Divine Design

01 - Biblical Manhood - In General

October 22, 2023 • Pastor Ronald H. Gann • Job 31, Exodus 32:5–14

Going out into the woods with your hunting buddies, putting on war paint, beating your chest, making animal noises, and telling scary stories around a campfire, might wreak of testosterone, but it has nothing to do with the biblical concept of manliness. Biblical manliness is not about machoism or even testosterone levels. It’s about personal character. More to the point, it’s about godly character that exhibits itself, says David says in 1 Kings 2:1-3, as strength of character, observance of God's requirements, faithfulness to walk in the Lord's way, and obedience in keeping God's commands and decrees.

02 - Biblical Womanhood - In General

October 29, 2023 • Pastor Ronald H. Gann • Proverbs 31:10–31

While a faithful woman may fulfill her role and calling in life as a wife and mother (two admirable offices for which the Bible has much to say) that is not a woman’s highest calling in life. Rather, a biblical woman’s highest calling—and what truly defines biblical womanhood as God see it—is her fear of the Lord. This type of woman is illustrated by the virtuous and noble woman of Proverbs 31:10-31. Moreover, like the Moabitess Ruth who trusted in the God "in whom she found refuge," a biblical woman is also a person of noble character (Ruth 2:11–12; 3:11).

03 - Biblical Manhood - In Church

November 5, 2023 • Pastor Ronald H. Gann • 1 Corinthians 16:13

According to the Tearfund report the ratio of women to men in church in America is 65% to 35%. That means that every Sunday there is approximately 28% more women attending church than men. This ought not to be. God’s wants men in His church, in the pulpit, in the pews, and on the elder board; men who have grown up, spiritually speaking, and who have stopped talking, thinking, and reasoning like children. It's high time, says the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 16:13, that men "act like men" and stay on alert for their families, standing firm against error or in the face of hardship, showing strength of character, and doing all that they do with love.

04 - Biblical Womanhood - In Church

November 12, 2023 • Pastor Ronald H. Gann • 1 Timothy 2:11–12

As it relates to the roles and responsibilities of women in the church, on one side of the fence there are those who insist that, since women are equal with men in God's eyes and we live in an enlightened age, the prohibitions in Scripture against women serving in leadership in the church no longer apply. Such passages are to be interpreted culturally, not literally. On the other end of the spectrum, there are those who have a wooden interpretation of the Bible and argue that women are to be kept in spiritual straightjackets, so to speak. Like children, women are to be seen and not heard in the church, present but not active; they are to speak only when spoken to. Which view, if any, is correct? Are women allowed to teach men or must they be silent at all times?

05 - Biblical Womanhood - In the Home

July 2, 2023 • Pastor Ronald H. Gann • Ephesians 5:21–24

Whenever the Bible talks about a woman and her role in the home it does so almost always within the context of marriage. And that’s because the Bible assumes that little girls grow up quickly with the ambition of becoming wives and mothers, often while they’re still in their teens, leaving them little time to enjoy their singleness. And when a single girl becomes a married woman, there is one attitudinal behavior that God demands of her to be a godly wife—namely, that she be submissive to her husband, as he leads her home in godliness. A submissive wife, in God's economy, is in keeping with God’s order of the home that benefits the nuclear family.

06 - Biblical Manhood - In the Home

July 16, 2023 • Pastor Ronald H. Gann • Ephesians 5:25–33

One particular attribute that the Bible ascribes to godly husband in the home, and which God especially esteems (given the sheer volume of passages that address it) is that he love his wife sacrificially and unconditionally as Christ loves the Church. Equally important as being a protector, a provider, and a priest is this one attribute. After all, if a husband doesn’t first love his wife in this way, then his protection of her, his provision for her, and his priesthood over her will carry little authority with her.

07 - Biblical Genderism

November 19, 2023 • Pastor Ronald H. Gann

Transgenderism, where an individual takes on the qualities opposite of their biological sex through surgical enhancement and hormone replacement therapy, is not a new issue. In point of fact, the first sex change was performed just over a hundred years ago in 1930. But what is new in human history is the mainstreaming, the normalization, the standardization, and the legitimization of transgenderism, driven not only by pop culture (the media, Hollywood, etc.) but increasingly with the force of government as well. Is transgenderism unbiblical? If so, how then should Christians respond to this controversial (and often political) issue plaguing a growing number of confused people?

BridgeWay Christian Church

Understanding Gender Roles