Hey friend, I'm Julie Slattery and you're listening to Java with Julie. This podcast is a production of authentic intimacy, a ministry dedicated to reclaiming God's design for sexuality. A big part of her mission here at authentic intimacy is to help you have gospel-centered conversations with people about sensitive and polarizing issues

around sexuality. And I'm so glad to have found an ally in this mission and my guest today,

Alex Kirkendahl. Alex has been on job with Julie before. She's the author of Loving Your

Actual Neighbor and the co-founder of the Open Door Sisterhood.

She also hosts a podcast by that same name.

The Open Door Sisterhood is about calling out where we see God working in one another and encouraging each other to walk through open doors, led by the spirit with confidence.

However, if you think you need to be a sister to listen in our conversation, think again.

Alex and I are going to talk about Jesus' command to his followers to love your neighbor.

And this is an important conversation for our brothers as well.

You're going to hear us talk about how God has called you to love people who are different from you

and who probably are going to disagree with you on some issues.

We're going to talk about how you need to be intentional about getting out of your comfort

zone and being willing to have conversations with people that you might not naturally have

conversations with. And we'll talk about learning to listen in order to understand and even be

okay with uncomfortable silence as you're hearing someone

else's story.

And finally, learning to be okay with the reality that we might not change or even influence

much in the lives of those who God puts in our path, but we can love them well anyway.

We'll link to the Open Door Sisterhood and Alex's book and our show notes at Authentinectimacy.com.

Now let's head to the coffee shop.

Alex, you recently wrote a book on loving your neighbor.

That's a very biblical concept.

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