October 30, 2017 | Author: Anonymous | Category: N/A
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Sixty Days to Freedom A Biblical Guide to Freedom From Sexual Sin
By Stephen L. Grist
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Sixty days to freedom
Contents Introduction: Acknowledgements ...................................................................iv Pornography - A Christian Response........................................v-ix
Lessons: Day 1: Day 2: Day 3: Day 4: Day 5: Day 6: Day 7: Day 8: Day 9: Day 10: Day 11: Day 12: Day 13: Day 14: Day 15: Day 16: Day 17: Day 18: Day 19: Day 20: Day 21: Day 22: Day 23: Day 24: Day 25: Day 26: Day 27: Day 28: Day 29: Day 30: Day 31: Day 32:
Sixty days to freedom
(Bunny Rabbit Christians)..................................1 (A Catholic’s Response)....................................3 (Freedom through Works?) ...............................5 (Consequences of our Sin)................................7 (A few suggestions)...........................................9 (Nothing is impossible for God) .........................11 (Are you being called?) .....................................13 (Admitting it to your pastor) ...............................15 (Anger is a root of sin) .......................................17 (Struggling with guilt) .........................................19 (The fruits of the Spirit)......................................21 (Seven Suggestions - Part 1) ............................23 (Seven Suggestions - Part 2) ............................25 (Seven Suggestions - Part 3) ............................27 (The Deceivers powerful weapon).....................29 (Going through the Motions - Part 1).................31 (Going through the Motions - Part 2).................33 (I’m Battling too - Part 1) ...................................35 (I’m Battling too - Part 2) ...................................37 (Spiritual Warfare - Part 1) ................................39 (Spiritual Warfare - Part 2) ................................41 (I was afraid - Part 1).........................................43 (I was afraid - Part 2).........................................45 (It was worse when I became involved) ............47 (I feel like a hypocrite) .......................................49 (Excuses and Rationalizations - Part 1).............51 (Excuses and Rationalizations - Part 2).............53 (Excuses and Rationalizations - Part 3).............55 (A different slant - Part 1) ..................................57 (A different slant - Part 2) ..................................59 (I have discovered some truths - Part 1) ...........61 (I have discovered some truths - Part 2) ...........63
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Sixty days to freedom
Contents Lessons (continued): Day 33: Day 34: Day 35: Day 36: Day 37: Day 38: Day 39: Day 40: Day 41: Day 42: Day 43: Day 44: Day 45: Day 46: Day 47: Day 48: Day 49: Day 50: Day 51: Day 52: Day 53: Day 54: Day 55: Day 56: Day 57: Day 58: Day 59: Day 60:
Sixty days to freedom
(My father had this problem - Part 1).................65 (My father had this problem - Part 2).................67 (I too have struggled - Part 1) ...........................69 (I too have struggled - Part 2) ...........................71 (I too have struggled - Part 3) ...........................73 (I too have struggled - Part 4) ...........................75 (A woman’s perspective - Part 1) ......................77 (A woman’s perspective - Part 2) ......................79 (My husband introduced me to porn - Part 1)....81 (My husband introduced me to porn - Part 2)....83 (My husband introduced me to porn - Part 3)....85 (My husband introduced me to porn - Part 4)....87 (My husband introduced me to porn - Part 5)....89 (My husband introduced me to porn - Part 6)....91 (My friend showed me magazines - Part 1).......93 (My friend showed me magazines - Part 2).......95 (My friend showed me magazines - Part 3).......97 (My friend showed me magazines - Part 4).......99 (I’ve had a similar problem - Part 1) ..................101 (I’ve had a similar problem - Part 2) ..................103 (Business Trip Temptations - Part 1).................105 (Business Trip Temptations - Part 2).................107 (Business Trip Temptations - Part 3).................109 (The problem with porn - Part 1) .......................111 (The problem with porn - Part 2) .......................113 (The problem with porn - Part 3) .......................115 (Struggling in college - Part 1)...........................117 (Struggling in college - Part 2)...........................119
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
1.
Pornography - A Christian Response, Perspective Newletter, February 1984, Dr. Robert E. Salzman
2.
Bunny Rabbit Christians, Jesus Connect (Reynold M. de Guzman) Email:
[email protected] http://www.crl.com/~deguzman/jesusco/jesusco.html
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Sixty days to freedom
Introduction
In one of the professional journals crossing my desk I read an article dealing with pornography and its relationship to sexual assault and mass murder. A Canadian case was cited in which a young man blasted scores of his classmates with a shotgun, sexually assaulted, stabbed to death, and burned the body of a girl friend in his bedroom and finally killed himself. The article went on to describe a bedroom crammed with sexual literature, indexed articles from pornographic magazines, and a diary containing plots to rape and murder girl friends and strangers. Other references were made to well-known American and Canadian mass murders and lesser-known men who have raped and ravaged hundreds of women. Almost without exception, pornography was a dominant influence in each of their lives. They literally saturated and marinated their minds with pornographic, hedonistic (pleasure oriented), obscene literature. Herbert W. Case, career inspector for the Detroit police department (Detroit has one of the highest per-capita murder rates of any city in North America) said, “I have yet to see a sex murder case in the history of the Detroit police department in which obscene literature has not been a factor.” Dr. George Henry Farmer, former head of the American Psychiatric Society, in a reversal of former views said, “Prolonged exposure to obscenity and pornography can make a normal child or person a pervert.” In counseling sessions, I personally have sat opposite young people whose minds and lives were dominated by sadistic and sexually destructive fantasies injected (by their own admission) through the syringe of pornography. What we take into our minds, even subliminally, has a definite, often proportional effect upon our lives, attitudes and outlook. Hedonistic pornography has broken homes, destroyed otherwise good marriages, wrecked lives and created more psychological hang-ups than the big-profit publishers and film makers dare admit. The Bible, God’s Word, has a great deal to say about what we allow into our minds. Jesus Christ, through the pen of the Apostle Paul, said, “whatsoever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is beautiful, whatever is of good reputation, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things”(Philippians 4:8,9). In another place it is written, “Whatever a man thinks in his heart, that he is” (Proverbs 23:7). What we allow in our minds makes, molds and controls us.
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Sixty days to freedom
Perhaps some of you reading this book today have in your home some of the most immoral, obscene, perverted material the world has ever seen. It openly, even artistically, promotes adultery, homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality, even sado-masochism. You read or watch it and slowly but surely you’re transformed and changed. A spiritual, intelligent person considers the consequences of any course of action. There are emotional, psychological, social, spiritual, personal, physical, and family consequences to pornography. It’s time to wake up! It is interesting to notice that the word pornography derives from the Greek work PORNE, which literally means harlot or whore. It was originally used to describe their conduct (1 Corinthians 6:9). It has recently been enlarged to mean any form of sexual aberration. We use the term today to refer to that aspect in any medium (magazines, TV, movies, etc.) which approves of or encourages obscene, immoral, and perverted behavior. As soon as one begins to discuss pornography, those who make money from it or those who are already hooked and want to justify their addiction will bring up their one and only argument. It goes something like this: “What is pornographic for one person may not be for another. Who defines obscenity?” In other words, they say, pornography is in the eye of the beholder. Their argument, however, is faulty (Isaiah 5:20). Pornography has both an objective and a subjective element. Individuals have different levels of tolerance to pornography (in the same way they have different levels of tolerance to pain or physical activity). Depending on exposure, that tolerance level may be greater or lesser. Each exposure to soft-core or hard-core pornography must be more explicit and perverted the last in order to produce the same fantasy, stimulation or excitement (also known as the law of diminishing return) (Matthew 5:27-28). This is why our humanistic society has no way of defining the limits of moral pollution. A society cannot harmonize a relative (personal opinions) without an absolute (a God-given moral standard). When a culture rebels against God’s standard - His moral law it is set adrift on a shoreless sea of moral meaninglessness. To speak of pornography as offensive to common decency and modesty only barely scratches the surface. To identify pornography one must first have a view of the nature of man, and secondly, a moral dimension which flows from our understanding of man’s origins and destiny. The real question is this: “Is man God’s creation, made in the image of God for the purpose of glorifying God” (Genesis 1: 26-27,1 Corinthians 10:31)? Your answer to that question will directly affect your definition of pornography. Modesty and decency can only find their meaning on the basis of God’s standards. God has spoken to the question of sexuality. He has defined the terms and established the parameters. Adultery is sin. Fornication is sin. Homosexuality is sin. Lesbianism is sin.
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Sixty days to freedom
Incest is sin. (A recent syndicated newspaper article linked pornography directly to incest.) God has spoken clearly against the sins of adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, and incest, yet many of the magazine racks of your city contain explicit material illustrating and encouraging these very acts (Exodus 18, 20:14, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 1 Timothy 1:910, 1 Thessalonians 4:3). If you’re not already hooked and you still have an ounce of moral fiber in your body, it’s time to speak out! If the garbage is in your home, it’s time to throw it out! If you’re a Christian, it’s time to exercise and act out your faith. Without an objective, God-given moral standard, the terms “right and wrong”, “obscenity and purity”, “good and evil” become meaningless. Here is a list of questions you can ask when you suspect a piece of writing or film is pornographic: 1. If I receive the advice or follow the example set in this work, will my family be strengthened or weakened (Ephesians 5:22-23)? 2. Does this work suggest the creativity and self-giving which properly attends a sexual relationship; or does it deny it (1 Corinthians 7:3-5)? 3. Does the work present sexual relations in terms of self-gratification and the using of others? Is the root: love? Hate? Violence? (1 Thessalonians 4:3-7). 4. Does the work create a sexual excitement which can be fulfilled only in adultery, fornication, homosexuality, incest, etc.? Does it encourage immoral behavior (Hebrews 13:4)? By these standards alone much of the material marketed from the magazine racks of your city are destructive to family and civic life. What about those magazine racks? What course of action can we take? I believe most businessmen feel trapped by supposed company policy or public desire. So they go on selling what their own conscience tells them is filth. We need to express our displeasure to the managers and owners of these stores. We need to encourage them to exercise moral strength and leadership by ridding their racks of this trash. There are always a few businessmen who want the fast dollar and who could “care less” how they make it. These men will argue artistic quality, literary excellence, relevance, etc., etc., ad infinitum. But the dollar is what they are after as they disguise their greed in pseudo-intellectual arguments. Finally there is the businessman who has so immersed himself in the pig-trough of pornography, that the stench no longer bothers him. He wants others to smell the way he does so he freely shovels the slop onto anyone who gets close enough. My dear reader, I’d like to encourage you to do several things:
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1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Commit, before God, to complete this book in its entirety. Check the reading material of your children. Discuss the problem with your friends and neighbors. Complain to the owners and managers of the stores selling obscene literature. Complain to the police that such books are being sold. Expect enforcement of existing laws. 6. Urge the Town Council and Chamber of Commerce to face the problem. 7. Consider forming a public forum on the issue. We cannot afford the consequences of a generation with twisted and perverted views of human sexuality, family traditions, manhood and womanhood. Pornography degrades men and women. It’s time for real men and women to oppose it with conviction. I thank God for those business men and store owners who have the courage and moral fortitude to resist the rising of filth. Don’t forget to encourage them. “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” For your own sake and that of your family, get rid of the pornography! 1
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Sixty days to freedom
Instructions for this program: This program provides a sixty day immersion in the Word of God. It has been designed solely for the purpose of helping people overcome addiction to sexual sin. It pulls no punches. The program is not for the faint of heart. You must be serious about obtaining victory over your addiction. Our program uses the 'one day at a time' principle, implementing experiences, commentary, and Bible study. It is an excellent tool! It works! Sixty Days to Freedom has been created to help you renew your mind. You must follow it through! For the next sixty days you will be provided with an experience from someone who has struggled with pornography, biblical commentary, fill-in-the-blank questions; and a Bible study. During this time you must totally refrain from any form of sexual sin. This includes habitual masturbation, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, pornography, and any ritual related activity. If you do partake in any of these activities during this period, you must begin the program again. The idea is to obtain sixty complete days of freedom! God bless you as you embark on your path to freedom. The daily stories were compiled from a massive response to a call for help on the Internet. They have come from people from all over the world struggling just like you. Many of these stories have been left in their original form to preserve their authenticity. However, they have been edited for basic grammatical and spelling errors. May God give you the strength and perseverance necessary to complete this sixty day program.
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 1 of 60 (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin.)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: Challenge: High Tech Porn (This letter was posted on the Internet by a challenge Christians to stay out of the pornographic areas of the net.)
Christian man to
“ We have been Bunny Rabbit Christians for too long. We have been the devil's little pet, allowing him to cuddle and lull us to sleep in his arms. We have apologized for being too religious and are scared to stand up for God for fear of being called fanatics. Jesus was a radical. He openly proclaimed the truth, and sometimes it was so hard that the very crowds that followed him turned back. Let the dead bury the dead!!! Let's follow Him. This is not a cheerleading session! Some of us are no more a danger to the devil and the forces of evil than a folded paper fan to a brick house. Get the trash and filth off of your hard drives, out of your houses, and rub those evil CD-roms on the pavement and then get on your knees and ask the Lord to forgive you. Get out of those newsgroups that keep you up all night and keep you out of the prayer closet. Yes YOU, the one reading this! How do you expect to be useful to God when you can't even crucify your own flesh? God has a mighty work for you to do but the devil has beaten you up so badly that you would have to lift yourself up just to get close to a kneeling position. The demons, and the dark forces of hell mock you and taunt you for your frivolous attempts to share the gospel. What's that you got in your hand? Well it's supposed to be the Sword of the Spirit. You know what I mean! Don't even think about making excuses, God knows what you've been up to. It's time you did a lot of deleting and repenting. You're in dangerous territory, dude. When Samson was leading Israel, he was constantly seen coming from the prostitutes homes. Guess what? He paid with his eyes. Yes, this is the Internet, and you are in your own home, and no-one can see you. Well, the King of the Universe can see you, and he wants you to repent. He is able and willing to forgive your sins, but you have to REPENT! OK, enough said. I know it's hard to do this, but victory comes through fasting and prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit to break the chains of demonic bondage. Choose ye this day whom you will serve...” 2
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Sixty days to freedom
Commentary: This is a very poignant message. It spoke to me even as I was compiling this book! Sometimes we need a good spiritual flogging to get our attention. I may not be an Internet user, but how does this message apply to me? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ What, if anything, did the Holy Spirit, through this message, motivate me to do? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: Rom 8:5-10 5
6 7 8 9
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Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.
(NIV) The battleground is the mind. We are a vessel. We can choose to be captained by sin, or by the Holy Spirit. The choice is yours; the time is now, You belong to Christ and He desperately wants to be Lord of every part of your life!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 2 of 60 - Be sure to thank God for another day. (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: A Catholic’s Response: I am a Roman Catholic. According to traditional RC teachings, all sorts of temptation can be overcome by God's grace. To put it in practical terms, there are a few things you can do: Pray persistently: prayer is a source of strength from God, and by constant, earnest, and true-hearted prayer you become closer to God. Prayer is also an effective channel for God's grace to come to your heart. Persistent prayer doesn't mean prolonged and draggy prayer. It means more frequent prayers. One particular prayer Catholics like to take is the Rosary. Both the teaching from the RC church and my personal experience found that this is an exceptionally effective weapon against Satan. By saying daily Rosary you can be transformed --- to a degree even yourself would not believe. But be persistent. The key is not only prayer, but persistent, non-stop prayer. - Attending Mass: Mass is the perfect form of prayer, according to Catholics. If possible, attend daily Mass. Read the Bible daily. But don't just read. Be more enthusiastic about it, check out and read some more commentary, etc. Make sure you understand it. Whatever you do, do it with persistence. There are short-term benefits to prayer and Bible readings, but battling Satan is a life-time process. In other words, stay focused, don’t let the daily routine interfere with your relationship to God. Don't expect that things will turn out fine in one or two days; it will take perseverance. Also, if you fall again, NEVER GIVE UP. Battling Satan is a life-long war. There’s bound to be peaks and valleys. Keep going on.
Commentary: This gentleman speaks of three very important things. God’s grace, the importance of prayer, and the importance of perseverance.
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What does Gods grace mean to me in my specific struggle? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ How can I increase my prayer life? (Be Specific) ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ How can God’s grace help me develop perseverance? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading:
Rom 12:1-2 1 2
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-- this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will.
(NIV) Throughout this book there will be references to the battle of the mind. Paul gives us the key to victory in verse two; “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Your mind is very much like a tape recorder. It simply replays what is recorded on it. If you re-record, or transform your mind through prayer, and Bible study (very important), you will be transformed from the “pattern of this world”.
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Day 3 of 60 - Be sure to thank God for another day. (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: I've been married for 10 years now and have struggled sexually much longer than that. I've gone to see a counselor several times....church on a regular basis...talked it over with Christian friends (some who have struggled as I have) read many books articles etc. and nothing seems to help.... I have accepted Jesus in my life, but I'm not as close as I want to be, I guess I'm in the learning mode. My wife helps all she can, but these tendencies haven't gone away. I think the bottom line is that no one can REALLY help us but US!! Sure, counselors can try to examine us and analyze our lives from the day we were born, and tell us 'This is why you are the way you are!' .....big deal....what good does that do??? If I still continue to do the things I've done for most of my life, telling my WHY I feel that way doesn't do anything to stop me from continuing to do those things.
Commentary: This gentleman seems to be venting. He has struggled for years and can’t seem to make any progress. There is a fundamental problem with his approach to the problem. He has tried to overcome the addiction through works, going to church, reading books and articles, talking to friends... He also says “I think the bottom line is that no one can REALLY help us but US!!” It should read: “I think the bottom line is that no one can REALLY help us but the LORD JESUS CHRIST!!” Another key quote from this gentleman is in the second paragraph: “I have accepted Jesus in my life, but I’m not as close as I want to be...” Remember, Jesus has paid the price for all of your sins, past, present and future. Do not let your sin get in the way of getting ‘close’to your Lord. His grace is sufficient, claim it, and realize its awesome power!
