In Season 2, Episode 11 of the Renewed and Transformed Podcast, host Kyla Gillespie welcomes theologian, author, and apologist Rebecca McLaughlin for a deeply compassionate and biblically grounded conversation on same-sex attraction, discipleship, and true belonging in the Church.

Rebecca shares her personal story of following Jesus while experiencing same-sex attraction, offering clarity, hope, and honesty about what it means to surrender every part of life, including sexuality, to Christ. Drawing from her book, Does the Bible Affirm Same-Sex Relationships?, Rebecca thoughtfully addresses today’s most common arguments around Scripture and sexuality while pointing listeners to the beauty of the gospel and the richness of Christian community.

This episode speaks powerfully to singles, pastors, church leaders, and anyone wrestling with questions of identity, faithfulness, loneliness, or how the Church can better reflect the family of God.

Key Highlights:

• Rebecca’s Story: Walking faithfully with Jesus while experiencing same-sex attraction
• Biblical Clarity with Compassion: Why Scripture’s sexual ethic is rooted in the gospel, not shame
• Belonging in the Church: Why single believers and those with SSA fully belong in the body of Christ
• Loneliness & Christian Community: How the Church is called to be a true spiritual family
• Pastoral Wisdom: Practical guidance for pastors and leaders discipling LGBTQ+ individuals with truth and love
• Eternity-Focused Discipleship: Why Jesus, not marriage or sexual fulfillment, is the ultimate hope

Whether you’re personally navigating same-sex attraction, leading others in discipleship, or seeking a biblically faithful yet deeply humane approach to sexuality, this episode offers wisdom, courage, and Christ-centered hope.

Subscribe to the Renewed and Transformed Podcast for more gospel-rooted conversations on sexuality, identity, and living fully surrendered to Christ.

Connect with Us: Website: https://kylagillespie.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kylagillespie.14

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renewedtransformed

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/renewedtransformed

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/kylagillespie7

YouTube: Kyla Gillespie X: @kylag14 Email: renewedtransformed@gmail.com

Listen on Your Favorite Platform: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0TNwgx9uAgoCZd1gMjVMHA

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/renewed-transformed-podcast/id1812532916

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/3439e48f-ce37-472c-8cc0-eb1d0b9475b0

#RenewedAndTransformed #RebeccaMcLaughlin #SameSexAttraction #ChristianSexuality #BiblicalTruth #FaithAndIdentity #ChristianDiscipleship #ChurchAndBelonging #SingleInTheChurch #SexualEthics #GospelCentered #LivingSurrendered

Renewed & Transformed S2 Ep 10: Leaving Homosexuality, Religious Freedom & Joy in Persecution | Matthew Grech

In Season 2, Episode 10 of the Renewed and Transformed Podcast, host Kyla Gillespie sits down with worship leader, deacon, and Christian advocate Matthew Grech for a courageous and deeply moving conversation about leaving homosexuality, encountering Jesus, and standing firm in faith amid persecution.

Matthew shares his powerful testimony from early identity confusion, pornography addiction, and involvement in New Age spirituality, to a life-altering encounter with Jesus Christ that transformed his desires, identity, and purpose. Now living in Malta, Matthew opens up about the joy he has found in Christ even while facing criminal charges for sharing his story publicly under Malta’s ban on so-called “conversion practices.”

This episode explores the intersection of sexual identity, religious freedom, biblical discipleship, and perseverance, offering hope to believers navigating cultural pressure, personal struggles, or opposition for their faith.

Key Highlights:

Matthew’s Testimony: From same-sex attraction and New Age spirituality to repentance, baptism, and new life in Christ

Faith Under Fire: What it’s like to face legal persecution for sharing a Christian testimony

Religious Freedom at Risk: Understanding Malta’s conversion practices ban and its real-world consequences

Joy in Suffering: How intimacy with Jesus produces peace and joy even in trials

Biblical Identity & Holiness: Walking out purity, obedience, and godly masculinity as a disciple of Christ

The Power of the Church: Why Christian community, prayer, and global unity matter more than ever

Whether you’re wrestling with sexuality and faith, concerned about religious freedom, or seeking encouragement to stand boldly for Christ, this episode is a compelling reminder that Jesus truly makes all things new.

