Three Books and Five Tips for Fighting Porn

The three books I recommend most for fighting porn are:

Finally Free: Fighting for Purity With The Power of Grace by Heath Lambert.

Sexual Detox: A Guide for Guys Who Are Sick of Porn by Tim Challies.

Soul Purity: A Workbook for Counselors and Small Groups by Dave Coats.

Tim’s book is usually where I start guys with this problem, especially if it’s younger men or men who are not big readers. I then usually graduate them on to Heath’s book, as it is more in-depth and a more demanding read. Soul Purity takes a workbook approach, and is most effective where a counselor, pastor, etc., is prepared to walk someone through the process over a period of time. It’s especially good for maintaining accountability.

On top of the great biblical teaching you’ll find in these books, let me add five tips which can help strengthen the will-power for this life-or-death battle.

1. Exercise. Work out rather than act out. Vigorous and regular physical exercise removes stress and tension from the system, expels unhealthy chemicals, and starts the production of good chemicals. The discipline of self-denying exercise also seems to help discipline and self-denial in other areas of life

2. Sleep. Regular and sufficient sleep also increases will-power. Studies have proven that sleep-deprivation (less than six hours a night) increases the likelihood of immoral behavior. Bill Clinton admitted that his worst sexual sins were committed when he was most stressed and sleep-deprived.

3. Routine. We function best when our lives are are orderly and follow a regular pattern. When our sleeping, eating, working, playing habits are all over the pace, so will be our minds and wills. The more routine and rhythmic our daily schedules, the more we will engender good habits and weaken bad ones.

4. Talk. I know, guys don’t talk, especially not about this. But it’s one of the most effective defensive weapons. Here’s how Carl Stewart put it in 3 Powerful Porn Triggers (And How to Overcome Them):

The best thing you can do when you find yourself in the middle of the Devil’s Triangle [of triggers] is connect with someone. Not hook up with a woman. Not talk with another dude about football. Talk with someone you know and trust, and tell them what you are thinking and feeling. (Yes, I just used the “F” word for guys.)

Here’s why you need to do this: simply acknowledging your thoughts and feelings to another person actually calms these feelings. It regulates them.

Your brain releases oxytocin–the same hormone released during sex (smaller amount) when you connect in this way. This calms the brain down and pulls you out of free fall.

Just telling someone–not even problem solving–is a powerful antidote for the Devil’s Triangle.

I can’t tell you how often men come back into my office after actually trying this. They doubted me, told me it isn’t their style. Former soldiers, hard driving businessmen, engineers, all of them. They are all shocked at how well this works.

I beg you, I dare you to try this.

5. Accountability. See Covenant Eyes for filtering and accountability services on computers, laptops, and mobile devices. Ask someone to disable Safari and any other dangerous Apps on your iPhone and install the Covenant Eyes browser instead.


Study Guide for The Masculine Mandate

My favorite book on Christian masculinity is The Masculine Mandate by Richard Phillips. Last Friday I began leading a book study on it for the men in my congregation. Here are the study notes for the first two chapters (Chapter 1, Chapter 2) which provide an outline and summary together with the most important quotes. I hope it will encourage you to think about leading a similar study with your men’s group. Feel free to edit them, add to them, re-arrange them, etc., Whatever it takes to make them useful for your group. I’ll post subsequent chapters as I get to them. The book already has helpful discussion questions.

Chapter One

To give you a tester, chapter one answers the who, where, what, and how of biblical manhood.

  • Who are we? Spiritual creatures (Gen. 2:7)
  • Where did God put us? In a covenant (Gen. 2:8).
  • What are we? Lords and servants (Gen. 1:28)
  • How do we obey God? Work and keep (Gen. 2:15).

SUMMARY: That is the Masculine Mandate: to be spiritual men placed in real-world, God-defined relationships, as lords and servants under God, to bear God’s fruit by serving and leading.”

Chapter Two

Chapter two develops the two words, “Work” and “Keep” found in Genesis 2:15.

“Work” means to cultivate whatever field God has placed us in, to bring forth good fruit in our workplace, in our church, and in our relationships.

“Keep” calls us to protect as a sword-bearer. We to make our “gardens” fruitful AND safe.

SUMMARY: “Our basic mandate as Christian men is to cultivate, build, and grow (both things and people), but also to stand guard so that people and things are kept safe-so that the fruit of past cultivating and nurturing is preserved.”

The Masculine Mandate by Richard Phillips.


Check out

Blogs

What Makes a Leader? | HBR Video
“Emotional intelligence sets great leaders apart from the rest. Learn to recognize it in yourself and others with this 7 minute video slide deck.”

Get Your Free Guide to Interpreting Proverbs | LogosTalk
If you have Logos, you can get Tremper Longman’s How to Read Proverbs totally free!

Leadership Training Begins in the Home – Ron Edmondson
“After planting and pastoring a church in New England for the past twenty-five years and watching other well-known leaders rise and fall, I am convinced that a biblical principle is overlooked by many: Leadership training begins in the home.”

How does a pastor fight through the “Preaching Hangover” | Practical Shepherding
Brian Croft with five suggestions for fighting through the fog on Monday morning.

Seven Reasons You Should Not Indulge in Pornography | Themelios from The Gospel Coalition
From Themelios:

You should not indulge in pornography for at least seven reasons: (1) It will send you to hell. (2) It does not glorify God with your body. (3) It is a poisonous, fleeting pleasure. (4) It foolishly wastes your life. (5) It betrays your wife and children. (6) It ruins your mind and conscience. (7) It participates in sex slavery.

Feeding on Christ Low Expectations… – Feeding on Christ
Nick Batzig asks: “Why do multitudes of men and women settle when it comes to the ministry of God’s word? This question obviously has more than one answer.”

