Freedom from Pornography

Recently, I had the opportunity to speak to our church family about "Purity for Life," looking specifically at Jesus' words, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God" (Matthew 5:8). "Purity for Life" aligns with Milestone 4 in our Legacy Milestone Model. The topic of purity is massive, covering areas of the heart, areas of the physical body, areas of our spiritual walk, relationships, media consumption, and so on. An area where I am seeing purity being compromised more and more is with pornography. Porn use by self-identified Christians is not much different than porn use among non-Christians. And the effects of porn can be devastating to relationships, future and present, and even to the brain's chemistry. Check out this free ebook from CovenantEyes.com on what those effects actually look like.

If you are finding that you or someone you love is struggling with pornography, there is hope and you are not alone. Below are links to some very helpful places online that can help you take those steps to freedom. Being part of a trusted community where accountability is available can be a crucial piece of overcoming this struggle. Praying that you or your loved ones can find the freedom that Jesus offers!

• XXX Church offers free pornography addiction help to those who need it. They do this through blogs, videos, and other resources.
• Free Indeed Ministries offers programs and resources to inviduals and to the local church to help "preserve our culture" and to "proclaim freedom to the captives." 
• Covenant Eyes provides Internet accountability and filtering along with great articles and resources to help overcome some of the difficulties of living in a world that is online. 
• Every staff member at Pure Life Ministries  is fully committed to bringing the hope, healing, and restoration found only in Christ to those who have been touched by the leprosy of sexual sin. Their site is filled with helpful resources and testimonials.
• iParent is a great site that helps families keep up to speed with the latest apps, games, devices, and social media trends. It's a must-visit site if you have children who have smartphones or any kind of digital device. 

If you have a Right Now Media account, this presentation from Sean McDowell called "Kids, Teens, and Pornography" was very eye-opening. https://www.rightnow.org/Training/Post/View/770104

Our senior high youth went through this series from Doug Fields called "The Truth about Sex" (on Right Now Media but also available in other formats): https://www.rightnow.org/Media/Series/4 

Chris's Internship Experience

Our church recently had the privilege of hosting an intern from England for a five-week block placement as part of his final year experience at Bible college. Here he sums up his experience in ministry in rural, northern Maine.

Chris’ Blog Post

So it’s been 5 weeks of Maine and my time has now come to the end. I could reflect on the weather for the next three pages alone probably. The sheer amount of snow, the piercing winds and constant freezing temperatures are more than any Brit normally has to endure. But I would rather reflect on the things about Maine that I didn't know before I came, rather than the things I came to expect.

I never expected there to be so much space. Wild, open forest land as far as the eye can see and the stillness of it all is in comparable to anything I have experience back home.

I never expected the community vibe that this small northern Maine town imbibes. Even on my first day here, when I was still groggy from jet lag, the people here have just been so welcoming and hospitable towards me.

And lastly I never expected that the Lord would be guiding me and building me up for this trip to Maine and during my stay here. My parents used to live out in America years ago and had a number of contacts that they gave me when I was looking for somewhere to go on my internship. The senior pastor at The Church on the Hill was one of those on the list. The reason I first decided to come out to northern Maine was because this pastor was the only person to take a personal interest in my spiritual growth so far. That said to me that this would be a place where people will take an interest in me and not just in what I can do. God has shown me through sermons, conversations and even nature itself the importance to taking care of your spiritual self in everything you do and I feel closer to Him now than I did before coming.

I hope that I have been able to show some of God’s glory in my life as I worked within the church and with the various children and young people. I believe God has big plans for northern Maine.

I finish now with thanks to all I have met and spent time with during these short 5 weeks and a blessing on all. May the Lord grow you and prosper you as you have for me in my time here.

God bless,
Chris