👉 Subscribe to the Renewed and Transformed Podcast for more honest, Christ-centered conversations on sexuality, identity, faith, and transformation.

Connect with Us:

Website: https://kylagillespie.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kylagillespie.14

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renewedtransformed

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/renewedtransformed

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/kylagillespie7

YouTube: Kyla Gillespie X: @kylag14 Email: renewedtransformed@gmail.com

Listen Now on Your Favorite Platform:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0TNwgx9uAgoCZd1gMjVMHA

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/renewed-transformed-podcast/id1812532916

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/3439e48f-ce37-472c-8cc0-eb1d0b9475b0

#RenewedAndTransformed #MatthewGrech #ChristianTestimony #LeavingHomosexuality #ReligiousFreedom #FaithUnderFire #ChristianPersecution #BiblicalIdentity #JoyInSuffering #ChristianPodcast #SexualityAndFaith #FreedomInChrist #StandForTruth

In Season 1, Episode 9 of the Renewed and Transformed Podcast, host Kyla Gillespie sits down with pastor, author, former NFL player, and Transformation Church founder Derwin Gray for a deeply honest and hope-filled conversation about identity, sexuality, shame, trauma, and the life-changing power of the gospel.

Derwin shares his powerful journey from childhood trauma and professional football to encountering Jesus through an unlikely teammate—and how Christ completely reshaped his identity. Together, Kyla and Derwin explore how misplaced identity, athletic performance, sexual wounds, and cultural pressure leave many searching for affirmation, and how true wholeness is found only in Christ.

This episode tackles difficult but essential topics including sexual brokenness, same-sex attraction, gender identity, church hurt, and pastoral care, all through a lens of truth, grace, and deep compassion. Derwin offers wisdom for believers navigating today’s cultural climate while remaining rooted in biblical conviction and Christlike love.

• From Football to Faith: Derwin’s testimony of identity collapse and redemption through Jesus Christ

• What Identity Really Means: Why performance, sexuality, and wounds cannot sustain who we are

• Sexuality & the Church: How to walk with people experiencing same-sex attraction and gender confusion with truth and love

• Why Wounds Shouldn’t Define Us: Moving from victimhood to victory in Christ

• Wholeness in Christ: What spiritual maturity actually looks like in everyday life

• Why We Fear Sharing the Gospel: And how being “lit up with love” changes everything

• Pastoral Wisdom for a Post-Christian Culture: Holding biblical truth without sacrificing compassion

Whether you’re wrestling with identity, sexual shame, faith after trauma, or fear of sharing the gospel, this episode offers biblical clarity, pastoral sensitivity, and real hope grounded in the transforming grace of Jesus.

👉 Subscribe to the Renewed and Transformed Podcast for honest, gospel-centered conversations on sexuality, identity, and living freely in Christ.

Website: https://kylagillespie.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kylagillespie.14 https://www.instagram.com/renewedtransformed Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/renewedtransformed TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/kylagillespie7 YouTube: Kyla Gillespie X: @kylag14 Email: https://open.spotify.com/show/0TNwgx9uAgoCZd1gMjVMHA Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/renewed-transformed-podcast/id1812532916 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/3439e48f-ce37-472c-8cc0-eb1d0b9475b0

#RenewedAndTransformed #DerwinGray #ChristianIdentity #SexualHealing #WholenessInChrist #GospelCentered #FaithAndIdentity #ChristianPodcast #BiblicalSexuality #ChurchAndCulture #GraceAndTruth #FreedomInChrist #TraumaAndHealing #Evangelism #LitUpWithLove