We’ve all felt like the man above. How does God’s grace provide freedom for us to get ‘closer to Him? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Does the freedom provided by God’s grace release us from any responsibility to overcome sin in our lives?______________ Why? Sixty days to freedom
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________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ What is a one line response, in light of today’s lesson, you can bring to mind anytime you are tempted to participate in sin? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading:
Rom 3:22-24 22 23 24
This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
(NIV) The incredible freeing power of God’s grace is apparent in this passage. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God”; that is the reason we sincerely need God. No one is worthy; that’s the beauty of it! Nothing you can do will earn you the Kingdom of God, and yet He freely offers it to you in spite of yourself. For that very reason your resolve to have victory over this sin should be increased beyond measure. God wants to use you in a mighty way. If sin is in your life, it is hampering His purpose for your life. Keep going!!! You are on the road to abundant life; don’t look back!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 4 of 60 - Be sure to thank God for another day. (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: I'm 37 with a wife and no kids. God saved me from my sexual obsessions ( I lived for the weekend hunt ) by breaking my back ( I'm now a paraplegic). He knew I would eventually come to him. I tried to find new ways to satisfy my desires through porn and drugs. Then I accepted Jesus and was Baptized. Don't try to take this on yourself. Just remind yourself that God is giving you some kind of lesson. Don't worry. Have faith that all will be worked out. Realize that even with all our good intentions we are unable to resist sin without the help of the Holy Spirit ( see Romans ). However, You are going to have to take the first step. My first step meant that I had to eliminate all porn from my home. Lots of prayer is also a must. If you have magazines, toss them. You will find that you are given strength with this action. Stay away from tv for a while. Read all of the New Testament and you will find a communion with God that will amaze you. Commentary: This post is especially fascinating because this individual believes that God broke his back to save him from his sexual obsession. This brings up two interesting questions. First, does God use physical afflictions to bring us to a place of total surrender to Him? The Bible talks of “the chastening of the Holy Spirit”, but does this chastening include examples such as paralysis? God may, in His infinite wisdom and sovereignty, choose to use disabilities and disease to bring us to Him. The most important thing to remember is that life without Him is far worse than the abundant life we have in Him, even with a physical affliction. Secondly, does God use physical afflictions to bring us out of a pattern of sin? The Bible indicates that there is a point at which God will turn us over to the full consequences of our sin. HIV, Syphilis, and Herpes, as well as a lifetime robbed of the benefits of God-ordained male/female intimacy, are just a few terrifying consequences of sexual addiction.
Does God owe us protection from the consequences of our sin?___________ Why? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
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If you have already reaped the physical consequences of this sin in one way or another, what should your attitude towards God be? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: Rom 1:27b-32 27b ...and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. 28 Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. (NIV) How would you feel to know that your Creator had “turned you over to a depraved mind?” ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ This passage suggests that these people seemed to have some sort of knowledge of God (v.32). Yet they continued to sin willfully, and encouraged others to do the same by their approval. This is a sobering thought; God is a gracious God, but He also will not be mocked. Repentance is required! Do not under-estimate the importance of that requirement, and PRESS ON!!
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Day 5 of 60 - Be sure to thank God for another day. (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: A few suggestions: 1. Everything that goes through your mind leaves an indent, a residue. This applies to everything, pornography and the Bible. Saturate yourself in the Word. Read it constantly. It has the power to renew your mind. Realize that porn is attractive to your flesh, but it is leaving your mind scarred. 2. Read the book of Proverbs every day. It talks much about sex sin, and gives the right view of it - including the end result. 3. Confess your problems to your wife. There is no need to tell her all the details - just tell her enough so she gets the idea. Ask for her forgiveness; tell her you are trying to reform. Ask her to pray for you. Become accountable to her - have her ask you every so often "how are you doing?" if your wife is not a Christian, substitute your pastor or a good reliable friend. 4. Realize you're not alone. All males struggle with it. 5. Realize that God is holy, and will only accept into His Kingdom those who are holy too. Psalm 24:3-4 6. I have discovered in the past that when a sin has control over one part of me, the other part of me wants to give it up. If I pray sincerely to God and ask Him to help me, and I make a sincere effort. God is gracious and does what I cannot do. Commentary: There are several outstanding suggestions in this post. First, we have another confirmation of the importance of renewing our minds (suggestion two). Second, the suggestion of an accountability partner. The importance of this suggestion cannot be over emphasized. This battle, as you know, cannot be won on your own. We are in a battle, and we need an army! Remember, we are not alone in this struggle. Chances are some of your closest friends, are struggling, or have struggled with this same issue. Make use of that vital resource! Proverbs says, “as iron sharpeneth iron, so one man sharpens another.”
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Who do I trust with my accountability?_____________________________ What can I gain from becoming accountable to another? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ What practical things can I do to implement a system of accountability with my partner? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: Eph 6:12-18 12
13 14 15 16 17 18
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
(NIV) This battle is against the powers of darkness. Paul asks for the prayers of his brothers and sisters. Not only does he put on the whole armor of God, but he also utilizes the prayers of the army of God!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 6 of 60 - Be sure to thank God for another day. (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: I have good news for you! Nothing is impossible for God. Admit to Jesus that you have a problem; tell him that you have tried to give it up by yourself, then ask him to forgive you. Tell him that this is too hard for you to carry, and cast this burden over to Him. Ask Him to take the desire for these sinful things from you. You have to make up your mind on how you will react when temptation knocks on the door the next time. The sword of the Spirit is what I use. Quote scripture. “Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.” Tell the Spirit of temptation to go back to hell; plead the blood of Jesus on yourself. Praise God for the victory! You are more than a conqueror through Him that loves you. Commentary: Nothing is impossible for God!! Those have to be some of the most encouraging words in the entire Bible. It doesn’t say “almost nothing is impossible for God”, it says NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE. Yes, this includes your struggle with sexual addiction. The most tragic attribute of this sin is its propensity for privacy. No one wants to admit to struggling with such a detestable thing. The covert nature of this sin leaves many feeling alone in their struggle. This is terrible. We need the Lord to help us, and very often that help comes through others. Becoming transparent to someone you trust, as we learned yesterday, can be the most difficult step in the journey to victory over this sin. Remember the promise, You are more than a conqueror through Him that loves you! We must utilize the tools God makes available to us, take that step, you won’t regret it. If you already have, do not let it taper off! Keep that accountability relationship strong, even when you don’t feel like it!
How can you practically apply the “Nothing is impossible” promise to your situation? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
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Sixty days to freedom
What is keeping, or did keep you, from becoming accountable to a Christian brother or sister for so long? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Describe some benefits that go along with having an accountability partner. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: Matt 19:23-26 23 24 25 26
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
(NIV) Jesus is using an example of something that seems utterly impossible to man for the purpose of illustrating His omnipotence. There is nothing He can’t do. Your addiction seems insurmountable; but to Him all things are possible! You have to resolve to win this battle, claim the promises of God’s Word, and go on to victory! Don’t be discouraged. He will go with you to the end!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 7 of 60 - Praise God for an entire week! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: 1. Ask a strong prayer partner to pray for you. Another man, who would understand the temptation of pornography better than a woman, would be preferable. 2. Ask someone to hold you accountable. This person should ask you regularly whether you have partaken in your sin. This should be the same person as above, and should occur at least weekly. 3. Recognize that you are weak in the flesh, and cannot possibly beat this without God's intervention. You have to rely totally on Him to win. Your own strength is inadequate. 4. Are you doing or being called to do some important work for God? If so, know that Satan will do his best to keep you from doing God’s work. Therefore, your temptation will be stronger than ever before. Knowing that fact can strengthen your resolve against it and your reliance upon God. I did not think I had a problem with pornography until I started doing an important work for God. 5. Recognize that pornography LIEs about sexuality, about humanity, about love, about true beauty, and about women. The Great Deceiver wants to trap you. 6. RUN AWAY from any temptation that you encounter. Commentary: This post brings out a new angle. Are you being called for an important work for God? The Bible tells us that our leaders are much more susceptible to the enemy’s attacks. What is an important work for God? Deacons, Elders, Pastors, Music Ministers, Christian Education Leaders, Ushers, Lay Workers, and even Parents are called ministers. Remember, the more servanthood and ministry you take on, the more open you become for attack. God is with you. Create a hedge around yourself through prayer, Bible study, and fellowship with christian brothers and sisters. What ‘important work’for God are you undertaking right now? ________________________________________________________________
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Sixty days to freedom
What are the tools you can use to defend against the inevitable attacks? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Why does the ‘Father of Lies’attack Christian leaders more intensely? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading:
1 Pet 5:6-10 6 7 8 9 10
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
(NIV) Verse eight is an admonition to all of us. Be self-controlled and alert! The enemy prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. When you undertake a role of ministry at any level the devil becomes angry. He targets you. He wants to devour you. Stand firm! Know that you are not alone (vs.9). The best part of this battle is the period of restoration. Verse ten contains a promise, the God that called you, and will restore you! He will make you strong, firm and steadfast. Keep going; you have had an entire week of success, don’t turn back now!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 8 of 60 - Praise God for another day! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: I too have the problem. There are no quick answers. For me, now 30, it started with abuse by my brother when I was around 10 years old. That got me started; and stopping has proven very difficult. I am beating it now with support from my wife and my Pastor. For me the key has been revealing the problem to someone else - my pastor. He was great! He recognized that porn is a problem experienced by most men at some time in their lives. That acceptance made a real difference. I’ve also started to work through the problems the abuse has caused. One of Satan’s favorite tricks is to convince us that we are weak and unworthy of the love of Christ. The solution is to immediately confess it, and ask forgiveness. Realize that whatever you do, God still loves you. Salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ alone. Come before your father and ask forgiveness. HE WILL FORGIVE! Commentary: This man took a very difficult step. He admitted he was struggling to his Pastor. Most people want their pastors to see them as ‘spiritual’. Very few people want their pastor to see the flaws in their lives. This is an unfortunate truth in most churches today. The pastor is the most equipped of anyone in most cases to help you win this war! He has devoted his life to ministry. He is most likely trained in counseling. He is the most qualified to help you bring about change; therefore, if anyone should know about your struggles, he is the one! Don’t let your own petty pride get in the way of an important step towards recovery. Don’t make the same mistake too many are making; go see your pastor. Let him help you. If you feel uncomfortable telling him face to face, write him a letter and have him read it in your presence. He will not pass judgment on you; he will assist you to victory! Why do I feel so awkward about approaching my pastor with my struggle? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ What valuable resources will I gain by telling my pastor? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Sixty days to freedom
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Sixty days to freedom
What sin is at the root of my hesitation to tell my pastor, and how can I change? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: Prov 8:13 13 To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. Prov 11:2 2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. Prov 13:10 10 Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice. Prov 16:18 18 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Prov 21:24 24 The proud and arrogant man--" Mocker" is his name; he behaves with overweening pride. Prov 29:23 23 A man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor. The proverbs are full of references rebuking pride. Pride is the epitome of selfishness. Pride will always bring a man to destruction. The flip side of pride is humility. God honors the humble spirit throughout His word. Perhaps the first step to humility would be to admit your problem to your pastor. The sin of sexual addiction is deeply rooted in selfishness. It is self-gratification to the max! Dying to self, and becoming humble, is one of the most important steps on the road to recovery.
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 9 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: I've found that if I get mad, I lose. That's the time I'm most vulnerable, especially when I'm mad at my wife. I have in the back of my mind the idea that I have some kind of right to this kind of pleasure. If my wife's too tired or not in the mood, I get the attitude that if I can't have it with her then I'll have it without her. For me it's largely a matter of habit. I start associating certain things with this. I think it's a matter of realizing that God intends that we come to grips with this. He won't zap us if we don't, and his grace IS sufficient. That has to be our operating principle, otherwise we'll beat ourselves over the head every time we stumble, and we'll think it's God that's doing the beating. On the other hand, if we realize that we are secure in our relationship with God, we have the opportunity to really get squared away in this area of our lives, without any pressure and with only mercy awaiting us in our weakness. Recently a verse from Romans really struck me. It says, For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace (Rom. 6:14). This is a weird verse. The idea here seems to be that the very fact that we're not condemned by the law will somehow help us live upright lives. I guess the answer is to keep trying---I mean keep praying, keep bringing it before the Lord, and stay away from temptation. I guess that we also need to believe that God will act---that he really intends for us to be pure and he'll help us get there. Commentary: This man begins his post with the statement ‘if I get mad I lose’. He has hit on a very important point. Anger is the root of many sins. Anger can destroy families, jobs, relationships, and eventually lives. We need to bring our anger to the cross and leave it there. When we become angry we become irrational. We are capable of any sin if we allow our rage to go unchecked. At the root of anger is selfishness. Someone, or something, violates our space and we become livid! I cannot stress the importance of dying to self enough. Until we can truly die to our selfish desires, we cannot have victory over this sin.
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Sixty days to freedom
What has made me angry recently? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Why is the anger in the above situation rooted in selfishness? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ What can I do to avoid becoming angry the next time this happens? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: Eph 4:26-32 26 27 28 29 30 31 32
"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
(NIV) Bitterness, rage and anger, grieve the Holy Spirit. Anger also gives the devil a foothold. We know that once the devil gets a foothold, we will fall! Let’s deny him that. The next time you become angry, remember that you are not only giving the devil a foothold, but you are also grieving the Holy Spirit! Resolve your anger immediately; don’t let it fester, and DO NOT let the sun go down on your wrath.
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 10 of 60 - Praise God, for another day! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: I am 28, married with one child, and I constantly fight with myself over the urge to view pornography. Some days are better than others, but I have never been able to get rid of the desire. I wish I had better news for you, but I grew up in a non-Christian home where porn was readily accessible. And for as far back as I can remember, porn has shaped my desires to one extent or another. I really wish I could kick it, I've tried going cold turkey, but not with any lasting success. And unfortunately, the Internet is proving to be a daily battle for me, since the availability of porn photo's and text is so high. In fact, I got out for awhile, but came back and told myself that I was strong enough to abstain... I was wrong. Commentary: This guy is obviously struggling with guilt. Guilt is a tool of the devil to keep Christians in a perpetual state of ineffectiveness. He knows what he is doing is wrong, but he continues to do it. This is another classic example of the battleground of the mind. Satan wants us to feel unworthy, guilty, and unable to control our sinful desires. We must realize that we are not capable of righteousness. We are sinful, by nature, and until we stop trying to become righteous through our own power, we will continue to struggle and fall. We need to turn our lives, sinful desires and all, over to the gracious Lord. We have the power to make the choice. Will we continue to insult the power of the cross by feeling guilty when we fall? The cross obliterates our guilt! The price has been paid. We can hold our heads high! Claim the awesome power of God’s grace and move forward. Learn from your mistakes; don’t revel in them. Make your body a vessel for the Lord to use in whatever way He sees fit. List any unconfessed sins below: ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Confess the above sins immediately, and ask your Father’s forgiveness. List any confessed sins (in pencil) that have been making you feel guilty. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Sixty days to freedom
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Sixty days to freedom
How does the elimination of guilt help me to become more righteous? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading:
Rom 7:15-25 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do-- this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God-- through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
(NIV) Even Paul struggled with habitual sin, and look at the powerful witness he was! We need to make our minds slaves to God’s law! Now erase all of the sins you listed above, and NEVER bring them up again! They are forgiven.
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 11 of 60 - Praise God, for another day! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: I have had the same such problems since I was about 12; now I'm almost 20. My past keeps coming back to haunt me, and though I've deleted my pornography collection, and thrown away all the magazines I can remember, I am still tempted to glance at anything that happens to come my way. I also frequently give in to that temptation. I pray about this often and hope that the good Lord will guide me to a solution. I have just come to terms with the fact that I am struggling with a pornography addiction more severe than of most. I never thought I had a problem because the pornography I viewed wasn't violent or abusive in nature by human standards; now I realize that pornography is abusive to the Lord's intentions on sexuality. Sometimes I get discouraged whenever I think lustful thoughts, but something that keeps me going is Galatians 5:23; the Holy Spirit will help me gain the self-control I so desire. Commentary: Although this young man seems to struggle with guilt, he is on the right track. Selfcontrol is a fruit of the Spirit. It originates from Him. The pathway to self-control is lined with the Holy Spirit. We must allow Him to fill our lives and take control. When a Christian arrives at the point of total surrender to the Holy Spirit, he begins to receive his fruit. The key is total surrender. At some point every overcomer arrives at the end of himself. For some, reaching that point can be devastating; for others not as dramatic. Regardless of how you get there, you must die to yourself and become a new creation. That is when the Christian experiences lasting change. Surrender your will to the Holy Spirit today, and be free of your sin and your guilt! How can feeling guilty hamper your service to the Lord? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ What does dying to self mean to you? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
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Sixty days to freedom
How can you begin the task of putting your sinful nature to death? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading:
Gal 5:19-26 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 (NIV)
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
If you find yourself more accurately described by verses 19 - 21, beware, you probably have not surrendered your life to the Holy Spirit. When you have truly surrendered; your life will take on the attributes described in verses 22 & 23. Sexual addiction is an obvious indicator that you still dwell in the sinful nature. Allow the Holy Spirit to take over your life and transform your mind from the sin nature. How do you do this? Read the Word of God daily! Pray daily! Barrage your mind with that which is pure and acceptable in His sight!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 12 of 60 - Praise God, for another day! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: Seven suggestions - Part 1: 1. Tell your pastor. Don't worry about the shame of confessing to him. [The shame will be much worse standing before a much higher authority in heaven if we do not deal with our sins now]. He will be an ally. If he is a Godly man he will be an accountability partner. Or if he is too busy himself, he will find a person willing and able to be an accountability partner for you. Telling your sin to the highest authority in your church commits you to action. However, before going to him, be sure you are serious about pursuing purity. A spiritually healthy church will practice discipline against those who continue in sin. 2. On the weekends be sure to take a Sabbath day's rest in this sense. Make sure you experience vibrant, joyous worship. Find a church that fits this description. The lusts of the world become dim in the presence of exalted worship of our Lord. We especially need to stand in that light when we are weak. I am not a charismatic (or maybe not yet...) but there is a charismatic church in my area which is wonderful in this respect. I attend for this very reason. Commentary: This man offers seven suggestions, two of which we deal with today. The first suggestion is confirmation of what we’ve previously studied. If you haven’t told your pastor, what is keeping you? How serious are you about getting this sin behind you? Are you afraid of the possibility of church discipline? Church discipline is not instituted to punish, but rather to restore a sinner to the path of righteousness. Become accountable to your pastor That is perhaps the single, most powerful step you can take in this battle. The second point this gentleman provides is the power of joyous worship of your Heavenly Father. No other time during the week is your resolve against sexual sin so strong as when you are in the presence of other believers, lifting your voice in the praise of your Lord. Worship Him daily, you may want to purchase Christian praise recordings and listen to them at every opportunity. When you can’t listen, offer Him constant praise in your thoughts. There is strength in worship; use it!
