As the garland and the lights and the holiday specials and the festivities ramp up, where are you? If you’re feeling temptation take over, you’re not alone. There’s a lot more of just about everything during the holidays. Let’s try to recapture what Jesus has given us. Together, we’ll name 5 things that can distract us from Immanuel. And, we’ll unpack 5 ways to recenter our focus back on our...
Why Sexual Temptation Increases at Christmas (and what you can do about it!)
If you struggle more with sexual temptation during the holidays, you might be surprised, and perhaps relieved, to learn that you are not the only one. Why does temptation increase during the holidays? Busyness increases. This is probably not a surprise, but what you may not have considered is that when your busyness increases, your ability to attend well to your heart, soul, and body decreases...
When Temptation Comes Knocking
Let’s isolate the moment of temptation: Maybe it looks like your fingertips hovering to type in a string of words you know will lead you to that site. Or maybe it looks like driving home a different route so you find yourself rolling slowly past that street. Every bit of you pulses with energy in that moment of temptation. The world is encouraging you to say “Yes” to the urge. Giving in can...
The Temptation Behind the Temptation
Have you ever noticed that behind temptation there is another, subtler temptation? It’s a whisper, really, and it goes something like this: “You’re feeling this temptation again, and you know what that means. It means you’re a failure.” In the realm of sexual temptation, so many of us pine for a time when we will no longer experience the mental and physical pull toward the images and behaviors...
3 Steps to Navigating Temptation
Zion put it well when sharing with his therapist, “If I’m honest, sometimes temptation feels so strong, I don’t even want to resist. I just want it to let it wash over me and carry me wherever it wants to go.” Temptation—perhaps especially sexual temptation—can be immensely powerful. So much so, it can be difficult to even want to resist. If you have a pattern of habitual unwanted sexual...
5 Steps to Shutting Down Temptation
When temptation comes knocking, you have more options than slamming the door and running away. In fact, fleeing can actually contribute to the cycle of sexual sin. Here are 5 Steps to Shutting Down Temptation. So, let’s face temptation head on with feet firmly planted. In this episode, Josh offers 5 steps to help you shut down temptation. While the enticement can be loud and dizzying, you...