Men of Integrity
I used to be shocked when I’d hear statistics about pornography use in our country and even in our congregations. But statistics seem cold and almost benign, in a way, when, over and over, I’ve seen Christian women, up-close and personally, experience the pain of opening a computer to see a husband’s history of images filled with unclothed women. The longer the sin—a direct violation of Matthew 5:28—has been going on, the darker its progression and the more difficult to break free. Many young men enter marriage with expectations that have already been skewed by the devil through pornography and are, thus, unable to enjoy the normal gift of intimacy that God has reserved for Christian couples. Pornography is perhaps the most addictive sin of our time and certainly one of the most destructive. I have seen men sacrifice jobs, marriages and lives with their young children because of the progression of the feeding of the addiction. I have wept with some of you who are reading when your worlds were rocked by the nuclear bomb that pornography is or has been to your lives.
Like many other sins, today’s participation is never enough. Each computer click calls for another and another and the material of each session is a bit darker than the previous time. Men (and sometimes, but far less frequently, women) do not look at those first sensual images with the plan to become regular pornography users or addicts. But, unlike the drink or drug that can, with steely determination, be locked away from my reach, pornographic images are stored permanently in the mind and breaking free is further complicated by that reality. Further, the devil has successfully made that which formerly at least had the built-in inhibitor of purchasing or obtaining the material, now free and accessible with ownership of the almost universal smart phone. Remember he is like a lion and he is actively seeking souls to devour.
I appreciate the good elders at the West Huntsville church for planning events designed to help men of God refrain from this sin. They’ve asked all of the West Huntsville men to be present on Saturday, March 2nd at 10:00 am for a short seminar called “Men of Integrity” designed with a two-fold purpose: first, to protect hearts from involvement, and second, to give those who are struggling or involved an avenue to break away from the sin of pornography.
So I wanted to let you know…for your sons, grandsons, husbands and brothers in the Lord. Some of your husbands may be men who can help younger men conquer the addiction. Some of your husbands are elders who may be instrumental in leading entire churches to be protective in this area. Some of your brothers may want to come and think about planning their own seminar like this one.
So it’s Saturday, March 2nd, and now open to all Christian men. There’s no need to pre-register. Just tell them to show up at 10 for just an hour-and-a-half. It will conclude at 11:30.
I know I am biased, but if you have not been to a West Huntsville Women’s Seminar, you’ve just missed out, so hoping you can make it on September 15th and 16th when we will be thinking about the Super Lives of Women of God. The thrust this year is encouragement to stay the course. We think this is timely in 2017. It’s tough when your husband is not a Christian, especially during the formative years of your children’s lives. It’s hard when your children are going through stages of unfaithfulness or rebellion. It’s difficult when the liberal agenda in our nation is shouting its empty rhetoric at your family or when even those who wear the name Christian do not always lend support to righteousness. It’s just hard. I need days of reflection on the power that’s in the Word, enabling His women to overcome—enabling ME to win over Satan. This is the week’s end that can help you make it to the world’s end. It’s the retreat that can renew your spiritual stamina to persevere to the final rest. I hope you can make it to this event. Remember, it only happens once every two years. 
