Thoughts of a Recovering Addict pt. 2

In church this morning we talked about pornography.  Heavy stuff.  However, I came out of church encouraged and thankful.  Almost in tears because of how overwhelmed I was (and still am) by the grace of God!

 I was reminded of this post from back in November: Thoughts of a Recovering Addict.  I won't tell the story again (you can read it), but Pastor Keith hit the nail on the head when he said,
"A woman needs to feel something, and so her porn might be in words that touch her emotionally--romance novels that portray the ideals of new love, depicting a woman being swept off her feet by a hero."  
 I applaud him for saying that, because

...That's my story...

 And I know I wouldn't be where I am today if God had not, in His marvelous grace, provided me with a wake up call like the one Pastor Keith offered this morning.

Because, I can tell you right now, it's a sneaky addiction.  It doesn't look that wrong!  It's just a book (or to be more accurate, hundreds of them), and everyone reads them . . . so why would it be a problem?  But I'm not writing today to convince you reading romance novels is wrong . . .

No, I'm writing, because I want to testify to the great grace of God!  That sin in your life you
think you could never overcome?  HE can.  That thing you think you could never do without?  Through HIM, it's possible.

I really can't find the words to describe to you how incredible this freedom I've found in Christ is.  But I shall try . . . He is FAITHFUL!  And by His grace, dear ones, Jesus made a way for us to break free from our bondage to sin and instead walk in newness of life!  In freedom, in joy, and without shame.  He's broken the chains and set me free!  And He will for you too, if you will come and surrender . . .

"Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass."                                                                                                                         ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:24


Lastly, in case you're interested, I wanted to include the link to today's sermon audio: The Porn Supremacy, which I highly recommend (be forewarned, though, my pastor gave it a PG-13 rating).

May Jesus be lifted high as Victor in our lives, and may we find forever JOY in living for His glory!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Single Woman's Hope

Hope . . . I love that word!  It's a word that brings so much life & joy, but only when it's used rightly. I'm here to tell you today that my hope as a single woman is not placed in the possibility of marriage someday.  I don't live for that time, and I don't believe that will be when I am finally and perfectly fulfilled.    Jesus fulfills!   HE  is my hope.  Today and forever I rest in those truths! That said, I would still love to be married someday.  I still PRAY for my future husband.  However, I'm not promised marriage in this life.  For today, I've been given the gift of singleness, and I want to live fully in today. . . taking in all the joys and sorrows that are in this moment!  I want to embrace the people in my life today. . . loving them and my Savior unreservedly. Those words are my heart. . . but there are times when it's hard to remember them.  There's this lie floating around that too many peop...
Read more

Our Love Story (Part 3)

(Missed the earlier installments?  The story starts here:  Our Love Story-Part One ) A week and a half after our first meeting, I was sitting at my desk at work, and had just told KJ to pray I would hear from him soon. (Or maybe I just needed patience?) Opening my facebook messages I discovered one that started with, "Dear Allison," And the rest is history. Just kidding, I'll tell you the rest of the story. ;) That message let me know that Carl wanted to get to know me better, Not just dating for fun, but seeking to see if God would lead our lives together toward marriage-- which HE did! :) BUT, at this point, we were practically strangers. Nevertheless, After he talked with my dad on the phone for a good couple hours, We started regularly calling each other, Skyping, and Facebook messaging. It wasn't long till we felt like we had known each other forever, And our regular phone calls turned to once a month visits, And all afternoon and evening Su...
Read more

The Story Behind Her Eyes

Wait, When did those eyes staring back at me change? When did the girl become a woman? There's a story behind her eyes. Was it when she realized love hurts... But is still SO worth it? When the world became a little more black than white? Was it when life became a series of routine days? When joy became a choice? Or, I know, When the perfect walls came crashing down? Actually, no, I don't know. When does the face of a girl change? Behind the story in her eyes, I still see joy. Still see the girl inside. She's just . . . aware. Aware that joy is a choice, Love is a choice. Hard choices, Worthy choices. Her smile comes from the inside. Beauty shines as she chooses each day: Christ rules this life. May His glory shine.
Read more