Conversations about sex and pornography have, for too long, been relegated to men’s groups. Confusion and temptation don’t target a specific population, but confront all of humanity. In a recent conversation we had with a college student here at Regen, she shared her story of hiding, sin, and the importance of community and grace. If we, as a culture, invite authenticity and vulnerability, then...
Temptation and Soul-Care
Underneath whatever persistent temptations you’re experiencing you have a God-given need for something—something good, clean, and life-giving. A friend of mine recently visited Haiti. One morning, he saw a young boy walking to school along a muddy dirt road pocked with tire tracks. As he watched, the child pulled out an empty bottle, knelt down and filled it up with brown rainwater sitting in one...
You May Need to Quit Fighting
Can you think of an area of your life where you’re losing an ongoing battle with temptation, returning to a particular sin again and again? If so, maybe you need to quit fighting. When we talk about dealing with temptation, we often use words like struggle, fight, battle or war. With good reason. We are in a spiritual war and have been since the beginning. This kind of imagery is all over the New...
Men, We’ve Got To Remember
Men have forgotten who they are. The masses of men regularly viewing porn, sleeping around, losing all resolve at the sight of naked flesh—these reveal that on some deep level man has forgotten. Men, you are meant for more than temptation tells you you are. Jesus did not go through such trouble to leave you gutted and groveling. He came to resurrect in you godly masculine strength—the kind loyal...
Saying No To Temptation When You Don’t Want To
What do you do in moments of intense temptation? When I was struggling with strong and frequent temptations to view porn, a friend of mine gave me this counsel: “If you want to show God you love Him, obey Him.” His advice was both unarguably true and utterly unhelpful. I wanted to love God with a love that would choose Him instead of sexual sin. I just didn’t know how to get there. To me, when I...
A Case of Mistaken Enemy
Last week, I talked with at least a couple men up against a familiar enemy in their pursuit of sexual integrity. They’re not unique. Many, many Christians—both men and women—seeking sexual purity fight this same enemy. The problem is, this enemy they’re fighting isn’t an enemy, but a friend. Are you or someone you love pursuing sexual integrity? If so, I want to share a 9-minute audio message I...