Teacher Post in Scottish Christian School
There are very few Christian School in Scotland. This is one of the few and it’s looking for a new teacher.

Are you interested in helping provide a distinctively Christian Education for children?  There is currently a vacancy for a class teacher to teach P6-7 in a small class setting (currently 8 pupils) in this reformed Christian School on the Isle of Lewis.  The newly renamed Providence Christian School offers a warm family atmosphere, full parental support and friendly enthusiastic pupils.

Salary is £14,000 per annum, with possible relocation package. Other benefits may be available.

Further information and application forms available from (01851) 810037/ (01851 704148) and headteacher@lics.org.uk.

Kindle Books

Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions by Gregory Koukl $2.99.

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity by Nabeel Qureshi $4.99.

Recommended Book

Child in the Manger by Sinclair Ferguson. Read my brief review here.

Video

How to encourage honesty about sin without excusing it


God’s Two Planning Departments

All Christians believe that God has a “Salvation Planning Department.” Although Calvinists and Arminians disagree about what goes on in that department, with Calvinists favoring “Big Government” here and Arminians demanding more “Limited Government,” yet all agree that God plans our salvation.

But God also has a “Good Works Planning Department.” He has not only planned our salvation, but also all the good works that follow our salvation. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10).

God planned not only His good work of conversion but our good works in sanctification. He has mapped out every single day of our Christian life, and every single good work of each day.

Think of every Christian, in every country, and every good work that each will do each day, and then think of the solo-staffed planning department that has plotted, organized, and arranged all this!

That changes the way we view each day, and every opportunity to serve that comes along. Whether it’s cleaning a drain, typing an email, preaching a sermon, sharing the Gospel, visiting the sick, seeking justice, or phoning a widow, etc., none of these “good works” come by chance.

The Planner has planned it all; long before He was in your plans.


Check out

Blogs

Teenagers and Technology: A Guide for Parents – Declare and Display
Quite a few good posts on technology today.

Leaving the screen: Restoring in-person relationships | ERLC
“I’ve all but kissed Facebook goodbye. I still have an account, partly for professional reasons, but I’m striving to minimize my usage. I’ve come to believe that posting articles and partaking in debates on this medium is far less profitable than I once thought. I’m seeking a return to more intimate ways to build relationships with friends and family.”

Grappling with the Fears of Technological Change
“Today we are at the dawn of the digital revolution, and we are grappling with many of the very same fears people faced at the dawn of every other communications revolution. We fear the ubiquity of digital devices; we fear living so much of our lives in the glow of little screens; we fear the consequences of recording our thoughts and our lives in apps. But even now we can have hope. We can look to history to see how God has used every technology to carry out his purposes and to do His will. We can look to God’s Word to see that He works all things to His glory. We can have firm confidence that He is over and above and working through all of these things.”

Lord, Deliver Me from Distraction | Desiring God
“Since the fall of man, people have had trouble staying focused, but we live today in an age of unprecedented distraction. Since you’re already reading this on some electronic device, I don’t need to elaborate.”

The Identity Beneath Your Identities | For The Church
“On the surface our identity is always changing, but we can find comfort in the fact that God rules and reigns over our shifting identities. And underneath the shifting sand of our identity he gives us the solid foundation of identity in Christ.”

Themelios 41.3
Latest edition, with some excellent articles.

Running the Race of Redemption – Reformation21 Blog
“If I had died in the line of duty, I don’t think that I would have come to Christ. If I had been shot, I would have worn that as a badge of heroism. But when God gave me cancer, He brought me to a place of weakness in order to show me my need for Christ.” ”

21 Thoughts on Preaching | For The Church
“In no particular order, here are some reflections, musings, and bits of advice on the noble task of preaching the Word of God.”

Why The Mainstream Media Can’t Hold Trump Accountable
“The mainstream media have lost credibility. Under Obama, they were compliant. Under Trump, they’re hysterical. So who will hold Trump accountable now?”

50 Books to Watch for in 2017 | Tony Reinke
Here’s a great help to planning your reading in 2017.

Kindle Books

Clear Winter Nights: A Journey into Truth, Doubt, and What Comes After by Trevin Wax $1.99.

The Last Christian on Earth: Uncover the Enemy’s Plot to Undermine the Church by Os Guinness $1.99.

Not a Chance: God, Science, and the Revolt against Reason by R C Sproul and Keith Mathison $2.99.

Video

PRTS End of Year Video

PRTS // YEAR-END DONATION from Puritan Seminary on Vimeo.


Check out

Blogs

What So Many People Don’t Get About the U.S. Working Class
Another helpful article in understanding the past election.

If Your Right Hand Causes You to Sin (Ten Reflections on Masturbation) | Desiring God
Wish articles like this weren’t necessary, but the porn epidemic demands it. On the same theme, Sin Will Never Make You Happy.

Enough is Enough | Gary Thomas
This is an incredibly powerful and persuasive piece for churches to consider when dealing with abused wives. Here’s one of many challenging quotes: “If the cost of saving a marriage is destroying a woman, the cost is too high.”

I am a ‘surrendered wife’ – BBC News
Even some secularists are looking for alternatives to feminism.

When You Want to Change Your Husband
Staying with relationships, what should a married woman do when she wants her husband’s behavior to change?

Kindle Books

Joy for the World: How Christianity Lost Its Cultural Influence and Can Begin Rebuilding by Greg Foster $2.99.

God Is Red: The Secret Story of How Christianity Survived and Flourished in Communist China $2.99

The Other Worldview: Exposing Christianity’s Greatest Threat by Peter Jones $2.99.