All around us there are hundreds and thousands of people who are all feeling the sting of pain, the hurt of isolation, and the fear of what’s to come. At any given moment, there could be someone on the same street, in the same church, and even in the same family who is battling their own war, unbeknownst to you.
Dr. Gola is meeting with Kristen Jenson to tell us more about addiction and the brain science behind it–especially when it comes to pornography. One of the features which is common across different addictions, both related to substances and to behaviors–like gambling, gaming or in this case we are talking about problematic pornography use–is there’s a huge disproportion between the effort you need to put in to receive the reward. The reward is much higher than the effort you are putting in.
I don’t know what doors you are waiting on God to open in your life, but I want to encourage you—press into what God has you doing right now and watch Him go to work on your behalf. God desires to do a new thing in your life, but that new thing will require old faithfulness.
Turning to porn as a source of sex education is increasingly encouraged by mainstream culture. With porn consumption on the rise, especially among young kids and teens, it’s important to remember that there are some pretty huge differences between what is portrayed in porn and real-life sex.
Sin kills us! Resisting it yourself, and encouraging others to do the same, is a good idea and I would even say is a GOD idea! However, in a world that is driven by political correctness, it can be tempting to partner with this spirit and join in its polarizing effects by treating those in sin as if their behavior is “totally okay.” Or, on the other side of the coin, you may find yourself trying to create a culture of righteousness and in doing so shame the people that you love.
If someone doesn’t like you, it’s okay. It’s not who you are, it’s just one guy. It doesn’t mean that no one will ever like you, or that you're unlovable, or not enough. Those are all lies from the enemy. Even if you’ve lost a few games or a few guys, that doesn’t mean you’re unlovable either. It just means you haven’t found the right one yet.
I can talk to you all day long about the mental and emotional effects of pornography, or pray for your deliverance from the spirit of porn, but if you aren't walking by the spirit as it says in Galatians 6, you will only gratify the desires of your flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are always in conflict with each other. So with that said, here are four important steps to walking in full freedom!
I’m going to tell you how to win after a breakup. I'm not talking about how to win, like how to egg your ex’s car or slit the tires and get away with it. I'm talking about how to win emotionally. How to win inside your soul.
Purity in God’s eyes is not something you lose, it’s a daily choice to walk in obedience according to His plan and purposes for your life. With that said if you are single, soon to be married, you’ve been married for a while or even if you’ve lived most of your life in rebellion against God- purity is something attainable to you.
If you want to be truly successful in life, aside from serving Jesus, the single most effective thing you can do is to choose your closest friends wisely.