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Sixty days to freedom
What are your pastor’s strengths, and how can they be of help to you in this struggle? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Why do you feel so strong in the presence of humble worship of our Lord? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ What can you do to continue this feeling throughout the week? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: Ps 150:1-6 1 2 3 4 5 6 (NIV)
Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.
Everything you do should glorify your Lord. Your job, family-life, daily chores, business dealings, and relationships all need to offer praise to the One that gave you life and breath. There is endless strength in humbling yourself before God. Fall flat on your face and acknowledge His Lordship not only over your life, but over the entire universe! Praise Him in all that you do!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 13 of 60 - Praise God, for another day! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: Seven Suggestions - Part 2: 3. How many of your close friends know? Tell them and they will be your allies if they are genuine friends. 4. Once you confess and renounce your sexual sins know that you are completely forgiven. Sometimes we need the context of mature brothers to remind us we are forgiven. 5. Once we renounce our sins, He will not leave us unprotected. He will give us strength to lead us to victory. However, we must realize that we are responsible to aggressively exercise the spiritual weapons that he has given us. For example, there is a verse in James which says "resist the devil and he will flee from you". Knowing this spiritual truth; we are responsible to resist temptations the moment we sense them. Commentary: Along with forgiveness, comes responsibility. The Lord gives us the tools to use against the wiles of the devil and we have a responsibility to utilize them. This is not to say that we will never fall, but we must make every effort to allow the Spirit to have control over our sinful desires. We have been given the full armor of God to do battle with temptation; we must use it. From the break of dawn to dusk we must put on the armor and fight the good fight. This armor is a key factor in our success. The Lord will go with you if you allow Him Lordship over your life. Just as a seasoned soldier knows the steps necessary to be victorious in battle, so will you become seasoned as you practice doing battle the Lord’s way. It will get easier; just persevere, never give up, and continue to be vigilant.
What are your responsibilities after you accept your Father’s forgiveness for your sins? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
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Sixty days to freedom
What is the full armor of God? (Ephesians 6:13) ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Why do you think the Bible is called the ‘Sword of the Spirit?’ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: James 1:2-6 2 3 4 5 6
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. -- (NIV)
We should rejoice because we are struggling! Our struggle indicates that the Lord is completing His work in our lives. It is a test. The result of passing this test is maturity, and completion! Coupled in this passage is a reference to wisdom. How do we get wisdom? We ask God for it. Simple. Wisdom is a fine jewel that can only be obtained from the Almighty. Pray for wisdom daily. Another key to victory over sin mentioned in this passage is perseverance. The Lord considers perseverance very important. He allows trials in the lives of those He loves for the express purpose of developing perseverance. You will be tempted many times to quit this journey. Instead, press on; persevere! Not only are you on the road to victory over this sin, but also to maturity, wisdom and perseverance. Praise God for the opportunity to be tested!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 14 of 60 - Praise God, for your second week of recovery! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: Seven Suggestions - Part 3: 6. It is the small compromises that lead to big ones. Watching TV with a lustful intent leads to deeper and darker compromises. Therefore commit yourself to follow the absolute purity of Christ. Guard your thoughts and inward meditations. When you find lustful images arising, confess those thoughts, and praise the Lord for His victory and purity. Remember that it is not sin to be tempted; sin only occurs when you give in to those temptations. 7. Be careful of analyzing your past failures. Unless you sense the Lord expressly guiding you to revisit a particular episode, it is best to let the dead works of the past lie in their grave. Revisiting them can be a fresh source of temptation and depression. Look ahead to the new life that the Lord has established for you. You owe it not only to yourself, but also to the Lord and His Kingdom. Know that His power is immediately available to deliver you. He does not make such a universal promise to heal physical illnesses. But he has made a bold universal promise to forgive and deliver you from your sin. Commentary: Small compromises. How many times have you watched a television show that set off the urge to participate in sexual sin? Our society now accepts, as normal, frequent references to sex on virtually every primetime show. The screen is littered with seductive materials every day. Perhaps putting the television set away for a time would be a good step. Remember, our minds are similar to tape recorders, whatever goes in stays in, and plays back over and over again. Would you feel comfortable sitting down for an evening with Jesus and watching the filth that comes over the wires into your home nightly? This point is not necessarily limited to television; how about those magazines and novels? Replace those activities with activities that are pure and acceptable to God. Study your Bible; spend quality time with your family; renew your mind! What TV shows do you watch that the Holy Spirit is moving you to discontinue? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
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Sixty days to freedom
What other things in your life contribute to your temptations to partake in sexual sin? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ What are some things you could do to replace the time you spend in front of the boob tube, or involved in other tempting acts? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading:
2 Cor 10:3-5 3 4 5
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
(NIV) The weapons Christ makes available to us have the power to demolish demonic strongholds! Through Christ we have the power to tear to pieces the chains that have bound us for so long. That is power! Claim that power and do some serious demolishing! Be strong in the Lord, fight this battle with your head held high, and you will have victory!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 15 of 60 - Praise God, for another day! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: You call it right when you call it addiction. I wish I had easy, fast answers to this "thorn in the flesh." I'm still in process as I discover the broken parts of my life which lead to the addiction. Know this - one of the weapons of the enemy in this battle we share is SHAME. It keeps the whole issue ( the "acting out, the ritualistic compulsions, the heart issues behind it all) hidden (in darkness). Coming to the Light in Jesus is the only answer. Unfortunately for our comfort level - forgiveness, repentance and healing (although freely provided through the finished work of Jesus) are not fully received by us if we remain hidden. I encourage you to find a "safe place" to come into the light. There's something about the authority and cleansing we can "mid-wife" to each other when we pronounce each other forgiven by the Blood of the Lamb. Commentary: Shame. What a powerful weapon. Unfortunately it is a very effective weapon the deceiver uses against those struggling with sexual sins. There is a stigma attached to this type of sin that is not accepted as easily as other addictions. This fact serves as a strong motivator to silence. We don’t want to be vulnerable to ridicule, so we bottle our struggles up deep in our psyches. Then we attempt the impossible; overcoming this addiction on our own. This gentleman writes about coming out of the darkness and into the light. Part of coming into the light is to ‘enlighten’someone else of our problems. We have talked frequently of accountability partners, and will continue to do so throughout this book. There was a study performed by a farmer that is useful in illustrating this point. He wanted to compare how much weight his horse could pull on its own, and with another at its side. The horse pulled 2500 lb. by itself, and 12,500 lb. with a partner! The weight was multiplied by five times with another horse. We are the same way; we can accomplish so much more with a brother or sister at our side helping us pull the weight. If you haven’t already, become accountable to someone else. If you have, do not let that relationship fade away! What types of struggles has/could an accountability partner help you overcome? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
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Sixty days to freedom
Why do you think this book continues to stress the importance of accountability? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Give an example in your life where a close friend has helped you out of a jam. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading:
1 Sam 20:4-7 4 5
6
7
Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you want me to do, I'll do for you." So David said, "Look, tomorrow is the New Moon festival, and I am supposed to dine with the king; but let me go and hide in the field until the evening of the day after tomorrow. If your father misses me at all, tell him, 'David earnestly asked my permission to hurry to Bethlehem, his hometown, because an annual sacrifice is being made there for his whole clan.' If he says, 'Very well,' then your servant is safe. But if he loses his temper, you can be sure that he is determined to harm me.
(NIV) David and Jonathan are a perfect example of friends bearing each other’s burdens. Without Jonathan, David would have been killed several times over. Jonathan was an extreme help to David in his times of need, even to the point of saving his life. We all need Jonathans, someone we can trust with our very lives. Surely there is someone you trust in which you can confide. That person could very well be your pastor. If you have already found someone, do something special for him/her today! If not, get on it!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 16 of 60 - Praise God, for another day! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: Going through the motions - Part 1: I struggled with the same problem for a long time going through the motions of being tempted, "asking" God for help, and not really meaning it. I used that to ease my conscience; actually committing the sin; feeling bad afterwards; and saying "sorry" whether I meant it or not. I was happy enough to live in bondage to this sin. After all I was a teenage male with no other sexual outlet and it seemed so "normal." Then, one day God scared the pants off me-he showed me what could happen if I didn't stop. That's not the end of the story. God lead me to talk/correspond with others in the same situation who were most helpful. Here's what I found out: 1. You cannot be helped unless you help yourself -- if you do not really want to stop, you won't. 2. You are not despicable for this. You are in bondage just as some others are in bondage to alcohol or drugs -- you can be helped. Remember, God will forgive you, so confess your sin. Commentary: Going through the motions. It’s almost a ritual. The temptation, the desires, the action, then the pity party afterwards. If we can learn to stop the ritual early in the game, we can avoid the action. This involves ‘taking every thought captive’before it becomes a desire and replace it with a pure thought. We all know that once the ritual begins, it has a snowball effect. It becomes more and more difficult to stop the inevitable ‘action’. The Holy Spirit can help here. When the initial thought occurs, ask Him immediately to remove it. If you are sincere in asking Him, He will respond. Don’t forget the importance of confessing your sin and then moving on. When you have unconfessed sin to deal with, it is often difficult to feel the Holy Spirit. Deal with that sin – confess it and leave it in the past and allow the Spirit to do His work. What types of things initiate ‘the ritual’in your life? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Sixty days to freedom
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Sixty days to freedom
Which of these things can you physically remove from your life? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Of the things you cannot remove, what can you do to reduce their effect on you? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: 1 Cor 6:15-20 15 16 17 18 19 20 (NIV)
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh." But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit. Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
This is a powerful admonition against sexual immorality. Verse eighteen says “Flee from sexual immorality”. This means run away, far away. The ritual begins with the thought. When the thought presents itself, FLEE! Stop the ritual before it gets rolling. Our bodies are the dwelling place, or temple, of the Holy Spirit; therefore, we need to keep the temple clean. The Lord loves us, and is not trying to take the pleasure out of our lives; he simply wants to protect us from the death and destruction that comes from sexual immorality. Heed this warning.
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 17 of 60 - Praise God, for another day! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: Going through the motions - Part 2: 3. How to stop. "He is faithful and just and will cleanse us from all unrighteousness." If you ask Him to free you and mean it, he will do it. 4. It is not the end of the world if you fail. Failure just proves you are human (remember Peter's denial, then "Go, feed my sheep"). If you do fail, confess and put your sin in your past. 5. Avoid the problem. For me it meant avoiding certain newsagents, tabloid newspapers, late night movies, and other similar things. If temptation comes, run away. The Lord's prayer says "Lead us not into temptation." That doesn't give us a license to walk into it ourselves. Martin Luther once said "the best way to exorcise the devil is to go and plow a field." Very true -- you cannot watch a porno movie if you are doing something that keeps your mind and body occupied elsewhere. Commentary: “The best way to exorcise the devil is to go and plow a field”. Filling our lives with other things can be very helpful in battling sexual addiction. I find that when I am participating in a healthy hobby, sport or activity, I don’t have the time to be tempted. Stay busy. Develop some activities designed to improve your enjoyment of life, and stick to them. Pursue getting your church involved in a Christian softball, or basketball league. Begin an improvement project for your church property. Church involvement provides valuable fellowship and a healthy outlet for your energies. Remember to honor Jesus in all that you do – even in play. List three possible hobbies/activities you could pursue. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
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Sixty days to freedom
How could you involve your family and friends? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ How do you think a hobby or activity would help you in your struggle against sexual sins? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading:
I Jn 1:6-10 6 7 8 9 10
If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
(NIV) John talks about the relationship between walking in the light and having fellowship with one another. Fellowship with other believers is a vital part of our Christian walk. We cannot walk in the light without it. The ability to laugh, cry, and just spend time with other believers is a privilege we need to take advantage of every chance we get. Think of the times you’ve spent with other Christians. How many of those times did you even think of pursuing a sexual sin? Get involved with as many extra activities involving other believers you can. There is therapy in Christian company!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 18 of 60 - Praise God, for another day! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: I’m battling too - Part 1: This is something I'm really battling with just now, so I can certainly understand what you're going through. Tell your wife, if she doesn't already know. That is crucial; it might hurt at the time, but it will take a huge load off. One of the biggest problems I had was that no-one else knew. That allowed Satan to provoke me with this ‘horrible’secret. I told my girlfriend, and for a few months she was the only other person who knew. She couldn't see why I had a problem with it and I ended up getting annoyed and feeling she was just being unsupportive. However, I discovered that her knowledge of my problem was the beginning of my success. Don't expect your wife or girlfriend to understand what a problem you are having with it. Women are just different; but I expect you've realized that. Commentary: Telling your wife/girlfriend has been a consistent suggestion throughout this book. Have you told your wife? As you know, the covert nature of this sin can lead to lying, stealing, and sneaking around. It’s the snowball effect. Revealing your struggle may not totally eliminate the spin off sins, but it will vastly reduce them if you allow her to hold you accountable. This is very difficult. You want your wife to see you as ‘untouchable’in the realm of sin, and revealing this will produce a significant chink in your armor. However, having your wife’s support in this battle can be extremely strengthening. As this gentleman pointed out, she may not understand the ‘why’of your sin, but if she loves you, she will do all she can to help you overcome it. It is very important to assure her that this problem has nothing to do with her physical beauty. It is an addiction, similar to drugs or alcohol. Most of all, be sure to tell her that you know it is sin. Ask her for her support, and give her something tangible to do for you. Tell her to call you daily at work and ask you how you are doing. When you do become open with her, make every effort to tell her everything from that point forward; don’t slip back into silence and sneaking around!
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Sixty days to freedom
What kept you, or is keeping you, from telling your wife? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ What could you gain by becoming transparent to your wife? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Do you think there are things that you have done related to your struggle that may be best kept from your wife?_____________________________Why? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: Gen 2:18, 20-24 18 20 21 22 23 24
The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man." For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
(NIV) The Lord gave you a helper -- let her help! She is united with you; you are one flesh. Without her, you are fighting the battle with half of yourself tied behind your back. Tell your wife today. Ask for her forgiveness first, and then ask for her help!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 19 of 60 - Praise God, for another day! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: I’m battling too - Part 2: Find someone else to be accountable to and pray with a male friend if possible. It is vital to get rid of all the pornography you own. With 3 friends praying for me, I stopped for 25 days (and then started again, but I've accepted it's not going to be easy, so don't get downhearted!) . I've also found that I have to make a conscious effort to try to block out certain thoughts before they arise in order to nip it in the bud. It's tempting to imagine and dwell on the thoughts, but if you are prepared with ‘replacement thoughts’you can be successful. It is a decision you have to make before you begin your journey to sexual freedom. “When I am tempted I will think on these things....” Develop a mental library of ‘replacement thoughts. Don’t forget, temptation wouldn't be tempting if it wasn't attractive; therefore, it will take a real effort. Commentary: Temptation wouldn’t be tempting if it wasn’t attractive. That is Satan’s big lie. You have to make sexual sin unattractive to you. How can you do that? It is a decision. When you’re driving on a city street and you notice an attractive woman on the sidewalk you tend to ask yourself this question: “Wouldn’t that be nice”? If you’ve already determined the answer to that question, you can turn the temptation away. The answer is NO, that would NOT be nice! I have a family; it has the potential to destroy them! I have a relationship with my Creator; it has the potential to destroy that! I will not partake in this temptation; it is NOT attractive; it is disgusting! If you discipline yourself to respond to temptation in that fashion whenever it rears its ugly head, it will eventually become your natural response. Remember, the mind is like a tape recorder; it replays what you put in! What types of daily temptations do you experience? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
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Sixty days to freedom
What kinds of responses can you pre-program your mind to administer in the face of these temptations? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ What recent successes in this area can you relate? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: Phil 4:4-8 4 5 6 7 8
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-- think about such things.
(NIV) Think about such things! This is the key to victory over sexual addiction. Discipline yourself to dwell on pure and upright thoughts and it will eventually become natural! It won’t be easy at first, but don’t give up. Read your Bible and memorize verses that are especially meaningful to you. Having a library of meaningful verses committed to memory is an invaluable resource to call upon in the face of temptation. Don’t forget to rejoice in the Lord always. Rejoice when you are tempted. You are being tested, the Lord of the universe is bringing you to maturity!
