Stephen Kuhn's Blog, page 25

Smart Quote: Tim Keller

Thoughts on this quote? Feel free to discuss them in the comments below.

The post Smart Quote: Tim Keller appeared first on Belt of Truth Ministries.

Weekly Web (W)roundup

Each week, I round up the best resources, articles, and videos I find that are relevant to finding freedom from porn addiction. Please note that by posting a link here it does not mean I agree with everything in the linked article. It just means I found it interesting enough to share.

Gospel Coalition: Star Wars—Childhood Revisited

“As a society, we are asking too much of our entertainment because we ask too little of our cultural narrative for adult life. It’s normal to mourn the loss of our childhood, but it’s devastating when we can find nothing compelling to replace it—nothing to anticipate with wonder or fight for in everyday life.”

Church for Men: How the Sexual Purity Movement Drives Young Men from Church

“Again, there’s nothing wrong with holding to Biblical standards of morality. But in our zeal to protect our children, we’ve set standards of holiness that in many cases exceed those found in the Bible.”

Desiring God: What God Thinks About You

“In all my years as a Christian, I had never asked the question quite this way until recently. And what I found is that God has a lot to say about what he thinks about us — a whole Bible full. But if we could summarize it in a short space, here’s how it might sound.”

Christianity Today: Why Pastors Can’t Spot Churchgoing Couples Headed for Divorce

“The research points to a problem with church culture, said Scott McConnell, vice president of LifeWay Research. If couples are unwilling to discuss marital struggles at church, they don’t get the help they need.”

Justin Bieber on Religion

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DONE: You Can No Longer Be Touched by the Evil One

We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them (1 John 5:18).

When I was growing up, I would torment my brother by playing the “I’m not touching you game.” I’d move my finger as close to him as possible without actually making contact. As if that wasn’t annoying enough, I would then hold it there for as long as it took to get a reaction from him.

Naturally, he would become irritated and tell me to knock it off. My response, being the brat that I was, was always the same: “Knock what off? I’m not even touching you.”

In a lot of ways, this is the same game that Satan plays with you as a believer. The difference though, is he doesn’t hold back from touching you because he’s content with merely annoying you. He holds back from touching you because he no longer has the power to touch you.

He knows this, of course. Which is why he will still try to get as close to you as possible. He will push up against the force-field of faith that surrounds you, leaning in close enough to whisper accusations in your ear to deceive you into believing you are still vulnerable.

But these are lies. You are not vulnerable. The evil one cannot touch you.

I encourage you to rest in this verse. Remind yourself of it whenever you face temptation. Believe it is true, even for you. Trust that the shield of faith truly will protect you from the fiery arrows of accusation, condemnation, and temptation that Satan hurls toward you.

Remember, you are in Christ. You are a child of God, a saint, fused with Jesus Himself, secure for all eternity.

Which means you have been made invincible to the attacks of the enemy.

This post was an excerpt from my book, DONE. 52 Amazing Things that Became True of You the Moment You Trusted Christ.

The entire book is available as individual posts here, but if you prefer a good old-fashion paperback, you can purchase a copy from Amazon.

The post DONE: You Can No Longer Be Touched by the Evil One appeared first on Belt of Truth Ministries.

Smart Quote: C. H. Spurgeon

Thoughts on this quote? Feel free to discuss them in the comments below.

The post Smart Quote: C. H. Spurgeon appeared first on Belt of Truth Ministries.

Book Review: Wild at Heart

“Discovering the Secret of a Man’s Soul”

Looking back over all the books I’ve reviewed so far, I’m shocked to realize that Wild at Heart has somehow slipped through the cracks. After all, if I could only to choose one book to recommend to you, it would be a toss-up between The Bondage Breaker and Wild at Heart, mainly due to the huge impact they’ve both had on my life.

When I first read Wild at Heart, I took it as permission to pursue my own adventures while giving no regard to the responsibilities God had put in my life. I used it as an excuse to spend my weekends in the mountains rather than with my family at home. “Just read this book, Babe. God made me to be in the wilderness.”

Needless to say, I had completely missed the point.

