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...
Wipe Every Tear
We steel ourselves against the longing, the ache, the pain. I know we do. I know I do. What else are we to do? And we’ve done so for so long, many of us do not know the longing is there at all. And even among those of us who know it’s there, we fear how deep it goes. Recently, my family spent a week with my in-laws in the Midwest. My children love their grandparents and two of them got to stay an...
Can I Love Without Compromising Truth?
When it comes to what’s most important, Jesus was clear: Love God with all your being and love your neighbor as yourself (Mt. 22:36-40). In order to love our neighbors these days, a lot of Christians are feeling like they have to lay down what Christianity teaches about sexuality—ideas like there are only two genders, marriage should be reserved for one man and one woman, marriage should last...
A Culture Confused
Look closely at what’s being done and listen closely to what is being said, and it’s apparent our culture is deeply confused and conflicted about sex and sexuality. We imply that sex is no big deal, and yet we can’t fathom anyone going without it. We abhor sex trafficking of minors (as we should), but we view the sexualization of children through media and fashion as harmless fun. 20% fewer of us...
The Sound of Inevitability
A growing number of men and women are viewing pornography. But what’s even more disquieting is how many people view pornography use as unavoidable. Even among Christians who believe watching pornography is sinful, a growing number seem to believe porn use is inevitable, at least occasionally. It’s not my fault, it’s everywhere! What am I supposed to do, act like I don’t like it? It’s a part of...