Sixty days to freedom
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 20 of 60 - Praise God, for another day! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: Spiritual Warfare - Part 1: Hello, I just became a Christian about two years ago in my sophomore year of college. My sin was habitual masturbation. It had troubled me since I was about 14. When I became a Christian I knew it was wrong and I was quite ashamed of my sin. In fact, I was ashamed of it and wanted to quit long before I became a Christian. For the next year and a half I would abstain for a week or two, even up to a month at one point and then fell back into my sin. I was trying by my own power, of course. Every time I failed I wanted to give up Christianity because I felt I could never live up to God's standards and that He must be ashamed or angry at me. That feeling caused depression and left me suicidal. I prayed as hard as I could at times, demanding that God would keep His promise to free me from the power of sin. Then I read a book this summer that talked about spiritual warfare. It revealed some of the tactics Satan uses against Christians including demonic oppression. I had never given any of this a bit of thought until I saw my problems described in this book. The idea that God could actually hate us for our sins was just one of the many thoughts that Satan seemed to be putting into my mind. On top of that, I learned that a big symptom of demonic-oppression is compulsive sin (like mine). Commentary: We live in a spiritual realm. That fact is sometimes hard to see because of our natural environment. We live our daily lives interacting with other human beings and things, but we fail to acknowledge the spiritual. We must come to grips with the fact that there is a very powerful legion of demonic warriors attacking us every minute. When we become Christians we can no longer be demonically possessed, but we sure can be oppressed. We are waging war against a spiritual enemy, and we must use the weapons provided to us. We must be wary, but do not be intimidated. We have the victory in Christ Jesus; if He be for us, who can be against us? Describe the type of weapons the enemy uses against us daily. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
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Sixty days to freedom
Although we can be oppressed by demons, who is ultimately responsible for our sins?___________________________ Why? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Why can we be confident and stand strong against the powers of darkness? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading:
Rom 8:31-34 31 32 33 34
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all-- how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died-- more than that, who was raised to life-- is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
(NIV) This is hope eternal! We have the Creator of the universe on our side. No one can bring a charge against us. We are chosen and justified by God. The attacks of the devil are futile if we claim this promise. The victory has already been won! You should be starting to feel the chains loosening. If you have been faithful for nineteen days the results should be becoming evident. However, don’t get over confident; pride goeth before a fall. Keep going, and remain faithful! God is with you.
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 21 of 60 - Praise God, for another day! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: Spiritual Warfare - Part 2: It was hard to believe that I was being oppressed by demons, but the Bible does confirm their existence. Anyway, the book went on to talk about how one could get rid of demons ( or actually how we ask Christ to do it for us). I followed the steps as I read them, almost desperately wanting to be free. I have not masturbated since. It is not even a struggle to stop myself, I simply don't want to anymore. I do admit that I still have some lustful thoughts. However, I do not daydream about having sex with women anymore, nor do I dwell on my lustful thoughts. There was no greater gift God could have given me at that time than my freedom. I still praise and thank God for what He has done. Commentary: This young man needs to be desperately careful. He seems to be basking in victory and pride. This is extremely dangerous. Although we can easily become euphoric after a short period of success, we need to continue to be humble and realize our weaknesses. By now you are probably feeling a touch euphoric. You have made it twenty days without partaking in sexual sin. This is a lifetime compared to your previous daily struggle! Be wary, and don’t become prideful. Pride is a powerful tool of the devil, and it always comes before a fall. You have forty more days in this program, and the rest of your life to deal with. Be happy in your successes, but don’t become full of yourself. Persevere, Christian maturity is God’s goal for you life. We are in a ‘process of change’. Becoming Christ-like is a lifelong process, and you’ve just begun the journey, don’t finish the race before it is begun! What is the difference between pride and ‘being happy in your success’? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
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Sixty days to freedom
How can you keep prideful feelings under control during this battle? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Describe the way God wants you to feel as you experience successes in this battle. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: James 1:9-14 9 10 11
12 13 14
The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business. Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.
(NIV) This is biblical pride. It is the exact opposite of worldly pride. The man who is in what the world considers a high position, should humble himself and see his position as lowly. The key here is to realize that worldly things pass away. Someone reveling in worldly pride is much more susceptible to temptation than the man who realizes his weakness and humbles himself in his successes. Keep up the fight, but recognize your frail humanness!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 22 of 60 - Praise God, for your third week of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: I was afraid - Part 1: Shortly after getting onto the Internet I discovered that pornographic garbage was everywhere! Out of curiosity one day I took a peek. What a mistake that was! Within a short time I was addicted and I couldn't tear myself away. I felt horrible because I could not believe that someone such as I could have this kind of problem. I became quite depressed over it and I held a lot of fear. I was fearful because of the things I know and believe to be true. And that is, when lusting after a women you are committing adultery! As I participated in my sin, there was a saying that came to my mind, "He who sins against the greater light, receives the greater condemnation". Realizing this I became very afraid. I recall feeling so much fear that my temperature rose drastically and my body began to tremble. Still I felt powerless to stop. Commentary: Fear is another tool of the great deceiver. If the devil can successfully convince you that you are condemned forever, he can bring you to a point of giving up. Very often this is a crossroads. It is here that you decide which direction your life will take. This is typically very dramatic. It is a time a man remembers for the rest of his life. He is forced to choose. Will he give up and go with the father of lies down the broad path to destruction, or will he claim the awesome grace of God the Father and proceed on the narrow path to life? The fear of God is biblical. We must fear Him, but our fear should be coupled with total surrender because of His grace. Freedom from our sin is the purpose of forgiveness. God extends his hand of mercy and grace to all who ask for it. Don’t let the devil convince you that you are damned forever. You are God’s creation, and He wants to free you from your sin and guilt. Fear God, but remember His fantastic redemptive power!
What do you fear the most in life? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
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Sixty days to freedom
How can God’s promises free you from this fear? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Why should we fear God? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading:
Luke 12:5-10 5 6 7 8 9 10
But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. "I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
(NIV) Verse five tells us to fear God because of His power to determine our eternal destiny. That is just reason to fear Him. However, He is also a God who has the power to remember even the smallest sparrow. With that in mind, just think of the attention He gives us who “are worth more than many sparrows.” The knowledge of His love and watchful eye should also inspire us to acknowledge him according to verse 8. In return, He will acknowledge us before His angels!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 23 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: I was afraid - Part 2: Although I am a young adult, I feel unworthy to be in the presence of young women who are chaste and pure. I have seen things that I ought not, and as a result I feel that I have taken away the privacy of the young women around me. I am a Christian and I firmly believe that all men are accountable for their own thoughts and actions. I have confessed to an authority in my church and I have been working hard to overcome this dark temptation. I do not have a wife or girlfriend, so I have talked about my problem with my mother and she has been working with me to help me control my temptation. When I was a child I was sexually abused. This has been the cause of much of my struggle. I’ve been searching out sources for counseling on this subject. I believe that coming to grips with some of the root causes of this problem could be helpful in overcoming it. Commentary: Sexual abuse has lifelong effects on its victims. Sometimes counseling can help deal with the pain. However, there are some very important questions to answer when choosing a counselor. Is he/she a Christian? Does he/she believe in the inerrancy of the Word of God? From where do the principles for the program he/she offers come? Be very careful when choosing a counselor. The Bible commands us not to sit in the counsel of the unGodly. The only successful counseling comes from God’s Word. It is also very important not to use your past as an excuse for your present sexual sins. It can be very appealing to take the attitude, “it’s not my fault, I was.....”. Let the Lord heal your past, present and future. Don’t revel in that which you can’t change. Turn it around, use it for the glory of God! If you were a victim of some sort of sexual abuse, perhaps the Lord can use your experience to help others! That is the ultimate victory over the past! Is there anything in your past that may have contributed to your addictions of today? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
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Sixty days to freedom
How can you turn this around and use it for the glory of God? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Is there any acceptable excuse for your sexual sins?_______________ Why? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading:
2 Cor 5:17-21 17 18 19 20 21
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
(NIV) You are a new creation. The past is gone, the new has come! Leave your past behind, and dwell in what is to come. Be reconciled to God. Remember the price for the past has been paid. You are free! Keep your focus on the one who made himself sin for us. He alone can eliminate your shame.
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 24 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: My own struggle with pornography began when I was 12 years old and became worse after my father died at age 13. When I was 13 we were "allowed" to inherit his collection of pornography. Eventually, after I went to college, I discovered adult book stores. The struggle intensified. Becoming a Christian at 19 did not automatically solve the problem. I am now 29 years old, with two children, and I struggle as hard as ever with this issue. Recently, my wife committed herself to attending church with me at an Evangelical Free Church, which was a big step for my family. This has caused me to be accountable in a new way as the head of a household. The closer I come to the Lord, and the more I do in the church, the more the temptation for pornography intensifies. This new connection to the Internet has just added to my temptation as I explore areas of the Net where I don't belong! The Lord has been leading me to talk to my Pastor and get hooked up with some kind of accountability.... Commentary: When we become actively involved in the work of the Lord, we threaten the domain of Satan. He hates to see us involving ourselves in the Lord’s work. Consequently, he will launch an all out attack designed to exploit our weaknesses. He becomes obsessed with exposing the sin in our lives to make us feel inadequate for any type of Godly service. Riddled with guilt, we begin to entertain thoughts of quitting our service because we feel unworthy. It is very important to respond to these intensified attacks with fervor. We need to put on the whole armor of God and fight fire with fire! If we turn the very weakness the devil is attempting to exploit around, and use it for the glory of God, we win every time. Actively campaign against the sin of sexual addiction. Become accountable to someone, and enlist others to join you in the battle. Lead Bible studies on the subject. Speak out in your community against seedy porno merchandisers. Go on the attack; don’t retreat; God will go with you!
Why do you think the devil attacks those that are involved with Gods work more intensely? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
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Sixty days to freedom
What types of things can you do to attack sexual sins? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Describe some of the successes your accountability partner has helped you obtain. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading:
1 Tim 6:12-16 12 13 14 15 16
Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time-- God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
(NIV) Fight the good fight! You are soldier in a war where every day is a battle. Don’t grow weary. Get your strength from the Lord. He refreshes the spirit and renews your strength. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called! Eternal life! This life is but a wisp of smoke compared to eternity with Almighty God. Give your struggles to Him, and fight on Christian!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 25 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: I am a single, born-again Christian, and although I struggled with pornography before I gave my life to Jesus Christ, I was not really tempted by it for two years after my conversion. Then I discovered the net and somehow got drawn into it again. I was tempted by how easy it was to view and read pornography without anyone ever knowing. Over the past year I have become addicted. I realize it is wrong and feel like the biggest hypocrite, because everyone who knows me considers me to be a strong Christian. It leaves me with such an empty feeling to realize I am so fake, especially in the eyes of God who knows everything. I have never confessed to anyone what I have been doing in secret until now. I must tell you that I found your page while searching for more food for my lustful appetite. How refreshed I was to find this oasis of spiritually refreshing help. Hopefully this will be the catalyst I need to take action and overcome the devil. Let's all pull together and pray for a revival of the Holy Spirit within our individual lives. Thanks again for allowing God to use you in his service! Commentary: What is hypocrisy? Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites because they did not live up to their legalistic talk. They constantly rebuked others for their failures. They were full of themselves and they made a point of putting on a religious show for those around them. This type of behavior made Jesus angry. He knew their hearts, and they were not what they attempted to portray spiritually. Are you a ‘Sunday morning Christian’? Do you talk the talk, and fail to walk the walk? The Lord is looking for humble Christians who know their limitations, and don’t attempt to conceal them to preserve their image. There is an advertisement that uses the slogan ‘image is everything’. In the world’s eyes perhaps this is true, but Jesus tells us different. Jesus would have us advertise the slogan: ‘Humility is everything’. Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord. Your sexual addiction is a weakness. Humbly offer it to Him, and allow Him to turn it into a strength for His honor and glory!
How have you acted like a hypocrite with regard to your sexual sins? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Sixty days to freedom
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Sixty days to freedom
What do you think Jesus would say to you regarding your hypocrisy? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Describe the proper way to handle the above situation. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: Matt 23:13-17 13
15
16 17
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. "Woe to you, blind guides! You say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? -- (NIV)
The legalistic Pharisees thought they could get into heaven by following the law. Not only did Jesus call them hypocrites and tell them they would not enter the kingdom of heaven, he pointed out the fact that they were shutting the door for others. No one can live up to the law. In fact, the purpose of the law is to show us we are incapable on our own. We must not get wrapped up in our own image. We’ve all sinned and come short of the Kingdom of God.
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 26 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: Excuses and Rationalizations - Part 1: The first thing I had to admit was that my sin was really adultery, pure and simple. I would lust after women who were not my wife, and desire to be one flesh with them. Finally, I had to stop making excuses, and admit my sin, the depth of that sin, and come to grips with the fact that I could not free myself from it. Too often men seem to think lusting after other women is somehow acceptable, or excusable because of some sad family history. Well, it is NOT, God says in I John 2, if we claim to know Him, and willfully disobey Him we lie and the truth is not in us. The healing process began when I first admitted that my sin was adultery. My next step was to repent, throw away the magazines, and resist the temptation before it could grow. I made a conscious effort to avoid places where pornographic magazines were sold and even found myself running from temptation. My present desire is to please God whatever the cost to my ego or self-esteem. This is a day by day process that requires serious commitment. Commentary: What is the true definition of lust? This is a question millions of Christians have struggled to answer. Some have said that noticing a beautiful woman is not a sin in and of itself; however, it becomes sin when you start to entertain sexual thoughts about her. How many times a day do you notice a beautiful woman? Of those, how often does just noticing escalate into lust? The solution to this type of mental struggle happens with true transformation of the mind. We need to continue to feed our minds with wholesome, pure, and acceptable materials. The enemy wants you to think there is nothing wrong with lusting after a woman. He will use justifications such as, “there’s nothing wrong with looking at the menu, as long as you don’t eat”. Jesus warns against allowing ourselves to ‘look at the menu’. We are weak. The devil knows that, and will go to great lengths to exploit that fact. Be vigilant in your thought life. Start consciously removing the lustful thoughts from your mind. As soon as you’re tempted to look a second time at the woman you just passed in the hallway, ask Jesus to remove those lustful thoughts at once!
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Sixty days to freedom
When do you believe looking becomes lust and why? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Describe the daily struggle you are encountering with lust. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ What are some practical measures you can take to reduce this power over you? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: Matt 5:27-30 27 28 29 30
"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
(NIV) These are extremely tough words from our Lord. How far would you go to remove this sin from your life? Throughout history there are examples of Godly men removing their ability to perform sexually because of its interference with their relationship to God. This is very extreme. The Lord wants to help you to victory without you having to resort to such drastic measures. If you have made it to day twenty-five, you are on your way to just that! Remember to stay humble.
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 27 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: Excuses and Rationalizations - Part 2: Jesus said, ‘if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off, or if your eye, pluck it out, better to lose one of those then to continue to sin’. This is the nature of sin, and how hard it may be to resist at times. He says elsewhere to flee temptation. You are capable of doing that if you are serious in your repentance. True repentance from this sin requires honesty and effort. To demonstrate real repentance, you must admit this sin to your wife. Then ask for her forgiveness for your unfaithfulness to God and her. Next, ask for her prayers and help in resisting temptation in the future. Often this continues to be a problem, because men have not asked forgiveness for the sin of premarital sexual involvement, either with their spouse or other women they may have dated. This involvement could be as much as intercourse or as little as a lustful look or thought. Perhaps you are unaware about how serious God considers the sin of adultery? Study Ezekiel 16-24 to see how serious He thinks it is. You must bring your wife into the equation not only because you have sinned against her, but because this type of sin thrives in secret. Openness about your difficulty to the one you love creates an accountability to her that will help you to resist temptation in the future. Commentary: The Bible tells us to go to our brothers (and sisters), if we have wronged them, and make it right. This includes your wife. Since it is her you have been unfaithful to, you need to ask her forgiveness. This is not an option according to the Word of God. Give your wife the respect she deserves, and beg her forgiveness for your unfaithfulness. She probably already knows more than you think she does. I would encourage you to outline the steps you are taking to gain victory over this struggle and enlist her in the battle. She can be your strongest ally; however, you must come clean first. Do not damage her self esteem. Take all of the blame for this problem. Do not blame her in any way! Be careful not to use statements like, ‘because you haven’t responded sexually as much as I would like I....”. Be humble. If you haven’t asked your wife’s forgiveness yet, what is keeping you? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
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Sixty days to freedom
What types of strengths could/has your wife provided in this struggle? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ How can you ensure that you remain totally honest with your wife from this point? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
Bible Reading: 1Thes 4:3-8 3 4 5 6
7 8
It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.
(NIV) The Lord not only holds you accountable for your sexual sins, but also for the wrongs you commit against your brother (sister). The Lord will punish men for all such sins. Go to your wife, if you haven’t already, and humble yourself. Ask her forgiveness, and then together ask the Lord’s forgiveness. He will freely grant it to those who truly love Him.