Fast forward 10 years to the second time I picked up Wild at Heart and things were quite different. I was reading and journaling through the book as an assignment from my counselor and could not believe how different it seemed from the first time I had picked it up:

As I worked through each chapter, I began to recognize how God had made me as a man, and how the enemy had strategically wounded me in many of those core areas. He wanted to keep me from living out of my true masculine heart, and it had been working.
I learned that my desire for adventure was a good thing, however, I had been seeking to meet it in ways that would never fulfill it to the level God could. It was only once I began to trust God in the adventure of faith that my heart truly began to come alive.
I began to understand why pornography was such a draw for me: I felt drawn towards women (part of how God made me as a man) but I feared I wouldn’t have what it would take to truly love one. So I opted for the “safe” approach to my sexuality instead.
Lastly, God used Wild at Heart to open my eyes to the larger story of redemption that He’s invited me into—a story where I am called to fight for others who are still in bondage.

Needless to say, I believe Wild at Heart should be required reading for every guy who—if he’s being honest—recognizes his current experience as a  “Christian Man” isn’t living up to what the Bible promises him.

Why? Because Wild at Heart will help them discover how everything God promises as part of the Christian life is available, but it only comes after a man gets his heart back.

I first read Wild at Heart.

Purchase Wild at Heart on Amazon today!

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Highlighting My Highlights:

I’m one of those guys who can’t read a book without a highlighter in my hand, and as far as I’m concerned, it would be a shame to mark up my favorite content and never share it with you. With that in mind, here are some of my favorite quotes from Wild at Heart:

“Adventure, with all its requisite danger and wildness, is a deeply spiritual longing written into the soul of man. The masculine heart needs a place where nothing is prefabricated, modular, nonfat, zip lock, franchised, on-line, microwavable. Where there are no deadlines, cell phones, or committee meetings. Where there is room for the soul.”

“I’ve noticed that so often our word to boys is don’t. Don’t climb on that, don’t break anything, don’t be so aggressive, don’t be so noisy, don’t be so messy, don’t take such crazy risks. But God’s design—which he placed in boys as the picture of himself—is a resounding yes. Be fierce, be wild, be passionate.”

“Why is pornography the number one snare for men? He longs for the beauty, but without his fierce and passionate heart he cannot find her or win her or keep her. Though he is powerfully drawn to the woman, he does not know how to fight for her or even that he is to fight for her. Rather, he finds her mostly a mystery that he knows he cannot solve and so at a soul level he keeps his distance. And privately, secretly, he turns to the imitation. What makes pornography so addictive is that more than anything else in a man’s life, it makes him feel like a man without requiring anything of him.”

“Why don’t men play the man? Why don’t they offer their strength to a world desperately in need of it? For two simple reasons: We doubt very much that we have any real strength to offer, and we’re pretty certain that if we did offer what we have it wouldn’t be enough.”

“Most of what you encounter when you meet a man is a facade, an elaborate fig leaf, a brilliant disguise.”

“Even if he can’t put it into words, every man is haunted by the question, ‘Am I really a man? Have I got what it takes?’”

“We’re asking the wrong questions. Most of us are asking, ‘God, why did you let this happen to me?’ Or, ‘God, why won’t you just… (fill in the blank—help me succeed, get my kids to straighten out, fix my marriage—you know what you’ve been whining about).’ But to enter into a journey of initiation with God requires a new set of questions: What are you trying to teach me here? What issues in my heart are you trying to raise through this? What is it you want me to see? What are you asking me to let go of? In truth, God has been trying to initiate you for a long time.”

“The true test of a man, the beginning of his redemption, actually starts when he can no longer rely on what he’s used all his life. The real journey begins when the false self fails.”

“A man needs a much bigger orbit than a woman. He needs a mission, a life purpose, and he needs to know his name. Only then is he fit for a woman, for only then does he have something to invite her into.”

“It is out of your brokenness that you discover what you have to offer the community.”

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Purchase Wild at Heart on Amazon today!

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The post Book Review: Wild at Heart appeared first on Belt of Truth Ministries.

Weekly Web (W)roundup

Each week, I round up the best resources, articles, and videos I find that are relevant to finding freedom from porn addiction. Please note that by posting a link here it does not mean I agree with everything in the linked article. It just means I found it interesting enough to share.

Path & Pavement: My Date with a Prostitute

“She introduced herself as Anette. I also said my name and as we sat for a few seconds in silence, my heart began to break.”

