved, and promoted the Mormon Church. Then, their son Micah, serving his Mormon mission in Florida, had a revelation: God knew him personally. God loved him. And the Mormon Church did not offer the true gospel. As Lynn tells her story of abandoning the deception of Mormonism to receive God's grace, she gives a rare look into Mormon culture, what it means to grow up Mormon, and why the contrasts between Mormonism and Christianity make all the difference in the world.
-
-
Enlightening information
- By S. Herzog on 08-19-14
By: Lynn K. Wilder
-
Sweet Tea
- Black Gay Men of the South
- By: E. Patrick Johnson
- Narrated by: E. Patrick Johnson
- Length: 26 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A pioneer of LGBTQ studies dares to suggest that gayness is a way of being that gay men must learn from one another to become who they are. The genius of gay culture resides in some of its most despised stereotypes - aestheticism, snobbery, melodrama, glamour, caricatures of women, and obsession with mothers - and in the social meaning of style.
-
-
Very insightful book.
- By Greg on 11-18-18
-
The Faith Club
- A Muslim, A Christian, A Jew - Three Women Search for Understanding
- By: Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver, Priscilla Warner
- Narrated by: Pam Ward
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After September 11, Ranya Idliby, an American Muslim of Palestinian descent, faced constant questions about Islam, God, and death from her children, the only Muslims in their classrooms. Inspired by a story about Muhammad, Ranya reached out to two other mothers to write an interfaith children's book that would highlight the connections between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
-
-
Wow I'm so glad I read this. I had no idea.
- By Michelle Pierce on 05-06-15
By: Ranya Idliby, and others
-
Faitheist
- How an Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious
- By: Chris Stedman
- Narrated by: Corey Snow
- Length: 5 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The stunning popularity of the “New Atheist” movement - whose most famous spokesmen include Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and the late Christopher Hitchens - speaks to both the growing ranks of atheists and the widespread, vehement disdain for religion among many of them. In Faitheist, Chris Stedman tells his own story to challenge the orthodoxies of this movement and make a passionate argument that atheists should engage religious diversity respectfully.
-
-
Where's the Common Ground ?
- By Susie on 04-29-13
By: Chris Stedman
-
Through the Waters: The Life and Ministry of Evangelist Willie Johnson
- By: Lori Wagner
- Narrated by: Lori Wagner
- Length: 5 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Willie Johnson. Granddaughter of a slave. Rejected by her father. Sold by her mother. Abused by her husband. How did a biracial woman become accepted to preach revivals in the Deep South and coast to coast during segregation and the Civil Rights movement. Listen to Through the Waters and learn how to rise above your obstacles from the inspiring life and ministry of Willie Johnson.
-
-
It was all beautiful!
- By Yulonda Ferguson on 02-29-24
By: Lori Wagner
-
Pure
- Inside the Evangelical Movement That Shamed a Generation of Young Women and How I Broke Free
- By: Linda Kay Klein
- Narrated by: Linda Kay Klein
- Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the 1990s, a “purity industry” emerged out of the white evangelical Christian culture. Purity rings, purity pledges, and purity balls came with a dangerous message: girls are potential sexual “stumbling blocks” for boys and men, and any expression of a girl’s sexuality could reflect the corruption of her character. This message traumatized many girls - resulting in anxiety, fear, and experiences that mimicked the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder - and trapped them in a cycle of shame.
-
-
I expected a different ending I suppose
- By Military Dad on 12-12-18
By: Linda Kay Klein
-
Let's Roll!
- By: Lisa Beamer, Ken Abraham - contributor
- Narrated by: Lisa Helm
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On September 11, 2001, Lisa Beamer was thrust into the national spotlight after her husband, Todd, became an American hero by preventing terrorist hijackers from almost certainly flying United Flight 93 into the White House or the United States Capitol. Instead, Todd led a group of passengers to resist the hijackers, forcing the plane to crash into a Pennsylvania field. Todd and the other heroes of Flight 93 gave their lives so that untold others would be spared. Nothing could be more heroic. Lisa is now telling that story, and much more.
-
-
Inspiring book. I couldn't put it down.
- By Sam on 09-13-03
By: Lisa Beamer, and others
-
Secrets and Wives
- The Hidden World of Mormon Polygamy
- By: Sanjiv Bhattacharya
- Narrated by: Sanjiv Bhattacharya
- Length: 15 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What do we really know about modern practicing polygamists - not fictional ones like the Henrickson family on HBO’s Big Love? We’ve seen the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the news, the underage brides in pioneer dresses on a Texas ranch. But the FLDS is just one of many groups that have broken with mainstream Mormonism to follow those parts of Joseph Smith’s doctrine disavowed by the LDS Church. Gaining unprecedented access to these communities, journalist Sanjiv Bhattacharya reveals a shadow country....