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 28 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: Excuses and Rationalizations - Part 3: If you are really serious about giving up this sin of adultery and unfaithfulness to God and your wife, you will have to give up other things that play a role in feeding the temptations. Are you willing to remove these activities that interfere with your walk with God? If not, you can't claim to know God, as I John 1:6-10 clearly shows us. This message may sound harsh, but I have been there and I realize the sacrifice involved. I had to go through most of this myself. I’ve dealt with the sins of idolatry and adultery, unfaithfulness to God, and my wife. I had to give up many idols to get away from my lustful desires and sins. Are you willing to do the same? If not, don't pretend to be a Christian. If you are not willing to do what God asks of you, and be faithful to Him and your wife, you are a hypocrite. I John 1:6 condemns the hypocrite, I John 1:9 gives the promise of freedom from sin. Commentary: Have you removed your idols? “You shall have no other gods before me.” Addiction of any type is a violation of this first commandment. Idolatry is similar to adultery. Your vow of faithfulness to God does not provide room for idols. Pornography and lust are forms of unfaithfulness to your Lord. You are cheating on the almighty God! You don’t deserve to be reconciled to Him because of your unfaithfulness. The Lord is a jealous God; He requires absolute faithfulness. Praise God for his awesome grace. Without grace we would be hopelessly doomed to eternity in the lake of fire. We need to constantly remind ourselves of God’s grace, and claim it daily. The enemy will shower us with lies, and try to convince us that we are unworthy, and cannot win this battle. In Christ lies the victory! Never forget His redemptive power, and continue the battle. You are almost a month into your journey! Do not become lethargic. Don’t let the devil lull you into a false sense of security. You are battling the powers of darkness, and they are patiently waiting for you to let your guard down. Press on! List all of the idols of a sexual nature that still exist in your life. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Sixty days to freedom
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Sixty days to freedom
What steps will you take to remove them? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ How do you think Jesus feels when you worship idols? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: 2 Cor 6:15-18 15b 16
17 18
What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people." "Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you." "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." -- (NIV)
We are sanctified, set apart, through Jesus Christ. We have no business playing with idols. We must come out and be separate! We are not of this world. We have nothing in common with the unbeliever. Abundant life is in our grasp, and we need to claim it. The next time you are tempted, think of this passage of scripture. Think of how much it must hurt our Father when we cheat on Him. Do you want to grieve your Lord? This struggle has made you miserable. What good have you gained in all of the years you’ve participated in sexual addiction? Can you think of even one experience you would not give up to be closer to your Lord? Of course not! You are on the road to recovery. Praise God and move on! Begin removing the idols from your life today. We are the temple of the living God. Accept his grace and mercy, and really live!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 29 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: A different slant - Part 1: I am going to attempt to provide a slightly different slant on pornography. I believe it's too easy to refute a religious opposition to pornography. Although for ME God is very important, all YOU have to do is say "I don't subscribe to that religion", and the argument is dead. Let me try to introduce you to what I call the common sense argument. When I was 14 years old I was riding my bicycle across an open field on my way home from school and found a copy of a pornographic magazine. That discovery introduced me to masturbation and eventually fornication. The addiction has followed me, even into my marriage. If fact, marriage has amplified the problem many-fold. I am beginning to get the problem under control by using very extreme measures. For example, I voluntarily gave up my access to our bank account. I have no way to withdraw or spend money at all. That is extremely drastic, but it has worked: no money, no ability to participate in the "action". Surprisingly, when I know I can't go to the girly bars, or other places because of a lack of money, the desire is slowly diminishing. That brings me to a very important point, I believe the mind is an entity that needs food. Whatever you choose to feed the entity becomes the appetite. The mind will crave that food, until it no longer has access to it. Only then will it begin to look elsewhere for gratification. Commentary: Giving up access to your bank account is a drastic action. Suddenly those conveniences that have always seemed so necessary are unavailable. How serious are you? You have made it 28 days so far; obviously you have the desire to be victorious over this sin. However, money does make it easy. With money in this society, you can get just about anything you want. If you were to lock away your atm cards and check books would you be able to participate as easily in some of the activities that perpetuate your addiction? Perhaps this would be a practical way to effectively curb the ‘acting out’of some of your temptations. Food for thought. Why would, or wouldn’t this drastic action be helpful to your struggles? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Sixty days to freedom
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Sixty days to freedom
List some practical ways to get around the loss of access to your bank account. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ What specific sins would be eliminated from your life if you had no access to money? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: I Jn 1:6-10 6 7 8 9 10
If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
(NIV) Are you lying to yourself? Is the loss of the convenience of unlimited access to a bank account access for a time is too much to ask? How serious are you? Do you want to have victory over this sin? There are some that have become eunuchs for the purpose of overcoming this struggle. How does that compare to your excuses for holding on to that atm card? The Lord not only wants to see a right attitude, but also some drastic actions designed to help you put this sin behind you. He will help you succeed, but you have to take up your cross and follow Him.
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 30 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: A different slant - Part 2: Thought is the root of all action. Every premeditative murderer fed his mind with fantasies of the act first. Every rapist mulled over the act in his fantasies, and rapists are notorious for huge appetites for pornography. If you can control your mind, you have true control over your life. Pornography is at the root of the following deviant actions: Rape, Sodomy, Adultery, and Bestiality. I challenge you to find one person who has participated in any of the above, that did not participate in pornography. To sum up the common sense argument, if porn is the food the mind uses to become involved with so many deviant, twisted, behaviors then why should I be a part of pornography? Would I have participated in the years of masturbation, and fornication if I had not participated in porn? NO! To those that would say, "well you never raped anyone, what you did wasn't that bad", I reply, my life has been cheated from me. I could have spent the last fifteen years doing productive, mind expanding activities, rather than being consumed with porn. Who knows what I could have become? If you take control of your thoughts through discipline and replace your mind food with wholesome productive materials, your life will change drastically for the better. It has no other option. Commentary: Thought is the root of all action. Just the knowledge of this fact is power. If you can control your thoughts, you have true control of your life. Discipline, a steady diet of the Word of God, and prayer will enable you to take control of your thoughts and replace your evil thoughts with pure ones. As you take control of your thoughts, our life will change drastically. This commitment to mental purity is the most difficult to keep. Why? Very simply, your thought life is not seen by anyone else. In fact, you can think about what ever you want and no one will ever know. Your command of your private life and thoughts is what defines your nature. What you do when you are alone with no one to hold you accountable reveals your character. Take your thoughts captive and make them obedient to the Lord. Never give up! Your mind is the root of your character and character matters greatly!
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Sixty days to freedom
What are you doing to gain control of your thought life? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Give an example of how a thought snowballed into an action in your life. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ What could you have done in the beginning stages of the above to prevent the action? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: 1 Cor 2:12-16 12 13 14
15 16
We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ. – (NIV)
Through the Spirit, we have the mind of Christ who sees the wisdom of the world as foolishness. This sets us apart from the world; therefore, we need not be intimidated by the so called ‘worldly wisemen’, that tell us our sins are acceptable. They are absolute fools in God’s sight, and we have access to true wisdom through the mind of Christ. Be filled with the Spirit, and ask God for his wisdom daily.
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 31 of 60 - Praise God, for an entire month of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: I have discovered some truths - Part 1: My addiction (boy, it hurts to even type that) started when I was 12. My cousin and I discovered masturbation. Whenever we would get together, we would steal porn magazines from bookstores in the mall. It is kind of amazing that although I’d never stolen anything before, I somehow justified stealing pornography. I am now 21, and I am broken. However, I have discovered some truths. 1. It only gets easier to do. While perusing a soft porn magazine when I was 12, I never thought that I would see a movie about it. Seeing a soft porn movie, I never thought I would see a hard core one. Now after seeing hard core porn, I wonder if I'll ever have my innocence back. I wonder if the pictures I've seen will infest my brain when I want to be alone with my wife. I am not married yet, but I have a girlfriend who needs me to be a Godly man. I have purposed to get a handle on this sin before I consider marrying her. Commentary: There are several truths in this post worth noting. The first is the snowball effect of sexual sin. Sexual sin is very much like a vacuum. It sucks you in deeper and deeper until it seems impossible to get out. Every one of us can relate to the progression through the levels of this sin as we look back over our lives. Only the redemptive power of Jesus Christ can break this cycle. Today you celebrate one entire month of success! Give the honor to the Lord. Be careful not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think. Although you are to be highly commended for your perseverance, do not become puffed up. The second point this gentleman makes is his resolve to bring this sin under control before he gets married. This is crucial for those of you who are not yet married. Do not think for a moment that marriage is a cure for this struggle. Sexual sin seems to become much worse after betrothal. Do not marry until the Lord has completely cleansed you of this sin! Describe the snowball effect of sexual sin in your life. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Sixty days to freedom
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Sixty days to freedom
Do you think you are capable of descending to an even lower level of sexual sin? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ What counsel would you give a young engaged man struggling with sexual sin? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: 2 Tim 2:22-26 22 23 24 25 26
Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. – (NIV)
Flee the evil desires of youth. Timothy tells us that the Lord’s servant must gently instruct those that oppose Him, hoping that they will repent. One of the key points of this passage directly follows this statement. He says that repentance leads them to a knowledge of the truth. You are in the midst of repentance! You are coming to your senses! If you persevere you will escape the trap of the devil! Congratulations on an entire month. Be humble, and keep going! God is well-pleased.
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 32 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: I have discovered some truths - Part 2: 1. There is strength in accountability. The encouragement you get FROM THE MEETING is incredible. Try it. Get together with another guy, and just honestly talk about it. After the meeting, survey your feelings and you will find that sinning again is the furthest thing from your mind. You will be on a high, because God has given you the strength to resist Satan's schemes. BUT, the high doesn't last. You must meet again before you are weakened. If you continue, the time in between can become longer. You will build strength. The same is true in our relationship with Christ. I get no help (a very little at best) from thinking "I will have to tell God about this later. He hates what I'm doing." A relationship isn't built on feelings of condemnation and guilt or fear of reproach! It is built on love and trust. It is built on togetherness. Nurture the togetherness in your relationship with Christ. Be with Him as often as possible. Get with him before you sin. It is much easier to be broken with Him when you don't have anything to be broken about. Sin, and you’ll find yourself hiding from God like Adam tried to do, and it will take real effort to restore the relationship. Commentary: Do you find yourself hiding from your Creator? Considering the fact that God is omniscient, and omni-present, don’t you think that is foolishness? There is nowhere on earth you can successfully hide from God. He is always there. The best motivator to stay away from sin is to realize that God is watching you, and He is profoundly saddened. Be sure your sin will find you out. Have you ever thought of that as you entered an adult bookstore? How about as you watched an X-rated movie? Imagine the picture of a perfect, pure, and holy God following you into the perverse environment of a pornography outlet. Consider this the next time your find yourself tempted. You have made great progress! Remember that God grants overcomers the right to sit on a throne at his right hand! Don’t quit. Keep up the fight. In what ways do you feel differently here on day 31 as opposed to day 1? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Sixty days to freedom
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Sixty days to freedom
What steps can you take to avoid falling into a false sense of security? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ What could happen to you if you quit this program today? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: Luke 4:32-36 32 33 34 35 36
They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority. In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, "Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are-- the Holy One of God!" "Be quiet!" Jesus said sternly. "Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him. All the people were amazed and said to each other, "What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!"
(NIV) Even the demons recognize Him as the Holy One of God. How much more should we, His children, honor the holiness of God. This fact should be an extra incentive for us to stay out of sinful environments. Recognize the power of God over the demonic realm, and be assured that power is available to you. Be encouraged with your progress! Give the glory to God; in Him alone can you complete this journey. Don’t let your daily Bible studies and prayer time decrease. Instead, increase your time with the Lord when you find yourself spending less time in prayer. You need Him!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 33 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: My father had this problem - Part 1: A few years ago, my father and I got to talking...real heart to heart stuff, and my father admitted to me that he to has a problem with pornography. When my father told me of his problem, my heart seemed to scream at him, "I trusted you! How could you do this? I looked up to you, and you betrayed me!" In that moment, my father became human. My father always was human, but when a son is growing up, he thinks his Dad is the best guy in the world. I would sit and listen to everything my Dad said, and take it on faith that he was right. In a son's eyes, Dad is a picture of God. My girlfriend and I are close. Someday, I'd like to marry her, but before I even think of it, I want this under control....no, I want this dealt with. Commentary: The closest earthly example of the relationship we have with God, is our relationship with our fathers. As we grow up, we look up to them almost as if they were God. This is a huge responsibility. Everything you do as a father is watched very closely. Your sons and daughters examine your life with a fine tooth comb. A large part of what they will become depends upon the example you set for them. An addiction to pornography and sexual sins affects that example profoundly. Even though you think you’ve got the problem hidden from your family, there are unavoidable residual effects that can damage your children. When pornography consumes your mind, you don’t have the mental resources to notice the warning signs in your children. They may be crying out for your attention right under your nose, and you’re too busy thinking about your next high. Raising Godly children requires your full attention. They demand and deserve one hundred percent of your mind. Don’t allow the enemy to steal your children’s father. Remember, to them, you are as close to God on earth as they will get. If your heavenly father was too occupied with other things to give you the attention you required, where would that leave you? You’ve come to grips with the negative effects sexual sin has on your life; don’t forget what it can to do those around you. Give some examples of how a child can demand your mental resources. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Sixty days to freedom
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Sixty days to freedom
What can you do to make those resources more available to your child? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ In what ways can a mind free of sexual addiction improve your example to your child? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: Matt 11:25-30 25
26 27
28 29 30
At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." -- (NIV)
Verse twenty seven is sobering. Your responsibility as a father is not only to provide for your children’s physical needs, but also to be a shining example of Godliness. Your children are a gift from God, they are on loan from Him. Be a good steward! Go to Him, if you are weary and burdened, and He promises to give you rest. Do it not only for your own benefit, but also for your children’s!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 34 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: My father had this problem - Part 1: Confession, for me, isn't worth a whole lot if I don't take time and just sit and think about God. Put your mind on Him. He is real; he has a personality, and sin effects Him. I heard on the radio the other day (listen to Christian radio...it helps), that the only time God is described as feeling pain is in his dealings with us humans, us sinful, stupid humans. Think of it...Just the fact that a perfect, holy God has agreed to have anything to do with you is extremely humbling. However, He agrees on ONE CONDITION. Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only person standing between you and total annihilation. Jesus is far from feeble, but remember, he won't make excuses for your sin. He won't plead with the father to 'let you off this time'. He knows the rules: Sin must be dealt with. It's a hard and fast rule, and he won't change it. He will not alter or bend the rules; however, he has taken the punishment for them! What an awesome and loving God! Commentary: The holiness of God is difficult for humans to conceive. God is perfect and unable to sin in any way. He does not struggle with evil thoughts and desires; instead, he is absolutely pure. God subjected His only Son to this life; however. Jesus Christ lived a sinless life, despite the countless temptations to which He was subjected. Christ knows what you are going through, because He has been tempted as well. The great hope is that He was one hundred percent victorious over every temptation the enemy could conceive. He has the answer! Does this mean that we should expect to live a totally sin-free life? No! That is impossible. Our lives are a constant struggle, and will be until the day we go home. However, with Christ as our intercessor, the Father sees us as holy. What a wonderful truth! Catch a glimpse of the power of God’s awesome redemption, and fall flat on your face and praise your Heavenly Father for His grace and majesty!
Describe the holiness of God in your own words. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
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Sixty days to freedom
Offer a short paragraph of praise to Jesus Christ for His unwarranted gift to you. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ How has your struggle with sexual sin humbled you in the sight of your Lord? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: Eph 4:1-7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (NIV)
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit-- just as you were called to one hope when you were called-one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.
Paul starts this passage urging us to live a life worthy of our calling. In the very next verse he gives us instructions on how to do it. It is interesting to note what those instructions are. He tells us first of all to be humble! He doesn’t say “be sinless”, or “be perfect”; he says BE HUMBLE! Why is humility so important in living the Christian life? Simply because the enemy knows that as soon as we become full of ourselves, we make ourselves extremely vulnerable. Constantly remind yourself of God’s holiness and perfection. Knowing that He would have anything to do with you will bring you to humility.
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 35 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: I too have struggled - Part 1: I too have struggled with pornography, lust, and chronic masturbation since my midteens. I am now twenty-eight years old. Though I've resisted and asked God to help me not to give in, my failures have been both abundant and demoralizing. Of course, the cycle of sin, asking for forgiveness, and repentance take their toll on my spiritual life and each time I wonder if I am not already lost because of this addiction. Lately, when I'm feeling frustrated or upset, it seems so easy to just give up on myself and give in to this lust. There's been a lot of frustration lately. I seem to be at the end of an eight-year long relationship with someone I love very deeply. However, it's easy for me to feel unworthy of love and salvation. In such times in the past I have become self destructive. I see the same symptoms here only played out in sexual self degradation. I don't pretend to know all the meanings of Paul’s statement, "Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.....know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost...." 1 Cor 6:18 but I do know now that my tendency to lust-porn-masturbation emanates from the same source as my self-destructiveness; a very visceral illumination of this verse. I don't completely understand the cause of my problem. These long-standing acts of humiliation and debasement tend to be so deeply rooted, they seem indistinguishable from one's very identity. What I do know is that this is the very epitome of enslavement working within me. It threatens to derail the work of God in my life. Commentary: This guy is coming to the end of himself. As you know, this is an extremely important part of the path to victory. He has realized that his own efforts to overcome sexual addiction are powerless. Most likely, he has not completely surrendered himself to his Lord. He is unconsciously holding on to the selfish desires, and shallow gratification his addiction provides him. It is important to hit bottom. Sometimes the Lord has to tear something apart so that He can rebuild it in His own holy and perfect way.
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Sixty days to freedom
What advice would you give this gentleman to encourage him to victory? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Describe how you bottomed out. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Why do you feel bottoming out was necessary to bring you to surrender? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: Ps 71:20-24 20 21 22 23 24
Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once again. I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you-- I, whom you have redeemed. My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long, for those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame and confusion.
(NIV) If you have recently hit bottom, praise God for He will restore you! The restoration process is beautiful. Get ready to be blessed beyond measure. There can be no greater hope for the troubled soul than God’s promise of restoration. Learn the lesson, become humble, and praise the almighty God for his gracious restoration. God loves you and wants you to fellowship with Him Get up and praise the Lord!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 36 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: I too have struggled - Part 2: Here are some things that have helped me: The prayer of absolute powerlessness in which I beg GOD to remove this filthy lust from me. Only when I acknowledge my ABSOLUTE powerlessness and reliance on GOD's strength can I gain any victory. Remember, we are as human as was Paul who said regarding a "thorn" in his flesh: "For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness...." 2 Cor 12:8,9 Only when I come to GOD on my knees physically and spiritually, emotionally drained and defeated, and totally surrender myself do I gain strength for these battles. In addition, asking for strength through prayer is our method for "refueling in mid-air". When sin clouds and spoils our character, the only way to cleanse it is to return to the Source of all Purity. We need to be changed into the likeness of CHRIST. Think about this for awhile. By searching out our GOD through prayer and Bible study, we take on HIS characteristics. What do we take on as we spend the hours viewing and partaking in behavior condemned directly by GOD? It is scary to think about this, but when we place anything above GOD's revealed will we have created an idol for ourselves. An idol of our very own that we worship because it pleases us more than keeping GOD's commands. Commentary: Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” was never revealed. Many have speculated that it may have been sexually related, but no one will know for sure until glory. However, the principle is the same regardless of the nature of his thorn. God’s grace is sufficient! God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness. When we become weak, He becomes strong! Once you’ve realized that the source of your strength comes from God alone, you’ve taken the single largest step towards victory over your sexual addiction.
