"All of me can love Jesus.”

Julia grew up as a pastor's kid in Seattle. She came out to her parents in high school and says she felt like one person at school and another in church — to the extent that she used different names in different settings. At age 17, she attended a conference for LGBTQ Christians, and met Jesus there. It was that weekend, worshiping with other gay Christians, when two sides of her identity — her sexuality and her faith — joined together for the first time. 

No matter who you are or what you believe, you'll probably hear something in Julia's story you don't agree with. Her experience and opinions will be too progressive for some of us and too conservative for others. And that's ok. 

This story is a record of one young woman’s experience. At its heart, it is a story about coming of age in a polarized and complicated culture, and meeting God along the way. 

In an era when people are leaving church because they believe there is no other choice if you identify as LGBTQ, Julia’s story gives us hope that we never have to walk away from Jesus.

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To learn more about Ebenezer Podcast hosts and guests, visit ebenezerpodcast.org

Produced & Edited by Nate Furtado

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Music by Emerald Hymns