Of Sex Education and Seven Men

by Tom Goodman

Two new courses begin this Sunday night. One will help parents talk with their kids about sex, and the other will introduce readers to seven inspiring Christian leaders.

“The Birds and the Bees! Help Me Please!” Well, that was the title we were tempted to use for the course. I think it’s the plea of many parents raising kids in a sex-saturated society so full of provocative images and false messages about sex. You can’t fully shield your children from our world but you can prepare and protect them. You have a precious limited window of opportunity to shape their view and your family values about sex. How do you start? What should you say? When should you say it?

If you need help with such questions, join our children’s minister, Karen Raulie, through a study of Mary Flo Ridley’s book, Simple Truths. This course will make you confident and comfortable connecting with your kids and discussing a vital subject that will affect their future health and happiness. The course begins at 5:30pm this Sunday, October 26. You’ll need a book, which we’ll provide for $13. Register online at www.hillcrestaustin.info/discipleship.

A Study of Seven Men That’s Not Just for Men. The second course is another installment of “Pastor Tom’s Book Club.” This installment focuses on Seven Men by New York Times best-selling author Eric Metaxas. Women as well as men will benefit from reading this with me. Metaxas presents seven short portraits of men who experienced the struggles and challenges to be strong in the face of forces and circumstances that would have destroyed the resolve of lesser men. Learn more about George Washington, William Wilberforce, Eric Liddell, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jackie Robinson, John Paul II, and Charles Colson. Each of the seven men profiled call the reader to a more elevated walk and lifestyle, one that embodies the gospel in the world around us.

Join us at 5:30pm this Sunday, October 26. You’ll need a book. We’ll offer a copy on the first night for $15, but try to find one online or in a local bookstore and read the first chapter before this Sunday’s class. We’ll jump right into the book on the first week by discussing the first biographical sketch. Register online at www.hillcrestaustin.info/discipleship.

I’m sure you have a friend who would find one of these courses helpful, too. Forward this information to them and attend together!

Tom Goodman