Gospel Coalition: Godliness Is Not Heterosexuality

“I was flabbergasted by this reply. It finally blew apart my wrong presumption that same-sex attraction and godliness, like oil and water, don’t ever mix. It made me recall that some of the most godly people that I’ve ever known have also experienced same-sex attraction.”

CovenantEyes: 8 Characteristics of Porn Addiction

“If any of these characteristics apply to your use of pornography, you might be addicted. However, don’t be discouraged. Freedom from pornography is possible.”

And Sons Magazine: When I Met Kevin

“Our friendship formed on our walks to the Italian restaurant down the street. Like most of the men in the house, Kevin let the social worker keep his monthly government checks in her safe. He told me once he was scared of what he might do if he was responsible for his money.”

The Bible Project: Animated Explanation of The Law

The post Weekly Web (W)roundup appeared first on Belt of Truth Ministries.

DONE: You Have Become a Child of God

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! (1 John 3:1)

If you’ve spent much time around here, you may wonder if this blog is more about being a father than finding freedom from pornography addiction.

To be honest, there’s a pretty good reason for that. The truth is, as much as I love writing about finding freedom from pornography, I simply can’t help writing about being a dad. It’s the greatest joy in my life.

The Bible refers to children as a gift from the Lord, and even though there are days when I question how true that may be, I have to say I whole-heartedly agree.

I love my daughter more than anything.

She is my joy.

She is my blessing.

And you know what? My feelings towards her have nothing to do with her behavior or how “lovable” she is at any given moment. In fact, I remind her all the time that there is nothing she could do to make me love her any more or love her any less, because I already love her with all of my love, and that will never change.

I love her solely because she is my child.

But get this: You are a child of God, which means the God who created the entire universe feels exactly the same about you!

You are God’s joy.

You are God’s blessing.

Even on your worst day, when you’re wallowing in sin, throwing tantrums, and being a complete pill, God still looks at you and says: “Man I love that kid. How lucky am I to have him as my son?”

God is absolutely crazy about you, and that will never change, because you are now His child.

This post was an excerpt from my book, DONE. 52 Amazing Things that Became True of You the Moment You Trusted Christ.

The entire book is available as individual posts here, but if you prefer a good old-fashion paperback, you can purchase a copy from Amazon.

The post DONE: You Have Become a Child of God appeared first on Belt of Truth Ministries.

Smart Quote: Louis L’Amour

Thoughts on this quote? Feel free to discuss them in the comments below.

The post Smart Quote: Louis L’Amour appeared first on Belt of Truth Ministries.

Desktop Wallpaper: Climbing in the Oregon Cascades, quote by John Eldridge

Climbing in the Oregon Cascades | Quote by John Eldridge

Click on the image to download at full resolution.

The post Desktop Wallpaper: Climbing in the Oregon Cascades, quote by John Eldridge appeared first on Belt of Truth Ministries.

Weekly Web (W)roundup

Each week, I round up the best resources, articles, and videos I find that are relevant to finding freedom from porn addiction. Please note that by posting a link here it does not mean I agree with everything in the linked article. It just means I found it interesting enough to share.

Gospel Coalition: Brother, Where Is Your Identity?

“God’s way of sizing up a man goes against the grain of our instinctive opinions and strategies. Here are six basic realities to orient you…”

CovenantEyes: Marriage After Porn—Milestones of Healing

“Things were tense in the house in those days. I was seeing a biblical counselor and attending a small group dedicated to helping men with pornography addiction, but despite doing those things, Carolyn wanted very little to do with me. Hope was in short supply, as our marriage swung like a pendulum between despair and, well, even deeper despair.”

Shaunti Feldhahn: Believing the Best Isn’t Letting Him Off the Hook

“If you assume that your man’s motives are to hurt you, I fear that you’ll never get to that place.  You’ll be so apt to assume that he will always take advantage of you, that that is all you’ll see. You won’t see the man who loves you, even though, statistically, he almost certainly does.”

Ligionier Ministries: Bearing Burdens

“How do we bear one another’s burdens? There are several ways. First, we do so by praying for each other, taking each other’s burdens into the presence of God. Second, we do it by coming alongside our brothers and sisters to help them through trials or difficult seasons in their lives. Third, we do it by stepping into their shoes, taking difficulties away from them, and bearing them in their place.”

XXXChurch: Greg’s Story

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