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Sixty days to freedom
How does the knowledge of God’s grace humble you? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Why is it important to acknowledge our own powerlessness to obtain victory? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ What have you done to come to a total reliance on God in this struggle? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: 2 Cor 12:6-10 6
7
8 9
10
Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say. To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
(NIV) As the days pass and you continue to succeed, there is a danger of becoming conceited. Guard against that; humble yourself, and don’t forget the source of your strength! The devil is waiting for you to become prideful. There is nothing he would like more than to devour you and eliminate this victory! Press on!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 37 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: I too have struggled - Part 3: I believe it when I read God’s promises to free me from my sin. Though I don't always feel it, I know that GOD can clean me up. He's given me plenty of proof of His power in the past, and I know that only my weak faith keeps Him from overpowering the evil in my life. The verse below reminds me of the fact that the perfection of Christ’s character within me is a process: "Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" - Philemon 1:6 I know that GOD won't give up on me. I just pray that GOD helps me not to give up on Him because of my own weakness. It is helpful to realize that we're not alone in this struggle. David and Solomon both stumbled sexually. We know that David killed a man for his wife, and we know that Solomon indulged in such excesses that he lost sight of GOD and began worshipping his wives' and concubines' idols. I don't mention them to flatter myself of the company I keep, but rather to highlight that GOD redeemed them when they turned to HIM. Commentary: Some of the most powerful men of God struggled with sexual sin. This has got to be encouraging for us as we try to overcome our struggles. God used David and Solomon in a mighty way! You can be used of God as well. Your sexual sin is with you for a reason. God, in his sovereignty, has determined that you would struggle with this addiction. Know that all things work together for good. God has a purpose in your addiction. He will bring you to victory in His time. You are well on your way to being an overcomer, entitled to sit at the right hand of God! When you surrender all of your life to God, He will take it, all of it, and hand it back to you, blessed! We need to desire the blessed life. If you have successfully made it this far into this program, it is apparent that you desire the blessed life. Do not let the enemy rob you of this joyous success! God wants you to experience the pure exhilaration of having accomplished your goal. Keep going! Why doesn’t God just magically take our struggles from us? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Sixty days to freedom
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Sixty days to freedom
What positive things do you see coming out of your past years of addiction? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ How does the sovereignty of God play into your victory over sexual addiction? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: Rom 8:27-31 27 28 29 30 31
And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
(NIV) If you love God, he uses everything in your life for your good. God knew you and your struggles before the foundations of the universe were created. Who can be against you? The Almighty God justified you long before you were born. God foreknew you, and he also predestined you to be like Christ! The struggles in your life are all a part of your process for change. Take strength in that knowledge. God’s purpose in your life is being fulfilled. Continue to bring your thoughts to obedience to God, and He will give you abundant life. Be strong, continue this journey with the confidence that God pre-ordained your victory!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 38 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: I too have struggled - Part 4: When we ask GOD for deliverance from sin HE ALWAYS gives us a way out. Sometimes we're not tuned in enough to see it, and other times we CHOOSE to sin. That's scary. The sin of grieving the HOLY SPIRIT isn't far behind such presumption. Yes I have doubts, but GOD gives answers. Does God want to blot me out because I fail, and sin against his temple? God says, "...I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, … ; wherefore turn yourselves and live ye." Ezek 18:25 Me:
But my soul is at war with him whom I cannot hope to defeat. What can I do?
God: "...who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them....Or let him take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me." Isa 27:4,5. Me: But what happens when I mess up? We are born in sin and ensnared by it even when we don't want to take part in it. According to Paul," ..that which I do I allow not; for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I." God: "....if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And He is the propitiation for our sins...”1 John 2:1,2 Commentary: God will always provide a way of escape from our temptations. We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit so that we can recognize the way out. God is faithful not to tempt us beyond our abilities to resist. We need to become tuned in, so that we can see the beacon of light leading us out of the way of the enemy’s attacks. Tuning in takes discipline. Discipline to remain faithful in the daily study of His Word, and discipline to constantly come before our Lord in prayer. Don’t allow the devil to convince you that there is no way out! Scan the horizon for escape routes ahead of time!
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Sixty days to freedom
How can you ‘scan the horizon’for escape routes ahead of time? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ How does the knowledge that God always provides an escape route, help you in your struggle with sexual addiction? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ How has the devil convinced you that there was no escape in the past? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: 1 Cor 10:9-13 9 10 11 12 13
We should not test the Lord, as some of them did-- and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did-- and were killed by the destroying angel. These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
(NIV) There is nothing new under the sun. You are not being tempted with an innovative new temptation. There are many others that have obtained victory over the same temptations you face! In Christ you can join that list. Your progress is wonderful! Keep going!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 39 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: A woman’s perspective - Part 1: I am a 22 year old female, and my 23 year old boyfriend is addicted to pornography. The first time I discovered this was when I came across a big organized file of pictures saved on his computer. I was devastated and felt like he was cheating on me. When I confronted him about it he got angry and accused me of snooping in his personal things; however, I think deep down he was probably embarrassed. Finally he said the pictures weren't worth the trouble they caused our relationship and threw them all away. But that didn't matter because I knew he still looked at them, and that hurt. When a guy looks at those kind of pictures, it makes women feel like they must be inadequate in some way. That is how I felt, despite the fact that he told me he loved me and insisted the pictures weren’t important. I graduated last spring from college and he still has a year left. He admitted to me that he was looking at the pictures on the net this summer. We got into a big fight and I presented so many moral and intellectual reasons why looking at the pictures is wrong, but he refused to listen. Finally he admitted I was right and said he would give up the pictures. The problem is, yesterday he said that he has not been able to resist the temptation. I’ve come to realize he is addicted and I don't know what to do because I don't want to be with someone who is so involved with pornographic pictures. Commentary: The root of sexual sin is selfishness. We don’t care how it will hurt the people closest to us; all we care about is the addiction. Many of us struggling with sexual sin don’t consider the pain it can cause our wives or girlfriends. This young lady is deeply hurt, and possibly scarred for a long time because of the addiction of her boyfriend. Looking at this sin from a female perspective can be very enlightening to males mired in this addiction. If we can begin to attack the selfishness in our lives, we will begin to be effected by the pain of our loved ones. Our wives are gifts from God very much like our children. We are to be good stewards of that gift. We are directly accountable to God for any pain we cause His precious gift. Start to think of this addiction from the perspective of your wife or girlfriend. Put yourself in her shoes, and realize the pain she must feel. Let that realization drive you to a greater resolve to obtain the victory. Run for the prize!
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Sixty days to freedom
How has your wife/girlfriend been hurt by your sins? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ What can you do to help her overcome the pain you have caused her? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ If you don’t have a wife/girlfriend, how have your selfish desires hurt the ones you love? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: Eph 5:25-30 25 26 27 28 29 30 (NIV)
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church-for we are members of his body.
Christ gave himself up for the church. You need to give yourself up for your wife. Giving yourself up includes giving up your sexual addictions.
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 40 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: A woman’s perspective - Part 2: He says that when I nag him it only makes him want to look at the pictures more. He thinks that if he ignores the problem it will go away. That is how he wants to deal with it. I don't think that is healthy and I don’t believe it will work! I really don't understand why he feels the need to look at the pictures! I think that the pictures are degrading towards all women in society. The naked body is private and personal, but these pictures send the message that it is a man's right to invade women's privacy for their own pleasure. It reduces women to objects and that causes all sorts of other problems in our society. Not to mention the fact that the pornography industry sends the message that the only way a woman can make big money is by exploiting and selling her body. Yet that ‘privilege’is only for the women who live up to society's strict standards of the beauty ideal! It makes me so angry. I don't know what to do about my boyfriend. I don't want to be with someone who looks at pornography for his own selfish interests. At the same time I want to try to support him. What if he can't get over it? I can't live with the kind of disrespect pornography represents. Commentary: This young lady has hit on an important issue -- disrespect. Men that are involved with pornography and sexual sins are certainly guilty of one of the vilest forms of disrespect. When you support the pornography industry, you not only provide funds for its continuation, you also financially support the degradation of women. Whether you realize it or not, as you participate in pornography, you begin to see women as objects and not people. That sounds cliché, but it is very important to come to grips with that fact. Women are not objects for our selfish desires, they are creations of the almighty God, worthy of the utmost respect and support of their male counterparts. As you climb out of the cesspool of pornography, actively begin to pursue the transformation of your mind regarding women. When you find yourself lusting after a woman, recognize that she is a creation of God, and try to look at the person behind the physical beauty. In what ways has your attitude towards woman reflected disrespect? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Sixty days to freedom
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Sixty days to freedom
How do you think the object of your selfish desires would feel if she knew your thoughts? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ When you begin to lust after a woman, what can you do to turn that lust into an appreciation of God’s creation? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: Rom 13:7-11 7 8 9
10 11
Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
(NIV) Love does no harm to its neighbor! Verse eight exhorts us to give the respect and honor due our neighbor. This includes the beautiful woman that crosses your path during the day! She is God’s creation, and is owed the same respect you would give anyone else!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 41 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: I was led into Pornography by my husband - Part 1: I am the wife of a husband that led me into pornography. I remember crying at the first movie he took me to; however after that, I thought it was my "wifely duty" to do all he wanted me to do. Because of my own desire to please and be accepted, I used my body to get both of these needs met. With my response of "yes" to my husband, I thought I was offering love and being submissive, but I was not. This addiction destroyed so many blessings for us. Both of us committed adultery, which is often times a by-product of pornography. Crazy as this may seem, my reasoning was, I wanted to have another child. We had a 5 year old son, but his love was not enough. Feeling totally unloved, I tried to fill that void through participation with my husband in pornography. Eventually, I lost my energy to continue these actions with my husband. My plan was to go to another man for love and acceptance, which I hoped would energize me to go back into doing the pornographic acts for my husband. This was my choice, and I don't have to tell you how foolish it was. When I told my husband what I was doing, (maybe to rationalize and ease my own guilt.) He was pretty much oblivious to what I was saying. Commentary: Have you led your wife or girlfriend into pornography? The Bible strongly warns against causing another to stumble. We are the leaders of our homes, and as Christians we are responsible for the spiritual leadership of our families. God will hold you accountable for leading your wife or girlfriend into pornography. We need to use our leadership to bring our families closer to God, not lead them astray for our own selfish desires. This is no minor infraction of God’s law. God looks with disdain on someone responsible for leading His sheep astray. Recognize the responsibility God has given you as a spiritual leader, and use it for God’s honor and glory. If you have led your wife/girlfriend astray, ask your redeemer’s forgiveness. Then go to her today, ask her forgiveness, and tell her you will not participate in these actions with her ever again! Most importantly keep your word! As we take the next couple of days to read this woman’s story, try to focus on the mess the deceiver can cause in a marriage through pornography.
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Sixty days to freedom
How have you led your wife/girlfriend astray? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ What can you do to make this right today? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ What wholesome things can you do to replace the time you and your partner have spent wallowing in the pit of pornography? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: John 10:11-17 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 (NIV)
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me-just as the Father knows me and I know the Father-- and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life-- only to take it up again.
As Christian men we are the shepherds of our families. We need to attack the wolves and lay down our very lives to keep our sheep in the fold!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 42 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: I was led into Pornography by my husband - Part 2: Soon this other man was expecting me to do the same things with him as my husband. Tired of the whole foolish experience, I wanted to end what was going on. I won't even acknowledge what I was involved in as a "relationship", because it wasn't. The other man would not agree to end the relationship, so I continued until I was dependent on him. Then he ended the game. I was devastated! My husband overheard one of our conversations on the phone, and became furious. You can only imagine what happened. I went back to my husband, and performed the way he wanted me to and finally became pregnant with our second son. One day, after feeling so repulsed by myself and my actions, I just refused to go through with any more of the garbage. Being pregnant did not lend itself to the perversion. I was carrying a sweet, innocent child and I began to desire something better for him as well as for my five year old. After his birth, I came home to find a porno magazine hidden under our mattress. This discovery began the worst period in my whole life. I no longer had energy to participate in pornography. Any energy for life came from raising our two sons. But, as they got older, this energy began to wane. I found myself once again wanting to be loved and accepted and please someone, but this time, not through pornography. Commentary: This woman seems to be implying that she became suicidal. Her zest for life was stolen from her. Even the energy she used to derive from raising her children began to disappear. Participation in pornography not only led this woman into adultery, but it so devastated her life, she began to lose the will to live. The Bible warns us that the path of sin is death and destruction. The deceiver will try to convince you that pornography in the context of marriage is acceptable. He’ll tell you that ‘when you are married’you can participate in any sexual action. After all, pornography is just a tool to enhance the joy of your intimate relations in the context of marriage. Don’t fall for this lie! Pornography in any context is a tool of the devil. He wants to use it to destroy that which God intended to be beautiful. Don’t try to justify your involvement in pornography. The stench is all over you whether you’re using it together or not!
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Sixty days to freedom
In what ways have you justified your use of pornography? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Why do you think the use of pornography is always bad, no matter what the context? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ How can you stimulate your marriage intimacy without the use of pornography? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: James 3:13-18 13 14 15 16 17 18 (NIV)
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.
Pray for wisdom everyday. The world’s wisdom would tell you that pornography is an acceptable tool for sexual fulfillment in your marriage. God’s wisdom would say, flee from it! Don’t allow the devil to infiltrate the most intimate of your earthly relationships! Be pure in all that you do!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 43 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: I was led into Pornography by my husband - Part 3: My life was filled with "religious stuff." Reading the Bible, going to Mass, confession, praying the rosary, teaching CCD, on and on it went. I went from one end of the spectrum; sin; to the other end; self-righteousness. Both were avenues of escape from what I really needed. I began to be tempted to again get into adultery. After a careful self-examination, I realized that I couldn't go back to that again, and yet I couldn't seem to go forward either. I was getting into all the self righteousness of trying to do good works to no avail. It was sapping my energy to live. Actually I felt like I was dying, but not from a medical disease. I was dying of a spiritual disease. All I could do was cry and complain. My husband and I began going to a Catholic marriage counselor. He began to bring a lot of things out into the open; however something was missing. That Spring I was listening to the radio while cleaning my home. After turning off the AM station to which I was listening, I flipped the dial to FM. Little did I know, I had turned to a Christian station. I began listening daily, and for hours I heard about God sending His Son, and that by His blood shed on the cross, he had paid the full price for our sin. Commentary: The gospel message seems to be offering this woman some sort of hope. Tomorrow we will see just how much! As she points out, the “religious stuff”, was not the answer. Self righteousness is never the answer. One of the traps Christians involved in sexual sins fall into is the ‘works’trap. They convince themselves that by becoming more involved in their church, and busying themselves in the work of the Lord, they can somehow justify their sinful addictions. It is very important to continually remind yourself of the hopelessness of justification by works. The price has been paid for all of your sins. Jesus loved you so much, he took upon himself every sin you would ever commit, and suffered and died for them. How have you allowed self-righteousness to hamper your relationship with the Holy Spirit? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Sixty days to freedom
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Sixty days to freedom
How has your relationship with the Holy Spirit improved since beginning this program? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Why do you think that is true? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: Eph 2:8-13 8 9 10 11
12
13
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men)-remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.
(NIV) Remember that although we are not saved through works; we are created by Almighty God to do good works! When you are saved, you will begin to bear the fruit of good works through Bible study and prayer. Keep striving for Christ-likeness!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 44 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: I was led into Pornography by my husband - Part 4: As I listened to the gospel message coming from the radio, my ears were attracted to it and my heart wanted to hear the message. I began to wonder how someone could love me so much, that he would give His life for me. The speaker on the radio said that God the Father had forgiven me based on what HE, Jesus Christ did, and not based on my efforts (which was beginning to exhaust me). One of the speakers said, "If you've never trusted Christ before, do it today." For the first time in my life, I heard truth that really made sense. That night, I knelt by my bedside and this was my prayer: "I'm laying all my cards on the table, Lord. I don't understand everything that I am hearing, but I trust Your Son, Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of my sin and I ask Him to come into my heart." Something happened within me that night I will never forget. I compare it with a book that has two stories in it; one starting from the front to the back and the other starting from the back to the front. I felt like God, the Lord Jesus Christ, picked my book up, turned it over, and started a whole new life for me. He spoke to my heart and said that everything was going to be okay. Commentary: What a powerful story of deliverance! Our hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. We have access to the most fulfilling abundant life possible right here on earth. All we need to do is surrender to our Lord. Story after story indicates that true deliverance from pornography and sexual sin is possible only after we totally surrender our lives and will to God. This woman received peace immediately after surrendering to Jesus. She says “He said that everything will be okay”. There is more to this story, and we will see that in tomorrow’s study, but it is important to recognize the lasting strength she received after giving her life to Jesus Christ. There is no greater hope than the hope we gain in a relationship with Him. You may already have a relationship that this addiction has obliterated. Get rid of the guilt and self-righteousness, and renew the joy of that relationship! You are now forty two days into your new life! Don’t let the evil one take that away from you! God will help you defeat the devil’s attacks. Call upon His name, and move on to the victory!
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Sixty days to freedom
Describe some obstacles or attitudes that have stood in the way of total surrender to God in your life. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ In what state does God want you before you can obtain lasting victory? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Describe the hope you have experienced as you have remained faithful to your commitment to finish this program. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: Rom 5:5-10 5 6 7 8 9 10
And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! -- NIV
Even though we were sinners, God gave His only Son to die a tortuous death on the cross. He loved us that much! The years of sexual sins you have been mired in have been paid for by Jesus Christ! Amazing love!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 45 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: I was led into Pornography by my husband - Part 5: My husband thought I was crazy, and he still does. He has not yet come to the Lord. Ever since my conversion, I’ve tried to explain to my husband how my life has been changed, but he thinks it's some kind of game or trap. Many times I've lost my patience with him, especially as our sons enter their teenage years, because he wanted them to learn about sex the way he did. However, the Lord has given me so much energy and strength, to speak boldly to my sons about my past and explain to them how Jesus Christ saved me from the darkness. I am no longer escaping through self-righteousness, because the righteousness of the Lord lives in me through the gift of God’s grace! He alone is worthy. He has taught me about marriage and the healthy intimacy of children and family. In a sense, He is marriage. Our marriages on earth are to reflect Christ’s marriage to the church, and His love and oneness with us. This oneness bears fruit; the fruit of children in earthly marriage, and the fruit of joy stemming from our oneness with Christ. We, who are in Christ, don't need outward stimuli to excite us and turn us on anymore. We are new creatures, bought with a price, paid by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. God accepts us and loves us because of Christ and this joy is made complete when we accept Him and share the bond with other believers. Commentary: We are Christ’s bride! Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, has become one with us, in spite of our failures and short comings. As we study the relationship between Christ and the church, we become enlightened by the example he provides for our own marriages. This woman’s struggle is not over! Her husband, who is part of herself, is still rolling in the slimy excrement that is pornography and sin. She prays not only that God will save her husband from this cycle of death and destruction, but also that she be given super natural strength to maintain a Godly example to her unsaved family. What a shining example of a Godly woman! Considering the past she has been through, this is an extra ordinary work of the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ! Praise Him with all of your heart and soul!
