Breaking Free

The Covenant Eyes office, including our call center, will be closed tomorrow (July 3rd) and Independence Day (July 4th). We will resume our normal hours of operation next week.

Happy 4th of July!

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The following is a review of Chapter 7 of Why Small Groups? by C.J. Mahaney. This free e-book is available on the Sovereign Grace Ministries online store and is a helpful guide for accountability groups.

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You’ve read the stunning stats. You’ve heard the rumblings of the epidemic of pornography now overrunning the church. You’re concerned that the nature of your increasing counseling sessions indicates that the problem has arrived at your church. What do you do? As a shepherd, you want to protect your flock. You want to increase accountability and transparency. You want to provide more counseling. You want the saints at your church to live like saints. So you implement a small group ministry. Great move! But here’s a word of advice. Read and carefully take to heart the admonitions written by Dave Harvey in his chapter, “And Now for the Big Picture.”

As indicated by the title, Dave Harvey looks back over the work of the previous chapters in Why Small Groups? and writes an application conclusion. This chapter is hard hitting. Harvey is very frank about the problems the church is facing, and he does not sugar coat his answers. I liked that. The main point in his chapter flashes in neon red, Christians need to be more committed to the church! He writes “[the] Church can’t be a mere accessory” (94). Read more…

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Recently the Media Research Center (MRC), one of the largest media watchdog groups in America, put out an official report about the volume of soft-core pornography on YouTube. Read the Executive Summary and the Full Report on the Culture and Media Institute website. Bear in mind: the report itself is quite explicit in its findings. Reader discretion is advised.

CMI looked at the most popular search results for the word “porn” – yielding 157 videos that each had more than 1 million views. While YouTube blocks actual nudity, there are many videos, images, and words adults would find objectionable.

• Searching the word “porn” returns more than 330,000 results, many of which are sexually suggestive in their language and themes.

• Two-thirds of the 157 “porn” videos advertise themselves as being actual pornography.

• Many videos feature clips from actual porn movies, interviews with porn stars, advertisements for porn sites, and phone sex lines.

• Profanity is also commonplace in the titles and comments for the videos

The CMI recommends that parents monitor their children when it comes to YouTube, and remember that even seemingly harmless videos and search terms can have bad results.

One way a parent can do these things is by installing a good accountability software option. Encourage open communication in the home about what is seen and heard online. Nurture an at-home culture of accountability, especially when it comes to media. Covenant Eyes Accountability Software does an excellent job scoring not only the videos watched, but also the related items on every single Web page (such as links, comments, and “related videos”).

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Recently we received a comment from someone who wanted to know if there were any credible peer-reviewed journals that were dealing squarely with the subject of pornography addiction. Because porn addiction is not officially classified in the DSM, we get questions from time to time about how widespread this issue is.

Below is the bulk of my reply . . . Read more…

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The following is a testimony from Melody, a girl who has known firsthand the plight of pornography addiction and the redeeming power of Jesus.

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I was introduced to pornography by a “friend” in the 6th grade—that’s 10 years ago—and it’s something that has plagued me since that day. Only ’till about 3 months ago did I really even think I would be able to defeat it. Growing in intimacy with the Lord and a desire to be His pure and spotless bride has kept me determined, and Covenant Eyes has kept me accountable. Thank you so much!

So many things that I have found are designed to reach only men with regard to the battle to overcome pornography addiction. However, being a woman, there is a very different cause and approach. Do you have any material focusing on women and pornography? I guess we are just so much more secretive about it. The pressure for women comes from the image that the media projects—that we need to be “sensual” and “knowledgeable.” Naivety and innocence are no longer looked upon as valuable qualities. You get curious and feel so foolish for not understanding the jokes and the innuendos.

I was a 6th grade girl at a small Christian school who was addicted to pornography. I felt like I was so dirty and so weird because it’s only the boys who are supposed to deal with that stuff. I couldn’t talk to anyone about it. So now, I’m talking! I’m talking to girls and sharing my testimony. The statistics are telling us that 1 out of 3-4 girls has been molested by the age of 18. How can you be molested—a forced introduction to sexuality—and just turn that off?

Jesus is the Redeemer—not just of our souls, but of our WHOLE LIFE. He has brought me full circle in every mistake I’ve made and given me chances to make the plans of Satan null and void. In places where I have fallen, He has allowed me to keep others from falling. Praise the Lord for His mercy!

Peace and Purity,
Melody

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