Living Single with Yana Jenay

Latest Episodes:

Bonus Episode: How to Prepare for Awkward Holiday Conversations Nov 18, 2022

Show notes

As a single person, going home for the holidays can be quite anxiety-inducing. Particularly when you are fearfully anticipating the kinds of questions, you may be asked about your relationship status. One of the ways you can prepare yourself when going into an environment where you might be met with uncomfortable questions is to think through some ways you can thoughtfully respond.

In this episode, Yana Jenay shares some tips on how to prepare for Awkward Holiday Conversations and provides you with some prepared statements on how to answer questions like:

"When you gone get a man?"

"When you gone give me some grandbabies?"

"Where's that girl you brought to thanksgiving last year?"

She also encourages those who are feeling particularly fragile and angry in this season to invite some trusted family members to run interference. Remember being mindful of how you are feeling and asking for help is a sign of maturity. Ask for help when needed.

P.S. This episode was last-minute. No edits. Beware of some coughing. 😬

It's Hard Out Here (Part One) Nov 16, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, Yana Jenay is joined by some of her closest friends, Bree, Portia, and Cleo, for a conversation about their struggles with sexual sin. This conversation is a good balance of honesty and hilarity. And this episode is just part one.

The Struggle is Real Nov 02, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, Yana Jenay passes the mic to her good friends, Kinshiro Shimochi and Macklyn Mosely, for them as men to have a candid conversation about lust, pornography, and masturbation. Press play not only hear these two men bravely share their struggles with sin but also hear how they find hope and freedom through their relationship with Christ.

Men Talking Back to Purity Culture Oct 19, 2022

Show notes

Oftentimes, conversations about Purity Culture center around its effects on women. However, many of the teachings out of Purity Culture have been harmful for men as well. Picking up from the last episode on Purity Culture, Yana Jenay sits down with her friend, Kinshiro Shimochi to hear how growing up in Purity Culture affected how he understood himself, sex, and relationships with women.

Talking Back To Purity Culture Oct 06, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, Yana Jenay is joined by Rachel Joy Welcher and Bethany Lauren for a conversation on Purity Culture and how to deconstruct it thoughtfully. Rachel Joy Welcher (@racheljwelcher) is a poet and author who currently works as an editor at Fathom Magazine and Lexham Press. Rachel also received her Master of Letters in Theology from the University of St. Andrews, where her research led her to write the book: Talking Back to Purity Culture: Rediscovering Faithful Christian Sexuality. Bethany Lauren (@simply_bible) is a writer and speaker. She loves teaching people how to read and study the Bible through her Instagram account. She also makes "good trouble" on the gram by speaking by helping others think well about theological ideas that may be worthy of biblical deconstruction, purity culture being one of them.

In this episode, these women not only get nerdy about purity culture, but they also get real as they discuss the different ways their lives have been both positively and negatively impacted by purity culture. They also end their time rejoicing in the gospel that frees us from shame and considering how we can do better at passing down an ethic of purity that is more in step with the gospel and God's vision for sex.

Take a listen and consider joining us the Talk Back following this episode on October 13, 2022, at 8 pm by becoming a Patreon subscriber at $10 or more monthly.

Did God Really Say? Aug 24, 2022

Show notes

When it comes to sex, many of us have read the Bible's commands about sex and ask, "Really? Did God really say that? Is He serious?" We've asked this question because living in a sexually charged world, it's sometimes hard to take God's commands about sex seriously, asking, "Has God seen the world? Is living out His sexual ethic as put forth in Scripture even possible?" In this episode, Yana Jenay takes us to the garden of Eden to reflect on the first time in history the words of God were questioned. Using the narrative of Genesis 3 as a case study, she presents a few ways we, like Eve, have rejected God's definition of what is good and allowed a distorted view of Him to lead us astray. She will discuss how viewing God's commands about sex as oppressive, patriarchal, homophobic, and impossible is ultimately rooted in our view of God. Why? Because, you see, when we trust the character of God to be good, it becomes easier to trust His commands are also good. Press play to hear more.

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To get the reflection guide and/or join the Talk Back Discussion (9/1 @ 8pm) subscribe to The Living Single with Yana Jenay Patreon Page

Biblical Passages discussed in this episode: Genesis 6:1-6; Genesis 3:1-7; Ephesians 1:15-22

Books mentioned in this episode: Yinka Were is Your Huzband? by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn and Talking Back to Purity Culture by Rachel Joy Welcher

Listen to a full sermon on "Did God Really Say?" from Yana Jenay

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More About the Host, Yana Jenay

Yana Jenay Conner is a writer and Bible teacher who seeks to help others think well about faith and culture. By God’s grace, she has served in full-time ministry for the past fifteen years in both the church and parachurch context and earned a Master in Divinity in Christian Ministry from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. She currently serves at Vertical Church as the Discipleship Director and hosts a podcast called Living Single. You can find more of her writing and teaching at yanajenay.com or by following her on IG @yanajenay.

Bonus Episode: Dear Church Girl Aug 10, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, Yana Jenay sits down with two of her close friends, Janetta Oni and Anteneshia Sanders, for a candid conversation about Beyoncé’s “Church Girl.” Though this song felt like an anthem for many women, it didn’t quite resonate with them in the same way. In this episode, they share their initial reactions, sobering reflections, and reveal how this song represents how many women are seeking to break free from purity culture, heal from church hurt, and even deconstruct the faith that was, at times, poorly handed down to them.

Are We Asking the Right Questions About Sex? Jul 27, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, Yana Jenay asks the question, "Are We Asking the Right Questions About Sex?" She discusses how oftentimes, people are asking the "who," "what," and "when" questions and how though these are good questions to ask, maybe the better question to ask is, "why sex?" Why did God create it? It's possible that when we answer the "why" question, the "who," "what," and "when" questions become easier to answer and easier to follow.

Additional Show Notes:

(1) You can register for the Jude 3 Project's Courageous Conversation Conference using this link.

(2) Join Yana Jenay for this episode's Talk Back on August 4th at 8 pm by becoming a Patreon subscriber at $10 a month or more using this link.

(3) Scripture passages mentioned in episode: Psalm 16 (not 18); Psalm 51; Psalm 139; Genesis 1-2

In The Beginning, God Created Sex Jul 13, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, Yana Jenay talks with her friend Omar King to hear his personal story and glean from his insights about sex as a theologian and counselor, who has worked with men and women who have struggled with sexual sin and addictions. They cover everything from what they learned as kids about sex, shame, purity culture, and what God designed sex to be in the beginning.

Sex Education 101 Jun 29, 2022

Show notes

WE BACK!!!! Welcome to Season 2 of Living Single with Yana Jenay! This season we are going to be talking about sex, sexuality, and singleness. Though this can be a sensitive and polarizing conversation for folks, Yana Jenay feels that it would be highly irresponsible and cowardly to NOT have a robust conversation about sex, sexuality, and how the two impact a single person's ability to be content and celebrate their relationship status. However, before we jump into conversations about sex, same-sex attraction, abstinence, masturbation, and more, we need to establish a shared definition of sex. In this episode, Yana Jenay shares what she discovered on the internet in her search for a basic clinical definition of sex and her sexual education (or the lack thereof) growing up in a conservative Christian home. This episode is for all the grown-ups out there whose parents didn't sit them down to have the sex talk. Click play to hear more, and be sure to head over to Patreon to support the podcast and reserve your spot for the Episode One's Talk Back on July 7th. Here's the Patreon Link.

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