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Sixty days to freedom
What advice and encouragement could you offer this woman as she strives for spiritual excellence in an environment of sin? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ What tidbits of hope have you gathered, so far, from her story? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ How has Christ’s example as the bridegroom helped you in your marriage or relationships? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: Rev 19:5-9 5 6 7 8 9
Then a voice came from the throne, saying: "Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both small and great!" Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!'" And he added, "These are the true words of God." -- (NIV)
Oh to be worthy to attend the wedding supper of the Lamb! This is the celebration of celebrations! Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns! He is in control, He is sovereign over everything, including your life. Let Him finish the work that has begun in your life so that you may become worthy to be on the invitation list.
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 46 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: I was led into Pornography by my husband - Part 6: This bond between husband and wife is the symbol of Christ's love for His Bride, the church as written in Malachi 2:15 and Ephesians 5:21-30. These verses are the pictures that now excite me for intimacy with my spouse. The old ones of pornography are long gone, -- "as far as the east is from the west." The blessings of these new pictures Jesus Christ bought for us with His life are much more fulfilling and satisfying than pornography could ever hope to be. My husband says I am crazy. He says, "No man can get excited to be one with his wife based only on that." He tries to tell our sons I am crazy (please pray for us) but, I know these are the pictures that God wants us to use to bring us together as husband and wife, in spirit and in flesh. I know this is lengthy, but as I began to share and remember, I could not stop. God is to be praised, worshipped and glorified for He truly loves us. Sometimes it is hard for me to remember this, especially since my husband is unwilling to surrender to Him. This hurts so much...but I would rather know the Lord then go back to the chains that were once my life. Commentary: What a story. This woman has been transformed from the chains of pornography to freedom in Christ Jesus! Her husband cannot see because his eyes are closed. Only Jesus can remove the scales over his eyes so that he might see the truth found in Him. You are beginning to see the abundant life freedom in Christ can provide. The chains should be a distant memory, but be careful: it only takes the devil one victory to throw your focus off. Stay focused on your goal; avoid distractions and temptations, especially as you close in on your last weeks of this program. The enemy would like nothing more than to cause you to fall as you close in on the finish line. Pray ever more fervently for the strength you’ll need to win this race. Run to win. Don’t settle for second or third place. Most importantly, remain humble, and recognize that your victory comes from Christ alone, not from anything you’ve accomplished. The heavenly hosts are rejoicing along with you as you strive for success! How has the devil attempted to trip you up as you’ve gone through this program? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Sixty days to freedom
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Sixty days to freedom
Describe your most exciting triumph over temptation throughout the last forty five days. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ How have you remained unprideful in light of the above victory? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: 1 Cor 9:24-27 24 25 26 27
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. --(NIV)
You have been running to get the prize. These forty five days haven’t been easy, but you have persevered. A runner will tell you that the worst thing you can do when running a race is to look back. When you look back, you lose focus on your goal, the finish line. Be careful not to look back over the last month and a half and lose focus on the objective. You have come a long way; God is pleased. Don’t look over your shoulder. Focus your eyes on that ribbon at the end of the line and run to win! Allow no one and nothing to distract you from your goal. God be with you as you continue on to the goal!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 47 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: My friend showed me some magazines - Part 1: My addiction to pornography started when I was twelve years old. My friend showed me some magazines his father had, and soon I was searching for graphic pictures all over the place--in movies, on computer services, and in magazines. Now, at 18, the temptation is worse than ever, although I do believe that with God's help I can resist it. Over the years, my relationship with God has not been as good as I would have hoped. I now believe that my distance from Him and my lack of spiritual growth is a direct result of pornography. However, within the last year and a half, God has really been working in me to help me with my problem. Let me illustrate: I’ve been aware of the destructive power of pornography since its onset in my life. As a result of that knowledge, I have always hated myself for what I do. I have repeatedly asked God to help me, and he has been faithful. The first answer to my prayer came after I had earnestly pleaded with God for help. The following day (this was more than a year ago), my roommate discovered my "addiction." Due to the embarrassment that ensued, pornography was absent from my life for the duration of that roommate’s stay. Unfortunately, after he moved out, I fell into the trap again. The temptation was too great for me to handle without accountability. Despite that, God was answering my prayers and was willing to help me. Commentary: The tragedy of sexual sin is the inevitable effect it has on our children. Too many times the story of addictions begins with, “I found my father’s pornographic magazines”. Our homes need to be a hedge of protection for our families against the traps and addictions of this world. Too many fathers believe they can hide their magazines or other pornographic materials where they will never be discovered by the innocent eyes of their children. Are you willing to take that chance? That child that you love so much, could very easily become ensnared in the same addiction you are struggling so hard to get free of. Would you will this cycle of death and destruction on your children? Obviously you wouldn’t, or you wouldn’t be reading this book. If you haven’t done so already, get rid of every shred of the sewage in your home. Burn the magazines, books, and computer disks containing pornography today!
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Sixty days to freedom
What have you done to protect the ones you love from becoming ensnared? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ What advice would you give the father who says, “it’s just a few harmless pictures, let the boy look?” ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ What more can you do to improve the hedge of protection that is your home? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: John 17:15-21 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. -- (NIV)
We need to constantly plead with God for His protection of our children, and the ones we hold dear. You have begun the process of setting yourself apart. Do it not only for your own benefit, but for the benefit of those you love. We are not of the world, but we are in it! Keep up the fight, be strong in the Lord, and in the sight of your children.
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 48 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: My friend showed me some magazines - Part 2: The following year was full of failure for me. I returned to my obsession, craving pictures and sexual gratification every day. It seemed that during that period in my life, the whole of my thoughts were devoted to this addiction. It was depressing to think of all the positive things I could have done instead. Following each "session" with pornography, I would become increasingly depressed, feeling that I could never pull myself out of my rut. I needed my God's help; I could not pull myself out of the pit. With each passing day, my depression deepened, and my hope diminished, until finally I declared that "I can NOT break the habit, therefore I will accept it as part of my life." What a powerful, destructive force Satan is! My depression was aggravated when I thought about the fact that almost a third of the 17 years of my life were a waste due to my dependence on pornography. I say dependence because for me, pornography was a way to a fill a void in my life; my lack of self confidence. After self-examination, I again attempted to break the cycle. I realized that I could not accept such a dark, sinful part of my life as the norm. In my desperation, I allowed my father to discover the pornography on my computer. His discussion with me sparked a new hope in my life. He told me that what I experienced he had also experienced, and that it was a life-long addiction; a bloody spiritual battle for the mind. He prayed for me. Commentary: Eventually we humans can actually give up the struggle against the evil one. That is an extremely dangerous road to take. The devil would love nothing more than to convince you that you will never have victory over this sin, so you might as well accept it as a part of your life. When he has brought you to that point, he can relax; he’s done his damage to your life, and he is ecstatic! The nature of sexual addiction is so powerful, that through it many Christian men are living in a severe depression, surrendered to the power Satan has over their lives. This is tragic! Jesus Christ is much more powerful than Satan and his lies! You’ve arrived at that crossroads in your life, and you’ve taken the fork in the road that leads to victory! Praise God for giving you the strength to persevere. Don’t allow the devil to steer you off course.
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Sixty days to freedom
Describe the difference in your life today as compared to forty seven days ago. (You must never forget this difference) ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ How can you encourage other Christians trapped in the cycle of pornography? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ How has the devil attempted to steer you off course lately? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: Rom 6:6-11 6 7 8 9 10 11 (NIV)
For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin-because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Our old selves were up there on the cross with Jesus! We no longer need to be slaves to sin. As you’ve experienced over the last month and half, freedom can be obtained through discipline and calling on His name. The slavery of sexual sin in your life is fading fast. You’ve begun to scratch the surface of the life God intended for you. There is so much more He wants you to experience! Don’t become over-confident in yourself, for the enemy is powerful.
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 49 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: My friend showed me some magazines - Part 3: The next week in church, his prayers began to develop into a plan devised by God. At my Christian Education class, we watched a movie on the destructive and drug-like characteristics of porn, and it struck home. Since then (about 3 months ago), I have fallen once again. I had just graduated from high school and thought that it would be much easier to "do it myself" than to rely on God. I had the mistaken idea that a roommate was the answer--there would be no privacy, hence no pornography. Wrong again. It was at this time, actually yesterday, that I discovered your page (while searching for pornography). It was so encouraging to read all the messages and find that others care so much about me. I'm not one to cry often, but after reading all the messages, I was bawling. The messages were so emphatic in stressing the importance of accountability, and I had none. After reading the page, I prayed again; this time that I could not solve the problem myself, and that I needed Him. I also prayed that I would have the courage to tell a peer my problem. Commentary: The importance of accountability cannot be understated. When you’ve completed this program, the temptation will be to allow the accountability relationships you’ve developed fade away. Don’t allow this to happen! The Promise Keepers organization has developed a system for maintaining small groups of men for the purpose of accountability. If you can become involved with a Promise Keepers group in your area, do it! Over and over again we hear about the significance an accountability partner had in someone’s victory over sexual sin. Don’t take this lightly! Thank God for the relationships you have developed, and vigilantly protect them! Another principle we can draw from today’s story is the encouragement an addict finds in knowing others have struggled and are now free. As the Lord frees you from your struggle, don’t hide your victory in the closet. Take every opportunity to tell others your testimony. Often your openness will help another begin the road to recovery. Your focus should begin to shift from your own struggles, to helping those still mired in the sludge! As you begin to concentrate on reaching out, be careful! The devil hates warriors against pornography! He will do whatever he can to cause you to slip up and destroy your credibility. Finish this program; don’t let him derail your slow train to victory!
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What can you do to continue your accountability relationship beyond this program? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Describe a situation in your accountability group, in which the encouragement of your brother(s) was a major factor in defeating a specific temptation. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ When you’ve completed this program, what can you do to help others to victory? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: Acts 16:25-31 25 26
27 28 29 30 31
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!" The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved-- you and your household." -- (NIV)
Paul and Silas, together, had the strength to praise God even in the worst of circumstances. They were an encouragement to each other, and this passage shows that their strength bore fruit! Thank God for your accountability group!
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Day 50 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: My friend showed me some magazines - Part 4: That night, God performed a miracle. I went to the Campus Crusade meeting here at Cornell, and God directly answered my prayer. The message yesterday evening was on truth, and the need to repent in order to find God's grace. It applied directly to my struggle with sexual sin. Afterward, the leader suggested that anyone who feels the need to confess a sin do so, in front of the 150 person, coed group. I cried when the people began confessing all the things that were so close to me, namely lust and pornography. I admitted my sin to a group of about 6 other men who are now going to help me fight this addiction. PRAISE GOD! I am free today for the first time. God has empowered me in this battle. I know it will not be easy, but God is on my side. His words are my weapons: "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James 4:7. I honestly believe that the answer to this devastating sin is to humble (submit) yourself before God. Put the problem on His shoulders; you CAN'T battle the devil alone. Commentary: There is an important principle this young man has discovered. He says, “I am free today for the first time”, but he recognizes his need for continued help to fight his addiction. The beauty of God’s grace is the freeing power it gives us, even before we have overcome the addiction! When you realize that power, the addiction no longer belongs to you, it is on God’s shoulders. You have two responsibilities: to submit to God, and to resist the devil. When you submit God’s way, you must be totally surrendered. There can be nothing in your life that you continue to hold on to. Give it all to Him: your finances, your job, your home, your family, and your desires. That’s true submission, and that is your responsibility. You also have the responsibility to resist the devil. Use the knowledge that anything he tells you is a lie as a tool to resist him. If he tells you one quick look won’t hurt, tell him he is a liar and turn away. If he tells you that movies won’t bring back those evil desires, push him away and flee. It is a decision you can make beforehand. It’s a matter of winning or losing, and it is your responsibility to win. Call upon the power of the Lord of the universe, and be a winner!
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How has the deceiver lied to you lately (regarding sexual sin)? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Describe the ways in which you’ve been fulfilling your two responsibilities(as described above). ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ With regard to your sexual sin, describe the difference between winning and losing. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: James 4:4-10 4
5 6 7 8 9 10
You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. -- (NIV)
Be humble! Don’t become proud of the successes you are experiencing. Give the glory to God, and He will lift you up. Remember your two responsibilities: to submit to God, and to resist the devil. Press on!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 51 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: I’ve had a similar problem - Part 1: I have had a similar problem for a long time. When my girlfriend found my magazines and videos, she broke things off for a year and even longer (forever) if I don't change these things. I had lied to her the whole time even when she asked specific questions about my past. I knew how she would react, yet I did nothing until confronted. I got rid of EVERYTHING that could be considered pornography. I found it easy to get rid of EVERYTHING because I knew it was evil, and she is MUCH MORE IMPORTANT to me than the magazines and the videos. The other night we were talking on the phone and she told me some of the reasons why she reacts so strongly to pornography. I'd like to share some of these with you. 1. Most people have heard of the movie Deep Throat. Linda Lovelace was FORCED to do what she did in the movie because someone had a knife just off camera and threatened to kill her if she didn't do what they asked. After the movie was released, the number of rapes skyrocketed and many of the victims said that the rapist tried to force himself down their throats just like in Deep Throat. Commentary: The pornography industry is plagued with victimization. Story after story confirms the abuse that women are subject to in the creation of pornographic materials. Young runaways are plucked from the streets and exploited by the filthy vermin that create these materials. Women are raped, physically abused, and in some cases even killed for the advancement of the pornographers’endeavors. It is crucial to recognize these facts. This is not a harmless medium. It is chock full of abuse and victimization. The devil is working overtime in the field of pornography. Should we, the chosen ones of God, sanctified by His grace, participate in such filth? NO! We need to flee from this defecation. The Lord is freeing you from this addiction, now let Him give you a healthy repulsion for it. Allow Him to turn your stomach everytime you hear the word pornography. Begin to see it for the disgusting sewage that it is!
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Sixty days to freedom
How can you begin to associate this sin with the slop that it is? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ How has God already begun this process in your life? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Describe the hope in your life now fifty-one days into this program. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: 1 Pet 3:13-17 13 14 15
16 17
Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. (NIV)
As you begin to break free from sexual addiction, your witness will change. You will begin to be optimistic and happy. Your coworkers and friends are bound to notice. Be prepared to give them an answer if they ask you why you’ve changed. If someone chooses to ridicule you for what you tell them, remember verse seventeen. “It is better to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” You know what It’s like to suffer for evil, and you’re leaving that behind now. Take joy in the opportunity to suffer for what is good. God will bless you for it. Remember the filth and slime that pornography is, and never return! Continue the fight, Christ is with you!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 52 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: I’ve had a similar problem - Part 2: There is a growing market for pornography called snuff. What this involves is RAPING and then KILLING women after they climax. Not only is the RAPE videotaped, but so is the MURDER. For some people out there, the MURDER is the ultimate climax. People are buying this kind of stuff. When she told me about this stuff, I got sick to my stomach. Now when I look at women, I don't have erotic thoughts of them, just fear that they might someday be the victim of someone who is addicted to pornography. Even magazines like Playboy lead people into more violent forms of pornography. They show women with garden hoses which is obviously a reference to a penis. For me it comes down to whether I want to support an industry in which FEAR, RAPE, and MURDER are common practice against women. You may not believe that Playboy is pornography but I no longer want nothing to do with anything that treats women as objects. Women are people with feelings, thoughts, dreams, and they deserve respect. All of the time that I was involved with pornography I considered women as objects. They are so much more. Commentary: In the early years of this country, women were respected. Fathers taught their sons to give women the utmost respect. Women were put on a platform. Men were taught to go out of their way to ensure the comfort and happiness of their society’s women. They would help carry their groceries, and assist them into their buggies. They would watch their language and the content of their conversations around women. This was an attitude that was taken for granted in the past. It was out of the ordinary for a man to treat a woman badly. If he did, he was considered a misfit and in many cases was ostracized from the community. Pornography is the absolute opposite of that attitude. It treats woman as objects not worthy of respect or elevation. It makes them the equivalent of an animal, to be used for man’s gratification, then discarded like an old dog or cat. We need to help bring the historic attitude of respect towards women back to our communities. We need to elevate the women in our families to a platform again. If we start with our families and friends, we can make a difference in our society.
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Sixty days to freedom
What kinds of things can you do to increase your own attitude of respect towards women? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ How can you teach your children and those around you to respect women? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ How does pornography reduce society’s respect of its women? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: -- 1 Pet 3:3-7 3 4 5 6 7
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear. Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. -- (NIV)
This passage speaks of the true beauty of a woman. This is what we, as men, need to learn to see in our wives and girlfriends. Don’t dwell on the outward beauty. Learn to look past the outward appearance and see the soul. She is beautiful, not because of her body, but because of her inner self. Remember the exhortation in verse seven, respect your wives as “heirs with you of the gracious gift of life!”
