I remember as a college student crashing full force into James 5:16 (The Courage to Confess). “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” (James 5:16). For nearly a decade, I had been returning to pornography and other sexual sins at least weekly. I loved Jesus and I hated (and loved) it. James’ words offered me hope. But his words also cast me...
At the End of You
If you are saying “I can’t handle this. I can’t control this. I don’t have answers.” It sounds like you may be at the end of you. How do you get from there to admitting, “It’s okay that I’m not okay.” There’s a lot of work involved. That “at the end of you” feeling coupled with ongoing recovery work towards sexual integrity or for saving your marriage can feel overwhelming. We pray this...
Why Looking Away When Tempted Can Fuel Temptation
In my own journey away from pornography, there came a point when I recognized that lust had impacted my ability to see people accurately. Normal life would sometimes seem more sexualized than it was, so that there were times when seeing someone sunbathing, or out for a run, or wearing a form-fitting outfit, or even grocery shopping would become for me a battle with temptation. As a Christian man...
We Are All Searching For Meaning
We Are All Searching For Meaning. Right now, let’s take notice. For this next half hour together, let’s be aware of that need deep inside you. And this time, let’s promise to not look away but to be present and understanding because you are a person of great worth. Your habit of turning to pornography or hooking up is more than an unwanted sexual behavior. That pattern in your life is connected...
Disordered Desire
Is lust truly every man’s battle? Generally speaking, lust gets put in a “Men Only” category. Maybe that’s because of the idea that men are more visual than women and thus more prone to this disordered desire. On this episode of “Becoming Whole,” Josh and Dan distinguish desire from lust imploring accountability and honesty. The world tells us men are bound to fall into lust but this conversation...
Do You Need a Different Sexual Lens?
Consider for a moment how most people in our culture think and talk about sex. In much of the media, sex is viewed as something everybody wants, something people pursue, something people enjoy together or by themselves—no limits as long as it’s consensual. In reaction to these overly permissive views, many Christians view sex as something shameful and embarrassing, something that can entice...