Showing posts with label porn addiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label porn addiction. Show all posts

Monday, March 6, 2017

The Truth about Pornography

Pornography. It's one of those areas that we all know exists, but having conversations about it can be really tough. Porn is pervasive and insidious. And it's increasing in its potency daily. And our children are not immune from its impact. One of the things I'm very impassioned with is helping parents have these conversations with their kids before their kids are "educated" via Google search or the lunchroom or the school bus.

No one is safe from the effects of pornography. Instead of wondering "if" you/your child/your spouse will be exposed to porn, we have to start asking "when" they will be exposed and what we can do to be prepared and informed to combat that. So what DO you do to prepare and inform yourself? I shared a message with our church recently, and I'm including links to resources that I shared during that message. If you know the facts and how to "fight back," you won't be caught off-guard when you have to deal with the issue of porn in your life of the life of a loved one.


  • Fight the New Drug is a fantastic site launched by college students. Their slogan is "Porn Kills Love." They're making looking at porn unpopular and using very compelling arguments to support their case.
  • 5 Things Every Parent Needs to Know about Their Kids and Sex by Anne Marie Miller. GREAT book with loads of practical advice!
  • Good Pictures Bad Pictures is a comfortable, read-aloud story about a mom and dad who teach their child what pornography is, why it's dangerous, and how to reject it. Using easy-to-understand science and simple analogies, this ground-breaking book engages young kids to porn-proof their own brains.
  • Beggar's Daughter by Jessica Harris incorporates statistics, stories from girls she's worked with, and even excerpts from her own journals, to give readers a candid glimpse into the heart, mind, and struggle of a female porn addict. 
  • At the Altar of Sexual Idolatry is a book recommended by a local recovery group. For anyone going through their program, this book is required reading and comes highly recommended!
  • The Conquer Series by Dr Ted Roberts has a lot of resources including videos and DVD courses. They deal extensively with the subject of accountability during their 5-week discipleship series.
  • The Fortify Program: An online recovery program. Free for ages 13-20, 21 and older pay $39, which covers the fee for the 13-20 year olds. Sponsored through Fight the New Drug.
  • Free Indeed Ministries exists to help those who struggle with relational and/or sexual brokenness. They have several different options, including specific courses for women who are dealing with porn/sexual brokenness.
  • Dirty Girl Ministries by Crystal Renaud exists to provide women with help, hope and healing from pornography and sexual addiction. Founded by author and speaker Crystal Renaud in February of 2009, the mission of DGM is to break through the stigma that surrounds female porn & sexual addiction by creating safe spaces for women to find help, hope and healing. And to train up others to do the same.
  • Covenant Eyes software/filtering monitors websites visited, search terms used, and YouTube videos watched, and lists them in an easy-to-read report that is designed to start a conversation about healthy online habits. Parents, see where your kids go online. Adults, reduce Internet temptations and protect the relationships you value most.
  • Groups like The Exodus Road and A21 keep us aware of the fight against human trafficking and the massive amount of slaves in the world today. The link between trafficked individuals and pornography is very strong.

Finally, don't underestimate the power of accountability! Find people in your local church, in a local recovery group, amongst your friends or family who will be willing to help you in this journey. It. Is. Worth. It!

Monday, March 30, 2015

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