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 53 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: Business trip temptations - Part 1: My experience with pornography began in elementary school when a friend showed me some pornographic images. I have never purchased pornographic magazines or videos, yet this material is readily available on the Internet and in hotel rooms. Hotel room previews are an especially bad temptation for me on business trips when I am away from my friends and relatives and in the privacy of that room. After submitting to the temptation several times, I began to call ahead and ask the hotel to remove the television from the room prior to my arrival. They all refused. Then I decided that this game was deadly enough for me to take the lesser of two evils. I decided to disable the television as soon as I arrived. I did this by cutting the signal cable with a wire cutter. No hotel ever confronted me with my vandalism. I guess they couldn't imagine why a customer would do such a thing and thought it might have been caused by furniture moving or something like that. Finally, I designed a plug lock that was made simply from a piece of PVC tubing, two end caps and a bicycle lock. I cut a slit into the tube beginning at one end and running along the tube for several inches but not all the way to the other end. I glued one of the caps to the end with no slit. The other cap I slid on the other end of the tube and then drilled a hole through the cap and tube. Now when I go to a hotel, I slide the plug into the tube, pull the cord into the slit, slide on the cap that has a hole, thread my bicycle lock through the hole and close the lock. Commentary: This gentleman has gone to what many would consider to be drastic measures to prevent temptation. He has made a conscious decision to remove all temptation from his life. While we can’t condone the vandalism, his plug lock was a very innovative, practical way to eliminate the option to partake in the hotel’s pornography. There is more to the story, and we will continue it tomorrow, but this principle is very important. The sin of sexual addiction is deeply rooted in the recesses of your mind, and drastic measures are often needed to reverse its hold.
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Sixty days to freedom
What drastic measures have you used to reverse pornography’s hold on your life? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ What other things can you do to increase your chances for overcoming specific temptations? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
Describe a recent success that you obtained through the use of a drastic measure. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: Matt 18:3-9 3 4 5 6
7 8
9
And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. "And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. "Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! If your hand or your foot causes you to sin cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. -(NIV)
Jesus is familiar with drastic measures. This passage mentions some very extreme actions designed to eliminate sin. Perhaps what you consider drastic is not so bad.
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 54 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: Business trip temptations - Part 2: After I’ve determined that the TV can't be plugged in because the plug is locked into the tube, I take the lock key to the front desk and ask them to put it in the safe. This puts enough distance between me and the temptation for me to be able to handle it with the Lord’s help. I would have to decide to watch the porn, walk down to the lobby, ask for the key, come back to the room, unlock the plug, plug it in and turn it on. This is a whole lot easier to resist than just walking over and turning it on. I have also decided that now whenever I go on a business trip, I will insist on a room without a TV or I will threaten to stay at a different hotel. If every hotel in town refuses my offer, I still have my TV lock to help resist the temptation. Perhaps if enough men would ask for a non-TV room, the hotels would begin to respond. If enough men would complain about the pornography that is available in the hotel rooms, the hotels might begin to eliminate it. I wonder how lucrative it is for the hotels? Commentary: We can make a difference. If enough Godly men commit to making their views on pornography known, it will have an effect. It may not be earth-shattering at first, but if we develop an army of men, committed to sexual purity, voicing their opinion, people will listen. Angry Christian men should visit the manager of every convenience store that prominently displays pornography. We must express our disgust to every hotel that provides in-room porn. They should feel the pain of fewer occupied rooms resulting from our own personal boycotts. Our commitment to ridding our society of this garbage should become painfully obvious to those participating in its distribution. This sin afflicts people from backgrounds across the spectrum. It leaves no group untouched. Pornography and sexual sin can easily dominate the lives of anyone: from the teenager to the successful businessman. It is a powerful medium of destruction, and we need to make our voices of opposition known. Some have gone as far as to actively picket establishments in their neighborhoods that distribute this slop. Become involved. Oppose pornography at every opportunity possible! The less available it becomes, the less potential sexual addicts there will be!
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Sixty days to freedom
What have you done to stop the distribution of pornography in your neighborhood? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ What other things can you do to reduce its visibility in your community? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ How has/will becoming actively opposed to pornography in your community help(ed) you in your own struggle? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: Rev 19:11-16 11 12 13 14 15
16
I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
(NIV) The King of Kings and Lord of Lords is on your side as you wage war against these evils! Stand firm in the knowledge of His support. He will rule them with an iron scepter! The distributors of pornography are subject to the fury of the wrath of God Almighty! Be confident as you oppose their participation in its distribution!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 55 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: Business trip temptations - Part 3: And lastly, let me express here how fearful I am for my 10 year old son. Thus far he has been shielded from this stuff. The only TV we ever watch is when I bring home a video. He attends a private Christian school so his peers are less likely to bring porn to the classroom. Eventually, he'll be exposed to it; however. I should probably talk to him about it so he'll be prepared for it and know what it is. I don't know exactly what I'll say to him yet. Somewhere in the Bible there is mention of the way we change when we are exposed to sin. Physically, the brain is like the neural net computers that I work with in my laboratory. They can be "trained" to respond in a certain way. Constant exposure to a certain set of data will cause them to react predictably in the future even without programming. The mind is like the chain link fence behind a catcher; it will be deformed with a depression where ball after ball has stricken it. So too, when image after image strikes the brain, we begin to respond to those images automatically. Tied in with our emotions and pleasure sensors, these tendencies become very, very strong. Yet in Romans, Paul says, "Be transformed by the renewing of your minds." Somehow, I have to believe that the answer lies in this renewing of our minds, the reforming of that deformed chain link fence. That in essence is what many of the previous responders have said. Commentary: After salvation, the answer does lie in the renewing of our minds! The ‘depression in the fence’this man talks about is a very accurate illustration of the way sin effects our minds. If we have barraged our minds with filth and sewage, then we can expect to reap what we sow. As we have heard repeatedly throughout this book, our minds need to be regenerated. We need to continue to constantly deluge our minds with God’s Word. That is the only way to reverse the results of the years we have spent training our minds to think on that which is dirty and disgusting. You are closing in on the last week of this program, I would exhort you to continue your Bible studies after you finish 60 days to freedom! Develop a hunger for the mind food the Bible provides! Do not let your Bible study lapse!
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Sixty days to freedom
Describe your daily Bible studies outside of this book. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ How do you plan to continue in the Word after this program? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ What obstacles to continued Bible study do you foresee, and how can you overcome them? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: Jer 17:8-12 8
9 10 11
12
He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve." Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay is the man who gains riches by unjust means. When his life is half gone, they will desert him, and in the end he will prove to be a fool. A glorious throne, exalted from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary. -- (NIV)
The Lord searches the heart and examines the mind. The mind is the essence of the Christian. If the Christian does not have his mind under control, and in submission to the Holy Spirit, he is useless. Continue to fill your mind with the Word of God. Study the Bible daily, and set aside a regular prayer time. Keep your commitments to Him and He will bless you richly!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 56 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: The problem with Porn - Part 1: From my own experience, porn can become a very powerful addiction. I do not fully understand why it can have such power over a man, but I and many others have been there. It can become the center of a guilt-shame cycle that Satan uses to reduce or destroy the effectiveness of a believer, and to keep unbelievers away from the Lord. It can also become, like any addiction, an obsession that consumes time and financial resources, and it isolates the victim because of the guilt-shame cycle into which he enters. Another effect it has on those viewing it is that it distorts reality. The majority of such material portrays women as craving sex to the point of submitting to almost any perverted treatment to get it. It teaches that many taboos are forbidden because God does not want you to know how pleasurable they are. In actuality, the taboos were there to protect us from the negative consequences of disease, unwanted pregnancy and the severe psychological damage that can occur (not to mention the severe physical, emotional and spiritual damage). It portrays the purveyors of porn as people trying to protect your freedom, when in actuality they are every bit as greedy as other "drug" pushers. Why do you think any anti-porn campaign has a hard row to hoe? The purveyors of porn are very rich and want to stay that way. Commentary: As you become focused on fighting pornography, not only in your own life but also in your community, expect strong and powerful opposition. The enemy is very resourceful, and he will not let you have an easy ride. The pornographers you encounter will tell you that what they do is in the name of freedom. That’s ironic considering how much you’ve had to struggle to become free of what they sell. Don’t become discouraged when it seems as though you have no support. Even your church friends may shy away from this battle. Keep your eyes on the Lord, and derive your strength from Him. Pick out a store in your community, and concentrate on it. Talk to the manager, write the regional manager, and have your accountability group do the same. Don’t give up until you get the results you want, then move on to another, and so on. Make a difference! You are the salt of the earth, be encouraged by that fact!
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Sixty days to freedom
How can you refute the pornographers claim to be protecting our freedoms? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ What suggestions can you give for fighting pornography in your community? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ How has/could your accountability group/partner helped you to fight pornography in your area? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: Matt 5:12-16 12 13
14 15 16
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. -- (NIV)
Remember the great Biblical prophets were persecuted as they stood up for the principles of God’s Word. Let that fact be an encouragement as you take your stand against the slimy world of pornography. But don’t lose your saltiness! Be ever vigilant against renewed attacks from the evil one. You are now attacking his domain, and he will not sit idly by and allow you to do so unchallenged. The almighty God is on your side; draw on His power!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 57 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: The problem with Porn - Part 2: The most tragic consequence of porn is what it does to the women, children and men portrayed in its pages. It reduces them to mere objects to be used by someone else with little or no regard for their significance outside of sex. They are held up to be raped and abused by any reader (in his mind) which can lead to obsessions that may actually be lived out by the consumer. Pornography claims that the only real value of a person is in how they might satisfy another's sexual cravings, no matter how perverted they may be. Many of the "models" are victimized, and convinced that posing for such material is their ticket to happiness and security, only to find out it enslaves them in the way it enslaves the people who read it. The question to ask is how does God feel, when someone created in His image is used for personal gratification, and damaged in the process. How would you feel if it was your daughter or son, or your wife? I fought the guilt shame cycle for a long time. When I first became a Christian, the desires mercifully disappeared for a time, only to re-emerge years later when I was deeply involved in my church and other Christian activities. The guiltshame cycle came back with a vengeance, and I would cry out to God expressing my unworthiness of His grace and mercy, not realizing that I could accept His cleansing. I did not understand why the cravings came back until I recognized that God had mercifully restrained them while I was a young Christian, so that my growth would not be impaired. It was only later that he removed the restraint, because in his wisdom, it was now time to deal with the root issues involved. Commentary: God in His sovereignty has allowed this struggle in your life for a purpose. In His divine plan, you have been given this addiction for your ultimate good. His hand has been on your life since you were conceived, and it will continue to be until the day you die. This gentleman recognized the sovereignty of God in his life. The fact that God spared him, of his sexual addiction in his spiritual infancy, is evidence of the absolute wisdom of our Lord and Savior. This story continues tomorrow, but from today’s portion of the story, it is important to recognize God’s sovereignty in our lives. Everything in your life belongs to God. Your job, family, finances, home, car, and yes even your addiction, belongs to Jesus Christ. Don’t fight your development with your own will; instead, allow Him to mold you into the person he intends you to be. Surrender everything to Him. How have you begun to recognize God’s purpose in your life through this addiction? Sixty days to freedom
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________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ How does the sovereignty of God encourage you in overcoming this addiction? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Describe the attitude God wants you to have when you don’t understand what is happening in your life. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: Acts 4:24-28 24
25 26 27 28 (NIV)
When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: "'Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.' Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.
God is in control of your life; turn the reigns over to Him. He will give you much more satisfaction than you could ever obtain on your own. The Lord your God is sovereign, be encouraged, and take confidence in that fact!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 58 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: The problem with Porn - Part 3: It was not enjoyable, and I am not a bit proud of those days, but the Lord showed me that even this was forgiveable and that I could be cleansed. I have often prayed for God to remove some of those images from my mind, but He showed me that I needed to replace them with proper images. When I quit trying to clean myself, and yielded to His cleansing, through confession and repentance (1 John 1:9), I had victory over the addiction. I didn't have to make all the deals with God, He knew I couldn't keep them anyway. All I had to do was accept that He was capable of truly cleansing me of all unrighteousness. I hope this is helpful to anyone else having struggled or still struggling with this issue. I cannot say that I will never fall into this trap again, but at least now I know I can get out of the hole with His help. And I rue the day I first saw pornographic material. We need to be strong in fighting porn in our communities. It is so easily available to our children today, and can so quickly poison their tender hearts and minds. Commentary: This gentleman is under no delusions. He realizes that he may fall into this trap again. You are probably feeling quite strong. You’ve successfully curbed these desires, with God’s help, for the last fifty seven days! That is great, but it is very important to have the attitude this guy has. This is a very powerful addiction, and you are not immune to a relapse! The enemy will work overtime to get you to fall, even once, so that he might jeopardize this work in your life. Now, as you go out into your community and begin to fight against pornography, he will attack you with renewed fervor, perhaps more intensely then you’ve ever experienced. Call upon the power of the Lord. Continue to renew your mind through Bible study and prayer. Flee from anything resembling the filth of pornography. Be resolute! Remember the awesome grace of God, and immerse yourself in the truth. The Bible says the truth will set you free! The truth about pornography is victimization, endless cycles of guilt and shame, and the powerful trap of addiction. Never forget these facts, and go out into your communities armed with truth! How can you constantly remind yourself of your vulnerability to pornography? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Sixty days to freedom
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Sixty days to freedom
Describe a recent incident that reminded you of your humanness. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ How did you overcome the above temptation? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: John 8:25-32 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 (NIV)
"Who are you?" they asked. "Just what I have been claiming all along," Jesus replied. "I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is reliable, and what I have heard from him I tell the world." They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him." Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him. To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
The key to knowing the truth is given in verse thirty-one. “If you hold to my teaching...”. Strive daily to hold to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Only then will you know the truth and be free!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 59 of 60 - Praise God, for another day of freedom! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: Struggling in College - Part 1: I am currently a junior in college, and there have been many changes in my life in these past few years. During the spring of my freshman year, I accepted Christ. What a breath of fresh air that was! Since then, I have been hungering and thirsting for God. I feel that in some respects I have "grown" very quickly, but in so doing, I realize how much farther I have to go. I am constantly learning new things about God and getting to know Him better. It is such a blessing to know Jesus. My heart aches for all the non-believers in this world. In my freshman year of college, I was virtually spiritually "dead". I was accepted into college because of my hard work and my talents. Little did I realize then how I was living on borrowed time. Still, things were very new, and I had a lot of adjusting to do to college life. One thing that I got heavily involved with was computers. Obviously, Computers are not a bad thing, but they led me down a dark and sinister path. Internet connections here are free to students, and having a computer in your room is sometimes a real nightmare, just because you can spend hours searching for and viewing pornography from the Internet. Commentary: The incredible explosion of the Internet has provided pornographers a whole new avenue to peddle their wares virtually unregulated. The World Wide Web provides access to any type of pornography you could imagine. The extreme danger inherent with pornography on the net is the privacy enjoyed by its accessors. They can literally sit in their own homes and bring whatever filth and slop they desire to their screens with complete anonymity. College students by the hordes are becoming addicted and enslaved to this manifestation of pornography. Their studies are being neglected, and their lives are being ruined by the availability of porn on the Internet. We as Christians need to be aware of this new avenue of distribution and attack it. We need to have just as many areas on the Internet reserved for the purpose of attacking pornography. If you are computer literate, and have Internet access, develop a home page that provides principles to freedom from the addiction! The Internet is Satan’s gold rush. We need to beat him to the punch and flood the Internet with wholesome, pure, and upright materials! Speak out in your communities and your cyber-communities!
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Sixty days to freedom
What can you do to combat pornography on the Internet? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ What suggestions would you give someone without a computer to become effective in cleaning up the net? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Describe an incident in which you were deterred from participating in pornography by someone else’s purity. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: 2 Tim 3:1-7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (NIV)
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.
The end times are upon us. This passage is a perfect description of our society today. We need to be aware of his imminent return, and pierce the darkness with our light! Continue fighting the good fight!
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Sixty days to freedom
Day 60 of 60 - Praise God, for helping you accomplish your goal! (Put your initials in this box if you made it through the day without partaking in sexual sin. If you fell today, return to Day 1)
Date: _________________________ Story/Challenge for the day: Struggling in College - Part 2: I also have a single room here. I thought it would be great to have some privacy after having roommates the past two years, and that it would provide some more opportunities for good quiet times. It has proven otherwise most of the time. It's so much easier to just sit down at the computer and find the latest "smut" on the Internet. It's so much easier sometimes to get caught up in the Web and masturbate (I hate that word) instead of pursuing other relationships with people. In short, I find it very debilitating at times. I write to you because I know that I must repent. But repentance is not simply an event. It is a process. The church I attend has been focusing on repentance, and I just came back today from a retreat that focused on repentance. I am so amazed and thankful that God allows us to repent. I deserve so much worse, especially for the sins that I have committed. I do not deserve Jesus Christ at all. Yet, why do I continue to blatantly disobey God on this issue of pornography? I do not know the answer. I hate it, and I hate myself for doing it. Commentary: As you complete your journey through this program, this gentleman is at the beginning. He needs strength, and to be directed towards the answer. There are millions of men like him, and you probably encounter them everyday. You have the answer! With God’s help you’ve made it to your goal. Now you must first be vigilant against the inevitable attacks of the devil. He will be on the prowl, trying to cause you to fall. Remind yourself of the principles you’ve gained in this program which is totally based on the Word of God. Use them to ward off his attacks. If you fall, repent immediately, claim the forgiveness available through the grace of God, and move on! Secondly, you must continue your Bible study and accountability group. Pornography, and your battle with it will never disappear! You need God’s Word, and the input of fellow Christians to stay on the straight and narrow. Finally, you must commit yourself to help others, like the gentleman in the above story, struggling with the same addiction. You can and will make a difference if you commit to these three principles. Be sure to stay conscious of your own fallibility and don’t become lethargic. Never let your guard down, because the roaring lion is waiting to pounce. Congratulations on your victory! Give the glory to God!
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Sixty days to freedom
What are some of the principles you’ve gained to help you overcome sexual addiction? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ What are some of the signs indicative of someone struggling with sexual addiction? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ How can we use those signs to help others come to the light? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Bible Reading: Gal 6:1-8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load. Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor. Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
(NIV) Restore others gently, but watch out! You may also be tempted. You must avoid being pulled back into this cycle you’ve worked so hard to escape. May God bless and keep you as you begin your newly restored life in Christ Jesus!
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