How often do you see men depicted in contemporary media who successfully resist when tempted sexually? Examples are rare, but I’ll bet most of us can think of at least a few. Now what about depictions of men turning away from an opportunity to lust? Examples are nearly non-existent. The man always turns to see what he’s not invited to, to steal a glance, to take a peek, even to let his eyes...
Weighty, Wonderful Freedom
God put freedom in our DNA. We feel it when we look out over the ocean. Or when we can’t see over the prison wall. But if I’m honest with myself, I’m not always happy with how far God goes with this gift of freedom. Freedom means any number of possible outcomes, and they’re not all good. “God, do you see what’s happening down here? Could you scale back on the freedom just a bit, please?” As a...
Pure What?
Before I came to Regeneration, my accountability partners and I regularly talked about pursuing purity. Interestingly, though, none of us ever asked what exactly we meant. What I was after was a complete absence of sexual sin. That was my definition of purity. I’d say something very different today. (As a matter of fact, I’m about to.) Purity is not primarily about an absence of something sinful...
Saints, Sinners, Storytellers
I long for people to be more courageous with their stories. Over the past decade and a half, I’ve had the honor of seeing many men and women take journeys against impossible odds— to fight for a marriage that seems hopeless, to give up sexual sins others consider normal (the “normal” list is growing), or to pursue healing from past sexual abuse. But outside one or two key friendships, many of...
The Macaroni and Cheese Effect
At their core, your desires are not the problem. They’re a gift, pointing to a good, God-given desire. And this is true even if the desire you’re feeling is for something sinful. Usually when I go on a dinner date with my wife, we make a simple meal for the kids before we go. Chicken nuggets, spaghetti, macaroni and cheese, or fish sticks. They love it. I’m a sucker for the macaroni and cheese:...
Life Without Fear
What would it be like to live without fear? What keeps us attached to fear? How do we break free?