In today’s world, the topic of homosexuality seems to be part of everyday conversation in the media, in politics, and even inside churches, with pressure to accept one view or the other. And if you’re a Christian teen, there seems to be few easy answers to the issues you regularly encounter, such as: Can you be friends with someone who is gay? What if your sister is a lesbian, or you sometimes wonder if you might be as well? Does the Bible really say homosexuality is wrong? What does God want us to do and say?

Preston Sprinkle has encountered these same questions, and as a theologian and a college professor he has dealt with these issues firsthand. Through honest conversation, real-life examples, and biblical research, Sprinkle unpacks what we can know to be true, and how Scripture’s overall message to us today allows us to move forward and find answers that align with God’s intent.

My books People to Be Loved and Living in a Gray World release today. Usually when an author releases a book, it’s a celebratory moment. We break out the champagne, invite our friends, celebrate the release. But these books are different. It’s actually a quite somber moment. Yes, I’m excited to see these books finally in print. They represent several years of research and study (along with many interviews, friendships, and stories). But they are different in one crucial aspect: they’re not about me. They’re about the millions of people who wrestle with their faith and sexuality. They’re about my friends, my loved ones, your loved ones. These books are about real people.

They’re about people to be loved.

At the end of People to Be Loved, I give several challenges to the evangelical church. I exhort the church to love the LGBT community in better ways and cultivate a better posture toward those who experience same-sex attraction within their midst. Here are the first two challenges I give.