-
-
Great stories (+), religious amateur hour (-)
- By Douglas on 09-26-13
-
Let's All Be Brave
- Living Life with Everything You Have
- By: Annie F. Downs
- Narrated by: Dara Rosenberg
- Length: 4 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Annie F. Downs admits she's not exactly the bravest girl in the world. She still cries sometimes when she leaves her parents' home in Georgia, she's never jumped out of a plane, and she rides roller coasters only to impress boys. But Annie knows that courage resides inside each and every one of us, and she's on a mission to triumph over her own fears while encouraging listeners to do the same.
-
-
Truly inspired
- By Gregory Wade Odell on 06-21-23
By: Annie F. Downs
-
God Speaks Your Love Language
- How to Express and Experience God's Love
- By: Gary Chapman
- Narrated by: Chris Fabry
- Length: 5 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Do you realize that the God of the universe speaks your love language, and your expressions of love for Him are shaped by your love language? Learn how you can give and receive God's love through the five love languages: words of affirmation, quality time, gifts, acts of service, and physical touch. Gary writes, "As we respond to the love of God and begin to identify the variety of languages He uses to speak to us, we soon learn to speak those languages ourselves.
-
-
Great narration, excellent insight
- By Colleen Amerena on 11-02-24
By: Gary Chapman
-
Who Stole My Church?
- What to Do When the Church You Love Tries to Enter the 21st Century
- By: Gordon MacDonald
- Narrated by: Maurice England
- Length: 9 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Who Stole My Church? is a fictional story that tells the all-too-real tale of many church communities today. In this audiobook, you can walk alongside an imaginary community, led by real-life pastor Gordon MacDonald and his wife, Gail, and discover how to meet the needs of all believers without abandoning the dreams and desires of any.
-
-
Super good for understanding church history
- By Gregory Dehart on 08-08-24
By: Gordon MacDonald
What listeners say about Affirming
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Charles Marcussen
- 07-18-21
must read or listen
Encouraging, faithful, hopeful. A required read for the church to remind us that hospitality is a core principle of our life as Christ followers.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kenna
- 08-11-21
Just what I needed!
I found this book by accident, and it was everything I didn’t know I needed. I related to the things discussed so much. It’s comforting to know I am not alone. I highly recommend this book!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Fernanda
- 07-25-23
A guide for light!
Everything I was looking for in a Christian book for queer folks! Beautiful, heartfelt, Bible based! It’s a MUST read for gay Christians out there!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Marsha
- 03-18-21
Such an encouraging perspective
No bashing in this book of anyone on any side of the Lgbtq-people-in-church perspective. Just a very positive and heartfelt description of the author’s journey. Highly recommend it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Chad H.
- 03-30-21
A must listen for Christians of every affiliation!
Thank you to Sally Gary for a courageous memoir of struggle and growth. May these stories reach the hearts of all who hear them.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amy from OH
- 08-25-21
Both moving and educational
Sally Gary touched my heart through her emotional explanation of her lifelong search for scriptural answers on the subject of homosexuality and where it fits within the realm of Christianity. I learned a lot and was inspired to do more research. For a long time I have felt my heart pulling me to a spirit of affirmation, and listening to Sally’s journey was so helpful in illuminating truth around this subject. It was her strong love for God and her desire to please Him which touched me most. I highly recommend this book to all, but especially those Christians who are looking for more insight than simply the “clobber” verses.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- KatyE3
- 12-30-23
Amazing! A must read!
Sally shares so openly and graciously her story of faith and being LGBTQ. She has been such an encouragement to so many that a struggling and this book had helpful advice on how the Christian community can be more like Jesus and supporting to the LGBTQ community. Thank you for your beautiful words Sally! Loved this book and have already bought it for a few people.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Larry
- 03-22-21
Incredible Story
Affirming is an incredible story of one woman’s journey, and the story is continuing to be told.
I’m certain that while this book is about one person’s story it’s a many people can relate to.
It’s a joy to hear Sally Gary tell the story in her own voice.
May her story give voice to many other people and provide a way for them to tell their stories.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Cailie Lemoine
- 10-18-23
Loved it!
This was a wonderful story. I liked the conversation in Chapter 6 and the mention of how homosexuality ended up in the Bible.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Sarah Elisabeth
- 03-14-21
A Breath of Fresh Air
Affirming is a true gift. Although the book speaks to people in all faith communities, if you are a member of reformed theology—particularly in the Churches of Christ—you may want to consider reading Affirming. Gary masterfully weaves testimony and theology together, and in her storytelling, she asks readers to empathize. She encourages readers of different sexual orientations and sexual ethics to show hospitality by meeting each other around a table to share, listen, and be fed. At various points, I was laughing or weeping as I thought about my own journey with my family, my faith community, and my theology. For me, this memoir was a breath of fresh air. Shalom.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful